All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #084 Early release so you'll have something to listen to while you shovel snow.  Emily Elizabeth Holman was an accomplished architect who preferred using her initials so as not to disclose her gender.   Matilda “Tillie May” Forney followed in the steps of her newspaper publisher father John Forney. She made newspaper work her career at a time when women were barely tolerated in the newsroom.   Florence Cowanova was the ballet teacher all the little girls loved. Among her famed students: Zelda Fitzgerald, Imogene Coca, and Princess Grace.   Emmy Lou Lindgren married Harris Wofford in 1948 before going to live in India for 9 months. While Harris became one of JFK's “Best and Brightest,” under her married name Clare Wofford became a lynchpin in the successful formation of the Peace Corps.

Biographical Bytes from Bala: Laurel Hill West Stories #053 Architecture expanded during the 19th century period of European colonialization, ignoring influences from Asia and Africa. Although not buried at Laurel Hill, African American architect Julian Abele is thought to have designed mausoleums at both properties. Walter R. Livingston, Jr., interred at Laurel Hill West, is considered Philadelphia's top Black post-War architect; his masterwork is the Zion Baptist Church on North Broad Street. 

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #083, part 4   Mpozi Mshale Tolbert was a West Philadelphia native who became a beloved photojournalist and DJ in Indianapolis. Despite his 6'6" frame and waist-length dreadlocks, he was described by all who knew him as a gentle giant. Two murals of Mpozi exist in Indianapolis's Broad Ripple and Fountain Square neighborhoods, celebrating his life and work.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #083, part 3 Reverend John Komai, son of a Krahn chief, and his wife Julia Komai were prominent Liberians who fled their homeland during the 1989 coup, leaving behind their estate and enduring a perilous journey to Sierra Leone before resettling in the United States. John became a community leader for Liberian refugees in the U.S., working as a counselor and continuing efforts to support Liberian refugees. Julia was a political activist who had been jailed in 1979 for opposing human rights abuses and later served as Assistant Director of the African Unity Conference Center. Julia died in a car accident in 2004, and John survived but required lifelong care until his death in 2012.    

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #083, part 2 Leonard Leland Smalls was a Baptist minister who dedicated much of his life to prison ministry and community development. After military service and education at Virginia Union University, he was ordained in 1956 and became the first Black minister certified as a prison chaplain in Pennsylvania. He was active in civil rights, associated with figures like Martin Luther King Jr., and involved in political activism including a 1967 mayoral candidacy focused on consumer fraud issues.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #083, part 1 Frances “Mom” Williams was a dedicated community leader and advocate for seniors and the disabled in Philadelphia. Despite an unsuccessful run for City Council in 1979, her influence extended through her family and her activism, leaving a lasting impact on her city and community.

SNOWSTORM SPECIAL - EARLY RELEASE All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #083 for February 1, 2026 for Black History Month   Frances “Mom” Williams was a dedicated community leader and activist in Philadelphia who campaigned for City Council in 1979 with a focus on seniors and neighborhood safety. Her son Hardy and Grandson Anthony became State Senators. This segment will be released as a separate podcast on February 2nd.   Rev. Leonard Leland Smalls became the first Black minister certified as a prison chaplain in Pennsylvania. Smalls associated with Martin Luther King Jr. and local activists, though he described himself as not nonviolent. Released as separate podcast on February 3rd.    Liberian native Julia Komai was a political activist who became an outspoken advocate for human rights and had been imprisoned before escaping to the United States. She died in a car crash, along with a former Vice President of her native land. Separate podcast on February 4th.    Mpozi Mshade Tolbert was deeply admired in two cities: in Philadelphia, he captured iconic images of the hip-hop scene, while in Indianapolis he became a beloved photojournalist and DJ, known for his genial spirit, generosity, and influence on the arts community. Separate podcast on February 5th.  

Biographical Bytes from Bala: Laurel Hill West Stories #052 for mid-February 2026   Mary Scarpone Costanza was raised Roman Catholic. She claims she never met a Jew until she went to Temple University. After obtaining a degree in teaching, she developed an interest in art produced by victims of the Nazi Holocaust. It turned into her life work.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #082, part 5 In 18th- and 19th-century Pennsylvania, women played a central role in caring for the dying and the dead, performing tasks that combined practical, emotional, and ritual duties. Over time, the profession of undertaking evolved, becoming male-dominated and more specialized, reducing women's involvement in death care. Early undertakers often apprenticed from trades like cabinetmaking, expanding into funeral services; Samuel Patch Frankenfield was a notable example who developed a family undertaking business.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #082, part 4 Script by Russell Dodge, narration by Joe Lex Thomas Hewson Bache co-founded CHOP, the first children's hospital in the United States. He also served as a Major in the Medical Corps, where he was involved in the Gettysburg Campaign and remained with wounded soldiers even as a prisoner of war. Bache also served as curator of the Mütter Museum from 1866 to 1885 and oversaw significant acquisitions like the Joseph Hyrtl skull collection. He was also involved with the Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and Dumb.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill stories #082 for January, 2026 Happy 200th Birthday! Daniel Pabst Daniel Pabst was a prominent 19th-century Philadelphia cabinetmaker known for his exceptional craftsmanship and distinctive designs, blending traditional Victorian styles with emerging artistic movements. His work served affluent clients and reflected evolving furniture styles from Renaissance revival to Modern Gothic. His work done with Frank Furness has been unsurpassed.   

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #082, Part 2 Happy 200th Birthday! Henry Hagert: Prosecuting Catto's Accused Killer Octavius Valentine Catto was a pioneering African American leader and activist in Philadelphia during the Reconstruction era, advocating for civil rights, voting rights, and racial integration. His assassination in 1871 during violent election-day riots marked a significant and tragic moment in Black American history. The prosecution of his alleged killer, Frank Kelly, was led by Henry S. Hagert, a distinguished Philadelphia lawyer and district attorney known for his meticulous legal skills.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #082 for January 2026 - Happy 200th Birthday!  Part 1 - Martha Coston: She Had a Certain Flare Martha Coston significantly advanced maritime communication by developing pyrotechnic signal flares that could be seen day and night, improving naval operations and safety at sea. Ships originally used signal flags and lanterns to communicate, but these were limited by visibility and weather conditions, especially at night. Martha received her first patent in 1859, initially in Benjamin's name, and after extensive testing and negotiations, the U.S. Navy purchased her patent in 1861 during the Civil War. Coston flares were crucial for naval communication, identifying friend or foe, and aiding in rescue operations, remaining in use until marine radios emerged in the 1930s. Martha and her sons expanded the business internationally, supplying various navies and services, with family members continuing operations into the late 19th century. Martha Coston died in 1904, with her invention enduring for decades; she was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006. 

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #082 for January 1, 2026 It's January! Time for our annual 200th Birthday Bash for people born in 1826. After Martha Coston was widowed at age 21, she used her husbands notes and reputation to invent airborne signal flares that saved hundreds of lives. Henry Hagert was assistant District Attorney for the City of Philadelphia when he prosecuted a man for the murder of Civil Rights Activist Octavius V. Catto. Daniel Pabst was the finest cabinetmaker in town and people waited years for him to create their household masterpieces, many of which are today in museums.  Dr. Thomas Hewson Bache was a co-founder of Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania, curator at the Mutter Museum, and a battlefield surgeon at Gettysburg. He was also Benjamin Franklin's great-great-grandson. Military historian Russ Dodge researched this one. Samuel Frankenfield was a German immigrant carpenter who discovered there was money to be made as a coffin builder and successfully switched professions from carpenter to mortician.  All were born in 1826. 

Biographical Bytes from Bala: Laurel Hill West Stories #051, Part 4   James "Jimmy" Bland is NOT buried at Laurel Hill, but he serves as a logical link between minstrelsy and mummery. Many people called him the "Black Stephen Foster," and songs he wrote like "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" and "Hand me down My Walking Cane" have become standards. One of his more popular tunes, "Oh Dem Golden Slippers" became the theme song for Philadelphia Mummers. 

Biographical Bytes from Bala: Laurel Hill West Stories #051, part 3   Born in 1848 in New York to French immigrant parents, Frank Dumont became a seminal figure in minstrel culture. He began to perform as a boy and joined Christy's Minstrels by 1862, a troupe that set the enduring standard format for minstrel shows: a semicircle stage arrangement with an interlocutor (emcee) in the center and end men characters Mr. Tambo and Mr. Bones at the sides. The interlocutor opened the show with the phrase, “Gentlemen, be seated,” which became iconic. Dumont later joined other minstrel troupes and eventually settled in Philadelphia around 1880, where he introduced popular songs such as “Silver Threads Among the Gold” and “When You and I Were Young, Maggie,” both significant sentimental ballads of the era. He "died with his boots on," as it were as he sat in the box office for a St. Patrick's Day matinee.

Biographical Bytes from Bala: Laurel Hill West Stories #051, part 2 E.F. Dixey & John Carncross were the bedrock of Philadelphia minstrelsy for more than 20 years. Many people did not feel a trip to the Quaker City was complete if they didn't make a stop at the 11th Street Burnt Cork Opera House. The podcast also discusses pigmentocracy, historical nonracial uses of blackface, scientific racism, Black Philadelphia society in the mid-19th century, and much more. 

Biographical Bytes from Bala: Laurel Hill West Stories #051, Part 1   Human performance has ancient roots in ritual, storytelling, music, and dance, evolving from prehistoric communal activities to formalized theater in ancient civilizations.   Mumming originated in pre-Christian seasonal rites involving masked performances symbolizing death and rebirth, later becoming popular folk dramas in medieval Europe with themes of good vs. evil and resurrection. Minstrels were traveling musicians and storytellers who entertained courts and villages, distinct from troubadours who focused on courtly love poetry.   In the 19th century, minstrel shows featured white performers in blackface who caricatured African Americans through music and comedy, and popularized certain instruments and songs but perpetuating harmful stereotypes. Minstrelsy influenced American entertainment forms but reinforced racist myths, using exaggerated dialects, stereotypical characters, and appropriated dances, with complex legacies acknowledged by modern scholarship.

Biographical Bytes from Bala #051 Philadelphia has been the home of Mummers for centuries and you can still see their antics every New Year's Day. For the latter part of the 19th century, Philadelphia was also the place to see a minstrel show. The Carncross & Dixey company made both of its owners rich men and provided entertainment for thousands of Philadelphians for mere pennies. Frank Dumont literally wrote the book on how to perform a minstrel show. Although James A. Bland is not buried at Laurel Hill, his music is still beloved by millions of people around the world, and one of his songs has been adopted by the Mummers as their theme. 

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #041, part 4   Benjamin Wood Richards' tenure as mayor coincided with challenges such as public health crises, infrastructure needs, and social tensions in Philadelphia. In 1819, Richards co-founded a large commission house in Philadelphia, a business acting as an intermediary for securities and commodities transactions, earning income through commissions.  He served in the Pennsylvania legislature in 1827, advocated for public schools, was a canal commissioner, and was appointed by President Andrew Jackson to direct the U.S. Bank and Mint.  Appointed mayor in 1829 and elected in 1830-31, wealthy merchant Stephen Girard died during his term. Richards helped found the Girard Trust Company in 1835, serving as its president until his death, with the bank later becoming Girard Bank. When Richards toured Europe, he was inspired by Paris's Père Lachaise Cemetery, and helped found Philadelphia's Laurel Hill Cemetery, where he was a major stakeholder.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #081, part 3 Nathan Dunn was born to Quaker parents in New Jersey. After early financial difficulties and disownment by the Philadelphia Quaker Meeting, he sailed to China around 1818 to rebuild his fortunes. In Canton, he gained respect by avoiding the opium trade and engaged in commerce involving tea, silks, porcelain, and other goods. In 1835 he joined with John Jay Smith and others to form Laurel Hill Cemetery, for which he served as primary financial backer.  Dunn's decade-long residence in China allowed him to collect a vast array of authentic Chinese artifacts, reflecting a broader American interest in understanding China beyond commerce. His collection later formed the basis of the Chinese Museum in Philadelphia, opened in 1838, one of the first American institutions dedicated exclusively to Chinese culture. The museum featured thousands of objects, life-size wax figures, dioramas, and detailed exhibits of daily life, religion, and governance in China. Dunn transferred the museum to London in 1842, where it was visited by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Late in life, he was accused of illegal homosexual activity and put on trial for the crime of sodomy. 

From All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #081, part 2 - released December 3, 2025.   When Laurel Hill Cemetery co-founder John Jay Smith died in 1881 at age 83, he left behind a significant legacy in Philadelphia's cultural and civic institutions. His obituary highlighted his diverse roles as librarian, editor, cemetery founder, and member of the Society of Friends, as well as his family lineage connected to other notable Philadelphia founders. Other accomplishments included introducing paper made from straw and inventing something that sounds suspiciously like the Book of the Month club a century before the real thing. 

Part 1 of All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #081: Laurel Hill - In the Beginning Inspired by the allegory of Old Mortality, Laurel Hill was founded in 1836 by John Jay Smith and other reform-minded citizens as a response to overcrowded urban graveyards and changing attitudes toward death and memorialization. Modeled after rural cemeteries like Paris's Père Lachaise, Laurel Hill emphasized scenic landscaping, remembrance, and inclusivity for various religious and social groups, although early regulations still reflected social prejudices. The founders established distinctive rules, invested in prominent sculptures and monuments, and promoted the cemetery through “celebrity corpses” and innovative designs by architects such as John Notman. Laurel Hill's development mirrored broader trends in American burial practices, the rural cemetery movement, and the expansion of non-sectarian spaces for commemoration and education, while also sparking debates about the relationship between beauty, solemnity, and social class in cemetery culture.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #081 for December 1, 2025 Laurel Hill Cemetery was founded in 1835 and opened in 1836 by four men with strikingly different backgrounds, but with a common cause - to give the people of Philadelphia a final resting place worthy of the "Athens of America."  John Jay Smith was a polymath librarian / horticulturalist who had a rather unpleasant experience in seeking the grave of a recently deceased daughter and vowed to change the way people commemorated their dead. Nathan Dunn was initially a failed merchant who regained his fortunes in the Chinese trade and became the financial backing for the cemetery corporation. Benjamin Richards was ex-mayor and a business partner of Smith's who on a trip to Europe was inspired by the revolutionary Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris to provide something similar in Philadelphia. Along the way you will also learn about Sir Walter Scott, varying splinter sects of Christianity like the Swedenborgians, what the Opium Wars were really about, the history and significance of The Library Company of Philadelphia, with a brief look at Chinese male-male love as commemorated in the legend of the Cut Sleeve. 

Lon Jourdet was an All-American footballer who also excelled at basketball. He spent 23 non-consecutive years as coach at Penn and captured more than 200 victories, but he left in 1943 with a bitter taste in his mouth for the University, which has come close to forgetting him. He ended his own life in 1959. 

Biographical Bytes from Bala: Laurel Hill West Stories #050 The sport basket ball started on the day James Naismith nailed 13 rules to a gymnasium door in Springfield Massachusetts. The game spread quickly, especially among college men (and women). University of Pennsylvania was an early adapter, and four Penn grads made their names in basketball.   Ellwood Rutschman was a decent player but found his niche as the first professional basketball referee. He set the standards for fairness and ethics in the sport.   "Kid" Keinath was the Quakers' second coach after serving as captain. He was followed by his good friend "Artie" Kiefaber, namesake of the MVP award.   Lon Jourdet won more games in the 20th century than any other Penn basketball coach and was an inventor of the zone defense. But the game passed him by, and his firing in 1943 left him an embittered man. 

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #080, Part 5   Hugh Craig, Jr., was a successful businessman whose life became the Troop, where he served both as treasurer and as quartermaster. The men loved him, and they still hold a "Hughie's Breakfast" at the conclusion of every deployment. 

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #080, Part 4   Joseph Lapsley Wilson is better remembered today for his arboretum than his troop membership. It still exists today as the Barnes Arboretum at St. Joseph's University. He introduced several species of Asian trees to the United States. His portrait by Thomas Eakins hangs in the Armory Museum. 

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #080, part 3   Archibald Loudon Snowden was a polymath who served as Captain of the Troop, as well as postmaster for the city, supervisor of the Philadelphia mint, ambassador to Spain, along with numerous other roles. His portrait is in the armory dining room, and his descendants entertain millions of people. 

All Bones Considered #080, Laurel Hill Stories, part 2   Fairman Rogers lived a life of elegant wealth, but made himself useful as an expert in many aspects of science, especially civil engineering. He was elected briefly as captain of the Troop. He also excelled was as a coachman, especially when he took his magnificent black and red four-in-hand through Fairmount Park. Philadelphia artist Thomas Eakins captured Rogers in a painting that is the first to accurately demonstrate motion in animals. 

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #080, part 1   The First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, or "First City Troop", was organized in 1774 as the Light Horse of the City of Philadelphia, often referred to as the Philadelphia Light Horse, one of the first patriotic military organizations established in the American Revolution. Although part of the National Guard system, it is a free-standing unit with its own uniforms and armory. It has served in virtually every war and skirmish ever entered by the United States. After a quarter century of service, it still proudly serves the American populace and the people of Philadelphia. 

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #080 November 1, 2025 First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, better known as First City Troop is in the midst of celebrating its semiquincentennial before the country does. Each segment will also be released separately.   Part 1 for November 2: a brief history of the First City Troop's First 150 years   Part 2 for November 3: Fairman Rogers was the finest coach driver in the land, especially the four-in-hand variety. His portrait by Thomas Eakins is a classic.   Part 3 for November 4: Archibald Loudon Snowden was a perfect example of a late-19th century polymath, becoming an expert in coin minting, the postal service, fire insurance, and Fairmount Park in addition to his years as a captain of the troop.   Part 4 for November 5: Joseph Lapsley Wilson quietly developed one of the finest arboretums in the country which continued under the care of Dr. Albert C. Barnes, who bought his property for a building in which to display his collection of artwork. It is now party of St. Joseph University.    Part 5 for November 6: Hugh Craig, Jr., was the grease that kept the troop moving and the glue that kept it together for more than 30 years, yet he lay in an unmarked grave at Laurel Hill East for more than a century. 

Biographical Bytes from Bala: Laurel Hill West Stories #049, part 4   Oscar Rosier had married the prettiest salesgirl in town, who soon bore him a child. But Oscar had a roving eye which was apparently set on his secretary, another beauty and purported friend of his wife. It did not end well for anyone. 

Biographical Bytes from Bala: Laurel Hill West Stories #049, part 3 Captain Clayton Erb decided to marry and produce an heir at age 50 and selected a young divorcee to serve as mistress of his Red Gables estate in Delaware County. When the woman's sister got involved, things went bad in a hurry. The court case revealed the mansion had been a house of horrors. 

Biographical Bytes from Bala: Laurel Hill West Stories #049, part 2   John Hobbs knew he was being stalked and told his brother that if he didn't leave town soon, he would be a dead man. He was proved right when the woman he was avoiding caught up with him at the train station. 

Biographical Bytes from Bala: Laurel Hill West Stories #049, part 1   Intimate Partner Violence dates to pre-biblical times and violence against women was sanctioned by laws until only recently. Up to 40% of all homicides involve a domestic partner. Men tend not to report abuse when it happens, although attitudes are changing. The adage that “Men are afraid women will laugh at them. Women are afraid men will kill them" is sometimes reversed. Here are three women who killed their intimate partner; their stories are anything but simple and straightforward. 

Biographical Bytes from Bala #049 John Hobbs was stalked and shot at a railway station in 1891 by a spurned lover. CPT Clayton Erb was shot and killed, either by his wife or his sister-in-law, during one of many knockdown drag-out battles that had occurred in the brief marriage at the Red Gables mansion in Delaware County. In 1922, businessman Oscar Rosier and his secretary Jerry were mortally wounded by Rosier's wife, who was thought to be the prettiest salesgirl in Philadelphia. Oscar lived long enough to write a will, which completely blocked his soon-to-be widow from his modest estate.   These three men were victims of mariticide. Their stories follow. 

ABC079, Part 6   The tale of the arsenic widows of Philadelphia will never be told fully, and hundreds of men may have died at their hands. Two of the women who looked the guiltiest were saved from a life in prison by brilliant African American defense attorney Raymond Pace Alexander. 

ABC #079, part 5   Victor "Babe" Andreoli was raised in East Falls in a large, hardworking family, but fell in with bad company and was sentenced to life in prison. It didn't go well.

ABC-079, part 3   Willie was one of six brothers in the crime business. They never bothered to affiliate with the Mafia, but three of the six brothers were picked off during gang wars. Willie was one of the victims. 

ABC079 - part 2   Potito "Little Petey" Bisciotti was on the lower rungs of the mob but wanted to move up in the numbers racket. A rendezvous with fellow gangsters led to his untimely death by sawed-off shotgun. 

ABC079, Part 1: How and Why Crime Emerged   In neighborhoods across the city, ethnic groups clashed over control of gambling operations, protection, the numbers racket, prostitution, and eventually bootlegging. These criminal enterprises weren't just about making money, but were also about gaining power and influence, sometimes even forging ties with local politicians and the police.

All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #079 This episode tells of Laurel Hill residents remembered today for their involvement with organized crime in the 1930s and 1940s. After the full podcast today, each segment will be released individually.   Petito "Little Petey" Bisciotti was a wannabe numbers man killed in what has become known as the Flag Day Massacre. Willie Lanzetti was one of six notorious brothers in constant legal troubles; he met his end in a gangland slaying before his body was cremated and the ashes scattered at Laurel Hill West. East Falls resident Victor “Babe” Andreoli was a cop-killer and Eastern State Penitentiary escapee who was gunned down at a breakfast café in Chester. Finally, you'll hear part of the long sordid tale of the arsenic poisoning for insurance ring that took dozens of lives in the late 1930s. Two of the accused with the most circumstantial evidence against them were found “not guilty” in their trials where they were represented by Raymond Pace Alexander. Let's get started.  

Biographical Bytes from Bala #048 Today, I shine a spotlight on an all-but-forgotten Philadelphia politician John Henry Fow, known as “Foghorn” for his stentorian voice and “Ducky” for his quirky walk. Fow was a tough lawyer with an uncanny knack for finding what was unconstitutional. He wasn't afraid to challenge accepted knowledge, and debunked the story behind the famous “Washington Crosses the Delaware” painting and seriously challenged the Betsy Ross flag anecdote. Fow's love for practical jokes kept his colleagues constantly on their toes, while his razor-sharp tongue silenced many rivals in court. Despite his outsized personality and invaluable contributions, his name has faded from public memory. Join me as we rediscover John Henry Fow—Foghorn for the Talk, Ducky for the Walk—and celebrate his impact on Pennsylvania history.

Part 5 of All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #078   Edgar Loftus was a Wharton grad who rose in the Army Air Corps to Lieutenant Colonel. On VE Day, he was ranking officer in charge when a small squadron of German Aces landing their aircraft at his air base to end their war. The story is remarkable. 

Part 4 of All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #078   Despite his very French name, Jacques Louis Francine was from a well-established Philadelphia family. HIs grandfather was a Union general, his father was the world's expert on tuberculosis. Jacques was the ultimate outdoorsman, collecting specimens for the Academy of Natural Sciences in northern Canada and starting a canoe camp. But he was also a decorated fighter pilot and bomber pilot with more than 30 missions to his name. He is buried in section V at Laurel Hill East. 

Part 3 of All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #078   In 1924, Danish-born Holger Hoiriis moved to the United States and bought an airplane. After barnstorming for a few years, he hitched up with German American photographer Otto Hillig who wanted to cross the ocean. Holgier thus became the first pilot to carry a paying customer across the Atlantic. He was also the first pilot to complete night airmail delivery for the US Postal service. After the war and when Holger was no longer around to confirm or deny, Otto spun a tale about being hijacked by Nazi agents in their hanger at Grossinger's in the Catskills.  This led to a futile treasure hunt more than 50 years later. Holger is buried at Laurel Hill East. 

Part 2 of All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #078 Beer heir Grover Cleveland Bergdoll was an early adaptor to flight and it is his Wright Brothers biplane that suspends from the ceiling of the Franklin Institute. He was also the most notorious American Draft Dodger during the Great War. You met Hobart Amory Hare "Hobey" Baker in an earlier podcast when fellow guide Paul Sookiasian and I talked about his athletic prowess; I return now to discuss his life as a pilot, and add new information uncovered only last year by ESPN. Benjamin Lee II eagerly shipped off to be a flier before he finished his college days at Penn. His plane went down and his body never found. He has a cenotaph at Laurel Hill East. 

Part 1 of All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #078 The first American balloon flight took place from Philadelphia, as did the great balloon riot of 1819. Thaddeus Lowe, who has relatives at Laurel Hill East, was the man who introduced the balloon to American warfare when he helped guide Union troops from 500 feet above the earth during the Battle of Fair Oaks. Until replaced by spy planes in the 20th century, balloons were one of the best surveillance tools in warfare. 

Thaddeus Lowe is not buried at Laurel Hill, but has many connections there. He was an balloon aeronaut during the Civil War, thus father of the United States Air Force.  Grover Cleveland Bergdoll's family is in a huge mausoleum at Laurel Hill West. An early student of the Wright brothers, he became a poster child for privilege when he dodged the draft during the Great War. Hobey Baker's athletic gifts made him a natural pilot, but he crashed and died on the day he was scheduled to return stateside. Benjamin Lee II eagerly awaited his opportunity for a dogfight, but he was killed during a training accident. Holger "Hold Your Horses" Hoiriis was a Danish American flyer who made history when he flew across the Atlantic with a paying customer. Jacques Louis Francine was an All-American boy who used his flying skills to explore wilderness regions of northern Canada. His wartime service was very impressive. Edgar Loftus was commanding officer at a European Air Base in the final days of the war when Hitler's Iron Eagle made a surprise landing at his base, but then perversely refused to surrender.  Fold up your tray table, fasten your seatbelt, and get ready as we take off into the world of pilots at Laurel Hill. 

Biographical Bytes from Bala #057 for mid-August 2025 Sara Louisa Oberholtzer was a feminist, an abolitionist, and a temperance advocate who helped establish school bank accounts for millions of American children during the "Thrift" movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her legacy for thrift in Philadelphia is second only to Benjamin Franklin's.