Entry No. 27 — the Oklahoma City file — filed under: haunted
Fairlawn Cemetery (OKC's oldest)
Established 1892 on what was once a cornfield, Fairlawn is Oklahoma City's oldest cemetery, with roughly 40,000 graves and a roster of frontier-era stories. Among them: the small grave of child Joseph 'Jay' Phillip Beemblossom, a victim of Wild West outlaw Bert Casey's gang during a robbery, and Frank M. Canton, a former criminal who became a famous lawman alongside Heck Thomas and Bill Tilghman before serving as Oklahoma's adjutant general. A local blog maps out the most notable residents for a self-guided wander.
The story
Before it was packed with century-old headstones and stone family monuments, this plot of central Oklahoma City was nothing but an 1892 cornfield. Established just three years after the Land Run, Fairlawn is the city's oldest cemetery—a 40,000-grave grid holding the actual bodies of the people who dragged this territory out of frontier chaos and into statehood.
The dirt here conceals stories that sound like dime-store western fiction, if the gravestones didn't prove otherwise. Seek out the small marker for Joseph 'Jay' Phillip Beemblossom, a child caught in the crossfire of Wild West outlaw Bert Casey's gang during a robbery. A short walk across the grounds brings you to Frank M. Canton, a fugitive criminal who managed the ultimate second act: transforming into a feared lawman alongside legendary deputy marshals Heck Thomas and Bill Tilghman, eventually serving as Oklahoma's adjutant general.
What it's like
Expect a quiet, methodical headstone hunt laid out on a clean urban grid just blocks from the Paseo Arts District. Because the property holds roughly 40,000 graves, aimlessly wandering will leave you missing the best markers; pull up the Quirky Driven Life self-guided write-up on your phone and cross-reference Find A Grave for exact GPS coordinates before you start walking. Visit in the well-lit daylight of cooler months, stick strictly to the paths, keep your voice low, and give wide berth to any active funeral services or mourners.
The move: Pull up the Quirky Driven Life self-guided write-up on your phone and turn it into a quiet headstone-hunting walk, tracking down the outlaw victim's child grave and the outlaw-turned-lawman among the century-old monuments.
📍 Before you go The cemetery sits in central OKC's Paseo/Uptown area, with its main entrance and office off N Shartel Avenue; the grounds are laid out on a grid, so note section and row numbers when you arrive. With roughly 40,000 graves spread across the property, plan to do some walking — pair the local blog's map with Find A Grave, which has GPS coordinates on many notable headstones to help you pinpoint them. Cooler months and full daylight make for the most comfortable, well-lit wander. This is an active cemetery, so keep voices low, stay on the paths, and steer clear of any service or mourners. Afterward, the galleries and restaurants of the Paseo Arts District are just a few blocks east.
- 📍 Paseo / Uptown
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 2700 N Shartel Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73103
Hours: Daytime visiting hours; check at the cemetery office (2700 N Shartel).
Pair it with
- Elmer McCurdy's Grave — Double down on territorial Oklahoma's stranger outlaw lore by traveling north to visit the final resting place of train robber Elmer McCurdy.
- Stone Lion Inn — Pair your historic cemetery walk with a trip to a 1907 Guthrie Victorian mansion that spent part of its past operating as a funeral parlor.
- Oklahoma Frontier Drugstore Museum & Apothecary Garden — Extend your 1890s territorial history tour in Guthrie at an authentic frontier pharmacy packed with era-appropriate medical oddities.
Good to know
Where is Fairlawn Cemetery located?
The cemetery and main office are located at 2700 N Shartel Ave in central Oklahoma City's Paseo/Uptown area.
How do I locate specific historic graves on the grounds?
The grounds are laid out on a grid. Note section and row numbers at the main office or use the Quirky Driven Life blog write-up alongside Find A Grave's GPS coordinates to pinpoint specific headstones.
What are the visiting hours and ground rules?
Visiting is allowed during daylight hours. Because Fairlawn is an active cemetery, keep voices low, stay on paved or established paths, and steer clear of any active services.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: quirkydrivenlife.com · okcemeteries.net
last checked: 2026-06-06