Alton Cemetery

Alton and Environs 009

Alton Cemetery, like many Nineteenth Century cemeteries around the United States, sits on rugged topography, utilizing land that otherwise was not suitable for building houses or businesses. Of course, in Alton just about everywhere above the first couple of streets along the river are steep. For comparison with another cemetery built on rugged bluffs, see Woodland Cemetery in Quincy, Illinois.

Alton and Environs 013

An interesting, and slightly unique aspect to this cemetery that is not common the Missouri side of the river are the presence of squat stone walls between burial plots. Above, the actual Elijah P. Lovejoy grave possesses one of these walls. The fencing present is not common–most fences were melted down in World War II, from what I understand.

Alton and Environs 016

The sun paints dappled light across the gravestones throughout the cemetery, creating a peaceful, and typically Victorian era burial space.

Alton and Environs 017

We were also pleasantly surprised to discover that Alton is featuring actors every Saturday in October that bring the people alive who are buried there. From a young diphtheria victim, to a Civil War soldier, the actors tell the story of one person buried in the cemetery. It’s not cheesy, or campy, but very well done, and I encourage you to visit the cemetery to see their performances.

Alton and Environs 018

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.