Tombstone Tuesday – Henry Billings Brown

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United States Supreme Court Justice Henry Billings Brown

Henry Billings Brown started his career in litigation as an admiralty lawyer (shipping law on the great lakes). He eventually rose to become a district court judge in Detroit before a nomination from Benjamin Harrison ascended him to the high court of the United States. During his thirty-one years as a federal judge, Brown authored hundreds of opinions regarding rights and laws in this country. In 1913 at the age of 77, Brown passed away from heart disease at a hotel in Bronxville, New York. Brown is buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit, Michigan.

One of the things I really love about this sarcophagus are the dual babyface carvings on both sides of Henry’s name. I think it add’s character to the grave. Questions or commentary feel free to leave a comment.

The Resurrection of Gravecast


Two years ago I decided to take a much-needed break from producing content for this blog. I’ll be honest I was burned out to the point where I lost total interest. As those two years progressed I kept the blog live for people to read because despite the insane life I lead people do read about my adventures. Plus I always knew in the back of my skull I’d want to pick-up writing for the site again.

Let me bring you up to speed with where I’ve been during my two-year furlough. I’ve had some health issues off and on over the last several years which led me to be hospitalized a few times to eventually having surgery. To make a long story short I’m feeling 100% better. Those Henry Ford Health Sytems surgeons ROCK.

Which brings me to today. Being that I have no cross-country trips planned in the foreseeable future. This doesn’t include a possible weekend road trip to who knows where just as long as I drive. I do have a few day trips to Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and a few other places in Michigan planned to check out the cemeteries. Meanwhile, to help things get rolling again I’m going to do a “Tombstone Tuesday” theme where every Tuesday I’ll post a gravesite photo from my collection. I’ll include some history to who’s buried six-feet under. I have some other things planned as well so please stay tuned.

 

 

Goin On Hiatus For Awhile!

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I’ve given some thought on the longevity of The Gravecast Blog. This blog has been around for six years. Through those years which started out as a small project to appease my interest in finding the graves of anyone who was infamous, famous, & notable in someway.

This hobby known as grave hunting would eventually explode into a cross-country roller coaster of vacations. Which included documenting the graves of people like Cecil B. DeMille, Bugsy Siegel, and many other Hollywood luminaries. Not to mention rubbing elbows with people who share the same morbid interests as me. Those likeminded morbid friends have since come to be some of my closest friends I’ve had the delightful honor of knowing.

I’ve come to hold the hobby of Grave Hunting very near to my spiritual mind, & soul. Which brings me the topic of this article. It’s with a heavy heart that I announce I’ve decided to take an extended break from working on this blog. Now keep in mind I’m not leaving the hobby, or abandoning the blog. I just need some time to workout some ideas related to another direction I want this blog to go into.

This much-needed break from The Gravecast Blog. Will give me a chance to focus my energy on other grave hunting related side projects. Most notably the “Gangsters In Granite” website, book, and video series I’m currently developing, and trying to get off the ground.

If you’re interested in learning more about my “Gangsters In Granite” project. Feel free to visit Gangsters In Granite.net. To summarize “Gangsters In Granite: A Graveside Guide To Organized Crime” chronicles the graves of “reputed” mobsters in the United States over the last 100 years.

Included in the book will be graveside photos to go with the concise biographies of the “reputed” mobsters. On the website there will be documents like death certificates, autopsy reports, postmortem photos, and morbid things of that sort. To act as a supplement to the biographies in the book, and on the website. I’m hoping that this project will be another method for people to interpret the history of organized crime in the United States.

Keep in mind The Gangsters In Granite book, & website will make no attempt to shed “new light” into the history of organized crime. But will make every attempt that the biographical info I offer based upon my research is truthful, factual, and verifiable. This project is my way of interpreting the history of organized crime. By locating, documenting, & photographing the graves of “reputed” mobsters. I’m just choosing to share my findings with the world.

If you’d like to connect with Gangsters In Granite. Feel free to visit Facebook, or bookmark the official website Gangsters In Granite.

Touched by a Cemetery: the National AIDS Memorial Grove | Cemetery Travel: Adventures in Graveyards Around the World


Loren Rhoads a friend of mine who’s a grave hunter from the San Francisco area. Published an article on September 16th 2014. The article relates to her experience visiting the National AIDS Memorial known as “The Grove” in San Francisco. I thought the article was interesting so I wanted to share it on The Gravecast Blog.

Touched by a Cemetery: the National AIDS Memorial Grove | Cemetery Travel: Adventures in Graveyards Around the World.

September 21st 2014 Beth Olem Trek

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A few days before Sunday September 21st. I noticed a post on my Facebook news feed, informing people that Beth Olam Cemetery, located on the grounds of the GM auto factory in Hamtramck, Michigan. Would be open for visitors between 10am, and 2pm. After finding this out, I promptly made plans to visit during the visiting hours.

Beth Olam Cemetery is only open two times a year. Clover Hill Park Cemetery, in Birmingham, an affluent Detroit suburb maintains the records for Beth Olam. To get a general historic overview of Beth Olam Cemetery. Which happens to be one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Michigan. I invite you to read an article from the Nighttrain Detroit Blog “Beth Olam: The cemetery in the GM Poletown plant“.

The thing I find interesting about this particular cemetery is that its more than likely the only cemetery in the United States that is located on the property of an auto factory. The thing is before General Motors built their Hamtramck, Michigan assembly line. The whole area which consisted of residential homes, a multitude of businesses, churches, and other houses of worship. Were completely leveled to the ground. The only thing left standing was the cemetery.

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Moving along, while there aren’t any notable, or famous people who are buried in Beth Olam. I did manage to take roughly 30 to 40 photographs with my Canon EOS 70D. Below is a sampling of some of those photos.

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If you have any questions, or comments about my hour-long Beth Olam trek from Sunday September 21st. Feel free to leave a comment with your question below. And lastly, to help promote The Gravecast Blog. I’m in the process of ordering a batch of bumper stickers (pictured below) that I will be offering for free. If your interested in getting an “I’d Rather Be Grave Hunting” bumper sticker for your personal vehicle. Please let me know via email, or in the comments section.

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