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All the United States New Jersey Rahway Grave of the Unknown Woman

Grave of the Unknown Woman

The final resting place of a famous 19th-century murder victim whose identity is still a mystery.

Rahway, New Jersey

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E.J. Hagadorn
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“An Unknown Woman.”   ejhagadorn / Atlas Obscura User
Rahway Cemetery.   ejhagadorn / Atlas Obscura User
The small city has been haunted by the mystery of the “Unknown Woman.”   Adam Moss
Rahway Cemetery   Matthew H Ward / Atlas Obscura User
Rahway Cemetery   Matthew H Ward / Atlas Obscura User
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About

March 25th, 1887 was a day that changed the town of Rahway, New Jersey, forever.

In the cold hours of the early morning, a group of four brothers were walking to work at the local felt mill. As they passed the Rahway River, they found a woman lying on the ground a few hundred feet from the Central Avenue Bridge. She was well dressed and had been carrying a basket of eggs. Most shocking of all, however, was the pool of frozen blood on the ground. Her throat had been cut, her hands were covered with defensive wounds, and half of her face had been smashed in.

While the police began an investigation, the story drew an unprecedented level of international attention. Headlines all over the United States and even in Europe and Australia were asking questions, looking for clues, and driving up the hype for all it was worth. The police offered rewards for information about the unknown woman, but for all the work they did, nothing positive ever developed.

Amazingly, even with all the international attention, the woman’s name could not be discovered. Even though the entire country and beyond knew about her, no one could identify the corpse. Over 10,000 people attended her service, but not a single friend or family member stepped forward. She has since been known as the "Unknown Woman."

The mystery remains unsolved to this day, though generations of amateur sleuths have taken up the torch. The woman was buried at the back of Rahway Cemetery, away from everyone else, because no one knew if she was virtuous. Her simple tombstone, its writing faded and obscured by time, reads, "An unknown woman, found dead March 25, 1887."

Related Tags

Mystery Murder Women Death Gravestones Cemeteries 19th Century Graves

Know Before You Go

The grave is in the back, furthest side from St. Georges Ave and towards water tower and Rahway Water Plant.

Community Contributors

Added By

ejhagadorn

Edited By

ilyakats, Kerry Wolfe, Matthew H Ward

  • ilyakats
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Matthew H Ward

Published

April 3, 2018

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Sources
  • http://www.nj.com/independentpress/index.ssf/2012/03/125th_anniversary_of_unknown_w.html
  • https://patch.com/new-jersey/woodbridge/murder-in-1887-rahway-author-of-the-unknown-woman-spe8ffb006f24
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rahway_Murder_of_1887
Grave of the Unknown Woman
1670 St George Ave
Rahway, New Jersey
United States
40.617715, -74.286241
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