Postcard Collection, Metairie Cemetery, New Orleans

I love this postcard because of all the people in it. But it is impossible to know if the image originally showed the people or the postcard artist used artistic license when it was hand colored.

My husband is in New Orleans as I write this so I thought this was a good one to write about today.

Metairie Cemetery was previously a horse racing track. Historians seem to disagree about the details of what happened after. However during the Civil War it was used as a Confederate Camp.

Because it was high above ground it was thought to be a perfect place for a cemetery. Today there is still evidence of the race track.

There are tombs here that actually predate the cemetery because they were moved here after Metairie became the city's most prestigious cemetery.

There are many notables buried here including Generals, Governors, musicians and sports figures. Oh! If only I could have known some of these people! The story I like best is of a madam, Josie Arlington who died in 1914. Her grave was thought to be haunted for many years. At night a women would appear in front of the grave. Later it was found out that it was the way a street light reflected on the tomb. She was moved to an undisclosed location in the cemetery. Her picture is on Find A Grave, she is beautiful.

The Metairie Cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places.