Mr. John Hanson has been collecting and studying early New England epitaph verse for years.  In this talk, he will share some outstanding verses on old stones in Amherst's West Cemetery and discuss their sources, including Scripture, hymnody, poetry, and original poetry composed for a particular individual.

When they first arrived in Amherst, Elaine and Charles Eastman were already both well-known figures from their respective careers as authors, public speakers and reformers of Indian policy, as well as from their unusual interracial marriage which was frequently written about in the press of the day. But the early promise of their marriage dissolved during their time in Amherst, along with their union, itself, the victim of personal tragedies, professional failures and the ongoing tensions as 19th century America yielded to the 20th century.