By the alley
The alley has been deeply honored to feature Sue Hunter Weir’s “Tales from Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery” column for 231 issues. Her extensive research into those buried in Minneapolis’ oldest Cemetery has revealed to readers hundreds of early residents who lived in and shaped our city.
Among those folks buried are an unknown number of early African Americans who lived in Minneapolis, most unnamed and in unmarked graves. They include those who escaped slavery or who helped the freedom seekers escape, and those who served in the Civil War. Sue has been working with Elyse Hill of Hill Research to tell the stories of all the African Americans buried in the Cemetery. The January issue of the alley highlighted one such person: Hester Patterson, a freedom seeker, whose story is at once both inspiring and horrifying.
And the correction? Hester’s last name was misspelled in print. The correct spelling of someone’s name is vital in historical records, particularly for a population whose humanity has long been cruelly repressed. Misspelling Hester’s name feels especially egregious to us for that reason. And we are truly sorry.
