Local historian John Bry conducted the Oak Dale Cemetery Tours for the Champaign County Preservation Alliance event held last weekend.
The tour focused on the Marshall, Weaver, Marvin, Miller/Mosgrove and Brown/Murphy/Milligan Mausoleums and the impact these families had on the development and growth of Urbana and Champaign County.
Also, open for viewing was the receiving vault, which has always been something of mystery to those visiting Oak Dale.
Prior to mechanization, the vault was used to house the deceased, preserving the body during the winter months.
When the ground thawed in the spring, graves were dug and burials held at that time.
As the evenings darkened on the tours, torch lights and spotlights were lit, creating an ambiance and further enhancing Bry’s presentation.
