Historical sketch of Graceland Cemetery, Chicago

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GRACELAND

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GRACELAND CEMETERY, founded by Thomas A. Bryan,
was dedicated August 30, 1860 and received its charter
February 11, 1861. Our Special Legislative Charter, granted
by the State, guarantees protection from possible change.

In the days when Chicago was known as "Fort Dearborn''
the people buried their loved ones north of the river. There
in 1828 John Kinzie, the first Chicago white settler, was
interred. In 1835 he was disinterred and moved to the old
North Side Cemetery, the present site of the old North Side
Pumping Station. In 1842 he was again disinterred and
moved to the City Cemetery, now Lincoln Park. From there
he was moved again to his final resting place at Graceland.

Here too lies Alexander Beaubien, the first male child bom of
permanent residents of Chicago.

In Graceland Cemetery, where the Midwest holds hands with
history, the soft-spoken headstones, the dignified shafts, the
serene tombs are footnotes to the saga of an inland city. Here,
in 119 acres of a rolling parklike haven of peace, lie the pio-
neers, leaders, builders and dreamers who wrote the story of

the Midwest with their Hves and left a skyline where they
found a sand dune.

They came to Chicago on moccasined feet, in creaking wag-
ons, by paddle boat and lake schooner, on horseback and by
stage— from the farms, village commons and seaports of the
East— from the backwoods, river towns and plantations of the
South— from the capitals and hamlets, the castled river banks
and avenues of the old world.

Make your pilgrimage to Graceland where in the sanctuary
of its hallowed ground lie Potter Palmer, the man who built
several Palmer Houses. At his side lies Bertha Palmer, his
beautiful wife, who reigned as Chicago's Queen of Society.

A short distance away lies George M. Pullman, builder of rail-
road equipment, whose grave is marked by a Corinthian
column.

Nearby, marked by a simple headstone, he Cyrus Hall
McCormick, inventor of the first successful harvesting ma-
chine, and Nettie Fowler, his wife, leader of Chicago's society.

In another section lies a Massachusetts lad who came to
Chicago in 1856 to work as a dry goods clerk and founded a
famous store. His burial place is distinguished by a sunken
pool that mirrors an allegorical bronze monument. On it ap-
pear two words "Equity—Integrity" and the name "Marshall
Field."

Philip D. Armom*, Graceland neighbor of Field and Pullman,
as in life he was their Prairie Avenue neighbor, founded a
grain empire and changed the eating habits of the world.

A sharp pointed obelisk towers over Carter H. Harrison Sr.,
who was so loved by the people of Chicago that they elected
him Mayor five times. After his death they elected his son,
Carter H. Harrison Jr., to the same high office.

In the shade of Graceland's trees lies William A. Hulburt, the
man who founded what became baseball's National League.
His grave is marked by a large granite baseball complete with
stitches cut in the stone.

Other noted sports figures include heavyweight boxing
champions "Fighting Bob" Fitzsimmons and Jack Johnson.

John Jones, the first Chicago Negro to gain prominence and
be elected to a county ofiBce, and his wife also rest eternally
in Graceland.

Augustus N. Dickens, youngest brother of the great novelist
Charles Dickens, lies near the main gate to these hallowed
grounds.

In another section lies Joseph T. Ryerson, steel merchant,
and father of steel merchants, founder of what became Inland
Steel Company. Imposing monuments mark their resting
places

Joseph Medill, founder of the "Chicago Tribune," and John
T. McCutcheon, author of the famous cartoon "Injun Sum-
mer," lie where leaves rustle against their monuments.

A statue of a crusading Knight, sculptured by Lorado Taft,
marks the tomb of Victor A. Lawson, founder of the "Chicago
Dailv News."

A Celtic cross marks the grave of John Wellborn Root, archi-

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tect, a short lived genius who worked out the principle of the
floating foundation for large buildings.

The prominent architect, Louis Sullivan, the first master of
the skyscraper, one of the world renowned of all Chicagoans,
designer of the Auditorium Building, the Carson Pirie Scott
and Company store and other noted buildings, lies in Grace-
land. A simple granite stone marks his grave.

In 1890 the Getty family commissioned Louis Sullivan to de-
sign a sepulcher which became the "Getty Tomb", known all
over the world as a shrine of American architecture and a
landmark of the City of Chicago as a plaque displayed in the
cemetery office proudly notes.

The cremated remains of Daniel Hudson Burnham, father of
the Chicago Plan, the Cleveland Plan, the San Francisco Plan
and the Washington, D.C. Plan, lie under a glacier boulder in
the middle of an island in Willowmere Section.

One by one they came to Graceland, men who saw Chicago
when "Checagou" was an Indian word and a 17 star flag flew
over Fort Dearborn. Men who helped and heard Abraham

Lincoln nominated for the Presidency. Men who wept in the
great fire of 1871 and laughed at the notion of not rebuilding
a metropolis. Men who fought in the wars of this country and
made the supreme sacrifice. All eternally and peacefully sleep
in its hallowed ground.

Observe the names on Graceland's silent tombs and head-
stones—at the novels and histories condensed into a few let-
ters chiseled in stone. Here Hes John P. Altgeld, Frank O.
Lowden, Governors of Illinois— Hempstead Washbume, Fred
Busse, Julian S. Rumsey, Mayors of Chicago— Allen Pinkerton,
President Lincoln's private detective — Timothy Webster,
hanged in Richmond, Virginia, as a spy for the Union —
Melville W. Fuller, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme
Court— Samuel W. FuUerton, founder of Packingtown— John
Calhoun, pioneer newspaper publisher— PhiUp Henrici who
opened Chicago's first old world coflEee house.

Year after year they came to Graceland— Hubbard, FuUerton,
Halsted, Wacker, Buckingham, Newberry, Bowen, Goodman,
Kimball, McClurg, Blair, Baldwin, Parmelee, Honore, Mani-
erre, Hutchinson, Keep, Hamill, Burley, Hulburb, Bentley,
Sprague and many others.

Some of them lived to see the fruits of their genius but through
time their shafts point to the stars steadfastly as their faith
pointed to the future.

These are the men who made the Midwest.

Since 1893 Graceland has operated one of the foremost cre-
matories in the country. Cremations are conducted with ut-
most dignity and decorum.

We cordially invite you to visit and our staff will be happy to
answer your inquiries.

GRACELAND CEMETERY COMPANY

AND

CREMATORIUM

4001 North Clark Street

Chicago, Illinois 60613

Phone: Area 3 1 2 - 525- 1 1 05

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