President’ s Corner
The theme of this issue of Sweet Auburn,“ A Landscape of Lives,” reminds us that Mount Auburn is a terrain full of stories of the lives of those buried here. One of the many wonderful things about Mount Auburn Cemetery is that the memories and stories of thousands of families and individuals are preserved here in stone. Some of these stories— those of our most notable residents— are well known, but most are only known to the families themselves.
Beginning on the opening page with“ The People of Roberto Mighty’ s earth. sky,” the articles in this issue highlight some of the many ways that the stories of the lives of Mount Auburn’ s residents have been preserved or even rediscovered. Many of the stories might have been completely forgotten were it not for the valuable archival records that Mount Auburn has maintained since 1831, and the research efforts of staff, volunteers, and colleagues.
In addition to being a repository of stories of the lives of those interred here, Mount Auburn’ s landscape also reflects the lives and actions of the many who have worked here— from the nineteenth-century founders to the current staff, trustees, and volunteers.
In the last issue of Sweet Auburn, I wrote in my President’ s Corner that“ I wish I could sit around a table and have a conversation with Jacob Bigelow, Henry Dearborn and the rest of Mount Auburn’ s founders to see what they think about the place they envisioned and created in 1831. I assume they would be quite pleased.”
On September 24, 2016, as we celebrated the 185th anniversary of the founding of Mount Auburn Cemetery, I got my wish! Dr. Jacob Bigelow( portrayed by actor Jim Cooke) himself appeared at our celebration, dressed for the occasion, to join me in leading a tour of the grounds. We stopped at his grave to talk about the landscape improvements just completed around his monument. From there we walked to Consecration Dell, where so many years ago Cemetery co-founder Joseph Story gave the address consecrating Mount Auburn as the first rural cemetery in the nation.( see photos below)
At the end of the tour, Dr. Bigelow enthusiastically stated,“ I am so pleased to come back today and see that our vision continues to be carried out. And I appreciate the work of all who maintain the grounds and support the Cemetery.” His words reminded me of the value of the work we do and gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling. They also made me so proud of our great team of dedicated staff, trustees, volunteers, and supporters who are passionate about carrying out our mission of“ inspiring all who visit, comforting the bereaved, and commemorating the dead in a landscape of exceptional beauty.”
I look forward to carrying out our important mission for yet another year in 2017. Cheers,
David P. Barnett President & CEO
Dave and Dr. Jacob Bigelow( portrayed by actor Jim Cooke) at the 185 th anniversary of the founding of Mount Auburn Cemetery on September 24, 2016.
2017 Volume 1 | 1