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Lee University to Host 20th Annual Fort Hill Cemetery Tour

Cleveland, TN (10/12/2026) — On Sunday, Oct. 25, Lee University will present the 20th annual Walking Tour of the historic Fort Hill Cemetery.

The walking tours of select gravesites will be led by Lee University and Cleveland State student volunteers. In recognition of the nation's 250th anniversary, reenactors will represent families who helped organize the Cleveland centennial celebration in 1876, including William and Ann Cate, Jesse and Mollie Cleveland, Simeon and Frances Gaut, William and Julia McKamy, Gilmore and Elizabeth Newell, John and Mary Ramsey, Robert and Ann McNelley, and Andrew and C.A. White.

Lee history majors completing their senior-year capstone experience will serve as tour guides. As part of a public history project, students research the historical figures, write the tour guidebook, and dress in period costumes to bring to life the early residents and history of the community.

"I am excited to join in the tradition of sharing local history with the residents of Cleveland and Bradley County," said Chloe Sabo, a senior history major from Scipio Center, New York. "The tour helps all of us understand the men and women who were influential in making Cleveland the city it is today."

Tours begin late Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. and last about 75 minutes. A new group will start the tour every 15 minutes, with the last tour leaving shortly after 6 p.m.

Guests should park at the Cleveland Christian Fellowship, located at 695 South Ocoee Street, and ride the shuttle to and from the tour site.

At the cemetery, guests will purchase guidebooks that serve as their tickets to the tour. The cost is $7 for adults, $3 for students, and free for children under 12.

For more information, contact Dr. John Coats at jcoats@leeuniversity.edu.

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Lee University students bring local history to life during the annual Fort Hill Cemetery Tour, returning Sunday, Oct. 25, for its 20th year.

Lee University students bring local history to life during the annual Fort Hill Cemetery Tour, returning Sunday, Oct. 25, for its 20th year.

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