In many places, cemeteries can be taken for granted as a ubiquitous part of the landscape, but for those who look deeper, they also offer a valuable avenue for examining the societies that use them as well as the landscape itself. Forest Hill Cemetery: A Guide was created in this frame of mind. This resource offers visitors in-depth explorations of multiple perspectives on Forest Hill Cemetery in Madison, WI, "an iconic example of a Romantic rural cemetery of the kind that became popular across the United States during the middle decades of the nineteenth century." Here, readers can learn about the cemetery's cultural aspects, such as its diverse traditions, rituals, and symbols, as well as the Native American effigy mounds that existed "long before Forest Hill itself was laid out." This resource also examines Forest Hill's landscape, such as the plants within it and the aesthetic roots of its design, and looks at how cemeteries operate from a practical perspective. The lengthy list of resources under the learn more tab provides helpful direction for curious readers. Forest Hill Cemetery: A Guide was created in 2015 by a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate students led by Bill Cronon, Professor of History, Geography, and Environmental Studies.
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