Arlington, Virginia

Focus on Arlington National Cemetery:  "I could stay here forever," said President John F. Kennedy from this spot as he fixed his attention on the Washington Monument not long before he was assassinated in 1963. Today, his simple grave is flanked by First Lady Jackie Kennedy's and their infant son's. At the head of the grave is an eternal flame that was lit by the First Lady during his funeral. [2019]

New Orleans, Louisiana

Burial or Cremation?  If you are going to be buried, one possibility is to be buried above ground. The most famous city for above-ground burials (though one wonders if the word burial is correctly applied here) is New Orleans, where the city's cemeteries have become star tourist attractions. The person buried in this vault was Étienne Boré, the first appointed mayor of New Orleans when the French acquired Louisiana from Spain, and the first mayor of New Orleans when the United States purchased Louisiana from France. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. [2014]

Tombstone, Arizona

Focus on the Legendary Boothill Graveyard:  These are the names immortalized by the "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral." The shoot-out was between the law and the outlaws. Buried here are the Outlaws. "Murdered on the streets of Tombstone, 1881. Tragic results of the O.K. Corral battle, which took place between the Earp Brothers with "Doc" Holiday and the cowboys. Three men were killed and three were wounded." So says the pamphlet put out by the cemetery association. They are celebrities today thanks to the 1957 film Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. [2018]

Yorba Linda, California

Focus on Presidential Grave Sites ~ Richard Nixon:  Buried  to President Nixon's left is the First Lady, Pat Nixon (who was never referred to as Patricia, nor was it her name!). She spent eight years as wife of the American Vice-President and eight years as wife of the the President: a fifth of her life. Chosen for his headstone: "Even when people can't speak your language, they can tell if you have love in your heart." That seems entirely appropriate for one of the most internationally traveled First Ladies, who was sometimes called "Madame Ambassador." [2016]

Yorba Linda, California

Focus on Presidential Grave Sites ~ Richard Nixon:  America's 37th president was sworn into office on January 20, 1969. His term ended with his resignation at noon on August 9, 1974, while aboard Air Force One. A helicopter, Army One, took him from the White House to Andrews Air Fore Base, where he began the journey home to California. The chopper is on display at the Nixon Library. It all happened 42 years ago this week. Chosen for his headstone: "The greatest honor history can bestow is the title of peacemaker." [2016]

Yorba Linda, California

Focus on Presidential Grave Sites ~ Richard Nixon:  The President and First Lady are buried on the grounds of the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum just feet away from the bungalow where he was born in 1913. He remains the only American President born in California, but not the only one buried there. [2016]

Atlanta, Georgia

Golf Forever:  If you were at it in the 1930s and 40s, Bobby Jones would have been a name you knew. He's a legend, still, especially in his home state, where he founded "Augusta" and co-founded the Master's Tournament. Golf balls brought by the devout still spell out love at his grave. More interesting: the T (his middle initial) he chose for his headstone monogram. Oakland Cemetery. [2014]

Frederick, Maryland

Just for Fun:  Meet two icons of American humor: Laurel and Hardy. Somebody must have wanted to put a smile on the faces of all who came to visit. "He died of a Tuesday." That was the answer Laurel gave to Lola in the film Way Out West when she asked what her "dear Daddy" had died of. The film was made in 1937 and this fan died sixty years later, in 1997. Lake dear Daddy, he, too, died of a Tuesday. Such foolishness! Mt. Olivet Cemetery. [2014]

Richmond, Virginia

Focus on Hollywood Cemetery:  Adaptive reuse is appreciated now, but in the 1960s and 1970s, historical landscapes were being demolished to make room for modernity. James Millard Glavé resisted the trend and began re-imagining old urban spaces and making them feel new. He was recognized in his time as the Dean of Richmond architects. One of his early projects was Shockoe Slip. [2012 and 2015]

Richmond, Virginia

Focus on Hollywood Cemetery:  Matthew Fontaine Maury's stature in his home state guaranteed him a place of honor in Richmond's cemetery of record. See how close he was buried to President Monroe? Maury was probably the most well-known American geographer of the nineteenth century. He was known as "pathfinder of the seas," and his research gave rise to the discipline of oceanography, but in his day he was classified as a geographer. In fact, his seminal work on the oceans was called The Physical Geography of the Sea. [2015]

Richmond, Virginia

Focus on Hollywood Cemetery:  Three Presidents are buried in old "Harvie's Woods," but only two were U.S. Presidents. The third was the one and only president of the Confederate States of America: Jefferson Davis. John Tyler got a bust positioned over his grave and James Monroe got no effigy at all. But President Davis got a full body caricature. Please read every line of the panel underneath the statue. Martyr to principle? Persecuted for righteousness sake? It only makes sense when you see who wrote those words as a tribute to America's rebel leader. [2015]

Richmond, Virginia

Focus on Hollywood Cemetery:  On a hill overlooking the James River in Hollywood Cemetery is the final resting place of two U.S. Presidents. Here lie the remains of the 10th:  John Tyler. Hollywood Cemetery was a first-generation "rural cemetery" made necessary by the expansive growth of the city and the limitations of churchyards in town. It was laid out on the hilly land west of Richmond and became the final resting place of Virginia's elite. [2015]

Richmond, Virginia

Focus on Hollywood Cemetery:  On a hill overlooking the James River in Hollywood Cemetery is the final resting place of two U.S. Presidents. Here lie the remains of the 5th:  James Monroe. His grave is the focal point of President's Circle, but his body had to be brought here from New York in 1858. Hollywood Cemetery didn't even exist in 1831 when he died. [2015]

Julian, California

Focus on Haven of Rest Pioneer Cemetery:  Marshal South wrote poems, stories, essays, and novels. He was also a painter and sculptor. The remains of his homestead lie in ruins on Ghost Mountain. His remains lie in peace in Haven of Rest Cemetery. Here he lies buried under a name he took when he came to California, rather than the name he was given in his native Glenelg, Australia. [2013]

Miami, Florida

Egyptian Revival ~ Pyramids:  Napoleon, probably imagining himself as Pharaoh, invaded Egypt in 1798. As a result, the aesthetic of ancient Egypt re-entered the Europeanized world. The Egyptian Revival hit architecture first, then it hit the cemeteries. It continues to this day. If a pyramid was fit for a pharaoh, then it would be fit for Mary Hecht, department store heiress who died in 1982. Woodlawn Park Cemetery. [2014]

Huntington, West Virginia

Singling Out Historical Individuals:  The Daughters of the Confederacy seem to hold some sway over the West Virginia Division of Archives and History. They got this marker erected not long ago, in 2000, proving once again that we can pack ever more Civil War history into our cultural landscapes. Even though 150 years have slipped by, there is still an appetite for commemorating the War Between the States. Or Civil War, depending on your orientation. Spring Hill Cemetery. [2013]

Waco, Texas

Singling Out Historical Individuals:  The Texas Historical Commission has seen fit to use a city cemetery to teach some history, in this case something about Thomas Hudson Barron, one of the earliest settlers in the Waco area. How do you like this line about his first wife? "Elizabeth died after giving birth to twelve children." His second wife bore him 10 more. Depending on how many survived, there's a possibility that all Anglos in Texas have Barron in their family tree! First Street Cemetery. [2012]

Meridian, Mississippi

Singling Out Historical Individuals:  Even before there was 'country music,' there was Jimmie Rodgers, the man who started it all. On the Mississippi Country Music Trail, his marker is placed at his grave site. In fact, the trail begins at his final resting place. Rephrasing Natalie Sleeth:  In his end is a beginning. Oak Grove Cemetery. [2013]

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Singling Out Historical Cemeteries: The historical marker that relates the significance of Magnolia Cemetery was erected by the City of Baton Rouge. With more control over marker design at the local level, BR and Baton Rouge appear in red. You can be sure that would have never happened on a state historical marker! The Civil war is the foundation of everything historical in the South, and Magnolia Cemetery seems to be no exception. Magnolia Cemetery. [2011]

Niagara Falls, Ontario

Borrowing from Philosopher Poets ~ Mark Twain:  Although unattributed on this headstone, Mark Twain's advice inspires us all:  "Sail away from the safe harbor. Explore. Dream. Discover." Even if Mark Twain didn't pen these words, the advice seems so perfect for a Canadian who must have known Lake Ontario well. Niagara Falls Cemetery. [2013[