The 200 Year Old Unmarked Schodack Burial

The 200 Year Old Unmarked Schodack Burial Documenting the unexpected discovery of a 200-year-old burial on our property in East Schodack, NY.

Join us as we work with state archaeologists to uncover the history of this life and the mystery held within Cow Hill.

06/09/2026

🔍 Major Updates & A Massive Thank You! 🔍

We have some incredible—and incredibly busy—days ahead of us as we continue to uncover the history hidden right beneath our feet. Over the last few days, we’ve uncovered a few more pieces of the puzzle, including another partial skull and a few additional remains.

Before we share what’s next, we need to give a massive, heartfelt shout-out to Sarah Coyne with the Rensselaer County Medical Examiners Office.

Sarah has gone completely above and beyond to help us navigate this process and coordinate with the state. She has been to our home several times over the last few days to safely collect remains—including coming straight over right after landing from her vacation, still donning her Disney attire, and coming out on her days off! We are so incredibly grateful for her dedication, guidance, and support. Thank you, Sarah—you are absolutely amazing! 🙌✨

🗺️ What’s Happening Next:

To help us get a clearer picture of what else might be here, we have some exciting collaborations happening over the next two weeks:

This Saturday: A Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) specialist is volunteering their time to perform a comprehensive scan of the immediate area. This will let us "see" beneath the surface without disturbing the earth, helping us identify if there are any other potential burial sites nearby.

Next Week: The State Archaeologist will be coming out to the property to meticulously and respectfully excavate and remove the second set of remains for official preservation and study.

We are so grateful to the experts who are stepping up to help us navigate this properly. Stay tuned—we’ll keep sharing updates, photos, and insights as we learn more!

👇

Hello everyone,We know it has been quiet on this page lately, and we appreciate your patience while we’ve been busy behi...
06/06/2026

Hello everyone,

We know it has been quiet on this page lately, and we appreciate your patience while we’ve been busy behind the scenes. As many of you know, we have been working closely with Howard University and the archaeologists to process the initial discovery from last month. We are still eagerly awaiting the final report, which will provide us with more clarity regarding the individual found and the historical context of this site.

However, we have an important development to share. Last night, while working on the site, we discovered a second set of human remains only about five feet away from the first.
This finding potentially changes the scope of the site, suggesting there may be more here than initially thought. Please rest assured that we are continuing to handle this with the utmost respect and care. We have already reached out to our partners, and the archaeological team is scheduled to return to assess this new discovery and help us determine the appropriate next steps.

We are committed to sharing information as we learn more. Thank you for following along as we work to honor and uncover this important piece of history. We will keep you updated as soon as we have more news to share.

PROJECT UPDATE: A Major Step Forward for the Schodack DiscoveryWe have some incredible news to share! As many of you kno...
05/02/2026

PROJECT UPDATE: A Major Step Forward for the Schodack Discovery

We have some incredible news to share! As many of you know, we’ve been working hard to ensure the remains found on our property are handled with the highest level of respect and historical accuracy.

The Big News:
We officially heard back from Howard University in Washington DC. Dr. Marie has recognized the "significant historical and cultural value" of this site and is bringing in top experts—including anthropologists who have worked with the world-renowned W. Montague Cobb Research Laboratory.

Having this level of academic support means that the story of the person we found will be told accurately and professionally.

What the Evidence is Telling Us:
My wife and I have been living in the town records lately, and the "paper trail" is starting to connect with the physical site in a very specific way:

• The 800-Foot Gap: The site isn't near the original farmstead. It’s nearly 800 feet away, tucked into a raised dirt berm on our southern border.

• The Property Line: This berm follows a historic boundary line mentioned as far back as an 1851 deed. In that era, the edges of the property were often the only places set aside for those who weren't part of the "main" family circle.

• Humble Origins: While we found hand-forged coffin nails, the total lack of jewelry, brass buttons, or formal hardware tells a story of a very simple, humble burial.

What’s Next?
We are currently refining the script for our first video, where we’ll walk you through how we made the discovery, the site and the specific research that makes us believe this was not a traditional family burial plot.

Thank you all for following along and for your support. We’re committed to seeing this through the right way.

— Brian & Michaela

UPDATE: New Coordination with the State ArchaeologistExciting news to share with the group today! We had a very producti...
04/30/2026

UPDATE: New Coordination with the State Archaeologist

Exciting news to share with the group today! We had a very productive phone call with Dr. Christina Rieth, the State Archaeologist and Co-Director of the Cultural Resource Survey Program.

She has been catching up on the details of the discovery since returning to the office and is now officially our primary point of contact for the project moving forward. Here are the highlights from our conversation:

• Ongoing Analysis: While the official studies aren't quite finished yet, the team is actively working through the process.

• Collaboration: We had the chance to walk her through the independent research we’ve been doing. She expressed a high level of interest in the historical context we’ve uncovered so far.

• Next Steps: Dr. Rieth is looking forward to receiving the latest results from Lisa Anderson, the NYS Curator of Bioarchaeology who headed the excavation, to help piece together the full story.

We are thrilled to have this direct line of communication as we continue to coordinate the next steps for the site. It’s rewarding to see the state so engaged with the history we are all working to preserve here.

Stay tuned for more updates as we get them!

04/25/2026

The Paper Trail: Digging Through the Archives 📜🕵️‍♂️

While we wait for the official archaeology reports to be finalized, our search for the truth has moved from the soil to the archives.

Right now, we are 'digging' through:

• The Missing Pages: Analyzing the deed records that were previously torn out of the books.

• Census Records: Tracing the names of everyone who lived on this land 200+ years ago.

• Wills & Estates: Looking for mentions of laborers or property transfers that were never recorded on headstones.

• Cemetery Plots: Comparing who was buried with honors in the church plot versus who was left here on the 'Cow Hill’.

The mystery is getting deeper every day. We are determined to find the name that history tried to erase.

In the meantime, we want to hear from you!
Since there is so much incredible history in our area, have you ever found something 'cool' or mysterious on your land? Old foundations, hand-forged tools, or local legends? Drop your stories (and photos!) below! 👇"

Quick Update: The Research is Heating Up! 🔍📜We’ve been a bit quiet on the video front, but for a good reason—we are curr...
04/24/2026

Quick Update: The Research is Heating Up! 🔍📜

We’ve been a bit quiet on the video front, but for a good reason—we are currently buried in old maps and deeds! We’re uncovering some huge discoveries that are changing how we look at the history of the property and our area. In fact, some of the information we're finding is truly staggering and might come as a real shock to some people in our area!

We’re focusing 100% on connecting these dots right now so we can bring you the most accurate story and timeline with as few assumptions as possible. Hang tight—we plan to hopefully begin making videos next week or the following.

Thanks for sticking with us!

The Mystery & The Breakthrough 🕯️🕵️‍♂️We’ve had many requests for more site photos. While we’re sharing this journey wit...
04/22/2026

The Mystery & The Breakthrough 🕯️🕵️‍♂️

We’ve had many requests for more site photos. While we’re sharing this journey with you, we’ve decided to keep certain images—specifically those of the remains—private. This isn't just a discovery; it’s a person. We are committed to giving them the dignity they were denied 200 years ago.

But we have a MAJOR update on the paper trail...
After mentioning the pages torn out of the official records, someone from this group actually reached out to us with those missing pieces! 📜🗝️

This community is helping us bridge the gap between the prominent Woodworth family and the mystery of the 'Cow Hill.' While the family was buried with honors in a local East Greenbush church cemetery, we are now looking at the records that might help give this individual their name back.

Thank you for being our 'eyes and ears' as we piece this together.

Unlocking the History of the Land: The Woodworth Estate 🕵️‍♂️📜The County Clerk’s office just handed us a major piece of ...
04/21/2026

Unlocking the History of the Land: The Woodworth Estate 🕵️‍♂️📜

The County Clerk’s office just handed us a major piece of the puzzle. By diving into Deed Book 1—the very first volume of records for this county—we have finally identified the man who owned this land at the turn of the 18th century: Robert Woodworth.
Robert Woodworth was a powerful figure in early New York history, serving as a Revolutionary War Captain, a State Senator, and a County Judge. But finding his name has only highlighted the mystery we are living with.

Clarifying the Timeline:
Based on the hand-forged artifacts and the records we’ve found, we believe the burial on our property dates back to the era when Robert Woodworth or his son owned the farm. However, we want to be very clear: The individual we found was not a member of the Woodworth family. While the Woodworths were buried with honors and headstones in a maintained church cemetery, this person was left in an unmarked grave on a 'Gravel Hill. “Cow hill” as the locals know it. This tells us we are looking for someone whose life and story were kept separate from the family’s public legacy.

The Mystery in the Records:
As we traced the history at the Clerk's office, we found that the estate was eventually lost and sold at a public auction to a man named William Louis. Most mysteriously, we discovered that critical pages from this era have been physically torn out of the official records. Someone, long ago, seemingly didn't want the full details of this land—or the names of everyone who lived on it—to be remembered.

The Search Continues:
We are now moving our search to 18th-century census records and family wills. We aren't just researching property lines; we are trying to find the names of the people who lived and worked on this land so they are never forgotten again.
Stay tuned as we continue to follow the paper trail. The secrets of the Gravel Hill or as locals know it “cow hill” are finally coming to light.

04/20/2026

THE FIRST PIECE OF THE PUZZLE... 🗝️📜

We promised an update, and today the archives finally spoke.

My husband spent the morning at the County Clerk’s office diving into Deed Book 1—the very first records of our area’s history. We finally have a name that ties back to our property, a man of immense power in the late 1700s, but the discovery has only raised more questions.

The mystery deepens: We found that critical pages have been physically torn out of the original records. It seems like someone, long ago, didn't want the full story of this land to be told.

We are currently organizing the leads we have to show you the bigger picture that’s starting to emerge. Stay tuned—the history of the 'Gravel Hill' is about to get a whole lot more real.

Thank You, Schodack!My wife and I are truly floored—over 600 of you joined this page in just the first 8 hours. Thank yo...
04/19/2026

Thank You, Schodack!

My wife and I are truly floored—over 600 of you joined this page in just the first 8 hours. Thank you to our Schodack neighbors and the surrounding community for the overwhelming support and for sharing such a deep interest in the history of this land.

We know there are a lot of questions, and we want to be as transparent and respectful as possible. To keep everyone informed, we’ll be producing a series of videos documenting:

• The Initial Discovery: How we first uncovered the site during excavation.

• The Findings: What we are learning about the history of the site as we work alongside state experts.

• The Goal: Our plans to ensure these remains are handled with the dignity they deserve.

A quick note: Between managing the property and the ongoing coordination with the state, things are very busy on our end. We ask for your patience as we might be a bit slow to respond to comments or messages over the next couple of weeks, but we promise to keep the updates coming as soon as we can.

Our priority is honoring those who were here before us and sharing the story of this property on the Moordener Kill Creek. We are grateful to have you all along for the journey.

Stay tuned—more to come!

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