In 2002, when I began covering relocation of the Mason Cemetery, I never imagined that a year later I’d be in the Smithsonian Institution as the remains believed to be those of planter and Confederate soldier Isaac Newton Mason were examined by a team of experts in...
he relocation of a 19th-century cemetery is underway in Giles County to make way for the future. When Giles County began work on its Industrial Park South project, the Mason Cemetery was identified in an overgrown clump of trees on Amos Hamlett Road. Containing 22...
Metal Coffins Were Expensive But Available in 19th Century Metal burial cases, which began to be used in Giles County in the 1850s, redefined the terminology of dead body containers away from the harsh connotations of “coffins.” The mummy-shaped cases had luxurious...
Dr. Larry Cartmell Explains Autopsy Findings in the Isaac Newton Mason Case An important member of the team of scientists and historians who studied the 142-year-old remains of Isaac Newton Mason was Dr. Larry Cartmell, a general pathologist from Ada, Okla., who is...
Of the six metal caskets found in 2002 during the relocation of the Mason Cemetery, only the one believed to be Isaac Newton Mason remained sealed and intact. Although a portion of the tombstone was missing, the body was buried directly beside I.N. Mason’s parents and...
