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New England Legends Podcast

They Only Moved the Headstones

New England Legends Podcast

Jeff Belanger

History, Paranormal, Ghosts, Folklore, Places & Travel, Monsters, Society & Culture, Legends, Newengland

4.8951 Ratings

🗓️ 30 November 2023

⏱️ 23 minutes

🧾️ 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

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Okay, so we're going to make a right up here onto Hempstead Street here in New London.

0:08.0

All right, got it? I see a park on our left.

0:11.0

Yeah, and that's our destination.

0:13.2

This is Williams Memorial Park Historic District.

0:16.2

You can park anywhere and we just walk over. What's a nice little park here in the middle of New London, Connecticut? There's an 8-story apartment building off to our right a little ways.

0:33.6

We're walking along a sidewalk pathway through the middle of the park, a bunch of trees.

0:38.6

I'm sure this is a perfect place for a stroll or a picnic in the summer.

0:42.3

Well, almost perfect.

0:45.0

Well, why's that?

0:46.0

Because this land wasn't always a park,

0:48.0

apartment building and upscale housing on the other side of that apartment building.

0:51.0

But what was it before? This land used to be the town's

0:54.7

second burial ground. Oh no, I don't like what this is going. So the cemetery was

1:00.3

established in 1793, but as New London expanded this eventually became

1:04.7

prime real estate. Nope, no, I don't like this one bit Jeff. So the cemetery was

1:09.2

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

1:17.6

they only moved the headstones. I'm Jeff Belanger and welcome to episode 327 of the New England Legends podcast.

1:30.2

Hello, I'm Ray Ozier.

1:31.5

This is a unique episode because if you keep listening at the very end, I have a special treat for you.

1:35.5

A short audio excerpt from my new book, The Fright Before Christmas,

1:39.2

surviving Kramppus and other Yule Tide monsters. It's available now on hardcover ebook and audiobook,

...

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