Finding Hope

I've had some technical difficulties with my computer since last week, but hopefully things are fixed now. So that's the theme for today - looking for the feature, not the problem.

And here's the feature - an advertisement for hope here and now is an odd sign to post by a cemetery. Well, I guess I hope I don't end up there anytime soon.

A Moment of Serenity

The trees in the early morning sun cast long shadows over the grass. The veterans sleep serenely in their cemetery across the street.

The Things They Left Behind 2

Stanton Cemetery lies at the very top of the limestone bluff overlooking Mead's Quarry. You'll come upon it suddenly as you wind along Tharp Trace trail, an austere place on a winter's afternoon. The little community is long gone, but the cemetery was literally uncovered from beneath a thick tangle of vines when Ijams began improving the nature trails around the quarry.
Graves are dated from 1870 through 1939, although there are many graves marked only with small fieldstones. Life was hard for these quarry workers and their families; many of the markers record the brief histories of infants and children. They break my heart.

A local Boy Scout troop cleared the land and built a little post rail fence and benches, and it's a beautiful, mindful place to stop and sit. But I kind of liked it when I first saw Stanton Cemetery as I believe it was meant to be, when the trail first opened, and the vines still swirled thick and lush around the headstones.

All Hallows

It's All Hallows Eve - Halloween - so of course I'm going to show you a cemetery.

This is the First Presbyterian Church cemetery downtown, the oldest cemetery in Knoxville city limits. It's a very pretty place to walk, not spooky at all. At least in the daytime.

The church was organized in the 1790s. James White, one of the pioneer founders of Knoxville, donated his turnip patch for the church and cemetery. The earliest headstone is dated 1800. Some prominent East Tennesseans such as James White and first governor William Blount are buried here. During the Civil War, Conferderate soldiers occupied the graveyard, and Union soldiers occupied the church. That must have been awkward.

I haven't heard any good haunt stories about this graveyard, but I'm not about to stick around tonight to find out either.

Memento Mori

Since May 30th was the original Memorial Day in the U.S., I thought I'd show you an interesting historical monument from Knoxville's National Cemetery, where many Civil War veterans are buried. This is a rather large marble monument to soldiers from Tennessee who served in the Union Army. Tennessee was the last of the Southern states to join the Confederacy, but East Tennessee remained strongly pro-Union, which is why you can find this monument in Knoxville.