On Sunday, Oct. 26, Lee University will present the 19th annual Walking Tour of Historic Fort Hill Cemetery.
 
The walking tours to the gravesites will be led by Lee University and Cleveland State student volunteers. Reenactors will represent eight of Cleveland’s mayors (and their wives) from the period 1870-1905.  These will include Henderson and Catherine Hix, J.H. and Estell Hardwick, Jonathan and Elizabeth Tipton, C.L. and Isabella Hardwick, Jesse and Ella Gaut, Asa and Mary Pendergrass, Samuel and Mary Marshall, and Thomas and Margaret Cate.
 
The tours will feature Lee history majors who are completing their senior-year capstone experience, which includes a public history project.  Students research the characters, write the tour guidebook, and dress in period costumes to bring to life the early residents and history of our community.
 
“I am honored to have an opportunity to participate in this year’s Fort Hill Cemetery Tour, to honor these citizens’ lives, and pass on their stories,” says Jessie Henderson, a senior history major from Troy, Ohio. “I look forward to learning more about Cleveland’s local history and serving the community.”
 
Tours last about 75 minutes and begin at 4 p.m., with a new group starting the tour every 15 minutes. The last tour will leave shortly after 6 p.m. The cost is $7 per person ($3 for students). 
 
Guests should park at the Cleveland Christian Fellowship, located at 695 South Ocoee Street, and ride the shuttle to and from the tour site. At the cemetery, guests will purchase tickets and brochures at the tents before joining a guided tour group.
 
For more information, contact Dr. John Coats at [email protected].