Part of my arthritis exercise regimen is brisk walking. Yoga practice is three days a week and walking fills in the other days. We started out on the Manasquan bike trail this morning. The trail was once a railroad track that went to Allenwood and then on to Camden and Philadelphia, it was built in 1870. The Atlantic View Cemetery runs alongside the trail and is the resting place of many of the area's original families. It was quite a surprise to find gravestones of the Mulfords, an old family name that goes back to South Jersey, and is worth further investigation. Another curious headstone was the one of Captain Asher Curtis, and it is a beautifully sculpted tree trunk. I later found out that this monument was created by Woodmen of the World, a fraternal organization, to honor their deceased. The founder, J. Cullen Root wanted all members to have a decent burial and gravestones were free of charge if a $100 rider was purchased when a member was initiated.
The practice ended in 1920, but Woodmen Memorial Day is still practiced on June 6 of each year.
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