The Chair in the Gray Acre: Who Left Wade Gray's Name?

The Chair in the Gray Acre: Who Left Wade Gray's Name?

A weathered ladder-back chair appeared on unplowed soil in May 2011 with no footprints, no tire tracks, and a folded note reading four words and a name: His name was Wade Gray and he sat here. Why was a chair dated to the early twentieth century placed on a field that had not been tilled for 140 years, pointing back to a man who vanished in 1871?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from Alice Parker's discovery to the archival trail that connects the chair to the Gray family and town records. The episode follows the field's ownership, the 1871 survey and selectmen's minutes, and the gaps that leave one central question: who left Wade Gray's name on that chair - and why?

Person: Wade Gray
Date: May 9, 2011
Location: eastern edge of an unplowed field outside Kellerton
Event: disappearance (last seen May 1, 1871) and chair discovery
Author: Paul Hamilton (published reconstruction eleven months before the chair)

- The chair was found on May 9, 2011, on ground that had not been plowed in over a century.
- The note on the chair contained four words and the name "Wade Gray."
- Wade Gray was last confirmed seen on May 1, 1871, carrying a chair east on the gravel road.
- The eastern field measured eighteen and a half acres and had a reversion clause if left unplanted for one growing season.
- The selectmen's vote to finalize the survey occurred April 28, 1871, and the survey was finalized May 28, 1871, with August Poole dissenting before his death on May 14.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.