The Murder of Grace Brown

Because we have had many discussions about conflict within the Adirondack Park, I thought it would be interesting to explore the topic of murder. One of the more notable cases would be the murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette. Even though this murder occurred over a century ago, people have not forgotten about it, and the story lives on through the written word, on the screen, and in song.

To the left is Chester Gillette, and to the right is Grace Brown ("Chester Gillette").

On the evening of July 11, 1906, Chester took Grace out boating in Big Moose Lake. After having a concealed relationship with Grace for a year and learning she was pregnant, Chester arranged for the two of them to spend the weekend in the Adirondacks. Chester had received letters from Grace pressuring him to marry her, claiming that she knew he was with other women, and threatening to kill herself if he left her. Assuming Chester would propose to her—or even hold a secret wedding—Grace met with him. However, while they were out boating, Chester clubbed Grace with a tennis racquet and left her in the water to drown, knowing she could not swim (“Chester Gillette”). Grace’s body was found the next day, and Chester was quickly arrested in Inlet, a nearby town. Chester was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. He was executed by electrocution on March 30, 1908 at the Auburn Prison (Brandon).

A 2006 New York Times article discusses the legacy this murder left behind. On the 100^th year anniversary of Grace and her unborn child’s death, visitors travelled to Herkimer County for events that included boat tours on Big Moose Lake and the dedication of a historical marker at Grace’s gravesite in South Otselic. Throughout the summer, other events such as film screenings, readings of Grace’s letters, the reenactment of trials at the Herkimer County Courthouse, and lectures on the murder took place (York). The murder has provided inspiration for a long list of non-fiction books, novels, plays, motion pictures, television programs, songs, and even an opera. The murder was most prominently used as the basis for Theodore Dreiser’s 1925 novel An American Tragedy (Brandon). Although Grace’s life was cut short too soon, her memory is still alive, she hasn’t truly died just yet.

Works Cited

Brandon, Craig. “A famous murder mystery.” Murder in the Adirondacks. Van Haitsma Literary Agency, June 2006. Web. 7 Apr. 2015.

“Chester Gillette.” Murderpedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2015

York, Michelle. “Century After Murder, American Tragedy Draws Crowd.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 11 July 2006. Web. 7 Apr. 2015.