Explore Asheville’s past with Tombstone Tales, a series uncovering the stories of iconic figures buried in the area. From local legends to unsung heroes, these historical highlights bring history to life—one grave at a time.
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Tombstone Tales: Edward Lindsay Shuford, Asheville’s beloved veterinarian
At Calvary Episcopal Churchyard in Fletcher, the grave of Dr. Edward Lindsay Shuford, DVM, bears the words “He loved all creatures great and small,” honoring a life devoted to the care of animals.
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Tombstone Tales: Carrie Cone Long, Jewish community leader
Carrie Cone Long, sister of textile magnates Moses and Ceasar Cone, became a leader in Asheville’s Jewish community through her work with Beth Ha-Tephila and the North Carolina Association of Jewish Women.
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Tombstone Tales: The life and death of Ben Addison, Eagle Street merchant
Ben Addison, a respected Black merchant on Asheville’s historic Eagle Street, was gunned down in 1906 during a desperado’s rampage that also claimed two police officers. His grave at Riverside Cemetery bears a haunting inscription: “Killed by a Desperado.”
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Tombstone Tales: The gentlewoman and philosopher of Hendersonville
Henrietta “Hennie” Whitted Price (1864–1923) was a Hendersonville native, poet, and composer whose life took her from the Blue Ridge to Chicago before returning to rest in Oakdale Cemetery.
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Tombstone Tales: Before the Science Guy, there was Bill Nye the Humorist
Before there was “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” another Bill Nye made America laugh. Edgar Wilson Nye, a 19th-century humorist and journalist, found his final resting place in Fletcher. His memorial and grave at Calvary Episcopal Churchyard still draw visitors curious about the man once known as “Bill Nye the Humorist.”
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Tombstone Tales: The 1911 Asheville Murder Story Behind a Riverside Cemetery Grave
A simple grave in Riverside Cemetery marks the tragic story of Allen “Buck” Trivette. In 1911, the young Asheville man was shot by his uncle, Pitt Ballew, during a family quarrel that led to trial in Buncombe County.
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Tombstone Tales: The wreck on Saluda Mountain that changed rail safety
In 1890, engineer Lewis Tunstall was killed when his train careened down the Saluda Grade at 75 miles an hour. The wreck led to the creation of safety switches that saved countless lives. Today, Tunstall is remembered not only for his sacrifice but also by a striking monument in Hendersonville’s Oakdale Cemetery.
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Regular hours resume at Riverside Cemetery as debris removal is completed
Riverside Cemetery will return to its regular hours of operation from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, beginning Monday, Aug. 18.
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Strangeville: Haunted History of Calvary Episcopal Churchyard in Fletcher, NC
Local legends at Calvary Episcopal Church in Fletcher, N.C., tell of a headless horseman, a gentle woman in white and a phantom rider whose stories have been passed down for generations.