Exploring the Arboretum
Section Busch is home to our largest specimen of the
Franklin tree (Franklinia
alatamaha - pictured here), one of the rarest trees in cultivation.
Discovered in the 18th century by botanists John and William Bartram, it is now
extinct in the wild due to loss of habitat and survives only through human
cultivation. This remarkable tree produces fragrant white flowers with bright
yellow centers in late summer, some suggesting it resembles the appearance of a
sunny-side-up fried egg. Its story is a powerful reminder of the importance of
plant conservation and botanical gardens.
Significant Figures
Map Reference: Stop 8,
Letter R
Alexander R. Skinker
Medal of Honor recipient | Lot #2342
Alexander Rives Skinker is one of 10 Medal of Honor recipients on the grounds of Bellefontaine. The only one of the 10 who lost his life in the action for which he was awarded his Medal of Honor. Alexander fell in the Battle of Argonne on September 26, 1918. His funeral at Bellefontaine, however, took place in September of 1921! At this time, scores of U.S. troops returned home from French graves.
Map Reference: Stop 8,
Letter S
Blanche Shea
Actress, died in the wings | Lot #1726 - unmarked
Blanche Shea's life ended in 1850 as she was about to make
her second-act appearance in the play Jack Shepard on the stage owned by
Sol Smith. Sol originally had Blanche buried in his lot at the Episcopal
graveyard of St. Louis. Later, Blanche, along with others, was reinterred here
at Bellefontaine Cemetery upon the lot owned by Sol Smith.
