Sweet Auburn Spring Summer 2011

Inside this Issue:

President’s Corner

Connecting our Past, Present, and Future:

Historical Collections: Connecting Legacies by Lauren Marsh and Meg Winslow
A look at the genealogical resources available in the Historical Collections department; Jeannette John’s family connection with Mount Auburn.

Planning and Sustainability: Connecting Resources by Candace Currie
Water has played an important role in the history of Mount Auburn, from Jacob Bigelow’s remarks on the significance of our aquifer, to Alexander Wadsworth’s development of our 1831 map. Today, water is one of the Cemetery’s most precious resources and on the forefront of our sustainability efforts.

Education: Connecting with Nature by Bree D. Harvey
Clare Walker Leslie’s nature walk to Consecration Dell with a group of children is just one example of the many educational initiatives pursued by the Friends of Mount Auburn; Joseph Story’s consecration address in 1831 foresaw the educational value of this landscape.

Horticulture and Preservation: Connecting Worlds by Dennis Collins and David Gallagher
A look at the constant struggle between the built and the natural environment at Mount Auburn, and an example of creativity on the grounds, as seen in the Norcross, Sprague, and Armstrong lots.

Cemetery Services: Connecting Communities by Jim Holman
The story of Mrs. Rachel Mangano exemplifies the unique bond shared between an individual, a family, a landscape, and a Cemetery community; Cemetery Services continue to offer new opportunities for community-building through the development of Birch Gardens. 

Eternally Green: Sustaining Mount Auburn and the World Around Us, A Greener Greenhouse & Gardens by Kelley Sullivan
Sullivan outlines our transition from conventional to organic gardening methods to strengthen our commitment to sustainability.

Photo Essay: Where All Pathways Lead by Jennifer J. Johnston
Featuring an excerpt from Caroline Frances Orne’s “Mount Auburn.”

A Bird Watcher’s Primer
An overview of some of our spring migrants: the Eastern Bluebird, Cedar Waxwing, Scarlet Tanager, American Goldfinch, Baltimore Oriole, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, featuring an excerpt from James Russell Lowell’s “The Nest.”

Special Services of Remembrance by Thomas Johnson
A look at our annual Candle Lighting Ceremony and Service of Commemoration.

Stories Behind the Stones: Mount Auburn and Harvard, An Enduring Bond by Brian A. Sullivan
Sullivan explicates the historic bond between Mount Auburn and Harvard through the founding of Harvard Hill (Lot 330, Amaranth Path); such notables as Edward Everett, John Hooker Ashmun, Joseph Story, and Charles Sumner played a part in the lot’s founding.

Records of Enduring Value
Vast resources exist in the Historical Collections department, including everything from burial records and lot correspondence to photographs and decorative arts.

People & Happenings: The Many Sides of Sumner: Reflections on Charles Sumner upon the 200th Anniversary of His Birth by Bree D. Harvey; Board Profile: Widgie Aldrich, A Champion of Mount Auburn’s Landscape by Lauren Marsh; Staff News; Grants Awarded; Volunteer Profile: Pam Pinsky, Joining Worlds Together; Interments of Note: Henry Walter and Reinhard Frank

Did You Know…?

The Story Chapel Entryway Project

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