Famous Residents Lewis Allen Dr. Ida Catherine Bender Louis L. Berger, Sr. Dorothy Goetz Berlin John Blocher Wilson S. Bissell Al Boasberg Willis Haviland Carrier George Cary Shirley Chisholm George Clinton Dr. Frederick Cook Jessica Brown Cornelius Joseph Dart August Esenwein Millard Fillmore Millard Powers Fillmore Mary Abigail Fillmore Caroline Carmichael McIntosh Fillmore Frank H. Goodyear Erastus Granger Charles W. Goodyear William Hengerer Katharine Pratt Horton Kathleen Howard Red Jacket Rick James Mary Elizabeth Johnson Rev. Leeland Newton Jones Jr. Edward Austin Kent Irvine Kittinger Edward Kleinhans Seymour H. Knox II Northrup Knox William P. Letchworth Daniel Lockwood Maria Love Brigadier General Albert Myer John R. Oishei Dr. Roswell Park Ely Parker George N. Pierce Samuel F. Pratt George Rand Mary Jane Rathbun Major General Bennet Riley Anna Katharine Green Rohlfs Aaron Rumsey Rev. Willie Brown Seals John N. Scatcherd Jacob Schoellkopf Col. George H. Selkirk Prince Kyril Scherbatow Sidney Shepard Elvin J. “Shep” Shepherd William J. Simon Jr Annie Singleton Rev. Bennett Smith, Jr. Alfred P. Southwick Elbridge Spaulding Margaret St. John Victoria Sutherland Mary Burnett Talbert Edwin R. Thomas Charles Townsend Margaret L. Wendt America Pinckney Peter Williams William Fargo

Victoria Sutherland

One of the "Singing Sutherland Sisters"

Victoria Sutherland Craw died on May 14, 1902.  She was one of the famous singing Sutherland Sisters—seven daughters of Fletcher and Mary Sutherland, from Cambria, New York.  The sisters seemed destined to occupy the limelight from childhood, as the quality of their singing voices became known far and wide.   A New York theatrical producer about to open a new theatre on Broadway induced the sisters to give a concert on opening night.  From that time on their fame grew.  They presented concerts throughout the State.  However, it was the loss of their father's hair that was destined to open a new channel for their activities.  Perturbed by his thinning hair, Fletcher Sutherland was determined to find a cure.  He created a hair growth tonic, and from their early childhood, his daughters groomed their hair with it - growing thick, healthy heads of hair.  Photographs of their flowing tresses, appearing like silken trains, were admired all over the country.  In 1882, the sisters signed a deal to tour with W.W. Coles Colossal Shows, and by 1884, the sisters had joined Barnum and Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth as a sideshow attraction.  P.T. Barnum himself dubbed them, “the seven most pleasing wonders of the world.”  Victoria had the longest hair of all the girls, a full 7 feet from the top of her head to the ends.  One fan offered her $2,500 to cut off all her hair.   She refused, but did sell one strand of hair to a jeweler for $25.  The jeweler then suspended a seven carat diamond from the hair, in his shop window.  Victoria was always considered a beauty.   In 1898, she married Wesley Craw, a 19-year-old preacher's son, when she was 49.  Her sisters were outraged and kicked her out of the family mansion. She was ostracized from them the rest of her short life.  She passed away in 1902 at age 53, at her residence in New York City.  Victoria Sutherland Craw is buried in section 1 in Forest Lawn.