Troy, New York: Uncle Sam's Gravesite

The idea of Uncle Sam essentially is a marketing campaign.

Sam Wilson was a meat packer in Troy when the United States bought his products to feed the troops during the War of 1812. Each crate was stamped "U.S." Somehow, that became known as an abbreviation for "Uncle Sam." It was an easy jump from there to the image of the guy in the star-spangled hat, who wanted YOU to join the U.S. Army.

Good old Mr. Wilson is buried in Troy's biggest cemetery, which overlooks Troy and the Hudson River. There is a statue of him downtown.