Elroy Ubl holds a copy of his latest published book “New Ulm’s Outdoor Museum; Tree Stump/White Bronze Monuments.

NEW ULM — Local historian Elroy Ubl has published a new book called “New Ulm’s Outdoor Museum; Tree Stump/White Bronze Monuments.”

Ubl’s latest book focuses on New Ulm’s cemetery, which he called an “outdoor museum.” Over the years Ubl has led several cemetery tours in New Ulm. He said a person who wanted to know the history of New Ulm should first stop in the Pioneer cemetery because it has a wealth of valuable information.

“Without a doubt, the New Ulm cemeteries, collectively, are New Ulm’s ‘outdoor museum’ and the most historic place in the city,” he wrote in the introduction.

Ubl has written about the history of cemeteries before with his book “The Matter Lies Deeper” but with his latest book, he wanted to focus on “tree stump” and “white bronze” monuments located in New Ulm cemeteries.

As the name suggests, a tree stump monument is a grave marker carved to resemble a tree stump. Ubl said the term “white bronze” is a misnomer and these monuments are made of zinc, not bronze.

“It is really kind of unique,” Ubl said. The tree stump monument is rare in Minnesota. It was more often seen near Indiana where they were manufactured.

Ubl said they were produced in a limestone quarry near Bedford, Indiana. In the late 1800s, there was a demand for tree stump monuments in New Ulm. Ubl credits their popularity to salesmanship.

The New Ulm community had salesmen offering the tree stump monuments through a catalog. Customers could pick out the exact style they wanted, including some customization and the manufacturer shipped the monuments west.

Ubl said the tree stump usually symbolized a life cut short, but there other interpretations based on the level of customization.

Ubl said the tree stump headstone was likely a status symbol too.

“These were not cheap,” he said. The individuals buying them were likely to have more money than the average citizen. However, customers got what they paid for. Ubl said the tree stumps have held up remarkably well. Each was carved from limestone, but over the years the stone hardened. Though the tree stump monuments in New Ulm are over 100 years old, the stones are still legible to this day.

The white bronze monuments were cast in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Zinc was poured into the mold to make a metal monument that resembled granite. As with the tree stump monuments, the white bronze markers were likely popular in New Ulm because of salesmanship. Each white bronze monument was created to order.

Since the markers are made from zinc rather than metal, the monument was resistant to rust, moss and lichen. Aside from monuments, a lot of statuary is assembled from white bronze. The most popular example of white bronze in New Ulm is located on Center Street. The Defenders Monument, dedicated in 1891, is made in this style.

Ubl said the white bronze era only lasted 40 years from 1874 to 1914. At the start of WWI, zinc was needed for the war effort and the monument company was taken over by the government to manufacture gun mounts and munitions.

Ubl’s book contains maps and photos of all the tree stumps and white bronze monuments in the city cemeteries. Each monument is analyzed in terms of the symbols it contains.

Ubl said one of his goals for the book was to document these unique monuments for future generations.

“If you don’t document it, there is a danger history will be lost,” Ubl said. “One hundred years from now, who knows what will happen to the cemetery.”

One of the worst-case scenarios is a natural disaster could wreck the cemetery. Monuments could be damaged or lost.

Ubl’s book also contains an overview of how the city cemeteries have changed in the last century. Ubl placed by side by side photos in the book showing the same location 100 years ago and today. The monuments do not change, but everything else is different. Over the last century, the city cemetery was cleared of many trees and brush.

“It is almost a forest,” Ubl said describing old photos of the cemetery. The dirt walking path through the cemetery looks like a path through overgrown woods.

The cemetery once had metal fences and concert boarders around family plots. Originally, it was up to the family to maintain a cemetery plot. Today, the fences have been removed to make it easier for caretakers to mow the grass.

For those interested in this unique resource into New Ulm’s history, the book is available for sale at The Christmas Haus, the Brown County Museum and can be purchased online. Ubl is even willing to sell copies directly to those interested.

Ubl dedicated his book to New Ulm’s founding fathers and Pioneers. He said, “their exploration and settlement of this area meant they saw the potential for a new life, thank you!”