And for years, that what I was remiss in doing: looking in my own backyard. Thing is, being the history buff I am, I knew the history was there but out of complacency just took it for granted. This past weekend, though, I took my wife and son on a great adventure, what my wife so quaintly shared on her Instagram as #graveyardescapade. With that, I believe a little explanation is in order.
Not three miles from my home is Riverside Cemetery, listed on the National Park Services National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary. That is so for good reason. The cemetery was established in 1885 and is the resting place of many notable figures from the history of Western North Carolina, including Civil War generals, politicians and prominent citizens of Asheville. The grounds are populated with ancient oak, poplar, dogwood and ginkgo trees and has been designated a Buncombe County Treasure Tree Preserve. It’s an absolutely beautiful experience to stroll through, soaking up the beauty while exploring all the magnificent grave markers, some dating back over a century. But it was two specific grave sites we went in search of, the resting place of two notable authors, one a hometown boy and the other a man with North Carolina roots: Thomas Wolfe, born about five miles from where I live, and William Sidney Porter, better known as O. Henry.
What prompted me to finally go exploring was, of all things, one of my son’s reading assignments over the holidays. He read O. Henry’s Gift of the Magi, one of his most well-known stories. I even refreshed my memory of it by rereading it for it had been years since I last read the story. It’s a touching and poignant tale, capped off by a twist ending, something he was well-known for because many of his stories caught the reader totally off guard at the finale.
The grave of William Sidney Porter – (O. Henry)
But it was Asheville’s native son, who rose to fame on publication of his first novel, Look Homeward Angel, whose legacy I was seeking on this day. Having heard about him all my life, it was only in the past few years that I finally read Look Homeward Angel. Without a doubt, it is truly a classic. Autobiographical in nature, it speaks of Wolfe’s growing up in Asheville, called Altamont in the novel, in the early 1900’s. What I found amazing was the references to places no longer there, but still being able to know where they were by his vivid descriptions. And even more interesting was his telling of other places that still exist, things part of my growing up in this area.
One of those places is the boarding house, “Old Kentucky Home”, which his mother ran and where he lived until he went to college at the age of 16. In the novel he called it “Dixieland” and he included his own experiences with all the people in his life and the people he met there in the book. It’s now called The Thomas Wolfe House and has been registered as a National Historic Landmark, and it is a piece of local history on my to-see list.
Wolfe’s father was a stone carver who ran a gravestone business and it was an angel he carved that is referenced in the novel’s title, though the original title was O Lost, a phrase from one of the most famous and quoted lines in the novel, “…O lost, and by the wind grieved ghost, come back again.” And to this day, that angel can be seen at a graveyard in Hendersonville, near where I work, and that piece of history I have visited.
Wolfe led a fascinating life, though it was cut short when he died at a young 37. Ironically, only half his work was published during his lifetime, and he actually left behind two completed, yet-to-be published novels with his publisher, which were released posthumously. Unfortunately, his greatness has been lost in later generations; many colleges no longer include him in their courses about great authors. But in my eyes, he was one of the greatest ever and those that love the written word that haven’t read his words are at a great loss. Some of those words were inscribed on his gravestone in a fitting farewell, taken from The Web and the Rock, one of the novels he didn’t live to see published:
I can’t help but close with some of my own wannabe-writer’s words. For many years I drove by Riverside Cemetery and though I’d never visited it, I knew that Wolfe and O. Henry were buried there. And seeing all those gravestones sitting there on the hill put thoughts and visions and words in the back of my mind, searching for a way out. Then I discovered Steven King, and from that encounter came the inspiration to try and make those thoughts and visions and words come to life. So I finally sat down and tried to create a picture using words as my paint and my pen as a brush, writing the first story I’d ever written, a ghostly tale about Thomas Wolfe and O. Henry, and here is the opening line:
“The gravestones stand like silent sentinels on the hillside overlooking the river, ready to defend against those who would dare trespass and disturb the eternal peace of those who rest in solitude.”
For sure, that’s not the stuff of Thomas Wolfe, O. Henry or Steven King. But I tried, and am still trying. And who knows? Maybe one of these days I’ll find me a publisher and make my dream of being a writer come true. And as Lynndee, my wifey, always tells me, dreams are free and sometimes they do come true. Here’s hoping!
I love where I live. Here in Boston, there is a ton of history and I love exploring all of this historical landmarks around the city.
Boston is definitely on my list to visit and see all the history, as well as introduce my wife and son to America’s great past. And of course, we definitely want to see a game at Fenway, for what better way for an Atlanta Brave’s family to revisit history seeing that the Braves franchise began with the Boston Braves?
What a beautiful cemetary. I can’t believe how young they both were when they died. Great writers they both were.
As the old adage goes, only the good die young. I do wonder what heights Wolfe could have reached had he lived?
Wow this is lovely. I know there is so much history to explore in my city, I haven’t yet. But it’s on my to do list. Especially since I just moved here less than 4 years ago so I need to get on it!
This is such a great post. We’re always looking for new and exotic places to visit, but we forget that there’s so much to see in our own areas.
That is a beautiful cemetery! I am always intrigued to find pieces of history.
This is a lovely graveyard, I love all the history there and the grave with the pennies to mark that mans words is such a lovely sentiment. We have a graveyard with lots of historical graves there too, you’ve inspired me to visit it this week. Thank you.
HarryJanuary 8, 2015 at 10:08 PM
I, too, found that touching, people paying homage to the words he wrote. That just goes to show the power of the written word and how much that story has touched people’s hearts. And I’m happy to know that I’ve inspired you to go searching for history. You’re welcome, and I thank you for reading my post.
I like visiting old graveyards for the historical value in them. And it’s really amazing what we discover so close to home when we take the time to look.
When I lived in Atlanta, we would visit the oldest cemetery in the state, Margaret Mitchell, who wrote Gone With the Wind is buried there.
And we’ll certainly have to visit that one when we go back to Atlanta.
I wish you luck as a writer, dreams do happen. I love to read the stones at old gravesites because it tells so much about the era. We have a few old cemeteries in our area and in one of them, 3/4 of them are kids under the age of 2. That’s a whole generation that dies. My guess is small pox or measles as the dates are way back when. The above ground plots are all busted and empty {kinda creepy wondering where the bodies ended up at}. Thanks for sharing. I love to read about all things history.
And thank you for checking my post out. I’ve noticed that, too, in visiting old graveyards, so many young deaths, and you’ve nailed it as for the most likely reason, the health care in those times.
I live in Southampton, home of the docks where the Titanic departed and so there is a great deal of history here. We have castles, castle walls and bar gates too. It’s amazing!
Amazing. You certainly do live in place full of history.
I love visiting historic cemeteries. There is so much history and so many stories to be discovered.
It’s so true that when I think of history I look elsewhere. After a quick google search there really is tons of history local to me.
Like you, I am a history buff and I love to write and I love what you wrote about Wolfe. Why not look into self publishing? I did that with my first book and had pretty good luck with it. Keep working and dreaming and it’ll happen. Taking a stroll though old and historic cemeteries is a great history lesson
I’m glad to hear from one who appreciates and even knows of Wolfe. I’ll have to research the self-print thingy; I’ve heard good and bad about that. But hey, I’m self-publishing now just by writing this blog, though I’ll never get rich doing it…(“,)
It’s such a beautiful cemetery. I love the culture and history of my place, too!
Wow you got an old cemetery right there and I love knowing the history as well I have learn a lot now I have a goose bumps 🙂
I hope your dream of publishing comes true this year. What a great goal to have with it being a brand new year!
Thanks, Rosey. Maybe I will make that my goal for the year.
You are a natural writer so keep it up! My husband has so many ideas but he doesn’t like putting it into writing.
Thanks, Rose. It does seen to come easy for me so I guess that makes it natural. But if your husband doesn’t like writing, get him a tape recorder of have him dictate it instead of keeping his ideas to himself.
What an interesting place to visit in your own little neck of the woods! I will have to check out some historical places in my city. I’m sure there are quite a few. Great pictures!
Thanks, Risa. But I can’t take credit for the photos; those are my wife’s doings and she’s great at it.
We live in between Baltimore and D.C.so we do a lot of traveling and checking out local history with our children. I don’t think we’ve ever visited a cemetery though.
Wow, Baltimore and D.C., places we’ve been to since I got my wife and son here from the Philippines. And we’ll definitely be back that way sometime soon.
From the look of it the place is so peaceful, This reminds me our old place with the cemetery. Thank you for the inspiring post.
Your welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
you are absolutely right, this is the best way to find those people who were born earlier to spend time on earth.
Interestingly, it reminded me of other cemetaries I have visited around the country and the history in each of them.
What an interesting cemetery it is filled with so many histories. I am fascinated by old cemeteries, by the way. Because I would love to know the history of the place, the people who died and are buried in the cemetery and things like that. My husband and I used to check out this really old cemetery by an old school where his dad used to go to. It was really interesting. Thanks for sharing this one.
You’re welcome. Thanks for reading.
Beautiful post! Sadly I hadn’t heard of these amazing authors! I do wish you dream of being an author comes true!
Thanks. You should check these guys out; great reading.
As creepy as it sound but I love photos taken in cemeteries, there is something in it that is so peaceful and beautiful!
I love going to National Cemetery my husband always tell me “people are dying to in Cemetery”.
I love rambling around graveyards as a way to find history, too! Thomas Wolfe is a particularly interesting American writer–he was so tall that he’d stand up to write using the top of the refrigerator as his work table. And when he was done with a page, he’d just throw it on the floor; when he was done writing, he’d bundle everything up (in absolutely no order) and mail it to his editor. Poor editor! Have you been to the Thomas Wolfe House in downtown Asheville? If not, it’s worth a visit!