A Walk Through History

The Redford Cemetery is filled with stories of Redford’s past just dying to be told. What better way to kick off our inaugural Cemetery Walk than to feature the first five families who settled in our community? So we went back (1818 to be exact) to discover more about Redford’s ‘First Five’.

During last Saturday’s event, we had some interesting artifacts on display. One of them, the original wrought iron emblem that once adorned the main gate, made a rare appearance.

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Guests toured the newer area of the cemetery while learning about its history. We then traveled up the hill to meet our five families. Along the way, each group’s tour guide pointed out interesting gravestones. During the last stop, an original casket handle from 1882 was passed around the group – as well as the newspaper article explaining how we came to be in possession of the handle.

Check out the slideshow of the family presentations:

After each presentation, guests enjoyed cider and doughnuts as The Spoon River Band performed. Many of our visitors stayed after their tour was over to walk around the cemetery. It was great to see everyone checking out all the cool markers on the property.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our 1st Annual Redford Cemetery Walk! Your donation helps us preserve Redford Twp history. And a big round of applause for the actors from Motor City Youth Theatre that portrayed our families. They not only did a phenomenal job, but they also volunteered their time at the event.

Other rockstars include:
*Kroger at Telegraph & W. Chicago for providing cider & doughnuts
*Metal-Tech Products for allowing us to use their parking lot
*Kate Meadors Young, Mark Gilbert, Nancy, and Mr. Caloia for volunteering their time at the event
*Redford Cemetery Association
*And Redford Twp Historical Commission board members Chuck, Lois, Mac, Regina, & Stefanie for all of their dedication.

We can’t wait to see everyone again next year!

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