Posts Tagged ‘Louisiana’

This week I was asked if I would go out and take a photo of Fleming Cemetery, a tiny cluster that sits right on the edge of the bayou on the Intracoastal Waterway. Given all the horrible flooding upstream there was concern it might be in danger of the rising waters.

Thankfully all was calm, the water not even seeming particularly high, and certainly no faster than usual.

Here you can just see the water running behind the graveyard:

And here’s a view from across the waterway:

As you can see there’s a slight levee that’s been built at the waterline, and the cemetery’s actually several feet above the current, so hopefully all will be well- both for the cemetery and its living neighbors.

The sturdy concrete tombs are built to withstand flooding, but there are many smaller markers and personal items throughout the graveyard that would be lost if the waters rise.

I’ll keep an eye on it and report any changes… but in the meantime I’m very, very pleased to find myself unable to contribute to an article tentatively titled “Swept Away.”

Late last year Charlie and I took (okay, I dragged the poor man) a night tour of the cemeteries at the end of Canal. It was just as awful and schlocky as you’d imagine, but it was in researching a story I wanted to write. The lesson I took away from it was that it was just about impossible to go too over the top in creating a certain type of character (psychic tour guide) and just to have fun with it.

The other thing I took away from the experience was some great pictures and the discovery of a great bar we’d never been too that serves kick-ass burgers and onion rings.

It took awhile to track down just what this marker was commemorating:

It took finding the Kavanaugh tomb in Greenwood with a similar (but clearer) insignia to discover the Knights of Pythias:

The Pythians are (per their website):

The Fraternal Order of Knights of Pythias and its members are dedicated to the cause of universal peace. Pythians are pledged to the promotion of understanding among men of good will as the surest means of attaining Universal Peace. We believe that men, meeting in a spirit of goodwill, in an honest effort of understanding, can live together on this earth in peace and harmony. We seek those who agree with this belief, and have a belief in a personal Supreme Being, to join our ranks in an effort to reach “Peace Through Understanding”.

The order was founded at the close of the U.S. Civil War, with the goal of helping to heal the rift amongst countrymen- a wonderful goal that was tarnished by the group being open to whites only. As pressure was applied in the 1870s, many of the chapters chose to close rather than admit other races.

Paradoxically, the New Orleans chapter was initially exclusively black (integrating in 1900) and called themselves “Temple of The Supreme Lodge Knights of Pythias, North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.” Their lodge was in the 200 block of Loyola Ave, now a series of parking lots and support buildings for City Hall and local clinics.

The FCB on the insignia stands for “Friendship, Charity, Benevolence,” and although it’s not specifically referenced on their site, the Knight with the dove perched on his head would have to stand for
“peace through strength,” although I suppose it just might test their devotion to charity once the bird relieved itself up there. (and, as a bird owner, I can tell you it would. )

I’ll be keeping my eyes open for more of these around town.

1878 was a particularly horrendous year for Yellow Fever in New Orleans. The warning signs came early, when boats docking from Cuba had cases among sailors as early as May. At the time the cause of the disease wasn’t known, only that it struck primarily in the heat of summer.

When news of Yellow Fever sweeping through the refugee camps in Cuba reached New Orleans, those who could afford to left the city. More than 1/5 of the city’s population abandoned New Orleans for the summer and were glad they did so- 23,707 cases of the plague were reported in those 3 months, leaving at least 4.600 dead in its wake.

The fever (also called Yellow Jack) spread quickest amongst newcomers to the city, often laborers and immigrants who had not lived here long enough to build up any resistance. Young children who hadn’t lived through an outbreak were also particularly susceptible, and when the plague-carrying mosquitoes got into the house, everyone was in danger. It wasn’t unusual to have entire families die within a day of one another.

The Ferguson children died in just that way, with 1 day old Sercy and 22 month old Mary Love dying on August 30th, followed by their big brother Edwin, nearly 5 years old, the next day.

The cost of building a new tomb has always been significant, and far out of reach for many. For those for whom the idea of a wall vault didn’t appeal could join a ‘society’ that owned a tomb for its members.

These societies had any number of themes- profession (firefighters in particular have many society tombs around the city), nationality, or club/benevolent association. As part of your dues you were eligible to be buried in the organization’s tomb.

From a practical standpoint, it was not that much different from a wall vault; your name was not engraved on the outside of your vault, and after the mandated year and a day another of your fellows could displace your coffin.

But the tombs are more elaborate and at least you could feel like your remains would spend eternity with like-minded people instead of strangers.

The Christoforo Columbo (Christopher Columbus) society tomb is one of the larger examples (complete with a lifesize model of the man on top) though, sadly, it’s gone largely to ruin now that the group is no longer active in New Orleans.

…why New Orleans’ burials are typically above ground, this should clear it up.

I took this photo in McDonoghville Cemetery in Algiers- still in New Orleans, but on the far side of the Mississippi. They have a mix of semi-in ground burials and traditional tombs, but this was one of the former that had been dug but not yet lined.

You only have to go down 12-18 inches before you hit water- New Orleans is basically a skim of soil atop a lake. Even the graves that seem to be closer to the more usual American-style aren’t all they appear.

This hole will be lined in cement block and sealed, but how well that sealant works is questionable at best- here’s another nearby grave that’s further along in the process, and still had several inches of water inside:

I should point out that it’s been a particularly dry season here- it hadn’t rained in over a week before this was taken.

Ultimately, the site will look much like this:

It will be capped off with a material of the family’s choosing- typically cement, or heavy boards weighted down/covered over with gravel- and in the end the bodies will really be partially above ground after all.

This tomb isn’t especially remarkable outside of New Orleans. Holding two coffins at a time, it sits at the back of St. Louis No. 3, unassuming along the main thoroughfare.

Even the strange photographs along the front aren’t unique to our area; many of the old families personalized their tombs with photos of their loved ones:

Click the photo, then ‘all sizes’ to zoom in on the photos.

But the stories they tell drew me to this particular family.

They emmigrated from their tiny town on the Adriatic, taking their young sons, and came to New Orleans. The younger son died at only 4 years old, while the older boy grew and ultimately was accepted into Tulane, where he died in an accident 2 days after graduating with honors. It’s a photo of him in his cap and gown that adorns the grave and makes it all so poignant.

The Velas obviously have family who’ve survived to tend the tomb as evidenced by the (fake but relatively new) flowers on this random spring day.

Louis is one of those New Orleans icons who goes through a resurgence every few years, and I confess that I just love the guy.

A larger than life personality, he’s remembered as much for his movies and his Vegas act as his music. Prima was born and raised in downtown New Orleans, working in the pit of the Saenger theater before moving onto Bourbon Street’s Red Door and the big time after Benny Goodman had him write several songs for him which became hits.

Five wives and several fortunes won and lost later, he fell into a coma due to a brain tumor in 1975, hanging on for three years before his death. He was buried in Greenwood Cemetery briefly before moving into this fabulous tomb, with the Angel Gabriel atop it to welcome him home.(EDIT: Thanks to the fabulous Kim, we know the sculptor was Alexei Kazantsev and it was placed in the mid-90s.)

The inscription reads:

Dec. 7 1910-Aug 24, 1978

A LEGEND

When the end comes
I know
they’ll say,
“Just a Gigolo”
As life goes on without me.

Lovingly, your little family
Gia
Lena Ann
and Louis Jr.

Gia was his last wife, and although he had five children only those they had together are on the inscription. She now manages LouisPrima.com, and keeps his name alive.

Sadly, there aren’t many videos out there of him performing live, but here’s one of the song from the inscription. The sound doesn’t quite match the action, but it’s a lot of fun anyway.

Both Cemeteries (No. 1 & No. 2) were were originally part of City of Lafayette, a suburb of New Orleans that was absorbed into the greater city. No.1 is in the Garden District, toured daily by many groups of tourists, and has had a dozen movies shot inside its gates.

No. 2 is in Central City- literally down the street and a world away. Now all but abandoned and overgrown with weeds now, it was opened in 1851 when No.1 was deemed to be at capacity. One of the most dangerous housing projects in U.S. stood only 2 blocks away and made this cemetery and its neighbors, St. Josephs 1&2 impossible to visit without putting your life in serious danger.

The projects are gone now, and the neighborhood beginning to stabilize, Post-Katrina, so spring is coming in many forms to Central City.