The best-known native of Vermont's Plymouth Notch is probably still President Calvin Coolidge.
But if you visit the little village's graveyard, someone else's grave is arguably more intriguing. At the bottom of the stone slab is the inscription "I Still Live." This is the final resting place of Achsa Sprague.
Sprague was a national celebrity in the years leading up to the Civil War. An abolitionist, an activist for women's rights, but first and foremost a spiritualist. She claimed to commune with angels and the dead, and she entranced large audiences across the country who came to listen to her speak.
Sprague is the subject of a new historical novel published by the Vermont Historical Society: "Seven Years of Grace: The Inspired Mission of Achsa W. Sprague." It's by author Sara Rath, who spent years researching her subject. Rath will be in Vermont in June for several events, including in Plymouth Notch on June 12th, when a state historic marker will be dedicated to Sprague.
