Groveland Park in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Stephen A. Douglas: The Douglas Tomb

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, December 6, 2021

1. Stephen A. Douglas: The Douglas Tomb Marker

Inscription. Stephen A. Douglas died June 7, 1861, and was buried near his Chicago cottage. Friends soon organized the Douglas Monument Association to construct a suitable tomb near the site. Work on the monument, designed by Leonard W. Volk, began in 1866, and two years later Douglas's remains were transferred from their temporary grave.

Lack of funds caused construction to lag until an 1877 appropriation by the Illinois legislature revived the project. The column was raised in 1878 and topped by Volk's nine-foot statue of Douglas. Finishing touches came in 1881. Today, the senator's body rests in the sarcophagus of Vermont marble inscribed with his last words, "Tell my children to obey the laws and uphold the Constitution."

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Government & Politics. A significant historical date for this entry is June 7, 1861.

Location. 41° 49.897′ N, 87° 36.504′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Groveland Park. Marker can be reached from East 35th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 636 East 35th Street, Chicago IL 60616, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Stephen A. Douglas: Douglas and Lincoln (a few steps from this marker); Stephen A. Douglas: The Chicago Years (a few steps from this

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marker); Stephen A. Douglas Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Stephen Arnold Douglas (within shouting distance of this marker); The Great Migration Centennial, 1916-2016 (within shouting distance of this marker); Stephen Douglas (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Ida B. Wells-Barnett (approx. 0.4 miles away); Supreme Life Building (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

More about this marker. The marker is located at the Douglas Tomb State Historic Site, along the right side of the path leading from the street to the monument.

Also see . . . Stephen A. Douglas Tomb (Wikipedia). (Submitted on January 7, 2022.)

Stephen A. Douglas: The Douglas Tomb Marker - wide view image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, December 6, 2021

2. Stephen A. Douglas: The Douglas Tomb Marker - wide view

The subject marker is the one on the left.

The Douglas Tomb image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, December 6, 2021

3. The Douglas Tomb

<i>Stephen A. Douglas, gravesite</i> image. Click for full size.

John Carbutt (courtesy of the Allen County Public Library, Ft. Wayne, IN), circa 1862

4. Stephen A. Douglas, gravesite

Monument to Stephen A. Douglas image. Click for full size.

Internet Archive

5. Monument to Stephen A. Douglas

This image of Leonard W. Volk's prospective monument to Douglas appeared in Harper's Weekly, September 15, 1866, page 588.

Laying the Cornerstone of the Douglas Monument at Chicago<br>Sketched by T. Williams, Sept. 6, 1866 image. Click for full size.

Internet Archive, 1866

6. Laying the Cornerstone of the Douglas Monument at Chicago
Sketched by T. Williams, Sept. 6, 1866

from Harper's Weekly, September 22, 1866, page 604.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 17, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 7, 2022, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 162 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 7, 2022, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. 5, 6. submitted on August 15, 2023, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.