lester stillwell grave

–Cindy E., Nutley, NJ. That attack in this small town was the third of four killings by what was believed to be the same great white shark as it traveled — hungry and confused — north along the New Jersey coastline that summer, said Al Savolaine, a Matawan historian and author of “Stanley Fisher: Shark Attack Hero of a Bygone Age.” The Matawan attack was unusual because it occurred in an inland creek — no more than 40 feet wide and 20 feet deep — about a mile and a half from the closest bay. The boys’ impassioned cries for help would not be ignored. I'm looking for specific directions or info of the exact locations (GPS coordinates would be the best!) Matawan residents welcome the attention but are sensitive to the fact that local men and boys died in the attacks. However, the events in New Jersey, in which one shark attacked five people on the same coast within two weeks, remains unique. Renee has not added any memorials to this virtual cemetery. A reward was offered for the shark, and the people of Matawan became obsessed with vengeance against this evil creature. Everything seemed like just another hot July day. Rose Hill Cemetery Grave of Lester Stillwell [1916 shark attack] and possible hauntings. One story I have heard quite often is that is a little difficult to find Lester's grave site. Fisher's grave on on top of the hill directly over Lester's. Below are pictures from that dedication. The families share a grave site in Rose Hill Cemetery, and the monument at their burial site was estimated to cost $20,000 in 1910. Blood filled the water around him as the shark dragged him under again and again. “It was like a serial killer,” Mr. Savolaine said of the shark. Yesterday was the dedication of the monument to Lester Stillwell and Stanley Fisher. “He was going after food.”. Mesh barriers went up almost immediately around swimming areas. I attempt to communicate through various devices and I end up getting some startling results from the Ovilus X and P-SB7 spirit box sessions. Other residents rushed him to a train, which brought him to the closest hospital, in Long Branch, N.J., where he died. Stanley Fisher, a tall, athletic, 24-year-old tailor, ran into the creek. They are also considered by many as the inspiration for the 1975 blockbuster movie “Jaws.”. Five days later, Charles Bruder, 27, was killed in Spring Lake, N.J. After Lester was attacked while skinny-dipping in the creek, his friends ran, still naked, to the town’s main street, screaming, “A shark got Lester!,” Mr. Savolaine said. New Jersey Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities, and Other Offbeat Stuff, by Peter Genovese, 2nd edition (Guilford, CT: Insider's Guide, 2007) has a chapter on pp 125-126 titled The Original Jaws, Matawan, which says that Stanley Fisher and Lester Stillwell are buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Matawan. It’s scary.”. We then visited Rose Hill Cemetery, a lovely, peaceful, shady spot where both Lester Stillwell and Stanley Fisher are buried. Facing east, a view of the Matawan Creek just yards upstream from where, in Matawan in 1916, a shark attacked and killed Lester Stillwell, 11 and Stanley Fisher, 24. Despite his vigorous pleas, the Captain’s story was dismissed as a heat induced phantom. MATAWAN, N.J. — On a sweltering July afternoon in 1916, Lester Stillwell, 11, jumped into the secluded Matawan Creek here, not seeing the large mass moving toward him in the water. Back on the coast the greatest shark hunt in the state’s history was under way. Like he is still watching over young Lester like he tried to save him back in 1916 when the shark attack took place. Ignoring these warnings would prove a very grave mistake. If the image of the toothy shark jaws below look familiar to you it’s probably because at some point you, like just about everyone else, has been terrified by either the book or movie “Jaws”. Shortly after the attack Michael Schleisser, a coastal fisherman, captured the man-eater just outside a creek at the Raritan Bay. One has to wonder–could it happen again? Laurel Hill Cemetery. Deleting this Virtual Cemetery cannot be undone. Take it to the grave Gone These shallow beds have long housed Neptune's savage bulls Hunting in the fresh, but the rogue whites rule the deep Shadowed in the salty tide, a rogue white compels The savage limbs have long bled their truth away The onlookers' eyes have all gone to dust Remember your place in this world Mercy has no home among the waves The events will include a “hero walk” that retraces Mr. Fisher’s route to the creek and the unveiling of a monument in a park in the center of town on Sunday. Or 1917 - can't remember the year. What would happen next would elevate the panic to a new level. Five days later the shark would strike again, 45 miles to the north, near the Essex and Sussex Hotel in Spring Lake. He would be the 5th and final victim of the marauding fish. All contents ©Weird NJ and may not be reproduced by any means without permission. Weird NJ photos by Mark Moran. Rose Hill is home to the grave of Lester Stillwell, an unfortunate 1916 shark attack victim, and pirate Captain Kidd. The Legacy: Exceptional courage was shown by local residents during this tragedy. Before “Jaws,” most people rarely believed John S. Nichols’s story about a shark killing his great-uncle, Mr. Fisher, who had tried to save Lester. of the Matawan shark attacks that occurred in New Jersey in the early 1900s. On July 12th a factory across town was generously letting 11-year-old Lester Stillwell leave work a little early. It was an eight and a half foot Great White, and when dissected, 15 pounds of various human remains were allegedly discovered in its stomach. Then suddenly a dorsal fin appeared. Howard Crawford heard the story many times. He found Stillwell, but the shark was also there, still feeding on the young boy's body. This arched railroad trestle found along the New Jersey Southern Railroad line (Central Railroad of New Jersey) spans the narrow muddy waters of the Matawan Creek, just yards away from the location where in 1916 two young men lost their lives, and another lost his leg to a marauding killer shark. Hundreds of sharks were caught and slaughtered. 11 year old shark attack victim Lester Stillwell’s grave Stanley took one last dive to try and locate the boy, this time heading deeper in the water, and deeper into trouble. Grave of Lester Stillwell, twelve year old boy killed in New Jersey shore shark attacks of July 1916 241,440,322 stock photos, vectors and videos Buying from Alamy Charles Epting Vansant Sponsored. Are these results possibly Lester and Stanley (plus one more) speaking to me from their grave sites? A Century Later, Memories of Fatal Shark Attacks Linger in New Jersey, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/11/nyregion/a-century-later-memories-of-fatal-shark-attacks-linger-in-new-jersey.html. 4; Rose Hill Cemetery. It was July 1, 1916, and in Beach Haven the tourist season was in full swing. My wife and I visited the cemetery on Saturday. To find a store near you that carries Weird NJ go to this LINK. The attacks generated headlines worldwide and prompted scientists to re-examine their understanding of sharks, stirring fear in an age in which wading at the beach was the ultimate pastime. ×. It deserves better. 52; Ringwood. “Stanley Fisher: Shark Attack Hero of a Bygone Age.”. “I didn’t think sharks would be so close to shore,” Ryan said. The dramatic effort proved unsuccessful. Delete Virtual Cemetery. de Roxana Nitescu. On July 12th a factory across town was generously letting 11-year-old Lester Stillwell leave work a little early. It was now apparent that a single shark could be responsible for all of these attacks. “Watch me float, fellas!” Lester gloated to his friends, according to published accounts of the day. Watch the video for a look at the grave sites. Little Lester Stillwell would be the fifth and final victim of a 12-day bloodbath as beach-goers escaped a heatwave and took to the water. Materials related to the 1916 shark attacks at the Burrowes Mansion and Matawan Historical Society in Matawan, N.J. It's just opposite the pond. Since Saturday, the town has been hosting a nine-day commemoration of the events, which is expected to give a hefty boost to tourism. While they splashed and played, Lester told his two friends, both only a few feet away, to watch him floating on his back. His friends listened in disbelief to his screams as he bobbed up and down. At Lester’s grave, a collection of toys surround the tombstone — a baseball glove, a teddy bear and two gray toy sharks. For many, the grisly discovery brought closure to the summer’s horrific events. He couldn’t believe his eyes, but confidant that what he saw was very real, Cattrell ran into Matawan to warn everyone. Ignoring these warnings would prove a very grave mistake. A lifeguard pulled him in and tried to stop the profuse bleeding, but Charles could not be saved. 24-year-old Stanley Fischer sped to the creek with two other men thinking that Lester may have suffered an epileptic seizure. His grandmother, then 16-year-old Mabel Smith, was playing in Matawan Creek on July 12, 1916, when the shark attacked 11-year-old Lester Stillwell. “It’s almost like Stanley is overlooking Lester’s grave in death,” Mr. Savolaine said. A moment later he was violently pulled beneath the water. Rose Hill cemetery, the burial site of Lester Stillwell and Stanley Fisher is seen in Matawan Once you find it, they say that Stanley's is on top of a hill that overlooks the Stillwell family plots. He was swimming out beyond friends when he was heard screaming “A shark bit me! He survived. The grave of Stanley Fisher, who was killed by a shark in Matawan, N.J., in 1916 while retrieving the body of Lester Stillwell. The 1916 episodes are noted by shark experts as rare instances in which a single shark appears to have killed multiple people, said George H. Burgess, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research and the International Shark Attack File. A visit to the Matawan, NJ grave sites of Lester Stilwell and Stanley Fisher, two of four people killed in the infamous 1916 Jersey Shore shark attacks. 22 Aug 1892 – 1 Jul 1916. Swimmers here were confined to the Matawan Creek, a narrow tidal creek that wound its way to the bay. The 11-year-old died in 1916 after being attacked by what was believed to be a great white shark that also killed three other people. The grave of Lester Stillwell, covered with toys that visitors have left, in Matawan, N.J. They could not have been more wrong. Advertisement. Legend has it that Captain Kidd used a tree on the top of Rose Hill as a navigational marker when sailing the creeks in Matawan. Last Exit, pp. 29; Runyon Road (Old Bridge/Sayreville) Haunted houses. The families of both the Fishers and the Stillwells were represented. Grave of Lester Stillwell, killed by the shark in 1916 Sarah Blake (Sarah Blake) 1916 Matawan Shark Attack Monument - Dock Street Matthew H Ward … Kurtis Roenstad and Allan Savolaine were among the speakers. Then came “Jaws.” The 1974 novel by Peter Benchley, followed by the movie directed by Steven Spielberg, brought sharks into the spotlight, and led to the proliferation of shark attack-related movies and TV series, such as Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week,” which debuted in 1988. Matawan Creek in New Jersey, left, where Lester Stillwell was killed by a shark in 1916; Al Savolaine, right, a historian who wrote a book about the attack. “It has been more than 100 years and we haven’t had the same thing happen again,” Mr. Burgess said. Ignoring these warnings would prove a very grave mistake. The two men dove in, not knowing there was a shark still attacking the boy’s corpse. Thirty miles farther north, residents of Matawan, a small town 11 miles inland from the open ocean, naturally felt that they were safe from attacks. “We’re a sleepy little town but we’ve been the center of attention before, in 1916,” she said. Stillwell RV Ranch and General Store near Big Bend National Park, Texas. After meeting some friends, they went for a swim in the Matawan Creek. Now the town of Matawan, stunned by the gruesome and unlikely attacks, was out for revenge. Issue 10, pp. But this day would be different from any other. Stillwell and Fisher were buried in their respective family plots within site of one another in Rose Hill Cemetery. “Over the years, like anything that only happens once, it starts to disappear from memory,” Mr. Burgess said. Mr. Savolaine, the historian, recounted the attacks on the bank of Matawan Creek, peering past the bushes on the shore and pointing to where Lester’s body was found. As his pals watched in horror, young Lester was brutally attacked by a shark (still unknown as to what kind) and killed. Lester Stillwell - age 11 and Stanley Fisher - age 24. Grave of Lester Stillwell, twelve year old killed in New Jersey Shore Shark Attacks of 1916 Press Association royal photographer John Stillwell. Bit my legs off!” These are the last words Charles would ever utter. Suddenly, a huge fish rose, snatched Lester’s arm and flung him up and down, then dragged him deeper into the creek. Issue 27, pp. Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA. This story is an excerpt from Weird NJ magazine, “YourTravel Guide to New Jersey’s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets,” which is available on newsstands throughout the state and on the web at www.WeirdNJ.com. Jeanette Walker, 61, a librarian at the Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library, called the commemoration “overwhelming,” because of the influx of visitors and phone calls to the library. In the summer of 1916 no one had yet imagined that so many could fall victim to a lone and vicious killer. I would like to visit those spots for pictures. A young Penn graduate named Charles E. Vansant, a resident of Beach Haven, died after having been attacked by a shark while out swimming. This incident was an … Some of the townspeople industriously filled the creek with dynamite, hoping to blast the shark into oblivion. Weird NJ Issue #56 can be ordered through our Web Site, Amazon Store, or Facebook Shop. “It’s very exciting to be there again.”, But, she added, “We don’t want to be an extension of a TV station’s ‘Shark Week.’”. After meeting some friends, they went for a swim in the Matawan Creek. It was a pretty and serene spot. Lester Stillwell, 11, was playing in the water when a friend saw what he thought was an "old, black, weather-beaten board or a weathered log." A retired fishing boat captain, Thomas Cattrell, was walking home after a successful day of fishing. 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