New England Ghost Stories

During the mid-1800's, a new religion began to sweep through America.  It was called the Spiritualist Movement.  And part of this Spiritualist Movement were the Eddy Brothers of Chittendon, VT.  The Eddys were descended from a long line of psychics. Six nights a week, the brothers would invite visitors to a séance in the Circle Room, where all sorts of strange things began to happen.  But was it all real?

Dover, Mass. is located about 15 miles southwest of Boston. It's also one of those towns where if you're looking for excitement, you have to head to a nearby city.  But in April of 1977, four teenagers spotted a creature the likes of which they had never seen before.  And has not been seen again to this day.

The word "Supernatural" doesn't always mean haunted.  It just refers to something that is apart from what is usual or normal, and that includes events of a religious nature such as stigmata. The first documented case of stigmata in the United States was Marie Rose Ferron, also known as “Little Rose.” Rose was born on May 24, 1902, in St. Germain de Grantham in Quebec, Canada.

The Saco River is a popular spot for camping, canoeing, kayaking and especially tubing.  But to do so does come at some risk.  The Saco River is known for its strong undertow, surprisingly deep gorges and rough rapids in some areas.  But there may be another reason to be careful: a curse.

The "legend" began in 1917 when Wisconsin native Louis "Gus" Roy, author of The Candle Book, and his mother moved to New Hampshire, looking to purchase a home with "history." He soon learned of how Mary Wallace had been born at sea and how the ship had been beset by pirates. He quickly purchased the colonial once owned by Ocean-Born Mary's son, Robert Wallace. Mary had lived in a different house a mile away with her son William, but Roy didn't let a little thing like facts stop him. He invented a fascinating story of Mary and her pirate benefactor, buried treasure, and a haunted house.

On Standish Street in Provincetown, Mass., there is a bed and breakfast called The Victoria House. This gay-friendly guest house has 19th century charm, free wifi, air conditioning, and continental breakfast is served daily on the patio. It is close to Commercial Street and its many restaurants, art galleries and kitchy shops. Or visit the Pilgrim Monument and Museum, take a dune buggy ride, or soak up some sun (and take a dip in the freezing cold Atlantic) at Herring Cove beach, all of which are close by. Oh, and it may also be haunted.

Over the holidays, a friend and I somehow got on the subject of Bigfoot, which led me to wonder if there had been any sightings here in New England. And it turns out, there have been plenty.

If you're looking for ghosts in Providence, RI, you really don't need to look any further than the Biltmore Hotel. The Biltmore was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Oh, and it was named “America’s Most Haunted Hotel” in 2000 by the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

Late in the summer of 1658, legend has it that an ominous-looking ship sailed into Lynn Harbor. It was painted black and bore no markings or a flag. The locals expected a raid by pirates. Instead, they watched as four of the pirates loaded a chest onto a small boat and rowed up the Saugus River. Eventually, British soldiers learned where the pirates were hiding and raided their camp. Three of them were caught and hung, but a fourth, Thomas Veal, escaped into the forest, taking the hoard of silver with him. Veal reportedly hid in the cave now known as Dungeon Rock.Then in 1852, Hiram Marble purchased the five acres of land around the cave after hearing the legends of the lost pirate treasure. Marble was part of the Spiritualist movement, believing he could communicate with the ghost of the pirate Thomas Veal and discover the location of the hidden treasure.

One of the biggest mysteries in York is that of Mary Nasson. Some sources claim that Mary was an old woman who was hung as a witch in the 1700's, and that her last name is Jason. Legend claims that Mary's ghost has been seen strolling through the graveyard, the noose still around her neck. Another story portrays her as an herbalist who helped her neighbors whenever they were sick. So, was she a witch or a healer?

In 1788, Nancy Barton was a sixteen-year old servant girl, working in the home of Colonel Joseph Whipple in Jefferson, New Hampshire. There she fell in love with a farmhand, Jim Swindell. She couldn't have been happier when Jim proposed. They eagerly planned to get married and settle in Portsmouth, NH. A thrifty girl, Nancy saved the money she'd earned working for Colonel Whipple. She entrusted her savings to her future husband. Maybe she should have waited until after he put a ring on it.

There's nothing like autumn in New England. The air is cooler and less humid. The leaves turn from green to golden yellow, bright orange, and vibrant red. You can drink in the musky smell of the fallen leaves, and hear them rustle and crunch beneath your feet as you walk through them. Perfect for a hike on Glastenbury Mountain in Vermont. But if you decide to hike the Long Trail, just don't go alone. You may never be heard from again, especially if you're wearing red.

With a population of under 2,000, the section of Burrillville. RI known as Harrisville is, for the most part, quiet and peaceful. Here you'll find the Harrisville Waterfalls, swimming in Spring Lake, and Colonial era farm houses. One such house is the Arnold Estate, but you might know it better as the Conjuring House.

As with most of New England, Mystic holds properties that are rich in stories. Land that was home to the Pequot and Mohawk peoples, witnessed the American Revolution and Civil War, and saw generations of families going about their lives. Whitehall Mansion is one of those properties. With so many lives passing through Whitehall, it's really no surprise that some of them may have stayed behind.Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

At Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT, you'll find the Charles W. Morgan, the last whaling ship and America’s oldest commercial ship still afloat. But whaling was a dangerous occupation, even on a lucky ship. Many whalers have lost their lives in pursuit of the whale oil used to fuel lamps of the day. Drownings, falls from the rigging, as well as numerous accidents and illnesses were common. With such long and perilous journeys, it's little wonder that some of the whalers decided to stay aboard.Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

The White Horse Tavern, in Newport, is the oldest tavern in Rhode Island, as well as the oldest "continuously operating" tavern in the United States, having served guests since 1673. It has also earned status as a National Historic Landmark in 1972. The White Horse has also been called the most haunted bar in Rhode Island.Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

The Berkshires have something for everyone, including ghost hunters. If you're of the ghost hunting set, you'll want to head to the Houghton Mansion in North Adams. On August 1, 1914, an automobile accident claimed the lives of four people. But their story did not end with Albert Houghton's death.Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Lake Champlain is 120 mile long body of water bordering Vermont, New York and Quebec, Canada. It is a Mecca for boating and fishing and other outdoor adventures. It is also home to 318 species of birds and 81 species of fish. Oh, and it's also home to its own Loch Ness-style monster, Champ. Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

The White Mountains. In the winter, they are New Hampshire's home for skiing, snowboarding, and all kinds of winter sports. In the summer, there's hiking, horseback riding, camping, rock climbing and zip lines. All surrounded by majestic scenery and incredible wildlife, such as moose, black bear, loons, fox, turkey, and rainbow trout. The Coppermine Trail in Franconia, NH is a great place to hike, but you don't want to live there. Along the trail, you may spy a cellar hole, the remnants of a long forgotten village, that failed to listen to the warnings given to them by the local Native Americans. Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

In this episode, we're going up north to the Pine Tree State of Maine. Next to the Meeting House is an old cemetery that holds the remains of Manchester's founding fathers. It is in the North Manchester Meeting House cemetery that you will find a boulder near the entrance with interesting markings. Some of the markings look like a set of human footprints. And the other, looks like a large, hoofed footprint. This is known as the Devil's Footprint.Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

The Leather Man was a French vagabond who spent 30 years traveling a circuit of 365 miles, from the Connecticut River to the Hudson River. From 1858 to 1889, the Leather Man walked in a clockwise direction, completing his route every 34 days. Residents in the towns he stopped in said that you could set your watch by him.Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

As we go through our own pandemic, it may be appropriate to visit the grand daddy of all pandemics, the Spanish Flu outbreak which raged from March 1918 - Spring 1919 in 3 separate waves. Over 100 years ago, the 1918 Pandemic of the Spanish Flu killed at least 50 million people worldwide.Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

How would you like to attend college in a haunted school? Well, if that thought appeals to you, you should definitely check out the University of Vermont in Burlington. Many of its buildings can give you an education in the paranormal.Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

In 1871, Louis Wagner was a mysterious loner, barely scratching out a living fishing the Maine and New Hampshire waters off the Isles of Shoals, when he had the good fortune to meet John Hontvet and his wife Maren. For two years John and Maren took a personal interest in seeing that Wagner was never in need of food or clothing, and hiring him to work on John’s prosperous fishing schooner, the Clara Bella. On the morning of March 6,1873, 147 years ago, the Hontvets discovered how their kindness was to be repaid.Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Approximately 30 miles from Manhattan is Stamford, CT. Stamford, which was incorporated as a city in 1893, is a part of the Greater New York metropolitan area and home to eight Fortune 500 companies. And like many cities on the east coast, Stamford has its own vibrant downtown district with restaurants and entertainment, museums, parks, and yes, ghosts.Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

When you think of pirates, warm tropical climates probably come to mind, but the islands off the coast of New England were popular hang-outs for the swashbuckling set. The Isles of Shoals off Portsmouth, New Hampshire was home to none other than Blackbeard.Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

By the turn of the 20th century, Newport was the summer home of many of the nation's wealthiest families, including the Vanderbilts, Astors, and the Bradleys. And some of them never left.Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

In northwest Massachusetts, below the Mohawk Trail, lies a railway tunnel named, The Hoosac Tunnel. The tunnel runs five miles through the Hoosac Mountain Range from North Adams on its west side, to Florida, Massachusetts on its east side. It took over 24 years, and the 193 lives. to complete the Hoosac Tunnel, earning it the nickname, “The Bloody Pit.”Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Dogtown is a Massachusetts ghost town between Gloucester and Rockport. It was once home to vagrants, wild dogs, witches, werewolves, and creepy dolls. Not to mention people who simply...disappear. Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Anawan Rock is just one of the creepy sites within the Bridgewater Triangle. The Bridgewater Triangle encompasses about 200 square miles in the Hockamock Swamp region. Hockamock is an Algonquin word for "Place where spirits dwell," however the Colonists preferred to call it The Devil's Swamp or the Devil's Bowl. Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

In honor of Thanksgiving Week, this episode of NE Ghost Stories will explore the history and hauntings in "America's Hometown," Plymouth, MA. We'll go back to where it all began, that very first Thanksgiving. Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

The Phantom of Rte. 44 was first written about in 1994, in the New England Ghost Files by Charles Turek Robinson. In his book, Robinson relates sightings, beginning in 1969. These incidents seemed to get more violent and terrifying as time went on. And all the experiences took place at 10 pm or later. The phantom is always described as being between 40-50 years of age, "well-built," having red hair and beard, and wearing a red plaid shirt. He doesn't say much, but is known to laugh maniacally. Which tends to freak people out even more.