Chicago (City) and Catholic Cemeteries

Chicago (City) and Catholic Cemeteries
Life Span: 1858-
Location: Corner of Orchard and Willow.
Architect: TBD

D. B. Cooke & Co.’s City Directory for the Year 1859-60

City Cemetery

Catholic Cemetery

Halpin & Bailey’s City Directory for the Year 1863-64
City, Green Bay road, between Asylum place and North avenue; S. S. Hayes, Court House, Sexton.
Catholic, on Wolcott street, between Church street and North avenue; office, Madison street corner Dearborn place, John Murphy, agent.

Chicago Tribune, February 18, 1857

A NEW CITY CEMETERY.—Nearly a year ago a movement was made to obtain grounds outside the city limits for cemetery purposes, and a committee appointed by the Common Council to look up a site. That committee made a report and the matter was dropped. Some two months ago the present Council appointed a committee consisting of the Mayor and Alderman Sexton, Howe, Colby and Holden, to obtain proposals for the sale of grounds suitable for cemetery purposes. On last Monday evening this committee made their report.

In the judgement of the committee, the best proposition made them was by Charles V. Dyer, being for the disposal of a piece of ground seven miles south of the city limits and containing six hundred and forty acres. This ground is located in township thirty-seven and thirty-eight and is a high ridge, with gravel subsoil, covered with a fine growth of oak timber and is described as being “quite hand some.” The Illinois Central Railroad runs within some forty rods of the south east corner of the tract and the Chieago and Rock Island road runs along its west boundary. This ground Mr. Dyer offers to sell for $102,400, equal to $160 per acre. A proposition has been made to Mr. Dyer to exchange that portion of the present cemetery grounds, not occupied for burial purposes, for the grounds selected by the committee. The present unoccupied cemetery grounds contain sixty-one acres, including a triangular block of three acres detached from the main tract. For this tract Mr. Dyer proposes to pay $77,000, making a difference of $35,400 between the two propositions, or reducing the price to be paid for the new grounds just that amount. What the result of this disagreement, as to price, will be, is, of course, still undetermined.

The present cemetery grounds are entirely inadequate to the necessities of our population. This is admitted upon all sides. Only about one-half of the fifty-eight acres still unoccupied are available for cemetery purposes, fully one quarter being a slough and covered with water during a portion of the year, and nearly another quarter being a sand beach over which the waves of Lake Michigan dash during the prevalence of east and north-east gales. But admitting that all this ground could be made available at a reasonable espense, still the grounds would be entirely too small. Another serious objection to the present cemetery is that it is too near the city, being within the limits and surrounded by a large and rapidly increasing population.

The selection of new cemetery grounds is certainly a matter of grave interest to every citizen, and should receive that earnest attention which it deserves. The main points to be regarded in the selection are accessibility, natural beauty, adaptibility to improvement, and quantity. So far as we can learn. the site recommended by the committee, possesses all these qualities in greater quantity than any other which bas been proposed. The principal objection urged against the proposed site is its distance from the city. But is that objection well founded? Let us examine. It will cost but a very trifle more, if anything, to reach the grounds by rail cars, seven miles distant than it would five miles, or even four miles, while either of these distances would be too great for carriages, except upon extraordinary occasions or where expense was not taken into consideration, and even at three miles, persons in moderate circumstances could ill afford to hire carriages upon funeral occasions. The cost of transporting persons by railroad to the proposed grounds, and return, would not probably exceed twenty cents, while the average expense of a in the present cemetery is not less than seventy-five cents for each person attending. It is not probable that six hundred acres of land, suitable for a cemetery, could be purchased within three miles of the city for less than $600,000, or six times as much as is asked for the grounds selected by the committee. Of course the more the grounds cost the greater will be the price necessarily charged for burial lots.

It is not intended to abandon that portion of the present cemetery now in use for burial purposes, unless with the consent of those owning lots therein, but simply to sell that portion of it not in use. understand that the Catholic cemetery is to be abandoned, provided the new purchase is made, and grounds obtained, adjoining, for the burial of those in the Catholic faith.

Chicago Tribune, September 6, 1865

Ald. Proudfoot introduced a communication covering the following preamble and resolution:-
Whereas, the Common Council of the city of Chicago did, on the 21st day of October, 1864, pass the following ordinance, to-wit:
“An Ordinance in a regard to the Chicago Cemetery, and to establish a Public Park in the North Division.”
Sec. 1. “That hereafter, nobody shall he buried in the Chicago Cemeteray, except in the lots which hare been sold by the city.”
Sec. 2. “Dedicates the north end of the cemetery grounds for & public park.”
Sec. 3. “This ordinance shall take effect from and after its passage.”

And Whereas, on the 15th day of February, A.D. 1860 an agreement in writing was entered into by and between the city of Chicago, of the one part, and the Rosehill Cemetery Company, of the other part, in by and by which agreement the said the Rosehill Cemetery Company an appropriate section of said cemetery grounds (to be increased from tine to time as circumstances required), as a burial place for all such bodies as said city of Chicago, by its proper officers, might direct to to be therein interred, and the said city of Chicago agreed to pay for each and every of such interments the sum of one dollar and fifty cents; and whereas, it was also agreed by the said Cemetery Company, that they would make any interments in their grounds which might be desired, other than such as were made at the expense of said city, for the sum of two dollars for each and every of such other interments, thus affording facilities for the interment of such bodies, as had been for years before, made in the public ground of the Chicago City Cemetery;

And Whereas, by the record of interments kept by the officer in charge of the said Chicago City Cemetery, it appears that since the 1st day of January, 1865, there have been interned in said public ground of said Chicago City Cemetery 533 bodies, 63 of which interments were made by the orders of city officers, and at the expense of said city, beside the bodies of 1,107 deceased rebels which have also been buried in the public ground of said City Cemetery since the passage of the above mentioned ordinance, by the orders of said city officers:

And Whereas said ordinance is a “dead letter,” and interments are constantly being made in the said public grounds of said City Cemetery, thereby greatly endangering the health of said city, and particularly in view of the fact that there are indications that pestilence will be raging through the ere many months.

It is herby Resolved, That the Board of Public Works or other proper officers
of the said city or Chicago, are hereby directed to see that the provisions of said ordinance are immediately carried into effect, and that from this time no permission be granted for the burial of any bodies brought for interment, in the said public ground of said Chicago City Cemetery.

I would respectfully ask the passage of the fore-going resolution.
L Proudfoot, Alderman 19th Ward.

Ald. Clark moved the adoption of the resolution.
Carried.

Catholic Cemetery
1869

Chicago Tribune, November 4, 1859

The New Catholic Cemetery on the Lake Shore.—We learn that, yesterday, Bishop Duggan accepted the plan before referred to by us, for the Catholic Rural Cemetery, designed by Edgar Sanders, the well known florist, of Lake View, and Louis Leonhart, of Evanston. The plan embraces fifty acres, which will subsequently be extended to the lake, making in all one hundred acres. The grounds are admirably fitted for the purpose. The Cemetery is located at Oakton, between Chittenden station and Eranston, about ten miles from Chicago.

Chicago Tribune, June 7, 1865

Ald. Lawson introduced the following resolution, which was passed:
Whereas, It appears by the records of the City of Chicago, that there are now two public parks designated by the name “Lake Park,” therefore
Resolved, That the park recently separated from the unoccupied portion of the old cemetery grounds, shall hereafter known and designated as Lincoln Park.

The Ira Couch Tomb

Chicago Daily Tribune, February 5, 1857

Death of Ira Couch.-The telegraph last evening brought us the intelligence of the death of Ira Couch, one of our oldest and most esteemed citizens. Mr. Couch expired in Havana, Cuba, in the last week of January, of heart disease. He leaves a wife and daughter to mourn the loss of a valued and affectionate husband and father.

Chicago Daily Tribune, March 4, 1857

Ira Couch.—The remains of the late Ira Couch, Esq., have reached this city. They were accompanied by Mrs. Couch and the brother of the deceased. The funeral will take place from the Tremont House, tomorrow, at 3 o’clock P.M.

Chicago Daily Tribune, March 6, 1857

Mr. Couch’s Funeral.-The remains of the late Ira Couch were attended to their final resting place yesterday afternoon, by a large concourse of the friends of the deceased. The balconies of the Tremont House were draped in black during yesterday and the flags upon the different Hotels were at half mast.

Chicago Daily Tribune, May 19, 1857

Ira Couch’s Will.-The will of the late Ira Couch names Mrs. Elizabeth Couch, James Couch and William Wood, the wife, brother and brother-in-law of deceased, as executors and trustees. The real estate is to be held by them in trust for twenty years. At the end of that time it is to be divided equally between Mrs. Elizabeth Couch, Caroline Eliza Couch, daughter of deceased, now about twelve years of age, James Couch, and Ira, his son. The income for twenty years is to be devoted to a judicious improvement of the real estate, except annuities as follows: Wife and daughter $15,000 per annum after all debts of the estate are paid; until that time $10,000. The daughter after her marriage is to receive one quarter of her net income, and the mother $10,000 per year until Ira Couch, son of James, attains his majority. Rachel Couch, sister of deceased, $1,000 per annum, Mrs. Lucy Gregory, mother-in-law, $500 do., and her son William $200 do. James Couch $10,000 per annum, and a legacy of $1,000 to each of the children of Geo. W. Couch, with a legacy to Rachel Southworth of $1,000.

Mr. Couch’s estate in this city is estimated at a million and a half of dollars.

Chicago Tribune, August 14, 1858

Splendid Vault.– The relatives of the late Ira Couch, are now engaged in erecting a family vault in the Cemetery, which promises to eclipse anything of the kind in this city. Peter Button, Esq., is the builder. Van Osdell & Bauman, the architects. It is to be constructed of Lockport (N. Y.) stone, of which it will contain one hundred tons. Messrs. Bennett & Stockton day before yesterday drew to the Cemetery the stone designed as the cater of the vault. It ls sixteen feet in length by seven in width, one foot thick at the edges, and sixteen inches in the centre. Is required eight horses for its movement. The vault is to be of sufficient size to contain eleven bodies, which will be placed in niches in the wall, ranged in a semi-circle opening into the centre, which will be closed with a marble slab, upon which may be engraved the proper inscriptions. It will cost, when completed, $7,000, and is a generous testimonial of the esteem of the living for the departed.

Chicago Tribune, February 18, 1877

With the completion of the present work, every vestige of the old cemetery will have disappeared except Couch’s tomb. Masons have carefully examined this structure, and say it will cost nearly $3,000 to remove it to Rosehill and the Commissioners have determined to let it remain, and plant trees thickly around it.

Chicago Tribune, February 18, 1892

Of the stones and memorials which once marked the resting places of the countless thousands buried in what is now Lincoln Park the tomb of the Couch family alone remains. Every attempt to have it removed has been resisted, and the vault, surrounded by great trees, stands there in the park, & subject of curiosity to visitors, and a reminder at the same time that the beautiful grounds in which the living now seek rest and recreation was once the resting place of Chicago’s dead.

Chicago Tribune, October 7, 1900

One of the interesting burial landmarks of the present day is the Couch plot in the heart of Lincoln Park. The Supreme Court of the United States decided some years ago that the burial lot belonged to the dead, not to the living, and it was thus that the Couch vault, as well as the plot belonging to the Peacock family, remained intact, notwithstanding the efforts of successive Park Commissioners to have the graves removed.

The Ira Couch Tomb

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