Sunday, October 4, 2009

A Stroll Through the Cemetery: Sundays in My City




Unknown Mami has a series called Sundays in my City and I thought I'd join the tour this week. When you're out for your Sunday blog walk, be sure to visit her to see who else is participating this week!

Since Halloween will be upon us before we know it, I decided to take you on a tour of...

Mt. Hope Cemetery

There's nothing like a stroll through the cemetery in early October to get your blood moving. Unless, of course, it's creeping through a cemetery Halloween night.  Nonetheless, Mt. Hope Cemetery is a popular destination for dog walkers and joggers in Rochester.  It has the distinction of being the first municipal cemetery in the United States and provides a home to the last earthly remains of some pretty awesome people.

For example, this  fine lady, whose name is synonymous with Women's Rights....

Susan B. Anthony's grave is unassuming and a little difficult to find if you don't know where it is.  In recent years they've added a little sign to point you in the right direction.

Upstate New York was a hotbed of rabble rousing women and the National Women's Hall of Fame is located not far from Rochester in Seneca Falls.

While Susan B. Anthony was a rather small, mousy looking woman, her voice was loud and strong!






Another Rochesterian with a strong voice was Frederick Douglass.  His physical stature was much larger than Susan's, as is his grave marker.

Frederick Douglass was a great orator, abolitionist and champion of women's rights who published the abolitionist newspaper, The North Star.  The paper's motto was:

"Right is of no Sex - Truth is of no Color - God is the father of us all - and we are all brethren."




A rather more obscure person, Buffalo Bill Cody's foster son, Johnny Baker, is also buried in Mt. Hope and it takes a real diehard to find his grave...  it's almost unaccessible, hidden behind a rather large mausoleum.  If I were him, I'd want my money back for the gravesite.  But then, I guess it's a little late to ask. 


Especially after these other folks moved in next door.  What's up with that?  (Epic fail on their unfortunate choice of tombstone fonts... I think they had to be Lawrence Welk fans.)





And the tombstone award for the most unusual name goes to:
XZOMIA

Now there's a memorable name.  I bet poor Xzomia got teased mercilessly in grade school.

Xzomia's memorable name leads me to a memorable event. 
While we were at the cemetery these people showed up...  

Nothing says "auspicious occasion" like having your wedding at a cemetery.   Although they do have a swell gazebo for wedding photos.


With it's steep, wooded hills, Mt. Hope is a beautiful place to spend eternity.  As for me, I'd just as soon be cremated and have my ashes scattered under a beautiful beech tree like this one.  


So, I hope you've enjoyed this little trip through Mt. Hope.  Until next time at "Sundays in My City."
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