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Serendipity in the Cemetery: Unearthing Unexpected Stories

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Some of my best cemetery finds have come my way through pure serendipity. Walking through a cemetery can be a solemn and, at times, an eerie experience. The silence, the weathered tombstones, and the weight of history all cast a mysterious cloak over the atmosphere. Yet, amidst the somber surroundings, there are occasions when serendipity sweeps in to unearth unexpected stories that lie quietly beneath the gravestones. Cemeteries are not solely the resting place of the departed: they are also a testament to the lives lived, the triumphs and struggles woven into the fabric of humanity. Each tombstone tells a unique tale, often with fragments of personal narratives that time has erased. But sometimes, amid the rows of weathered memorials, a serendipitous find sheds light on forgotten stories, connecting us to the past in ways we never imagined. One might stumble upon a gravestone adorned with flowers, meticulously maintained despite the passage of time. Curiosity piqued, we learn that a ...
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Bridgehampton Cemetery

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  Did a bit of cemetery exploring out east last weekend despite the unusually cold temps. Bridgehampton Cemetery --a quintessential churchyard cemetery --is located between two beautiful Protestant churches. The cemetery serves not only as a resting place for those who have passed but also as a reminder of the community’s growth. It is fascinating to think that, as I explored the grounds, families and individuals have returned to this very place for generations to honor their loved ones. I imagined them gathering to commemorate anniversaries, share stories, and keep the memory of their ancestors alive. It’s a continuity that truly embodies the essence of community ties.
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Thomas Clark Durant

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  Born in Lee, Massachusetts, Thomas Clark Durant attended Albany Medical School, earned a degree and, for a time, taught surgery. However, after becoming aware of the need for better transportation, he became involved in the railroad industry. When he became involved in a lawsuit about a bridge, he hired a young lawyer named Abraham Lincoln to defend him. This connection paid off when Lincoln became president. In 1862, he gave Durant’s company, the Union Pacific, a big part of building the Transcontinental Railroad. Although construction faced delays due to the Civil War, Durant took advantage of the situation by secretly bringing in cotton from the Confederate States to make money.  After the war, railroad construction resumed, and Durant organized publicity stunts to draw attention and investors. A memorable moment was when he swung the sledgehammer to drive the Golden Spike into the ground in Promontory, Utah, completing the Transcontinental Railway. Durant died in 1885, b...
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Ralph Adrian Gushee: Proprietor of Manhattan’s Claremont Inn.

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  Buried beneath this monument is Ralph Adrian Gushee who for 41 years was the proprietor of Manhattan’s Claremont Inn. The restaurant was a “hot spot” in its time, welcoming guests like President William McKinley and Admiral George Dewey. Gushee and his family lived in an apartment above the restaurant and was waked there when he died in 1933. That same year, prohibition ended and newly elected Mayor Fiorello La Guardia pushed for the remodeling of the Claremont Inn, insisting that its traditionally high prices become more affordable. Robert Moses undertook the project, and on May 1, 1935, the Claremont Inn had a grand reopening with a reported crowd of 500 patrons. In the late 1940s, the Inn's popularity waned, signaling its inevitable end. In 1951, as the city began the demolition, an unexpected event unfolded. A fire, sparked by coals, ignited the old structure, hastening its demise. The remnants of the Inn were then torn down. Today, a playground stands on the site where the I...
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Director Max Reinhardt

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  Director Max Reinhardt, entombed in Westchester Hills Cemetery's older community mausoleum near the front of the cemetery, had a deeply personal connection to The Sound of Music. His legacy is not only marked by the founding of the Salzburg Music Festival but also by his inspiration for the character, Max Detweiler. After his passing, his son, Wolfgang, continued this connection by acquiring the film rights from Maria Von Trapp. In Salzburg, his former home, Schloss Leopoldskron, was used for some exterior scenes in the movie and is now a boutique hotel with three Sound of Music-themed suites.
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Spyros Skouras: A Greek Immigrant's Story of Success

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One summer day, while wandering the grounds of the Gate of Heaven cemetery, I came across an alabaster statue of Mary cradling Jesus in an open grassy field. The statue was striking, but the Greek surname on the gravestone, which is not often seen in Catholic cemeteries, caught my attention. There was also something faintly familiar about the name. I soon realized that I had stumbled upon the grave of Spyros Skouras, a movie executive and former president of 20th Century Fox Studios. I wondered how many others had passed by, unaware of who he was and what he had accomplished. Born to humble beginnings in Ilia, a small village in Greece, Skouras boarded a boat to America with two of his brothers in search of the American dream. He truly found it. The man who once sold popcorn in American movie theaters rose to become the president of 20th Century Fox. During his 20-year tenure—from 1942 to 1962, the longest in the company's history—he oversaw the production of major films such as Th...
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William Robertson and Mary "Mai" Rogers Coe

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Wealthy industrialists William Robertson and Mary "Mai" Rogers Coe,  are entombed within a stately mausoleum in a leafy alcove toward the eastern end of Memorial Cemetery of St. John's Church on Long Island's north shore.  Their former Oyster Bay homestead has served as a state park—Planting Fields Arboretum—since 1949, are entombed within a stately mausoleum in a leafy alcove toward the eastern end of the cemetery.
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The "Boiler Tank" of W.H. Guild

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  One of the most unusual mausoleums I’ve encountered is in Brooklyn’s Cemetery of the Evergreens. Cylindrical in shape, and made of cast iron, it resembles a boiler tank, and for good reason. It is the final resting place of W.H. Guild, whose firm, Guild and Garrison, manufactured pumping material.
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Capt. Alexander Joseph Swift

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  Capt. Alexander Joseph Swift was the son of Brigadier-General Joseph G. Swift, West Point's first graduate. During the Mexican-American War, Capt. Alexander Swift trained U.S. Military Academy officers for deployment to Mexico. It was there, during the Battle of Vera Cruz, a 20-day siege of the Mexican seaport, that Swift contracted dysentery. He died less than a month after the battle ended and is buried in Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery.
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Harry and Emily Foale

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Harry James Luke Foale, a Brooklyn resident for most of his life, ran a successful interior decorating business. His name often appeared on the Brooklyn Society pages, a testament to his thriving eneterprise. However, one newspaper mentioned that Foale could have done without was his arrest in 1890 for -unknowingly- buying a stolen horse. Foale died in 1928 at his home, Irisdale, in Northport, Long Island. His funeral service took place at the Fairchild Funeral Home's Brooklyn branch. A year later, the family mausoleum was completed. Foale is entombed with his wife, Emily, in Brooklyn's Cemetery of the Evergreens.
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