BLOG: History at the Graveyard
Cemeteries are an interesting thing. I was recently working on a research project at Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Not far from Capitol Hill, it was the Arlington before Arlington. Just three months after its opening in 1807, it was to host its first Congressional Representative, after Sen. Uriah Tracy of Connecticut died in office. This was the beginning of a long relationship between the cemetery and the legislative body. With that partnership forged – and a lack of other options – some of the most famous names and influential people of early America rest there: John Philip Sousa, J. Edgar Hoover, and Tobias Lear to name a few.
Granted, Congressional Cemetery is in the Capitol and tied to the National City, but it is only one of over 140,000 cemeteries in America, or what journalist Greg Melville calls “time capsules.”
I think that is the perfect term to describe them.
Personally, I have always found graveyards fascinating. As a kid, some of my mother’s family still lived on a tobacco farm in North Carolina. On it was a family cemetery that was several generations old. Some of the markers were nothing more than old wooden planks nailed to a tree in the center of the lot. Sun and wind had faded them to the point where they couldn’t be read. Only oral history passed through the family reminded us of who they were.
I find that can be the case in many cemeteries. Perhaps not the worn wooden markers, but the passing of history from generation to generation. Families visit loved one’s graves and share stories. Some people use the serenity of cemeteries as a backdrop for walks or other exercise. Cemetery visitors often have access to a wealth of history, of both graveyard inhabitants and the local area. They are usually more than happy to share it, if you strike up a conversation.
As towns were established, cemeteries were one of the first necessities. As such, the dates on stones may go back hundreds of years. Some cites hold special memorials to honor residents from previous wars going all the way back to the revolution. Even the markers themselves can tell stories, listing life accomplishments or memories.
I encourage everyone to “walk among the tombstones” whenever they get a chance. You never know what you may learn.
In dropping one last cliché, it can be contrary to the old saying.
Dead men do tell tales.
