Woodlawn Cemetery added to list of historic landmarks

In a town that thrives on constantly reinventing itself, there's still some real estate that's remained relatively unchanged for most of the 100-plus years the city of Las Vegas has been around.

Woodlawn Cemetery, which was recently added to the city's list of historic landmarks, is described as a bedrock of community in a city often criticized for having none.

"Those who rest in eternity are conveniently gathered in death where the rules of life would not have allowed," a report on the 93-year-old cemetery says. It uses phrases such as "cohesive society" and "long-term commitment."

But don't worry. This is Vegas, so there's scandal and turmoil too.

Woodlawn Cemetery originally consisted of 10 acres and opened in 1915 after several years of effort by community leaders, who counted a formal cemetery as one of the signs that Las Vegas was maturing into a real city.

It wasn't the city's first burial ground. Informal and private cemeteries were used, including the Boot Hill and Ranch cemeteries. Those two sites were located in the vicinity of Las Vegas Boulevard and Owens Avenue, now the site of Woodlawn.

The fact that the area was used for burials since settlers arrived -- and possibly before, because Paiute remains have been found in the area -- is part of the cemetery's historical significance.

"There does not exist in any physical form a better example of the Las Vegas Valley community than that which can be found within the boundaries of the Woodlawn Cemetery," wrote researcher Joe Thomson, who prepared a successful application to place the cemetery on the National Register of Historic Places.

"Woodlawn Cemetery has achieved a remarkable feat in this community by retaining the integrity of the site."

It's also the final resting place of many notable citizens, including J.T. McWilliams, who designed the cemetery and the original Las Vegas town site. Also interred there are Nicholas "Nick the Greek" Dandolos, a famous gambler, and noted gunslinger "Diamondfield" Jack Davis, as are eight Civil War veterans, former Coaster Billy Delmar Guy and former Las Vegas mayors.

"Thousands of individuals with compelling and contributing histories are buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, including members of nearly every pioneer family that lived in Las Vegas during the formative years," Thomson wrote.

Cataloguing those histories is a task as yet undone, said Courtney Mooney, historic preservation officer for the city of Las Vegas.

"We don't have any plans to do that. It doesn't mean it's out of the question," she said. "It would be a great project, but definitely labor intensive."

The cemetery is on Las Vegas' Pioneer Trail, a six-mile tour of significant historical sites. Plans call for a more detailed guide to the cemetery and its notable residents, Mooney said.

Now for the scandal.

Woodlawn Cemetery had a lot going for it when it was founded, since it was established by the city and backed by leading citizens. But it got an extra push from a competitor.

In 1910, the Las Vegas Cemetery began alternating burials with Ranch Cemetery, which was Woodlawn's predecessor. In early 1915, however, Las Vegas Cemetery's undertaker, L.D. Smith, was arrested after an infant he was supposed to have buried was found under a bush, wrapped in a blanket.

He'd faked the burial in order to perform experiments on the body, then paid a man he met in a saloon $2 to bury it.

Since the baby was stillborn, there was a technicality in the law that let Smith escape prosecution, Thomson wrote.

But "Smith's scandal basically closed down the operation, and opened the door for Woodlawn to become the only cemetery for the community outside of a few small family plots."

Though historic, Woodlawn -- which has expanded to 40 acres -- is also an operating cemetery that's expected to be in business for years to come.

Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.