@lilyb85
by lilyb85
Unearthing the Vampire Legend of Rhode Island’s Mercy Brown
February 25, 2024 in Folklore, Hauntings, Superstition
From the dark corners of Rhode Island’s history comes the chilling tale of Mercy Brown, a young woman from Exeter, whose story weaves together the threads of 19th-century superstitions and the devastating grip of tuberculosis.
The late 1800s were marked by the ominous presence of tuberculosis, otherwise referred to as “consumption”. This merciless disease claimed the lives of many as communities grappled with the mystery surrounding its spread. In Exeter, the Brown family faced the harsh reality of this insidious illness when it claimed the life of Mary Eliza, followed by her daughter, Mercy, and then her son, Edwin.
Desperation can lead people to embrace extraordinary beliefs, and the Brown family was no exception. Fueled by a combination of grief and the pervasive fear of tuberculosis, they turned to an unsettling practice of exhuming the bodies of their deceased loved ones.
In March of 1892, with the hope of finding an explanation for the relentless spread of tuberculosis within their family, the Browns exhumed the body of Mercy. To their shock, they believed they found signs of vampirism – the lack of decomposition and blood near her mouth.
News of Mercy Brown’s exhumation spread like wildfire, capturing the imagination of the public and sensationalizing the tragedy. Some saw it as evidence of a vampire’s curse, while others viewed it as a desperate attempt to make sense of an unfathomable disease.
The tale of Mercy Brown reflects a blend of scientific ignorance, superstition, and communal fears prevalent in the 19th century, but as we unravel the chilling details, one question lingers: Is there truth to this story, or are its supernatural elements just another urban legend?
by lilyb85
Is Vermont’s Most Haunted Site Just A Hoax?
May 28, 2023 in Hauntings, Hoaxes, Urban Legends, Vermont
Every time I would stop in Vermont, there was always a covered bridge along the way; The Quechee Covered Bridge and the Kissing Bridge at the Vermont Country Store, to name a few. You can find hundreds of them on postcards and all over social media, as Vermont is home to more of them than any other state. But there is one that I’ve been to that sticks out above the rest, and there’s a haunted story behind it.
Built in 1844, the Gold Brook Covered Bridge, better known as Emily’s Bridge, looks like any other covered bridge in Vermont. Located in Stowe, it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. But the story is this: a young woman named Emily goes to the bridge where she was jilted by her lover, then takes her own life off the bridge. However, the story changes depending on who you ask. One says she hung herself off the bridge, another says she jumped off the bridge, she was driving her carriage too fast and went over, so on and so on. Now it’s been said that she haunts the bridge. The dates of when this took place are up for debate; some say it was in the 1800’s while others say the early 1900’s. A little confusing…
Over the years, visitors claim to have witnessed some paranormal activity, such as scratches randomly appearing on cars that have crossed the bridge, scratches on pedestrians, and apparitions, all happening mostly during the night hours of midnight and 3 am. And just like every other paranormal site I’ve researched, every ghost hunter from here to the Pacific has been there to investigate and document their experience.
The problem is, there is not a shred of historical evidence to prove Emily was ever a real person. One person has admitted to fabricating the story in the 1970’s, and local historians have all suggested that it’s just an old wives’ tale. Yet, people still insist that they have experienced the unexplained at this site, while many others have been there without incident.
Despite the legend behind it, the Gold Brook Covered Bridge is just another charming New England bridge on a brook. It would be a great storyline for a horror movie, and it’s a great pic to post on Instagram. It can be whatever you want it to be. Even though there is nothing to back up the story, it’s not to say that the bridge could be haunted, as many people have claimed. But if Emily didn’t exist, who is it?
by lilyb85
Ocean-Born Mary-A New England Folktale
May 10, 2023 in Conspiracies, Hauntings, Hoaxes, People, Psychic Phenomena, Urban Legends
The story of Ocean Born Mary is a spectacular tale that has been circulating for decades; a baby born at sea, it was said that her birth pulled on the heartstrings of the pirate who captured her ship, ultimately leading him to spare the lives of the passengers onboard. The narrative involves a lot of mystery and excitement, but over time, it has been discredited. So, if it’s fiction, what is the real story? What we do know is that she is a real person and that she lived most of her life in New Hampshire. But the story doesn’t end there…
She was born in July of1720, to Scottish-Irish immigrants James and Elizabeth Fulton, who were on a ship to New England to start a new life. While there is a story about the pirates invading the ship and threatening to kill the passengers on board, we’ll never know if that is really a fact, as most pirates preferred to capture their loot with as little violence as possible. The rest of the story is that the pirate captain asked her parents to name the girl Mary after his mother, but depending on who tells you this tale, it could have been the name of a girlfriend, too. The Fultons did name their daughter Mary, and it has been said that the pirate presented them with a length of green silk to be made into a dress for the child’s wedding day while sparing their lives.
Mary’s father died not long after arriving in Boston, and she and her mother moved to Londonderry, NH. She eventually got married (she did wear green silk to her wedding) and had five children with James Wallace. Mary spent the last sixteen years of her life living with one of her sons in Henniker, NH, where she passed away in 1814 at the age of 94. It was after her death that the story of her life turned into tales of hauntings and legends.
In 1917, a Wisconsin man by the name of Louis Roy came to Henniker looking for a home, where he found and moved into one of the homes of Mary’s sons. As time went on, he started spinning outlandish myths of romance and fairy tales, and that’s when the facts of her life became jumbled with fiction.
Roy started to allow tours of his home, where paying visitors would listen to stories about how Mary lived in the house and her love affair with the pirate who spared her life. He claimed that there was pirates’ gold buried in the property’s orchard, charging tourists and treasure-seekers to rent shovels to dig on the land. He even told stories of bodies being buried under the fireplace (no bodies were ever found). Roy went as far as to purchase period furniture for the home and claim that the items were owned by Mary herself. When he began spinning more stories about seeing Mary’s ghost in a rocking chair, popular New England publications jumped at the chance to report on his dramatic fables. Her story was even used as a plot for an illustrated children’s book. The famous Ed and Lorraine Warren, known for being the founders of the New England Society for Psychic Research, were invited by Roy to explore the home. They claimed that they felt the presence of Mary’s ghost and experienced being projected into the air. But it couldn’t have been Mary since it wasn’t her house, so who was it?
As time went on, the stories changed to the pirate seeking out Mary, building a house near her, and hiring her as his housekeeper. While it’s certainly a romantic story for the ages, the time frame doesn’t add up; the pirate would have been 100 years old, and no one really knows if he existed. Some claim his name was Don Pedro, and others say Phillip Babb, who was often associated with the Isles of Shoals. Some even say her husband was a pirate, which is far-fetched.
Roy sold the home in 1961 and died in 1965. As for the new owners, they have gone to great lengths to expose the facts, but that still hasn’t stopped the likes of paranormal enthusiasts and treasure hunters from seeking out the property. While the legend has proven to be just that, there seems to be more to the story than meets the eye. All of this has more to do with Louis Roy than Mary herself; he has a history with the home and is buried on the property. So, considering that his stories of Mary have proved to be fiction, could he be the one responsible for the haunting instead?
What are your thoughts?
by lilyb85
The Haunted History of the S.K. Pierce Mansion
April 22, 2023 in Hauntings, Massachusetts
When you walk up to it, the gray Victorian mansion with black shutters looks like something straight out of a horror flick. Housing a four-story tower with a paneled post in the center, along with the elaborately detailed woodwork on the exterior, the S.K. Pierce Mansion is reminiscent of the Addams Family and Psycho. Located at the corner of West Broadway and S. Main Street in Gardner, Massachusetts, the 7000-square-foot mansion boasts 11-foot ceilings, 10 bedrooms, and a sinister history of hauntings.
Considered one of the most haunted houses in New England, its somber origins acted as a catalyst for haunted activity. Sylvester K. Pierce, who owned a successful chair manufacturing business, built the home across the street from the site of this factory. But shortly after moving in, his wife, Susan, passed away from a bacterial illness; however, this would not be the only death to take placein the residence. Several years later, Pierce’s second wife, Ellen, would die at the home with Pierce himself following shortly after.
Upon his passing, Pierce’s mansion was left to his sons, who would see Edward take over the family business. However, it was not long untiltragedy struck again; Edward’s two-year-old daughter would also succumb to a mysterious bacterial infection like that of his first wife.
In the grip of the Great Depression, the family’s fortune would be depleted, forcing Edward to turn the mansion into a boarding house just to get by. It was during that time that the mansion became known for gambling, drinking, prostitution, and murder, seeing one man burned to death after his mattress mysteriously caught fire. Eventually, the house fell into disarray, and Edward reluctantly transferred ownership to a friend.
Since that time, residents and visitors claim to have witnessed many paranormal occurrences throughout the home, including a burning scent coming from the main bedroom, a child-like apparition playing in the rooms on the third floor, and even the spirit of the nanny who once cared for the Pierce children. While these entities have been described as “pleasant,” other, more menacing spirits would see to it that former owners abandoned the home.
When Edwin Gonzalez and Lillian Otero purchased the S.K. Pierce Mansion in 2009, they didn’t believe in ghosts, though their wits would soon be tested as they witnessed strange happenings, like phantom children running and playing throughout the residence, along with disembodied voices, footsteps, slamming of doors, and moving objects. The physical and mental toll was so overwhelming that they decided to move out and move in with a relative. It would be four years until a new owner took over the property and another seven years until renovations hadit up and running for tours, as before the purchase, there were discussions about demolishing the property. Now, after six years of research and work by the home’s late curator, Ken Watson, the S.K. Pierce Mansion has entered the National Register of Historic Places. With this, it is protected and here to stay.
According to the current home’s owner, Bob Conti, the waiting list to stay at the mansion was 7,000 prior to opening, and soon even longer with the plan to offer the mansion as a bed and breakfast.
Currently, the mansion runs tours daily except on Mondays. Visit their website SKHauntedVictorianMansion for more information and ticket sales.
Just a warning: due to the advanced paranormal activity, you would need to sign an injury waiver before entering. So, are you in?
Sources:
“the Historic and haunted SK Pierce Mansion”, thegardnernews.com
by lilyb85
A Young Man’s Grave Lies in the Middle of This Beachside Road
March 7, 2023 in Uncategorized
It looked like a pedestrian island in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
Driving on Canova Drive in New Smyrna Beach, FL, a quaint seaside town known for its beaches and downtown areas such as nearby Flagler Ave., it wasn’t an area that you would expect to see such a sight. Surrounded by beautiful homes and the adjacent Indian River, the median was completely out of place. As you pull up closer to the island, you see cement blocks with chains surrounding what looks like a tomb…and that’s exactly what it was…
The area is the grave site of a 15-year-old boy named Charles Dummett, whose death 163 years ago is still a mystery to local historians. Dating back to before the Civil War, the grave site is registered in the National Register of Historic Places. Throughout the years, there have been numerous tales as to what happened to the young man.
The only son of Douglas Dummett and his wife Leandra, the first account suggests that Charles was shot and killed with his own gun during a freak hunting accident. Another account was that he committed suicide due to abuse at school over his mixed race (his father was white, and his mother was Seminole-Native American). No one knows what happened, and neither story has been confirmed or denied. Distraught over his son’s death, the elder Dummett had him laid to rest where he “fell”, which at the time was located on his 30-acre property.
Douglas was a prominent leader in the community; a plantation owner from nearby Ormond Beach, he was recognized for inventing a grafting technique with citrus seeds that led to Indian River Citrus. He was commander of the Mosquito Roarers, a volunteer group that worked with the U.S. Army in protecting plantations during the Second Seminole War. He was married prior, but the marriage ended with infidelity. Then he married Leandra Hernandez, who had their son Charles and three daughters- Louisa, Kate, and Mary.
Before he passed, Dummett sold the property where his son was buried to the town, which was then known as Coronado Beach. There was one condition: no one was allowed to disturb his son’s grave. During the 1960’s, a developer wanted to remove the grave to pave a new road. As cemeteries are protected under federal and state law, plus needing permission from the family, the idea was scrapped. Instead, they decided to pave around the grave site, where the local Historic Preservation Society and nearby neighbors continue to keep up with the site by laying flowers and flags throughout. An anonymous artist even went out of their way to create a small dog statue that now lieson the tomb.
Another strange twist to the story: the street itself is named after Judy Canova, a famous Hollywood comedienne known for her radio and film career. She was set to develop a trailer park on the property, but the city wouldn’t approve it. Instead, the street was named after her.
There are so many different facets to this story that we may never know the true answers. There are even accounts that there is nobody at all at the grave site. Regardless, locals and tourists still flock here to pay respect to a young man gone too soon.
by lilyb85
How Haunted is the Lizzie Borden House?
January 23, 2023 in Uncategorized
The sound of footsteps, doors slamming, chairs moving back and forth on their own, sights of ghostly figures moving between rooms, toys having a life of their own; these are some of the hauntings that have been reported at The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, Massachusetts.
The historic residence, considered one of the most haunted places in the U.S., is infamous for the double murder of Andrew and Abby Borden, Lizzie’s father and stepmother. On August 4, 1892, Andrew was found murdered while napping on a settee, and Abby was found slaughtered in one of the guest rooms. As the prime suspect, Borden was charged with the murders, but was later acquitted. After the trial, she moved out of the home, which has been operating as a bed and breakfast since 1996. Recently, it was purchased by Lance Zaal, CEO of US Ghost Adventures, which specializes in ghost tours throughout the U.S.
The house is open daily from 10 am to midnight, continuing to operate as a B&B with a museum offering House Tours, Ghost Tours, and Ghost Hunts. If you really want to live the experience, some accommodations include six rooms/suites, decorated to complement the late-Victorian period of the home. You can stay in the John V. Morse room, where Abby was found slashed with an ax, along with other bedrooms, including that of Lizzie and her sister, Emma.
Due to its violent history, the house has become a breeding ground for suspected paranormal activity, being featured in shows such as “Ghost Adventures” and “Kindred Spirits”. You can read stories on the home website, including videos and photos from guides and visitors all over the world recounting their experiences at the inn. Legend has it that spirits in the home can be bribed for silence, with young children (even the family patriarch can be swayed with coins and toys). According to the newest owner,Zaal, “It is haunted. Guests have experienced limbs or ears being pulled, and they have seen figures moving about in the rooms. A woman in a nightgown is often seen in the Andrew and Abby Suite, and this figure is believed to be Abby Borden.”
Knowing all of this, do you think you could handle a night in the Borden home?
Anyone who loves crime, history, and the paranormal will enjoy the experience the home offers. If you’re not a fan of engaging with ghosts overnight, day tours are a great alternative that still gives you an entertaining experience.