The Salem Historical Commission has announced the eight people who will be featured in this year’s Tales from East Lawn Cemetery.
The annual event is set for the weekend of October 6th through the eighth. Tickets will go on sale next Tuesday, September 5th, at Salem City Hall.
Luke Purcell of the Historical Commission says those to be honored include John C. Martin. He served as President of Salem National Bank, State Treasurer, and Federal Reserve Board in St. Louis. His brother, Benjamin Martin, who was a civil war veteran, was involved in banking, and owner of several businesses, will also be featured along with their housekeeper and cook Hattie Eddings. Fred Behnke was a long time photographer. A US Congressman for 14 years, Charles Vurcell, is another honoree. He also served as Marion County Sheriff and owned the Corner Tavern. Luther B. Easley, the first soldier from Marion County killed in World War I, who the Salem American Legion Post is named will be portrayed. Charles Hull, who owned the land that became Bryan Memorial Park and the Salem Reservoir will be remembered as a State Senator, the owner of the first telephone company, and the creamery. The tour will also honor a worker at the shoe factory, Norma Aaron, as a representative of all those employed at the factory.
Purcell says the event has been a sellout the first two years.
“This year we are going to do things very similar to how we have in the past. We will still have the golf carts and tours of the cemetery. But on Sunday we are going to have a matinee 2pm so that people who aren’t able to make the cemetery tour can still learn about the people we are featuring. And we are going to use it as a backup up just in case there is rain on one of those two days.”
Purcell says there will be four tours on both Friday and Saturday night, October 6th and 7th, beginning at 5:30 each night and continuing every 45 minutes with the last tour beginning at 7:45 pm.
Tickets will be on sale at Salem City Hall on a first come first serve basis from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm starting on Tuesday, September 5th.
All proceeds go to operation of the Salem Historical Museum.
