Oliver Winchester

Birth Name:
Oliver Fisher Winchester
Birth Date:
November 30, 1810
Birth Place:
Boston, Massachusetts
Death Date:
December 10, 1880
Place of Death:
New Haven, Connecticut
Age:
70
Cause of Death:
Long term illness
Cemetery Name:
Evergreen Cemetery
Claim to Fame:
Business and Finance
Associates:
Oliver Fisher Winchester was an American businessman and politician, best known as the founder of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in New Haven, Connecticut. Interesting to note that repeating rifles were used to some extent in the American Civil War. However, the United States Army at that time did not use many repeating rifles as they were expensive and too advanced for the outdated tactics used in the war. Repeating rifles were not widely used until after the war when they became increasingly popular with civilians. Military authorities concentrated primarily on perfecting breech-loading single shot rifles for many more years. With thousands of rifles in the hands of the average pioneer, the Winchester repeating rifles gained a reputation as "The Gun that Won the West". Oliver Winchester was also active in politics, serving as a New Haven City Commissioner, Republican Presidential elector in 1864, and as Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut from 1866 to 1867.

Fun Facts

When Oliver Winchester died on December 10, 1880, his ownership in the company passed to his son, William Wirt Winchester, who died of tuberculosis just four months later. William’s wife, Sarah, moved to San Jose, California, where she began building the infamous  mansion now known as the Winchester Mystery House with her inheritance.

William and Sarah Winchester are buried just a short walk down the road from Oliver’s final resting place.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Evergreen Cemetery

769 Ella T Grasso Blvd

New Haven, Connecticut, 06519

USA

North America

Map:

Map of Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut
Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut

Grave Location:

Highland Avenue, Plot 64, Grave 16

Grave Location Description

As you enter the cemetery drive straight ahead until the road ends. Turn right and take the second road from the left up the hill – this is Highland Avenue (if you are level with the lake you took the wrong road). Drive up the hill and as it veers to the right look for the Winchester Family monument on your right.

Grave Location GPS

41.30083839, -72.94815271

Visiting The Grave:

Photos:

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FAQ's

Oliver Winchester was born on November 30, 1810.

Oliver Winchester was born in Boston, Massachusetts.

Oliver Winchester died on December 10, 1880.

Oliver Winchester died in New Haven, Connecticut.

Oliver Winchester was 70.

The cause of death was Long term illness.

Oliver Winchester's grave is in Evergreen Cemetery

Read More About Oliver Winchester:

Videos Featuring Oliver Winchester:

Watch YouTube video titled The History of Winchester Repeating Arms
The History of Winchester Repeating Arms
Watch YouTube video titled Winchester Repeating Arms - Historic Gun Factory - Let’s Step Back In Time
Winchester Repeating Arms - Historic Gun Factory - Let’s Step Back In Time
Watch YouTube video titled Pawn Stars: Raw Deal for Rare & Historic 1886 Rifle
Pawn Stars: Raw Deal for Rare & Historic 1886 Rifle
Watch YouTube video titled The History Of Winchester Rifle - The Best Gun In The West
The History Of Winchester Rifle - The Best Gun In The West
Watch YouTube video titled Winchester History - 150 Years of Winchester
Winchester History - 150 Years of Winchester

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Howard Hughes

popular name: Howard Hughes

date_of_death: April 5, 1976

age: 70

cause_of_death: Kidney failure in part from the effects of a meagre diet and long-term prescription drug abuse

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: Howard Hughes inherited a small fortune in the tool and die manufacturer business and pursued his passions for aviation and motion-picture production and as a director to create an enormous fortune and celebrity. But they say money doesn't solve all your problems and after a spectacular crash landing in Beverly Hills, California and subsequent drug addiction, he gained celebrity from his eccentricities and reclusiveness as he descended into madness.

Charles Gulden

popular name: Charles Gulden

date_of_death: August 15, 1916

age: 72

cause_of_death: Extended illness

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: Charles Gulden is known as "The Father of American Mustard" and the founder of Gulden's. Gulden's is the third largest American manufacturer of mustard, after French's and Grey Poupon. It is the oldest continuously operating mustard brand in the United States. Gulden's mustard won awards in 1869 and 1883. It also earned awards at the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago 1893, the Exposition Universelle, Paris 1900, the Sesquicentennial International Exposition in Philadelphia in 1926, and the Napa Valley Mustard Festival in 2005. Charles Gulden's grave can be found within the impressive Gulden mausoleum at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.

Sarah Winchester

popular name: Sarah Winchester

date_of_death: September 5, 1922

age: 83

cause_of_death: Congestive heart failure

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: Sarah Winchester was an American heiress who amassed great wealth after the death of her husband, William Wirt Winchester (son of Winchester Repeating Arms Company founder Oliver Winchester). Her inheritance included $20 million ($606.5 million in 2022) as well as a 50% holding in the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, which made her one of the wealthiest women in the world at the time. Sarah Winchester was, supposedly, so racked with guilt and haunted by the spirits of those killed by the Winchester firearms that she started building a house in California because a medium advised her that endless building would appease the dead. Construction, which continued 24 hours per day 7 days a week, only stopped when she died. The only problem with this narrative is that it is 100% completely false. And to make matters worse, the owners of the Winchester Mystery House continue to this day to repeat this myth to thousands of visitors every day to the home in San Jose. The fact of the matter is Sarah Winchester was not a crazy, guilt-ridden millionaire who sought guidence from ghost whispers, but rather she was highly educated, spoke multiple languages fluently, and moved to California for her health. She purchased a modest (by her standards) farmhouse and started work on her architectual marval. Aside from its immense size and Victorian style architecture, the House has a number of unique characteristics. To begin, it is undeniably a labyrinth. There are literally miles of maze-like corridors and twisting hallways, some of which have dead ends—forcing the traveler to turn around and back-up. There are also some centrally located passages and stairways that serve as shortcuts allowing a virtual leap from one side of the House to the other. Although Sarah’s labyrinthine House serves the same function as the ancient prototypes, her labyrinth is more a symbolic introductory step into her puzzle. The greatest test for the initiate lies in his ability to understand and identify Mrs. Winchester’s remarkable mix of symbols and numbered code. Sarah’s love of Geometry and specific symmetric numbers is prominently displayed throughout the House. When Winchester died in 1922 the house had 160 rooms, 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 stairways, 47 fireplaces, 13 bathrooms, and 6 kitchens.

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