Oakland Cemetery, a Great Place for the Living

Recently I participated in a familiarization tour of Atlanta hosted by the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. I met some wonderful travel writers and got to visit some places in Atlanta that I’ve never been and others, like Oakland Cemetery that I haven’t visited for quite a long time.

Oakland Cemetery is Atlanta’s oldest cemetery. Founded in 1850, it is located less than a mile from the heart of Downtown Atlanta. It’s a wonderful place for quite reflection or a bit of Atlanta history. Although my children have not been to Oakland yet, they have enjoyed reading the gravestones at historic Sardis Cemetery. Oakland offers a variety of guided tours of the cemetery, plus kids workshops and special events.

One of the many great things about Oakland is the rich history. From a hilltop in Oakland Cemetery, General John B. Hood watched the Battle of Atlanta, and nearby lie soldiers from both sides who died in it. We took the civil war tour and it was very interesting to hear stories of the generals, officers and even the unknown enlisted men buried there. If you’ve ever been to Kennesaw and heard the story of the Great Train Chase, you can see the grave of the confederate engineer, William Fuller, that chased the Union soldiers down and recovered the train. You can look past the cemetery to where the culprits were hanged. Legend has it that the confederate engineer was present at the hanging and received a piece of the rope. Fact is that he was commissioned as a Captain in the confederate army for his bravery.

Some other famous Atlantans buried in Oakland include Gone with the Wind author Margaret Mitchell and golf great Bobby Jones. Our guide said visitors to Jones’ grave often leave golf balls or other golf equipment. Pros lay their card on the gravestone and someone even put in a putting cup. I’m excited to visit Oakland again in the October for the Sunday in the Park and the family friendly Halloween Tours.