What Happened When Rhode Island Opened Its Founder's Casket

We know Roger Williams to be a prominent figure in history, founding Rhode Island in 1636 and doing so as a refugee. Though his life inspired great movements, the final chapter of his story found its own unexpected twist in history.

Roger Williams body was supposedly buried in a yard behind his Providence house after he died in 1683.

Nearly 200 years after his death, a group from the community decided to give Roger Williams a proper burial.

However, when they went to open his casket, they discovered an unusual discovery. According to legend, an apple root had broken into Williams’ casket and inside of the remains. All that was left were nails, teeth and bone fragments.

The founding father of Rhode Island didn’t necessarily turn into an apple tree, but it’s assumed that the apple root ate the body. Upon discovery, the particular branch had a unique design and shape.

Where the root had entered the casket, it curved where Roger Williams’ head would have been and entered the chest cavity. From there, it grew down the spine to his legs and left the ends upturned like his feet.

Despite the uncanny discovery, the question still remains: did an apple tree really eat Roger Williams?

Unfortunately, there’s no saying whether or not this myth is true, but persuading New Englanders to believe otherwise might take some work. If there’s one true thing, it was that Roger Williams’ body definitely helped the tree grow tall and big.

The casket-eating branch doesn’t only stop six feet beneath the ground but has become an underscoring part of Roger Williams’s impact on Rhode Island.

Strangely, the root was uncovered to memorialize Rhode Island’s founder. Today, people can visit the infamous root on display at the Roger Williams National Memorial.

After all, it seems only fitting since it was the one thing left amongst his remains.