Johnson, LuAnn.

Born and raised in Springfield, Ill. After growing up in Springfield she headed several local small businesses. Over 20 years ago LuAnn became the Executive Director of Oak Ridge Cemetery, the municipal cemetery of Springfield Illinois. Although the interviewee was LuAnn Johnson, the interview centered on Oak Ridge Cemetery - its history, current status, and future plans. Intimately connected to the story of Oak Ridge Cemetery is the story of its service as the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln, his family, and many of their contemporaries. Oak Ridge Cemetery, a three hundred acre cemetery on the north side of Springfield, was begun in 1855 and dedicated on May 24, 1860. It became the burial site of assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. Oak Ridge includes a number of sites (Lincoln tomb and various war memorials) deeded to and administered by the State of Illinois. This interview reviewed the history of this cemetery as well as the daily operation of the second most visited cemetery in the United States. In her office LuAnn discussed the establishment and growth of Oak Ridge, the political and financial structure which supports it, and its relationship with the state historical sites included within its borders. The interview also includes visits to a number of important sites within the cemetery with accompanying explanation by LuAnn.