They Only Moved the Headstones

New England Legends Podcast

Jeff Belanger

Places & Travel, Society & Culture, History

4.9 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 30 November 2023

⏱️ 23 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In Episode 327 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a stroll through Williams Memorial Park in New London, Connecticut, to see the site of a former cemetery. The park was created in 1885 after Mayor Charles Williams generously agreed to fund the transfer of hundreds of graves to a newer cemetery on the outskirts of town. Today there’s an apartment building and houses on the land, but for more than a century, rumors have dogged this park that the workers only moved the headstones and that the bodies are still there. Special bonus content: An audiobook excerpt from Jeff Belanger’s new book, The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters.

See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-327-they-only-moved-the-headstones/

Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends

Check out Jeff Belanger's new book, The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters in hardcover, eBook, or audiobook!

JEFF'S NEW BOOK AND E-BOOK NOW AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD!
Amazon: https://a.co/d/7b8zV3p
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fright-before-christmas-jeff-belanger/1142940650
Amazon Canada: https://a.co/d/bJvFzX5

ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIOBOOK NARRATED BY JEFF BELANGER!
Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Fright-Before-Christmas-Audiobook/B0C7S51N71
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/the-fright-before-christmas/id1691580224?itsct=books_box_link&itscg=30200&ls=1
Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781666646467
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/the-fright-before-christmas-1

Transcript

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0:00.0	Okay, so we're going to make a right up here onto Hempstead Street here in New London.
0:08.7	All right, got it?
0:09.8	Oh, I see a park on our left.
0:11.4	Yeah, and that's our destination.
0:13.1	This is Williams Memorial Park Historic District.
0:16.1	You can park anywhere, and we can just walk over.
0:29.7	What is it a nice little park here in the middle of New London, Connecticut?
0:33.2	There's an eight-story apartment building off to our right, a little ways.
0:42.0	We're walking along a sidewalk pathway through the middle of the park, a bunch of trees. I'm sure this is a perfect place for a stroll or a picnic in the summer.
0:51.4	Well, almost perfect. Well, why is that? Because this land wasn't always a park, apartment building and upscale housing on the other side of that apartment building.
0:54.6	Well, what was it before? This land used to be the town's second burial ground. Oh no. I don't like what this is going. So the cemetery was established in 1793,
1:02.0	but as New London expanded, this eventually became prime real estate. Nope, nope, I don't like this one bit,
1:07.7	Jeff. So the cemetery was relocated just down the street to make way for the park and new housing.
1:13.6	But there are rumors swirling that in some cases, they only moved the headstones.
1:25.4	I'm Jeff Belanger and welcome to episode 327 of the New England Legends podcast. Hello, I'm Ray Osier.
1:31.4	This is a unique episode because if you keep listening at the very end, I have a special treat for you, a short audio excerpt from my new book, The Fright Before Christmas, surviving Crampus and other Yuletide monsters. It's available now on hardcover e-book and audiobook narrated by yours truly.
1:46.5	The book is available anywhere with links to buy it in our episode description and keep listening
1:50.6	at the end to hear some of the audiobook. Special treat for New England Legends podcast listeners.
1:55.1	Hey, did you know most of our story leads come from you? Well, this one did. We got this email from
1:59.8	Alexis G who wrote, hello from Florida. I visit New London, Connecticut, this one did. We got this email from Alexis G. who wrote,
2:01.7	Hello, from Florida. I visit New London, Connecticut, once a year to see my family and friends.
2:07.0	There's an interesting thing about Williams Memorial Park. Used to be a cemetery. The
	...

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