This is an opinion column

As a regular walker at Maple Hill, I’ve never understood why people are afraid to go to cemeteries. After all, nobody will jump up out of the grave and grab you, no matter what ghost tales children tell each other.

With its orderly pathways and narrow roadways, Maple Hill is harmonious, not haunted. This cemetery, home to over 80,000 sleeping souls, was founded in 1818. It’s the oldest and largest cemetery in Alabama, and it’s usually quiet except for the grounds staff that keep it trimmed and tidy.

But on one Sunday each October, during the Maple Hill Cemetery Stroll, visitors can hear the voices of the dead, those whose lives in Huntsville were exemplary and those whose lives were ordinary, the kind most of us lead. There are, as schoolchildren memorize, 5 governors buried there, as well as other prosperous leaders of the city and state.

This year’s stroll is on October 15th from 1:30-4:30 at 203 Maple Hill Drive.

Living people dress in period costumes and tell the stories of those who have passed on.

Samuel Moore steps out of his grave to brag about his 950 pound cow, Lilly Flag, who won a blue ribbon at the 1892 Chicago World’s Fair for producing the most butter. She makes an appearance at the stroll, but she’s not buried there, of course.

Mollie Teal, one of the most popular characters, describes her time as a businesswoman, running a women’s boarding house, also known as a brothel, at the corner of Gallatin and St. Clair. Her 10 room home eventually became an infirmary that was the start of Huntsville Hospital.

Then there is the “black widow of Hazel Green” whose husbands—all six of them—died mysteriously. She won’t say how.

Other popular characters are Sally Carter, whose ghost is said to leave the cemetery and haunt Cedarhurst Mansion, where she died in 1827, and Mary Bibb, who will come out from her eternal resting place in her mausoleum if visitors shout, “Mary Bibb! Are you there?”

A revered figure at the cemetery stroll is The Reverend Bartley Harris, a Black preacher who was so respected that wealthy citizens placed their valuables with him for safekeeping when Huntsville was occupied during the Civil War. He baptized 300 in the Big Spring Park in one day and was the second leader of what became the Saint Bartley Primitive Baptist Church. He is portrayed year after year by local historian William Hampton.

Children who go to the stroll learn about the history of the south during the periods of the Revolution, the Spanish American, and the Civil War periods.

But in case they get bored with all the speeches, there are scavenger hunts for all age groups.

Natasha Parker, a board member of the sponsoring Huntsville Pilgrimage Association, notes that the event is free, but donations are accepted and all money goes to restore damage to walls and grave markers due to weather, aging, and occasional vandalism.

Parking is limited around the cemetery, so visitors can park for free at the new parking garage at Lincoln and Holmes and ride a free shuttle. Or, they can park at the garage on Clinton Avenue and walk to the shuttle pick up.

The Association hopes to see a large crowd this year, those ready to learn about part of their city’s history.

Contact Beth Thames at [email protected]