Odiorne Cemetery in Rye, New Hampshire

Rick and Bill visit the the Odiorne Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in New Hampshire.
From the colonial seacoast to the White Mountains to the Great North Woods, New Hampshire burial grounds vary from urban park-like cemeteries to simple family plots. One might find a single lonely marker hidden deep in the back woods with nothing to suggest that anyone ever lived nearby. Each tombstone has its own story. All tell of the past and may speak of heroic deeds, heartfelt emotions, or great tragedies. Personal histories often become forgotten, but some survive in local lore, and some are reputed to be haunted. To create "Buried New Hampshire, Historical Graves of New Hampshire's Famous, Infamous and the Odd and Unusual," authors and photographers Rick Davidson and Bill Thompson spent a year investigating fascinating legends, following clues, and photographing granite state cemeteries. What they found is contained in this intriguing book. For example, Hemingway's Paris wife and actor Claude Rains are buried in cemeteries near Rick's and Bill's homes. Original white settlers, black people both respected as citizens and enslaved people, native Americans, heroes, murder victims, murderers, and famous historical personage can be found in New Hampshire's final resting places. Veterans of every war going as far back as the earliest colonial conflicts with Native Americans, the French and Indian War, and the Revolutionary War are among those lying beneath New Hampshire's soil. Engraved names, epitaphs, artistic cryptology on tombstones, and memorial monuments can't help but pique one's imagination. These things trigger a desire to learn more about those remembered in stone. This book is the product of extensive research and evocative location photography throughout New Hampshire. Well-known personalities in New Hampshire folklore and some who lie in their final resting place shrouded in mystery come alive in this book. Rick and Bill have a long history of roaming New Hampshire together, fly-fishing for native fish, exploring, and photographing historic and natural beauty. During their travels, they have been exposed to and developed insights into the legends and history of New Hampshire. Cemeteries and gravestones often point the way to the weird, the unusual, the sad, the affectionate, the courageous, the fortunate, the unfortunate, the criminal, and even the humorous. "Buried New Hampshire, Historical Graves of New Hampshire's Famous, Infamous and the Odd and Unusual" is not only for those who love New Hampshire but those who love good stories.