Throughout the late 1850s , there was discussion of closing the cemetery or abandoning it because of health concerns . In fall 1858 , Dr. John H. Rauch MD suggested that the burial grounds were a health risk , which " might serve extremely well for plantations of grove and forest trees " that would be " useful and ornamental to the city . " The idea was dropped during the Civil War , but revived by Dr. Rauch after the war ended . By 1864 , the city council had decided to add all the cemetery lands north of North Avenue to the park by relocating the graves . The cemetery sections south of North Avenue were also relocated but this land was left for residential development . To this day , the Couch mausoleum can still be seen as the most visible reminder of the history as a cemetery , standing amidst trees , behind the Chicago History Museum . Ira Couch , who is interred in the tomb , was one of Chicago 's earliest innkeepers , opening the Tremont House in 1835 . Couch is believed to not be the only person interred in the old burial ground in Lincoln Park . A plaque placed nearby states that " the remains of six Couch family members and one family friend are in the tomb . " Partially due to the destruction of the Chicago Fire of burial markers , it was difficult to remove many of the remains . As recently as 1998 , construction in the park has revealed more bodies left over from the nineteenth century
Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Lincoln Park