Elmwood Cemetery, Cemetery in Memphis, United States
Elmwood Cemetery is a historic cemetery in south Memphis, established in 1852, where thousands of people from many walks of life are buried. Winding paths lead past old gravestones, stone sculptures, and a small Carpenter-Gothic office cottage near the entrance.
The cemetery was founded in 1852 by a group of 50 Memphis men who wanted a proper burial ground for the growing city. Over time, it became the resting place of Civil War soldiers, victims of the yellow fever outbreaks of the late 19th century, and a wide cross-section of the city's population.
The cemetery is open to visitors on foot or by car, with well-maintained paths that make it easy to walk around. A guided audio tour is available to rent, and tram rides are offered in October for those who prefer a shorter circuit.
A section of the grounds holds the graves of over 300 enslaved Africans buried between 1852 and 1865, marked by a monument with a moving inscription that names them as a group since individual records were never kept. The trumpeter Wayne Lamar Jackson, who played on recordings by Elvis Presley and Otis Redding, is also buried here.
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