Bellefontaine Cemetery: Learning History From the Dead

Bellefontaine Cemetery: Learning History From the Dead | History Traveler Episode 347

Рет қаралды 98,324

Күн бұрын

One of the best places to learn history is in cemeteries. In this episode, we're in St. Louis at Bellefontaine Cemetery, which is loaded with history that you may or may not know. Be sure to watch to the end!
See our visit to neighboring Calvary Cemetery here: • Digging Up Dred Scott ...
This episode was produced in partnership with The Gettysburg Museum of History. See how you can support history education & artifact preservation by visiting their website & store at www.gettysburgmuseumofhistory...
Learn more about The Gettysburg Film Festival here: gettysburgfilmfestival.org
Support the effort to expand history education on PATREON: / historyunderground
Other episodes that you might enjoy:
- A Hidden Corner of Gettysburg & a Chat with Ken Burns | History Traveler Episode 345: • A Hidden Corner of Get...
- Little Bighorn: Custer's Last Stand w/ Jocko & Leif | History Traveler 344: • Little Bighorn: Custer...
- Little Bighorn: The Desperate Defense of Reno Hill (w/Jocko Willink) | History Traveler Episode 343: • Little Bighorn: The De...
- Little Bighorn: Prelude to the Last Stand w/ Jocko & Leif | History Traveler Episode 341: • Little Bighorn: Prelud...
- A German Village DESTROYED By Artillery Fire in WWII (with a WWII Vet!!!)| History Traveler Ep. 338: • A German Village DESTR...
All drone shots conducted by a Part 107 licensed drone pilot.

Пікірлер: 368

@TheHistoryUnderground 18 күн бұрын

If you've watched a few episodes and feel like I've earned it, be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any new content when it comes out. Also be sure to check out The Gettysburg Museum of History and their store at gettysburgmuseumofhistory.com.

@JazznRealHipHop Ай бұрын

I’m always saddened thinking of the lives of people past who’s stories are no longer told or were never told. Thank you for the hard work, videos and history lessons ❤️

@wayneantoniazzi2706 Ай бұрын

I can understand completely. One of the saddest things I see when I visit a cemetery where relatives are buried are the bronze grave markers now turned green with neglect since no-one comes to visit anymore. I suppose it's inevitable since years go by and families move away but it's still sad.

@davidlord7364 Ай бұрын

@@wayneantoniazzi2706 time devouers all things....🙏🏻

@wayneantoniazzi2706 Ай бұрын

@@davidlord7364 That it does sir, that it does.

@jetsons101 Ай бұрын

Every headstone no matter how small represents a life, a member of a family with a story to tell. Many of those stories are long forgotten. Thanks, JD, for visiting cemeteries to help keep the stories alive.

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

👍🏻

@heatherbell3224 Ай бұрын

My ancestor was a blacksmith on the Lewis and Clark trip, John shields.

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Wow!

@conniebarbey 5 күн бұрын

I lived in St Louis all my life. Please pronounce it correctly.

@TheHistoryUnderground 5 күн бұрын

@@conniebarbey - Watch the first 5 minutes of this video and then get back to me. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/d8lpp9N8uNWcnqc.htmlsi=VTHIB4cfg4jMLfgO

@VloggingThroughHistory Ай бұрын

Richard Barnes Mason and Don Carlos Buell, buried side by side, were both married to the same woman (at different times). His widow married Buell after his death. Susan Blow, whose grave you showed, was the granddaughter of the man who owned Dred Scott.

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Ahhhh…..interesting. Thanks for the extra info!

@ldg2655 25 күн бұрын

Wow! Great info!

@shawnsmith780 14 күн бұрын

😮 Wow!

@jimreilly917 11 күн бұрын

Susan Blow…founder of the US educational concept of kindergarten.

@ginbro008 23 күн бұрын

Jefferson Barracks is a good place to visit. They had a small civil war museum there, and the cemetary is where so many veterans are buried. Makes me tear up.

@marygrummer9189 18 күн бұрын

My Dad is there

@johnresto1603 Ай бұрын

Please do more of these videos. I love visiting historic cemeteries and looking for veterans.

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Will do!

@randyduncan4672 Ай бұрын

@@TheHistoryUnderground you'd find KZfaq show Hollywood Graveyard very interesting, not just movie stars but history in general. Great material!

@Peace2U-ec6es Ай бұрын

People think of cemeteries as a place of death, but I agree and contend they are a place of life. From the glorious cemeteries like Arlington where the individual stories scream as loud as a Stadium after a Game 7 winning home run, to a small Pioneer Cemetery on the Oregon trail, the individual stories are compelling and fascinating. Thank you J.D.

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

👍🏻

@rachelutterback405 Ай бұрын

St. Louis is my adopted home town! Love hearing more about the history. The locals pronounce Bellefontaine like the English "bell-fountain." 🙃

@susanmorgan5591 21 күн бұрын

Yes. Never heard it pronounced the “correct” way by locals.

@garretvaughn7936 Ай бұрын

Always fascinating to see the history behind the tombstones on your tours of cemeteries. I am reminded that John Wayne’s character Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit” named his cat after Gen. Sterling Price. Nice to know his history, not just as a cat’s name!

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

I almost threw that clip in. 😂

@AnneBerbling Ай бұрын

We also had a kitty named Gen.Sterling Price because of Rooster Cogburn (and my G-G-Grandfather was in Price's Command) - 😊 (An "orange marmalade" kitty, I might add, just like Rooster's - 😺 )

@terryadams1951 Ай бұрын

JD, when my Dad was a teenager (was a corporal in WWII), he and a couple of friends found a petrified stump, back in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, while they were squirrel hunting. Just an off the wall remark by one of his friends, that if something happened to him, he would want the stump for his headstone! And, as fate would have it, the young man died not too many years later. So, my Dad, with the help of a mule and some other people, moved it to where anyone can see it today, in a cemetery where most of my ancestors are buried, including my father. Also, as a side note, I have ancestral relatives buried there that fought on both sides during the civil war!

@hoozurmama883 Ай бұрын

I'm from St. Louis and love this video. There's a great book, "Final Resting Place: The Lives and Deaths of Famous St. Louisans" that goes through the cemeteries and tells the stories. Maybe you've already been there but Jefferson Barracks has some interesting graves including the mass grave of the men that were in Lt. Meehan's plane on D-Day. My Dad is buried there and I stop by and lay flowers on that grave also when I visit.

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Oh wow! Thanks! And yes, episode 1 of History Traveler (waaaay back) was filmed at Jefferson Barracks.

@DruinStLouis 28 күн бұрын

Thank you for correctly pronouncing “Bellefontaine”. I’ve learned wonderful facts from you about this historic cemetery today. Thank you. 😊

@jackiemack8653 26 күн бұрын

I believe the name means beautiful fountain in French

@blackcatpratt 9 күн бұрын

Correct by French standards, maybe, but pronounced "Belle-fountain" in St. Louis.

@adriennejames9120 Ай бұрын

I have relatives buried at Bellefontaine... thanks for featuring this beautiful, historic cemetary!

@adamyancey7452 Ай бұрын

As a St Louis native, I’ve always wanted to visit this cemetery and Calvary cemetery. So much of this city is built on the ideas and innovations of people buried here. Thanks for the tour!

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Great place. Glad you enjoyed it!

@stlredbirds85 Ай бұрын

Gotta admit, I resonate with this. Yet avoid it because it's a rough area to say the least.

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

@@stlredbirds85 - Well, let’s just say that I went in with the proper gear in case things went sideways. 😄

@marypettitt9150 13 күн бұрын

There's a lot of peace in seeing rows of markers.

@philindablanc 13 күн бұрын

As a St. Louisian, it’s pronounced Bella-fountain. Also, my friends father was the caretaker there and the cemetery was our playground. No, we didn’t climb the tombstones, we just had a lot of ground to run around.

@ltldxy71 12 күн бұрын

Yep. As always, in Missouri, we have our own twist on the French language.

@conniebarbey 5 күн бұрын

Thank you for saying this

@leannsmreker3201 Күн бұрын

My brother in law Dennie Berger worked there for years.

@artist6135 24 күн бұрын

Cemeteries are just big fields of history!! As a cemetery Restorationist, I hate how bad some of these stones look. Lichen, moss, acid rain and just plain dirt are literally eating away these historic monuments. Every stone has a story. Thanks for the history walk. ❤

@puddysue Ай бұрын

I love going through cemeteries. I find them peaceful, beautiful, and I love reading the stones and thinking about all the people there.

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Me too!

@ldg2655 25 күн бұрын

Yes, please visit Wilson’s Creek. It is well worth the visit! I truly enjoy these cemetery visits. I love history, and Early American/Civil War history in particular. Thank you for doing these!

@ndwilson7323 16 күн бұрын

Thank you for your efforts, American history is endlessly fascination and so are cemeteries. Thank you !

@alanscott8795 Ай бұрын

I went to HS in Saint Louis County and remember visiting and photographing parts of this cemetery way back then. Thanks for the memories.

@user-yi7lj2xh2j Ай бұрын

Great episode. You should look into Woodland cemetery in Dayton, Ohio. The Wright brothers are buried there, and there are hundreds of other famous historic people, too. Also, Hill Crest cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is an all black cemetery that is full of civil war, Great War, WWII, and Buffalo soldiers. I found this one while helping a coworker locate his dads grave. He was 8 at the time, over 60 years ago. We couldn't find the grave itself, but he remembered the place. Very emotional.

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Definitely want to visit that place.

@mattellemorgan2710 10 күн бұрын

Are there any Lee's buried here? I think my pioneer relatives came from this area. Something about them being orphaned @ st. Joseph?(st john? I've always been curious why they were.

@DA-bp8lf 20 күн бұрын

I could watch these all day! Keep them coming and thank you!!! 👏👏👏

@TheHistoryUnderground 20 күн бұрын

Glad you like them!

@ai3985rghh Ай бұрын

I was born and raised in Bellefontaine Neighbors. I've passed that cemetery countless times and have always been intrigued by the rich history those graves represent. I was told the area was named after an early frontier fort located on the Mississippi. Would like to see that someday, if it is still there. On a different note, there is a prominent street in St. Louis named Lindell Blvd. I wonder if it was named after Jesse Lindell. Sad to see his grave monument toppled over. On yet another note, wasn't John Wayne's cat named Gen. Sterling Price in the movie True Grit? Thanks for the video. Much appreciated.

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

I ALMOST included that John Wayne clip. 😂

@David-tm8sl Ай бұрын

Such a beautiful cemetery. There is always so much history to be learned from a tour like this. 😊

@mikemyers3382 27 күн бұрын

My great-grandfather was a stone mason who worked on the Eads Bridge.

@stflaw 22 күн бұрын

John Pope had a habit of ending his orders with the phrase Headquarters in the Saddle. Robert E Lee, upon learning this, said, "His headquarters were where his hindquarters should be."

@pigoff123 Ай бұрын

What a smart man. School on the river sounds like fun.

@Jerry-fn5nx Ай бұрын

Wow! A lot of historical figures buried out there, that you would have never thought of. Love William Clarks monument. Big Lewis and Clark fan here lol

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Pretty cool place.

@beckybanta126 Ай бұрын

There is no one else I'd rather stroll thru a cemetery than you. I love history & recognize real persons & theitmr contributions no matterhow small. Thank you for bringing these folks to our attention....they are still rippling down to us. I would so love a stump as a grave marker! A politician serving multi terms to "would be called a rookie"....touche'! I lived 8 years in Lexington, KY & even tho it was surrended by downtown, the cemetery there with pond, trees, flowes was very quiet & peaceful. Found several gravesites of those that added to KY history. Loved sitting on the benches & just being. Well-l, until a goose would nibble on my leg. 🤪🤗

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Thanks!

@Chiller11 Ай бұрын

That is a pretty creative pick up line.

@anthonycalbillo9376 Ай бұрын

And a great big hello from Springfield! Try taking a piece of paper, and a crayon, and make a tombstone rubbing.

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

👍🏻

@williamrobinson827 29 күн бұрын

What, you live in Springfield, MO and no mention of his reference to Wilson's Creek? 😀

@anthonycalbillo9376 29 күн бұрын

@@williamrobinson827 Yes, I remember him saying that, I just wanted to say hi.

@bunnysthndr 9 күн бұрын

💥This is by far the 🏆"BEST "🏆 cemetery tour video I have watched!💯!!!

@AnneBerbling Ай бұрын

This is one of my favorite places... I'm commenting here before watching (I'll watch tonight on the big tv instead of my phone) - I hope you "visited" Sadie Waters, whose reclining bronze likeness is so very striking (like so many we saw in Pére-Lachaise in Paris, where Sadie passed while studying art, there) - so many stories in Bellefontaine!

@turtleladi1020 11 күн бұрын

My cousin was a care taker at Bellefontaine Cemetery for many years. He lived in a home by the old entrance off of West Florissant. My family has great memories of being at their home and spending time there. We now work with our Geocaching group 1 times a year doing CITO events helping to keep the trash and debris clean on the grounds. There are lots of geocaches there too. Wonderful video BTW!

@ponderingthepast 23 күн бұрын

Such a stellar, riveting, and excellent tour. Thanks so much for sharing!

@HatCreekMan57 Ай бұрын

Sterling Price was the name of John Wayne's cat in True Grit.

@BellesDreams 6 күн бұрын

So nice to see you again, I have missed your videos. I know you struggled after having all your equipment stolen a while back…thank you for what you do ❤

@elizabethmckenna5397 27 күн бұрын

JD, flat out love your channel. I learn so much!

@TheHistoryUnderground 27 күн бұрын

Thanks!

@sportcardcollector9599 Ай бұрын

Another great video your always doing your best for trying to share our country history 🇺🇲

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

I try! Thanks.

@seminolewar 13 күн бұрын

Benjamin Bonneville was quite a character! He was on his western exploration for 3 years and believed dead, and dropped from the Army. He showed back up in 1835 and congress had to reinstate him.

@Wreckdiver59 Ай бұрын

A lot of history packed into that cemetery. Thanks for the tour 👍 On a side note, Adolphus Bush's great grandson purchased and scuttled a wrecked cargo ship in the Florida Keys as an artificial reef after renaming it after his great grandfather. I've had the opportunity to dive on the Adolphus Bush 3-4 times.

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Oh wow! Didn’t know that.

@TheOccultChronicles Ай бұрын

I absolutely love these cemetery episodes. Thanks for sharing your fascinating knowledge!

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Glad you like them!

@Figgatella 28 күн бұрын

One of my favorite cemeteries! Great video!❤

@bettejeanspatafore6950 7 күн бұрын

This is where many members of my family are interred. Thank you for sharing this. 💜💡✌️💜

@gmack99 Ай бұрын

Thank you for what you do this is my favorite KZfaq channel of all time the way you tell history is just amazing 🙌 thank you

@AnneBerbling Ай бұрын

JD, those "log" headstones were often from the Modern Woodman Insurance Company - every policy came with a headstone - some were a lot more elaborate than others, but all were some variation of the tree stump (a life cut short) or a stack of logs - also, we got locked in one visit, except it was December and dark. I was mortified, but we called the number. 😉

@blackcatpratt 9 күн бұрын

LOL, hi Mom. I thought this comment sounded like you! He mispronounced Bellefontaine (by STL standards) - I had to point it out!

@NickyB0718 Ай бұрын

Great video. I’m glad you did a new cemetery one.

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Thanks!

@jasepyle1221 Ай бұрын

Great video JD! Leaving in the morning for NYC & after seeing grants tomb & TR’s this trip I will have been to all the presidents graves

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Nice!

@jasepyle1221 Ай бұрын

@@TheHistoryUnderground yep I’m super excited about it

@tomritter493 Ай бұрын

All interesting places love the history that goes behind headstones

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Glad you like them!

@deathlikereviews6648 20 күн бұрын

I am a former employee at Calvary , it is absolutely beautiful and you should go back and see the new Dred Scott Memorial. It is absolutely gorgeous.

@TheHistoryUnderground 20 күн бұрын

Oh wow. I’ll have to check that out.

@deathlikereviews6648 19 күн бұрын

It was just installed last year,I might be mistaken but I believe it was donated by a great great granddaughter of his

@Corgis175 5 күн бұрын

That has to be scary, locked in. Very historic tour, thank you.

@jeffe9842 Ай бұрын

I like going through old cemeteries even if there are no famous people buried in them. Incidentally, did you know that William Clark and George Rogers Clark were brothers?

@wayneantoniazzi2706 Ай бұрын

Quite true! William was George's kid brother!

@carolynpurser7469 Ай бұрын

So much history can be found in cemeteries. Thank you for sharing this.

@sandyg202 23 күн бұрын

Cemeteries are treasure troves of history! Fascinating and rich in American stories! Thank you so much for sharing!

@Wherestheredwave Ай бұрын

That looks better maintained than I would think. Often drove by on work errands and have wanted to go there but I’m not wanting to go alone

@kcbc4jc165 Ай бұрын

Not old history but that is where Rush Limbaugh is also buried. He was a huge history buff himself and loved the historical nature of this cemetery

@Jasoos_Jasonda 26 күн бұрын

And a huge d1&khead

@mariascudder3277 13 күн бұрын

My Favorite General and relative is buried in Calvary Cemeter.Born in Ohio , lived in St Louis buried along with his family , He is General William Tecumseh Sherman

@robertvirtue Ай бұрын

I love these cemetery tours J.D. You do a great job. Thank you.

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Glad you like them!

@karengailpetty7159 29 күн бұрын

Enjoyed this cemetery so much! Keep these coming any time you can. Love the glimpses into the lives of our ancestors. Thanks, JD

@foxxymccloud988 Ай бұрын

Love the videos. Been watching for a long time. I like that you don’t unnecessarily keep trying to do more. You’ve figured it out, and I hope it stays like this!

@marylochhead7867 8 күн бұрын

Thank you, I love cemetery history.

@spacehonky6315 27 күн бұрын

I am aware that James Eads built the beautiful first bridge across the Mississippi river, and that he designed and built the ironclad boats that were so instrumental in General Grant's Civil War victories in the west. However, i did not know Eads was responsible for designing the structures in the river that direct the current to keep the main channel deep and clear. Quite the brilliant man!

@TheHistoryUnderground 27 күн бұрын

The dude was seriously amazing.

@KendallKidd63 Ай бұрын

You do a fantastic job with this channel JD

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Thanks!

@coolohiobreeze2037 11 күн бұрын

I just "found" you and I love your video here. Will be definitely watching more, because I so love History and you are wonderful with that! Oh, and sorry you got locked in there at Bellefontaine! Hope you got out of there, quickly enough!! :)

@anndean965 Ай бұрын

Just wanted you to know…I really appreciate you and your channel. 😊

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Thank you!

@anitatucker8812 Ай бұрын

Thanks J.D. for sharing with us.

@kimberleyannedemong5621 Ай бұрын

I enjoyed this video so much. I love older cemeteries. from the ages of 11 - 16 my family lived in a very small town in NH & we had to walk to school. everyday in warm or no snow weather our daily shortcut was through the town cemetery. Even then i loved walking through it. I am & always have been a history nerd to my core.

@sonofhawaii4227 Ай бұрын

Wow there’s so many historical figures in one cemetery! I really enjoyed this one JD! Aloha 🤙🏼

@terryeustice5399 Ай бұрын

JD a great tour of this Historic Cemetery. Loved it. And lots of different individuals that are buried there. A great narrative of them. Thanks for sharing! 💯👊👍❤️

@24escalade Ай бұрын

I can't wait till you make your way to Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland. So much history at that cemetery.

@mikehawthorne3374 Ай бұрын

Thought I'd watch for a bit, wound watching it all!

@berenke11 Ай бұрын

Excellent stuff JD. Absolutely fascinating history.

@alexc1287 Ай бұрын

Loves these types of videos, very interesting. I love checking out old historic cemeteries on my travels.

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

👍🏻

@bethann0808 Ай бұрын

Always love your cemetery ramblings.... Thank you! ❤

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

Glad you like them!

@user-zt1gl6px7i 18 күн бұрын

"A dreaded sunny day, so I'll meet you at the cemetery gates"...

@couchfighter Ай бұрын

dude so pumped you are here!!!!! alton illinois is really neat also!

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

👊🏻

@debrasams2362 Ай бұрын

Thank you. So interesting. It is sad that some of the old monuments have not been cared for. Some really nice markers. So much history.

@jacquestedcooper 27 күн бұрын

This episode was extremely interesting and educational. Thank you so much.

@pmccoy8924 Ай бұрын

Very nice they mark Civil War graves with their own plaques. Very nice touch.

@MarineOne- Ай бұрын

Thanks JD another great video on America's history.

@wayneantoniazzi2706 Ай бұрын

Fascinating video JD! I was really struck by the Adolphus Busch mausoleum, in a way it's VERY similar to the grand mausoleums immgrant German brewmasters erected in one of the older cemeteries in Newark NJ. All men who came here with nothing and succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. I can't help but wonder if those structures were kind of a middle-finger flip-off to the German aristocracy under who's regime these men would have never been more than what they were in the old country? We'll never know I guess. But you can't miss the inscription over the door of the Busch mausoleum: Veni, Vidi, Vici. From Julius Caesar... "I came, I saw, I conquered!" He sure did! Oh, you're getting locked in? I'm sure you're not the first and won't be the last! Thanks for posting!

@jhsams1977 29 күн бұрын

Thank you JD awesome work as always!

@jimsimpson8169 10 күн бұрын

Larry Wilson, who used to play for the St. Louis football Cardinals is buried there to. I was in the same classroom in grade school with his daughter.

@chrisnorcutt9060 25 күн бұрын

People Don’t All To Excited About Looking Around Because Each and Everyone Of Us You Be There Before You Know It 👍

@JMCAragorn Ай бұрын

I absolutely LOVE cemeteries. You've inspired me to look up who might be buried in my area...!!! I was lucky enough (during a work trip) to wander around a cemetery in Oneonta NY, and Deadwood SD.

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

That is awesome!

@dawni5365 26 күн бұрын

Great video!!!! Thank YOU

@Josh.T.H. Ай бұрын

Another excellent video! I love visiting that cemetery. Its so rich in U.S. history!

@jonorr7984 29 күн бұрын

That was so awesome! Well done! Thank you!

@dankorolyk5917 27 күн бұрын

Very informative episode

@only1dutchgirl Ай бұрын

Thanks for all the hard work on these videos. It saddens me to see how neglected these gravemarkers are.

@ronald-vt8ew Ай бұрын

Than you Mrs Blow!

@tonyk1584 Ай бұрын

Fun stuff in and interesting and thought provoking way.

@TheHistoryUnderground Ай бұрын

👊🏻

@ExploringHistoryTogether Ай бұрын

Great tour, thanks so much! (And hopefully you didn't have to wait too long for security to come let you out.) Love the episode!

@giselegamble9973 28 күн бұрын

Love this! I will have to visit Bellefontaine Cemetery the next time I am in St Louis. Yes, Sterling Price also fought battles in Independence, Little Blue River, and Lone Jack.