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 From 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, May 24, visitors can enjoy cake and
ice cream for a nominal fee – an event reminiscent of the past, when
families would gather at scenic Oak Ridge Cemetery for picnics on
summer Sundays.
The Springfield Municipal Band will be there, along with
representatives who will describe restoration of the “original”
First Street entrance to the cemetery.
The Lincoln Monument Association will also introduce a new tree tour
that uses modern technology to present the history of the cemetery.
Twelve historic trees have been given markers that describe the
tree, provide GPS coordinates and offer a QR code that provides
pictures and additional information.
Each tree will have an interpreter to relate important historic and
horticultural facts.
A new website describes the trees:
http://oakridgecemeterytrees.wordpress.com
They include oaks that stood when Abraham Lincoln was buried, a
cottonwood that may be the biggest tree in Springfield and an
example of the only magnolia native to Illinois.
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Eventually, about 250 trees will be identified on future tours.
The tree tours are a joint effort of the Lincoln Monument
Association, Oak Ridge Cemetery Foundation, Illinois State
Historical Society and Guy Sternberg from Starhill Forest Arboretum.
[Text received; CHRIS WILLIS,
ILLINOIS HISTORIC PRESERVATION AGENCY]
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