University of Wisconsin–Madison

England: Lillian (Lilly) Marto (Learning on Excursions)

Learning on Excursions

A group of people stand underneath a mossy overhang next to a red brick building.
The memorial wall

My most recent field trip was a visit to Postman’s Park with my Weird Victorian class. Postman’s Park was opened in the Victorian era, and its most unique feature is the Watt’s Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice. The memorial honors people who died while saving the lives of others. During our visit, we learned about the history of the park and reflected on the park’s significance as a way to gain insight into Victorian culture.

Tiled patterns featuring names of people, where they lived, and a description of what they did.
Tiles honoring people who died while saving other people.

Postman’s Park used to be a graveyard and the headstones that previously occupied the graveyard were moved into a corner of the park rather than destroyed. The park also got its name because it was a popular lunch spot for workers at the General Post Office. The memorials in the park place an emphasis on the bravery of everyday ordinary people which is significant for a time period that was riddled with dramatic class divisions.

Mossy stone headstones are stacked very close to one another in a small patch of dirt surrounded by buildings.
Headstones that were moved when the cemetery was turned into a park.
Lilly smiles in front of an iron gate with "1860" written in golden lettering.

Lilly Marto       

Major: Political Science

Hometown: Green Bay, Wisconsin