PARK AND CEMETERY. 
2 55 
COLONEL WOOLDRIDGE AND HIS GRAVEYARD. 
There are many hobbies ridden, even in these 
prosaic days, but it is doubtful whether there is to 
be found anywhere else one quite so original or pe- 
culiar as that of Colonel Henry G. Wooldridge in 
the cemetery at Mayfield, Ky. A portrait of the 
Colonel with two views of his remarkable cemetery 
lot are given herewith, and one might almost say 
description is superfluous were it not for the eccen- 
tricities displayed in the whole undertaking. 
Henry G. Wooldridge, or “Uncle Henry, ”as he 
is familiarly known, is 75 years old, and was born 
in Middle Tennessee, November 29, 1822, the 
youngest of a family of eight children. He is now 
fox before him, cost $130. These had all been 
placed on his lot, when he decided to have a sar- 
cophagus erected, and the order was given for one 
to cost $220. The last statues to be erected were 
those of his three remaining brothers, which cost 
him $360. 
The statue of himself mounted on his horse, the 
two dogs, deer, fox, base of vault and seven statues 
of relatives were all cut from limestone quarried at 
Bedford, Ind., and as may be inferred from the pre- 
ceding, are crude and very commonplace. The pose 
of each limestone statue, perhaps, excepting the 
one mounted on the horse, is extremely stiff and un- 
natural, more like the images of the dead rather 
COLONEL WOOLDRIDGE AND HIS CEMETERY LOT AT MAYFIELD, KY. 
the sole survivor of his large family, and “the last 
of his race.” He removed to Kentucky when 21 
years of age, and has resided in Mayfield since. He 
bought a lot in its cemetery about seven years ago 
and erected a marble shaft, costing $250, on which 
was cut the date of his birth, and a bas-relief of his 
horse. This did not entirely suit him and he secured 
a life-size statue in Italian marble, for which he paid 
$1,000. This and the marble shaft are the only 
creditable works in the entire collection. He next 
turned his attention to his family and ordered 
statues of his eldest brother and mother, which were 
erected at a cost of $250. A favorite niece was 
next remembered by a statue costing $105. A little 
girl friend who had attended him during sickness 
was gratefully remembered by a $115 statue. His 
favorite thoroughbred hunting horse, “Fop,” was 
not forgotten, which cost him $825 for the group of 
himself and his horse. Then came the desire to have 
his dogs close by him in death. “Toe-head,” his 
deer hound, with a deer in front of him, were 
bought for $ 170 , and his fox hound, “Bob,” with a 
than the representation of living people. 
The lot on which these eighteen pieces are 
placed is only 16 by 30 feet, but Colonel Wool- 
dridge is thinking of enlarging it for his three sis- 
ter and his father. One feature which cannot be 
seen in the illustration is his trusty gun, which is 
cut on the top of his vault. 
Colonel Wooldridge was never married; though 
very old, he never uses spectacles, but he is unable 
to walk, and so is driven out each day to enjoy his 
lot. He is also looking ahead, and has bought his 
burial robe and metalic casket for his own depart- 
ure. 
One peculiarity about Colonel Wooldridge’s col- 
lection of statues is that none of the images, except 
his own, are made to represent any of the persons 
whose names are carved thereon, but are ordered 
as memorials. He has expended some $5,000 on 
this lot, which is situated on the brow of a small 
hill at the right of the entrance to the cemetery, 
and can be seen from a great distan 'e. It is becom- 
ing one of the sights of the town. W. A. Austin. 
