This photograph, from 1926, shows the beginning of section 2 of Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery. The cornfield in the background is approximately where the intersection of Wendy Lane and Athania Street is now.
Yet Another Vintage Photograph
Digital Jigsaw Puzzles
Here are some photos I took of the pet cemetery which I have turned into digital jigsaw puzzles. Enjoy!
Him and Her; LBJ’s Beagles
President Lyndon Baines Johnson had three of his dogs cremated at Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery during his years at the White House. These included his most famous dogs, beagles named “Him” and “Her.” They were litter mates who were born in on June 27, 1963.
Him and Her became famous after an incident during a press conference on April 27, 1964. President Johnson lifted “Him” by the ears, causing him to yelp. An Associated Press photographer was present and the photo was published the next day in the Washington Post. 1 People across the country were outraged at what they felt was President Johnson’s abuse of his dog. The furor died down eventually, as it became obvious that the president was a devoted dog lover (although he continued to believe it was okay to lift a beagle up by its ears). 2
Sadly, Him and Her both died young. “Her” died in on November 27, 1964 when she swallowed a stone. Surgeons tried to remove it, but she died on the operating table. “Him” died on June 15, 1966 after being run over by a car on the White House grounds. After their cremations at Aspin Hill, the remains of both dogs were sent to the LBJ Ranch in Texas for burial. 3
Dr. Buckingham’s Pet Cemeteries
While studying the burial registers for Aspin Hill Memorial Park, I noticed an entry with the notation “removed from Dr. Buckingham’s cemetery.” This was written in the space usually reserved for the name of the veterinarian who brought the animal to the cemetery. Who was Dr. Buckingham, and where was his cemetery? Continue reading Dr. Buckingham’s Pet Cemeteries
Preservation Award
I was recently notified that I have been selected to receive an Excellence in Preservation award for the documentation of and advocacy for preservation of the Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery. The award will be presented at the 2019 Annual Montgomery County Awards for Preservation at a ceremony and reception on Saturday afternoon, March 14, 2020, at historic Grace United Methodist Church, 119 North Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg.
https://www.montgomerypreservation.org/2019-historic-preservation-awards/
If you would like to attend, please RSVP via email to awards@montgomerypreservation.org The event and reception are free, but donations are welcomed.
Aspin Hill Memorial Park 1975 to the Present
This is an old article on the history of the pet cemetery. For the latest, go to this page: https://petcemeterystories.net/aspin-hill-history/
Business boomed during the years that S. Alfred Nash owned the cemetery. He buried around 10,000 pets during the 13 years that he was there. Mr. Nash and his wife, Martha, were said to have had between 200 and 300 pets of their own while they lived at Aspin Hill. In addition to several dogs, they had ducks, peacocks, goats, a turkey, and even a Shetland pony. Continue reading Aspin Hill Memorial Park 1975 to the Present
More Vintage Photos of Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery
Here are some vintage photographs related to Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery which I found recently at the Library of Congress and the Enoch Pratt Free Library.
The Evening Star newspaper printed two photographs reporting on the opening of the Washington Dog Show in 1924. One of the photos included Aspin Hill Flapper, a champion Boston Terrier bred at Aspin Hill Kennels. She was buried at Aspin Hill with a marker that was, at the time, the largest in the entire cemetery. Continue reading More Vintage Photos of Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery
Miss Fudge
![Dog cemetery, Miss Logan's dog [1921]. National Photo Company Collection. Library of Congress Call Number: LC-F8- 16117 [P&P]](https://petcemeterystories.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/MissFudge05121crop.jpg)
National Photo Company Collection.
Library of Congress Call Number: LC-F8- 16117 [P&P]
Suspecting that this might have been taken at Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery, I checked the burial records. Sure enough, on the very first page of the oldest burial register, there was an entry for a Mrs. Logan, who buried a fox terrier there on September 15, 1920. There was even a little sketch of the grave stone in the register, which matched the one in the photograph. Continue reading Miss Fudge
World Animal Day
Today, October 4, is World Animal Day, which also happens to be the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals. Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery used to hold observances of this day in during the 1930s and 1940s.
The first was in 1936. Pet cemetery owner Richard Birney spoke at the ceremony, along with Virginia W. Sargent, president of the Animal Protective Association and James P. Briggs of the Humane Education Association.
In 1940, the event featured a talk by Charles Edward Russell, president of the National Society of Humane Regulation of Vivisection and a display of the work of Harry Bradbury, an artist specializing in birds and animals.
The last observance of World Animal Day at Aspin Hill which was reported in the newspapers was in 1943. After Richard and Bertha Birney’s deaths in 1944, the practice appears to have been discontinued.
Sources consulted:
“Rites Will Honor Pets at Cemetery.” Washington Post, October 3, 1936. pg. X26.
“Animal Lovers Pay Tribute to Dead Pets.” Washington Post, October 7, 1940, pg. 13
“Animal Memorial Observance to Be Held Today.” Washington Post, October 4, 1943, pg. 8.
Pet Cemetery in the News!
On September 4, 2019, I appeared in John Kelly’s column in the Washington Post. He came to the cemetery to see the grave of Eddie Bernstein’s monkey. I located it for him, and then gave him a tour. Because John enjoyed the stories I told about Aspin Hill Memorial Park, he wrote a separate article just about the cemetery and the work I’ve been doing there. Here’s a link:
“More than 50,000 animals are buried in this cemetery,” Washington Post, September 4, 2019. p. B3.