241 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
MAKING A MODERN CEMETERY OUT OF AN OLD FARM 
Mount Hope Cemetery is the realiza- 
tion of a long felt want of two cities of 
the southwestern part of Missouri. 
Lying about half way between Joplin 
and Webb City, Mo., on the line of the 
S. W. Mo., Electric R. R., it is the 
feature that catches the eye of every 
traveler along this line. Like a beauti- 
“THE ENTRANCE TO BE,” MAY. 1905. 
Mount Hope Cemetery, Joplin, Mo. 
ful park, occupying the high ridge be- 
tween these cities, it has been evolved 
from a tumble down, unkempt farm in 
the remarkably short period of two 
years. 
A little more than two years ago a 
landscape architect was employed to se- 
lect ground for a cemetery, as the lo- 
cal cemetery was filled and was shock- 
ingly uncared for, with the grass grow- 
ing to the height of five and six feet, 
and hiding many monuments. 
Three tracts of land were consid- 
ered by the committee of citizens who 
fathered the enterprise and the archi- 
tect chose the site to the west, a roll- 
ing tract, with several high summits, 
giving fine views of both cities and the 
beautiful country for miles around. 
After making the topographical sur- 
vey, planning roads, platting sections 
and arranging for the planting of the 
entire ground, the actual work of im- 
provement was commenced. Two miles 
of macadam road were finished. Twenty 
acres of lawn were prepared and the 
cemetery opened to the public Dec. 1, 
1905. On the day of the opening 
$8,000 worth of lots were sold and the 
sales have continued steadily since and 
up to Oct. 1, 1907, more than $32,000 
had been received from lot sales alone. ' 
The stock, $30,000, subscribed for by 
citizens of both cities was readily dis- 
posed of in the beginning and the rules 
allow only a dividend of ten per cent 
to go to the stockholders, the remain- 
ing receipts to be spent on imp'rove- 
merts or set aside for a perpetual care 
fund; twenty per cent is the amount 
set aside for this latter purpose, and 
this sum is to draw interest and com- 
pound until all the lots are sold, or un- 
til the income from sales of lots is not 
sufficient for the care of the ground. 
Then and not until then is the interest 
to be used. 
In less than two years this fund has 
reached more than six thousand dollars. 
In the meantime the company has 
THE ENTRANCE, SEPTEMBER, 1906. 
Mount Hope Cemetery, Joplin, Mo. 
erected a superintendent’s home, cost- 
ing $7,500, an office costing $5,000 .and 
a gateway and entrance costing $2,500, 
and has bought an additional forty 
acres of ground, making in all 120 acres 
now owned by. the company. 
There is yet to be built a receiving 
vault and chapel combined, which will 
FIFTY BURIALS HERE AND NO MARKERS SHOWING ABOVE THE LAWN. 
Mount Hope Cemetery, Joplin and Webb City, Mo. 
