Mike Karnitz
Mike Karnitz was the Director of the Board of Pleasant Forest Cemetery until his death in 2023. His long association with Pleasant Forest provided a fascinating glimpse into little known historical facts and the struggles the cemetery endured after the Civil War. Mike enjoyed a long association with the former Director, John Campbell, and acquired a vast fund of information about Pleasant Forest, past and present. Mike's knowledge of the area history as it relates to Pleasant Forest provided a lively and interesting video interview. His death was a great loss not only to the cemetery, but also to the Farragut community. A visit to the Farragut Folklife Museum is also suggested for more area history. Mike was an integral part of the Folklife Museum and his contributions to the museum were many.
The Roane Monument Mystery
Mike's interview touches on an interesting mystery. The Archibald Roane monument weighed 13 tons and was made out of Blue Winnsboro Granite. The monument was in two pieces for the total weight of 13 tons. There is no information on how these large granite blocks were transported to the site. One possible solution to the transport may have been provided by one of the quarries in the area. They might have had the resources to assist in the move, but there is no documentation to support this. We would love to hear from any readers who might have knowledge of how this was done.