Wayne, New Jersey - Grave of Lad, a Dog

Wayne, New Jersey - Grave of Lad, a Dog

America's first dog celebrity is buried on an old estate named Sunnybank -- now a small park -- on the western shore of Pompton Lake. Roadsideamerica.com Report...

Wayne, New Jersey - Lad A Dog - Soaked But Not Forgotten

Albert Payson Terhune did NOT write childrens' books. While children loved his stories, Terhune never wrote down to their level. In August of 2005, Lad's grave was fully restored -- paid for by the sale of my 2005 Sunnybank Calendar (created as a fund-raiser for Sunnybank).

Because time and the elements have destroyed many trees on the hill above where the house once stood, when it rains, the water floods its way down the hill and over the lower-lying grounds. Lad's grave is one of the areas that get absolutely soaked; the meadow also fills up so that the water is more than ankle deep. On the hillside (as you call it), where many of Terhune's dogs rest -- the area is called Champion Rock -- it will get soaked with water because of the lack of the aforementioned root system but the lower lying ground suffers the most in a storm. [Marilyn R. Horowitz, 09/08/2006]