Human Condition: City Park and Metairie Cemetery are historic and connected

As I reflect on my 73 years as a native New Orleanian, I often think of the connection between two special bookends in my life.

In high school, I enjoyed my first job working the amusement rides in City Park during the summers and on weekends throughout the school year. I looked forward to selling tickets for the train rides on busy Sunday afternoons and holidays.

When it got crowded, I was thrilled to be the conductor on the second train. I could not believe I was being paid to ride the train through the beautiful park with its trees, bridges and historic buildings.

The 170-year-old park is one of the largest urban parks in the country, according to the history section on its website. It’s more than one mile wide and three miles long, comprising a total of 1,300 acres. City Park is also home to the largest collection of mature live oaks in the world, with some trees more than 800 years old, the website also says.

In retirement, I have been fortunate to lead tours of Metairie Cemetery on Sundays through Save our Cemeteries — my other bookend.

Dating back to 1872, the cemetery is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Interestingly, the cemetery site was formerly a race track.

During the past seven years of walking through Metairie Cemetery, I began seeing the connection between the 20-plus generous donors to City Park during the past 125 years and their peaceful resting places in Metairie Cemetery. The donors have helped make City Park the special place that it is today.

As an example of the connection, Harry Batt Sr. and his sons Harry Jr. and John gave us many great memories of City Park with Storyland and the amusement rides from the iconic carousel to the train. I remember going to Storyland when I was a child, taking my son there often when he was a child, and now watching my grandchildren enjoy the fairy tale playground.

Everytime I walk through Metairie Cemetery, I am reminded of the connection between two beautiful and historic gems in the Big Easy — City Park and Metairie Cemetery — my bookends.

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