Tombstone Tales Event Uses Cemeteries To Bring Local History to Life

Rose, a friend of Sophia Biddle, played by Katie Beagle, recounts tales of Miss Biddle's suitors in 1842, at Tombstone Tales.

An Irish servant, a Yankee rebel, and a French voyageur were a few of the personalities who turned up for Mackinac State Historic Parks' "Tombstone Tales" cemetery tour from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday, August 13.

Historical interpreters unearthed the stories of nine men and women who shaped Mackinac Island's history. Visitors met at the Post Cemetery, where small groups departed at staggered intervals for their one-hour tours.

Costumed interpreters shared stories and facts of Island history from the 1840s to the 1920s, with each "character" found at a notable tombstone in the Catholic, Protestant, or Post cemeteries.

"These people made the Island, and their stories need to be told," said Katie Cederholm, education curator for Mackinac State Historic Parks. "It's the foundation on which the Island was built. It's great to hear about the past, and who knows who they will be talking about in the future?"

Mary Neosha Bailey, played by Lily Porter at Tombstone Tales, reads a poem written by her friend, Charlotte O'Brien, a beloved personality at Fort Mackinac in 1855.