Several notable people are buried in the cemetery, including Pettigrew and two former governors of South Dakota.

U.S. Representative for South Dakota Richard F. Pettigrew first announced plans for the cemetery in 1903.

He paid $8,750 for 70 acres (28 ha) near an area known as Hunter's Grove, now located at the corners of 26th Street and Cliff Avenue.

In March 1906, Mary Frantz became the first person to be buried in the cemetery.

[1] By 2015, Woodlawn Cemetery had a recorded 16,600 burials and estimated it had space for 14,000–15,000 additional interments.