I have always loved historical sites, and as a child, we visited Barkerville, a turn of the century cariboo gold rush ghost town. Townspeople dressed in costumes, there were restored heritage buildings, and daily shows of the hurdy gurdy girls, kicking up their heels. 
It was all fun, but what really fascinated me was the graveyards. The handmade markers telling a story, many of them tragic. I was especially fond of Scotch Jenny, a woman killed when her horse and buggy startled and overturned. There were rumours that her ghost would drive up behind a unsuspecting tourist, hoping to startle them.
My sister, Turf Toter, lives in the Okanagan, near a very old cemetery. With some of the grave markers dating back to the early 1800's. We visited it a few times, respectfully, walking through the paths, wondering who these people were. There were many people that died at one time, and it was a mystery that haunted me for many years.
While visiting friends that live in the Cariboo Interior, I mentioned my fascination with the mystery to them. We found out that his family being one of the founding members of the town of Enderby, had many relatives buried there.
They showed me a old album, full of newspaper clippings, photos, letters, invitations, all memories of a lives lived. It had been passed on to him, and was a historical treasure. In it were the clues to all the mysterious grouping of deaths. Original newspaper clippings, and photographs of the disaster.
A fire roared through the turn of the century town, killing many inhabitants, including a family that hid in a well to escape the fire. Many residents took shelter in the bank vault, surviving the blaze. Enderby rebuilt, and suffered another fire, and a flood. But to this day it still stands, a tribute to the pioneer spirit.
Me, I still have a fascination with old cemeteries, and gravestones, so look out, this is the spookiest week of the year. 
I absoluelty love your blog. Is your photography a hobby or occupation? Just curious. I can't wait to peruse your gallery. I could definetly see ordering an enlargement.
ReplyDeletethanks,
Ryanne
I love graveyards too, but the newer, more 'modern' ones lack the character and grace of the older ones. In my lifetime, I've lived opposite graveyards several times and I quite liked it.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find interesting in older graveyards is how young people were when they died. It puts things into perspective, pretty quickly.
My family and I used to do Barkerville on a regular basis when I lived in the interior. I think I have relatives living in Enderby, too.
Love the spooky black and white photos.
ReplyDeleteI must say I find graveyards fascinating - all the tales of lives lived and loved and lost, the tragedy, the loss, the life.
Great tour. Very interesting story about the fire. I wonder why the well didn't save those that hid in it.
ReplyDeleteIf I would've been born at that time I would have definitely been one of those risque hurdy gurdy girls.
Great Blog! I tried to read what it said on the cross..
ReplyDeleteI love old cemetaries also. I have a friend who says..the dash between the years is the important part! We are sometimes left in the dark when times goes past, and no one has the story or remembers it.
Fires..you never think of them as takeing out part of a town. Very interesting! Thank you for sharing:)
I love old graveyards too. In fact, my mom, Hubby, and I made a short trip to my mom's hometown to transcribe all the headstones in their small cemetery for the USGenWeb project. My grandparents are buried there. It was wonderful. I loved the textures, engravings, and designs of the oldest ones the best. And the cemetery itself has always been so serene and peaceful.
ReplyDeleteCindy
Boo! Love this post, Jen, and historic graveyards also ~ a terrific subject for photographers.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post Jen! So appropriate for this week. Graveyards are so interesting to visit. You never know what you're going to learn.
ReplyDeleteWow...mystery solved. Your posts are always so fascinating. I love the way you tell a story with pictures and words. Just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWow girl ... excellent post !
ReplyDeleteKingston's Cataraqui historical cemetary has Sir John A. buried there .. and it has so many very old grave markers .. each Autumn I'm determined to get over there and take pictures .. a few years ago I did (because it is one beautiful area with the landscaping and trees) .. and I had patches of "fog" in the pictures .. that was when I was newbie with digital cameras .. yes .. you guessed it .. I formatted the card and there went the pictures. TARNATION !!!!!
Next year I am getting the real deal photos again !
Ryanne, thanks for the lovely compliment. The photography started out as a creative expression, but it is definitely going to be a occupation, I am not sure quite when..... but I can hardly wait.
ReplyDeleteFlydragon, from what I read about the family in the well, sadly they suffocated. The fire drew all the oxygen out of the well, when the blaze ran over that area. A very sad tale.
I really love old cemetaries, but I was not sure that anyone else would find the facination with them that I have. The wording on the markers is very worn. But some of it can be read. Surprising to find out that a good portion of the people buried there are relatives of our friend. Gar has known him for over 25 years, and we had no idea that his family were buried just minutes from my sisters house. It really is a small world.
Gardenjoy, I have pulled the same formatting trick on myself before also. Lost some amazing photos of my BIL, and Hubby working the farm in the ground mist. Tractors, dirt, guys.....all lost. Sigh.
Jen
How intriguing. Isn't it just mystical to walk thru an old cemetary and wonder about the lives of those lost. Love the pics!
ReplyDeleteOld cemetaries have facinated me too. When young, I'd carefully ride my horse through them, read them and pretend I was there in those days...on Whidbey, there were quite a few very small, and very old ones from the 1800's, tucked in behind farms amongst the forests.
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