04-03-2025
Researchers uncover Black history at this Des Moines cemetery
As part of our Black History Month coverage, we recently spotlighted several local activists whose contributions influenced the broader Civil Rights Movement.
Why it matters: We barely scratched the surface, including history rediscovered from the graves at Woodland Cemetery.
Catch up fast: Researchers have in recent years documented more than a dozen Underground Railroad conductors and freedom seekers who are buried there.
The National Park Service added Woodland to its National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom list in 2021.
Zoom in: Local historian Mike Rowley, who co-authored a book about the cemetery last year, highlighted some of the people buried there who made significant contributions to Black history.
John Lay Thompson (1869-1930)
Editor and owner of The Iowa Bystander, the oldest Black newspaper west of the Mississippi, into the 20th century.
Henrietta Wallace (1833-1913)
A Black woman who served three years as a cook for the 39th Iowa Infantry during the Civil War before choosing Iowa as her home.
Delia Webster (1817-1904)
The first woman imprisoned for assisting runaway slaves.
📺 Learn more: Videos about the lives of dozens of people buried at Woodland Cemetery are available via QR codes at their gravesites or online.
