Uptown's Graceland Cemetery is full of symbols, stories ... and possibly ghosts
Some say the ghost of 6-year-old Inez Clarke roams the paths of Graceland Cemetery and Arboretum in Uptown.
Following her death from diphtheria in 1880, the little girl was memorialized with a marble statue now encased in plexiglass. The sculpture disappears from time to time, according to some visitors. When that happens, Clarke’s ghost is on the move.
Or maybe the glass is just foggy when it’s humid and people are having fun spinning a scary yarn.
Whatever one's belief system, such tales inform and entertain on the cemetery tours typically offered in June through October by the Chicago Architecture Center.
On Saturday, a curious bunch of souls gathered for the 90-minute “Symbols In Stone” tour. CAC docent Lisa Tallman decoded insignia, explained headstone styles and recounted stories about some of the notable Chicagoans laid to rest on the burial grounds encompassing 119 acres.
“How do you sum up a life?” asked Tallman. “You can't put a life on a headstone. So symbols help to bring a person's life, what their values are and what their beliefs are to us within the monument itself.”
As expected, there is plenty of religious messaging throughout the cemetery. Tallman pointed out the nuances of different crosses and the meanings behind passages on headstones. For example, some included the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet — ”alpha” and “omega” — to convey Biblical scripture describing God as “the beginning and the end.”
Additionally, there are many statues of women among the graves.
If a woman's hand is pointing upward, it's a reference to ascension to heaven or re-connection with God, Tallman said. If her hand is in a fist, she is promoting strength and solidarity. If her hand is pointing downward, she is signaling God descending from Heaven or the need for repentance.
There is rich meaning in other imagery carved in limestone or granite. For instance, a flower bud, like the one held by Inez Clarke, represents the life of a child, Tallman said. A flower in full bloom represents the life of an adult.
A draped object, such as an urn, symbolizes sorrow, she added. A bundle of wheat means longevity.
At some sites, visitors are encouraged to spend time with buried loved ones by sitting on exedras, or benches, and even ottoman-shaped headstones.
Obelisks are a common structure in the cemetery. There is one featured at the plot for businessman Walter L. Newberry, benefactor of the Newberry Library. Tallman shared the story of his death, which occurred in 1868 as he was traveling by sea to France.
“Normally there would've been a ceremony on the boat, and the body would've been thrown overboard," Tallman said. "He had developed a relationship with a priest that had been on the boat, and the priest convinced the captain not to throw his body overboard, but to reunite him with his family in France. So, they put his body in a barrel of rum to keep it until they finished the passage to France.”
His body was eventually transported to its final resting place at Graceland.
The cemetery is also the final resting place of retailer Marshall Field, who founded the Marshall Field and Co. department stores. His grave features a statue of a woman on a throne holding oak leaves, symbolizing strength, Tallman said.
Nearby, his brother, Henry Field, has a more modest grave featuring a boulder. But Henry Field's wife commissioned the two lion statues outside the Art Institute of Chicago in his memory.
“I'd like to think that Henry had the last laugh," Tallman said. "Millions of people see those [lions]. Not everyone gets to see Marshall's grave.”
Other popular spots at Graceland Cemetery include the grave for Chicago Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks and the creepy, draped "Eternal Silence" statue at the grave for settler Dexter Graves.
Maureen King from Uptown praised the CAC tour of the cemetery.
"It's just a great way to be outside and learn something about Chicago history, and for me to know more about the actual neighborhood I live in," she said.
Sean Lino of Bolingbrook said he also enjoyed learning about Chicago history and taking pictures. His husband, Boris, was hoping to hear more ghost stories.
"But this is cool, too," Boris said.
Despite spending time in the cemetery as a tour guide, Tallman said she hasn't seen any ghosts.
"Coyotes are the scariest thing," she said.
Tallman concluded the tour in the chapel, which includes 500 hand-carved "niches" containing urns of cremated remains in the wall.
Referencing the name "Graceland," Tallman shared the various meanings of the word grace: love of God, peace of God and favor of God.
"Grace also means to honor one with one's presence," she said. "You have all honored those buried here with your presence, and I have been honored to be in all of your presence."