Forest Lawn Memorial Park is located in Boardman Township just south of Youngstown, Ohio, and represents a different philosophy of cemetery design than many of the older burial grounds found throughout the Mahoning Valley. The property can trace its history to the early settlement period of the region. Around 1800, portions of the land were owned by the Baldwin family, one of the pioneer families associated with the early development of the Youngstown area. The property later became associated with Hugh Bonnell, whose family accumulated wealth through interests in steel, railroads, and land. Bonnell operated a dairy farm on the property and became known for raising prized cattle. As Youngstown expanded southward and Boardman Township began developing during the early twentieth century, the rural character of the area gradually began to change.

During the late 1920s, developers purchased the property with plans to transform the former farmland into residential lots. Dennis Peters, Earl McBride, Raymond Book, and Paul Ludt became involved in the project through the Parkland Development Company. Considerable money was invested in purchasing, surveying, and preparing the land for development. Those plans were disrupted by the stock market crash and the Great Depression. With demand for new homes collapsing, the developers were left with a large tract of land that could no longer easily be sold as residential property. What began as a financial problem eventually resulted in the creation of one of the most distinctive cemeteries in the Youngstown area.

Earl McBride had visited memorial parks in California and became interested in a relatively new approach to cemetery design. Instead of rows of large upright monuments, elaborate family tombstones, and densely packed burial plots, the memorial park concept emphasized open lawns, trees, landscaping, winding roads, and grave markers placed close to the ground. The idea was to create a peaceful landscape that looked and felt more like a beautiful public park than a traditional cemetery. On August 18, 1930, the Mill Creek Memorial Park Association received its state charter, allowing the organization to operate the cemetery. The first interment at Forest Lawn took place on October 15, 1931.

Considerable attention was given to the appearance of Forest Lawn. Cleveland architect Monroe W. Copper designed important structures, including the impressive stone entrance and the chapel. Landscape architects Pitkin and Mott helped design the roads and grounds, while additional landscaping was later completed by Carol H. Lawrence. Youngstown engineer Albert A. Haenny handled engineering work, and Felix Pesa and his company performed stone masonry throughout the property. Construction of the Forest Lawn Chapel began in 1935. Originally called the Little Church at Forest Lawn, the Gothic-inspired chapel was completed and dedicated on Memorial Day in 1936. Together with the stone gateways, landscaped grounds, mature trees, and gently winding roads, the chapel helped establish the distinctive appearance that continues to characterize Forest Lawn.

Over the decades, Forest Lawn became the final resting place of thousands of residents from Youngstown, Boardman, and surrounding communities. Civic leaders, veterans, businesspeople, industrial figures, and generations of local families are buried throughout the grounds. Actress Elizabeth Hartman, who received an Academy Award nomination for her performance in A Patch of Blue, is among the better-known individuals buried there. Approximately 47 acres have been developed into more than 40 cemetery sections containing tens of thousands of potential gravesites, while additional property provides a natural buffer around the developed grounds. Forest Lawn was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018 in recognition of its architecture, landscaping, and importance in the development of the memorial park style of cemetery. Nearly a century after its creation, Forest Lawn remains both an active cemetery and an unusually peaceful historic landscape within the greater Youngstown area.