Tiskilwa to Dedicate Archway at Mount Bloom Cemetery on August 5
The Friends of Mount Bloom are inviting the public to attend a ceremony at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 5, to celebrate the new entrance arch on the north side, marking the final major project of the group that formed in 2008. The brief ceremony will recognize the many volunteers who made this final phase of the group’s fifteen-year-old dream come true.
During the summer of 2008, an old pine tree crashed down on the 1895 “Waiting Room” at on the south side of this historic cemetery, founded in 1865. When cemetery trustees determined that it couldn’t be saved, a group of volunteers formed to take action.
The public is invited to the dedication of north entrance archway at Mount Bloom Cemetery at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 5 during Pow Wow Days in Tiskilwa. Many volunteers made this final project of the Friends of Mount Bloom happen.
By raising money from private donations, the FOMB has completed several projects, including replacing the central structure with a gazebo, repairing the 1915 steps that climb the hill on its east border, recreating the 1915 stairway entrance that had been given away during a scrap-metal drive in World War II, designing interpretive signs for all areas, and finally creating a new entrance arch on the north side, which had never been identified as part of Mount Bloom.
Last fall, the brick columns were constructed by Alvaro Cadena and over the winter, Doc and Tom Schertz donated their labor to craft a new arch matching the metalwork on the south entrance. On May 15, 2023, several local volunteers collaborated to transport and install the new structure.
The Friends of Mt. Bloom are asking the public to support their efforts by attending the dedication and by considering a donation to cover final expenses. Since 2008, the Tiskilwa Historical Society has served as the financial agent for FOMB, and a check may be written to Tiskilwa Historical Society, Box 87, Tiskilwa, IL 61368 with “Friends of Mt. Bloom” on the memo line.
