Historical figures.
Oak Hill is the final resting place for those of note — judges, mayors and war heroes are here — as well as those of modest means and the all-too-many children who succumbed to the Spanish flu. Here are the stories of just a few of the more than 25,000 buried here.
Thomas Hammond
Thomas Hammond was a man of modest means who rose to greatness through pluck and determination. Born in Massachusetts, his fortunes seemed set on carpentry and contracting until — at age 21 — he moved to ...
Read more
... Detroit to work in a packing house and then to Hammond where he established his very own meat business. He, along with a cadre of business partners, holds a patent for innovations in transporting perishable goods by means of refrigerated train cars. With his business in hand, Hammond became the face of the city that bears his name, serving as mayor from 1888-1893 and president of the city’s Commercial Bank right after. He was elected to Congress and served for a dozen years before returning to Hammond as a businessman and member of the City Council.
Ernst & Caroline Hohman
The life adventures of Ernst and Caroline Hohman began in Europe, continuing to Chicago via New York City before leading the couple in 1849 to their home in what would become Hammond.
Read more
The couple built an inn along the Grand Calumet River to offer lodging a day’s journey from Chicago and are considered Hammond’s first official residents. Hohman Avenue was named in honor of the couple and what they did for the burgeoning city. The two eventually built a grand home on Hohman Avenue across from Harrison Park and just a mile from their final resting place at Oak Hill Cemetery.
Marcus Towle
Marcus Towle was intimately involved in everything that was important in the early days of Hammond. A flip of a coin cemented Marcus’ place in Hammond history as the city’s first mayor.
Read more
His fortunes were tied to his business partners — George Hammond, Caleb Ives and George Plummer — who invested in the G.H. Hammond Meatpacking Company, which became famous in rail transport circles for their refrigerated train car patent. At the end of his life, he was also known as the man who created Oak Hill Cemetery, which became his final resting place.
Henry Schrage
Henry Schrage enlisted under the alias “Henry Hulbeck” in 1863 as a private in Company K of the 30th Illinois infantry. Instead of returning to his native Chicago following the war ...
Read more
... Schrage set down roots in what would become Whiting, establishing the Bank of Whiting (now known as Centier), founding the city and serving as the city’s first postmaster. Born in Germany, it was Schrage’s wish to be buried at Oak Hill Cemetery and that his descendants would be buried there, as well.
Charles L. Surprise
One of Lake County’s first families, Charles L. Surprise was born in Lake Dalecarlia in 1884, the same year Hammond was founded. The son of Canadian parents, his father, Oliver, served in the Civil war.
Read more
After graduating from Northwestern University, Charles clerked with prominent attorney S.C. Dwyer before being named deputy clerk of the United States District and Circuit Courts in Hammond.
Anthony & James Malo
As it turns out, some of the most visited gravesites of the last century and the one before are elaborate markers of those who lived modest, yet remarkable, lives. Anthony and James Malo were two such individuals.
Read more
Anthony, just 54 when he passed, was a blacksmith who was most often pictured in his police uniform was a proud member of the Grand Army of the Republic — an organization of union veterans that advocated in support of voting rights for black veterans and which helped establish Memorial Day as a national holiday. Virtually nothing is known about James — except the day he was born (1854) and the day he died (1897). The brothers’ gravesite is marked by ornate stones, centered by a monolith the oversees a generous yard framed by a stone wall.