Our recently discovered Obscurely Famous Graves
Obscurely Famous was shown on WVPBS!
Obscurely Famous Graves is a documentary series on the historical significance of the forgotten and sometimes lost graves of people in West Virginia that were famous , or well know in their time, but whose achievements are vaguely remembered now. Sometimes the graves of people whose fame has lasted, even their final resting places are in disrepair. Entertainers, Musicians, Heroes, Villains, and others, they are all right here in our state!
Shows that have already aired:
Cabell County
Mason County
Kanawha County, Parts 1 and 2
UPCOMING: Logan County (Hint: A fellow by the name of Devil Anse Hatfield is buried in an “Obscurely” Famous Grave there!)
They have been shown on WVPBS2 and statewide on WVPBS1 to an estimated combined audience of 600,000!
But it’s not all about West Virginia!
Finding and documenting the final resting places of the Famous and “Obscurely Famous” from all over the world is a fun, different approach to History. When you find an interesting person’s grave, there are usually other interesting people around them to find out about too, and you never know what facts you might “dig up”(couldn’t resist that one!). If you are a History buff, you’ll know what we’re talking about.
Here are a couple of examples:
Jim Morrison of the Doors is buried in the same cemetery (Cimetiere du Pere Lachais) as Oscar Wilde in Paris, France.
Actor Jim Varney (Earnest from the Movies) is buried in the same cemetery (The Lexington Cemetery) as Henry Clay (the great senator from Kentucky) in Lexington Ky.
We hope you visit often, and welcome any info you can send our way!