Missed Tales Tombstones Tell? Take a Self-Guided Tour of Oakwood Cemetery
If you missed this year’s Tales Tombstones Tell on Friday, October 10, 2025, don’t worry — the stories are still waiting for you.
Over 100 people joined us at Oakwood Cemetery for the 36th annual program, a beloved West Chicago tradition that brings local history to life among the headstones of our city’s earliest residents. From founders and railroad builders to mayors, immigrants, and families who shaped our community, each story offered a glimpse into the lives behind familiar names.
And now, you can experience it all at your own pace.
Dan interprets Thomas Brown’s life at Oakwood Cemetery on October 10, 2025.
Take a Self-Guided Tour
Each stop along the path at Oakwood Cemetery now features a QR code that links directly to a short video from the program.
Simply open your phone’s camera, scan the code, and watch as our storytellers share the lives of the people buried there — right where their stories began.
You’ll meet:
John B. Turner — railroad pioneer and namesake of Turner Junction
A.E. Hahn — longtime railroad conductor and former mayor
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Fenwick Norris — Scottish immigrant and mother of three
Caroline Kress — early German settler and namesake of Kress Creek
Mary Thompson Fuller McConnell — founding mother and landowner
Thomas Brown — English farmer whose legacy lives on in Brown Street
Plus, you can start with the Welcome video, which shares the history of Oakwood Cemetery and the origins of Tales Tombstones Tell.
Carol welcomes the first group to this year’s tour!
Watch Online
Prefer to explore from home? You can watch all of this year’s performances — along with full transcripts — right here on the Museum Blog or through our YouTube Playlist.
Whether you visit in person or watch from afar, we invite you to discover how the people of the past helped shape the West Chicago we know today.
Visit Oakwood Cemetery
Oakwood & York Streets, West Chicago
Free and open to the public during daylight hours
Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s program.
Your participation keeps these stories — and the spirit of our community — alive.
