Cemeteries…the underrated tourist attraction?

As it is Memorial Day weekend, I thought it timely to introduce a new series…yes, it is a series about cemeteries. To be honest, I find cemeteries to be very interesting places. First, they are often either beautiful or scary landscapes…either way, it makes for a nice walk around the grounds. Second, you can discover some very interesting things when reading the gravestones. Or, you can look up someone (try using Findagrave.com) that interests you, then go find their grave and pay your respects. I mean absolutely no disrespect to the grave, the person or their family. I am looking at something that interests me…and remembering the person that once was. Isn’t remembering the people what grave markers are all about? Anyway, here are my first two blog offerings and the interesting history that I have discovered along the way…

We are starting big here…Arlington National Cemetery and JFK. If you visit the grave site of JFK, you will see 4 black grave markers positioned in a line near the eternal flame. 4 markers? Can you name the 4 people who are on each marker. I really hope that my readers were capable of getting John F. Kennedy and and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. But, what of the other two…its NOT their son John Jr, NOR their daughter Caroline (who happens to be alive). Actually, one of them is their other son, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, who died 2 days after his birth in August of 1963. I could have guessed that one, but not the 4th one. The remaining marker merely says “Daughter August 23, 1956.”

“Daughter,” who I later learned was named Arabella, was stillborn on that date in 1956. Maybe its just my poor base of historic knowledge, but I did not know about Arabella. That was my big learn of the day. An interesting bit of history that made the cold and rainy day in Arlington well worth my visit.

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Now as we dramatically shift locations…I bet you did not know about this person. Charlie Smith, America’s Oldest Man, is buried in Wildwood Cemetery in Bartow, Florida. You might want to Google Mr. Smith and read his full story. In summary, Charlie was a legendary story teller. A good friend of mine once told me…”never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” Near as I can tell, Charlie lived that philosophy.

As the story begins, Charlie Smith (not his name at this time) was born in Liberia, Africa. At the age of 12, he was tragically kidnapped and sold into slavery. At some point, he was purchased by a Texas rancher (named Charlie Smith) who raised him as a son. After Smith Sr’s death, Smith Jr led quite the life that supposedly included fighting for the Union army, running with Jesse James, and many other fascinating aspects. What is truth and what is fiction will always be debated. In his later years, Charlie lived in Bartow, Florida. He was a local celebrity that would often sit on his porch and tell these stories to anyone that would listen. It was a very pleasant experience to visit Charlie’s grave and learn about his life. You never know where Traveling with PugsleyTonks will take you. PT