Visitors can hear the voices of Dixon’s past at the Oakwood Cemetery Walk from 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 28.

This year marks the mausoleum’s 100th anniversary, and five volunteers will “bring to life” historically significant figures buried there. The event, hosted by the Lee County Historical and Genealogical Society, will feature a presentation on the mausoleum’s history by Karen Yardley.

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Local historian Tom Wadsworth and others will lead a cemetery walk in Dixon’s Oakwood Cemetery. Wadsworth will portray Samuel S. Dodge who was the first to be buried the Oakwood mausoleum. (Alex T. Paschal)

Afterward, the mausoleum will open for self-guided tours. Visitors are asked to donate $5; children under 12 enter free. The cemetery is at 416 S. Dement Ave.

Volunteers portraying historical figures include:

• Samuel S. Dodge, by Tom Wadsworth
• Hattie Dodge, by Gloria Nusbaum
• Oscar Coss, by Matthew Lenox
• Collins Dysart, by Jeremy Englund
• Paul Lord, by Mike McBride

Built in 1925, the Oakwood Memorial Mausoleum is rarely open to the public outside this annual event. The building houses a full-sized chapel, 410 crypts, two private rooms, two deluxe “apartments,” and a basement receiving vault with space for several bodies, according to Dixon historian Tom Wadsworth.

By 1972, the mausoleum held 245 sets of remains. The city acquired it in 1973 after years of neglect. By the 2022 cemetery walk, Wadsworth said, it had been “restored to a respectable condition.”

The mausoleum has long been a magnet for local teenagers seeking thrills. In 1947, several teens were charged with malicious mischief after breaking in. One was knocked unconscious and later smashed a window in frustration, according to Dixon Telegraph archives.

The first Oakwood Cemetery Walk took place in 2009. Wadsworth’s stepmother started it to highlight Dixon’s history and the cemetery. Over the years, Wadsworth has portrayed about 10 historical figures, his favorite being Ed Vaile.

Vaile, who died in 1955, was a longtime member of the Dixon Park District Board and helped open Dixon’s Memorial Pool in 1950. He owned a clothing store and, Wadsworth said, “devoted his life to letting the city be his kids.”

For the 2025 walk, Wadsworth will portray Samuel S. Dodge, one of the mausoleum’s first interments. Dodge, a Civil War veteran and jeweler, died in 1924 before the mausoleum was finished. His body was temporarily held in Astoria, Illinois, until the mausoleum opened in 1925.

The entire event is volunteer-run, and all proceeds benefit the Lee County Historical and Genealogical Society, Wadsworth said.