Last updated: June 30, 2021
Place
Oak Hill Cemetery and Arboretum
"Oak Hill Cemetery Water Fountain" by Lori SR is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Quick Facts
Location:
Evansville, IN
MANAGED BY:
Amenities
3 listed
Parking - Auto, Parking - Bus/RV, Scenic View/Photo Spot
Lewis and Clark NHT Visitor Centers and Museums
This map shows a range of features associated with the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, which commemorates the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. The trail spans a large portion of the North American continent, from the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington. The trail is comprised of the historic route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, an auto tour route, high potential historic sites (shown in black), visitor centers (shown in orange), and pivotal places (shown in green). These features can be selected on the map to reveal additional information. Also shown is a base map displaying state boundaries, cities, rivers, and highways. The map conveys how a significant area of the North American continent was traversed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition and indicates the many places where visitors can learn about their journey and experience the landscape through which they traveled.
Founded in 1853, Oak Hill Cemetery has a historic 175-acre cemetery within the City of Evansville with more than 70,000 interments. Perhaps the most hallowed ground in the Cemetery was the interment sections which contained the remains of soldiers who died in battle or in Evansville hospitals from battle-incurred wounds during the Civil War. The remains of 500 Union men, 24 Confederate soldiers and 98 local dead were buried in three separate sections—all victims of Civil War battles. In 1868, the city began efforts to secure designation of the Union veterans’ areas as federal property, eventually succeeding with a Congressional appropriation and recognition in 1898. Several years later, in about 1903, the Fitzhugh Lee Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy erected a monument in remembrance of the 24 soldiers who died for the South. A memorial for local Union dead was added in 1909.
Established in 2017, the William Halbrooks Arboretum at Oak Hill Cemetery was named for William Halbrooks, Oak Hill’s third superintendent.Its purpose is to provide a quiet and healing landscape for mourners while respecting the history and dignity of those interred at Oak Hill Cemetery. It will promote public awareness and appreciation of urban greenspaces by providing a safe, serene and beautiful setting. “This is a tremendous accomplishment that represents a team effort in achieving the certification for our historic facility,” said Chris Cooke, Superintendent. This accreditation” represents the culmination of many hours of labor put in by countless volunteers as well as a generous grant from the Southwestern Indiana Master Gardener Association,” he added. “Without each and every one of them, we would not have reached this goal.” A core goal of the Arboretum is to protect and cultivate existing trees and woody shrubs, while augmenting the historic landscape by selecting and appropriately locating new acquisitions. Additionally, it will promote general awareness and appreciation for trees and landscaping through social media, publications and public events.
More than 120 individual tree species are represented within the Halbrooks Arboretum including juniper, holly, blue spruce, tulip tree, dogwood, catalpa, sycamore, locust, Japanese ginkgo, magnolia, and varieties of pine, oak, cedar, maple, and willow.
The Halbrooks Aboretum has achieved Level II Accreditation from www.ArbNet.org.
Oak Hill Cemetery and Arboretum is centrally located off Highway 41 just north of the Lloyd Expressway and offers traditional ground spaces, mausoleum chapel, cremation garden, and a Veterans’ Memorial Plaza.