Entry No. 19 — the Tampa file — filed under: cemeteries

Oaklawn Cemetery

Deeded in 1850 as Tampa's first public burial ground 'for white and slave, rich and poor,' this shaded downtown cemetery holds victims of 19th-century yellow fever epidemics alongside pioneer mayors and privateers. Its most infamous grave belongs to Charlie Wall, the 1930s underworld kingpin who controlled Tampa's illegal Bolita rackets until his brutal unsolved murder in 1955.

The move: Take a quiet daytime walk through the shaded headstones using the City of Tampa's interactive USF digital map to locate the graves of privateer Jose Perfino and Charlie Wall.

📍 Downtown Tampa
💸 $$
⚡ Up for anything
🌗 Indoors

Where: 606 E Harrison St, Tampa, FL 33602

Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.

#cemeteries #morbid_history #yellow_fever #downtown_tampa

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Further reading: tampa.gov · Atlas Obscura

last checked: 2026-07-21