Way before Brooklyn had swanky cocktail bars and fancy beer, an armed battle was fought on the streets of Vinegar Hill between American soldiers and moonshiners who had avoided paying taxes on their enterprise. The Whiskey Wars of 1869 are one of the many fascinating tales in Colin Spoelman’s new book Dead Distillers: A History of the Upstarts and Outlaws Who Made American Spirits. Colin, co-founder of Kings County Distillery, details the extensive history of the many personalities who left their mark on liquor and spirit production, some of whom are now permanent residents of Green-Wood, including Hezekiah Pierrepont, Clinton Gilbert, and Charles Wilson.
The story of the Prentiss brothers of the Civil War is one of the most fascinating tales of that event. It has it all: brothers from a border state, with different loyalties, one going north to fight to preserve the Union, one going south to fight for the Confederacy. Then, after fighting for their cause … Read more
April 1, 2004 By GLENN COLLINS Before A-Rod and Jeter, there were J-Creigh and Woodward. That would be James Creighton Jr., the world’s first true baseball star, and John B. Woodward, an outfielder who became a Union general in the Civil War. Both played for the Excelsior Club — sort of the Yankees of the … Read more
Sue Ramsey was not surprised she had received a Google alert about Green-Wood Cemetery. After all, though Sue lives all the way across the country in California, she has been a huge fan of Green-Wood for years. It is at Green-Wood that the passion of her life, Civil War Captain Samuel Sims, lies. Sue is … Read more
It really is hard for me to go anywhere and not find something that’s related to Green-Wood. I just got back from ten days in Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. Really a great time of year to visit those cities–a chance to extend the warm weather a bit before being engulfed in a New York … Read more
I recently met at Green-Wood with Professor C. Cuvaj. I know him from several Green-Wood tours he has attended. He is a retired physics professor who is fascinated by cemetery art. A man of great curiosity, he always has questions and is ever eager to learn more. So, for instance, he is compiling a database … Read more