A Victorian Cemetery
Looking for Lincoln
Woodland Cemetery—The necropolis that in life (Cornelius Volk) did so much to beaut(ify) and make attractive" (Quincy Daily-Herald, 1898). Among significant historical Woodland memorials are the gravestones of Orville and Eliza Browning. Abraham Lincoln's closest Quincy friends. The couple rest beside their stillborn son and foster daughter Emma Lord Skinner. Foster son Lt. William Shipley, 27th Illinois Infantry, was the first Quincy Civil War soldier lost in battle. Killed in Missouri's Battle of Belmont on November 7, 1861, he is buried nearby. Woodland contains the Memorial Monument to Adams County Civil War soldiers sculpted by Quincyan Cornelius Volk, brother of Chicago sculptor Leonard Volk, who sculpted Lincoln;s life mask and hands. The Sisters of Good Samaritan, a soldier's support group, financed the erection of the memorial. The monument's shaft is crowned by and American eagle looking south and east over a preserved Union. Cornelius Volk also created a monument for Lincoln's colleague, Archibald Williams, with the inscription, "erected by the Bar of Adams County in memory of our brother."
This Woodland Cemetery map shows the location of the graves of many of Abraham Lincoln's Quincy friends as well as several other sites related to Lincoln. Although a significant number of his friends
are buried in Woodland, the graves of others are located elsewhere. Abraham Jonas is interred in the valley of Peace Jewish Cemetery on North 30th Street in Quincy, and Stephen A. Douglas is buried in Chicago. Andrew Johnston's and James Singleton's graves are located in Virginia. Most of these friends are described in greater detail in other Looking for Lincoln wayside exhibits in Quincy.
One of the most significant Victorian cemeteries in the Midwest, Woodland Cemetery's elaborate variety of markers and memorials reflect the rich heritage of Quincy. The pages of community history are recorded here in three-dimensional artifacts often depicted with Victorian symbols. Beyond the writing, these gravestones reflect community development, trad patterns, technological advancement, tragedies, theological evolution, and changing artistic tastes. It is history in stone. Situated on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River, the public park or "garden cemetery" setting typified Victorian burial grounds. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, Woodland is a prime example of the rural cemetery movement of the nineteenth century.
Erected 2010 by State of Illinois Historic Preservation Agency & Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites
Location. 39° 55.149′ N, 91° 24.593′ W. Marker is in Quincy, Illinois, in Adams County. Marker can be reached from South 5th Street. Marker is at Woodland Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1020 S 5th St, Quincy IL 62301, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. His Friends Rest Here (here, next to this marker); John Wood 1798-1880 (within shouting distance of this marker); Honoring Soldiers (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Monument (about 600 feet away); Mississippian (approx. ¼ mile away); Marquette & Jolliet (approx. ¼ mile away); Woodland (approx. ¼ mile away); Quincy (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Quincy.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 20, 2020. It was originally submitted on August 26, 2012, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 938 times since then and 12 times this year. Last updated on May 19, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 26, 2012, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.