- Mystery Cemetery
I certainly have my hands full these days answering questions from readers. And yes, I know that is my job, but with my hands (literally) full, how am I supposed to flop in my La-Z-Boy, sip my Kentucky Nip, munch on bags of Circus Peanuts, AND work the tv remote control?
It’s almost more than I can handle, which is probably (though doctors can’t say for certain) why I spend my nights crying myself to sleep, in my little cot in the basement of the Mansion.
Anyway, now that I’ve got THAT off my chest, I thought I’d share with you just what I’m talking about. Somebody (oh, I won’t name names) picked up this nice old photograph at an estate sale, taken (as you can see by the name in the lower righthand corner) by the noted Memphis photographer, C.H. Poland. It shows a cemetery with what appears to be a freshly covered grave, considering the piles of flowers.
And the question is: Just where, exactly, is this cemetery?
We really don’t have many clues. There’s no date on the photo (front or back) and no obvious landmarks in the picture. I can’t even make out any names on the tombstones. It’s clearly a rather large graveyard, and it looks a bit hilly, but that doesn’t really narrow it down much, since Elmwood, Forest Hill, and Calvary all have hills and dales.There are a few distinctive gravestones in the background, including several topped with a cross, and there’s some unusual stonework in the foreground.
It also seems a bit cluttery and unkempt, doesn’t it? The tombstones don’t stand completely straight, and the grass looks high.
But I’m stumped. I suppose I could drive around all the cemeteries in the area — assuming that, since this is a Poland photo, this is even a Memphis graveyard — looking to see if I could spot an area that resembles this. And in fact, that may be what I’ll end up doing.
First, though, I thought I’d see if anybody else recognizes the place. Before I go to all that trouble, you see.