Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois

Oak woods Cemetery

1035 E. 67th Street

Chicago, IL 60637

773-288-3800

Oak Woods is the most significant historic cemetery of Chicago's South Side. Established in 1854, but no burials took place until 1860. Many renowned figures are buried here, including Mayors Thompson and Washington, crime boss Big Jim Colosimo, Olympian Jesse Owens, civil rights activist Ida B. Wells, and physicist Enrico Fermi. Six thousand Confederate soldiers, prisoners of war, who died at Camp Douglas, are buried together beneath a towering monument, which is located just across the road from the Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol section.

Oak Woods is located at 67th and Cottage Grove, just west of Hyde Park and the University of Chicago. Originally, the cemetery was beyond the city limits but conveniently close to railroad lines. Chicago annexed the area containing Oak Woods in 1890. In 1893, the World's Columbian Exposition was held only a few blocks north of Oak Woods, in what is now known as Jackson Park.

The grounds include four small lakes. "Symphony Shores", around Symphony Lake, is the most prestigious section with three mayors. Along the southern wall is Jewish Oak Woods, which is not owned by the Oak Woods cemetery. It is separately managed and maintained by two local shuls. Fences separate the Jewish section from the rest of Oak Woods. Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel Congregation owns the Ohave Mariampole section. Congregation Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Kesser Maariv Anshe Luknik owns the Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol section. These two sections are adjacently located.

The third Jewish section is located within Oak Woods Cemetery management. This is the Congregation Rodfei Zedek section, located close to the two older Jewish sections.