Exeter, Rhode Island. It's just before dawn, March 17th, 1892. In the graveyard beside Chestnut Hill Baptist Church, five men gather around a crypt, sealed since winter began. Their breath fogs the air. A lantern flickers in the cold. The coffin opens. Inside lies the body of Mercy Lena Brown. She died two months ago, yet her skin is strangely intact. Her nails have lengthened. And when a spade presses to her chest, blood rises to the surface. Someone whispers, she's the one.
TIMELINE
1786: to 1892, At least 80 known cases of exhumations were documented in New England.
1859: of a family in Vermont who dug up their loved one to end a streak of deaths.
1883: his wife Mary Eliza died of consumption.
1892: she was placed in the family crypt.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of Exeter is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.
Episode 171 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters
If you liked this: Episode 192 (Watch Hill, Rhode Island)
Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history
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