Posts Tagged ‘Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery’
Plaque”'s theft is a historically large loss and a petty thief”'s gain
TIMOTHY McCALLSoldier and Pioneers Memorial Cemetery since 1858 had new fence and pillars erected in 1928-29 and plaques soon after as a gift from the Minneapolis Cemetery Protective Association”'s (MCPA) Auxiliary. Someone stole a piece of the City”'s history. It happened on Aug. 30 or 31st, most likely during the night. One of the two bronze plaques that graced the pillars on either side of the Lake Street gates was stolen. The thieves were trying to steal the other but must have been interrupted. Some of the stone that held the plaque was chiseled away but not enough to loosen it. The fence and pillars were erected in 1928-29 and the plaques added either at the same time or shortly afterward. They were a gift from the Minneapolis Cemetery Protective Association”'s (MCPA) Auxiliary. The Auxiliary was a group of women from the association”'s membership who raised funds for many of the structures that have been identified as contributing resources in the [...]
The 144th Memorial Day of Veterans at Pioneers and Soldier”'s Cemetery
Photos & story By Harvey Winje On May 28, 2012, Americans across the world honored the women and men who have served in the military. It is a tradition that goes back to 1868 when General Logan issued his General Order #11 which set aside one day a year for remembrance of veterans. At Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery, we have other reasons to be grateful to the veterans and their families and friends. They are the people who, more than any others, are the reason that the cemetery exists today. After the City Council voted to close the cemetery to future burials in 1919, the remains of approximately 6,000 to 7,000 people, including many veterans, were moved to other cemeteries. But there were some families who refused to have their loved ones moved, and families of veterans were among the most vocal in their opposition. On a beautiful May morning the Minnesota Chapter of the U.S. Daughters of 1812 led the honoring of all veterans of the [...]
Bra·vo! Bra·vo! Bra·vis·si·mo!
By Sue Hunter Weir It was an event like no other in Minneapolis. As far as we know the concert on October 8th was the first rock concert ever held in a Minneapolis cemetery. And, what a concert it was! It was one of those days when everything came together: beautiful weather, fantastic music and a wonderful, wonderful crowd. How big was the crowd? Our best estimate is that 1,500 people attended. We sold about 900 advance tickets and between three and four hundred tickets at the gates. Kids under twelve and volunteers got in free. Many who attended said that, although they had driven past the cemetery hundreds of times, this was the first time they”'d stopped into the grounds. Many also told us that they had no idea how much history could be learned there. One of the big hits of the day was the smartphone history hunt which enabled people to use their phones to learn more about 25 of the people buried in the cemetery. Kids had their own history hunt and could get their [...]
