Crown Hill Cemetery
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- There is also a locality Crown Hill, Seattle, Washington.
Crown Hill Cemetery, located at 700 West 38th Street in Indianapolis, is the third largest cemetery in the United States at 555 acres (2.2 km²). It contains 25 miles (40 km) of paved road, over 150 species of trees and plants, over 185,000 graves, and services roughly 1,500 burials per year. It sits on the highest geographic point in Indianapolis.
Contents |
[edit] History
Crown Hill Cemetery was dedicated on 1 June 1864 both to provide for the large number of American Civil War soldiers from Indiana who had died in the war as well as to provide for the crowding problems in the small 25 acre (101,000 m²) cemetery for the growing city of Indianapolis. The first burial took place the next day. Previously a private farm outside the city limits, Crown Hill Cemetery was a popular picnic location prior to being purchased by the city and today is well known for its stunning view of downtown Indianapolis.
[edit] Famous graves
James Whitcomb Riley, a famous Hoosier poet best known for his poem "Little Orphant Annie", was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery at the highest natural point in the city, which was also known as Strawberry Hill.
Many other famous people are buried at Crown Hill cemetery, including:
- Lyman S. Ayres, founder of L.S. Ayres department stores
- Ovid Butler, founder of Butler University
- John Dillinger, a notorious bank robber
- Dr. Richard Jordan Gatling, inventor of the Gatling gun
- Benjamin Harrison, a former President of the United States
- Caroline Harrison, wife of Benjamin Harrison
- Mary Dimmick Harrison, wife of Benjamin Harrison
- Mary Harrison McKee, daughter of Benjamin Harrison
- Robert Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts
- Alexander Ralston, surveyor who platted Indianapolis in 1821, including the cemetery which Crown Hill eventually replaced
- three Vice Presidents of the United States, Charles Fairbanks,Thomas A. Hendricks and Thomas R. Marshall
- eleven Indiana Governors
- one Kentucky Governor
- fourteen United States Senators
- fourteen Indianapolis mayors
- sixteen American Civil War generals, including Union brigadier general Jefferson C. Davis
- G T Haywood, First Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World.
[edit] Nature
Crown Hill Cemetery is the largest refuge for animals in the city, including an estimated 30 white-tailed deer. There are also numerous species of trees, each of which is marked with a number that corresponds to its scientific name and its common name.
[edit] External links
- Crown Hill cemetery - Official website of Crown Hill cemetery.
