Organizers propose Fair View cemetery history tour to raise funds and awareness

Organizers of a proposed Fair View Cemetery history tour described a walking route that would highlight monuments and graves from the city’s founding through the 1950s, and said proceeds would benefit both the local museum and cemetery upkeep. "We're looking at about $20 per person," the presenter said, adding the fee "would not be more than $20 per person." Children would be allowed free admission.

The presenter listed planned stops including the Tobin monument, a Hannes Garner monument tied to the 'night of terror', designer Donald Maize and a Wilson family home tied to Maize's work. She said the tour this year would focus on a compact area near the chapel so visitors can walk to sites and return, and that future years would rotate featured graves to cover other parts of the cemetery, including the historically African‑American burial ground on the Maple Grove side.

Why it matters: Organizers said the event would raise visibility—and money—for long‑term cemetery needs while offering historical context to residents and visitors. The group proposed dedicating a portion of proceeds to a restricted Fair View fund for capital work such as repairs and tree removal. For the first year they suggested an initial split of roughly 20–30 percent of proceeds for the cemetery’s restricted account, with the museum taking the remainder to cover event labor and administration.

Logistics and sponsorships: The presenter said the Railroad Museum would handle special‑event insurance and the city would be listed as a secondary certificate holder. Volunteers will staff and present at stops; organizers said they would prepare scripts but allow speakers limited latitude. Restrooms will be available at the chapel, which helped determine the choice of Fair View over sites such as Oakwood. Organizers described typical sponsorship targets—funeral homes and florists—and said they would avoid sponsors that conflict with existing city packages.

Promotion and weather policy: Promotion plans include social media, flyers and local news segments; organizers discussed placing banners away from the cemetery entrance to avoid disturbing funeral attendees. The presenter said the event would be weather‑dependent with no refunds if organizers cancelled for rain: "If it rained there would not be any rain check ... we either have it or we don't. There's no refund."

Next steps: Organizers asked the advisory group for feedback on the proposed revenue split, sponsorship approach and logistics. They expect volunteer speakers and to refine presentation lengths (roughly five minutes each) ahead of the first tour.