| Huntsville History Comes Alive | |
| Part 1: Annual Cemetery Stroll | |
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The Huntsville Pilgrimage Association sponsors an annual stroll through Maple Hill Cemetery. This event has become a wonderful community activity that helps the citizens of Huntsville learn more about the people who lived in Huntsville in the early days and gave it some of its rich heritage. Donations made during the stroll go to preserve the cemetery, one of the most beautiful and elegant cemeteries in the nation.
Your donations go toward making Maple Hill Cemetery a safer environment for students and adults to learn about and respect our past. If you would like to help with the restoration of Maple Hill, you can make checks payable to the Huntsville Pilgrimage Association, P.O. Box 2992, Huntsville, Alabama 35804.
As we look at scenes from the Cemetery Stroll of 2001, notice not only the characters portrayed but also the monuments, headstones, trees and flowers in Maple Hill Cemetery. Now, let's meet some of the people who made Huntsville one of the most interesting places to live and visit:
Annie Bradshaw Clopton (portrayed by Helen Fraser) lived from 1878 to 1956. Her paintings on cobwebs included landscapes, portraits, flowers and historical sites. You can see her delicate artwork on display at the Burritt Museum in Huntsville and the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.
Barbara Lauster, director of the Weeden House Museum, portrays the niece of Gov. David P. Lewis (1820-1884). Lewis was a lawyer and the 23rd Governor of Alabama.
Robert Miller Patton (1809-1885) was the 20th governor of Alabama, serving from 1865-1868. He was also a planter and state legislator. He is played by Robert Wilkie during the Cemetery Stroll of 2001.
All photos © 2001 Jean Brandau, licensed to About.com.
