Historic Cemetery Walk Marks Milestone Anniversary
The West Chicago City Museum celebrates a milestone anniversary of an event that showcases the rich history of the community each year in October. The 25th annual Tales Tombstones Tell program will be held on Friday, October 10, 2014 in Oakwood Cemetery, at York Street and Oakwood Avenue.
Visitors stroll through West Chicago's oldest cemetery, with lanterns and candlelight illuminating the path. Costumed interpreters are the hosts, revealing the life stories of former residents whose lives and deaths impacted West Chicago cemeteries. The stories shared tell tales common to many of the community's ancestors and transcend the city's borders.
Again this year, interpreters will also provide music to accompany the historic tales. Residents to be featured include members of the Hayward and Hills family that contributed to the preservation of Oakwood Cemetery, the McConnells who gave their own land for the cemetery, Adelaide Avard Vedito, who was the first to be buried there and the Trull family who helped found Calvary Catholic Cemetery.
Tales Tombstones Tell is appropriate for families, is based on historical fact uncovered through new research and does not contain ghost stories. The tours, which last 45 minutes, begin at 6:30 p.m. and run continuously at approximately 10-minute intervals. The final tour begins at 7:45 p.m. Tours are first come, first served, and no reservations are taken. In case of inclement weather, the program is cancelled.
Refreshments will be served after the program in St. Mary's Church basement. For twenty-three years, St. Mary's has graciously provided a place for visitors to relax and refresh while they reflect on the stories just heard. Materials about the men and women discussed during the tour will also be on display. Although the program is free, donations are encouraged.
There are eight stops on the tour and, in honor of the special anniversary, an interactive tour map has been created, detailing grave locations, photos and historical facts on the persons and monuments featured this year. The map is available at www.westchicago.org.
For more information, please call the Museum at (630) 231-3376 or via email at museum@westchicago.org.