OAKLAND CEMETERY: IN THE HEART OF OLD ATLANTA…
According to some reports, Ms. Howard might have been the ‘Belle Watling’ of her times…
Scarlett on the Square in Marietta…
While attending the 75th Anniversary of Gone With The Wind at the Marietta Gone With The Wind Museum, I took some time to visit with friends and enjoy several days of fun in Atlanta and its environs.
Author Kendra Bean at the Marietta Gone With The Wind Museum in June…
I met with Texas friends Deal and Janice in Marietta, and we stayed at the Marietta Hilton where we met author Anne Edwards, who shared a ride with us to one of the many events.
Author Anne Edwards and Museum Director Connie Sutherland
Houstonian Deal Newberry with Miss Georgia at the Bazaar Ball in Marietta, Georgia…
Historical marker near the entrance of Oakland…
An important stop on the Gone With The Wind Trail has been luring fans of the film and novel to the heart of Atlanta for decades in order to visit the graves of author Margaret Mitchell, her husband, John Marsh and others, but Historic Oakland Cemetery began modestly as just six acres in 1850 when the population of the city only included about 2,500 residents.
Friends Dennis Millay, Janice Milstead, and Deal Newberry at the entrance to one of the most fascinating cemeteries in the country….
Kimberly Krautter, a dear friend of Dennis Millay, who suggested we visit Oakland, gave us a unique, and personal tour of the fabulously appointed cemetery whose statuary, and landscaping make a stroll through its brick-paved walkways an unending journey to the fascinating back stories shared by a professional guide who has spend her whole life learning and sharing the unique snapshots of time that make a visit to Oakland a timeless experience of personal connection with the history of Atlanta. Krautter is just one of the many popular tour guides who volunteer as docents for Oakland Cemetery and whose expertise enhances a trip to the area.
Kimberly’s fascinating tales of specific moments in Atlanta’s extensive history reveal her expertise and her enthusiasm to Deal and Janice…
By 1867, 42 more acres had been added to the original site to accommodate casualties of the Civil War who had been hastily buried on area battlefields.
No matter how many times I visit a cemetery, I always feel someone is watching…
In 1872, the cemetery was christened “Atlanta Graveyard” or “City Burial Place.”
A quiet grave appointed by blue hydrangeas invites visitors for a closer look…
Intricate masonry and architecture mix with the scent of wild lavender while strolling through the brick-lined walkways in the heart of Atlanta…
Two historical markers illuminate the importance of the site during the Civil War according to the Oakland Cemetery website:
The first reveals that “in 1862, Union operatives known as Andrews Raiders commandeered a locomotive at present-day Kennesaw and raced north to cut telegraph lines. They were captured and condemned as spies. Seven were hanged near Oakland’s southeast corner and interred in the cemetery before removal to the National Cemetery at Chattanooga.”
The second marker commemorates “high ground north of the Bell Tower, a two-story farmhouse stood in the summer of 1864. It served as headquarters for Confederate commander John B. Hood during the Battle of Atlanta, which was fought to the east of the cemetery on July 22.”
Former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson is buried here…
Other famous Oakland residents include golfer Robert T. “Bobby” Jones, former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson, ex-slave Carrie Steele Logan who established the first African-American orphanage, and Moses Formwalt, Atlanta’s first mayor.
What would this famous Atlanta businessman have to say about his wild life? We just had to let Kimberly tell us….
Oakland Cemetery attracts international visitors like these from Russia, London, Uruguay, and …Texas!
Mother and daughter statuary elicit the grace of a bygone era…
The solitude of the surroundings and the lovely garden spots are always part of Oakland’s charm.
As tourists gather in Atlanta to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of “Gone With the Wind” and visit theme museums in Marietta and Jonesboro, the cemetery expects more visitors, and popular tour guide Kimberly Krautter will be busier than ever. A special Margaret Mitchell and “Gone With The Wind’ tour is available on selected Saturdays through October 4, as well as the ever-popular Halloween tours and exclusive events.
Unusual statuary and unique stories are around every turn…
(The photograph used for the header of this article was taken on the evening of June 5, 2014, from the veranda of the Marietta Hilton after a heavy thunderstorm. Even hotel employees stepped out to see it and snap photos for their Instagram accounts!)
For a list of all venues included on the GONE WITH THE WIND TRAIL, follow this link: http://www.gwtwtrail.com/GWTW_TRAIL/GWTW_TRAIL_HOME.html
Oakland Cemetery website: http://www.oaklandcemetery.com/plan-your-visit/special-topic-tours/
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