a newspaper man adjusts his pen

Monday, August 20, 2007

Needs a weed whacking


This couldn’t have been the kind of greenery the Wickerham family had in mind for its plot of graves in Monongahela, Pa., a city its members helped to settle in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
If you worked your way through the tall weeds, you might be able to find out if this tiny cemetery holds the grave of a horse.
An Adam Wickerham buried his stallion, Bully, in the family cemetery in the city about 25 miles south of Pittsburgh after returning home from serving in the Civil War. Bully was shot in battle, he survived his wounds and was eventually given a full military funeral when he finally met his maker.
It’s understandable that abandoned cemeteries fall into disrepair when no one is around anymore to give them the respect that they deserve. But this overgrown group of tombstones sits in the heart of a small city, beside a Greek Orthodox church parking lot and streets lined with tidy houses. Does anyone in this neighborhood have a weed trimmer and a few extra hours to burn or know a Boy Scout in need of a public service project?

3 comments:

laserone_ said...

Oh wow, that's fascinating. I love old cemeteries. I'd help weed it if I were neaby... but Florida is a long walk. :)

Sean said...

I feel as if I've been here before. Is this the cemetery on Gearing Road in Monongahela?

Scott said...

It's near the corner of Sixth and High streets.