First American Heavyweight Champ

Tom Hyer was born on January 1, 1819. His father was a prizefighter and Tom grew up to be a fine specimen of a man: 6 feet 2 and one-half inches, 190 pounds. In addition to his size, Hyer had the mentality and the heart for fighting. By the time he reached his early 20s, … Read more

“The Valentine’s Day That Changed America”

We have an event planned for Green-Wood this Saturday, commemorating the Valentine’s Day of 1884, when, tragically, both Theodore Roosevelt’s wife, Alice (pictured above, with Theodore as a young man), and mother, Martha (shown here), died of disease. Roosevelt, a New York State Assemblyman at the time, was crushed. In fact, he wrote in his … Read more

February Birthdays

Celebrating February birthdays are Green-Wood’s permanent residents: February 3, 1811: Horace Greeley was the founder and editor of the New York Tribune which boasted the largest national circulation of any newspaper in the United States in the mid-19th-century. A political and social activist, he advocated many causes, including workers’ and women’s rights, manifest destiny and … Read more

Philip Carlo: Rest in Peace

On Friday, November 12, Philip Carlo, who wrote best-sellers about serial killers and hit men, was laid to rest at Green-Wood. He died from Lou Gehrig’s disease (A.L.S.) and cancer at the age of 61. Carlo was born and grew up in Bensonhurst. Here’s how he described, in an interview a year ago, the early … Read more

November Birthdays

November 1, 1849: William Merritt Chase, who was, perhaps, America’s greatest painter/teacher, led the movement to enhance appreciation of American artists and opened his own New York School of Art.

Boardwalk Empire

HBO’s latest hot series, “Boardwalk Empire,” the story of Atlantic City and organized crime during Prohibition, got off to a roaring start on Sunday. It received raves from the critics for the first show, directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Terence Winter (of “The Sopranos” fame). The premier was a smash hit–the second highest-rated … Read more

Happy Birthday, U.S. Constitution

Two hundred and twenty-three years ago today, 39 men put their signatures on an historic document, the United States Constitution. One of those men was William Livingston (1723-1790) of New Jersey, pictured above. Livingston also served in the Continental Congress, as brigadier general of the New Jersey militia, and as the first governor of New … Read more

Still Remembered and Honored

Of the more than half a million interred at Green-Wood Cemetery, few are remembered. Many died long ago, and their families and friends are long gone. So it is always comforting to learn of one person, here and there, who is remembered. Such an individual is William J. Florence (1831-1891), one of 19th century America’s great actors.

July Birthdays

For several years we’ve talked about doing a Birthday Calendar for Green-Wood’s permanent residents. Here’s our first effort: July. Among Green-Wood Cemetery’s permanent residents whose birthdays occurred in the month of July are: July 5, 1810: Henry Cruse Murphy; the “Moses of the Brooklyn Bridge;” played a key role in its construction, only to die … Read more

Home, Sweet Home

Last week, I headed out to the Bayard Cutting Arboratum in Great River on Long Island near its south shore, along the west bank of the Connetquot River . This magnificent private estate, home of William Bayard Cutting (1850-1912) and Olivia Murray Cutting (1855-1949), his wife, (pictured here) and their four children, was donated by the … Read more