Welcome

Welcome to my new blog, Oak Hill Cemetery Walks.  For the past three summers I have researched, written, and led free walks for people interested in local history at Oak Hill Cemetery in Janesville, Wisconsin.  I had participated in cemetery walks planned by the Rock County Historical Society several times before that, always costumed, always in late October, and always as Nellie Tallman, a member of a local wealthy family.  While I very much enjoyed portraying Mrs. Tallman and telling her story, I found it frustrating to not hear about other local people portrayed on the tour, and often the late October dates were often quite chilly.  I stood shivering in my hat, cape, and long skirt at the Tallman monument more than once in a bracing autumn breeze, or even an early snow.

I wanted to know more, so when a local group was formed to renovate the decaying chapel, I thought I could lead a series of tours to interest local folks in the cemetery, and the good work volunteers were doing to return the chapel to its early beauty and usefulness.  I thought if people visited, learned stories about the men and women buried there, looked at interesting monuments and headstones, saw the efforts of dedicated local volunteers, they might be more invested and willing to support the historic property.

Simplicity was important, so I decided to lead the tours myself on a schedule that worked for me. I researched, wrote scripts, decided on tour routes, and marked stones with utility flags.  Saturday mornings in late spring and summer, before it got too cold, worked best for my schedule.  It meant no historic costumes, just comfortable casual clothes and walking shoes.  It meant no printed programs.  I discovered that I could advertise for free on social media, with the local chamber of commerce and visitors' bureau, and in the local newspaper - so long as I did not charge admission.  Over time word of mouth has gradually increased the number of people who show up on Saturday mornings to tour different parts of the cemetery.

I do not make any money from these cemetery walks. Any tips that people occasionally hand me go to the volunteer groups for expenses like brick work, roofing, and stained glass window repair.  But I do get benefits. I'm gradually getting a good education in local history, which helps me feel connected to the community. I'm meeting lots of interesting people.  I'm getting some exercise - these are some steep hills! And I get to continue teaching, though in a very informal way. I expect to lead tours at least one more year.

My plan is to occasionally post my thoughts about facts I stumble across, photos from different times of year, and even some scripts from walks I've lead, in case a person might like to try the walks without benefit of a guide. I hope you find these posts interesting.