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The mystery plaque at the top of the Great Blue Hill
By adamg on Wed, 11/30/2011 - 5:02pm
Who was Daniel M. Casey and why is there a plaque in his memory at the top of the Hill?
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Comments
Mighty Casey?
That's the name of the Mighty Casey who struck out in the poem, but he died in the 1940s.
Different middle name, too
According to this article, the one who died in the 1940's was Daniel Henry Casey.
Nevermind
Multiple news stories from the mid-20th century say that his middle initial was indeed M.
real guy
He was a real person. Here's his entry in the Massachusetts Death Index, courtesy of ancestry.com:
Name: Daniel M Casey
Certificate: 036391
Death Place: Brockton
Death Date: 25 Jul 1994
Birth Place: Massachusetts
Birth Date: 20 Oct 1968
From the US Public Record Index I found out that he lived on Bower Road in Quincy and before that in some other towns nearby.
Lexis-Nexis only has the Patriot-Ledger from 1995 on and there's nothing I can find in the Globe. If someone wanted to spend a few hours digging through microfilm at the BPL they could probably find out a little bit more about him.
A loving friend
Danny was a great man with a huge heart. I have no idea why the plaque is there, but will always remember him fondly. A man who died far too young and tragically...
Always your little sis... XOXOXO
I tried to do some searching
I tried to do some searching today and couldn't find anyting out today other then that the poem may be from Henry Van Dyke instead of Von Dyke as the plaque says. I know the Friends of the Blue HIlls is interested in this as they have searched their records and they don't even know the origins of this memorial
A strikingly handsome young
A strikingly handsome young man walked into the office of a Hollywood agent with his resume and portfolio in hand. The agent reviewed the young man's slim resume and small portfolio with the care that was deserving of this fine young specimen.
"You have the very obvious good looks and excellent demeanor of an actor. Tell me, have you had any roles that I might be aware of."
"Other than the requisite high school and college plays, no sir," said the handsome young man.
"I dare say I know the reason why, with a name like yours," said the agent.
"Sir?"
"Your name. Penus Van Lesbian. That's not a name that will go far in Hollywood. I'd love to represent you, but you'll have to change your name."
"Sir," the handsome young man protested. "The Van Lesbian name was my father's, my grandfather's and his father's name. We have carried this name for generations and I will not change it for Hollywood or any other reason."
"If you won't change your name, I cannot represent you young man."
"Then I bid you farewell - my name will not change." With that, Penus Van Lesbian left the agents office never to return.
Five Years Later... The Hollywood agent returned to his office after lunch with some producers and shuffled through his mail. Mostly junk mail, trade journals and the like. There was one letter. He opened the envelope and removed the letter. As he unfolded the fine linen paper, a check dropped from the folds and onto his desk. He looked at the check. It was for 50,000 dollars!
He read the letter:
Several years ago, I entered your office determined to become an actor. You refused to represent me unless I changed my name. I objected, saying the Penus Van Lesbian name had been carried for generations and left your office. However, upon leaving, I chanced to reconsider my hastiness and after considerable reflection, I decided to heed your advice and endeavored to change my name. Now I am a famous actor with many roles and known to millions worldwide. Having achieved this fame and fortune, it is often that I think back to my meeting with you and your insistence that I change my name. I owe you a debt of gratitude, so please accept this check with my humble thanks, for it was your idea which has brought me to such wealth and fame.
Very Sincerely Yours,
Dick Van Dyke
whew!
..that was a lot of work.
I found this
I found this http://www.homefacts.com/offender-detail/MO975363/...
apparently he moved to Missouri and became a pedophile
You were *this* close!
Almost a perfect match - other than the facts that the above guy was born 18 years too early and isn't dead.
Guess the google "I feel lucky" button isn't always right.
From the Friends of BH website
John Paul Flaherty says:
December 1, 2011 at 12:51 am
'I worked with Dan Casey at the Blue Hill Ski Area in the late 1980′s
and early 1990′s. This was during the time when the slope was
being leased and run by the the Beers family including Stuart,
Stanley, Bob, and Gloria Beers. I worked as a part-time lift attendant.
We ran the chairlift and the old J bar lift together. He spent a lot
of time up there every season with various duties. These were great times
with the crews we had back then. Dan was a great kid. I would visit
the slope occasionally in the mid 90′s after I stopped working there.
One day I met his brother sitting in the lodge at the base and asked
about Dan. That was when I heard of his accidental death and learned
of the plaque later. I am sure a lot of people were involved with it.'
I hope the 'it' that a 'lot of people were involved with' was the plaque and not Mr. Casey's untimely demise.
Small world. I used to tend
Small world. I used to tend bar and the Beer brothers used to stop by. Nice guys, always wonder how they made any money on the hill. Thanks for solving this.
This is the reason for the
This is the reason for the plaque on blue Hills
Dan was my best friend and he did in fsct work for the ski area. Dan was very close to the Beers brothers and he had worked for them for several years. I'm glad that you came across this question and were able to answer it correctly.