Greenwood Cemetery in Metro Detroit is a hidden gem that enshrines memories of countless people who shaped this region over its 200-year history, including War of 1812 veteran Imri Fish, Dr. Ziba Swan, sculptor Marshall Fredericks, founders of the Cranbrook Educational Community George G.and Ellen Scripps Booth, and Mary Chase Perry Stratton, founder of Pewabic Pottery. It is a sacred resting site for many whose stories would otherwise have gone egged if this burial ground did not exist. winding paths traversing a variety of ornamental gardens are signposts that lead visitors to unforgettable stories of courage, tragedy, opportunity, and adventure.
The Metro Detroit area is home to a cemetery with an incredibly captivating history. On April 1825, the War of 1812 veteran Imri Fish, who had been staying with John and Polly Utter, tragically took his hostess’ life as well as that of her 13-year-old daughter Cynthia in a state of derangement. Despite being found not guilty because of insanity, Fish was kept in jail for the remainder of his life. Legislative Council of Michigan Territory records show multiple attempts to have Fish removed from the jail and the territory altogether, but these were all left unresolved.
In response to this tragedy, Ziba Swan, a doctor from Albany and former Oakland County Commissioner, purchased a large plot of land from the federal government and set aside a half-acre for a community cemetery where the victims could be buried. This marked the foundation of Greenwood Cemetery, and ever since, Metro Detroit has paid homage to Marshall Fredericks, a renowned sculptor of the Spirit of Detroit, with a replica of his Wheeling Gazelle placed at his grave in the Conservatory gardens on Belle Isle.
The Greenwood Cemetery also holds a special significance for Metro Detroiters, as founders of the Cranbrook Educational Community, George G. and Ellen Scripps Booth, are laid to rest here. After George Booth named Cranbrook after the small town in England his parents had come from, it is no surprise that his parents are also buried at this cemetery. Mary Chase Perry Stratton, founder of Pewabic Pottery, is another whose final resting place lies within the grounds of Greenwood. Despite not having located her grave, an image of her was found in a staff portrait taken of the architecture firm George D. Mason & Co. from 1888, where she can be seen standing confidently amidst an all-male drafting room, embodying the same determined spirit of Emily Dickinson.
To her right is a young Albert Kahn, the renowned architect and designer of the Detroit Industrial Exhibition Building, with a distinctive mustache.
And to her left is the very first state senator of Michigan, Dr. Ebenezer Raynale, who was also a doctor, postmaster and inventor. Dr. Raynale patented a mechanism for improving steamships’ propulsion. The Greenwood cemetery is a proud reminder of Detroit’s rich history, having predated every other cemetery in the city. It is worth a visit to Birmingham, where you can learn something valuable about Detroit’s past.
Greenwood Cemetery represents a vivid history of the Metro Detroit area, encapsulating the diverse contributions of some of its most distinguished figures. It serves to commemorate heroic souls whose untimely end left a feeling of somberness within the community. From Imri Fish to Mary Chase Perry Stratton and many others in between, this historic cemetery allows us to honor the accomplishments of those buried there, inspiring a sense of pride in our storied past.
