Paupers were historically buried in unmarked graves on the cemetery's south side.

In 1914, the Oakwood Cemetery Mortuary Chapel was built on a design by Texas architect Charles Henry Page as a site for memorial services.

The chapel was later renovated and remodeled in 1944 under the direction of local architect J. Roy White.

[3] Despite its protected status, the cemetery had been subject to crime, vandalism, and decay for decades until significant restoration efforts began in the mid 2010s.

In addition, three victims of the unidentified serial killer dubbed the Servant Girl Annihilator are buried in Oakwood; Eula Phillips (1868-1885) and Susan Hancock (1840-1885), who were both murdered the night of December 24th, 1885; and Rebecca Ramey (1839-1909), who survived an earlier attack in which her daughter Mary was killed.