Fortunato Eagle Project

Boy scouts from Troop 122 based in Overland Park, Kansas today worked an Eagle Scout service project organized by Eagle Scout candidate Xander Fortunato at Elmwood Cemetery in Kansas City, MO. The focus was the civil war-era tombstones that needed to be reset and cleaned. Xander used an innovative homemade tripod system to help lift the tombstones, which weigh in access of 250 pounds. The scouts placed new foundations using a sand & mortar mix.

Watch the video:

Elmwood board member Bruce Mathews has said, “I think this is the most historic place in Kansas City. Anybody who was anybody in the early days of Kansas City is buried here.” 36,000 people are buried among the 43 acres. Graves of 12 former mayors, 800 Civil War veterans (700 Union, 100 Confederate), 15 founders of the Kansas City Board of Trade and 12 relatives of Harry Truman (including his grandfather) are found in Elmwood.

Photos from Day 2: