- Name: Oakwood Cemetery
- Location: 45.20420, -93.39810
- Date Visited: October 6, 2021
Oakwood is a classic oak studded midwest cemetery. It’s somewhat large and rolling, with over 2,500 graves, the oldest of which dates from 1847.
Zinc monuments, also called “white bronze” were popular right around the time of the US Civil War. They stand out due to their white-gray color, and the incredible clarity of the filigree and text. One of the companies that made them was the American Bronze Co. of Chicago, IL. They made markers for soldiers on both sides of the war, and for civilians as well. They closed down during WWII.
This must have been one of my first experiences with a cast zinc marker. Either that or the design of this particular marker grabbed me. In any case, 1874 wasn’t a good year for James and Mirnerva Douglas. Losing two children in under four months must have sucked hard.
Then there was this poor fellow. The 27th Iowa Infantry mustered out of Dubuque, and were deployed in Minnesota during the Sioux Uprising of 1862.
You don’t see a lot of Engholm markers around, at least not where I’ve been. Since I know one, I had to take a picture or two. Although Jeff has done no genealogical research to confirm it, he says he’s not related to this gentleman.
Finally, a couple of stones that make me marvel at the skill involved such beautiful stonecraft. There are stone workers on both sides of my family, so I feel some small level of kinship with the creators of these fantastic markers.
Comments are closed.