Abstract
The gravestones of Missouri’s historic Columbia Cemetery demonstrate the changing social identity of the population of Columbia, Missouri. These stone artifacts, spanning more than a century, display information that reflects the mortuary values of the residents of this city. This study of local, historical mortuary monuments documents their demographic, morphological, materialistic, and stylistic characteristics, which were evaluated in order to track the gravestone-choice trends for the early inhabitants of Columbia. The grave markers reflect changing preferences over time, from tall, statuesque limestone and marble monuments to more modest granite headstones. Overall, there is a decline in use of elaborate monuments along with a decrease in descriptor and epitaph use, an increase in family-stone use, and a rise in the popularity of cheaper grave markers. These results demonstrate a community shift away from intricate descriptive memorials and toward cognate and inexpensive grave markers.
Resumen
Las lápidas del histórico cementerio de Columbia en Missouri demuestran la identidad social cambiante de la población de Columbia, Missouri. Estos artefactos de piedra, que abarcan más de un siglo, muestran información que refleja los valores mortuorios de los residentes de esta ciudad. Este estudio de monumentos mortuorios históricos locales documenta sus características demográficas, morfológicas, materialistas y estilísticas, que se evaluaron para rastrear las tendencias de elección de lápidas para los primeros habitantes de Columbia. Las lápidas reflejan preferencias cambiantes a lo largo del tiempo, desde monumentos altos y esculturales de piedra caliza y mármol hasta lápidas de granito más modestas. En general, hay una disminución en el uso de monumentos elaborados junto con una disminución en el uso de descriptores y epitafios, un aumento en el uso de lápidas familiares y un aumento en la popularidad de lápidas más baratas. Estos resultados demuestran un cambio en la comunidad que se aleja de los intrincados monumentos descriptivos y se acerca a marcadores de tumbas familiares y económicos.
Résumé
Les pierres tombales du cimetière historique de Columbia dans le Missouri mettent en évidence l'évolution de l'identité sociale de la population de Columbia, dans le Missouri. Sur ces artéfacts de pierre, qui couvrent plus d'un siècle, figurent des informations reflétant les valeurs funéraires des résidents de cette ville. Cette étude des monuments funéraires locaux et historiques documente leurs caractéristiques démographiques, morphologiques, matérialistes et stylistiques, lesquelles ont fait l'objet d'une évaluation afin de répertorier les tendances quant aux choix de pierre tombale par les premiers résidents de Columbia. Les pierres tombales reflètent l'évolution des préférences au cours du temps, allant de monuments élevés et imposants en calcaire et marbre à des stèles plus modestes de granite. Il y a généralement un déclin quant aux monuments sophistiqués s'associant à une diminution de l'utilisation d'une épitaphe et d’une épithète, une utilisation accrue du tombeau familial et une popularité plus grande des pierres tombales moins chères. Ces résultats mettent en évidence comment une communauté s'est détournée des monuments commémoratifs descriptifs et élaborés pour choisir des pierres tombales peu coûteuses et familiales.
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Acknowledgments:
I would like to thank Todd VanPool for all his guidance during the writing process, Lisa Sattenspiel for allowing me to use her cemetery database as the starting point for all my survey work, and Alex Barker for the many ideas on how to find additional resources for my research. I also appreciate the assistance of Tanja Patton, Columbia Cemetery’s caretaker.
Additionally, I would like to acknowledge Candace Sall and Kate Trusler, graduate students Jessica Bernstetter and Megan Murray, and undergraduate students Amie Green, Emily Raney, and Grace Heiman for all of their assistance with data collection at the Columbia Cemetery. I could not have completed this work without the support of my husband, André, or my son, Henry.
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Martin-Apostolatos, G. The High Cost of Living: Death and Social Identity of Missouri’s Historic Columbia Cemetery. Hist Arch 56, 543–562 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-022-00368-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-022-00368-x