07 | City Cemetery | Dr. Lucifur and Sir Cecil Creape | Halloween | October 2018 Issue

Ghost stories, TV horror hosts, and cemeteries are visited in this Halloween-themed episode. Host Allen Forkum (editor of The Nashville Retrospect newspaper) interviews historian Fletch Coke about the history of Nashville City Cemetery and about the stories of people interred there, including Confederate generals, a mysterious woman buried under a boulder, a U.S. president, the man who named Old Glory, and notable Nashville historical figures. The cemetery is the city's oldest public grave yard, established in 1822. (Segment begins at 04:50)

The Captain William Driver monument is pictured in 1959. Driver is known for originating the name “Old Glory” for the American flag. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room)

This Nashville Banner photo shows the neglected state of City Cemetery in 1937. It accompanied an article headlined “Patriots Rest in Weeds” (see the July 2015 Nashville Retrospect). (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by John E. Hood)

In 1959, Mayor Ben West headed a major restoration of Nashville City Cemetery. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by Bill Goodman)

The Steele boulder monument is pictured in 1984. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room)

The 1908 survey map of Nashville City Cemetery has been crucial for locating graves at the site. Burial records up to 1846 were lost during the Civil War. (Image: Nashville City Cemetery Association, Metro Archives)

Also hear audio clips of Nashville’s legendary TV horror hosts, Dr. Lucifur and Sir Cecil Creape. Experts Jeff Thompson and Larry Underwood (Dr. Gangrene) relate the history of these local TV personalities who, from the ‘50s to the ‘80s, hosted late-night showings of monster movies. (Segment begins at 40:10)

Dr. Lucifur (Ken Bramming) as he appeared in the intro to his TV program “Shock Theater” of the 1950s and ’60s. Notice the “mystic circle” effect. (Image: Jeff Thompson)

Ken Bramming on the “Shock Theater” set called the Purple Grot