Woodland Cemetery Pays Tribute to Black History

Historic Dayton cemetery honors Black leaders who shaped the city and the nation.

By Kelley King

During Black History Month, Woodland Cemetery in Dayton holds tours celebrating the lives of those who’ve made an impact on the city and beyond.

“I think when people come here, they don’t realize who all is resting peacefully here and how they impacted the Dayton area.”

Misti Spillman, Woodland Cemetery Preservation and Community Outreach

In the quiet of Woodland Cemetery, 185 years of history is buried on more than 200 acres.

Dayton’s own Paul Laurence Dunbar, the first renowned African American poet, is buried in the cemetery. The famed Dayton poet died in 1906 at 33 years old.

“He also was associated with early civil rights leaders such as Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington,” says Spillman.

Inside the cemetery’s indoor mausoleum, Dunbar’s poem “A Death Song” is enshrined in the colorful stained glass.

“And one of the first lines of it is ‘Lay me beneath the willows,’ which you can see that in the stained-glass window is depiction of a willow tree,” describes Spillman.

That poem is also on the marker at his gravesite.

“He had a very robust body of work. He did plays, books, and also over 600 poems,” states Spillman.

Also making her mark on Dayton history, founder and artistic director of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Jeraldyne Blunden, is also inside the mausoleum.

Dayton’s first Black mayor, James H. McGee, and Charity Adams Earley, commanding officer for the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion during World War II, are among the more than 112,000 people buried here.

“I think it just brings another part of just the historical aspect of Dayton,” says Spillman.

Their history is rooted in the landscaping of the cemetery and the city. Even in death, their legacy lives on, finding peace in their final resting place.

The cemetery also holds other events throughout the year and provides private tours.