Today’s mystery is a stand-alone piece of art work. There might be a few clues for you as to where this is located. See if you can figure this mystery out of where it is, and why. Send in what you learn to elliott@brack.net and include which town you live in.
Historian Gene Ramsay, Norcross, who gives tours of Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta regularly, identified the recent mystery photo: “That’s the bell tower at Oakland Cemetery. This is the official city cemetery of Atlanta, and many well-known folks are buried there, including author Margaret Mitchell, golfer Bobby Jones, country music superstar Kenny Rogers and former Mayors Jonathan Norcross, Ivan Allen Jr., Sam Massell and Maynard Jackson. The building is over a century old and was recently renovated so it can be used as an event space.
“I am a little perplexed by the perspective in the mystery photo. It seems to make the Moses Formwalt monument closer to the Bell Tower than it is now. I was told that the fountain across from Formwalt was moved a bit at some point in the past to allow better traffic flow; perhaps the Formwalt monument was moved as well. Certainly the vegetation has grown compared to whenever the mystery photo was taken.
“Formwalt in 1848 ran against Jonathan Norcross in the first Atlanta mayoral election. Norcross was the candidate for the Moral Party, while Formwalt ran under the Free and Rowdy Party banner. Formwalt won. Norcross was the fourth mayor in 1852.”
Others recognizing the photo include Allan Peel, San Antonio, Tex.; Stew Ogilvie, Lawrenceville; Jay Altman, Columbia, S.C.; Ruthy Lachman Paul, Norcross; Sally Eadon, Snellville; Neal Davies, Decatur; and George Graf, Palmyra, Va.
SHARE A MYSTERY PHOTO: If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Send to: elliott@brack.net and mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
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