When Roger Williams's remains were exhumed in 1860, workers found an apple-tree root growing through the old grave in a shape interpreted as resembling a human body. The preserved "root that ate Roger Williams" belongs to the Rhode Island Historical Society and has been displayed at the John Brown House Museum. As of September 2026 the museum lists the root as temporarily off-view for exhibit maintenance, so check before visiting specifically for it.
Filed under weird history: real events too strange to have made the textbook.