I just got back last week from my favorite place in the world: Acadia National Park up in Maine. For me, Acadia is an incomparable mix of climbable mountains, rocky coast, quiet carriage trails, scenic ponds, and lobster dinners. Well, there I was, enjoying a ranger-led walk in the woods, when we came across a … Read more
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
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
It is no coincidence that part of the Battle of Brooklyn was fought across the grounds that would become Green-Wood Cemetery. The men who chose this land as the place for their rural cemetery–Henry E. Pierrepont, the Brooklyn leader who pushed for its creation, and engineer David Bates Douglas, who would go on to design … Read more
It was time to party last night: The Green-Wood Historic Fund’s third annual gala. Unfortunately, apparently Mother Nature didn’t get the memo, and she launched quite an assault of wind and rain. But our partygoers were not to be deterred–and a great time was had by all. This gala will be remembered for many years–and … Read more
September 1, 1795: James Gordon Bennett, founder of the New York Herald, which became the country’s most influential and the world’s largest newspaper; perhaps best known for his sensational and often startling coverage of scandalous “news,” Bennett’s Herald also covered – with great detail and accuracy – some of the greatest fires in the history … Read more
The Battle of Brooklyn was a big deal. Occurring on August 27, 1776, just weeks after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, it was the first battle of the new nation. And, as it developed, it was the largest battle of the entire Revolutionary War in terms of soldiers gather on or about the … Read more
Richard Anthony Proctor (1837-1888), born in England, attended college, then became an accountant. However, he soon developed an interest in astronomy, reading, then writing, about it. He became a prominent astronomer, researching, writing and lecturing. Between 1873 and 1884 he toured Great Britain, its colonies, and the United States on lecture tours. In 1880, while on … Read more
Last week’s the headline on the front page of the Wall Street Journal told the story: “To Attract Future Customers, Cemeteries Hold Parties to Die For” Graveyards Plan Concerts, Sky-Diving, Clowns; ‘Meet Us Before You Need Us This was an interesting piece, and not just because I was quoted in it, though that doesn’t hurt. … Read more
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.