Cincinnati Cemeteries: The Queen City Underground (oh) (images Of America)

Cincinnati Cemeteries is not only a history of graveyards and their occupants. It also investigates the culture of death and dying in Cincinnati: from the infamous Pearl Bryan murder and the 19th-century cholera epidemics, to the body snatchers who stole the corpse of Benjamin Harrison's father and the notorious "resurrection men." In a city teeming with immigrants and transients these "sack 'em up" grave robbers had ample opportunities to supply cadavers to Cincinnati's medical schools. And if fresh graves weren't available, they lurked for victims in the saloons and the dark alleys of Vine Street and the West End. For some who were buried in Cincinnati's cemeteries, the graveyard is not the last stop on life's train. While today Cincinnati is one of the most populous and prosperous cities in the country, its past was not always as bright as its present--from the infamous murder of Pearl Bryan and the 19th century cholera epidemics, to the body snatchers and notorious "resurrection men'? who would steal freshly-interred bodies to sell to medical colleges, even going as far to steal the corpse of Pres. Benjamin Harrison's father. In a city teeming with immigrants and transients, these "sack 'em up'? grave robbers had ample opportunities to supply cadavers to Cincinnati's medical schools for a hefty profit, and if fresh graves weren't available, they simply lurked for victims in the saloons and dark alleys of Vine Street and the West End. Cincinnati Cemeteries is not only a history of graveyards and their occupants, but also investigates the culture of death and dying in Cincinnati. Recounts the lives of people buried here who influenced the heritage of Cincinnati: the musicians and brewers, the politicians and philanthropists, the saints and sinners, and everyone in between.'