Cemetery
tour unveils L.B. history
By Christine G. Adamo
On-line Forty-Niner
 The
Historical Society of Long Beach served
up treats in lieu of trickery at Long Beach
Municipal and Sunnyside cemeteries for its
seventh Annual Historical Cemetery Tour
Saturday, scaring up quite a crowd.
“This was supposed to be a one-shot deal!”
said Barbara Barnes, founder and chairman
of the event.
She said the tour is one of the society’s
most successful fund-raising events, drawing
hundreds of attendees.
 Barnes
organized the first cemetery tour seven
years ago to coincide with the release of
a book titled “Haunted Long Beach;” admission
was free and the event was open to members.
Publicity brought the community to the tour.
“Everybody said, ‘This is great. Are you
going to do it again?’” Barnes said.
Individuals featured on the tour were not
just founders or public figures, Barnes
said, though all of them lived in Long Beach
or had something to do with the city.
Linda Midgett, a Historical Society member,
was one of 11 presenters who stood dutifully
at marked sites ready to educate and entertain
participants, roughly a dozen at a time,
as they walked along a self-guided path
from site to site in 15 minute shifts.
Midgett arrived in late-18th century school
teacher dress and headed for the Harnett
family plot in Sunnyside Cemetery at 1095
E. Willow St. She ended each quarter-hour
session of her portrayal of Jane Harnett
(1873-1918) with the ringing of a handheld
school bell.
Harnett was an educator identified as “Long
Beach’s first historian” in the event’s
program. Midgett said she was lucky to have
had this opportunity.
“There are fascinating people here,” she
said. “As I walked up, there was a grave
that had appropriate names [on it] and above
them were the nicknames Muscle and Doll.
I would find it incredibly interesting to
know about those two people.”
According to Midgett, preparation included
independent research, background information
obtained from event coordinators and dress
rehearsals that began in September. This
was her first year as a presenter.
W.E. Willmore, the founder of Long Beach,
was also featured in this year’s tour. Willmore
(1844-1901) is buried next door in the Long
Beach Municipal Cemetery at 1151 E. Willow
St.
According to factmonster.com, the Englishman
settled what was then named Willmore City
in 1881. He sold plots of land, promoting
an 8 1/2 mile stretch of beach as a seaside
resort community in what is now Long Beach.
Participants in the one-day, $10 admission-ticket
event learned that Willmore’s money ran
out in 1884, his plans fell through and
Long Beach was incorporated in 1888.
Historical Society Collections and Programs
Associate Danielle Linden said night tours
are not conducted because of uneven terrain
and the risk that poses for injury.
The event’s founder, Barnes, said a portion
of the proceeds defray the cost of maintenance
at Sunnyside and help the cemetery recover
from acts of vandalism that occur during
the year. The Municipal Cemetery, she said,
is maintained by the city.
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