Monday Milestones: Elmwood Historic Cemetery

Today is Memorial Day 2009, a time to reflect on those whose lives, work, and sacrifice made it possible for us to enjoy this day in relative freedom and really relative prosperity.  The Elmwood Historic Cemetery on the eastside of Detroit is the oldest continuously operating non-denominational cemetery in the State of Michigan. Interestingly, the Elmwood Cemetery has always been racially integrated; the first fully integrated cemetery in the entire Midwest of the United States. There is also a special section at Elmwood for a Civil War Memorial. Elmwood Cemetery, which has grown in size from its original 42 acres to the present 86 acres, was designed by the famous 19th century architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park in New York City.

Famous Detroiters and Michiganders who rest at Elmwood Historic Cemetery include (notice how many "Detroit street names" you'll recognize):

• Russell A. Alger, Michigan governor, U.S. Senator, and U.S. Secretary of War
• John Biddle, delegate to U.S. Congress from Michigan Territory
• Henry Billings Brown, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
• Lewis Cass, Michigan territorial governor
• Zachariah Chandler, U.S. Senator from Michigan
• Philip St. George Cooke, U.S. Civil War general
• Donald M. Dickinson, U.S. Postmaster General
• Elon Farnsworth, Attorney General and Chancellor of Michigan
• Douglass Houghton, geologist and mayor of Detroit
• Jonathan Kearsley, two-time mayor of Detroit and veteran of the War of 1812
• Charles Larned, attorney general of Michigan Territory and veteran of the War of 1812
• Lucius Lyon, U.S. statesman from Michigan
• Margaret Mather, Victorian actress
• Truman H. Newberry, businessman and U.S. Senator from Michigan
• John Norvell, U.S. Senator and newspaper editor
• Andrew Porter, American Civil War general in the Union Army
• Zina Pitcher, physician and two-time mayor of Detroit
• Solomon Sibley, delegate to U.S. Congress from Michigan Territory, Territorial Supreme Court justice, and first mayor of Detroit under the first charter
• Martha Jean Steinberg (1930-2000) Radio personality
• David Stuart politician, Congressman 1853-1855
• Eber Brock Ward Detroit’s first millionaire
• John R. Williams, first mayor of Detroit under the second charter
• Thomas R. Williams, American Civil War general killed at the Battle of Baton Rouge
• Coleman Young, mayor of Detroit

Make sure to take some time today to remember those who are no longer with us...especially those who gave the Greatest Sacrifice in the United States Armed Services...