Customer Reviews

Graveyards of Chicago: The People, History, Art, and Lore of Cook County Cemeteries

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There are some who think it's weird to tour cemeteries. They're missing the serene tribute to a city's history -- graveyards are neighborhoods and time capsules; art museums and in some cases the final repositories of enduring secrets.

Hucke and Bielski serve as knowledgeable and respectful tour guides for some of the most impressively landscaped, richly historical acres within and adjacent to the city's urban sprawl. It's a field trip through bold headlines and unsung achievements represented by a carved catalog of famous -- and infamous (at Mount Carmel Catholic Cemetery, mob boss Sam Giancana's mausoleum is padlocked) -- names.

The book follows Lake Claremont's practical design of dividing interesting sites by sections of the city map. I know from firsthand experience that you can spend the whole day in the Metro North area touring renowned Graceland Cemetery (Chicago's second oldest burial ground, final home to many whose surnames -- Field, Getty, Palmer, Kinzie, Kimball, Goodman, Sears, Armour, and Pullman to drop just a few -- are synonymous with Chicago's growth); or Rosehill, within whose 350 acres lie bicycle king Ignaz Schwinn, water magnates Otis Ward Hinkley and George Schmitt, shoe guru Milton Florsheim, "merchandising arch-enemies" Aaron Montgomery Ward and Richard Warren Sears, and 14-year old Bobby Franks, murdered in 1924 by University of Chicago students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb.

Hucke and Bielski devote much-deserved attention to the artistic aspect of grave markers and cemetery architecture across a span of more than a century's worth of changing styles. Additional highlights: more unusual burials (attorney Clarence Darrow's ashes scattered in Jackson Park; musician Steve Goodman's cremains under home plate in his beloved Wrigley Field); a nod to necropolises in outlying areas, and a partial directory of Chicagoland cemeteries. This unusual guide is unusually enlightening on many levels fundamental to Chicago's identity.

Well written, well priced, and the skill of the photography is quite amazing. For anyone who appreciates the beauty and tranquility of cemetaries, this is a must have.

There are some who think it's weird to tour cemeteries. They're missing the serene tribute to a city's history -- graveyards are neighborhoods and time capsules; art museums and in some cases the final repositories of enduring secrets.

Hucke and Bielski serve as knowledgeable and respectful tour guides for some of the most impressively landscaped, richly historical acres within and adjacent to the city's urban sprawl. It's a field trip through bold headlines and unsung achievements represented by a carved catalog of famous -- and infamous (at Mount Carmel Catholic Cemetery, mob boss Sam Giancana's mausoleum is padlocked) -- names.

The book follows Lake Claremont's practical design of dividing interesting sites by sections of the city map. I know from firsthand experience that you can spend the whole day in the Metro North area touring renowned Graceland Cemetery (Chicago's second oldest burial ground, final home to many whose surnames -- Field, Getty, Palmer, Kinzie, Kimball, Goodman, Sears, Armour, and Pullman to drop just a few -- are synonymous with Chicago's growth); or Rosehill, within whose 350 acres lie bicycle king Ignaz Schwinn, water magnates Otis Ward Hinkley and George Schmitt, shoe guru Milton Florsheim, "merchandising arch-enemies" Aaron Montgomery Ward and Richard Warren Sears, and 14-year old Bobby Franks, murdered in 1924 by University of Chicago students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb.

Hucke and Bielski devote much-deserved attention to the artistic aspect of grave markers and cemetery architecture across a span of more than a century's worth of changing styles. Additional highlights: more unusual burials (attorney Clarence Darrow's ashes scattered in Jackson Park; musician Steve Goodman's cremains under home plate in his beloved Wrigley Field); a nod to necropolises in outlying areas, and a partial directory of Chicagoland cemeteries. This unusual guide is unusually enlightening on many levels fundamental to Chicago's identity.

Graveyards Of Chicago: The People, History, Art, And Lore Of Cook County Cemeteries is an extensive compendium of facts that provide the reader with a literary expedition through the quirky cemeteries of Metropolitan Chicago. From abandoned, acre-big burial grounds to lavishly-landscaped "cities of the dead", Chicagoland cemeteries capture the imagination of visitors. Many of these fascinating sites, offering a wealth of legend and lore, are unknown to the general public. Graveyards Of Chicago is a unique regional history that remedies this benign neglect, showcasing this unusual Chicago cultural legacy most admirably.

This well-written and informative book is a must-have for anyone who is interested in Chicago history, cemeteries, or architecture. I read it cover to cover and often refer back to it for various reasons.
From the grave of Al Capone to the graves of lesser-known Chicagoans, this book seems to cover it all.
Great photos, fascinating stories!

What an interesting bit of, usually ignored, Chicago history. I was amazed at learning who chose to take up permanent residence in our corner of the world(like Brady Bunch patriarch, Robert Reed.) Very interesting from an architectural standpoint, too.

Informative and to the point! I just wish they had the actually cemetery data included! Great for us "dark" people or anyone else interested in cemetery analysis!

I received this as a gift and once I started reading I couldn't put it down. The photos are interesting as well. Great book. I highly recommend it.

While this book is useful for visitors to Chicago graveyards, I was disappointed that it lacked decent grave locator maps for at least the larger cemeteries. Because the larger cemeteries provide maps anyway at the gate, it doesn't seem like it would too difficult to just incorporate them herein...

regardless, after reading the book, I was dying to visit Graceland cemetery...

It is amazing how much these authors know. The book is a tour guide for 70 Chicago area cemeteries and 7 other burial sites (includes animal cemeteries), with addresses, phone numbers, descriptions, history, and black and white photos. In the process of covering cemeteries, an automatic portrayal of many aspects of Chicago history and cemetery architecture comes into place. Sections of the book are divided into different areas of Chicago for easy reference. The appendix, bibliography and index are very thorough.

This is a unique book.