Historical marker describes Old Oakwood Cemetery in Montgomery, Alabama

'Old Oakwood Cemetery' historical marker in Montgomery.

This week’s featured historical marker is the “OLD OAKWOOD CEMETERY” marker in downtown Montgomery, Ala. This marker is located just inside the main entrance to Oakwood Cemetery on Columbus Street in Montgomery.

This marker was erected by the Alabama Historical Association and the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. The marker doesn’t indicate the year that it was erected. There’s text on both sides of this marker, and both sides are different. What follows is the complete text from the marker.

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OLD OAKWOOD CEMETERY: The city cemetery was begun by donations of land from Andrew Dexter in 1817 and from General John Scott in 1818. Dexter and Scott had founded separate villages which combined to form Montgomery in 1819. The early part of the graveyard was known as Scott’s Free Burying Ground. The cemetery was open to all of Montgomery’s people. Many of the soldiers and prominent statesmen who shaped our history as well as ordinary citizens, hanged felons, and unknowns rest in Old Oakwood. Nearly 140 acres in size, the cemetery has no more lots for sale. (Continued on other side).

OLD OAKWOOD CEMETERY (Continued from other side): Oakwood Cemetery, consisting of Scott’s Free Burying Ground, Plats 1, 2, 3, and 4, and the old Catholic and Jewish cemeteries, is filled with the history of this City, State and area. Those who pioneered the wilderness, made the early decisions, formed our government, promulgated our law, bore arms when necessary, and experienced the hardships and successes of our growth rest here. Having passed the torch of progress to us, many of those who were a living and integral part of our history and heritage have at last found safe harbor, in Old Oakwood.

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I encountered this historical marker a few months ago when I went to visit the grave of Hank Williams Sr., which is just down the street in the Oakwood Cemetery Annex. That part of the property also includes the graves of 78 officers and men of the Royal Air Force who died in Montgomery while training during World War II. If you've never been to see this for yourself, I recommend you check it out when you get a chance.

While there, I also took a quick drive through the Old Oakwood Cemetery, which is huge compared to most cemeteries. In one portion of the cemetery, you’ll find a large section containing the graves of 724 Confederate veterans. The ground in that portion of the cemetery is somewhat steep, which I also found to be another unusual feature of this old cemetery.

I plan to go back to this old cemetery some day with my camera because I learned later that the historical marker described above is just one of many on the property. I could see some of them from afar on the day of my earlier visit, but I didn’t take the time to check them out.

In the end, visit this site next Wednesday to learn about another historical marker. I’m also taking suggestions from the reading audience, so if you know of an interesting historical marker that you’d like me to feature, let me know in the comments section below.