LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending the Friends of Woodlawn Cemetery upon
the occasion of observing the 100th Anniversary of the death of Samuel
Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) on Saturday, April 24, 2010

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to
recognize and acknowledge those within our midst who have made signif-
icant contributions to the quality of life therein; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
the Friends of Woodlawn Cemetery upon the occasion of observing the
100th Anniversary of the death of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain)
on Saturday, April 24, 2010; and
WHEREAS, In his youth, Samuel Langhorne Clemens adopted the pen name
of Mark Twain, picked up from his days on the Mississippi River; the
term made reference to measuring the depth of the water to ensure it was
deep enough for steamboat passage; and
WHEREAS, Born on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri, Mark Twain's
ties to Elmira, New York, date back to the 1860s; he first met Elmira
native Charles J. Langdon on a ship to Egypt and the Holy Land, and this
meeting spawned a lifelong friendship; and
WHEREAS, In 1868, the Langdon Family invited Mr. Twain to their Elmira
home, which once stood on the corner of Church and Main Streets; it was
here where Mark Twain courted his future wife, Olivia Langdon; on Febru-
ary 2, 1870, Reverend Thomas K. Beecher wed the pair at the Langdon
home; and
WHEREAS, For many years, the couple divided their time between Hart-
ford, Connecticut and Elmira; Mark Twain's sister-in-law Susan Crane,
and her husband, Theodore owned a farmhouse on one of Elmira's many
surrounding hills; they called it Quarry Farm, and it was here that Mark
Twain and Olivia spent their summers for more than 20 years; and
WHEREAS, In the summer of 1874, the Cranes presented Mark Twain with a
unique octagonal study that sat on a knoll overlooking the valley; in
this cozy setting he wrote many of his most famous works including: A
TRAMP ABROAD, LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI, THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER,
ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER, and A CONNEC-
TICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT; and
WHEREAS, In 1904, Mark Twain's beloved wife Olivia, died in Florence,
Italy; he died on April 22, 1910, in Reading, Connecticut; Mark Twain
was laid to rest in the Langdon family plot in Woodlawn Cemetery along-
side his wife and children; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
the lives of those esteemed individuals of great renown who distin-
guished themselves through their life's work; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend the Friends of Woodlawn Cemetery upon the occasion of observing
the 100th Anniversary of the death of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark
Twain) on Saturday, April 24, 2010; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to The Friends of Woodlawn Cemetery.