From the 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 backwoods 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. Tales of the first European settlers, enslaved African Americans, indigenous people, heroes, murder victims, murderers, artists, writers, and famous historical figures can all be found in New Hampshire's final resting places. Veterans of every war going as far back as the earliest colonial conflicts with the Native Americans to the most recent foreign excursions are among those lying beneath New Hampshire's soil.
Authors and photographers Rick Davidson and Bill Thompson spent a year investigating fascinating legends, researching, following clues, and photographing granite state cemeteries. What they found is contained in two intriguing books. Personalities in New Hampshire folklore, some lost to history and others well-known, come alive in these books.
Volume I of Buried New Hampshire includes half of the stories Rick and Bill discovered. The authors have a long history of roaming and exploring New Hampshire together, fly-fishing for trout and salmon, and photographing the state's 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, unusual, sad, affectionate, courageous, fortunate, unfortunate, criminal, and even humorous. Buried New Hampshire: Graveyards Have Stories to Tell, Volume I is not only for those who love New Hampshire but also for those who love good stories, many of which will surprise you and all of which will pique your imagination about lives once lived.
