Maxwell Hanna Jr survived a tour in the Army in WWII, Naval flight training, and being a Marine Corps helicopter pilot. But in 1962, while flying a private aircraft for a routine duty, tragedy struck, claiming the life of 35-year-old Maxwell Hanna, Jr. The Grave The position of Maxwell Hanna Jr's headstone begs the question: is he really buried here? Was he cremated? Or is this simply the memorial for a man lost at sea? Photo by Tarah Thomas. The memorial stone of Maxwell H

In 1910, Virgil Roby was headed to the state fair in Shreveport with his family. As an additional treat, Virgil would get to rid there in an automobile. However, the day would end in tragedy rather than in fun at the fair. The Grave Virgil Roby's grave in Cotton Valley Cemetery hints at a life that ended in tragedy. Photo by Tarah Thomas. The Accident Virgil was killed and several members of his family injured when William Lowe ignored a flagman's warning and drove his car o

In August 1912, Percy Alexander was a rising star in the local legal world. A graduate of VMI, West Point, and Tulane, he had been admitted to the Louisiana bar and had tried his first case in front of the US Supreme Court. As he sat with his late fiance's mother, he did not know that all of that would end soon as well as his life. CONTENT WARNING: The images below contain copies of newspaper articles using racist language that was common on the time of this event. The Grav

In the summer of 1881, a disturbing trend began on Crockett Street in downtown Shreveport. Not one, but two babies were found abandoned on doorsteps less than a week apart. The first was quickly adopted by the Flake family and cared for by members of the city. The Grave No headstone marks the grave of Augustus Henderson Flake, the abandoned baby who lived only a few days in 1881. But it is likely that he is buried in one of many unmarked graves in Oakland Cemetery, the old ci

On a March afternoon in 1933, the Rousseau family left New Orleans for a family outing at a cemetery in nearby Madisonville, Louisiana. An afternoon visit turned into an eternal resting place when tragedy struck. The Grave The headstone for the Rousseau family, topped with a marble cross. The death date is the same for all four family members. Photo by Tarah Thomas. The Rousseau family plot sits under an oak tree draped with Spanish moss. It contains three coffins, four fa

In 1881, Captain Thomas, a former Confederate officer and Louisiana State Senator, road up to his brother-in-law's plantation, went inside, and shot him in the head. The Graves The grave of Captain Thomas is small and unnoticeable, nothing to indicate the rich life of the man resting beneath. Photo by Tarah Thomas. The grave of Victoria Thomas, wife of Captain Thomas. Photo by Tarah Thomas. It was Michael Dickson Thomas's grave that drew me to the Thomas plot, with its haun

In 1936, Clarence Landrum was the very definition of down on his luck. Louisiana was in the depths of the Great Depression, and Clarence spent his days begging for work so he could support his family. But then he made a political bet that would change everything. The Grave Many stones in Greenwood Cemetery are toppled. And I try to leave them alone. But a small one looked to have recently fallen and was easily righted. It begged to be turned over and read. And that was th

James Sanborn lived a quiet life, but was admired and loved by his friends. But in 1907, when they noticed a change in their friend, not even the vigilance and dedication of those who cared about him were enough to save James. The Grave In Greenwood Cemetery in Shreveport stands a starkly white monument to the life of James Arthur Sanborn, erected by the friends who tried to save him. Photo by Tarah Thomas. The Missing Man In October 1907, friends reported James Sanborn miss

In late 19th century Shreveport, Louisiana, Thomas Ford was seen by many as an angel of healing. He was a medical doctor who could save people who were thought to be beyond hope. But in 1886, Dr. Ford became something else entirely as he shot a man in broad daylight in New Orleans. The Grave Dr. Ford's name does not appear in stone in Greenwood Cemetery, but records indicate he was buried in the Hancock Vault. Photo by Tarah Thomas The Work Dr. Ford was instrumental in the

In December 1866, the life of Milus Haughton was filled with possibility. He had survived a war, married a local woman, and was looking forward to starting a family. Just three years later, his dreams would die with his wife and three babes. But Milus would persist, helping his sister to found a town named after their family. The Graves Milus Haughton rests under a granite obelisk in the Haughton family plot in Fillmore Cemetery, Haughton, Louisiana. In a cemetery a few mi

Mina DeFiliquier was a grandmother, a church goer, and a grocery store owner. But in 1911, a letter arrived claiming to be from a shadowy crime organization known as The Black Hand, placing her and her granddaughter at the center of a scandal that shocked the state of Louisiana. The Grave The angel topped DeFiliquier monument in St. Joseph Cemetery commands attention, but does not belie the story of the Black Hand kidnapping plot that its occupants endured. The Letter A tran

Today she rests peacefully in an unmarked grave at the center of the city that once abhorred her. But in the 1880s, Fannie Roos's life was anything but peaceful. Street brawls, kidnappings, murders, and prison escapes: Fannie was at the center of it all. Meet the woman who, for a decade, stood at the center of Shreveport's vice district. The Grave Fannie's grave today is unmarked and unknown. But all evidence points to her being buried in Oakland Cemetery, the city burying g

Some headstones tell you everything, while others tell you almost nothing. When I first stopped at William Newit Doles' grave, there were only a few words carbed in to the stone. Name. A pair of Dates. And, "Someday we'll understand." Understand what? Then I started reading the newspapers.... The Grave In Cottage Grove Cemetery, Benton, Louisiana, an unassuming granite stone near soaring obelisks marks the grave of William Newit Doles II, giving no indication of the dramat

In a city of the dead, one of approximately 40, 000 graves, lays one small marble headstone at the foot of a Confederate monument. The stone remembers him as a Confederate veteran. The newspapers and records remembered him as a champion fiddler and a dancing master. The Grave Forest Park Cemetery in Shreveport, Louisiana, is a veritable city of the dead. The final resting place of M M Romby, also known as M M Rambin, is marked by one small block of marble among a sea 40,000

Johnie Lafelle. Johnnie Lavelle. John Lavell. John Lafill. The records could not agree on the spelling nor on his age. But his headstone is certain of one thing: he was assassinated. The Grave In Arcadia Cemetery, Arcadia, Louisiana, a metal cross marks the final resting place of Johnie Lafelle, and labels him a victim of assassination. Courtesy of Tarah Thomas The Murder The murder of Johnie Lafelle was reported in papers across the state; often in gory detail. Courtesy of

Today he rests peacefully beneath shade trees, the wind moving softly through the cemetery. But in 1887, Charles McDonald Puckette's life was anything but peaceful. The city around him waited anxiously, watching as a bitter feud between newspaper editors escalated towards violence. Meet the man who nearly sparked a duel in downtown Shreveport. The Grave Charles McDonald Puckette rests today in Greenwood Cemetery, Shreveport, Louisiana; safe from the turmoil that once surround

Stephen C. King's tombstone is noticeable if for no other reason than his name is Stephen King. While he wrote no horror novels, his life is a story just as compelling. The Grave In quiet Cottage Grove Cemetery in Benton, LA, Stephen C King rests beneath a Confederate tombstone stained almost pink with age. Courtesy of Tarah Thomas The Soldier Stephen C. King's service record reads like a list of the most important battles of the eastern theater. Courtesy of Fold3.com and t

Joe Stefano Feducia rests quietly beneath a simple granite cross, buried next to his parents. But the night he died was not quiet. At the Chicken Inn, shots shattered the night, and two friends fell dead to the floor. The Grave The final resting place of Joe Stefano Feducia, Saint Joseph's Catholic Church Cemetery, Shreveport, Louisiana. Courtesy of Tarah Thomas The Chicken Inn The outside of the the Chicken Inn, where Smokey Joe lived, worked, and eventually died. The windo

Join me as I explore the cemeteries of the South and uncover the stores of the people beneath the stones. Not the grand monuments or towering obelisks, but the quiet ones. The stones that are small, worn, or just a little bit different. Journalists, homemakers, soldiers, and grocers. These lives are filled with tragedies and triumphs that are just waiting to be told. This podcast is an invitation to walk beside me through cemeteries across the South as we rediscover lost sto