Cemeteries are as much for the living as they are for the dead
It’s always so nice when Halloween falls on a weekend. And what a weekend it was! The weather was perfect and it made for a wonderful Velo Muertos, aka “the cemetery tour.”
The ride, led and organized by Mark Martin, began at the Capital Park Museum and made its way down the levee to the Highland Road Cemetery. Tucked away at the back of a traditional park, the cemetery houses some of the oldest marked graves in the city.
The graves are the final resting spot of the elite, much like the houses that adorn the surrounding neighborhood. Down the street were two of the largest pumpkins I’ve ever seen (not a euphemism) and the famous tree house owned by Todd Graves, CEO and founder of Raising Canes.
Off we headed to the Lutheran Cemetery located in “Old” South Baton Rouge at 1735 Eddie Robinson Drive. Among the tightly-packed above ground graves are civil rights leaders such as Benjamin Stanley.
During segregation, the area housed the African-American and immigrant population of the city. The cemetery was actually founded at the end of the Civil War. Green Cross and Catherine Cross, a formerly enslaved couple, are among those buried there.
Over time, the organization that founded the cemetery, the Lutheran Benevolent Society, dissolved. The cemetery suffered greatly from years of neglect. Thanks to the work of people like Jo Ann Thomas, Lillie Petit-Gallagher, Kenny Kleinpeter, Parry “Matt” Thomas, and Morgan Udoh, the cemetery is being cared for with volunteer labor.
As I’m sure you’re all aware, nothing is actually free, so there are a lot of costs that come with this effort. There are 10 vaults in need of repair due to damage caused by fallen trees. This means the caskets and bodies are exposed to the elements.
Here’s where I want you to PAY attention… they need money, folks! And If you’re reading this, I know you got enough to make a small donation. I’m kicking it off with a $100 donation. They need $10,000 for the repairs, so this is a drop in the bucket. If you donate over $250, it will be tax-deductible and you’ll get a letter for our good buddies at the IRS.
Send your check to:
TULIPA
1826 Cedardale Ave.
Baton Rouge, La 70808
Saturday, November 6 will be the FINAL Green Book Bike Tour. The ride will start at 9:30 a.m. at the Capital Park Museum. This time I will focus on the first sit-in protest, as well as some of the restaurants featured in the Green Book.
If you haven’t seen the exhibit yet, you REALLY need to check it out because it closes on November 14!
The following day, we’ll meet for brunch at Leola’s Cafe at noon and then ride down to the Old State Capitol for a special private tour. If you didn’t go the first time around, YOU MISSED OUT! Even if you went last time, David says he has another area we’ll go to that we didn’t get to the last time around.
Oh, and it’s a FREE tour because it’s First Sunday!
And of course, join us every Monday for a ride through the neighborhood. We’re going to be visiting local businesses until Spring, so if you have a suggestion on a place we should stop, send me a note!