Guided Tours of Wallace-Dickey Cemetery

After spending time looking at the condition of the wall surrounding the Wallace-Dickey Cemetery on the north
bluff in Ottawa, both Chuck Sanders, president of the Wallace-Dickey Cemetery Preservation Association, and
Keith Stehl, Ottawa Masonry, acknowledge it going to be a large and expensive undertaking. “We want to re-use
as much of the original Joliet limestone as possible”, stated Sanders.
A dedicated group of volunteers, mostly members of the Starved Rock Civil War Round Table, started some
restoration work in 2019, but, the work was halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This same group has handled
the mundane maintenance chores such as mowing the grass and collecting fallen branches for several years.
Created in 2021 with a goal to restore and preserve this private, land-locked cemetery, the Wallace-Dickey
Cemetery Preservation Association has begun a major fundraising effort with the goal to stabilize the existing wall
and re-build as necessary. As a first step, two trees will be removed, thanks to a generous donation from a
benefactor.
As part of their fundraising efforts, the Association is planning a Civil War re-enactment event on the grounds of
the Reddick Mansion on Saturday, May 18 th . Events on Sunday, May 19th, will include guided tours of the
cemetery and a presentation about General Wallace at the Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum.
The cemetery dates back to early 1800s and holds the graves of several members of the Wallace and Dickey
families, including General WHL Wallace killed in the Battle of Shiloh (and immortalized in the mural above
Jeremiah Joe’s in downtown Ottawa), T. Lyle Dickey, prominent attorney of the mid 19 th century, their wives and
children.
People interested in helping preserve this unique part of Ottawa’s history can send donations to “Wallace-Dickey
Cemetery Preservation Association NFP”, PO Box 392, Ottawa, Il 61350. Volunteers are also needed, both for
helping at the fundraising event and for the construction/maintenance of the cemetery. People wanting more
information or to volunteer can reach via the Association via e-mail at [email protected].