Mount Greenwood Cemetery

Book excerpt: Established in 1879 on 111th Street in the Beverly area of Chicago, Mount Greenwood Cemetery is an open-air museum that reflects three centuries of history. The Victorian cemetery--with its large, decorative monuments set on a rolling landscape amid winding roads--is an oasis treasured by its neighbors and by families whose loved ones rest there. It is home to educators, artists, veterans, businessmen, social reformers, ministers, and everyday people. The grounds also host heroes who stepped up in a time of need and people who lost their lives in epidemics and horrific disasters. On any given day, joggers in colorful gear can be seen running past a group on a brisk morning walk. Signs announce an upcoming history program or 5K race. Workers plant flowers on the grounds, while family historians ponder the memorials. A Civil War group places markers on veterans' tombstones. Members of a service organization walk to their monument, planning an event. A group of schoolchildren examines graves, and a journalist snaps a photograph.