More Than Megawatts: Preserving a Piece of Elk Grove History

By Joanna Soucy, EVP of Brand Strategy

We talk a lot about building the foundations of a digital future, but it is just as important to protect the historical foundations of the places we build in. On July 4th, I had the honor of standing alongside Elk Grove’s local leaders, historians, veterans, and residents at the historic Elk Grove Cemetery rededication ceremony. It was a powerful opportunity to step away from our technology footprint and celebrate a different kind of foundation – the shared heritage of the community. 

Bringing History Back to Light

To prepare the site for the rededication ceremony aligning with the nation’s 250th anniversary, crews spent months carefully restored some 200 marble and limestone graves. They even uncovered more than 20 completely submerged headstones.  

What the Full Restoration Accomplished:

• Headstone Preservation: Restoring, epoxying, and resetting damaged or fallen tombstones, along with adding new plaques for gravestones whose inscriptions had faded.  
• Site Upgrades: Installing elegant new wrought iron fencing, a fresh asphalt driveway entrance, beautiful landscaping, welcoming benches, and modern safety lighting.   
• A New Focal Point: Erecting the cemetery’s very first flagpole, which will proudly fly a classic 13-star Betsy Ross flag to honor the patriots resting below.   

As a local and with our Aligned campus located right down the street, I had the honor of watching this incredible, community-led restoration unfold firsthand. Aligned was proud to contribute alongside our neighbors in the Elk Grove Industrial Park to bring this historic landmark back to life. Seeing it fully restored and rededicated was an incredibly proud moment for the entire community. 

Honoring a Site of National Significance  

Tucked between a busy Illinois tollway, a main thoroughfare, and a local utility pipeline at 92 N. Arlington Heights Road, this less-than-an-acre cemetery dates back to the area’s original settlement in the 1830s. It serves as the final resting place for 19th-century German farmers, early local leaders, former fire chiefs, and town pioneers whose legacies live on in nearby street and park names – Busse and Olmstead – amongst others.   

This happens to be the only cemetery in all of Cook County home to the graves of known Revolutionary War veterans – Eli Skinner and Aaron Miner. It also serves as the final resting place for veterans of the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and both World Wars. 

“In all of Cook County—that includes the City of Chicago—there’s only two documented Revolutionary War veterans buried, and both are buried here in the Elk Grove Cemetery,” Craig Johnson, Mayor of Elk Grove Village, noted during the rededication ceremony. Johnson continued, “The history behind this location speaks for itself, and today we’re so proud to be here to rededicate it.” 

Connecting Our Future to Our Past

At Aligned, we build the digital infrastructure that supports the digital world. But we never lose sight of the physical communities that anchor us. Being a responsible neighbor means more than just managing our footprint; it means honoring the legacy of the places we call home.  

Our partnership with Elk Grove Village is a reflection of that belief – ensuring that as we build the infrastructure for a better tomorrow, we are equally committed to safeguarding yesterday. 

Watch the rededication ceremony and learn more about Aligned’s commitment to community.