Barrington Area Library: Barrington Area Cemeteries: Chunn

Chunn's Burial Ground

Photos taken by Barrington Area Library staff

Cemeteries within the Barrington Public Library District

Additional area cemeteries

Sources

Barrington Area Library. Barrington Courier-Review Index.
Cemeteries of the U. S.: A Guide to Contact Information.
Daughters of the American Revolution, Signal Hill Chapter. Barrington Center Cemetery: Sutton Road & Route 68, Barrington Hills, Illinois.
Lake County Genealogical Society, Cemetery Committee. A Guide to Cemetery Names and Locations in Lake County, Illinois.
Lines, Arnett C. A History of Barrington, Illinois.

Barrington Area Cemeteries

Local historian Arnett C. Lines and his daughter, Phyllis, transcribed records from cemeteries in and near Barrington between 1931 and 1964. These transcriptions, along with additional information compiled by Barrington Area Library staff in 1998 are below. Accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed.

Chunn's Burial Ground/Oak Glen Cemetery

Algonquin River Road, between Plum Tree Road and Crescent Parkway, Fox River Grove. Algonquin Township, McHenry County, Illinois. Maintained by Algonquin Township. Closed for burials.

Landmark Dedication Ceremony - October 26, 2008

A McHenry County Landmark dedication ceremony was held at Chunn’s Burying Ground on October 26, 2008. Located near the village fringes of Barrington Hills and Fox River Grove, just north of the intersection of Plum Tree, Old Hunt and Algonquin Roads. Approximately 50 people attended the celebration, together with county board members, local officials and Fox River Grove Lioness members. The interest and curiosity of Paula Polston, inspired her to submit a nomination application to the McHenry County Historic Preservation Commission. Chunn’s now is a protected historic site through the enactment of a county ordinance and its registration with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency in Springfield.

A large granite boulder at the entrance, holds a bronze plaque signifying its Landmark status. This spot denotes the final resting place of early settlers, who came here and forged a historic path in the southeast portion of McHenry County.

The Chunn family established the site in 1843 with a family burial. Some sources state burials go back to 1809. Long time residents assert it was an old Indian burial ground. Chunn’s is situated atop a hill, near Spring Creek and behind the former Oak Glen Schoolhouse, now a residence. Closed to burials, the last known interment was in 1910. Unfortunately, many burial records have been lost or are nonexistent to
verify some of these dates. Only one record had been found of a Civil War soldier at rest here.

In 1944, a transcription and stone inventory was done by Arnett C. Lines, a Barrington historian. At that
time the cemetery was overgrown and neglected. Many of the grave stones have been damaged or lost since Mr. Lines' reading. For the last ten years the Barrington Area Library has this cemetery listed online for all to view.

About 20 years ago, this obscured cemetery was cleared of debris and overgrowth by a group of local citizens. All remaining grave stones were placed in the center of the grounds, in a raised locale around two oak trees.

Algonquin Township are Trustees currently caring for Chunn’s Burying Ground assisted by Fox River Grove Lioness Club members, Marylou Nunamaker and Carol Pierpont, maintaining seasonal plantings.

McHenry County Historic Preservation Commissioner Bonnie Duresa, thanks everyone attending the affair honoring this hallowed ground and those interred in one of the earliest county cemeteries.

Gravestone photographs

Gravestone photographs, Barrington Area Library Staff, August, 2005
Transcription, Arnett C. Lines, September 21, 1944; Cathy Trawinski, November, 1998.