Namesake grave marker in need of major work
Freemasons in talks about 10th Illinois governor, who died in 1873
Tombstones for Matteson family members are seen near an obelisk at Oakwood Cemetery in Joliet on Nov. 22. teson, 10th governor of Illinois and namesake of the south suburb.
Matteson, 1808-1873, is buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Joliet. Earlier this year, Joliet Township took over management of the historic graveyard from a nonprofit organization.
A tall, stone obelisk marks the site where Matteson was laid to rest. Tombstones surrounding the monument bear the
of other Matteson family members. Stone platforms around the base of the monument, as well as some of the nearby markers, have shifted over the years.
“It’s in some disrepair,” Joliet Township Supervisor Dan Vera said Friday. “The stones around the base have settled unevenly.”
Vera described the discussions about restoring the monument as “preliminary.”
He recently met with the head of Joliet-based Matteson Masonic Lodge #175. The Joliet chapter of the centuries-old Freemasons organization was founded in 1855. The group also claims the late governor as its namesake, said Ed Kerfin, the chapter’s leader. Kerfin’s title is worshipful master.
“(Matteson) had family in the Joliet area,” Kerfin said. “He was a Mason.”
Matteson was a Democrat who served as governor from 1853 to 1857.
It seems logical that the township would reach out to the local Masonic group to ask about restoring a stone monument. Freemasons, after all, laid cornerstones for some of our nation’s greatest structures, including the Statue of Liberty and the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
Freemasonry began in medieval Europe as a guild for stonemasons but lived on as a social organization. Famous Masons include Buzz Aldrin, Mark Twain, Clark Gable, Wolfgang Mozart, Ludwig Beethoven, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Winston Churchill and Arnold Palmer.
“We don’t have much money, but we thought we could help with labor,” Kerfin said.
Vera said the effort is in its early stages and it is unknown how much it might cost to restore the Matteson monument.
“We have not yet had a chance to get cost estimates,” he said.
In addition to stabilizing the stone work, the restoration effort might include cleaning grime from the exterior and refurbishing lettering that has faded from the monument.
“It needs an incredible amount of work,” Kerfin said. The Masonic lodge recently posted about the effort on a social media page.
Oakwood Cemetery was established in 1855, three years after the city of Joliet was incorporated. Last year, volunteers dedicated 46 new headstones for previously unmarked graves of Civil War veterans. The cemetery is located in the 1100 block of East Cass Street, which also is a stretch of Lincoln Highway.
Matteson Village President Sheila ChalmersCurrin said Friday she would consult with trustees and members of the village’s historical society about the potential restoration effort.
“There may be some possibility we could support it in the future,” she said. “Joel Matteson is part of the rich history of our village.”
Matteson, pronounced with three syllables so it sounds more like “Madison” than “Matt-son,” had a population of 19,418 in 2017. It was settled in 1855, a date reflected in the village’s @Matteson1855 Twitter handle. The town, named for the man who was governor at the time of the settlement, was formally incorporated in 1889, according to a post by the Matteson Historical Society on the village’s website.
Matteson was the first chief executive of the state to reside in the Illinois Governor’s Mansion in Springfield, which was completed in 1855. The mansion recently underwent a $15 million renovation that was privately funded. Major donors included Gov. J.B. Pritzker and former Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Matteson did not seek reelection in 1856. His legacy was marred by scandal, as recounted in a 1997 Chicago Tribune article about Oakwood Cemetery.
“(Matteson) was accused of defrauding the state of $388,528 after he had served his term as governor,” the Tribune said. “The Great Canal Scrip Fraud came to light in 1859 when Matteson, a former contractor on the Illinois & Michigan Canal, was charged with having exchanged 20-year-old scrip for new state bonds.
“An investigation was dropped after Matteson promised to pay back the state, even though he maintained he was innocent. He was the last Democrat to be elected to the state’s top political office for 36 years,” the Tribune said.
The concise account of Matteson’s legacy went on to describe his conflict with another famous son of Illinois.
“Matteson, a staunch supporter of Stephen Douglas, butted heads with Abraham Lincoln during the 1855 race for Senate,” the Tribune said. “By keeping his position on the expansion of slavery close to the vest, he was attracting the anti-slavery vote, forcing Lincoln to throw his support to another candidate.
“According to ‘Mostly Good and Competent Men,’ Robert Howard’s book about Illinois governors, Lincoln said of Matteson, ‘his defeat gives me more pleasure than my own gives me pain,’ ” according to the Tribune account.
The Tribune account from 22 years ago described how the historic cemetery had been neglected.
“Matteson, a banker and railroader, lived in mansions and toured Europe, and his tombstone towers over the family plot,” the Tribune article said. “But the years have eroded his name from the stone, and knee-high grass has sprung up around it as the cemetery in which all of these historic figures rest has fallen into financial distress.”