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Introduction
Oakwood,
known for the first few years as "City
Cemetery", is the second oldest cemetery in
Fort Worth, and is the final resting place of
cattle kings and cotton kings, of oil barons
and business tycoons, of bankers and
statesmen. There are writers, teachers and
musicians, brave soldiers and beautiful women,
the notable as well as notorious, famous
gunslingers and pistol duelist. People from
all walks of life sleep quietly here.
The
cemetery was designated as an official
historical site in 1966 through the efforts of
Mayor Willard BARR and members of the City
Council; the marker was placed at a dedication
ceremony on April 2, 1967. Since that time a
beautiful ornamental gate and an iron fence
along Grand Ave. has been erected with
donations from interested lot holders sought
by the Oakwood Cemetery Association.
The
Historical marker at Oakwood Cemetery reads,
"Founded 1879 by John Peter SMITH who donated
the first 20 acres, since enlarged to about
100 acres. Within the area are three separate
cemeteries, known as Oakwood, Calvary and
Trinity. Many Fort Worth and Tarrant County
men of distinction lie buried here. Plots are
owned by lodges, unions, Catholics, and
Protestants, negroes and whites. Tracts are
dedicated to both Confederate and Union
Soldiers. The Chapel was built in 1912.
Oakwood and Calvary Association provide care,
with some assistance from the City of Fort
Worth."
A
Part of the original tract was reserved for
blacks and is called "Old Trinity Cemetery".
There are people of color also buried in
Oakwood.
At
the request of Bishop C.W. DUBOIS, of
Galveston, a separate plot was partitioned off
by John Peter SMITH for the Catholic Church on
June 9, 1880. This part of the cemetery became
known as "Calvary" and, like Oakwood, is still
having burials today.
White
Settlement Cemetery with an estimated 350
graves was moved to Oakwood in 1952/53 to make
room for the extension of the Carswell Air
Force Base main runway. Many of these graves
were unmarked and now have a number on the
stone which corresponds with photographs taken
before the cemetery was moved. If relatives
can identify from pictures the spots where
there ancestors were buried, they can be told
by the Corp of Engineers where the new graves
lie in Oakwood.
This
book consists of Oakwood, Calvary and Old
Trinity Cemeteries. There are some
biographical sketches and obituaries. Also
included are letters from those persons who
submitted information on their ancestors and
loved ones. All of the letters we received
have been used. Some of them were edited for
lack of space and the original letter has been
placed in the files at Oakwood Cemetery.
The
cemeteries are listed in three different
sections of the book. Each one has been broken
down into the bock numbers. The lot, space and
row numbers, where applicable, are listed
under the block number heading. This was done
so that you may easily see who is buried near
of with your family, and perhaps find some
missing links in your family tree.
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