270 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
ST. LOUIS 
THE MODERN CEMETERIES OF 
Descriptive Review of the Principal Cemeteries Vis- 
ited by the Cemetery Superintendents in Convention. 
was incorporated under the name of the 
Rural Cemetery Association by an act of 
the General Assembly of Missouri, ap- 
proved March 7, 1849. The first purchase 
of land, embracing a tract of one hundred 
and thirty-eight and fourteen hundredths 
acres, was completed on the 12th day of 
July following. A superintendent was ap- 
pointed on the 21st of August, and the 
work of clearing up and laying out the 
grounds commenced under his direction on 
the 5th of October. On the 15th day of 
May, 1850, the grounds were dedicated as 
the “Bellefontaine Cemetery” and opened 
for the selection of lots. 
Additions to the ground have been made 
from time to time, giving the whole pres- 
ent area of the cemetery three hundred 
thirty-two and one-half acres. 
The amendments to the charter, proposed 
by an act of the legislature, approved March 
1, 1851, were adopted by the association 
at a meeting of the stockholders held cn 
UPPER LAKE, SEEN FROM THE EAST, BELLEFONTAINE CEMETERY. 
St. Louis has a number of modern, 
highly developed cemeteries that afforded 
many interesting features for the field 
study of the members of the A. A. C. S. 
during their recent convention in that city. 
Those who were present at this conven- 
tion and those who missed this rarely in- 
teresting meeting will be glad to review 
the principal facts concerning the manage- 
ment of the leading cemeteries in that city 
and to learn something by description and 
pictures of the character and appearance of 
these modern burial grounds. 
The two leading cemeteries of St. Louis, 
Bellefontaine and Calvary, are among the 
most beautiful and best managed ceme- 
teries in the West. 
Bellefontaine. 
Bellefontaine Cemetery is an up-to-date 
park cemetery of 333 acres. The ground 
is hilly and wooded and the natural vege- 
tation has been carefully preserved and en- 
hanced by careful planting and landscape 
development to make fine views and strik- 
ing scenic effects. Probably between 50 
and 75 per cent of its area is in use. The 
original plan was made and the develop- 
ment of the grounds begun by Almarin 
Hotchkiss, the father of the present super- 
intendent. 
From 8 to 10 per cent of the lots are 
under perpetual care. A charge for an- 
nual special care is made according to 
the size. The price of lots is from $1 to 
$3 per square foot. The number of annual 
interments is between 700 and 800. The 
total number to date is about 50,000. 
The present officers of the Bellefontaine 
Cemetery Association are: President. Geo. 
R. Lockwood; vice-president, H. N. Davis; 
secretary-treasurer, Robert E. Williams; 
superintendent, F. Hotchkiss. 
The Bellefontaine Cemetery Association 
the 8th day of November in the same year. 
By these amendments the name of the cor- 
poration was changed to the Bellefontaine 
Cemetery Association and authority given 
the Board of Trustees, after all debts 
should be paid, to determine by by-laws 
(subject to the approval of the stockhold- 
ers) to pay off the stockholders and make 
lot owners holding not less than eight hun- 
dred square feet the corporators. 
By a subsequent amendment to the char- 
ter, approved March 19, 1866, and accepted 
by the stockholders, the corporate powers 
of the association were vested in a board 
of fifteen trustees, required to be lot own- 
ers, who were to be chosen jointly by the 
former stockholders and by owners of lots 
containing not less than four hundred 
square feet, which Board of Trustees was 
made a perpetual body, with authority to 
fill all vacancies from among the lot hold- 
ers, by a majority vote of their whole 
number. In this body now, and for all 
future time, rests the title, control and 
management of all the property and affairs 
of the association, to be administered by 
them for and in behalf of the present and 
future lot owners in the cemetery. 
Lots in the cemetery are only laid out 
when selected, and may be procured of 
any desired shape, and of any size not less 
than three hundred superficial feet. Every 
lot fronts either on a carriage road or 
pathway sufficiently wide for the passage 
of persons on foot, and is entirely sep- 
arated from any other lot either on the 
sides or rear. 
By its charter the grounds are secured 
for cemetery purposes forever, and placed 
entirely beyond the power of legislative or 
other control, save in accordance with the 
objects intended in their selection and ded- 
ication. No lot is liable to taxation for 
any purpose, nor can a lot be sold under 
execution, or by order of any court, or irr 
MAIN ENTRANCE, BELLEFONTAINE CEMETERY. 
