Eliza Haycraft, Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum White Line Tour Stop 3 скачать в хорошем качестве

Eliza Haycraft, Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum White Line Tour Stop 3

Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum is a key cultural institution in St. Louis, offering visitors a beautiful atmosphere for exploring history, art, architecture, and nature. We have a 3.7-mile painted white line to follow while in your car, on your bike, or on foot for your own self-guided tour. An interactive map is available on our website, or you can find a paper copy outside of our office doors highlighting 38 historic stops along the white line. As you take your tour, you’ll come upon the third stop on the white line: an unmarked gravesite for Eliza Haycraft. Eliza was born on February 14, 1820 to Henry and Betsy Harper of Cote Sans Dessein in Callaway County, Missouri. Eliza married John N. Haycraft on June 29th, 1843.  John has been described as a ship carpenter, but little else is known of him.  Eliza’s legend developed early with a story that she left Callaway County in a stolen canoe and paddled down the Missouri River to the next town where she sold the boat and bought a ticket to St. Louis. Eliza was described as having “a pleasing face, and a lithe, almost fragile form,“  but without education or means of support, which led her to prostitution. Criminal records place her in New Orleans in the 1850s. She first appeared in the St. Louis records in the 1859 City Directory and in the 1860 U.S. Census. While never able to read or write, Eliza became a successful businesswoman who owned several brothels and other properties. She supported many charitable causes in St. Louis.  “There was perhaps no resident of this city, male or female, saint or sinner, who could point to such a record of charitable deeds as this woman,” reported in the St. Louis Times.  She also supported a sister of her sister-in-law who had been convicted of murder by securing a pardon from the Missouri governor. As the city grew, so did Eliza’s business—especially during the Civil War. Her real estate holdings were valued at $100,000 in 1860—which was quite a bit of money for the time. Eliza died in December 1871. Her will shows real estate purchases as early as 1852 and 19 total pieces of owned real estate. Her death and funeral were widely reported with some accounts including a full text of the minister’s sermon at the service.  After the mourners left Eliza’s house, “the crowd in the street had…increased to thousands” as the procession of carriages moved to Bellefontaine Cemetery.  Eliza’s body was placed in the receiving tomb at Bellefontaine until her burial in lot #2076 on December 20, 1871.  She remains the only occupant in the lot and currently has no monument. Efforts are underway to learn more about Eliza and mark her final place of rest with a monument.  Please enjoy this short video highlighting this third stop on the Bellefontaine Cemetery’s white line tour. Sign up to receive more information about the history of BCA. http://bellefontainecemetery.org/enew.... Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum White Line Tour Stop 3 – Eliza Haycraft