Graceland

Graceland Cemetery is one of Chicago's best-known and most historic cemeteries. It was established in 1860, originally outside city limits, but engulfed as the city grew northward. The original City Cemetery was on the lake front, and was considered a health hazard due to overcrowding and water-borne diseases. The bodies were moved to nearby Graceland in the town of Lake View, with the old city cemetery becoming what is now Lincoln Park.

Several graves from the old City Cemetery, originally located in what is now Lincoln Park were relocated to Graceland. Bodies were supposedly moved from 1868-1880s, but with only 10 men working to disinter the deceased, it’s not physically possible that all plots were evacuated.  Then, when the Chicago Fire swept through, almost all of the markers in the City Cemetery were destroyed.  The only one that was left was the Couch Memorial, which is still in the park.  One researcher estimates that there were nearly 10,000 forgotten graves in the City Cemetery, this includes nearly 4,000 Confederate soldiers who died at Camp Douglas and were buried in Potter’s Field. It’s thoughts that they’re under what is now the baseball fields.  In 1998, a part of the park was excavated for the Chicago History Museum’s parking facility and the remains of 81 individuals were uncovered.  When Lincoln Park was first opened visitors were horrified to find countless open graves with pieces of decayed coffins and bones strewn about.

In the 1850’s the City Cemetery became a place for grave robbers for medical schools in need of bodies.  Marting Quinlan would load bodies from recent interments onto a cart, one of which was the body of a man who had died after having his leg amputated.  There was weekly or even more frequent visits to the cemetery to gather bodies for medical students.

               

Cemetery Real Estate	Graceland Cemetery (4001 N. Clark St.)	Rosehill Cemetery (5800 N. Ravenswood Ave.)	Memorial Park Cemetery (9900 Gross Point Rd., Skokie)
Basic plot with flat marker	$2,600	$3,600	$2,000
Average	$3,500	$7,000	$2,800 to $3,300
Top of the Line	Spots near the lake for two, four, and eight burial spaces (with possibility for a family monument) $25,000 to $100,000	Gated estate for up to eight family members (near the lake) $150,000; gravesites with benches for up to four family members $80,000	Private family estates priced by square footage: $200/sq. ft. on the perimeter; $250 to $350/sq. ft. in the interior; a 450 sq. ft. plot would run $90,000 on the perimeter and up to $157,500 for better spots

Tour

Graves was one of the first settlers who, according to the inscription on the back of the polished black granite slab, “brought the first colony to Chicago, consisting of 13 families, arriving here July 15, 1831 from Ashtabula, Ohio, on the schooner Telegraph.”

The bronze figure, “Eternal Silence,” was created in 1909 by sculptor Lorado Taft, whose monumental “Fountain of Time” stands at the west end of the University of Chicago Midway.

The brooding and menacing figure has become more commonly known as the "Statue of Death". The figure was once black in color but over the years, the black has mostly worn away, exposing the green, weathered metal beneath. Only one portion of it remains darkened and that is the face, which is hidden in the deepest folds of the figure’s robe. It gives the impression that the menacing face is hidden in shadow and the look of the image has given birth to several legends. It is said that anyone who looks into the face of the statue will get a glimpse of his or her own death to come. In addition, it is said that the statue is impossible to photograph and that no camera will function in its presence. Needless to say though, scores of photos exist of the figure so most people scoff at the threats of doom and death that have long been associated with "Eternal Silence".

Wealthy brewer Schoenhofen’s pyramid was designed by architect Richard Schmidt in 1893. It features the unlikely combination of an Egyptian pyramid and sphinx with a typical Victorian era angel. Since that may be hedging one’s bet on the afterlife, we say: Prosit, Herr Schoenhofen. (Literal translation of this German toast: “May it be useful, Mr. Schoenhofen.”)

Another mysterious grave site is that of George Pullman. A single marble column marks the resting place of the man who designed the railroad sleeper car but a more elaborate monument was planned, then canceled. At the time of his death, the Pullman family thought it wise to protect Pullman's body from the angry factory workers who were in the midst of a strike. They covered his coffin in tarpaper and asphalt and then encased it in a block of concrete then covered it over with railroad ties and more concrete!

This grave with the statue of a young girl is marked “Inez” and “Daughter of J.N. & M.C. Clarke.” For decades the girl’s identity had been in question. It is now all but certain that the girl is Inez Briggs, the daughter of Mary C. Clarke from a previous marriage. Legends of the girl have been numerous. One states she died when struck by lightning during a picnic or when locked outside ... from this came another that the statue disappears during thunderstorms because Inez is so afraid.

According to local legend, Inez died in 1880 at the tender age of only six. Tradition has it that she was killed during a lightning storm while on a family picnic. Her parents, stunned by the tragic loss, commissioned a life-size statue of the girl to be placed on her grave. It was completed a year later, and like many Chicago area grave sculptures, was placed in a glass box to protect it from the elements. The image remains in nearly perfect condition today. Even in death, Inez still manages to charm cemetery visitors, who discover the little girl perched on a small stool. The likeness was cast so that Inez is seen wearing her favorite dress and carrying a tiny parasol. The perfectly formed face was created with just the hint of a smile. It is not uncommon to come to the cemetery and find gifts of flowers and toys at the foot of her grave. The site has become one of the most popular places in the cemetery, for graveyard buffs and curiosity seekers alike.

The stories say that the area around Inez Clarke's resting place is haunted. Not only are their stories of strange sounds heard nearby, but some claim the statue of Inez actually moves under its own power. The most disconcerting stories may be those of the disembodied weeping that is heard nearby but the most famous tales are those of the statue itself. It is said that Inez will sometimes vanish from inside of the glass box. This is said to take place during violent thunderstorms. Many years ago, a night watchman for the Pinkerton agency allegedly stated that he was making his rounds one night during a storm and discovered that the box that holds Inez was empty. He left the cemetery that night, never to return. Other guards have also reported it missing, only to find it back in place when they pass by again, or the following morning.

There are other tales that claim visitors to Graceland spot a little girl playing in the cemetery. In other cases, children who accompany their parents to the burial ground have stated that they have met a little girl wearing old-fashioned clothes playing near the monument.

Augustus Dickens, 1827 – 1866, could have been a character in his much more famous brother’s writings. The younger brother of Charles Dickens, Augustus was well educated, but fated for as much obscurity as his brother was for fame. The facts of his life suggest that he immigrated to America to escape a wife, and, in fact, brought with him a different woman. He appeared in plays based on his brother’s writings, entertained Chicago’s leading citizens, failed in business, and until recently, his Graceland plot was unmarked. Dickensian, indeed.