Today I took a tour of Pleasant Garden Cemetery in Chattanooga, TN. It is in the Ridgeside community on Rowe Road. It was raining gently as we walked through the cemetery. I didn't take a camera, so any photos will be from others.
I parked in front of the Shaari Zion Cemetery, also known as Workmen's Circle Cemetery. That was also new to me. Here is some information about it: TN GenWeb Cemetery Database
I was looking forward to the cemetery tour with Donivan Brown, but he ended up not being able to make it. I hope to tour again, learning what I can from him.
There was a large green marker at the entrance of the cemetery. We saw Otis "Hot Sauce" Washington's headstone. There was a bottle of hot sauce on one side and another bottle of something on the right. I had to look up this person to learn that he and his wife Madie had a restaurant locally and he was known for his hot sauce. Here is another link about Otis. We made our way to Ed Johnson's site and found it well taken care of, with a bouquet of yellow and purple flowers (click on the link for Ed Johnson in the previous sentence to see photos). There were other items too. To help you find the grave, there are small pieces of wood stacked at the top of the path.
Wandering through the cemetery in the rain was a beautiful experience today. It was much bigger than I knew. There was a beautiful pink crepe myrtle that we walked by. I saw quite a few yucca clumps. It is a place I would like to spend more time. I would also like to volunteer some time and energy to cleaning it up. It truly is a historical gem and deserves more attention and care.
Bessie Smith is buried at Pleasant Gardens Cemetery. I saw a photo of the site on the AACPF site (see below). I looked it up on Find A Grave. Here is the information; click here.
The cemetery was considered for a National Register for Historical Places, but I don't know if it was given that title or not. Click here for the article from the chattanoogan.com on January 10, 2025. I found the DRAFT of the form on tn.gov.
Some additional websites about Pleasant Garden Cemetery:
- AACPF (has volunteer history, general history, and some photos)
- Find A Grave (you can search for specific names)
- Pleasant Garden Cemetery on FaceBook (photos, information, up-to-date happenings)
- Surprise! You Own a Long-Lost Cemetery (information about the cemetery and Levi Henry and his connection as a Young descendant)
- Tennessee Historic Landscape (photos, information)
- Black Graves Matter (YouTube video from 2023)
Maybe you're like me and hadn't heard of this cemetery. Now you have. Thank you to all the families, friends, volunteers who have been working to clean and restore the cemetery.
Today's experience and "tour" at the cemetery was a start to a new adventure for me.
The journey is an adventure!
Deb
No comments:
Post a Comment