Smile Politely. Speak Directly. A Champaign-Urbana Culture Blog

Woodlawn Cemetery, which shares its land with Busey Woods in Urbana, houses many folks who once walked the streets of our two towns. Illegible tombstones from the pre-Civil War era flock the grounds — but one lesser known fact is that this cemetery has a few sections lovingly referred to as "babyland" by the groundskeepers. Large rows of tiny worn down grave markers, like the ones above from the oldest "babyland," can be found on the southeast side of the cemetery marking the deaths of many children who died from various illnesses in the early 1900s. Another interesting grave marker, for Isham Cook, is one from the first body buried at this cemetery. Although his body is not directly under his tombstone, it is "still around somewhere under the grounds," according to a groundskeeper. Click "Continue Reading" to see Cook's marker.