‘Tales from Pioneers & Soldiers Cemetery’ Archives
Tales from the Cemetery: Tragedy Travels by Trolleycar
Mike Misura's marker is located next to the fence on the cemetery's east side (21st Avenue). He was killed in a work-related accident on May 5, 1911. Photo: Tim McCall By SUE HUNTER WEIR It can be hazardous moving around the city during road-repair and construction season. It is even more dangerous for the men and women who do that work. That is nothing new. On May 5, 1911, eleven workmen were repairing a streetcar track on Washington Avenue when they were struck by a streetcar. One of the men died, two others were seriously injured but survived, and the rest were not seriously injured. The accident occurred late in the evening but word of what had happened spread quickly and within a short time, “nearly 100 infuriated Slavonians ” arrived on the scene. They surrounded the car and dragged the driver, Julius Risan, out and beat him. It took four policemen to disperse the mob. They took Risan, who was described as heartbroken, to the South Side Police Station pending an [...]
Tales from the Cemetery: FAQs
The fish were biting at Cedar and Lake. Twenty-first century kids had the opportunity to play 19th-century games. Photo credit: Tim McCall By SUE HUNTER WEIR Frequently Asked Questions The answers to most, if not all of these questions have appeared in one of the Cemetery Tales that have been published over the last almost-20 years. Here they are all in one place. When was the first burial? Who was it? The first burial took place in September 1853. The funeral was for 10-month old Carlton Keith Cressey. His father was the minister of the First Baptist Church of Minneapolis. Who owned the cemetery? The cemetery was privately owned by Martin and Elizabeth Layman, transplanted New Yorkers. They arrived in Minnesota in the 1850s and built the sixth house in what would become Minneapolis. They had 13 children, all of whom survived to adulthood. Although the cemetery was commonly referred to as “Layman’s Cemetery,” its legal name in its early days was [...]
Tales from the Cemetery August ’22
by Sue Hunter Weir Pictures courtesy Gretchen Pederson, cemetery caretaker. The good news and the bad news...The bad news: Several large tree branches have come down in recent storms and either have been or will be removed by the Park Board. On the Fourth of July, a stolen van loaded with fireworks crashed into the fence near the Cedar-Lake bus stop. The good news: The trim on the caretaker’s cottage has a fresh coat of paint, and the 50-foot-tall flagpole has also been repainted. Elizabeth Avenue, the cemetery’s only road has been seal coated. On July 8th, three new markers, all for infants, were placed. Architects from Miller- Dunwiddie have been surveying the limestone pillars and restoration will begin soon. When a street in South Minneapolis was renamed to honor John Cheatham, Minneapolis’ first Black firefighter, it was a big news story. It was picked up by all of the local television stations, by Minneapolis Public Radio and by the Atlanta Black Star and [...]
