Exceptional Women Tour Canceled

With the rain looking endless today, Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation has canceled the Exceptional Women Tour scheduled for this evening.

Don't forget to join us next Thursday, October 2 at 6:00 pm for the previously rescheduled Cedar Hill Sunset Tour. If the weather cooperates, you will enjoy a tour of some of Cedar Hill's most notable residents as the sun sets over Cedar Mountain. With fall's colors already making their debut at Cedar Hill, it's the perfect time of year to join us for a tour. This tour is free for Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation members and $5.00 for nonmembers.

For more information, please call 860-956-3311.

Mediumship 101 is an Amazing Event

Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation's Connecticut Ghosts and Mediumship 101 was amazing. Elaine Kuzmeskus, director of the New England School of Metaphysics, discussed her experiences of the paranormal while researching her book Connecticut Ghosts and the various ways in which people communicate with people who have passed on. The climax of her presentation was when she began to "read" for people in the audience. To one event attendee, Ms. Kumeskus said that she could see this person in the legal field. The woman responded that she was a district attorney. To another event attendee, Ms. Kuzmeskus said that she saw a trip to Arizona or New Mexico in their near future. Come to find out, the woman's husband was leaving for Arizona the following morning. And to yet another attendee, Ms. Kuzmeskus said she thought this person would be good in the medical field because her of her kind and healing aura. This attendee admitted that she works in a doctor's office.

In addition to reading the attendees, Ms. Kuzmeskus connected people with their ancestors who have passed on. One woman was met by her mother who had died recently after a long illness. One gentleman was greeted by his father who had also died recently of a long illness. Another attendee was greeted by her uncle who came through so say that while he was wheelchair bound in life, he could now walk.

The entire event was interesting and thought-provoking. Listening to Ms. Kuzmeskus bring messages from beyond to the audience can make one believe that life, in some form, goes on after death.

Don't forget to join us this Friday at 6:00pm for Cedar Hill's Exceptional Women Tour led by Rebecca Scorso, former managing director of the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame. For more information, please visit www.cedarhillcemetery.org or call 860-956-3311.

CT Ghosts and Mediumship 101 this Saturday!

Join us this Saturday, September 20, at 10:00 am for Connecticut Ghosts and Mediumship 101. Elaine Kuzmeskus, director of the New England School of Metaphysics and author of Connecticut Ghosts and Séance 101, will share her experiences with the paranormal while doing research for her book Connecticut Ghosts. She will also demonstrate Mediumship and answer audience questions. This event will take place on Section 2 at the Colt monument and is $5.00 for CHCF Members and $8.00 for nonmembers. Reservations are highly recommended but not required. To make reservations, please call 860-956-3311.

An Evening of Jazz and Upcoming Events

An Evening of Jazz at Cedar Hill was an overwhelming success attracting 100 people from the Greater Hartford community to listen to live jazz music by The Steve Lord Quintet and The Tony Allen Quintet. To view photos from the event, visit www.cedarhillcemetery.org and click on the link at the bottom of the Home page.

Also, mark your calendars to join us for an upcoming tour or event. Below you will find the next two events in our calendar. For the full tours and events listing, please view the toolbar to the right. We look forward to seeing you soon!

3rd Tuesday Notables Tour
Tuesday, September 16, 10 am
Members free, $5 nonmembers
Take a guided stroll through Cedar Hill Cemetery's historic sections and learn about many Hartford notables who helped to shape the world in which we live. Please RSVP by noon on previous Monday by calling 860-956-3311, ext. 13. Tour Length: 1.5 hours

CT Ghosts and Mediumship 101
Saturday, Sept. 20, 10 am
$5 members, $8 nonmembers
Elaine Kuzmeskus, director of the New England School of Metaphysics and author of Connecticut Ghosts and Séance 101, is a nationally renowned spiritualist medium and has been certified by the National Association of Spiritualist Churches as a medium. Ms. Kuzmeskus will discuss her experiences of supernatural activity while doing research for her book Connecticut Ghosts. She will also demonstrate Mediumship and answer questions from the audience. Follow signs at the Cemetery to designated the location. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling 860-956-3311or emailing info@cedarhillcemetery.org. Event Length: 1.5 hours

Mystery Scavenger Hunt

Don't miss Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation's Mystery Scavenger Hunt tomorrow, Saturday, August 16, at 10:00 am at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Someone has stolen Anne Tracy Morgan's beloved necklace, and we need your help in finding out who. This family-friendly scavenger hunt will have you traversing Cedar Hill's historic sections as you find and follow clues to the suspected thief.

The fee for this event is $10 for scavenger groups of 2-4 people and $5 for individuals. Individuals and smaller groups will be combined to make as many groups of four as possible. Reservations are highly recommended for this event. For more information or to reserve your place to participate, please call 860-956-3311.

Upcoming Tours and Events

Due to Thursday's severe weather, Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation had to unfortunately cancel the Cedar Hill Sunset Tour. The good news is that due to the popularity of this tour, we have rescheduled it for Thursday, October 2 at 6:00 pm. In addition to watching the sunset over Cedar Mountain and learning about some of Cedar Hill's notables, attendees will also have the opportunity to traverse the historic sections on this guided tour as the colors of fall set in. Let's all hope for nice weather and mark this on your calendars now!

In the meantime, Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation still has several tours and events coming up. Next Saturday, August 16, join us for our family-friendly scavenger hunt. Teams will be given clues to solve the mystery of who stole Anne Tracy Morgan's adored necklace. Although it's a race to the finish, this event is sure to be fun for everyone. Admission for this event is $10.00 for a team of 2-4 people.

Also, on Saturday, August 23, Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation will be hosting An Evening of Jazz at Cedar Hill featuring The Steve Lord Quintet and The Tony Allen Quintet. Bring your chairs, blankets and picnic baskets and join us for an entertaining evening of jazz under the August evening sky surrounded by Cedar Hill's exquisite beauty. This event is $10 for CHCF members and $15 for nonmembers.

For the complete listing of tours and events, check out the calendar listing to the right or visit www.cedarhillcemetery.org. We hope to see you soon!

Cedar Hill Sunset Tour

Join us Thursday, August 7th at 6:00 pm for Cedar Hill's Sunset Tour. During this tour, attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about some of Cedar Hill's most notable residents as the sun sets behind Cedar Mountain. This tour offers some of the most breathtaking views of the Cemetery at sunset. Wear comfortable shoes as this tour will take us traversing through the historic sections. The full tour is expected to take an hour and a half. This tour is free for CHCF members and $5.00 for nonmembers. For more information, please call 860-956-3311, ext. 13.

LGH Hosts Summer Social at Cedar Hill Cemetery

Leadership Greater Hartford (LGH) recently held their Annual Summer Social at Cedar Hill Cemetery. LGH invited leaders of today to enjoy Cedar Hill's art, history and beauty amongst the leaders of the past at this unique summer celebration. Attendees enjoyed hors-d'oeuvres, cocktails, dinner, live music, a scavenger hunt, a caricature artist and games from the 1800s. Several attendees took the opportunity to tour the historic grounds and visit the final resting places of Hartford notables such as J.P. Morgan, George Beach and Katharine Hepburn. From infants to retired adults, everyone enjoyed this outdoor event.

Cedar Hill Cemetery & Foundation welcome groups who want to use the grounds for recreational and educational purposes. Designed in a park-like manner, Cedar Hill Cemetery was once the place for families to go for picnics and leisure activities. Furthermore, many of Cedar Hill's notables are linked to businesses that still exist throughout Greater Hartford today. To learn more about scheduling a private tour or event at Cedar Hill Cemetery, call 860-956-3311, ext. 13.

Cedar Hill Legacy Society

Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation recently received a generous bequest from a long-time supporter of the Foundation. These funds will be used to preserve and protect the art, history and natural resources of Hartford's historic Cedar Hill Cemetery in perpetuity. Supporting the Foundation through a bequest is a meaningful way to ensure Cedar Hill remains a welcoming and beautiful place for future generations to visit their loved ones.

Several people have already joined the Cedar Hill Legacy Society by informing the Foundation of their intent to leave a bequest in their estate plans. Each of these gifts is vital to supporting the Foundation's mission in perpetuity.

If you have included Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation in your estate plans, please contact us so we may include you as a Cedar Hill Legacy Society member. If you have not included Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation in your estate plans but would like to learn more about doing so, please call 860-956-3311, ext. 13. There is no small act of kindness, and we thank everyone who supports the Foundation's efforts to preserve and protect Cedar Hill's unique and beautiful memorial grounds in perpetuity.

Cedar Hill Sunset Tour - August 7

Mark your calendars now to join us Thursday, August 7 at 6:00 pm for the Cedar Hill Sunset Tour. Learn about Gideon Welles, the Secretary of the Navy under Abraham Lincoln; Joseph Hopkins Twichell, Asylum Hill Congregational Church's pastor for 47 years and very good friend of Mark Twain; Horace Wells, Hartford dentist and discoverer of anesthesia; and many more Hartford notables. We will traverse the historic sections while taking in some of the most breathtaking views of the Cemetery as the sun sets over Cedar Mountain.

Wear comfortable walking shoes for this hour and a half tour. Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation members are free and non-members are $5.00.

Cedar Hill Notables Tour July 15

Cedar Hill is the final resting place for many Hartford notables, including Dr. Horace Wells, Samuel and Elizabeth Colt, J.P. Morgan and Katharine Hepburn. Learn about these and other notables who helped to shape the world in which we live at our next Notables Tour on Tuesday, July 15 at 10:00 am. This tour is free for CHCF members and $5.00 for nonmembers. If you would like to attend, please RSVP by noon on Monday, July 14 by calling 860-956-3311, ext. 13. For more information about this event or for the complete 2008 Tours and Events schedule, visit www.cedarhillcemetery.org.

Gideon Welles is Born 206 Years Ago

July 1 marks the birthdate of Cedar Hill Cemetery resident Gideon Welles. Gideon Welles was born July 1, 1802 in Glastonbury, Connecticut. He earned his degree from Norwich University, became a lawyer by “reading the law,” and became founder and editor of the Hartford Times in 1826.

Welles became active politically. He started his political career as a Democrat and served in the Connecticut State Legislature. In 1854, Welles joined the newly-established Republican party and founded the Hartford Evening Post in 1856. Welles had strong anti-slavery views and was an avid supporter of Abraham Lincoln. When Lincoln became President, he named Gideon Welles Secretary of the Navy.

While the navy was in complete disarray when he took office, Welles is credited with establishing order and implementing some of the founding principals upon which the navy still functions today. During his tenure, he and his wife became quite close to the Lincoln family. In fact, Welles was in the room with President Lincoln as he lay dying from his gunshot wound. Of this experience, Welles wrote the following in his diary on April 15, 1865:

“…About 6 a.m. I experienced a feeling of faintness and, for the first time after entering the room, a little past eleven, I left it and the house, and took a short walk in the open air. It was a dark and gloomy morning, and rain set in before I returned to the house, some fifteen minutes later. Large groups of people were gathered every few yards, all anxious and solicitous. Some one or more from each group stepped forward as I passed to inquire into the condition of the President and to ask if there was no hope. Intense grief was on every countenance when I replied that the President could survive but a short time. The colored people especially – and there were at this time more of them, perhaps, than of whites – were overwhelmed with grief.

A little before seven. I went into the room where the dying president was rapidly drawing near the closing moments. His wife soon after made last visit to him. The death struggle had begun. Robert, his son, stood with several others at the head of his bed. He bore himself well, but on two occasions gave way to overpowering grief and sobbed aloud, turning his head and leaning on the shoulder of Senator Sumner. The respiration of the President became suspended at intervals and at last entirely ceased at twenty-two minutes past seven.”

Welles was an accomplished as well as, at times, a controversial figure. Welles had been known for purchasing the freedom of slaves and employing them and other previous slaves in his home. Henry Greene was one of his employees who had previously been a slave and during his tenure with the family, he became very close to the Welles’. In fact, when Welles completed his government service, Henry Greene returned with the Welles family to Hartford. Gideon Welles died in 1878 and Henry continued to work for the family until he died in 1911. In his will, Gideon Welles had expressed his wish for Henry Greene to be buried at the Welles lot at Cedar Hill Cemetery. On June 17, 1811, the Hartford Times covered the burial of Henry Greene at Hartford’s elitist Cedar Hill Cemetery on its front page. Many were upset to find that a former slave had been interred at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Henry Greene is still buried at Cedar Hill, and we are honored to have the task of keeping his memory alive.

An Evening of Jazz at Cedar Hill

Purchase your tickets today to join us for An Evening of Jazz at Cedar Hill featuring The Tony Allen Quintet and The Steve Lord Quintet on Saturday, August 23 from 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm. Tony Allen has performed alongside the likes of Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. In 2003, he put Front Street in Hartford on the map with his second album and title track I Remember Front Street. Steve Lord has over 35 years of performing experience and has opened for many celebrities, including Ray Charles, Slide Hampton and Sammy Davis Jr. These two groups are sure to provide an incomparable evening of entertainment at Hartford's historic and incomparable Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Join us for this unique evening of music at Cedar Hill under the August evening sky. Attendees are invited to bring chairs, blankets and picnic baskets and to find the perfect spot on the open lawn to partake in this fabulous evening of jazz.

Tickets are available for $10 for Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation members and $15 for nonmembers. The rain date for this event will be Sunday, August 24. To purchase your tickets or for more information, please call 860-956-3311, ext. 13.

3rd Tuesday Notables Tour - This Tuesday!

Join us for Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation's 3rd Tuesday Notables Tour on Tuesday, June 17 at 10:00 am. Led by our expert tour guide Doris Griffith, you will learn about some of Cedar Hill's notable residents who helped to shape the world in which we live. For instance, do you know for what Dr. Horace Wells is famous? Do you know what J.P. Morgan's monument represents? Do you know from where the Hepburn memorial came? Join us to find the answers to these questions and many more.

If you are planning to join us, please RSVP by noon on Monday, June 16 by calling 860-956-3311. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation's 2008 Tours and Events Season is sponsored in part by Aetna.

They Called me Lizzy is Simply Remarkable

The East Haddam Stage Company's performance of They Called me Lizzy. . .from slavery to the White House was simply remarkable. Stephanie Jackson, who played Elizabeth Keckly in this one-person performance, was amazing. While it was a smaller turnout than we had hoped, those who did attend raved about Stephanie's performance and this truly heart-felt story about a woman who was a slave for 30 years and, after buying her and her son's freedom, became First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln's dressmaker and confidante. We hope to continue to bring East Haddam Stage Company performances to Cedar Hill in the future.

Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation's next event is the 3rd Tuesday Notables Tour, which will be held at Cedar Hill Cemetery on Tuesday, June 17 at 10:00 am. Learn about Hartford's history and the people who contributed to the world in which we live, including Dr. Horace Wells, Isabella Beecher Hooker, Samuel and Elizabeth Colt, J.P. Morgan and Katharine Hepburn. This event is free for CHCF members and $5.00 for nonmembers. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by Monday, June 16 at noon by calling 860-956-3311.

East Haddam Stage Company to Perform at Cedar Hill

Join us Saturday, June 7 at Cedar Hill Cemetery as the East Haddam Stage Company performs They Called me Lizzy. . .from Slavery to the White House. This one-person show tells the story of Elizabeth Keckly, Mary Todd Lincoln's dressmaker and author of Behind the Scenes, 30 years a slave and four years in the White House.

This event will take place on the Colt lot at the top of Section 2 and will begin at 10:00am. Admission is $5.00 for Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation members and $8.00 for nonmembers.

CHCF Receives Award from HPA

The Hartford Preservation Alliance awarded Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation two awards last night at their 7th annual awards celebration. The first award recognized Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation's stewardship and preservation efforts of Hartford's historic Cedar Hill Cemetery. The second award recognized the Foundation and author Rudy Favretti for the publication of Jacob Weidenmann: Pioneer Landscape Architect. Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation is grateful to all the people, businesses, foundations, and government entities that support our efforts to care for and preserve Cedar Hill's incomparable memorial grounds. We would also like to thank the Hartford Preservation Alliance for recognizing our efforts.

Don't forget that Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation will be hosting its annual tree walk with tree expert Ed Richardson on Saturday, May 31 at 10am. This tour is free for all. From our monument preservation to our meticulous care of the trees and plants, we are committed to preserving these impressive memorial grounds. Come see for yourself.

Cedar Hill's Annual Rare and Notable Tree Walk

Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation is hosting its annual tree walk on Saturday, May 31 at 10:00 am. Led by tree expert Ed Richardson, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about some of Cedar Hill's rare and notable trees. The tour will begin at the flagpole at the end of the entranceway drive and is expected to take between an hour and an hour and a half. This tour is free for all.

Hartford Courant Highlights Irene McHugh

Did you see the article about Irene McHugh in the Wednesday, May 21st edition of the Hartford Courant? Susan Campbell shared with her readers Irene's contributions to Cedar Hill during her time with Hartford's historic cemetery. With Irene retiring from Cedar Hill Cemetery at the end of the month, it was a fitting tribute for someone who has done so much to bring Cedar Hill's history to life.

If you missed the article, visit http://www.courant.com/features/lifestyle/hc-susan0521.artmay21,0,7142579.column.

Don't miss your last opportunity to participate in a guided tour with Cedar Hill's Education Director, Irene McHugh, prior to her retirement on May 30. Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation's 3rd Tuesday Notables Tour will take place on Tuesday, May 20 at 10:00 am starting at the flag pole at the end of the entryway drive. Ms. McHugh will share with you the lives and accomplishments of some of Cedar Hill's most notable residents, including Samuel and Elizabeth Colt, J.P. Morgan and actress Katharine Hepburn. This tour is free for Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation members and $5.00 for nonmembers. For more information, call 860-956-3311, ext. 13.