New England Legends Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger
Each week, legend hunter, author, and historian Jeff Belanger and radio host Ray Auger explore the ghosts, monsters, folklore, history, and legends of New England in this award-winning podcast. If you give us about ten minutes, we’ll give you something strange to talk about today. The bizarre is closer than you think!
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 182 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the shores of Portland, Maine, in search of the one-legged ghost of a British soldier who was allegedly shot here in October of 1775, shortly after British warships leveled the city as retribution for a rebellious uprising. This attack may have been more personal than business. This episode first aired September 19, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
In Episode 457, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to New Boston, New Hampshire, to explore ground zero where wealthy eccentric Roger Babson formed the Gravity Research Foundation. Their goal: to build a shield or a device to win the war against gravity. There may be more science here than science fiction!
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-457-roger-babsons-war-on-gravity/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 181 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit a Little Compton, Rhode Island, cemetery in search of the grave of Elizabeth, whose epitaph reads: Should have been the wife of Simeon Palmer. Elizabeth died in 1776. Was her epitaph an indication that she's still pining for Simeon, the guy who got away? Or is there something else behind the strange message? This episode first aired February 11, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 180 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the small town of Weare, New Hampshire, in search of three witches from the earliest days of the town. The stories were documented in 1888 by town historian William Little and include stories of spectral attacks, incredible feats of speed and strength, and dastardly deeds conducted women of the town. We try to figure out which witch is which in Weare. This episode first aired August 22, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 179 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger look for Long Pond in Glover, Vermont, because it was here in June of 1810 that miller Aaron Willson dealt with a horrible drought in a clever way. He had the brilliant idea of digging a trench from Long Pond to the nearby Barton River. What could possibly go wrong? This episode first aired September 5, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
In Episode 456, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate the strangest haunting case they've ever explored. Two events happened on November 22, 1963, 1,700 miles apart, and suddenly intertwined into two tragedies that would lead to a haunting on Route 31 in Holden, Massachusetts.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-456-lee-harvey-oswald-and-the-ghosts-who-haunt-the-causeway/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 178 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger search for a vampire buried in a tiny family cemetery in Cumberland, Rhode Island. In February of 1796, the father of Abigail Staples petitioned the town to exhume her body and perform some experiments in an effort to save his other daughter, Lavinia who was dying from consumption. Some believed if Abigail was indeed a vampire, perhaps they could break the spell to save Lavinia. This episode first aired February 6, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
In Episode 455, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore New Haven Harbor in Connecticut, searching for a haunted schooner named the "Robert P. King." Back in 1896, the story of the haunted ship made the newspapers. The ship's Captain, Parker Hall, claimed to hear voices, and said he couldn't keep a crew on board a haunted ship. However, we uncover Capt. Hall hid a deadly secret.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-455-the-haunted-ship-of-new-haven-harbor/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 177 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore a mysterious hill in Salem, New Hampshire, called America's Stonehenge. This stone site seems to be a celestial calendar that marks solstices, equinoxes, but also half-holidays. It's a sacred site that may be up to 4,000 years old. But who built it? Were human sacrifices practiced here? Stone sites like this one shake the foundation of our history books. This episode first aired January 10, 2019.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
In Episode 454, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hunt the woods of St. Albans, Vermont, searching for the site where Lawrence Brainerd shot and killed a legendary wolf that was terrorizing the region back in 1839. Today a monument stands in a remote section of the woods where the mighty beast fell.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-454-hunting-a-dire-wolf-in-vermont/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 176 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger celebrate Independence Day in Sharon, Massachusetts, exploring the story of a Revolutionary War hero who never achieved a fancy rank, but he made all the difference. His is a story not heard enough. It's an historical tale about a man who has risen to legend status because he didn't follow the rules, and that may have helped with the war. This episode first aired July 4, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
In Episode 452, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Rose Island off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island, to examine the dark history of an island that served as a military fort, quarantine hospital for the sick and dying, a haunted lighthouse, and the site of maritime disasters. Every bit of this 18-acre island is haunted.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-453-the-haunting-of-rose-island/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 175 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger spend Thanksgiving in a Whitman, Massachusetts, parking lot located between a fast food restaurant and a chain drug store in search of the sacred birthplace of the one of America's most beloved holiday baked goods: the Toll House Chocolate Chip cookie. In 1938, Ruth Wakefield's kitchen concoction turned from a happy accident into a nation-wide phenomenon. We'll find out how! This episode first aired November 26, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
In Episode 452, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the coast of Blue Hill, Maine, searching for the Old Stone House that was once the setting for a profound haunting. In 1906, the details of the chilling encounters first made the paper. The building has had a haunted reputation for over 150 years.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-452-the-restless-ghost-of-the-stone-house-tavern/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 174 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll down Charles Street in Newburyport, Massachusetts, searching for a haunted schoolhouse. Back in 1870, the schoolhouse ghosts kept this building in the newspapers for years to come, drawing in the curious and the skeptical. Much was published on the details of this on-going haunting that rattled the students and the poor teacher. This episode first aired February 4, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
In Episode 451, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a cemetery safari in Washington, New Hampshire, looking for the unique grave of Captain Samuel Jones—a man who, back in 1804, had a leg up (or maybe down) on all of us. Things get weird.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-451-captain-joness-grave-has-a-leg-up/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 173 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll downtown Willimantic, and nearby Windham, Connecticut, is search of a French and Indian War battle site that left thousands dead in July of 1758. The region has never forgotten, nor will it ever forgive those responsible for the slaughter. There are monuments to the battle, an opera written about it, and since September of 2000, a Willimantic bridge even tips its hat to those responsible lest we ever forget. This episode first aired August 29, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
In Episode 450, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to search the waters off the coast of Provincetown to search for a giant serpent. In 1886 a rash of sightings made the newspapers, but in 1939 a mysterious skeleton washed up on shore. This time the camera was ready. What could this giant skeleton belong to?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-450-the-giant-sea-serpent-of-provincetown/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 172 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Hospital Rock deep in the woods of Farmington, Connecticut. In the 1790s this was the site of a smallpox inoculation hospital. Smallpox was a plague that wiped out families and communities. Hundreds of people in the region came here for treatment, but 66 left their names etched in the stone as a testament to a plague. This episode first aired January 30, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
In Episode 449, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Veterans Memorial Park in Middletown, Connecticut, to pay their respects to a World War I Hero named Sgt. Stubby. Sgt. Stubby has a story like no other Sergeant in the history of the armed forces. He joined the 26th Yankee Division of the 102nd Infantry in New Haven, Connecticut, back in 1917. He saw battle, fought heroically, and made it home so we could hear about his tail.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-449-honoring-sgt-stubby/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 171 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to woods overlooking Brattleboro, Vermont, in search of the haunted Brattleboro Retreat Tower. Built in 1887, and towering 65 feet over the hills above town, the tower is said to be home to suicides from the nearby asylum, and now it's haunted. This episode first aired July 2, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
In Episode 448, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore a neighborhood in Montpelier, Vermont, searching for the former home of Dr. Lucy Cooke, better known as "Sleeping Lucy" the Clairvoyant Physician. Back in the 1860s, Lucy would place herself in a trance-like state, examine the insides of her patients, then recommend medicine based on her discoveries. Was she just a faith-healer, or the real deal?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-448-sleeping-lucy-the-clairvoyant-physician/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 169 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive up to Franconia, New Hampshire, in search of the ghost of an Old Man who they say cursed a quarter. This Old Man was last seen in 2003, and since then his ghost is said to still lurk in the White Mountains. This is no ordinary Old Man. This Old Man helped give the Granite State an identity. Live Free or Die! This episode first aired May 23, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
In Episode 447, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the Federal Hill section of Providence, Rhode Island, to witness the Macaroni Riots. Back in 1914 a series of riots took place when the price of macaroni and other foods skyrocketed due to an economic downturn and the outbreak of World War I. Though the name of the riots is funny, the violent riots were not. This story feels like it could be ripped out of today's headlines.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-447-the-macaroni-riots/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 169 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a drive up to Haunted House Curve in Hampton, New Hampshire. The stretch of road along Route 1 next to the General Moulton House has the ominous moniker not only because of the many car accidents reported there, but because the nearby house is said to be haunted. It's also the place where they say General Moulton made a deal with the devil. Check your mirrors and your breaks if you drive by! This episode first aired January 9, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 445, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Bucksport, Maine, searching for the ghost of Sarah Ware. Ware was murdered in 1898, yet her killer was never punished. We break down the crime, look at who may have done it, and explore the unusual circumstances surrounding her mortal remains. It's no wonder why she still haunts Bucksport.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-446-the-headless-ghost-of-sarah-ware/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 168 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel to the banks of the White River in Hartford, Vermont, searching for ghostly legends that dates back to 1887, when the Montreal Express train jumped the track just before bridge. The event led to a horrific loss of life, it changed the way the rail system operates, and left a stain on this region that can never be washed away. This episode first aired January 28, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 445, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive up to Hinsdale, New Hampshire, to watch a movie in Northfield, Massachusetts. How will they cross time and space to pull this off? They'll first have to travel back to the year 1948 to see how it all came together.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-445-drive-in-movie-madness/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 167 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike the woods surrounding the Cobble Mountain Reservoir in Blandford, Massachusetts, in search of a Bigfoot-type creature locally known as the Cobble Mountain Critter. Could this be the same Sasquatch that's been seen in the nearby Berkshires, or is it something weirder? This episode first aired June 18, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 444, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Ashburnham, Massachusetts, to visit ground zero where Betty Andreasson was allegedly abducted by a UFO on January 25, 1967. Her entire family witnessed a disturbing scene that winter evening. This close encounter of the fourth kind would be thoroughly investigated and come to be known at the Andreasson Affair.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-444-the-betty-andreasson-ufo-abduction/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 166 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel to Middlebury, Vermont, in search of a 4,000-year-old Egyptian Mummy buried in the ground. In 1886, Vermont collector Henry Sheldon (a man described as "a Yankee who never threw anything away"), played a significant role in bringing the body of young Prince Amun-Her-Khepesh-Ef to central Vermont. But after the little mummy arrived he was lost, and almost forgotten for the second time. Is the mummy still there? Is there a curse? This episode first aired December 27, 2018
In Episode 443, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the stone ruins of Gungywamp in the woods of Groton, Connecticut. This mysterious site could date back as much as 3,000 years and includes strange stone structures from the Native American period as well as the Colonial. Could there also be some European influence here from long before Columbus or the Vikings?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-443-the-mysteries-of-gungywamp/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 165 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Wethersfield, Connecticut, on the hunt for a ghost who has been haunting this town since December of 1782. Fresh off the heels of the American Revolution, wealthy merchant William Beadle has lost almost everything because he followed the law, and did the right thing. Once the new congress devalued his currency, he was broke, and couldn't live that… so he spent years plotting the murder of his entire family. This is a dark, downward spiral into insanity that led to America's first mass murder-suicide. This episode first aired April 18, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 442, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate the Connecticut River in Westminster, Vermont, searching for a 100-foot-long monster serpent that's been witnessed along the river for centuries. One of the earliest sightings led to a religious conversion to a historical figure. Is the beast still out there?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-442-the-connecticut-river-monster/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 164 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a drive up to Haunted House Curve in Hampton, New Hampshire. The stretch of road along Route 1 next to the General Moulton House has the ominous moniker not only because of the many car accidents reported there, but because the nearby house is said to be haunted. It's also the place where they say General Moulton made a deal with the devil. Check your mirrors and your breaks if you drive by! This episode first aired January 9, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 441, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Roger Williams Square in Providence, Rhode Island, to investigate the disappearance of Slate Rock (also called What Cheer Rock) – a landmark that was on its way to becoming Rhode Island's version of Plymouth Rock before it mysteriously vanished in 1877.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-441-rhode-islands-vanishing-slate-rock/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 163 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a drive to Campton, New Hampshire, to cross the cursed Blair Bridge. A picturesque covered wooden bridge that dates back to 1829, this structure has seen more than its share of tragedies. From the time Lem Parker burned it down because he said God told him to, to the time a doctor's horse drowned here, to the time Tropical Storm Irene fired tree limbs at the bridge like missiles, maybe this old bridge really is cursed? This episode first aired January 6, 2022
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 440, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Falmouth, Maine, to search for Edwin Robinson who was struck my lightning on June 4, 1980. It turns out, Robinson may just be the luckiest man in the history of Maine.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-440-the-luckiest-man-in-maine/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 162 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll down Brick Kiln Lane in Pembroke, Massachusetts, searching for a tapping ghost who was seen and heard over the span of years back in the 1940s. This ghost has ties to the old shipyard, which has ties to the Boston Tea Party. This ghostly experience was documented by local journalist Curt Norris in the 1980s. Could these taps come from the ghost of shipbuilder Barker Turner? This episode first aired September 9, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 439, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the ruins of Livermore, New Hampshire. A once bustling little logging town nestled in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, this village has seen fire, plague, and flood before the citizens finally walked away. What's left are the ruins and the ghosts.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-439-the-ghost-town-of-livermore/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 161 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a boat out to Wood Island off the coast of Biddeford, Maine, to the scene of a murder-suicide that occurred June 1, 1896 — a day that will haunt the island forever. The lighthouse keeper's quarters is said to be haunted as is the entire island. This episode first aired July 9, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 437, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate the former Malden Bank building in Malden, Massachusetts, to witness the site of America's first armed bank robbery that included a murder. On December 15, 1863, 17-year-old bank employee Frank Converse became the victim of a gunman who made off with thousands of dollars in the heist. But whodunit and why? The event still haunts the old building.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-438-the-face-that-witnessed-a-murder/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 160 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the Stratford, Connecticut, coast by the Stratford Point Lighthouse in search of a mermaid sighting that was reported in great detail by lighthouse keeper Theodore Judson in July of 1915. Mermaid fever had gripped the region decades earlier thanks to another local Connecticut guy name P.T. Barnum who introduced the world to the Feejee Mermaid in the 1840s. This episode first aired June 4, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 437, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Kings Island in Suffield, Connecticut. The island was once home to DeWitt Terry, A Seventh Day Adventist elder who believed the second coming of Christ, and thus the end of times was going to occur November 5, 1873 (spoilers: he was wrong). Over 100 people once gathered on this island to await the end.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-437-doomsday-island-in-the-connecticut-river/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 159 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the campus of Marlboro College in Vermont in search of the ghost of Emily Mather. They say Emily committed suicide after the man she loved took his own life because her parents forbade their romance. This story of star-crossed lovers still haunts the small campus today with strange paranormal activity and a haunting tale that's told to students each year. But is it true? This episode first aired July 25, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 436, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Benson, Vermont, to trace the origins of Frozen Charlotte dolls. The tiny dolls were popular in the latter half of the nineteenth century and exist because of a song, based on a poem, based on a news story, based on a tragic and creepy winter legend.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-436-frozen-charlotte/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 158 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the border town of Fort Fairfield, Maine, in search of Simeon Cary's gold-hunting chickens. In 1898, Cary was quietly using chickens to peck for gold just over the Canadian border. His technique was so strange, it made the news in July of 1899. This episode first aired August 8, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 435, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the legendary Ladd Observatory in Providence, Rhode Island, to explore its connection with a literary icon, possibly his ghost, and the method Providence used to keep time for 80 years.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-435-the-legendary-clock-of-providence/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 157 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger are back with an all-new episode! The guys hike to the waterfalls of Bristol, Vermont, in search of Hell's Half Acre, a place said to contain buried treasure guarded by the ghost of a little boy, and a ferocious Hell Hound. This episode first aired May 21, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 434, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the forests of Maine searching for the Skudakumooch, a cannibalistic ghost witch from Wabanaki legend. This dark and scary story endures through the ages where so many other legends have been lost.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-434-the-ghost-witch-of-maine/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 156 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the ruins of Fort William Henry near Pemaquid Beach, Maine, in search of a Native American ghost who dates back to the time of the King William's War. A horrible atrocity took place on these grounds, and they've been haunted ever since. Though many people know about the haunting, many have misidentified the ghost here. This episode first aired June 27, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 433, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike deep into the woods of Coös County, New Hampshire, searching for an eight-foot-tall, shaggy, grey-haired creature locals call: the wood devil. The stories have circulated throughout the 1900s. Could these creatures still be out there?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-433-the-wood-devils-of-coos-county/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Get your tickets to our 2026 Freak Formal, February 14, 2026, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Milford, Massachusetts, to benefit Project Just Because! Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/freak-formal-event-presented-by-new-england-legends-tickets-1980103869978
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 155 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Chestnut Hill Cemetery in Exeter, Rhode Island, in search of the mortal remains of Mercy Brown. Mercy died of Consumption on January 17, 1892. Three months later, her father had her heart and liver removed from her corpse so he could burn them to ashes and feed those ashes to his dying son. Why? Because some suspected Mercy was a vampire. This episode first aired March 28, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 432, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll the streets of downtown Worcester, Massachusetts, to see the epicenter of a profound UFO sighting that took place just before the Christmas holiday of 1909. A strange light circled the city and was witnessed by thousands. What could this strange craft have been?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-432-worcesters-christmas-ufo/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Get your tickets to our 2026 Freak Formal, February 14, 2026, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Milford, Massachusetts, to benefit Project Just Because! Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/freak-formal-event-presented-by-new-england-legends-tickets-1980103869978
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 154 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger dig through the history of Providence, Rhode Island, in search of the roots of the story behind a man-eating apple tree that devoured state founder Roger Williams. In 1860, Rhode Island historians exhumed the body of Williams and made a gruesome discovery. This episode first aired September 12, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 431, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive along Route 44 in Avon, Connecticut, searching for the Talcott Mountain Robot. In 1967, a robot or spaceman was seen late one night moving awkwardly and trying to get the attention of passing cars. The police received multiple calls on the sightings. Was it a prank? A spaceman? A real robot?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-431-the-talcott-mountain-robot/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Get your tickets to our 2026 Freak Formal, February 14, 2026, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Milford, Massachusetts, to benefit Project Just Because! Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/freak-formal-event-presented-by-new-england-legends-tickets-1980103869978
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 152 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger climb the cliffs over Hubbard Park in Meriden, Connecticut, in search of a mysterious black dog. They say if you see this mutt once, you'll find joy, see him twice and you'll find sorrow, but if you see him three times it means your death. Could this dog be connected to a different Connecticut legend? This episode first aired November 21, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 430, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger check out the ghosts of the historic Equinox Hotel in Manchester, Vermont. The earliest structure called the Marsh Tavern opened here in 1769. It's been some kind of inn and hotel ever since. U.S. Presidents have stayed here, as have other notable guests, including First lady Mary Todd Lincoln… some believe her spirit is still here. But she's not the only one. A former owner met a tragic end on these grounds.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-430-the-haunting-of-the-equinox/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Get your tickets to our 2026 Freak Formal, February 14, 2026, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Milford, Massachusetts, to benefit Project Just Because! Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/freak-formal-event-presented-by-new-england-legends-tickets-1980103869978
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 152 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive to the grounds of the old Fernald School in Waltham, Massachusetts, just in time for a radioactive bowl of Quaker Oatmeal. This is a facility with secrets. Back in the late 1940s a series of experiments was conducted on 74 boys between the ages of 10 and 17 to determine the nutritional effectiveness of oatmeal. The boys had no idea they were human guinea pigs until a declassified document shed light into the dark corners of the Fernald School. This episode first aired July 30, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 429, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the former Kent County Jail building in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Built in 1795, this jail has seen countless people come and go through the legal system, from drunks and debtors to murderers. Some of those spirits may have never left their jail cells.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-429-the-haunted-kent-county-jail/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Get your tickets to our 2026 Freak Formal, February 14, 2026, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Milford, Massachusetts, to benefit Project Just Because! Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/freak-formal-event-presented-by-new-england-legends-tickets-1980103869978
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 151 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll the grounds around Newport Harbor Lighthouse in Rhode Island, because it's here that 26 men are buried somewhere below the picturesque lighthouse. This was the site of New England's largest state sanctioned mass execution. This is the tale of pirates on the high seas! This episode first aired June 11, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 428, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel to Washington, Maine, to see where outlaw Elmer J. McCurdy got his start on January 1, 1880. The troubled youth became a drifter, made his way out to the heartland of America, then turned to an unsuccessful life of crime. After his death, and no one claiming his body, his embalmed and mummified corpse began to tour with carnivals. He was passed around for decades until folks didn't even know he was ever a living human being.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-428-maines-outlaw-mummy/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Get your tickets to our 2026 Freak Formal, February 14, 2026, at the Double Tree Hotel in Milford, Massachusetts, to benefit Project Just Because! Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/freak-formal-event-presented-by-new-england-legends-tickets-1980103869978
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 150 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Arcadia, Rhode Island, in search of moaning bones — the ghostly cries of a peddler murdered long ago. While in town, we learn about a second, and eerily similar story coming from the region of Molasses Hill on Mt. Tome. Could these stories be one in the same? This episode first aired May 9, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 149 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the Bangor Public Library in Maine, in search of a couch where former Vice President Hannibal Hamlin drew his last breath. The couch has become a macabre attraction in the library due to its connection with presidential royalty… but you can't sit on it! What happened? And how did it get here? This episode first aired October 6, 2022
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 148 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger row out to a tiny island called Becky's Garden on Lake Winnipesaukee to explore the fairy tale legend behind this rock and little house. It's the smallest island on the lake, it's been on the map since 1885, and the story behind it sounds all too familiar. This episode first aired February 20, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 147 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll Boston Common to see this year's Christmas tree. The tree is an annual gift from the people of Halifax, Nova Scotia – a gift that traces its roots back to a horrible tragedy that took place December 6, 1917, when a French ship carrying munitions exploded, instantly killing hundreds of people, and injuring thousands more. Out of this dark day came a bright light of hope when neighbors reached out to help neighbors. This episode first aired December 24, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 145 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the Roxbury section of Boston, Massachusetts, searching for the factory that produced America's first Christmas cards. Back in 1875, Louis Prang took a chance that Americans might want to send Christmas cards like they do in Europe. His risk paid off. Within a few years 5 million cards per year were leaving his Roxbury factory, and sending holiday cards became an institution. Jeff and Ray wish you the happiest of holidays! This episode first aired December 22, 2022
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 427, our holiday special, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take the classic Victorian Christmas ghost story "The Phantom Coach" by Amelia Edwards, and turn it into an audio drama. Actor Michael Legge joins us to spin this spooky holiday tale. Music by John Judd.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-427-the-phantom-coach-a-holiday-ghost-story/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 145 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger sail the shores of southern Maine from Kennebunkport to York, searching for the ghost ship Isidore. They say the Isidore was cursed from the start, which is why she wrecked on her maiden voyage November 30, 1842. Had the captain and crew heeded their premonitions, maybe 16 lives could have been spared. The story of this tragedy may have been lost if not for a song and book by Maine troubadour Harvey Reid, who joins Jeff and Ray on this episode. This episode first aired December 16, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 426 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit a pond near a rural farm in Wakefield, New Hampshire. Back in January of 1977 a local farmer found a three-foot circle cut through the thick ice of his small pond. At the bottom of the shallow pond, he saw a strange black cube. He called the police and set off an investigation that led to radioactive readings, the National Guard getting involved, and a mystery that persists to this day.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-426-the-wakefield-ufo-mystery/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 144 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger start their adventure in Milford, Massachusetts, looking for a local farm boy who went missing in February of 1846. Then they head to Boston where a break in the case came two years later when a psychic medium gave the family the whereabouts of the boy's body. According to the newspaper reports, her insight unraveled the entire case of the boy's mysterious murder. This episode first aired January 2, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 425 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit an ancient and mysterious henge in Lincoln, Massachusetts, that dates all the way back to the year 2010. What started as something small has grown into one of the most fun roadside oddities in New England.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-425-the-ancient-mystery-of-ponyhenge/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 143 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to an island on the Saco River in Biddeford, Maine. This site is ground-zero for an alleged atrocity that took place in 1675, when three British sailors tossed a Sokokis Indian baby into the river to see if he could swim. The baby's pregnant mother dove in to try and save him, but also drowned in her frantic attempt. These British sailors didn't know it at the time, but this woman was the wife of Chief Squando, a powerful sorcerer. And the children were his. Squando placed a powerful curse on the river that gave rise to a legend and monster that took countless lives in the Saco River. This episode first aired April 4, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 424 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Hartford, Connecticut, for their Thanksgiving dessert. Hartford Election Cake is a massive confection that dates back to 1796 when America was holding its first contested presidential election. Voting used to be a big event with parties and banquets and a HUGE cake as a reward. The people of Hartford made an 80-pound cake following the recipe of Amelia Simmons. Over time, election day became less of an event, but Thanksgiving got bigger. So the people of Connecticut moved their favorite cake over to Thanksgiving. Enjoy!
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-424-thanksgiving-dessert-hartford-election-cake/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 142 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the shores of Beaver Lake in Derry, New Hampshire, searching for the Derry Fairy. In the 1600s, Tsienneto, came to the lake and built shelter on an enchanted island in the middle. While hunting near the lake, he had a run-in with the local Pawtucket people. The capture lead to prophecy and legend with later ties to colonists and even (possibly) the United States space program. This episode first aired January 21, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 423 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the skies over Colchester, Vermont, searching for a cigar-shaped UFO that abducted two teenagers working at the old Buff Ledge summer camp on Lake Champlain back in 1968. The strange encounter gave rise to a popular book about the incident and one of the most famous UFO cases to ever grace the Green Mountain State.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-423-the-buff-ledge-ufo-abduction/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 141 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger saunter into Green Mount Cemetery in Vermont's capital city of Montpelier in search of the Black Agnes grave. They say if you sit on the statue's lap… it would be bad. Very bad. But how did this grave earn that reputation? How is the person buried here tied to the local library? Do Jeff and Ray dare to test this legend? This episode first aired September 27, 2018
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 422 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive to Sterling, Connecticut, to pop their car in neutral and search for the ghost of Gravity Hill on Main Street. The legend goes this was once land owned by a witch… and if you put your car in neutral her ghost will push your car uphill off her property. But is it true?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-422-the-ghost-of-gravity-hill/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 140 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Chestnut Hill Cemetery in Exeter, Rhode Island, in search of the mortal remains of Mercy Brown. Mercy died of Consumption on January 17, 1892. Three months later, her father had her heart and liver removed from her corpse so he could burn them to ashes and feed those ashes to his dying son. Why? Because some suspected Mercy was a vampire. This episode first aired March 28, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 421 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Burrillville, Rhode Island, to investigate the curious grave of Laura Sherman who was buried in this small family plot back in 1870. Today all of the headstones are gone. They say under a full moon and right conditions, her ghost will appear and talk to you.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-421-dancing-with-a-ghost/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Auger travel to Lobster Lake in Piscataquis, Maine, in search of a giant white moose that's been reported since 1891. Witnesses say the animal was a grayish white, and twice the size of a normal moose. For almost 50 years the sightings continued. Was it some rare version of Maine's most iconic animal, or was it something more paranormal? Join us as we go hunting legends in the woods of central Maine! This episode first aired November 8, 2018
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 420 for Halloween, we spin the tale of an old Inner Sanctum radio drama. In "The Undead" we hear the story of Diana, a woman whose husband has been undead for years… terror ensues as vampires close in trying to turn Diana into one of them. Happy Halloween!
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-420-halloween-the-undead/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 138 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger search downtown Fitchburg, Massachusetts, for Rollstone Boulder; a 110-ton rock moved into a traffic island back in the late 1920s. This boulder was once perched on top of a hill overlooking town, but when stone quarries moved in, local and state politicians made a legendary effort to save this local landmark. But now that it's been in the center of town for almost a century… no one cares. This episode first aired January 20, 2022
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 419 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel to Portland, Maine, to search for John L. Aitchison, the man, they say, who only spoke twice. Back in 1864, something happened to 44-year-old Aitchison that made him quit every part of life. For the rest of his days he didn't work, didn't venture outside, and spoke only twice.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-419-the-man-who-only-spoke-twice/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 137 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger search for the lost village of North Pepperell, Massachusetts. Once a bustling center of commerce back in the early 1800s, all that's left today are a few cellar holes and former foundations sinking into the woods. The reason the village disappeared is because of a witch's curse placed on the town after the locals drove out a peculiar old woman by branding her face. This episode first aired June 10, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 418 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger row out on Dublin Lake in Dublin, New Hampshire, to search for a strange lake monster and possible UFO crash site that only dates back to the early 1980s. The stories have made the news and books over the years, but how did it all begin?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-418-the-dublin-lake-monster/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 136 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a drive up Lakeside Avenue in Burlington, Vermont, searching for a train bridge built by a ghost. In June of 1900, Mary Blair was killed crossing the train tracks in front of the Queen City Cotton Mill. The event triggered a haunting that made the newspapers, with reports coming from inside the mill late at night, and out on the tracks where the accident occurred. This episode first aired June 3, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 417 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the ghost towns in and around the Quabbin Reservoir in central Massachusetts. In the 1930s, the towns of Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott, Massachusetts with a combined population of about 2,500 people had to disincorporate in order for the Swift River Valley to flood and form the reservoir needed for Boston’s drinking water. What was left behind were scars, haunts, mysteries, and maybe a dirty secret many would rather not know about.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-417-the-ghost-towns-of-the-quabbin/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 134 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Peck’s Hollow in Franklin, Connecticut, in search of Micah Rood’s former farm and a cursed apple tree that dates back to an alleged murder from the early 1700s. For many decades, folks in eastern Connecticut had to wonder when they bit into a Mike apple if those red specs were just pigmentation, or drops of blood from a murdered French peddler. This episode first aired January 14, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 416 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Coates Island and the surrounding bay on Lake Champlain in Colchester, Vermont, searching for the lost treasure of the alleged pirate Pierre Mallett. In the 1760s, a strange man arrived at this bay and lived as a recluse the rest of his days. Many years after his death, a letter arrived from France opening a mystery of potentially millions in lost treasure still out there.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-416-pirate-pierre-malletts-millions/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 134 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to High Street in Lancaster, New Hampshire, to the site of an 1880 unsolved serial murder that took the lives of six people in two adjacent houses. Was it a contagious illness, or poison? Authorities were torn, but one young woman had the motive. This episode first aired April 2, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 415 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Sand Hill Cemetery in South Canaan, Connecticut, searching for the grave of Miles Blodgett. His grave was ground zero for a horrific event that took place in 1878 when the man later dubbed the South Canaan Maniac approached the grave with a shovel and the intent of resurrecting the dead boy below.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-415-the-south-canaan-maniac/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 133 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods around the old monastery in Cumberland, Rhode Island, in search of nine ghosts said to haunt this forest. Back in March of 1676 during the King Philip’s War, something horrific happened on these grounds, and though that may be the beginning of the haunt, it’s not the end of the story. More than a century later something happened that made a bad place worse. We’re on the trail of ghostly apparitions and disembodied screams at Nine Men’s Misery. This episode first aired October 18, 2018
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 414 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger examine a murder scene 199 years after-the-fact. This murder rocked the small town of Chepachet, Rhode Island, to the point where they placed a plaque commemorating the gruesome event that took place on May 26, 1826. Each year the town marks the anniversary in a BIG way.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-414-the-murder-of-little-betty/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 132 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll down Tucker Hollow Road in Foster, Rhode Island, in search of the ghost of Aunt Lonnie – a hermit of a woman who placed a curse on her house. Her wish upon her death was that her home be dismantled so no one else could ever live there. Today she still haunts the old dirt road. This episode first aired October 15, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 413 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods of Great Chebeague Island in Casco Bay, Maine, searching for an old cellar hole that’s said to be haunted by the ghost of a slain pirate who still guards hidden pirate treasure. Multiple witnesses over generations reported strange happening in and around this spot.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-413-the-haunted-cellar-of-great-chebeague-island/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy Jeff Belanger's new book Wicked Strange New England on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 131 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head back to 1930 to Bank Street in New Milford, Connecticut, to explore the legend of a haunted stove. For two weeks, the strange phenomenon of the talking stove behind a Bank Street restaurant drew in thousands of witnesses and made international news. Where were those ghostly voices coming from? This episode first aired October 8, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 412 Ray Auger sits down to chat with Jeff Belanger and photographer Frank Grace about their brand-new book, Wicked Strange: Your Guide to Ghosts, Monsters, Oddities, and Urban Legends from New England. Filled with over 100 stories from the six New England states the book features Frank’s full color photos and many of the stories you love from the New England Legends podcast. The book is out now wherever books and ebooks are sold!
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-412-wicked-strange-new-england/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy the book online:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lMkM3G Books-a-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Wicked-Strange/Jeff-Belanger/9781637480212 Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wicked-strange-jeff-belanger/1146905732?ean=9781637480212 Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/wicked-strange-your-guide-to-ghosts-monsters-oddities-and-urban-legends-from-new-england-jeff-belanger/22398233 Amazon Canada: https://a.co/d/2h6MmNk
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 130 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger walk the beaches of Wellfleet on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in search of the ghost of Goody Hallett. In 1717, the pirate ship Whydah sank in a rough storm off the coast of Wellfleet. Some say the ship was sunk as a result of a curse aimed toward the captain, Black Sam Bellamy, by the Witch Goody Hallett. This episode first aired March 26, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 411 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel to Goffstown, New Hampshire, to witness the Giant Pumpkin Regatta boat race on the Piscataquog River. Now in its 25th year, this hilarious fall festival has become legendary. We travel back in time to witness the beginning.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-411-the-giant-pumpkin-regatta/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Pre-order the new book by Jeff Belanger and photographer Frank Grace: Wicked Strange: Your Guide to Ghosts, Monsters, Oddities, and Urban Legends from New England - https://amzn.to/3IReeCt
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 129 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll up to Hearthside House in Lincoln, Rhode Island. Though many call this 1814 mansion the “house that love built,” it also has another nickname: Heartbreak House. After winning the lottery in 1810, Quaker Stephen Smith built this mansion for a girl he loved. The only problem? She didn’t want to live here. This episode first aired March 19, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 410 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the hills above the Quequechan in Fall River, Massachusetts, searching for a location that was once home to a dilapidated hut and a witchy woman who frightened the region’s mill workers in the mid-19th century. From strange lights and sounds emanating from the shack, to an old crone who threatened those who wanted to do her harm, this legend is creepy.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-410-the-old-crone-of-the-quequechan/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Pre-order the new book by Jeff Belanger and photographer Frank Grace: Wicked Strange: Your Guide to Ghosts, Monsters, Oddities, and Urban Legends from New England - https://amzn.to/3IReeCt
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 128 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger face a brutal winter snow storm in Peacham, Vermont, in search of a story from March of 1869 when a blizzard took the lives of three wayward travelers: Esther Emmons, her daughter Mary David, and her grandson Willie. Three travelers whose lives could have been spared if a stranger would have offered some shelter. The lack of human decency in an emergency has haunted the small town of Peacham ever since. This episode first aired February 27, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 409 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the ruins of Ricker Basin, a Waterbury, Vermont, ghost town that survived just over a century before a massive 1927 storm ravaged the region, killing over 50 people and leaving behind a village that was no longer viable. Today the cellar holes, cemetery, and a dilapidated structure is all that stands as a testament that someone was once here.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-409-the-ghost-town-of-ricker-basin/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Pre-order the new book by Jeff Belanger and photographer Frank Grace: Wicked Strange: Your Guide to Ghosts, Monsters, Oddities, and Urban Legends from New England - https://amzn.to/3IReeCt
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 126 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger row out to Great Island on Spot Pond in Stoneham, Massachusetts, in search of a headstone that reads three words: Where Shute Fell. We know it’s been here since at least 1884, but who was Shute? What does the stone mean? The theories are wild, but not as crazy as the truth! This episode first aired February 13, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 408 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike up Regicide Trail to Judges Cave in the woods of New Haven, Connecticut. Back in 1661, two judges on the lam from the King of England, hid inside these small caves. William Goffe and his father-in-law Edward Whalley were found guilty of signing the death warrant of King Charles I. King Charles II took that personally. Today the cave is a unique landmark.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-408-climbing-regicide-trail-to-judges-cave/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Pre-order the new book by Jeff Belanger and photographer Frank Grace: Wicked Strange: Your Guide to Ghosts, Monsters, Oddities, and Urban Legends from New England - https://amzn.to/3IReeCt
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 126 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger go back to school when they search for the Round Schoolhouse in Brookline, Vermont. The school building was designed in 1821 by Dr. John Wilson who wanted the building round so he could look out the windows in all directions in case someone comes looking for him… because Dr. Wilson is a man with secrets. Dark secrets that he took almost to his grave. This episode first aired December 2, 2021
In Episode 407 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel to Newport, Rhode Island, to meet artist Michele Felice Cornè, the man who introduced the tomato to the diets of Newport in the early 1800s. Before Cornè, everyone knew the tomato was poisonous… right?! His former home still stands in town. We explore the story!
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-407-all-tomatoes-are-poisonous-in-rhode-island/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Pre-order the new book by Jeff Belanger and photographer Frank Grace: Wicked Strange: Your Guide to Ghosts, Monsters, Oddities, and Urban Legends from New England - https://amzn.to/3IReeCt
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 125 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the haunting of Highgate Manor in Highgate, Vermont. Once the home of Dr. Henry Baxter, some believe the doctor performed strange experiments on his children sending them to an early grave. Later, the house was turned into an inn where notorious mobster Al Capone once stayed. Today the stately home sits empty, save for the ghosts and legends still lurking inside. This episode first aired September 2, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 406 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate an old Central Street house in Millinocket, Maine, which was the seen of a literal ghost hunt back in 1907, complete with locals allegedly shooting up the room while searching for ghosts. What followed made the newspapers and started quite the paranormal buzz in town.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-406-shooting-up-a-millinocket-haunt/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 124 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the folk legend of Levi Beebe, the Weather Prophet of Beartown Mountain in Lee, Massachusetts, who predicted the devastating Blizzard of 1888 that claimed 400 lives in March of that year. How did he make this and his many other weather predictions? Listen to find out! This episode first aired January 25, 2018
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 405 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Weare, New Hampshire, to witness the Pine Tree Riot of 1772. Though few have heard of it, this unique act of violent revolt in the woods of New Hampshire led to the Boston Tea Party and eventually the American Revolution. We explore how it all went down.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-405-the-pine-tree-riot/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 123 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike the Appalachian Trail up to Mt. Moosilauke near Benton in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, in search of three hikers who went missing in a ravine long ago, and an immortal mad doctor who abducts the unsuspecting to perform ungodly experiments. This episode first aired May 27, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 404 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the ruins of Ashintully, a former mansion in the Berkshire Mountains in the town of Tyringham, Massachusetts. Built in 1910, Ashintully was a massive home built by Robb Tytus, a wealthy archeologist and explorer who may have brought a curse back from his exploration of tombs and palaces in Egypt. A string of misfortune struck his family, and the home was said to be haunted.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-404-the-haunted-and-cursed-ruins-of-ashintully/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 122 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee in Meredith, New Hampshire, searching for a mysterious stone unearthed back in 1872. This fist-sized, egg-shaped artifact has several images carved on it, including a face, corn, and other geometric shapes. It appears to be Native American in origin, but matches nothing seen by tribes local to this region. This rock raises so many questions that some have speculated it could be a Thunderstone–a rock forged in the sky by some deity and then dropped to the earth. The mystery stone has perplexed archaeologists ever since it was discovered. This episode first aired August 26, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 403 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger boat out near Shelburne Point on Lake Champlain in South Burlington, Vermont, to search for an ancient creature the Abenaki people called Odziozo, who was said to have created the lake, nearby hills, and river. Champ isn’t the only mysterious creature to dwell in this massive lake. The difference is there have been far more Odziozo sightings than Champ.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-403-odziozo-of-lake-champlain/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 121 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger sail out from Freeport, Maine, in search of the ghost ship Dash, a merchant brig and privateer made famous during the War of 1812. In January of 1815, Dash sailed into a storm and into legend when she vanished. But that wasn’t the last of her. They say for years to come the ghost ship Dash would sail into Casco Bay when some loved one from the lost crew was ready to pass on. This episode first aired November 12, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 402 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods of East Granby, Connecticut, searching for the lost pirate treasure of Captain David Marteen. In the 1660s, Marteen sailed his ship up the Connecticut River, set up a small community, hid what would be over $300 million in treasure in today’s money, then vanished. Is the gold still out there? We have an idea of where to dig.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-402-the-lost-pirate-treasure-of-salmon-brook/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 120 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll the grounds of Green Mount Cemetery in Burlington, Vermont, searching for the mortal remains of war hero General Ethan Allen. A 42-foot-tall monument to Allen stands as the tallest structure in the cemetery, however, his bones are NOT buried there. So where IS the body of Ethan Allen today? This episode first aired November 5, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 401 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stumble up to Haven Bros. Diner in downtown Providence, Rhode Island to explore the storied history of not just Rhode Island’s, but the nation’s longest running food truck. This Providence icon has been rolling through town in one form or another since 1893.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-401-the-nations-longest-running-food-truck/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 119 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Union Street in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, to search for the long-lost location of a haunted farmhouse that made the newspapers back in 1887. Though it was reported to be haunted before a tragic event left a final scar, after a child was lost inside, the building rotted away to nothing except a spooky story almost lost to the ages. This episode first aired May 6, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 400 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger sail off the coast of Great Wass Island, Maine, searching for a ghostly dog who barks and howls warnings at passing ships. This dog was said to be the lone survivor of a tragic shipwreck in the mid-1800s. But this was not the first, nor the last ship to founder in these dangerous waters.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-400-the-ghost-dog-of-great-wass-island/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 118 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll the beaches of Maine’s Vinalhaven Island in Penobscot Bay reminiscing about the circus, and exploring the history and wreck of the Royal Tar—one of New England’s worst maritime disasters. In October of 1836, 32 people perished along with a menagerie of animals from the Burgess and Dexter’s Zoological Institute in an event that still haunts the coast of Maine. Joining us for After the Legend is author Jane Parks Gardner, who just released her latest book, The Wreck of the Circus Ship Royal Tar: Tragedy in Penobscot Bay. This episode first aired May 28, 2020.
Check out the new book by Jane Parks Gardner, The Wreck of the Circus Ship Royal Tar: Tragedy in Penobscot Bay. https://janepgardner.com/the-wreck-of-the-circus-ship-royal-tar-tragedy-in-penobscot-bay/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 399 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Potter Place in Andover, New Hampshire, to see the final resting place of America’s first professional magician. Richard Potter died in 1835, but not before he grew rich and famous from his magic act. He sold out shows in both the north and south, which was all the more impressive considering he was also a Black man. For his final trick… Potter isn’t buried where he was originally placed in the ground.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-399-americas-first-professional-magician/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 117 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger lurk the streets of downtown Manchester, Vermont, searching for a demon vampire. In 1793, the body of Consumption victim Rachel Harris Burton was exhumed after three years in the ground. Her vital organs were cut from her chest and burned in a nearby forge. Those ashes were then fed to Isaac Burton’s second wife, Hulda, in an effort to break the vampire’s spell. When there’s a plague, monsters are never far behind. This episode first aired March 11, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 398 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll past the Spite Wall in Westminster, Massachusetts. Constructed in 1852 by Edmund Proctor, the giant colonial wall was made to block the view from Proctor’s neighbor, Farwell Morse, a religious zealot who didn’t approve of his neighbor working on the sabbath day. The wall still stands today as a testament to spite.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-398-the-great-wall-of-spite/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 116 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the haunted Hartness House Inn in Springfield, Vermont. Built in 1904 by inventor, captain of industry, and one-time Vermont governor, James Hartness, this mansion holds many mysteries. From secret underground tunnels, to objects moving in the guest rooms, to a ghostly presence roaming the tunnels and halls of the old stately house, it’s no wonder this house is haunted. This episode first aired January 13, 2022
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 397 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods of North Jay, Vermont, searching for the ruins of Space Research Corporation. In the 1970s and 80s, Dr. Gerald Bull was attempting to build a cannon that could launch satellites into space much cheaper and more efficiently than rockets. The only problem was his funding came from various militaries who only saw the cannon’s use as a weapon. Once international dictators got involved… things turned deadly. Today we’re left wondering what could have been.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-397-dr-bulls-giant-space-cannon/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 115 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Deerfield, New Hampshire, in search of a 175-year-old mystery thundering from below ground. Between 1834 and 1846, a series of explosions emanating from below ground were reported in the southern part of town. The sounds were as loud as cannon fire, and the concussion could knock over a stone wall. The only problem is no source was ever found, and earthquakes don’t behave this way. The events made the local papers for years. Scared locals pleaded with the scientific community for answers, but none could be found. Some speculate it could be secret underground mines, trolls, or even an underground UFO base. This episode first aired March 4, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 396 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive down Hell Hollow Road in Voluntown, Connecticut, searching for the Witch of Hell Hollow and a solitary grave deep in the woods. There’s talk of disembodied shrieks in the woods, plus a curse from Little Maude who died in 1886. How did it happen? We talk to a direct decedent of Maude to get the answers.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/episode-396-the-haunting-of-hell-hollow/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 114 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the cursed Brunswick Springs in northeastern Vermont in search of the ghosts of the Abenaki Indians who protect this land from all who try to exploit it. For centuries, these springs were considered sacred, until Europeans came here to try and sell the medicinal water. The history of this land is full of fights, fires, death, and now a curse. This episode first aired February 22, 2018
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 395 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive down I-95 just south of Providence, Rhode Island, searching for a huge monster who lurks near the highway. This giant creature has been stalking the region for 45 years now. Have you seen it?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/episode-395-hunting-a-two-ton-monster-in-rhode-island/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 113 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel to Rockport, Maine, to explore the haunting of the Goose River Bridge. The ghost of William Richardson is said to offer passers by a sip of ale from his pitchers. If you believe the stories, he’s been out there celebrating for over 200 years. This episode first aired October 24, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 394 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Sullivan, Maine, to explore the sad and tragic tale of Nelly Butler. She died young in 1797… but less than three years later her spirit returned in the basement of Captain Abner Blaisdell with a mysterious mission. Dozens of people witnessed the haunted over the span of eight months. Their testimony was captured by a preacher eager to share the miracle with others.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/episode-394-americas-first-documented-haunting/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 112 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll through the Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge in Limestone, Maine, in search of the Vampire House, a Cold War relic leftover from the time when nuclear weapons were stored here at Loring Air Force Base. The Vamp House is a building with secrets: there’s legends of an accident that may have left monsters trapped inside. On this adventure we bring along a former military police officer who was there in the 1980s. It turns out with this legend, when there’s smoke, there’s also fire. This episode first aired August 20, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 393 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate Vale End Cemetery in Wilton, New Hampshire, searching for a ghost known as the Blue Lady. But who is she? Or rather… who WAS she? We dig in (not literally).
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-393-the-blue-lady-of-vale-end-cemetery/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 111 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Westerly, Rhode Island, in search of witches. While never formally charged with witchcraft, Granny Mott and Rebecca Sims both had witchy reputations in the eighteenth century. Granny Mott could turn herself into a chicken, and Rebecca Sims was a sucker for fiddle music and night watchmen. Both women may still be casting their spells upon us. This episode first aired Jul 23, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 392 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the shores of Plymouth, Massachusetts search for a giant sea serpent that as spotted here by multiple witnesses back in the mid-1800s. One of those witnesses was none other than stateman and orator Daniel Webster.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-392-the-plymouth-sea-serpent/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 110 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger walk up to a tiny pond in Millis, Massachusetts, they say is bottomless, they also say the devil meets with his minions in this spot as a headless ghost circles the pond after being summoned by hobgoblins. They call this mysterious place now nestled into an unassuming neighborhood: The Dinglehole. This episode first aired September 10, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 391 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate the haunted ruins of Whipple Hollow near West Rutland, Vermont. Back in 1938, a ghost sighting near the old marble quarry made the newspaper and started a buzz around the community. The theory is the ghost is that of an old quarry worker who died in an accident, but is it true?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-391-the-ghost-of-whipple-hollow/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 109 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the Boston Athenaeum in search of a rare book — the 1837 memoirs and deathbed confession of thief and highwayman James Allen, alias George Walton (among others). Allen’s dying wish was to have one copy of the book bound in leather made from the skin of his own back. That one copy is embossed with the Latin: Hic Liber Waltonis Cute Compactus Est. — This book is bound in the skin of Walton. This episode first aired April 29, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 390 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the story of Dr. Horace Wells of Hartford, Connecticut, a dentist who attended a nitrous oxide expedition in 1844. Though the performance was a laughing matter, Dr. Wells took what he saw seriously. He was inspired to try using the gas in his dental practice. Though he sought fame and fortune, Wells spiraled downward into darkness.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-390-the-father-of-laughing-gas/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 108 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Ledyard, Connecticut, to investigate the death and alleged resurrection of Jemima Wilkinson. Going by the name Publick Universal Friend, this pronounless religious leader started a movement in the late 1700s, then traveled New England ready to perform miracles like walking on water and resurrecting the dead. To many, this person was a fraud and cult leader, to others, this person had the spiritual answers they were seeking. This episode first aired August 19, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 389 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate the haunted Nathanael Greene Homestead in Coventry, Rhode Island. Built in 1770, the stately Colonial home was a castle that oversaw the Greene’s iron forge empire. Many triumphs and tragedies graced this home over the centuries, and today they say the places is haunted by unexplained sites, sounds, and even smells.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-389-the-haunting-of-the-nathanael-greene-homestead/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 107 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike the Appalachian Trail up to Mt. Moosilauke near Benton in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, in search of three hikers who went missing in a ravine long ago, and an immortal mad doctor who abducts the unsuspecting to perform ungodly experiments. This episode first aired May 27, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 388 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Beals Island, Maine, searching for the legend of Barnabas Coffin Beal III who died in 1899. Better known as Tall Barney, some say hey was seven feet tall and as strong as five men—a giant. They say he would sleep with his feet sticking out the window because his bed was too short. Thought there are many tall tales about Beal, he was indeed a real person who left a mark behind in Maine.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-388-the-beals-island-giant/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 106 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Union Street in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, to search for the long-lost location of a haunted farmhouse that made the newspapers back in 1887. Though it was reported to be haunted before a tragic event left a final scar, after a child was lost inside, the building rotted away to nothing except a spooky story almost lost to the ages. This episode first aired May 6, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 387 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to New Hampshire to break some of their strangest laws. From sugar containers, to trash pickup, to harvesting seaweed, we go on the lam in the Granite State to see what we can get away with.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-387-breaking-new-hampshires-weirdest-laws/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 105 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods around School House Pond in Charlestown, Rhode Island, searching for the place where a Narragansett boy named John Onion challenged the devil, and the dark rock formation where horrible acts still haunt the woods. This episode first aired September 16, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 386 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger row out to Thatcher’s Island off the coast of Rockport, Massachusetts, to find the site of a horrific maritime tragedy that took place in August of 1635 during the Great New England Hurricane. 23 passengers and crew were sailing aboard the Watch and Wait when the storm hit. There were two large families on board. Of the 23, only two people survived.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-386-thatchers-woe/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 104 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger search for Governor John Wentworth’s missing treasure in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. In 1775, with the American Revolution about to come to a boil, British Governor Wentworth is forced to flee his mansion with his family, his servants, and chests of gold and silver. On his way to Portsmouth, the governor is forced to lighten his load, so they say he buried his riches intending to come back for them after England squashes the American rebellion. Gov. Wentworth never set foot in New Hampshire again. Could the treasure still be out there? This episode first aired November 18, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 385 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the ruin of Greenbank’s Hollow in Danville, Vermont. Though today the site is a collection of cellar holes and foundations, at one point this was a bustling community with a massive woolen mill at its center. Greenbank arrived in 1849 and built the business up until a tragedy took everyone’s livelihood away leaving behind a ghost town.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-385-the-ruin-of-greenbanks-hollow/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 103 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive around Glastonbury, Connecticut, in search of the Glawackus — a creature witnessed by hundreds of people back in 1939. Farm animals go missing, pets are killed, and hunters take up rifles in search of this strange beast. Then the media gets involved and the rest is legendary history. We see the maps of sightings, hear from the witnesses, and explore how the Glastonbury community embraces the weird! This episode first aired July 18, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 384 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger search for an ancient ghost haunting Saybrook Point in Connecticut. Today there’s a park that holds the remains of an old railroad roundhouse that was haunted by a ghost that threw objects and men around one spooky night. The event made the newspapers. Locals had a prime suspect, the spirit of a woman who was once buried nearby.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-384-lady-fenwicks-restless-spirit/
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Zombie Prom 2025: https://www.facebook.com/events/8436374219799853
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 102 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Brookfield, Connecticut, to examine the infamous 1981 “Devil Made Me Do It Case” involving Arne Johnson, his girlfriend, Debbie Glatzel, and famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. After Debbie’s youngest brother went through a demonic possession and a series of exorcisms, all was quiet until a fateful day in February when a man was murdered. Arne Johnson was found guilty of manslaughter, but to this day he insists he was not operating under his own power at the time. Hear the real story behind the new Conjuring 3 movie! This episode first aired July 8, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 383 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate an ancient stone tower in the heart of Newport, Rhode Island. Some suggest the tower was once an early colonial windmill, others believe maybe it was built by Vikings centuries before Columbus, or maybe it served a more esoteric function as both a solar calendar, or maybe even an ancient camera obscura.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-383-newports-mystery-tower/
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Zombie Prom 2025: https://www.facebook.com/events/8436374219799853
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 101 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger check out the haunted Daniel Benton Homestead in Tolland, Connecticut. This three-centuries-old home has seen a lot of human activity, but it was a tragic event that took place in the winter of 1777 between two star-crossed lovers caught between a war and a deadly virus that still haunts us today. This episode first aired May 20, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 382 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate a haunting that dates back 1872 in the village of Springvale, Maine. The paranormal activity was so profound it caught the attention of the Lewiston Journal who sent a reporter and learned the strange activity dates back at least 12 years and had been witnessed by multiple people – none of them made it very long as a tenant in this house. Who is haunting this old farmhouse?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-382-the-hobgoblins-of-springvale/
Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/
Zombie Prom 2025: https://www.facebook.com/events/8436374219799853
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 100 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel back to October of 1940 in Rockland, Maine, to explore the gruesome Halloween murder of Alzada Pauline Young by her stepfather, John Phelps. This true crime has haunted this small town for generations and left residents with a mystery and the ghost of a severed head. A warning to parents listening with their kids, this episode is a little more graphic than our usual offerings. You may want to preview first. This episode first aired October 1, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 381 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the ruins of Madame Sherri’s castle in the woods of Chesterfield, New Hampshire. Built in the early 1930s, this gorgeous home was the site for some wild parties of New York City socialites who came up to the Madame Sherri’s secluded woods to let their hair down. Ever the eccentric, there were rumors that “Madame” may have also been Sherri’s occupation. The house burned down to the stonework in 1962, and today they say the grounds are haunted.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-381-madame-sherris-haunted-castle/
Zombie Prom 2025: https://www.facebook.com/events/8436374219799853
Become a New England Legends Patron! Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 99 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods around the Notchland Inn in Hart’s Location, in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, searching for the ghost of Nancy Barton. In the winter of 1788, Nancy left her boarding house in Jefferson, New Hampshire, to trek 30 miles through the snow to chase down her faithless lover who had stolen all of her money the previous morning. Not only are the nearby brook, pond, falls, and mountain named after her, but her ghost is still said to roam the area. This episode first aired April 12, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 380 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger check out the shores of Indian Lake in Worcester, Massachusetts. Back in 1904, a strange creature was witnessed in the water. It was described as the size of a large dog with wings and scaly tail. This beast may have also been spotted on land nearby. The newspapers called this terrorizing beast the What-Is-It.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-380-the-indian-lake-what-is-it/
Zombie Prom 2025: https://www.facebook.com/events/8436374219799853
Become a New England Legends Patron! Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 98 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Bay Path Cemetery in Charlton, Massachusetts, to visit the grave of John Capen Adams, a man who went on to inspire a folk hero legend, books, a popular television series in the 1970s, and a generation of kids eager to explore the great outdoors and tame wild animals. So who is John Capen Adams? This episode first aired May 31, 2018
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 379 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate a rash of UFO sightings that took place in East Richford, Vermont, back in 1982. From black triangles, to glowing balls of light, to saucer-shaped craft, these events were witnessed by police officers, fire fighters, and locals who all came forward to share their story. What were they? And why were they here?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-379-vermonts-ufo-invasion/
Zombie Prom 2025: https://www.facebook.com/events/8436374219799853
Become a New England Legends Patron! Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 97 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head over the area surrounding Archer’s Pond and Polly’s Crossing in Ossipee, New Hampshire, in search of ghosts, curses, plagues, and the story behind an alleged mass murder. So many legends swirl around this place that it’s tough to know where to begin, but after searching news archives and town records, we find there’s something to all of the stories. This episode first aired March 28, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 378 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to New Canaan, Connecticut, to see an architectural masterpiece called the Glass House. Designed and built by Philip Johnson in 1949, the Glass House sits on a 49-acre compound and its design will make you ask: where is the bathroom?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-378-people-in-glass-houses/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 96 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head over the area surrounding Archer’s Pond and Polly’s Crossing in Ossipee, New Hampshire, in search of ghosts, curses, plagues, and the story behind an alleged mass murder. So many legends swirl around this place that it’s tough to know where to begin, but after searching news archives and town records, we find there’s something to all of the stories. This episode first aired October 11, 2018
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 95 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger park alongside Evergreen Cemetery on Route 67 in New Braintree, Massachusetts, in search of the ghost of Elsie. On April 18th each year her spirit is said to rise from her grave and wander by the stone wall next to the cemetery. She’s said to be the spirit of a bride who was murdered on her wedding day by a jealous groom. But what do we really know about Elsie? We investigate and learn there’s more to this ghost than just a story. This episode first aired April 19, 2018
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 94 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Gardner Lake in Salem, Connecticut, on a quest to find the source of phantom piano music that’s said to emanate from the lake itself. What happened on this lake back in 1895? This episode first aired November 30, 2017.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 93 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger try their hands at dowsing rods in Middletown, Vermont. Back in 1801 an end-of-the-world event took place here… or rather, DIDN’T take place here that inspired a boy to take up dowsing, and later to start a religion that today boasts millions of members worldwide. Could it all have begun with dowsing or divining rods? This episode first aired June 28, 2018
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 92 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the controversial roots of the song “Jingle Bells,” and its connection to Medford and Boston, Massachusetts. Is it just an innocent Christmas carol about a ride in the snow, or is it a circa 1850 song about a booty call? You’ll never hear this tune the same after this! Kelley Cocuzzo McCauley joins us on piano. This episode first aired December 21, 2017
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 377 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger spend the Christmas holiday unwrapping some iconic toys invented and manufactured right here in New England. Some may surprise you! Your buddies Jeff and Ray wish you and yours a great holiday and happy New Year! We’ll see you back with all new episodes in January.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-377-christmas-made-in-new-england/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Listen to RAYdio: https://localraydio.com/
See Jeff Belanger's The Fright Before Christmas LIVE and In-Person:
Dec. 22, 2024 - 7:30PM - Shea Theater Arts Center, 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, Massachusetts Tel: 413-648-SHEA Tickets: https://www.showclix.com/event/the-fright-before-christmas-shea
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 91 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Freeport to explore the Desert of Maine. While there, they search for a man named Coffin, the Hermit of Maine, who lived nearby and charged tourists 15 cents to look inside his shack. How did a desert appear in Maine? And who was this hermit? This episode first aired November 4, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 376 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate Exeter, Rhode Island, to see the former site of the Ladd School. Built in 1908, the former Rhode Island School for the Feeble-Minded has a dark history of neglect, patient abuse, and even murder. We explore the disappearance of a nine-year-old boy in-depth. Though the buildings are all gone now, history has left behind a stain that can never be washed away.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-376-haunting-the-ladd-school/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Listen to RAYdio: https://localraydio.com/
See Jeff Belanger's The Fright Before Christmas LIVE and In-Person:
Dec. 22, 2024 - 7:30PM - Shea Theater Arts Center, 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, Massachusetts Tel: 413-648-SHEA Tickets: https://www.showclix.com/event/the-fright-before-christmas-shea
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 90 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods of Narragansett, Rhode Island, in search of a strange configuration of stone monuments locals call the Druid’s chair and Witch’s Altar. In the 1880s, these monuments and the house across the street were built by eccentric Spiritualist Joseph Peace Hazard. Though Hazard built these structures, he would tell you the design was dictated by spirits, but for what purpose? He never knew. This episode first aired March 25, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 375 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate a haunted home in Dixmont, Maine, that made the news back in 1905 because a ghost—believed to be the spirit of a murdered peddler from decades earlier—was stirring up activity throughout the house. Dozens of locals witnessed the unexplained phenomena that attracted the attention of the press.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-375-a-ghostly-cry-for-justice-in-dixmont/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Listen to RAYdio: https://localraydio.com/
See Jeff Belanger's The Fright Before Christmas LIVE and In-Person:
Dec. 7, 2024 - 7PM - The Singh Performance Center, 60 Douglas Rd, Whitinsville, Massachusetts Tel: (508) 234-6232 Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fright-before-christmas-with-jeff-belanger-at-the-singh-performance-center-tickets-950993405877
Dec. 12, 2024 - 6:30PM - Cobblestone Arts Center, 1622 Route 332 Farmington, New York Tel: (585) 398-0220 Tickets: https://buy.stripe.com/bIYaHP8lFdKn5So4gN
Dec. 22, 2024 - 7:30PM - Shea Theater Arts Center, 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, Massachusetts Tel: 413-648-SHEA Tickets: https://www.showclix.com/event/the-fright-before-christmas-shea
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 89 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger search for a vampire buried in a tiny family cemetery in Cumberland, Rhode Island. In February of 1796, the father of Abigail Staples petitioned the town to exhume her body and perform some experiments in an effort to save his other daughter, Lavinia who was dying from consumption. Some believed if Abigail was indeed a vampire, perhaps they could break the spell to save Lavinia. This episode first aired February 6, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 374 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger sit down to a weird Thanksgiving feast New England style! We celebrate some of the food and beverage products that are synonymous with the northeastern United States. We’re grateful to spend time with you each week -- think of this as our own Friendsgiving.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-374-a-weird-new-england-thanksgiving-feast/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
See Jeff Belanger's The Fright Before Christmas LIVE and In-Person:
Dec. 7, 2024 - 7PM - The Singh Performance Center, 60 Douglas Rd, Whitinsville, Massachusetts Tel: (508) 234-6232 Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fright-before-christmas-with-jeff-belanger-at-the-singh-performance-center-tickets-950993405877
Dec. 12, 2024 - 6:30PM - Cobblestone Arts Center, 1622 Route 332 Farmington, New York Tel: (585) 398-0220 Tickets: https://buy.stripe.com/bIYaHP8lFdKn5So4gN
Dec. 22, 2024 - 7:30PM - Shea Theater Arts Center, 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, Massachusetts Tel: 413-648-SHEA Tickets: https://www.showclix.com/event/the-fright-before-christmas-shea
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 88 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to New Castle, New Hampshire, in search of a stone-throwing devil that plagued the home of George Walton for three months back in 1682 according to multiple eye-witnesses. Rocks were tossed, as were pots, pans, and hammers. Windows were broken, and passers-by were pelted with stones. It nearly drove Walton mad. This episode first aired June 25, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 373 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore a neighborhood in Concord, New Hampshire, to see what’s left of the original New Hampshire State Prison. It was on these grounds that Josiah Pike became the first person executed by the state for a capital crime. We’ll explore the heinous crime that led to his execution.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-373-new-hampshires-first-execution/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 87 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the Point of Pines section of Revere, Massachusetts, in search of buried treasure guarded by a ghostly pirate and his horse. In the 1690s, local Native American leader David Kunkshamooshaw used his witch hazel divining rod to locate a buried pirate treasure near the shore, but what happened next frightened him and his treasure-hunting crew to their core. Some say that treasure is still out there. This episode first aired September 26, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 372 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike the woods of Erving, Massachusetts, searching for the former “castle” of the hermit John Smith who lived in a cave in the woods for more than 30 years in the latter half of the 1800s. Two books were published that included his writing and remarkable story.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-372-the-hermit-of-erving-castle/
The limited-edition 2025 Haunted New England calendar by Jeff Belanger and Frank Grace is on sale now! You can buy it online here: https://jeffbelanger.com/playlist/2025-haunted-new-england-calendar/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 86 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut, in search of the haunted headstone of Midnight Mary. Mary E. Hart died at midnight on October 15, 1872, and her headstone and epitaph have stood behind various legends about being buried alive, a curse, and her wandering ghost being seen on nearby Winthrop Avenue. This episode first aired November 11, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 371 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore a grave in the woods of West Windsor, Vermont. In 1934, Vermont’s eccentric and snobby poet laureate Daniel Cady built his tomb on a hill so the world would forever have to look up at him. He made his money the old-fashioned way. He married rich.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-371-a-snobs-mausoleum/
The limited-edition 2025 Haunted New England calendar by Jeff Belanger and Frank Grace is on sale now! You can buy it online here: https://jeffbelanger.com/playlist/2025-haunted-new-england-calendar/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 85 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger go trick-or-treating at the haunted Lizzie Borden House and Museum in Fall River, Massachusetts. In this Halloween special, we explore the infamous case from August 4, 1892, and the haunt the double-murder left behind. We walk room-by-room with tour guide Sue as we take in the house, examine crime scene photos, and sit where Andrew Borden’s skull was crushed in while he napped. Happy Halloween! This episode first aired October 29, 2020
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Episode 370: for Halloween we spin the tale of an old Inner Sanctum radio drama. It’s the story of a ghostly, murderous witch who returns from the grave to seek revenge on the descendants of her accusers. Special thanks to our voice actors: Tim Ellis, Carolyn Chaplin, Michael Legge, Dean Calusdian, Jay Pillarella, Jeff Belanger, and Ray Auger.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-370-halloween-drama-the-vengeful-corpse/
The limited-edition 2025 Haunted New England calendar by Jeff Belanger and Frank Grace is on sale now! You can buy it online here: https://jeffbelanger.com/playlist/2025-haunted-new-england-calendar/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 84 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive up to Northfield, Vermont, with a bucket of slop in search of the infamous Pigman. In 1971, a naked man with the head of a pig terrorized the small town of Northfield in the area of the Devil’s Washbowl. Multiple witnesses were rattled by a vision they can’t explain, and one claims he was attacked. Could this mysterious man… or creature still be lurking in the woods of Northfield? This episode first aired March 21, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 369 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate a haunt from 1915 in Essex, Connecticut. Strange knocks on the wall got a lot of newspaper coverage, but the strangest part of the story was this ghost knew where to find beer! This is our kind of haunt!
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-369-the-essex-ghost-with-a-nose-for-beer/
The limited-edition 2025 Haunted New England calendar by Jeff Belanger and Frank Grace is on sale now! You can buy it online here: https://jeffbelanger.com/playlist/2025-haunted-new-england-calendar/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 83 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger sail out to Matinicus Rock Lighthouse off the coast of Maine in search of two legends. For years, lighthouse keepers and coast guard staff claimed the facility was haunted. But this facility is also the former home of a hero — Abbie Burgess — a young girl who, in 1856 saved her family from a brutal storm, and saved countless sailors and ships during some of the roughest seas this tiny island had ever endured. Could these two legends be more intertwined than previously thought? This episode first aired September 20, 2018
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 368 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the haunted Fleur de Lys building in Providence, Rhode Island. Built in 1885 by artist Sydney Richmond Burleigh, the building has always served as a studio for area artists. In 1921, Burleigh’s protégé took her own life inside the building. There were rumors of an affair, and that her ghost has haunted the building ever since.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-368-the-haunted-fleur-de-lys/
The limited-edition 2025 Haunted New England calendar by Jeff Belanger and Frank Grace is on sale now! You can buy it online here: https://jeffbelanger.com/playlist/2025-haunted-new-england-calendar/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 82 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger walk the shores of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island searching for the ancient mystery of the Narragansett Rune Stone. This enigmatic rock may hold the key to European contact centuries before Christopher Columbus ever buckled his first shoe. Others claim this rock isn’t what it seems. Still, it recently became the most famous rock in Rhode Island! This episode first aired September 6, 2018
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 367 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate Camp Etna in Maine. This Spiritualist camp has been around since 1876. It’s a place for mediums and psychics to offer readings to the public, to commune with each other, and connect to spirits.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-367-ghost-camp-2/
The limited-edition 2025 Haunted New England calendar by Jeff Belanger and Frank Grace is on sale now! You can buy it online here: https://jeffbelanger.com/playlist/2025-haunted-new-england-calendar/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 81 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike Mt. Greylock near Adams, Massachusetts, in search of the ghost of the Old Coot–a Civil War-era relic who came home after the war battered and broken to learn that life had gone on without him. According to an intriguing newspaper photograph from 1939, and even modern-day eyewitness accounts, the Old Coot may still be out there in the shadows of the old Thunderbolt ski trail. But who was the Old Coot in life? Is he alone? This episode first aired January 31, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 366 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Charlestown, New Hampshire, to witness the 1850 robbery of the Connecticut River Bank. The bandits made off with all of the money in the vault, but somehow lost it a few hours later. The crime of the year was downright weird.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-366-a-charlestown-bank-heist-gone-wrong/
The limited-edition 2025 Haunted New England calendar by Jeff Belanger and Frank Grace is on sale now! You can buy it online here: https://jeffbelanger.com/playlist/2025-haunted-new-england-calendar/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 80 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive up to the Highlife Ski Club Building in Chittenden, Vermont, to a place once called the “Spirit Capital of the Universe.” This building was the home of William and Horatio Eddy. These brothers were once one of the biggest names in psychic mediums in New England. We investigate their story and legends and ponder the big questions of life after death and spirit communication. Were the Eddy Brothers the real deal? Many thought they were. This episode first aired February 7, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 365 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Leominster, Massachusetts, to search for the birthplace of John Chapman, an eccentric orchardist who became better known as Johnny Appleseed. But there’s a Johnny Appleseed secret that all the children’s book left out… Happy Johnny Appleseed Day (September 26th)!
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-365-johnny-appleseeds-secret/
The limited-edition 2025 Haunted New England calendar by Jeff Belanger and Frank Grace is on sale now! You can buy it online here: https://jeffbelanger.com/playlist/2025-haunted-new-england-calendar/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 79 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike the foreboding Terrible Mountain in Andover, Vermont, in search of tragic accidents and the ghost of a legendary 104-pound old man of a hiker who, in the 1970s, was said to be touch as rawhide until one day he vanished without a trace. Be warned: this episode is terrible! This episode first aired October 17, 2019
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 364 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head back to the year 1873 to attend the county fair in Hyde Park, Vermont. The guys witness the launch of Professor Frank King in his hot air balloon. King was in the air about an hour before the spectators lost sight of him.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-364-the-strange-disappearance-of-professor-king/
The limited-edition 2025 Haunted New England calendar by Jeff Belanger and Frank Grace is on sale now! You can buy it online here: https://jeffbelanger.com/playlist/2025-haunted-new-england-calendar/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 78 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger are caught in a brutal winter storm by Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine, where they explore the tragic story or Mr. and Mrs. Tarbox, who lost their lives in a March 1819 blizzard. Their frozen demise inspired local poet Thomas Shaw to chronicle the event in a “mournful song” of a poem. The event still haunts the region. This episode first aired January 27, 2022
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 363 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Rocky Hill, Connecticut, searching for a 200 million-year-old monster called Dilophosaurus. This monster left its mark—or rather—thousands of marks on this piece of land. Today, Dinosaur State Park offers two miles of hiking trails and a giant geodesic dome that covers one of the archeological finds of the century.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-363-stalking-monsters-in-rocky-hill/
The limited-edition 2025 Haunted New England calendar by Jeff Belanger and Frank Grace is on sale now! You can buy it online here: https://jeffbelanger.com/playlist/2025-haunted-new-england-calendar/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 77 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll the haunted grounds of the Enfield, New Hampshire, Shaker Village. In July of 1863, Civil War veteran Thomas Weir returned to Enfield to try and retrieve his daughters who were indentured servants to the Shakers. For over a year, Weir tried to reason, beg, and even threaten the Shakers to get his daughters back. When they refused, Weir pulled out a pistol and murdered Caleb Dyer, and set a tragic haunting in motion that can still be felt today. This episode first aired July 15, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 362 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the haunted Southeast Lighthouse on Block Island, searching for the story behind the ghost of Mad Maggie who is said to haunt the keeper’s quarters and light.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-362-the-ghost-of-mad-maggie/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 76 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the shores of Rockport Harbor in Maine, searching for the legend of a seal who stole the hearts of locals and tourists from 1961 to 1986. Andre the seal was adopted by Harry Goodridge when he was two days old, then became a local fixture. His story led to books, a statue, and even a Hollywood movie. But not everyone loved Andre. This episode first aired January 7, 2021
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 361 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the Weary Club of Norway, Maine, to explore the 102-year history of this unique social club. Founded on fat-shewing and whittling, this club prides themselves on being, “The makers and dealers of social gossip and Yankee philosophy.” But how did it start?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-361-the-weary-club-of-maine/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
[ALMOST SOLD OUT] Buy tickets to NEW ENGLAND LEGENDS LIVE - Saturday, September 21, 2024, at 7PM in Milford, Massachusetts: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-england-legends-live-tickets-906054632797
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 75 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive up to the remains of Fairfield Hills Mental Hospital in Newtown, Connecticut. Opened in 1933, Fairfield Hills was touted as the latest and greatest in the treatment of people whose “minds have become deranged with strange fancies, and who have lost control over their thoughts and emotions.” But overcrowding and underfunding lead to conditions that were truly horrific, conditions that haunt us decades later. This episode first aired March 12, 2020.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 360 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the haunted Frost Sawyer Tavern and Three Chimneys Inn in Durham, New Hampshire. With the oldest section of the building dating back to 1649, it’s bound to have a ghost or two knocking around, but who is haunting the building and why? This old building was once home to a plague called Typhoid that ravaged the community.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-360-the-haunted-frost-house/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
[ALMOST SOLD OUT] Buy tickets to NEW ENGLAND LEGENDS LIVE - Saturday, September 21, 2024, at 7PM in Milford, Massachusetts: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-england-legends-live-tickets-906054632797
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 74 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger sail out to Boon Island, Maine, in search of the legend of the Boon Island Cannibals. On December 10, 1710, the Nottingham Galley shipwrecked on the tiny island during a nor’easter, leaving all 14 crewmen stranded. As the men started to die, the survivors were left with an awful choice — a choice that’s haunted the island ever since. But was the ship’s captain a hero or villain? This episode first aired December 12, 2019.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 359 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, to explore the story behind Red Sox legend Ted Williams’s unique afterlife. Though Williams died back in 2002, some members of his family believe that’s just a technicality. Ted’s head and body were separately cryogenically frozen in the hopes of being revived one day when there’s a cure for… death.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-359-ted-williamss-frozen-head/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
[ALMOST SOLD OUT] Buy tickets to NEW ENGLAND LEGENDS LIVE - Saturday, September 21, 2024, at 7PM in Milford, Massachusetts: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-england-legends-live-tickets-906054632797
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 73 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate the Pembroke, New Hampshire, Murder Pillar. This stone pillar sits far back from Academy Road, almost out of site at the tree line of the woods. The marker commemorates the life and death of 17-year-old Josie Langmaid. Her head was found almost 500 feet away. The murder shocked the community to the point where it’s still mentioned in whispers today. This episode first aired October 3, 2019.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 358 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Fairfield, Vermont, searching for the controversial birthplace of 21st U.S. President Chester A. Arthur. Today there are multiple historic markers and even an historic site, but the place and year of his birth is in debate. How did it happen?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-358-searching-for-a-u-s-president-in-vermont/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy tickets to NEW ENGLAND LEGENDS LIVE - Saturday, September 21, 2024, at 7PM in Milford, Massachusetts: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-england-legends-live-tickets-906054632797
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 72 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger mark the one-year anniversary of the podcast in the dark! On May 19, 1780, the skies over all six New England states turned black at 11 in the morning, and the moon turned blood red. The darkness lasted over 16 hours. Many believed this was judgment day and turned to their churches. Others turned to their taverns. What caused this strange phenomenon? And could it happen again? This episode first aired August 16, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 357 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike the woods of Watertown, Connecticut, searching for one of the Leatherman’s caves. Back in the latter half of the 1800, a wandering vagabond covered in patchwork leather made an endless 365-mile circuit between the Hudson and Connecticut rivers.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-357-the-leatherman/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy tickets to NEW ENGLAND LEGENDS LIVE - Saturday, September 21, 2024, at 7PM in Milford, Massachusetts: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-england-legends-live-tickets-906054632797
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 71 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the haunted Nordica Auditorium on the campus of the University of Maine, Farmington. Lillian Nordica was an opera singer from Farmington who rose to international fame in the 1880s. Unlucky at love, but adored by millions, she’s considered the first American Diva. They say her ghost can still be heard warming up in the auditorium named after her. This episode first aired February 18, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 356 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger check out Lime Rock Island in Newport, Rhode Island, to visit the site of a former lighthouse where a brave young woman named Ida Lewis became a national hero in the latter half of the 1800s.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-356-the-unsinkable-ida-lewis/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy tickets to NEW ENGLAND LEGENDS LIVE - Saturday, September 21, 2024, at 7PM in Milford, Massachusetts: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-england-legends-live-tickets-906054632797
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 70 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger dive into the legends of Lake Willoughby in Westmore, Vermont. From Devil’s Rock, to a giant serpent, to a mysteries underwater tunnel that may connect to another nearby lake, Willoughby is home to many strange legends. Devil’s Rock is still here, and we found newspaper articles related to the killing of the giant serpent, but could a descendant of that giant beast still be lurking in these cold waters? This episode first aired April 22, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 355 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the Narrow Gauge Volunteer Trail in Randolph, Maine, searching for the ghost of a missing transient locals called Bicycle Larry. He went missing in October of 2004. In December of that year, a local man told his sister where they could find Larry’s body. Larry’s body was never found, but his bike-riding ghost has been seen on the old trail and around town.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-355-the-ghost-of-bicycle-larry/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy tickets to NEW ENGLAND LEGENDS LIVE - Saturday, September 21, 2024, at 7PM in Milford, Massachusetts: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-england-legends-live-tickets-906054632797
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 69 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike through a Bristol, Rhode Island, cemetery searching for a burial mound and crime scene. In the woods behind this small cemetery sits a mound of dirt containing the robbed crypt of Captain James DeWolf, a former slave trader who whose grave was desecrated in 1842. Today this crypt is a once-prominent family’s dirty secret. This episode first aired December 3, 2020.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 354 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Dover, New Hampshire, to see the memorial to the Strafford County Lunatic Asylum fire. On February 9, 1893, a fire ravaged the old asylum building killing 41 people inside. The tragedy was an epic failure of a system meant to protect the most vulnerable.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-354-41-lunatics-burned-to-death/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Buy tickets to NEW ENGLAND LEGENDS LIVE - Saturday, September 21, 2024, at 7PM in Milford, Massachusetts: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-england-legends-live-tickets-906054632797
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 68 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive to Mason, New Hampshire, to see the boyhood home of Samuel Wilson, a kid who served the Continental Army by guarding and tending to the livestock, then helped the U.S. cause again during the War of 1812. He’s a guy who cared about his neighbors, and about his country. Though his name was Samuel, most locals knew him simply as: Uncle Sam. We want YOU to hear this podcast. This episode first aired August 6, 2020.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 67 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a drive up to Greenfield, Massachusetts, to explore Eunice Williams Covered Bridge. It was here on March 1, 1704, that Eunice Williams was executed with a tomahawk shortly after the Deerfield Massacre. That event has haunted the community, and would go on to haunt this bridge, ever since. They say on moonless nights you can still hear her scream. This episode first aired March 14, 2019.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 66 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Liberty Hill Cemetery in Lebanon, Connecticut, where they say there’s a barrel of rum buried beneath one of the headstones. And the word is, there’s a local sea captain who was just dying to get to it. This episode first aired May 30, 2019.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 65 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Hull, Massachusetts, in search of multiple ghosts spotted around the turn of the twentieth century. After a ghostly horse and buggy was spotted by none other than local hero Captain Joshua James, a strange apparition stalked a local actor by the Hull Cemetery. We hear their accounts, and walk the grounds searching for the spooky specters. This episode first aired October 21, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 353 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the Old Burying Ground in Essex, Massachusetts. Back in October of 1817, a ghoul snatched eight bodies from the local cemetery causing a huge stir in town. An investigation was launched with shocking results. But who done it? And why?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-353-the-ghoul-of-chebacco-parish/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 64 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike the woods of Maidstone, Vermont, in search of a clever, but annoying hairy beast called Slipperyskin. For generations, this creature, described as a bear who walks on his hind legs, and who torments the people of Essex County, roamed the forest giving everyone who hunted him the slip. Could he still be out there in the Northeastern Kingdom? This episode first aired December 5, 2019.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 352 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike the trails of Mt. Mansfield in northern Vermont in search of the elusive Wampahoofus. Said to be a cross between a deer and a boar, the creature circles the mountain either in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Are there any left?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-352-hunting-the-wampahoofus-of-mt-mansfield/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 63 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a Valentine’s Day stroll down Benefit Street in Providence, Rhode Island, to the Athenaeum in search of the brokenhearted ghost of Edgar Allan Poe. It was at the Athenaeum that Poe once courted poet Sarah Helen Whitman and it was at this same building that Whitman once tried to summon his spirit. Could the master of horror still be haunting Providence? Had events gone differently would it had been Providence and not Baltimore that claimed Poe as their own? This episode first aired February 14, 2019.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 351 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the ruins of Old Newgate Prison in East Granby, Connecticut. The prison got its start as a copper mine back in 1709. After the mine closed, Connecticut believed they found the perfect place for their first state prison. After multiple escapes and riots, a more formal building was constructed on the site. It was a place the inmates simply called: Hell.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-351-escape-from-the-haunted-old-newgate-prison/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 62 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a 40-mile ride across our solar system in New England’s ultimate roadside oddity! Beginning at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, the scale model of our solar system is the brain child of Professor Kevin McCartney, PhD, who rides along with the guys via phone to explain how the model went from idea to roadside reality. Starting at the Sun, Jeff and Ray travel beyond the speed of light past Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and all the way out to Pluto (it will always be a planet in our hearts). This episode first aired July 1, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 350 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the swanky Watch Hill section of Westerly, Rhode Island, in search of some flying horses that were first reported here back in 1879 and have been seen by countless thousands of witnesses ever since.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-350-the-flying-horses-of-watch-hill/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 61 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike into the woods of Kent, Connecticut, in search of Molly Fisher Rock, a boulder with strange petroglyphs, with ties to an old folk healer from the late 1700s, and a possible connection to a cursed pirate treasure of Captain Kidd. This episode first aired April 8, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 349 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore West Athens, Maine, searching for the former site of Happy Hollow, a shanty town that made the news back in 1905 when the ghost of a man they called Uncle came calling every night. Multiple witnesses were spooked!
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-349-the-haunting-of-happy-hollow/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 60 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the tragic fire that struck Cocheco Mill Number 1 in Dover, New Hampshire, on January 26, 1907. Six people perished as a result of the fire. Firefighters fought the blaze for 36 hours in frigid conditions. Could this event have been what led to the haunting of the building today? This episode first aired November 9, 2017.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 348 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit a potentially haunted gas station and convenience store in Nashua, New Hampshire. Though the Cumbies is new, the building that used sit on this property dated back to the 1700s. For decades it was known as the Country Tavern until it closed in 2020. Back then, it was widely considered one of New Hampshire’s most haunted locations. Are the ghosts still lingering?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-348-ghosts-and-gas-at-a-haunted-cumbies/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 59 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Brookfield, Massachusetts, to examine the crime scene and trial of Bathsheba Spooner — the first woman hanged in the United States for a capital crime. On March 1, 1778, the body of Bathsheba’s husband was dumped in the family’s well. It didn’t take long for authorities to unravel a murderous plot hatched by the victim’s wife and her lover. This episode first aired July 29, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 347 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the history and mysteries of the Western Massachusetts town of Ripton. Founded in 1767, Ripton made waves back in the mid-1980s when they requested some additional funds from the state budget. Then the U.S. Air Force explored Ripton as a potential site for a new early-warning radar system, and that’s when Ripton made the news for one of the greatest pranks ever pulled in the history of Massachusetts.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-347-ripton-massachusetts-most-mysterious-town/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 58 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger paddle on to Lake Bomoseen in Castleton, Vermont, is search of a ghost town, a phantom row boat, and an island they say is inhabited by giant rabbits with glowing red eyes. This is a buffet of weirdness and wonder with links to the slate industry, tourism, and some A-list celebrities. This episode first aired August 13, 2020.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 346 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate the small town of Manchester, Vermont, to explore the unsolved 1812 murder of Russell Colvin. Years after the murder, Amos Boorn had a dream where Russell’s ghost came to him and told him he’d been murdered, and his remains could be found on the Boorn Farm. After sharing details of his dream, an investigation begins, bones are found, and Amos’s nephews Jesse and Stephen Boorn are arrested and convicted of murder. But did they do it?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-346-the-unsolved-murder-or-russell-colvin/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 57 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike up to an old cellar hole and cemetery in Pawtuckaway State Park in New Hampshire, in search of an eccentric photographer from the late 1800s named George Goodrich. However, folks around the nearby town of Raymond called him: The Barefoot Farmer. Though he looked like a disheveled vagabond to the untrained eye of tourists, locals knew he was one of the wealthiest men in town. This episode first aired December 10, 2020.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 345 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the Newtown Bee parking lot in Newtown, Connecticut, to experience the site of a brutal unsolved axe murder of a local cobbler and the profound haunting that followed soon after. Managing Editor Shannon Hicks from The Bee joins us for this one.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-345-the-cobblers-ghost-has-no-shoes/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 56 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit a memorial off the side of the road in Alfred, Maine, that marks the site where America’s first elephant was gunned down in cold blood back in 1816. The elephant named Old Bet had toured throughout New England for eight years before a jealous farmer named Daniel Davis gunned her down as she approached the town of Alfred. Old Bet was part of one of America’s earliest circuses, and if not for the tiny memorial along Route 4, her legend may be lost forever. This episode first aired April 1, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 344 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Warwick Neck, Rhode Island, to search for the Crime Castle of Carl Rettich. In the 1920s, during the height of Prohibition, Rettich ran Rhode Island’s bootlegging game with an iron fist, and if you crossed him… with a mobster staple of his own invention: cement shoes.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-344-carl-rettichs-deadly-footwear-and-murder-mansion/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 55 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a stroll down a road to nowhere in search of ghosts and a monster. The abandoned section of Downs Road in Bethany, Connecticut, is home to a host of legends whose roots date back more than a century-and-a-half and include ties to a strange New Haven cult whose leader claimed to have the ability to raise the dead. This episode first aired July 16, 2020.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 343 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger sail the harbor of Rockport, Maine, to witness the birth of the donut. In 1847, a young sailor named Hanson Crockett Gregory, made an innovation in the “oily-cake” that changed Maine… New England… America… the World… the Time-Space Continuum. Every legend, every icon, starts somewhere. WARNING: This episode WILL make you hungry!
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-343-the-birth-of-the-legendary-donut/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 54 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike up to Crawford Notch in New Hampshire in search of English Jack: The Hermit of the White Mountains. In the late 1800s, this enterprising man lived in a shack in the woods selling postcards, his biography, trinkets, and even beer. The story of his life is both tragic and cinematic, but is it true? This episode first aired July 11, 2019.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 342 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike New England’s tallest peak in search of a marker that commemorates where Lizzie Bourne left this mortal coil near the summit of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire back in September of 1855.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-342-the-lizzie-bourne-tragedy/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 53 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hang around an unassuming Westborough, Massachusetts, street corner in search of Tom Cook, an 18th-century man who once out-smarted the devil, and just may be the real-life inspiration for the British Robin Hood you know from centuries of books and movies. This episode first aired November 7, 2019.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 341 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger grab a drink at the Captain’s Well in Amesbury, Massachusetts. In 1792, future Captain Valentine Bagley was marooned in a desolate part of Arabia. Out of his ship’s crew of 25, only eight survived the ordeal. Bagley swore to God if he should live, he would go home and dig a well for all so no one will suffer thirst like he did.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-341-the-captains-well/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 52 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Pownal, Vermont, to explore the witch trial of the widow Mrs. Krieger. In 1765, the widow Krieger was accused of being in league with the devil. She was given a choice to face one of two horrible tests to see if she was indeed a witch. Though a century had passed since Salem’s infamous trials, belief in New England witches has not gone away. This episode first aired October 14, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 340 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the shores of Dream Pond in Fairfield, Vermont, in search of clues that could solve an 1841 double murder. After Eugene Clifford tragically loses his wife and infant daughter on a stormy day on Fairfield Pond, his neighbor has a profound dream that gnaws at her until she makes a startling discovery. Was it an accident or murder?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-340-the-dream-pond-murders/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 51 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a drive down Route 2A through Haynesville, Maine, to see a road so treacherous and haunted, it inspired a 1965 country song by Dick Curless. Behind the song, though, are countless stories of vehicle accidents and strange encounters on this road that may cause you to slow down and look twice. Be warned, Jeff brought his guitar on this trip, and Ray may have sung some of Dick Curless’s song. This episode first aired August 12, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 339 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore a nightmare on Elm Street in Stratford, Connecticut, where in 1850 Rev. Phelps and his family were plagued by poltergeist and haunting activity so profound it made all the newspapers. Though the mansion was torn down in the 1970s, the story lingers.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-339-rev-phelps-haunted-mansion/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 50 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger motor down Dracula Drive in Trumbull, Connecticut, in search of the mysterious Melon Heads. These small humanoids with enormous heads have been talked about in southwestern Connecticut for more than half a century. But who are they? Some monster? An alien? Or something else? This episode first aired September 13, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 338 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll the shores of Narragansetts Bay in Warwick, Rhode Island, to the see the site where Rhode Islanders led by John Brown attacked the HMS Gaspee and her overzealous crew in 1772. Could this shot have been the actual first shot fired in the Revolutionary War?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-338-the-burning-of-the-great-gaspee/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 49 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the small town of Warren, New Hampshire, in search of a missile, a ghost, and a wizard who, according to the history books, tormented a local family during Colonial times. This is one strange trip backed up by historical documents. This episode first aired February 28, 2019.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 337 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a drive to the intersection of Routes 35 and 5 in Lynchville, Maine, to see a unique road sign giving directions to places like: Norway, Paris, Denmark, Naples, Sweden, Poland, Mexico, Peru, and China – all of them just a few miles away – in Maine. How did that happen?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-337-see-maine-and-see-the-world/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 48 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the Boston Molasses Disaster of January 15, 1919, that left 21 people dead and 150 injured. What happened and why? Could it have been avoided? This episode first aired January 11, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 336 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger search for ghosts at the historic Chase House in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Built in 1762 by Stephen Chase, it’s been a private residence, then an orphanage, a private home again, and now a museum. With so much history, it’s no surprise the building is haunted. But who is haunting it and why?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-336-the-haunted-chase-house/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 47 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger go ice fishing for the legendary beaver trout on Lake Memphremagog in northern Vermont. Since the time of the Civil War anglers have spread the tale of a trout that grows a fur coat to keep warm during the cold winter months. The story and even photos of the fish have been in the newspapers for over a century. Is it just a story, or could there be something more to it? The guys enlist the help of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department on their hunt for the truth. This episode first aired January 16, 2020.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Join us for Zombie Prom - Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 7PM in Milford, Massachusetts: https://www.facebook.com/events/1593789218121732/
In Episode 335 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore a section of Easton, Massachusetts, that was home to a sawmill back in the 18th century. The mill was owned by Nathan Selee, a local wizard who (according to the town sign) employed satanic imps to run his mill in the dead of night.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-335-nathan-selees-satanic-sawmill/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Join us for Zombie Prom - Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 7PM in Milford, Massachusetts: https://www.facebook.com/events/1593789218121732/
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 46 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the mysteries and legends of stigmata through America’s only reported case: Marie Rose Ferron of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Stigmata occurs when a devoutly religious person mysteriously exhibits the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ — this can include bleeding from the hands, feet, side, and forehead. Marie Ferron was said to exhibit all of the wounds. But was she a bona fide miracle? Or was she used as a pawn by a Rhode Island Bishop? This episode first aired November 2, 2017.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 334 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hunt for ghosts at the haunted Police Academy in Pittsford, Vermont. Built as a tuberculosis hospital in 1907, the facility transformed into the state’s police academy in the mid-1970s. They say the police academy is haunted by a former nurse who caught TB and died at the hospital. She’s been said to wander the halls and grounds.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-334-vermonts-haunted-police-academy/
Find out more about Zombie Prom 2024 - February 17th in Milford, Massachusetts, here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1593789218121732/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 45 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hit an old logging camp in the woods of western Maine in search of the Agropelter, the Billdad, and the Tote Road Shagamaw. These legendary creatures have haunted and hunted loggers for decades. Are they just tall tales told around the campfire at the end of the day, or could there be something more to it?This episode first aired March 5, 2020.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 333 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the shores of Sachem’s Head, Connecticut, to search for a not-so-ancient structure called “Circle of Life,” a monument that looks exactly like one of the Seven Wonders of the World: Stonehenge. But this monument was never supposed to be here. Who placed it… and why?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-333-connecticuts-stonehenge/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 44 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger don their gym shorts and pump some iron in Voluntown, Connecticut, while they search for Elmer Bitgood: the strongest man in New England. Bitgood kept himself in the newspapers between 1909 and 1916 by performing various feats of strength, including lifting 2600 pounds in front of reporters! But when you make bold claims, others will come gunning for you. Enter Bartello the Great for a potential showdown. This episode first aired February 25, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 332 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike into the woods of West Greenwich, Rhode Island, to explore what’s left of Hell’s Half Acre. This small section of forest was once home to taverns and gin mills full of fights, gambling, murder, and more. This was once the Red Light District of the old New London Turnpike. Today a cellar hole and the story are all that’s left.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-332-hells-half-acre/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 43 – Jeff Belanger and Ray stroll Main Street in Concord, New Hampshire, searching for the birthplace of a torture device that has plagued billions of people since it was invented by Levi Hutchins back in 1787. Hutchins built a machine intended to defy both God and nature. It was on this humble street, that he unleashed his creation on New England and then the world. This episode first aired October 7, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 331 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll the beach of Harpswell, Maine, scanning the horizon for a ghost ship called Sarah that dates back to a torrid and tragic story from 1813. They say if you spot the ship, it’s a harbinger of doom. That someone in Harpswell will die. Poet John Greenleaf Whittier immortalized the story in one of his haunting poems.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-331-the-dead-ship-of-harpswell/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 42 – Jeff Belanger and Ray walk the streets of Malden, Massachusetts, in search of Ephraim Gray, a mad scientist who may be close to 200 years old. They say in 1850, Ephraim Gray was laid in his grave. Half a century later, his casket was found empty. Some believe his immortality elixir worked, and Ephraim Gray simply walked away. This episode first aired August 15, 2019.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 330 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a cemetery safari in Milford, New Hampshire, to visit the final resting place of Caroline Cutter. Cutter died in 1842. Her headstone features a 150-word tirade against specific members of the Baptist church in town. When small-town church gossip makes it to a headstone, it becomes immortal.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-330-a-tombstone-tirade-in-new-hampshire/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 41 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the folk legend of Levi Beebe, the Weather Prophet of Beartown Mountain in Lee, Massachusetts, who predicted the devastating Blizzard of 1888 that claimed 400 lives in March of that year. How did he make this and his many other weather predictions? Listen to find out! This episode first aired January 25, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 40 – In Episode 70, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Boston to the haunted Parker House Hotel in search of the ghost of the man who brought Christmas to America. We learned in last year’s holiday podcast that the Puritans of Boston banned Christmas back in 1659 because they claimed making merry and dressing festive was “satanic.” They’d fine you five shillings if you were caught! Though the ban was lifted in 1681, that doesn’t mean Christmas was celebrated. You still had to go to work and school that day for almost the next two centuries. But something changed in 1867 when a man came to Boston with a story that transformed everything. Be careful, this episode may just squish your inner Grinch! This episode first aired December 20, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 39 – In Episode 175, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll Boston Common to see this year’s Christmas tree. The tree is an annual gift from the people of Halifax, Nova Scotia – a gift that traces its roots back to a horrible tragedy that took place December 6, 1917, when a French ship carrying munitions exploded, instantly killing hundreds of people, and injuring thousands more. Out of this dark day came a bright light of hope when neighbors reached out to help neighbors. This episode first aired December 24, 2020.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 329 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger spend Christmas strolling the grounds of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s former mansion in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to witness the birthplace of a poem written Christmas morning in 1863, when Longfellow felt his hope renewed after his son had been badly injured in a Civil War battle. The poem was later turned into a holiday song that’s been recorded by giants like: Burl Ives, Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte, Andy Williams, and Johnny Cash.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-329-when-longfellow-heard-the-bells-on-christmas-day/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 38 – In Episode 162, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel back to 1925 in West Halifax, Vermont – the height of prohibition – to ride shotgun with Hilda Stone, the Bootlegger Queen of Vermont, on one of her many runs to Canada. Stone was drawn into a life of crime after her husband came into financial difficulties, but she stayed for the love of the chase. Stone became an icon in the newspapers, and got arrested more times than you can count on one hand. But she kept coming back to deliver illegal booze to New Englanders. This episode first aired September 24, 2020.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 37 – In Episode 279 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the Roxbury section of Boston, Massachusetts, searching for the factory that produced America’s first Christmas cards. Back in 1875, Louis Prang took a chance that Americans might want to send Christmas cards like they do in Europe. His risk paid off. Within a few years 5 million cards per year were leaving his Roxbury factory, and sending holiday cards became an institution. Jeff and Ray wish you the happiest of holidays! This episode first aired December 22, 2022.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 36 – In Episode 159, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive around an odd intersection in Smithfield, Rhode Island, 13 times searching for the Witch Tree. Some claim the intersection of Mann School and Colwell Roads is cursed by a witch rotting below an oak tree that sprouted more than two centuries ago. How did this road hazard turn into a monster? Listen to find out! This episode first aired September 3, 2020.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 328 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore some ancient petroglyphs along the Connecticut River in Bellows Falls, Vermont. These carved faces have perplexed locals for centuries. Who put them here and why? Are they ancient Abenaki graffiti? Do they mark a sacred place? Or could they have out-of-this-world origins?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-328-the-petroglyphs-of-bellows-falls-were-not-saying-its-aliens/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 35 – In Episode 214, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger spend Christmas on a Narragansett, Rhode Island, sheep farm searching for a unique breed of sheep that takes its name from a spell cast by a local witch after the brutal Christmas blizzard of 1811 hit Benny Nichols’s flock. Against all odds, a young Ancon sheep survived the storm, but the ewe’s strange winter coat drew the attention of local witch Tuggie Bannocks. This episode first aired December 23, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 327 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a stroll through Williams Memorial Park in New London, Connecticut, to see the site of a former cemetery. The park was created in 1885 after Mayor Charles Williams generously agreed to fund the transfer of hundreds of graves to a newer cemetery on the outskirts of town. Today there’s an apartment building and houses on the land, but for more than a century, rumors have dogged this park that the workers only moved the headstones and that the bodies are still there. Special bonus content: An audiobook excerpt from Jeff Belanger’s new book, The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-327-they-only-moved-the-headstones/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Check out Jeff Belanger's new book, The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters in hardcover, eBook, or audiobook!
JEFF'S NEW BOOK AND E-BOOK NOW AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD! Amazon: https://a.co/d/7b8zV3p Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fright-before-christmas-jeff-belanger/1142940650 Amazon Canada: https://a.co/d/bJvFzX5
ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIOBOOK NARRATED BY JEFF BELANGER! Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Fright-Before-Christmas-Audiobook/B0C7S51N71 Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/the-fright-before-christmas/id1691580224?itsct=books_box_link&itscg=30200&ls=1 Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781666646467 Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/the-fright-before-christmas-1
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 34 – In Episode 214, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods around Moosehead Lake in central Maine searching for some leaping French-Canadian loggers who became the subject of teasing and a neurological study back in 1880. When startled, these loggers would jump up and down uncontrollably and do whatever anyone tells them to do. Was this affliction the result of inbreeding? Boredom? Or something else? This episode first aired September 23, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 326 for their Thanksgiving Special, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, to the place where a Thanksgiving radio legend was born. An arrest that gave rise to a story that gave birth to an 18-minute song that was made into a movie. Arlo Guthrie came here in 1965 and tossed some trash over a hill. The trash belonged to his friend Alice Brock who owned a restaurant in town. But how much of this masacree song is true?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-326-thanksgiving-at-alices-restaurant/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 33 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive to the Buckingham Village shopping plaza in Glastonbury, Connecticut, in search of a bolder where a man believed there was buried treasure because of a dream he had, and because a psychic told him so. In 1921, that man lost his life trying to get the loot. Today that rock still stands as an obscure memorial to long-shot hope and a dream of a better life. This episode first aired September 30, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 325 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll down Benefit Street in Providence, Rhode Island, searching for a magical and enchanted fountain built in 1873 they say has the ability to transport you. But how did it get here? And does it really work? Jeff and Ray put this legend to the test!
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-325-the-legendary-fountain-of-providence/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 32 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Beer Bottle Church in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, in search of the legend of the beer bottle that sits atop the First Baptist Church steeple. They also explore the strange story behind a unique clock located on that very same steeple. The clock and beer-topped spire are so inspiring that Jeff and Ray may just break into song at the end. This episode first aired November 14, 2019.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 324 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the shores of Bristol, Maine, to search for the site where, one foggy night in 1888, a witness claims a ghostly pirate ship sent a crew of spirits ashore to dig for lost treasure in an ancient graveyard. This spooky account made the newspapers and had the town on edge.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-324-the-ghost-ship-of-ancient-pemaquid/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 31 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Leominster, Massachusetts, in search of Joseph Palmer and Silas Lampson, two men who were persecuted and even jailed for wearing a beard in the 1830s. Though they were both devout Christians, they were attacked, mocked, and even accused of being in league with the devil, all for sporting facial hair. Though both men would live to see the times change, these non-conformists suffered due to the ugliest and most judgmental aspects to society! This episode first aired March 18, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 323 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger get medieval in Greenfield, New Hampshire, where we go searching for Yankee Siege – a world record-holding roadside oddity trebuchet that left its mark launching pumpkins over a quarter of a mile.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-323-a-punkin-chunkin-yankee-siege/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 30 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Burrillville, Rhode Island, to go Halloween trick-or-treating at the farm house that served as the inspiration for the 2013 movie, The Conjuring. We explore the movie, Ed and Lorrain Warren, then dive into what really happened in that house. You’ll hear from Roger Perron, whose family lived the experience in the early 1970s, and who were portrayed in the movie, as well as the new owners who are still facing the haunting today. Happy Halloween! This episode first aired October 31, 2019.
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In Episode 322 we break format to spend Halloween in an old-time radio drama from The Hermit’s Cave exploring the House of the Purple Shadows in central Vermont. After the mysterious disappearance of Jim Davidson, his home, business, and belongings transfer to his niece and her husband. But where did Davidson go? And what horrible danger lurks inside his former house?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-322-halloween-2023-the-house-of-purple-shadows/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 29 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger go on a fishing expedition in the Olneyville section of Providence, Rhode Island. At an unremarkable intersection it once rained fish down from the sky back on May 15, 1900, but that wasn’t the only weird thing to make the headlines that day. Just across town, an explosion in a trolley car covered the occupants with a mysterious goo. May 15, 1900, may just be Providence’s weirdest day. This episode first aired June 24, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 321 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a swing at Pakachoag Golf Course in Auburn, Massachusetts, where near the 9th hole back on March 16, 1926, Robert Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. If not for what happened here we may never have gone to space, reached the moon, and beyond. Sometimes it takes a dreamer to leap us forward.
See mnore here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-321-from-the-9th-hole-to-the-moon-in-auburn/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 28 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger go on a hunt for the 160-foot Vermontasaurus at the Post Mills Airport in Thetford, Vermont. Born in 2010 from the rubble of fallen buildings, the giant beast is the brainchild of hot air balloon pilot Brian Boland, who joins us on this Jurassic adventure. The Vermontasaurus faced extinction not once, but twice, yet still stands lurking by the runway of the airport. Welcome to Vermont’s Jurassic Park! Note: This episode is dedicated in memory of Brian Boland who died in a ballooning accident on July 15, 2021. This episode first aired July 22, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 320 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head back to 1873 to investigate the haunted Dr. Ticknor house in Salisbury, Connecticut. This house made the news after the Fenn family moved in and began experiencing strange ghostly phenomena. Once the story made the rounds, a reporter from New York City came calling with the intention of spending the night in this alleged haunt.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-320-the-haunted-ticknor-house/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 27 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike into the deep woods of northern Maine in search of the Chenoo, a cannibal ice giant from Algonquin folklore that hunts and kills people foolish enough to wander into his domain. This is the story of a Micmac family who takes on a Chenoo with an unlikely weapon. This episode first aired January 23, 2020.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 319 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger belly up the haunted Tavern on Main in Chepachet, Rhode Island, searching for ghosts. Back in 1842, this tavern became the epicenter of the Dorr Rebellion -- a parallel Rhode Island government that was vying to allow all men in the state to vote. The rebellion turned violent, but it did force some changes. Today the ancient tavern is haunted by spirits from many eras.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-319-eat-drink-and-be-scary-at-tavern-on-main/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 26 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll downtown Willimantic, and nearby Windham, Connecticut, is search of a French and Indian War battle site that left thousands dead in July of 1758. The region has never forgotten, nor will it ever forgive those responsible for the slaughter. There are monuments to the battle, an opera written about it, and since September of 2000, a Willimantic bridge even tips its hat to those responsible lest we ever forget. This episode first aired August 29, 2019.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 318 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Woodstock, Maine, to see the world’s largest telephone on display in Remembrance Park. Back in 1981, Woodstock had the distinction of being home to the last crank phone call made in the United States. This roadside oddity story may just leaving you wonder if your refrigerator is running…
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-318-americas-last-crank-call-made-in-maine/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 25 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger row out on Scoby Lake in Francestown, New Hampshire… a place better known by its official name: Haunted Lake (seriously)! How did this lake get that name? Is it really haunted, or just a story? Jeff and Ray find out! This episode first aired August 30, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 317 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger roll into Gilmanton, New Hampshire, to see the birthplace of America’s first and possibly most prolific serial killer Herman Webster Mudgett, better known as H.H. Holmes. Holmes became most infamous for building the Murder Castle in Chicago during the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Joining us on this adventure is Jeff Mudgett, author, researcher, History Channel host, and the great great grandson of H.H. Holmes. Officially, Holmes was hanged in prison May 7, 1896, and then buried in Philadelphia. But is that really Holmes in the grave? Listen to find out!
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-317-the-birth-of-americas-first-serial-killer/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 24 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger discuss a 37-foot-tall New England monster that’s been witnessed by many millions of people from all over the world. But what makes this more than a historical curiosity, and a true legend? Listen to find out! This episode first aired October 5, 2017.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 316 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger row out on Lake Memphremagog near Newport, Vermont, in search of a lake monster called Memphre. Sightings of a giant serpent-like creature date back more than two centuries. The creature has been studied, photographed, even video-recorded, but what exactly is it?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-316-the-monster-of-lake-memphremagog/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 23 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the woods of central Maine in search of the North Pond Hermit. In 1986 Christopher Knight walked into the forest and lived out there for 27 years stealing supplies from local cabins and camps. How did he survive the Maine winters outside? How did he live with no human contact for almost three decades? How did he get caught? The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit author Michael Finkel joins us to discuss the legend of the North Pond Hermit. This episode first aired April 5, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 315 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Second Street in Fall River, Massachusetts, to investigate the Borden murders you haven’t heard about. Sure, you know Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her parents 40 whacks in 1892, but did you know there were other Bordens murdered right next door decades earlier? Warning: this episode contains some graphic descriptions that may not be suitable for everyone.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-315-the-other-borden-murders/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 22 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel to Lobster Lake in Piscataquis, Maine, in search of a giant white moose that’s been reported since 1891. Witnesses say the animal was a grayish white, and twice the size of a normal moose. For almost 50 years the sightings continued. Was it some rare version of Maine’s most iconic animal, or was it something more paranormal? Join us as we go hunting legends in the woods of central Maine! This episode first aired November 18, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 314 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger Visit Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, to explore the story behind a small statue of a dog named Rover. The statue commemorates a dog who waited patiently for his owner to return after heading inside the hospital many years ago.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-314-rover-a-dog-who-waited-forever/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 20 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the site of America’s first witch trial and execution in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. Then they travel north of Hartford to Windsor to speak with author Beth Caruso about Alse Young, the first victim. We’ll learn Young wasn’t alone, and this was decades before the 1692 Salem trials. Did Connecticut cover-up their own witch trials? This episode first aired July 26, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 313 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger belly up to the bar of the White Horse Tavern in Newport, Rhode Island. Built in 1652, it’s America’s oldest continuously-operating bar in the United States, and according locals it’s Newport’s most haunted. The ghost of an old man has been seen around the building, disembodied voices have been heard, and sometimes dishes and objects move on their own. With over 350 years of history related to colonists, pirates, soldiers, and tourists, we explore the history of this haunt.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-313-newports-haunted-white-horse-tavern/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 20 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the Russell-Colbath house near the Kancamagus Highway in Albany, New Hampshire, to learn about Ruth Colbath; a woman who waited. In September of 1891, Ruth’s husband Thomas left their home one afternoon and didn’t return. Each night for the next 39 years Ruth lit a lantern and set it in the window for him. But whatever became of Thomas? This episode first aired July 12, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 312 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate Captain Nathaniel Lord’s mansion in Kennebunkport, Maine. Built during the War of 1812, Lord had his shipbuilders construct the finest mansion in town. Lord died young, just three years after the mansion was built, leaving his wife Phoebe to raise the family alone. The mansion remained in the Lord family up until 1972. Today this mansion is an opulent and haunted Bed and Breakfast. But who is haunting this stately mansion?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-312-captain-lords-haunted-mansion/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 19 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven, Vermont, in search of the final resting place of Timothy Clark Smith — a man who suffered from taphephobia — the fear of being buried alive. Smith’s 1893 grave was designed with a chimney and a window. Why did he do it? And what’s down there? This episode first aired August 9, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 311 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore a small cottage in Hebron, New Hampshire, searching for the summer retreat of Aleister Crowley: The Wickedest Man in the World. During the summer of 1916, Crowley came to this cottage to conduct secret and arcane magick. He performed rituals, he wrote about his religion Thelema, he described a visit from a strange fireball, and he communed with nature around Hebron. He left a mark on this small town.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-311-the-wickedest-man-in-the-world-in-new-hampshire/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 18 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods around Camp Ker-Anna in Cumberland, Rhode Island, in search of Fingernail Freddy and Hot Shot Charlie; two reclusive men/monsters who are said to stalk the children of the summer camp should they get out of line. Is there a connection between these legends and the Nightmare on Elm Street movie franchise? This episode first aired January 18, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 310 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a cemetery safari to Dummerston, Vermont, looking for the graves of the Spauldings -- a family plagued by vampires in the late 1700s. They say a sinister black root creeped and crawled from one Spaulding grave to the next. When it reaches the last casket, the next Spaulding would soon get sick and then die. Was it a curse, or just bad luck during a pandemic? Either way, the Spauldings dug up their family graves and did something drastic to break the vampire’s curse.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-310-the-curse-of-the-dummerston-cemetery-vine/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 17 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the Old North Church in Boston to explore a story you likely haven’t heard. According to a plaque on the side of the building, it was here on September 13, 1757, that John Childs flew from the steeple of the church to the satisfaction of a great number of spectators–he did it more than once. Does that mean that Boston, and not Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, was the first in flight? This episode first aired February 15, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 309 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger begin their quest for the Holy Grail via the medieval Westford Knight in Westford, Massachusetts. Some believe this carved stone marks the grave of Knight Templar Sir James Gunn who died on Prince Henry Sinclair expedition to North America in 1399. Could this expedition have brought the Holy Grail to Massachusetts? Is this truly a grave site or just old graffiti on a rock? Let’s explore!
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-309-the-westford-knight/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 16 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Union, Maine, tracing the steps of Dr. Augustin Thompson, a local man who developed a nerve tonic in 1876 that would eventually launch a war that continues to this day. After moving to Lowell, Massachusetts, Dr. Thompson added a key ingredient that turned his medicine into a New England staple, and eventually introduced the world to a new word that’s synonymous with guts, spunk, grit, and determination. This episode first aired May 13, 2021.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 308 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike up to the waterfalls of the Devil’s Hopyard in East Haddam, Connecticut, in search of where they say the devil left his marks in the stones of Chapman Falls. The Native Americans believe the odd marks in the stone were connected to a deity who thundered sounds from a nearby mountain, the Puritans believed it was the devil. Is there a connection to the Moodus Noise?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-308-the-devils-hopyard/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 15 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Winsted, Connecticut, to search for a wild man. In August of 1895, there were multiple sightings of a hairy “wild man” running through rural Winsted and Colebrook, Connecticut. Some claimed he was human, others said he was some kind of primate. Hundreds of people searched for him; the creature made headlines across New England before he seemingly vanished… until there were other sightings in the 1970s. Could it be the same creature?
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 307 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger row out to Conimicut Lighthouse off the coast of Warwick, Rhode Island, to search for the tragic ghosts who haunt the rusting relic in the water. Back in 1922, lighthouse keeper Ellsworth Smith and his family lived in the cramped quarters of Conimicut Lighthouse, but it was more than Nellie Smith could take. She poisoned her children and herself when her husband was at shore forever haunting the lonely lighthouse.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-307-the-haunting-of-conimicut-lighthouse/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 13 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the Willey House on Rt. 302 in Crawford Notch, New Hampshire. Here in the heart of the White Mountains, something horrific happened on August 28, 1826. The story may just give you the willeys…
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In Episode 306 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore a Bed and Breakfast in Lewiston, Maine, where you could rent a room that served as a crypt for a priest for over a century. This former Catholic church and rectory turned event hall and B&B looks every bit the part, but there was a time when the basement crypt room could be rented to watch horror movies and lie in a bed designed to look like a coffin within the former crypt. How did it get there? And where did it go?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-306-sleeping-with-the-dead-in-lewiston/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 13 – Do you know the story behind the jack-o-lantern? Did you know Cape Cod has its own version of the legend? Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger follow the tale of Captain Jedidy Cole’s ghost and his run from the Devil up the shores of Cape Cod. Will the Devil get the Captain’s soul? Listen to find out! This first aired October 26, 2017.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 305 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger spend Independence Day heading to Pittsburg, New Hampshire, to witness the birth of a new democratic republic born from the injustice of taxation without representation. This new nation caught the attention of the world and became a shining beacon of democracy – even if the Republic of Indian Stream only lasted from 1832 to 1835.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-305-the-birth-of-a-new-nation-in-new-hampshire-independence-day-special/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 12 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Block Island in search of The Palatine Light. In December of 1738, a ship called the Princess Augusta wrecked off the northern coast of Block Island, just off the shore from Rhode Island. This tragic and historic wreck turned into a ghost ship that still haunts the coast. Folklorist and author Dr. Michael Bell joins us on this adventure. This first aired March 8, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 10 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger tell the tale of an alleged Vampire in Woodstock, Vermont, that dates back to 1830. The story goes a man named Corwin had his heart removed and burned… but did it happen? And was he the only vampire in Vermont? Listen to find out! This first aired October 12, 2017.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 10 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger revisit Bangor, Maine, in search of the birthplace of folk hero Paul Bunyan--America’s most famous lumberjack. Many say he hails from the Great Lakes region, but Bangor stakes their own claim. We learn Bunyan’s backstory, his influence, rise to fame, and we pick apart this legendary bit of American folklore. This first aired February 8, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 304 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Waterbury, Vermont, searching for the state’s sweetest cemetery. Established in 1996, we find indisputable proof that some of those commemorated on these headstones do indeed return from the dead. The dead don’t necessarily stay dead here. If enough people ask… a resurrection can and has occurred. This graveyard WILL make you scream…
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-304-vermonts-sweetest-cemetery/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 9 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger revisit Union Cemetery in Easton, Connecticut, searching for the infamous White Lady ghost that’s been seen in the boneyard and along Route 59. We explore bridal and burial legends and discuss Ed Warren’s famous video of the White Lady. This first aired September 14, 2017.
In Episode 303 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hunt for the last (and maybe the first?) Egopantis--a giant beast of an animal unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Today the head of the monster is mounted over the fireplace of the Bull Run Restaurant in Shirley, Massachusetts. They say the monster was killed in the late 1700s by Captain Nathaniel Smith. Is this a tall tale and a clever taxidermy project, or could there still be other Egopantises out there lurking?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-303-hunting-the-egopantis-of-shirley/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 8 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger revisit the story behind an obscure quilt in a Portsmouth, New Hampshire, museum. Ruth Blay was hanged for what was found inside this quilt in 1768, and today she haunts the city of Portsmouth. But why can’t her spirit rest? This first aired January 4, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 302 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut, home of (according to the United States Library of Congress), America’s first hamburger. In 1900, Louis Lassen operated a food cart in downtown New Haven. He served sliced broiled meats to hungry customers. But one day one of his regulars was in a hurry to get some food on-the-go, and a legend was born that became a global icon.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-302-new-havens-controversial-first-hamburger/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 7 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger revisit Boston’s North End and swing by Paul Revere’s house to discuss the Boston Massacre. On March 5, 1770, five colonists were killed in the streets of Boston by British soldiers. Six more were wounded. The event became known as the Boston Massacre. This tragedy helped start a revolution because of a now-famous and legendary engraving made by Paul Revere. The only problem is… Revere’s image doesn’t depict what really happened. Fake news? Propaganda? We explore the legend! This first aired July 5, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 301 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll historic Benefit Street in Providence, Rhode Island, to visit a house built in 1763. Known as the Stephen Harris house, this home was constructed over a former burial ground. Though the graves were relocated, some suspect not all of the human remains made the move. The house was haunted from its earliest days, a run of bad luck plagued the Harris family, and by the late 1800s it fell into disrepair. The legend inspired horror icon H.P. Lovecraft to pen his novella “The Shunned House.”
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-301-the-shunned-house/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 6 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger revisit North Kingstown, Rhode Island, in search of a footprint left by devil himself. Back in Colonial times they say a Native American girl murdered a white man and then made her way down to a rock in North Kingstown where she encountered the devil who dragged her off to her doom. But is this more than just a story? This first aired July 19, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 300 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger sail out to Monhegan Island, about ten miles off the coast of Maine, searching for a hermit named Ray Phillips who lived 40 years on a desolate nearby rock of an island called Manana. From 1931 to 1975, Phillips lived out there in a shack with his flock of sheep and a pet goose. Over the years the old hermit became a celebrity as curious tourists ventured over to talk to him and try to find out what makes him tick. Think you could walk away from it all?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-300-the-hermit-of-manana-island/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 5 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger revisit the town of Albany in northern Vermont to see the haunted Hayden Mansion. They explore a curse that was set in motion in 1806 on the deathbed of Mercie Dale. Dale vowed the Hayden name would perish in the third generation, and the remaining children would die penniless. But did it come to pass? This first aired March 29, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 299 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate a former Concord, New Hampshire, police station turned Mexican Restaurant to search for the ghost of “George.” Back in 1945, two fugitives named Edgar Cook and John Giles broke out of a Council Bluffs, Iowa, jail and headed for New England on the lam. Dubbed the Toothbrush Bandits because they fashioned a toothbrush into a cell key, their dramatic life of crime ended in Concord, New Hampshire, in one of these haunted former cells.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-299-concords-most-haunted-jail/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 4 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger revisit Casco Bay near Portland, Maine, in search of Cassie the Sea Serpent. Since 1779 there have been many reported sightings of a 100-foot-long serpent that has terrorized some local fisherman. Could this creature still be around? This first aired December 7, 2017.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 298 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the shores of Lake Memphremagog in Newport, Vermont, searching for Little Maggie, the most photographed person in northern Vermont in the early 1900s. This wandering vagabond wore men’s clothes, she fished the lake all day long, and smoked a pipe like she was a chimney. This memorable eccentric always found what she needed. Maybe there’s a lesson there?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-298-a-selfie-with-newports-little-maggie/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends from the Vault – FtV Episode 3 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger revisit the ruins of Little People Village in the woods of Middlebury, Connecticut. Who built these miniature stone houses, and why? Is this forest haunted by an elderly couple who went mad listening to the chittering voices of the fairies? And what’s the connection to Lake Quassapaug and other countries around the world? This first aired February 1, 2018.
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 297 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Newburyport, Massachusetts, to visit a mansion once owned by an idiot named Lord Timothy Dexter. An idiot, who no matter how many stupid business moves he made continued to fail upward, getting richer by the misstep, which makes us wonder if maybe he wasn’t an idiot at all. In 1802, Dexter published his memoir A Pickle for the Knowing Ones without a single bit of punctuation.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-297-timothy-dexter-an-idiot-who-failed-upward/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends from the Vault – FTV Episode 2 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger revisit the strange UFO abduction case of Barney and Betty Hill of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, that took place on September 19-20, 1961. What was that odd light they saw in the night sky? Their story has become one of the world’s most famous UFO abduction cases. We end this one with a song "The Ballad of Betty and Barney Hill." This first aired September 21, 2017.
Check out "The Ballad of Betty and Barney Hill" by Dante and the Bird Dogs Music on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bj8a03NOKE
Band Site: https://danteandthebirddogs.com/
Join the New England Legends Patreon! Early access to ad-free episodes plus bonus episodes and content: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
In Episode 296 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Hartford, Connecticut, to see the memorial to the July 6, 1944 circus fire that claimed 167 lives and launched a 50-year mystery as to the identity of a young victim they called Little Miss 1565. This tragic story changed state laws and left a permanent scar on the state’s capital city.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-296-the-great-hartford-circus-fire-mystery/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FTV Episode 1 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger revisit Dungeon Rock in Lynn, Massachusetts. It was here in 1852 that spirits told Hiram Marble to dig for buried pirate treasure. Marble and his son spent years tunneling through solid rock searching for gold. Their tunnel is still there as is the legend. This first aired August 22, 2017.
In Episode 295 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hunt the woods of the Fairmont section of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, searching for the loup-garou, the French-Canadian version of the werewolf. Found somewhere near a cave called the Devil Hole, the story about a monster roaming the woods near the Blackstone River has been passed around for generations.
See more at: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-295-the-woonsocket-werewolf/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
10In Episode 294 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore a Jonesport, Maine, monument to the 1866 voyage of the Nellie Chapin. The ship, and its 156 Christian pilgrims was led by Rev. George Adams, with the plan to sail to Jaffa and build housing for Jewish people in an effort to restore Israel to the Jews so Jesus can return and bring on the End of Days. Even Mark Twain weighs in on the sorry state of the expedition. We ask the important question: What’s the rush?
See more at: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-294-a-maine-voyage-to-end-the-world/
In Episode 293 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate an 1897 Good Friday murder and bank robbery that left the town of Somersworth, New Hampshire, in shock. A 68-year-old pillar of the community named Joseph Stickney was found lying in the bank in a pool of his own blood. The police chased 24-year-old Joseph Kelley into Canada where he was apprehended and brought back to New Hampshire for trial. In court, Kelley claimed he was under contract with the Devil.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-293-a-contract-for-murder-with-the-devil-in-new-hampshire/
In Episode 292 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger dig down 114 feet in the Forestdale section of Brandon, Vermont, to search for an Ice Age-era frog they say was discovered back in the summer of 1865 deep in an ochre mine. But when the frog was brought to the surface… it jumped back to life! Is this just one weird fish story, or something more?
See more at: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-292-vermonts-ice-age-monster-from-the-deep/
In Episode 291 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike up a wooded hill in Chester, Massachusetts, searching for a unique tomb carved into a glacial boulder. In 1873, Hiram Smith and his sister, Isabell Toogood were entombed in a rock that took masons two years to chisel. One story goes that Hiram wanted to be buried above ground so the Devil couldn’t get him. But maybe it was a childhood memory that haunted Hiram all of his long years.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-291-a-stone-tomb-to-avoid-the-devil/
In Episode 290 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the Meeting House Hill region of Meriden, Connecticut, searching for a ghost that made the newspaper back in August of 1895 -- a spooky specter around Booth Pond seen by dozens of locals. Though the reporter at the time seems to think he solved the mystery of the ghost… we found something more. The pond is gone now, but are the ghosts?
See more at: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-290-the-meeting-house-hill-ghost/
In Episode 289 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Little Compton, Rhode Island, to drive by the Spite Tower. Built in 1905, it’s a three-story, odd-looking tower located at the edge of the former Hathaway property. They say it was built out of spite -- to intentionally block the view of a neighbor Hathaway didn’t like. But what’s inside?
See more at: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-289-rhode-islands-spite-tower/
In Episode 288 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike up to Maiden’s Cliff near Lake Megunticook in Camden, Maine, where they say the ghost of a young woman still haunts the ledge. Some people witness the horrific fall that killed the girl back in 1864 playing over and over again. Today there’s a large white cross and plaque marking the spot where young Elenora French lost her life.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-288-the-ghost-of-maidens-cliff/
Also check out Podcast 263: Purgatory Chasm and Lover's Leap in Middletown, Rhode Island https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-263-purgatory-chasms-lovers-leap/
In Episode 287 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger spend Valentine’s Day driving along Route 103 in Newbury, New Hampshire, to see some graffiti that’s endured for half a century. Though the state once painted over it in the 1990s due to a complaint, Newbury responded with a petition to protect this enduring but odd message of affection. The painted rock reads: Chicken Farmer I Still Love You. Who first put it there and why?
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-287-chicken-farmer-i-still-love-you/
In Episode 286 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike up East Mountain in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom searching for the ruins of the North Concord Air Force Station, a massive Cold War-era radar base where a UFO was spotted on September 19, 1961. This UFO sighting was the precursor to New England’s most famous UFO case.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-286-vermonts-abandoned-ufo-base/
Hear also: Episode 5, The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Abduction: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-5-the-ufo-abduction-of-barney-and-betty-hill/
In Episode 285 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger cheer Westford Academy’s football team in Massachusetts. Their mascot is the Grey Ghosts. How they cam e to be called that has been a point of controversy in recent years, but part of the backstory leads us to the haunted Roudenbush Community Center in Westford where we explore a Civil War legend.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-285-westfords-grey-ghosts/
In Episode 284 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Haddam, Connecticut, to a location officially known as Cremation Hill -- a place where they say a farmer used to hire farmhands for the season, and then murder them and burn the bodies instead of paying them. There’s some truth to the legend… this is the story and trial of Emil Schutte who was sentenced to hang on October 22, 1922, for the murder.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-284-connecticuts-cremation-hill/
In Episode 283 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the former Rhode Island State Burial Grounds in Cranston, searching for the place where Grave 599 was exhumed in November 1883. The remains of Caleb Brown were being retrieved by an undertaker hired by his sister to be reinterred in a family plot. When the grave was exposed it was discovered that Brown’s head was missing. Who took it and why (and how) is a mystery.
See more here:
In Episode 282 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Paris, Maine, to investigate the unsolved murders of Dr. and Mrs. Littlefield who were killed in October of 1937. Two men were convicted of the heinous crime, one of them likely didn’t do it. What seemed like an open-and-shut case turned into an event that rocked the otherwise small, peaceful town of Paris.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-282-the-unsolved-littlefield-murders/
In Episode 281 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll Heritage Park in Manchester, New Hampshire, in search of the statue of a man sitting on a park bench holding a small box with dials on it. The statue depicts Ralph Baer, who changed the world back in 1966 when he developed the first home video game console. From two lines knocking a small digital square back-and-forth, a $220 billion dollar industry was born.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-281-the-man-behind-the-console/
In Episode 280 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a week off for the holidays and reintroduce you to an episode from that vault that originally aired in December of 2020. We head to Jericho, Vermont, in search of snow. In 1885, Wilson Bentley figured out a way to attach his camera to a microscope and capture the first close-up photograph of a snowflake. In the coming years he would photograph thousands of images showing the intricate beauty of these ice crystals. His images would be published around the world and even hang in art galleries proving no two flakes are alike and earning Bentley the title: Snowflake Man.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-174-the-snowflake-man-of-jericho/
In Episode 279 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the Roxbury section of Boston, Massachusetts, searching for the factory that produced America’s first Christmas cards. Back in 1875, Louis Prang took a chance that Americans might want to send Christmas cards like they do in Europe. His risk paid off. Within a few years 5 million cards per year were leaving his Roxbury factory, and sending holiday cards became an institution. Jeff and Ray wish you the happiest of holidays!
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-279-americas-first-christmas-card/
Listen to our past holiday specials:
Episode 227 - Christmas Witch Sheep of Narragansett - https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-227-christmas-witch-sheep-of-narragansett/
The Mistletoe Bride - https://ournewenglandlegends.com/holiday-extra-podcast-the-mistletoe-bride/
Episode 175 - Boston's Christmas Tree - https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-175-bostons-christmas-tree/
Episode 122 - New England's First Christmas Tree - https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-122-new-englands-first-christmas-tree/
Episode 70 - The Ghost Who Saved Christmas - https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-70-the-ghost-who-saved-christmas/
Episode 18 - The Jingle Bells Scandal - https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-18-the-jingle-bells-scandal/
Episode 17 - When Boston Banned Christmas - https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-17-when-boston-banned-christmas/
In Episode 278 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore a bungalow house on Lindley Street in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where in 1974 haunting activity was so profound the police, fire department, city engineers, and clergy got involved. Police witnessed a levitating refrigerator, chairs breaking with no one touching them, chairs piling up on each other, and a panicked family. And that’s when Ed and Lorraine Warren joined the case. In this episode we’ll hear from Ed Warren himself about this haunting from a 1997 audio interview conducted by Jeff.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-278-the-lindley-street-poltergeist/
In Episode 277 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to South Kingstown, Rhode Island, to check out a rock and 40-foot observation tower named after Hannah Robinson, a broken-hearted woman who once sat here in 1773 to take in the view of her childhood home one last time. They say her ghost still haunts the rock, but her story still haunts us all.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-277-rhode-islands-broken-hearted-tower/
In Episode 276 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Lewiston, Maine, to search for a house that’s “ridden with ghosts” according to the headline of a December 1894 local newspaper article. A shadowy man whose neck appears broken in a most unnatural way had been reported throughout the tenement house for years. Some believe he was a harbinger of bad things. But he’s not the only ghost reported here.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-276-the-broke-neck-shadow-man/
In Episode 275 – the Thanksgiving Special – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger search the White Mountains near Albany, New Hampshire, for Pamela Hollingworth, a five-year-old girl who went missing back in the Autumn of 1941. What followed was one of the largest and most closely-watched search parties to ever grace the region. For days New Englanders held their breath waiting for news of little Pammy’s fate.
See more on our Web site: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-275-the-white-mountains-search-for-pammy/
In Episode 274, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger sail out of Gloucester Harbor in Massachusetts, aboard the fishing schooner Charles Haskell. In March of 1869, the Haskell was fishing on Georges Bank when a perfect storm knocked her into another vessel sinking the other ship and damning her crew. The ghosts of the sunken crew came back to haunt the Haskell. The story still haunts Gloucester Harbor.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-274-a-ship-crewed-by-the-damned/
In Episode 273, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike into Ponemah Bog in Amherst, New Hampshire, searching for some strange carnivorous plants that grow in the region. These plants are downright deadly… to the right species. Like the Venus Fly Trap that grows in the Carolinas, Ponemah Bog is home to plants like Sundews, Pitcher Plants, and Bladderworts. Could these plants have inspired the classic story and musical Little Shop of Horrors?
Seymour (get it?) here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-273-little-shop-of-ponemah-bog-horrors/
In Episode 272, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger walk along the railroad tracks just south of Cavendish, Vermont, in search of the location of a horrible 1848 accident that launched an iron rod through the skull of railroad worker Phineas Gage. Gage became a medical miracle surviving the incident and becoming the subject of medical studies as well as a temporary living exhibit in P.T. Barnum’s American Museum. Today a monument in Cavendish commemorates the event and the doctor who saved Gage’s life.
For Halloween Episode 271, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger remake an old radio drama called “The Shadow People.” Our friends Lorna Nogueira, Michael Legge, and John Wilbur join us to help recreate this spooky audio drama from the 1950s. We break our usual format for the sake of the most haunted holiday of the year. Enjoy!
In Episode 270, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger search for a house in Berlin, Connecticut, that was once so haunted locals wouldn’t live there very long. Doors opened and closed by themselves, but most frightening, the last tenant was haunted by the ghostly cries of an infant, though no children lived in the house at the time. The haunt made the newspapers back in 1888.
In Episode 269, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger search for the Sea Bird, a seaworthy ghost ship that beached near Newport, Rhode Island, in the Autumn of 1750. With no crew on board, and no sign of any trouble or theft, a legend was born. The captain and crew were never seen again. 135 years later, a plausible tale of mutiny and murder surfaced that made the newspapers, keeping us wondering what happened to the Sea Bird.
In Episode 268, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the Bangor Public Library in Maine, in search of a couch where former Vice President Hannibal Hamlin drew his last breath. The couch has become a macabre attraction in the library due to its connection with presidential royalty… but you can’t sit on it! What happened? And how did it get here?
In Episode 267, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger cruise down Farm Street in Dover, Massachusetts, looking for a strange monster who made an appearance back on April 21, 1977. Bill Bartlett didn’t have a camera, but being an artist, he was able to draw what he saw. It was like no other creature anyone had ever seen before. By the following night, three more people witnessed this strange creature that Loren Coleman first chronicled and dubbed the Dover Demon. Was it a cryptid? An alien? Something else?
In Episode 267, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger cruise down Farm Street in Dover, Massachusetts, looking for a strange monster who made an appearance back on April 21, 1977. Bill Bartlett didn’t have a camera, but being an artist, he was able to draw what he saw. It was like no other creature anyone had ever seen before. By the following night, three more people witnessed this strange creature that Loren Coleman first chronicled and dubbed the Dover Demon. Was it a cryptid? An alien? Something else?
In Episode 266, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the haunted Mt. Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. Built in the White Mountains in 1900 by Joseph Stickney, he didn’t live long enough to get much use out of the hotel. His widow, Princess Carolyn inherited the hotel and made a reputation for throwing lavish parties and always being the best dressed. In 1944, the hotel was home to a huge international conference that would give rise to the IMF, the World Bank, and conspiracy theories that suggest maybe darker forces infiltrated those meetings.
In Episode 266, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the haunted Mt. Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. Built in the White Mountains in 1900 by Joseph Stickney, he didn’t live long enough to get much use out of the hotel. His widow, Princess Carolyn inherited the hotel and made a reputation for throwing lavish parties and always being the best dressed. In 1944, the hotel was home to a huge international conference that would give rise to the IMF, the World Bank, and conspiracy theories that suggest maybe darker forces infiltrated those meetings.
In Episode 265, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hunt for an eight-foot-tall humanoid giant of a creature in Craftsbury, Vermont, that locals called the Goonyak. Back in November of 1978, the Goonyak was all the talk on morning radio and in the newspapers. Some even said the body was recovered and sent to the University of Vermont. Is this the Northeast Kingdom’s version of Bigfoot? What exactly happened back in 1978?
In Episode 265, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hunt for an eight-foot-tall humanoid giant of a creature in Craftsbury, Vermont, that locals called the Goonyak. Back in November of 1978, the Goonyak was all the talk on morning radio and in the newspapers. Some even said the body was recovered and sent to the University of Vermont. Is this the Northeast Kingdom’s version of Bigfoot? What exactly happened back in 1978?
In Episode 264, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hunt for the ghost of the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford, Connecticut. Opened in 1844, this is the oldest continually-operating art museum in the United States. The haunting first made the newspapers back in 1911, when a group of past and present employees gathered to share their unexplained experiences inside the old building. The group thinks they know who is haunting the old Athenaeum.
In Episode 264, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hunt for the ghost of the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford, Connecticut. Opened in 1844, this is the oldest continually-operating art museum in the United States. The haunting first made the newspapers back in 1911, when a group of past and present employees gathered to share their unexplained experiences inside the old building. The group thinks they know who is haunting the old Athenaeum.
In Episode 263, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore a dangerous piece of rock at Purgatory Chasm in Middletown, Rhode Island, called Lover’s Leap. It was here long ago that they say a young heiress dared her would-be suitor to prove his love to her by jumping across the chasm. Will he make the jump? Will he get the girl? This was also the place where the Devil once landed after a cross-harbor leap.
In Episode 262, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger search for a haunted well located at the back of Sabattus, Maine, cemetery where they say back in 2001, a kid was lowered down, and when he came back up his hair turned white, he’d ages decades, and he lost his mind. But is it true? We found the source!
In Episode 262, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger search for a haunted well located at the back of Sabattus, Maine, cemetery where they say back in 2001, a kid was lowered down, and when he came back up his hair turned white, he’d ages decades, and he lost his mind. But is it true? We found the source!
In Episode 261, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Old Hadley Cemetery, in Hadley, Massachusetts, which is the final resting place of accused witch, Mary Webster. A ward of the town, Webster was accused of witchcraft in 1683 but found innocent. Though the court’s verdict wasn’t good enough for the people of Hadley. When a prominent church deacon fell under a strange illness in 1684, some locals were sure he was under a spell of Mary Webster, and they took matters into their own hands. They attempted to hang Webster, but she survived to go on an inspire author Margaret Atwood to write The Handmaid’s Tale.
In Episode 260, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the small town of Orford, New Hampshire, searching for a woman written up in the 1837 American Journal of Science for exhibiting the strange ability to shoot sparks from her body all day long with no ability to stop. Dr. Willard Hosford or Orford, documented this strange case that we’re still talking about today.
In Episode 259, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger are forced to take a week off because they both have Covid! So this week they introduce you to an episode from the vault: The Bootlegger Queen of Vermont, which originally aired September 24, 2020. Back to 1925 in West Halifax, Vermont, during the height of prohibition, Hilda Stone made a name for herself running illegal booze from Canada. Stone became an icon in the newspapers, and was arrested more times than you can count on one hand.
In Episode 258, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the hilly woods of Hamden, Connecticut, searching for a giant named Hobbomock. For centuries the Quinnipiac people told the story of a pesky giant who plagued their people. A giant who could change the course of rivers, and devour the local delicacies. The giant was ultimately tricked, and today you can still see where he lies sleeping in Hamden.
In Episode 257, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a week off, so they introduce you to an episode from the vault: The Day it Rained Fish in Olneyville, Rhode Island, which originally aired June 24, 2021. At an unremarkable intersection in Providence, it once rained fish down from the sky back on May 15, 1900, but that wasn’t the only weird thing to make the headlines that day. Just across town, an explosion in a trolley car covered the occupants with a mysterious goo. May 15, 1900, may just be Providence’s weirdest day.
In Episode 256, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a week off, so they introduce you to an episode from the vault: Three Strange Beasts from the Woods of Maine, which originally aired March 5, 2020. In the woods of western Maine, we search for the Agropelter, the Billdad, and the Tote Road Shagamaw. These legendary creatures have haunted and hunted loggers for decades. Are they just tall tales told around the campfire at the end of the day, or could there be something more to it?
In Episode 255, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the woods of Gloucester, Massachusetts, to search for some ghostly soldiers and scouts who plagued the town for weeks back in July of 1692. With the Salem Witch trials happening just a few towns away, and King William’s War raging to the north, everyone is on edge. Pretty soon, the people of Gloucester think these aren’t soldiers at all, but minions of the devil who can’t be shot or scared.
In Episode 254, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the town green of South Royalton, Vermont, searching for the memorial to Hannah Handy--the only memorial to a woman from the Revolutionary War in the state of Vermont. On October 16, 1780, Handy rescued nine children who were taken prisoner in a British raid. Her story was almost lost if not for a local historian who lobbied her town to raise funds for a monument.
In Episode 253, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Newton, New Hampshire, to explore the tragic story of Hannah Chase, who took her own life the day before her wedding in June of 1819. Her story and the pond where she perished may have been forgotten if not for the pen of Haverhill, Massachusetts, poet John Greenleaf Whittier, who immortalized the story and place. Chase’s story haunted Whittier as a boy.
In Episode 252, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger walk the roads of Hampton, Connecticut, searching for the story of the Darn Man, a colorful vagabond who wandered Windham County in the 1850s and 1860s wearing the coat he was to be married in, but his bride never showed. He gave different names to different families, he’d never talk about his past or origins, yet he became a local celebrity and the focus of many stories. But who was he really?
In Episode 251, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Plain Meeting House Cemetery in West Greenwich, Rhode Island, searching for the lost grave of Nellie Vaughn. Some say she was a vampire. Others claim she was a witch. More believe her restless spirit still haunts this boneyard trying to right a wrong from decades ago. Could this be a case of mistaken identity?
In Episode 250, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger sail out to the Isles of Shoals, Maine, to investigate the infamous Smuttynose Island murders. On March 5, 1873, two women were brutally murdered on the island, while a third narrowly escaped with her life. Louis Wagner was hanged for the crime, but did they execute the right man? This crime still haunts the tiny islands.
In Episode 249, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike up Mt. Nonotuck in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in search of the Eyrie House Ruins. The site was a once-popular hotel and resort in the latter half of the 1800s featuring live music, a menagerie of exotic animals, and incredible views. But a horrible tragedy took away owner William Street’s castle in a single night back on April 13th, 1901. There was a funeral pyre that went horribly wrong.
In Episode 248, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Sandgate, Vermont, to try and solve the mystery of a Norman Rockwell masterpiece painting called “Breaking Home Ties” that was proudly displayed in the Norman Rockwell museum between 2002 and 2006. The only problem is the museum painting was a fake. What happened to the original?
In Episode 247, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger try out stilts in Rye, New Hampshire, in search of a 19th-century eccentric legendary peddler known as Cling-Clang. Known to travel on stilts along the coast between New Hampshire, Maine, and even into Nova Scotia, this odd vagabond has some strange habits, he only slept outside, and left a mark behind that we can still see today. But who was this regional folk legend? Murderer on the run? Heartbroken noble? Something else?
In Episode 246, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger row out to Penfield Reef Lighthouse in Fairfield, Connecticut, to search for the ghost of lighthouse keeper Frederick Jordan, who drowned here in 1916 trying to get home for the holidays to see his family. Bound by duty, his ghost has haunted the lighthouse and these waters ever since, still helping people to safety.
In Episode 245, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the July 24, 1964 nuclear incident in Wood River Junction, Rhode Island, that left 37-year-old Robert Peabody dead. Peabody remains the nation’s first fatality due to acute radiation syndrome at the United Nuclear Corporation Fuels Recovery Plant.
In Episode 244, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike into the woods of the Allagash Wilderness in northern Maine searching for the location of a 1976 UFO sighting and alleged abduction. Four men embarked on a two-week camping trip and found more than they bargained for in the skies over this remote section of Maine. But were they actually taken aboard an alien spacecraft?
This week we're sharing some chilling stories with a twist. We're featuring true stories told on one of our favorite podcasts, Jim Harold's Campfire. You'll hear an extremely strange doppleganger story, a tale of an evil scarecrow, a Black Eyed Kid encounter and much more! Best of all, the stories are all directly told by the experiencers themselves.
We hope you enjoy this special edition of New England Legends and that you'll listen to and follow Jim Harold's Campfire wherever you get your podcasts or at jimharold.com
In Episode 243, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate Gould Court in Gloucester, Massachusetts, where a poltergeist haunting made the news back in the early 1880s. Were the strange knocks and thumps just the house settling, or could they have been something more sinister?
In Episode 242, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Bristol, Vermont, to climb inside the town’s annual Fourth of July Outhouse Races. For more than 40 years people have been racing outhouses down West Street, in an event that’s grown to legendary status. Joining us on this adventure is Cameron Perta, who has competed in several outhouse races, and won the 2019 race. But how did it all start?
In Episode 241, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the case of a haunted farmhouse in Londonderry, New Hampshire, that made the news in 1891 because the man who bought the farm didn’t know it was haunted. He sued the former owner, bringing the case all the way to the state Supreme Court where the court was forced to rule on the haunting.
In Episode 240, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate the Parker Farms section of Wallingford, Connecticut, on the trail of a gruesome unsolved murder dating back to 1886, when a man’s torso was found stuffed into a shoebox by the side of the road. Who was the victim? Who was the killer? And why? This event had Wallingford on edge for months.
In Episode 239, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel to South Kingstown, Rhode Island, to search for the Devil. Not Old Scratch’s first trip to the Ocean State, back in 1816, the Devil was drawn in by a prolific liar named Richard Corey, who tried to bargain his way out of damnation by offering the devil an even bigger liar.
In Episode 238, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Holden, Maine, searching for an ancient and cursed funeral carriage that made the newspapers back in 1901 because locals believed it was cursed. That hearse showed up on the front lawn of various families in town, and death soon followed. The legend spread to the point where no one wanted to touch this vehicle the papers dubbed: The Hoodoo Hearse.
In Episode 237, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Mayflower Hill Cemetery in Taunton, Massachusetts -- the final resting place of one of America’s most prolific serial killers: Jolly Jane Toppan. Between 1887 and 1901, Nurse Toppan was believed to have murdered between 31 and 100 people in Massachusetts.
In Episode 236, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the legends of Lake Morey in Fairlee, Vermont. Locals will tell you the steamship was invented here by a local man even if Robert Fulton got all the credit. Today, the prototype boat and its angry creator’s ghost both haunt the lake.
In Episode 235, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the Great Wall of Sandwich, New Hampshire. Built in the 1870s by inventor and business mogul Isaac Adams, this roadside oddity was built out of spite. As a youth, he vowed to return to Sandwich one day and buy up every farm in town.
In Episode 234, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Bantam Lake in Morris, Connecticut, searching for the crash site of a UFO. On April 10, 2012, multiple witnesses, including a Connecticut State Trooper, saw a glowing ball of light as big as a whale drop down in the vicinity of Connecticut’s largest lake. Was it just a meteorite, or something even more otherworldly?
In Episode 233, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods of Glocester, Rhode Island, searching for a legendary beast spotted twice in the 1800s, decades apart. This dragon-like creature has ties to pirates, buried treasure, and has the people of Glocester scratching their heads for centuries.
In Episode 232, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger are caught in a brutal winter storm by Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine, where they explore the tragic story or Mr. and Mrs. Tarbox, who lost their lives in a March 1819 blizzard. Their frozen demise inspired local poet Thomas Shaw to chronicle the event in a “mournful song” of a poem. The event still haunts the region.
In Episode 231, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger search downtown Fitchburg, Massachusetts, for Rollstone Boulder; a 110-ton rock moved into a traffic island back in the late 1920s. This boulder was once perched on top of a hill overlooking town, but when stone quarries moved in, local and state politicians made a legendary effort to save this local landmark. But now that it’s been in the center of town for almost a century… no one cares.
In Episode 230, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the haunted Hartness House Inn in Springfield, Vermont. Built in 1904 by inventor, captain of industry, and one-time Vermont governor, James Hartness, this mansion holds many mysteries. From secret underground tunnels, to objects moving in the guest rooms, to a ghostly presence roaming the tunnels and halls of the old stately house, it’s no wonder this house is haunted.
In Episode 229, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a drive to Campton, New Hampshire, to cross the cursed Blair Bridge. A picturesque covered wooden bridge that dates back to 1829, this structure has seen more than its share of tragedies. From the time Lem Parker burned it down because he said God told him to, to the time a doctor’s horse drowned here, to the time Tropical Storm Irene fired tree limbs at the bridge like missiles, maybe this old bridge really is cursed?
In Episode 228, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a holiday week off with their families, so they introduce you to an episode from the vault: The Black Dog of Meriden, Connecticut, which originally aired November 21, 2019. We climb the cliffs over Hubbard Park in Meriden, Connecticut, in search of a mysterious black dog. They say if you see this mutt once, you’ll find joy, see him twice and you’ll find sorrow, but if you see him three times it means your death. Could this dog be connected to a different Connecticut legend?
In Episode 227, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger spend Christmas on a Narragansett, Rhode Island, sheep farm searching for a unique breed of sheep that takes its name from a spell cast by a local witch after the brutal Christmas blizzard of 1811 hit Benny Nichols’s flock. Against all odds, a young Ancon sheep survived the storm, but the ewe’s strange winter coat drew the attention of local witch Tuggie Bannocks.
In Episode 226, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger sail the shores of southern Maine from Kennebunkport to York, searching for the ghost ship Isidore. They say the Isidore was cursed from the start, which is why she wrecked on her maiden voyage November 30, 1842. Had the captain and crew heeded their premonitions, maybe 16 lives could have been spared. The story of this tragedy may have been lost if not for a song and book by Maine troubadour Harvey Reid, who joins Jeff and Ray on this episode.
In Episode 225, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll the shores of Marblehead, Massachusetts, searching for the ghost locals call the Screeching Lady. Back in the 17th century, a pirate ship dropped anchor right off these shores, brought an English woman prisoner to the beach, and murdered her as locals watched. The victim’s shrieks have haunted these shores ever since.
In Episode 224, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger go back to school when they search for the Round Schoolhouse in Brookline, Vermont. The school building was designed in 1821 by Dr. John Wilson who wanted the building round so he could look out the windows in all directions in case someone comes looking for him… because Dr. Wilson is a man with secrets. Dark secrets that he took almost to his grave.
In Episode 223, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a New England road trip to witness the first Thanksgiving in Phippsburg, Maine, then jump over to Newport, New Hampshire, to meet the mother of the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, and finally end in Medford, Massachusetts, to learn the origins of a Thanksgiving song that’s since been hijacked by Christmas. Happy Thanksgiving to all of our legendary friends!
In Episode 222, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger search for Governor John Wentworth’s missing treasure in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. In 1775, with the American Revolution about to come to a boil, British Governor Wentworth is forced to flee his mansion with his family, his servants, and chests of gold and silver. On his way to Portsmouth, the governor is forced to lighten his load, so they say he buried his riches intending to come back for them after England squashes the American rebellion. Gov. Wentworth never set foot in New Hampshire again. Could the treasure still be out there?
In Episode 221, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut, in search of the haunted headstone of Midnight Mary. Mary E. Hart died at midnight on October 15, 1872, and her headstone and epitaph have stood behind various legends about being buried alive, a curse, and her wandering ghost being seen on nearby Winthrop Avenue.
In Episode 220, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Freeport to explore the Desert of Maine. While there, they search for a man named Coffin, the Hermit of Maine, who lived nearby and charged tourists 15 cents to look inside his shack. How did a desert appear in Maine? And who was this hermit?
In Episode 219, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger receive a strange Halloween message with an address in Rhode Island and the promise of seeing a monster. Jeff and Ray follow the clues and wind up trapped in a house with a murdered body and a vampire! Will they make it out alive?!
In Episode 218, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Hull, Massachusetts, in search of multiple ghosts spotted around the turn of the twentieth century. After a ghostly horse and buggy was spotted by none other than local hero Captain Joshua James, a strange apparition stalked a local actor by the Hull Cemetery. We hear their accounts, and walk the grounds searching for the spooky specters.
In Episode 217, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Pownal, Vermont, to explore the witch trial of the widow Mrs. Krieger. In 1765, the widow Krieger was accused of being in league with the devil. She was given a choice to face one of two horrible tests to see if she was indeed a witch. Though a century had passed since Salem’s infamous trials, belief in New England witches has not gone away.
In Episode 216, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll Main Street in Concord, New Hampshire, searching for the birthplace of a torture device that has plagued billions of people since it was invented by Levi Hutchins back in 1787. Hutchins built a machine intended to defy both God and nature. It was on this humble street, that he unleashed his creation on New England and then the world.
In Episode 215, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive to the Buckingham Village shopping plaza in Glastonbury, Connecticut, in search of a bolder where a man believed there was buried treasure because of a dream he had, and because a psychic told him so. In 1921, that man lost his life trying to get the loot. Today that rock still stands as an obscure memorial to long-shot hope and a dream of a better life.
In Episode 214, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods around Moosehead Lake in central Maine searching for some leaping French-Canadian loggers who became the subject of teasing and a neurological study back in 1880. When startled, these loggers would jump up and down uncontrollably and do whatever anyone tells them to do. Was this affliction the result of inbreeding? Boredom? Or something else?
In Episode 213, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods around School House Pond in Charlestown, Rhode Island, searching for the place where a Narragansett boy named John Onion challenged the devil, and the dark rock formation where horrible acts still haunt the woods.
In Episode 212, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll down Brick Kiln Lane in Pembroke, Massachusetts, searching for a tapping ghost who was seen and heard over the span of years back in the 1940s. This ghost has ties to the old shipyard, which has ties to the Boston Tea Party. This ghostly experience was documented by local journalist Curt Norris in the 1980s. Could these taps come from the ghost of shipbuilder Barker Turner?
In Episode 211, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the haunting of Highgate Manor in Highgate, Vermont. Once the home of Dr. Henry Baxter, some believe the doctor performed strange experiments on his children sending them to an early grave. Later, the house was turned into an inn where notorious mobster Al Capone once stayed. Today the stately home sits empty, save for the ghosts and legends still lurking inside.
In Episode 210, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee in Meredith, New Hampshire, searching for a mysterious stone unearthed back in 1872. This fist-sized, egg-shaped artifact has several images carved on it, including a face, corn, and other geometric shapes. It appears to be Native American in origin, but matches nothing seen by tribes local to this region. This rock raises so many questions that some have speculated it could be a Thunderstone--a rock forged in the sky by some deity and then dropped to the earth. The mystery stone has perplexed archaeologists ever since it was discovered.
In Episode 209, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Ledyard, Connecticut, to investigate the death and alleged resurrection of Jemima Wilkinson. Going by the name Publick Universal Friend, this pronounless religious leader started a movement in the late 1700s, then traveled New England ready to perform miracles like walking on water and resurrecting the dead. To many, this person was a fraud and cult leader, to others, this person had the spiritual answers they were seeking.
In Episode 208, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a drive down Route 2A through Haynesville, Maine, to see a road so treacherous and haunted, it inspired a 1965 country song by Dick Curless. Behind the song, though, are countless stories of vehicle accidents and strange encounters on this road that may cause you to slow down and look twice. Be warned, Jeff brought his guitar on this trip, and Ray may have sung some of Dick Curless’s song.
In Episode 207, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a week off to regroup, so they introduce you to an episode from the vault: Who’s Haunting Smith’s Castle in Wickford, Rhode Island. Originally aired December 26, 2019, we explore the dark history and haunting of Smith’s Castle. The structure and grounds are home to a mass grave, the site of America’s only prisoner to be drawn and quartered, a former slave plantation, and a clumsy ghost who may still be replaying her tumble with destiny.
In Episode 206, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Brookfield, Massachusetts, to examine the crime scene and trial of Bathsheba Spooner -- the first woman hanged in the United States for a capital crime. On March 1, 1778, the body of Bathsheba’s husband was dumped in the family’s well. It didn’t take long for authorities to unravel a murderous plot hatched by the victim’s wife and her lover.
In Episode 205, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger go on a hunt for the 160-foot Vermontasaurus at the Post Mills Airport in Thetford, Vermont. Born in 2010 from the rubble of fallen buildings, the giant beast is the brainchild of hot air balloon pilot Brian Boland, who joins us on this Jurassic adventure. The Vermontasaurus faced extinction not once, but twice, yet still stands lurking by the runway of the airport. Welcome to Vermont’s Jurassic Park! Note: This episode is dedicated in memory of Brian Boland.
In Episode 204, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll the haunted grounds of the Enfield, New Hampshire, Shaker Village. In July of 1863, Civil War veteran Thomas Weir returned to Enfield to try and retrieve his daughters who were indentured servants to the Shakers. For over a year, Weir tried to reason, beg, and even threaten the Shakers to get his daughters back. When they refused, Weir pulled out a pistol and murdered Caleb Dyer, and set a tragic haunting in motion that can still be felt today.
In Episode 203, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Brookfield, Connecticut, to examine the infamous 1981 “Devil Made Me Do It Case” involving Arne Johnson, his girlfriend, Debbie Glatzel, and famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. After Debbie’s youngest brother went through a demonic possession and a series of exorcisms, all was quiet until a fateful day in February when a man was murdered. Arne Johnson was found guilty of manslaughter, but to this day he insists he was not operating under his own power at the time. Hear the real story behind the new Conjuring 3 movie!
In Episode 202, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a 40-mile ride across our solar system in New England's ultimate roadside oddity! Beginning at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, the scale model of our solar system is the brain child of Professor Kevin McCartney, PhD, who rides along with the guys via phone to explain how the model went from idea to roadside reality. Starting at the Sun, Jeff and Ray travel beyond the speed of light past Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and all the way out to Pluto (it will always be a planet in our hearts).
In Episode 201, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger go on a fishing expedition in the Olneyville section of Providence, Rhode Island. At an unremarkable intersection it once rained fish down from the sky back on May 15, 1900, but that wasn’t the only weird thing to make the headlines that day. Just across town, an explosion in a trolley car covered the occupants with a mysterious goo. May 15, 1900, may just be Providence’s weirdest day.
In Episode 200, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger break format just this once to present an audio documentary exploring the movement that has become the New England Legends television series, podcast, smart phone app, calendar, Facebook group, and family of people sharing weird legends from all over the northeastern United States. You get to hear from those behind the scenes and from a bunch of our legend seekers who called in.
In Episode 199, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger search for the lost village of North Pepperell, Massachusetts. Once a bustling center of commerce back in the early 1800s, all that’s left today are a few cellar holes and former foundations sinking into the woods. The reason the village disappeared is because of a witch’s curse placed on the town after the locals drove out a peculiar old woman by branding her face.
In Episode 198, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a drive up Lakeside Avenue in Burlington, Vermont, searching for a train bridge built by a ghost. In June of 1900, Mary Blair was killed crossing the train tracks in front of the Queen City Cotton Mill. The event triggered a haunting that made the newspapers, with reports coming from inside the mill late at night, and out on the tracks where the accident occurred.
In Episode 197, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike the Appalachian Trail up to Mt. Moosilauke near Benton in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, in search of three hikers who went missing in a ravine long ago, and an immortal mad doctor who abducts the unsuspecting to perform ungodly experiments.
In Episode 196, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger check out the haunted Daniel Benton Homestead in Tolland, Connecticut. This three-centuries-old home has seen a lot of human activity, but it was a tragic event that took place in the winter of 1777 between two star-crossed lovers caught between a war and a deadly virus that still haunts us today.
In Episode 195, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Union, Maine, tracing the steps of Dr. Augustin Thompson, a local man who developed a nerve tonic in 1876 that would eventually launch a war that continues to this day. After moving to Lowell, Massachusetts, Dr. Thompson added a key ingredient that turned his medicine into a New England staple, and eventually introduced the world to a new word that’s synonymous with guts, spunk, grit, and determination.
In Episode 194, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Union Street in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, to search for the long-lost location of a haunted farmhouse that made the newspapers back in 1887. Though it was reported to be haunted before a tragic event left a final scar, after a child was lost inside, the building rotted away to nothing except a spooky story almost lost to the ages.
In Episode 193, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the Boston Athenaeum in search of a rare book -- the 1837 memoirs and deathbed confession of thief and highwayman James Allen, alias George Walton (among others). Allen’s dying wish was to have one copy of the book bound in leather made from the skin of his own back. That one copy is embossed with the Latin: Hic Liber Waltonis Cute Compactus Est. - This book is bound in the skin of Walton.
In Episode 192, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger dive into the legends of Lake Willoughby in Westmore, Vermont. From Devil’s Rock, to a giant serpent, to a mysteries underwater tunnel that may connect to another nearby lake, Willoughby is home to many strange legends. Devil’s Rock is still here, and we found newspaper articles related to the killing of the giant serpent, but could a descendant of that giant beast still be lurking in these cold waters?
In Episode 191, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods around the Notchland Inn in Hart’s Location, in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, searching for the ghost of Nancy Barton. In the winter of 1788, Nancy left her boarding house in Jefferson, New Hampshire, to trek 30 miles through the snow to chase down her faithless lover who had stolen all of her money the previous morning. Not only are the nearby brook, pond, falls, and mountain named after her, but her ghost is still said to roam the area.
In Episode 190, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike into the woods of Kent, Connecticut, in search of Molly Fisher Rock, a boulder with strange petroglyphs, with ties to an old folk healer from the late 1700s, and a possible connection to a cursed pirate treasure of Captain Kidd.
In Episode 189, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit a memorial off the side of the road in Alfred, Maine, that marks the site where America’s first elephant was gunned down in cold blood back in 1816. The elephant named Old Bet had toured throughout New England for eight years before a jealous farmer named Daniel Davis gunned her down as she approached the town of Alfred. Old Bet was part of one of America’s earliest circuses, and if not for the tiny memorial along Route 4, her legend may be lost forever.
In Episode 188, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods of Narragansett, Rhode Island, in search of a strange configuration of stone monuments locals call the Druid’s chair and Witch’s Altar. In the 1880s, these monuments and the house across the street were built by eccentric Spiritualist Joseph Peace Hazard. Though Hazard built these structures, he would tell you the design was dictated by spirits, but for what purpose? He never knew.
In Episode 187, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Leominster, Massachusetts, in search of Joseph Palmer and Silas Lampson, two men who were persecuted and even jailed for wearing a beard in the 1830s. Though they were both devout Christians, they were attacked, mocked, and even accused of being in league with the devil, all for sporting facial hair. Though both men would live to see the times change, these non-conformists suffered due to the ugliest and most judgmental aspects to society.
In Episode 186, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger lurk the streets of downtown Manchester, Vermont, searching for a demon vampire. In 1793, the body of Consumption victim Rachel Harris Burton was exhumed after three years in the ground. Her vital organs were cut from her chest and burned in a nearby forge. Those ashes were then fed to Isaac Burton’s second wife, Hulda, in an effort to break the vampire’s spell. When there’s a plague, monsters are never far behind.
In Episode 185, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Deerfield, New Hampshire, in search of a 175-year-old mystery thundering from below ground. Between 1834 and 1846, a series of explosions emanating from below ground were reported in the southern part of town. The sounds were as loud as cannon fire, and the concussion could knock over a stone wall. The only problem is no source was ever found, and earthquakes don’t behave this way. The events made the local papers for years. Scared locals pleaded with the scientific community for answers, but none could be found. Some speculate it could be secret underground mines, trolls, or even an underground UFO base.
In Episode 184, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger don their gym shorts and pump some iron in Voluntown, Connecticut, while they search for Elmer Bitgood: the strongest man in New England. Bitgood kept himself in the newspapers between 1909 and 1916 by performing various feats of strength, including lifting 2600 pounds in front of reporters! But when you make bold claims, others will come gunning for you. Enter Bartello the Great for a potential showdown.
In Episode 183, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the haunted Nordica Auditorium on the campus of the University of Maine, Farmington. Lillian Nordica was an opera singer from Farmington who rose to international fame in the 1880s. Unlucky at love, but adored by millions, she’s considered the first American Diva. They say her ghost can still be heard warming up in the auditorium named after her.
In Episode 182, for Valentine’s Day, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit a Little Compton, Rhode Island, cemetery in search of the grave of Elizabeth, whose epitaph reads: Should have been the wife of Simeon Palmer. Elizabeth died in 1776. Was her epitaph an indication that she’s still pining for Simeon, the guy who got away? Or is there something else behind the strange message?
In Episode 181, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll down Charles Street in Newburyport, Massachusetts, searching for a haunted schoolhouse. Back in 1870, the schoolhouse ghosts kept this building in the newspapers for years to come, drawing in the curious and the skeptical. Much was published on the details of this on-going haunting that rattled the students and the poor teacher.
In Episode 180, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel to the banks of the White River in Hartford, Vermont, searching for ghostly legends that dates back to 1887, when the Montreal Express train jumped the track just before bridge. The event led to a horrific loss of life, it changed the way the rail system operates, and left a stain on this region that can never be washed away.
In Episode 179, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the shores of Beaver Lake in Derry, New Hampshire, searching for the Derry Fairy. In the 1600s, Tsienneto, came to the lake and built shelter on an enchanted island in the middle. While hunting near the lake, he had a run-in with the local Pawtucket people. The capture lead to prophecy and legend with later ties to colonists and even (possibly) the United States space program.
In Episode 178, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Peck’s Hollow in Franklin, Connecticut, in search of Micah Rood’s former farm and a cursed apple tree that dates back to an alleged murder from the early 1700s. For many decades, folks in eastern Connecticut had to wonder when they bit into a Mike apple if those red specs were just pigmentation, or drops of blood from a murdered French peddler.
In Episode 177, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the shores of Rockport Harbor in Maine, searching for the legend of a seal who stole the hearts of locals and tourists from 1961 to 1986. Andre the seal was adopted by Harry Goodridge when he was two days old, then became a local fixture. His story led to books, a statue, and even a Hollywood movie. But not everyone loved Andre.
In Episode 176, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger return to the scene of a New Year’s Eve murder in Cranston, Rhode Island, in search of the events that lead to the haunting of the Governor Sprague Mansion. The accused man was hanged in 1845, but posthumously pardoned in 2011. So who done it? And who haunts the Sprague Mansion today?
In Episode 175, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll Boston Common to see this year’s Christmas tree. The tree is an annual gift from the people of Halifax, Nova Scotia – a gift that traces its roots back to a horrible tragedy that took place December 6, 1917, when a French ship carrying munitions exploded, instantly killing hundreds of people, and injuring thousands more. Out of this dark day came a bright light of hope when neighbors reached out to help neighbors.
In Episode 174, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Jericho, Vermont, in search of snow. In 1885, Wilson Bentley figured out a way to attach his camera to a microscope and capture the first close-up photograph of a snowflake. In the coming years he would photograph thousands of images showing the intricate beauty of these ice crystals. His images would be published around the world and even hang in art galleries proving no two flakes are alike and earning Bentley the title: Snowflake Man.
In Episode 173, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike up to an old cellar hole and cemetery in Pawtuckaway State Park in New Hampshire, in search of an eccentric photographer from the late 1800s named George Goodrich. However, folks around the nearby town of Raymond called him: The Barefoot Farmer. Though he looked like a disheveled vagabond to the untrained eye of tourists, locals knew he was one of the wealthiest men in town.
In Episode 172, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike through a Bristol, Rhode Island, cemetery searching for a burial mound and crime scene. In the woods behind this small cemetery sits a mound of dirt containing the robbed crypt of Captain James DeWolf, a former slave trader who whose grave was desecrated in 1842. Today this crypt is a once-prominent family’s dirty secret.
In Episode 171, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger spend Thanksgiving in a Whitman, Massachusetts, parking lot located between a fast food restaurant and a chain drug store in search of the sacred birthplace of the one of America’s most beloved holiday baked goods: the Toll House Chocolate Chip cookie. In 1938, Ruth Wakefield’s kitchen concoction turned from a happy accident into a nation-wide phenomenon. We’ll find out how!
In Episode 170, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive through the suburbs of Griswold, Connecticut, in search of a vampire unearthed by state archaeologist Dr. Nicholas Bellantoni back in 1990. The vampire, dubbed J.B. 55, may have been Griswold’s first vampire, but he would not be the last. As we’ve seen before, vampires show up in times of plagues. We can’t help but wonder if they’re poised to return.
In Episode 169, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger sail out from Freeport, Maine, in search of the ghost ship Dash, a merchant brig and privateer made famous during the War of 1812. In January of 1815, Dash sailed into a storm and into legend when she vanished. But that wasn’t the last of her. They say for years to come the ghost ship Dash would sail into Casco Bay when some loved one from the lost crew was ready to pass on.
In Episode 168, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll the grounds of Green Mount Cemetery in Burlington, Vermont, searching for the mortal remains of war hero General Ethan Allen. A 42-foot-tall monument to Allen stands as the tallest structure in the cemetery, however, his bones are NOT buried there. So where IS the body of Ethan Allen today?
In Episode 167, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger go trick-or-treating at the haunted Lizzie Borden House and Museum in Fall River, Massachusetts. In this Halloween special, we explore the infamous case from August 4, 1892, and the haunt the double-murder left behind. We walk room-by-room with tour guide Sue as we take in the house, examine crime scene photos, and sit where Andrew Borden’s skull was crushed in while he napped. Happy Halloween!
In Episode 166, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike up to Purgatory Falls in Lyndeborough, New Hampshire, searching for the Devil’s Footprint and the Devil’s Bean Pot. How were these unique stone features formed? They say Old Scratch came calling one day, and tried to cook lunch for some local ministers.
In Episode 165, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll down Tucker Hollow Road in Foster, Rhode Island, in search of the ghost of Aunt Lonnie – a hermit of a woman who placed a curse on her house. Her wish upon her death was that her home be dismantled so no one else could ever live there. Today she still haunts the old dirt road.
In Episode 164, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head back to 1930 to Bank Street in New Milford, Connecticut, to explore the legend of a haunted stove. For two weeks, the strange phenomenon of the talking stove behind a Bank Street restaurant drew in thousands of witnesses and made international news. Where were those ghostly voices coming from?
In Episode 163, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel back to October of 1940 in Rockland, Maine, to explore the gruesome Halloween murder of Alzada Pauline Young by her stepfather, John Phelps. This true crime has haunted this small town for generations and left residents with a mystery and the ghost of a severed head. A warning to parents listening with their kids, this episode is a little more graphic than our usual offerings. You may want to preview first.
In Episode 162, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel back to 1925 in West Halifax, Vermont – the height of prohibition – to ride shotgun with Hilda Stone, the Bootlegger Queen of Vermont, on one of her many runs to Canada. Stone was drawn into a life of crime after her husband came into financial difficulties, but she stayed for the love of the chase. Stone became an icon in the newspapers, and got arrested more times than you can count on one hand. But she kept coming back to deliver illegal booze to New Englanders.
In Episode 161, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger trek through the woods of Warren, New Hampshire, searching for the legend of a lost little girl named Sarah Whitcher. In 1873, Sarah wandered into the woods by her forest home and was gone an entire day before her family realized she was missing. Folks came from several towns away to help search for days. When a child’s footprints were found near bear tracks, Sarah’s mother almost broke down.
In Episode 160, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger walk up to a tiny pond in Millis, Massachusetts, they say is bottomless, they also say the devil meets with his minions in this spot as a headless ghost circles the pond after being summoned by hobgoblins. They call this mysterious place now nestled into an unassuming neighborhood: The Dinglehole.
In Episode 159, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive around an odd intersection in Smithfield, Rhode Island, 13 times searching for the Witch Tree. Some claim the intersection of Mann School and Colwell Roads is cursed by a witch rotting below an oak tree that sprouted more than two centuries ago. How did this road hazard turn into a monster? Listen to find out!
In Episode 158, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive by the Seventh Day Baptist Cemetery in Burlington, Connecticut, searching for a ghost they call the Green Lady. For more than 50 years, locals have been talking about this glowing apparition, but who is she? Or rather, who was she? A murder victim? A victim of circumstance? Listen to find out!
In Episode 157, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll through the Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge in Limestone, Maine, in search of the Vampire House, a Cold War relic leftover from the time when nuclear weapons were stored here at Loring Air Force Base. The Vamp House is a building with secrets: there’s legends of an accident that may have left monsters trapped inside. On this adventure we bring along a former military police officer who was there in the 1980s. It turns out with this legend, when there’s smoke, there’s also fire.
In Episode 156, to celebrate our three-year anniversary show, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger paddle on to Lake Bomoseen in Castleton, Vermont, is search of a ghost town, a phantom row boat, and an island they say is inhabited by giant rabbits with glowing red eyes. This is a buffet of weirdness and wonder with links to the slate industry, tourism, and some A-list celebrities.
In Episode 155, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive to Mason, New Hampshire, to see the boyhood home of Samuel Wilson, a kid who served the Continental Army by guarding and tending to the livestock, then helped the U.S. cause again during the War of 1812. He’s a guy who cared about his neighbors, and about his country. Though his name was Samuel, most locals knew him simply as: Uncle Sam. We want YOU to hear this podcast.
In Episode 154, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive to the grounds of the old Fernald School in Waltham, Massachusetts, just in time for a radioactive bowl of Quaker Oatmeal. This is a facility with secrets. Back in the late 1940s a series of experiments was conducted on 74 boys between the ages of 10 and 17 to determine the nutritional effectiveness of oatmeal. The boys had no idea they were human guinea pigs until a declassified document shed light into the dark corners of the Fernald School.
In Episode 153, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Westerly, Rhode Island, in search of witches. While never formally charged with witchcraft, Granny Mott and Rebecca Sims both had witchy reputations in the eighteenth century. Granny Mott could turn herself into a chicken, and Rebecca Sims was a sucker for fiddle music and night watchmen. Both women may still be casting their spells upon us.
In Episode 152, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a stroll down a road to nowhere in search of ghosts and a monster. The abandoned section of Downs Road in Bethany, Connecticut, is home to a host of legends whose roots date back more than a century-and-a-half and include ties to a strange New Haven cult whose leader claimed to have the ability to raise the dead.
In Episode 151, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a boat out to Wood Island off the coast of Biddeford, Maine, to the scene of a murder-suicide that occurred June 1, 1896 -- a day that will haunt the island forever. The lighthouse keeper’s quarters is said to be haunted as is the entire island.
In Episode 150, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to woods overlooking Brattleboro, Vermont, in search of the haunted Brattleboro Retreat Tower. Built in 1887, and towering 65 feet over the hills above town, the tower is said to be home to suicides from the nearby asylum, and now it’s haunted.
In Episode 149, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to New Castle, New Hampshire, in search of a stone-throwing devil that plagued the home of George Walton for three months back in 1682 according to multiple eye-witnesses. Rocks were tossed, as were pots, pans, and hammers. Windows were broken, and passers-by were pelted with stones. It nearly drove Walton mad.
In Episode 148, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike the woods surrounding the Cobble Mountain Reservoir in Blandford, Massachusetts, in search of a Bigfoot-type creature locally known as the Cobble Mountain Critter. Could this be the same Sasquatch that’s been seen in the nearby Berkshires, or is it something weirder?
In Episode 147, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll the grounds around Newport Harbor Lighthouse in Rhode Island, because it’s here that 26 men are buried somewhere below the picturesque lighthouse. This was the site of New England’s largest state sanctioned mass execution. This is the tale of pirates on the high seas!
In Episode 146, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the Stratford, Connecticut, coast by the Stratford Point Lighthouse in search of a mermaid sighting that was reported in great detail by lighthouse keeper Theodore Judson in July of 1915. Mermaid fever had gripped the region decades earlier thanks to another local Connecticut guy name P.T. Barnum who introduced the world to the Feejee Mermaid in the 1840s.
In Episode 145, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll the beaches of Maine’s Vinalhaven Island in Penobscot Bay reminiscing about the circus, and exploring the history and wreck of the Royal Tar—one of New England’s worst maritime disasters. In October of 1836, 32 people perished along with a menagerie of animals from the Burgess and Dexter’s Zoological Institute in an event that still haunts the coast of Maine.
In Episode 144, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger are back with an all-new episode! The guys hike to the waterfalls of Bristol, Vermont, in search of Hell’s Half Acre, a place said to contain buried treasure guarded by the ghost of a little boy, and a ferocious Hell Hound.
In Episode 143, while still under quarantine, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger revisit the White Mountains of New Hampshire on a quest for beer sold by the most famous hermit to ever grace Crawford Notch.
In Episode 142, while still under quarantine, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger touch on a creepy epitaph in Milford, Connecticut, before introducing you to an episode from our vault: The cursed grave of Black Agnes in Montpelier, Vermont! Do you dare sit on her lap?
In Episode 141, while still under quarantine, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger introduce you to an episode from our vault: Haunted Lake in Francestown, New Hampshire! This legend has been around so long, the state made it official.
In Episode 140, while still under quarantine, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger introduce you to an episode from our vault: Captain Jedidy Cole and the Devil. It’s an old Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Halloween story about our own origins of the jack-o-lantern. Maybe listen to this one by candlelight.
In Episode 139, while still under quarantine, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger introduce you to an episode from our vault: Razor Shins of Aroostook County, Maine. Logging camps used to tell of a Native American spirit with razors for shins who demanded an offering of alcohol from the greenhorns in the camp. Not making the offering can prove deadly. This was the first episode where we break into song!
In Episode 138, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger are going nowhere! We’re bummed that COVID-19 and quarantine has forced us to pause the production of our regular weekly podcast. But, we are planning to put out some kind of new content each week until we can get back out there exploring legends. We’d love your input and stories to help get us through these strange times. So please reach out to us through our Web site (OurNewEnglandLegends.com), our social media, or call or text our Legend Line anytime at 617-444-9683.
In Episode 137, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to High Street in Lancaster, New Hampshire, to the site of an 1880 unsolved serial murder that took the lives of six people in two adjacent houses. Was it a contagious illness, or poison? Authorities were torn, but one young woman had the motive.
In Episode 136, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger walk the beaches of Wellfleet on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in search of the ghost of Goody Hallett. In 1717, the pirate ship Whydah sank in a rough storm off the coast of Wellfleet. Some say the ship was sunk as a result of a curse aimed toward the captain, Black Sam Bellamy, by the Witch Goody Hallett.
In Episode 135, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll up to Hearthside House in Lincoln, Rhode Island. Though many call this 1814 mansion the “house that love built,” it also has another nickname: Heartbreak House. After winning the lottery in 1810, Quaker Stephen Smith built this mansion for a girl he loved. The only problem? She didn’t want to live here.
In Episode 134, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive up to the remains of Fairfield Hills Mental Hospital in Newtown, Connecticut. Opened in 1933, Fairfield Hills was touted as the latest and greatest in the treatment of people whose “minds have become deranged with strange fancies, and who have lost control over their thoughts and emotions.” But overcrowding and underfunding lead to conditions that were truly horrific, conditions that haunt us decades later.
In Episode 133, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hit an old logging camp in the woods of western Maine in search of the Agropelter, the Billdad, and the Tote Road Shagamaw. These legendary creatures have haunted and hunted loggers for decades. Are they just tall tales told around the campfire at the end of the day, or could there be something more to it?
In Episode 132, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger face a brutal winter snow storm in Peacham, Vermont, in search of a story from March of 1869 when a blizzard took the lives of three wayward travelers: Esther Emmons, her daughter Mary David, and her grandson Willie. Three travelers whose lives could have been spared if a stranger would have offered some shelter. The lack of human decency in an emergency has haunted the small town of Peacham ever since.
In Episode 131, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger row out to a tiny island called Becky’s Garden on Lake Winnipesaukee to explore the fairy tale legend behind this rock and little house. It’s the smallest island on the lake, it’s been on the map since 1885, and the story behind it sounds all too familiar.
In Episode 130, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger row out to Great Island on Spot Pond in Stoneham, Massachusetts, in search of a headstone that reads three words: Where Shute Fell. We know it’s been here since at least 1884, but who was Shute? What does the stone mean? The theories are wild, but not as crazy as the truth!
In Episode 129, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger search for a vampire buried in a tiny family cemetery in Cumberland, Rhode Island. In February of 1796, the father of Abigail Staples petitioned the town to exhume her body and perform some experiments in an effort to save his other daughter, Lavinia who was dying from consumption. Some believed if Abigail was indeed a vampire, perhaps they could break the spell to save Lavinia.
In Episode 128, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Hospital Rock deep in the woods of Farmington, Connecticut. In the 1790s this was the site of a smallpox inoculation hospital. Smallpox was a plague that wiped out families and communities. Hundreds of people in the region came here for treatment, but 66 left their names etched in the stone as a testament to a plague.
In Episode 127, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike into the deep woods of northern Maine in search of the Chenoo, a cannibal ice giant from Algonquin folklore that hunts and kills people foolish enough to wander into his domain. This is the story of a Micmac family who takes on a Chenoo with an unlikely weapon.
In Episode 126, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger go ice fishing for the legendary beaver trout on Lake Memphremagog in northern Vermont. Since the time of the Civil War anglers have spread the tale of a trout that grows a fur coat to keep warm during the cold winter months. The story and even photos of the fish have been in the newspapers for over a century. Is it just a story, or could there be something more to it? The guys enlist the help of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department on their hunt for the truth.
In Episode 125, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a drive up to Haunted House Curve in Hampton, New Hampshire. The stretch of road along Route 1 next to the General Moulton House has the ominous moniker not only because of the many car accidents reported there, but because the nearby house is said to be haunted. It’s also the place where they say General Moulton made a deal with the devil. Check your mirrors and your breaks if you drive by!
In Episode 124, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger start their adventure in Milford, Massachusetts, looking for a local farm boy who went missing in February of 1846. Then they head to Boston where a break in the case came two years later when a psychic medium gave the family the whereabouts of the boy’s body. According to the newspaper reports, her insight unraveled the entire case of the boy’s mysterious murder.
In Episode 123, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the history and haunting of Smith’s Castle in Wickford, Rhode Island. The earliest roots of this house date back to 1637. The structure and grounds are home to a mass grave, the site of America’s only prisoner to be drawn and quartered, a former slave plantation, and a clumsy ghost who may still be replaying her tumble with destiny.
A New England Legends holiday extra episode! Jeff Belanger tries his hand at a classic Christmas horror folktale from England. For many years, ghost stories have been a Christmas tradition. We'd love to see that return. Music and production by John Judd.
In Episode 122, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger celebrate the Christmas holiday in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, at the site of New England’s first decorated Christmas tree. In 1777, Hessian Prisoner of War, Hendrick Roddemore, is said to have chopped down an evergreen to decorate in his cabin, putting up a Christmas tree almost a century before it was cool to do so in these parts. Wishing everyone a legendary holiday season!
In Episode 121, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger sail out to Boon Island, Maine, in search of the legend of the Boon Island Cannibals. On December 10, 1710, the Nottingham Galley shipwrecked on the tiny island during a nor’easter, leaving all 14 crewmen stranded. As the men started to die, the survivors were left with an awful choice -- a choice that’s haunted the island ever since. But was the ship’s captain a hero or villain?
In Episode 120, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike the woods of Maidstone, Vermont, in search of a clever, but annoying hairy beast called Slipperyskin. For generations, this creature, described as a bear who walks on his hind legs, and who torments the people of Essex County, roamed the forest giving everyone who hunted him the slip. Could he still be out there in the Northeastern Kingdom?
Happy Thanksgiving! In Episode 119, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Newport, New Hampshire, the 1788 birthplace of Sarah Josepha Hale. Hale not only wrote the most famous nursery rhyme of all time, she lobbied governors, admirals, and U.S. presidents for decades to make a new federal holiday called Thanksgiving. Her determination paid off when President Abraham Lincoln made it official in 1863! We explore the history and mysteries of this holiday. We’re thankful to all of our legendary listeners!
In Episode 118, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger climb the cliffs over Hubbard Park in Meriden, Connecticut, in search of a mysterious black dog. They say if you see this mutt once, you’ll find joy, see him twice and you’ll find sorrow, but if you see him three times it means your death. Could this dog be connected to a different Connecticut legend?
In Episode 117, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Beer Bottle Church in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, in search of the legend of the beer bottle that sits atop the First Baptist Church steeple. They also explore the strange story behind a unique clock located on that very same steeple. The clock and beer-topped spire are so inspiring that Jeff and Ray may just break into song at the end.
In Episode 116, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hang around an unassuming Westborough, Massachusetts, street corner in search of Tom Cook, an 18th-century man who once out-smarted the devil, and just may be the real-life inspiration for the British Robin Hood you know from centuries of books and movies.
In Episode 115, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Burrillville, Rhode Island, to go Halloween trick-or-treating at the farm house that served as the inspiration for the 2013 movie, The Conjuring. We explore the movie, Ed and Lorrain Warren, then dive into what really happened in that house. You’ll hear from Roger Perron, whose family lived the experience in the early 1970s, and who were portrayed in the movie, as well as the new owners who are still facing the haunting today. Happy Halloween!
In Episode 114, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel to Rockport, Maine, to explore the haunting of the Goose River Bridge. The ghost of William Richardson is said to offer passers by a sip of ale from his pitchers. If you believe the stories, he’s been out there celebrating for over 200 years.
In Episode 113, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike the foreboding Terrible Mountain in Andover, Vermont, in search of tragic accidents and the ghost of a legendary 104-pound old man of a hiker who, in the 1970s, was said to be touch as rawhide until one day he vanished without a trace. Be warned: this episode is terrible!
In Episode 112, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Fountain Hill Cemetery in Deep River, Connecticut, in search of the grave of XYZ. Beneath the headstone resides a would-be bank robber who was gunned down in the act December 13, 1899, but no one ever claimed the corpse, leaving police baffled. A ghostly woman in black is said to still haunt the grave, forever paying her respects.
In Episode 111, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate the Pembroke, New Hampshire, Murder Pillar. This stone pillar sits far back from Academy Road, almost out of site at the tree line of the woods. The marker commemorates the life and death of 17-year-old Josie Langmaid. Her head was found almost 500 feet away. The murder shocked the community to the point where it’s still mentioned in whispers today.
In Episode 110, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the Point of Pines section of Revere, Massachusetts, in search of buried treasure guarded by a ghostly pirate and his horse. In the 1690s, local Native American leader David Kunkshamooshaw used his witch hazel divining rod to locate a buried pirate treasure near the shore, but what happened next frightened him and his treasure-hunting crew to their core. Some say that treasure is still out there.
In Episode 109, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the shores of Portland, Maine, in search of the one-legged ghost of a British soldier who was allegedly shot here in October of 1775, shortly after British warships leveled the city as retribution for a rebellious uprising. This attack may have been more personal than business.
In Episode 108, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger dig through the history of Providence, Rhode Island, in search of the roots of the story behind a man-eating apple tree that devoured state founder Roger Williams. In 1860, Rhode Island historians exhumed the body of Williams and made a gruesome discovery.
In Episode 107, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger look for Long Pond in Glover, Vermont, because it was here in June of 1810 that miller Aaron Willson dealt with a horrible drought in a clever way. He had the brilliant idea of digging a trench from Long Pond to the nearby Barton River. What could possibly go wrong?
In Episode 106, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll downtown Willimantic, and nearby Windham, Connecticut, is search of a French and Indian War battle site that left thousands dead in July of 1758. The region has never forgotten, nor will it ever forgive those responsible for the slaughter. There are monuments to the battle, an opera written about it, and since September of 2000, a Willimantic bridge even tips its hat to those responsible lest we ever forget.
In Episode 105, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the small town of Weare, New Hampshire, in search of three witches from the earliest days of the town. The stories were documented in 1888 by town historian William Little and include stories of spectral attacks, incredible feats of speed and strength, and dastardly deeds conducted women of the town. We try to figure out which witch is which in Weare.
In Episode 104, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger walk the streets of Malden, Massachusetts, in search of Ephraim Gray, a mad scientist who may be close to 200 years old. They say in 1850, Ephraim Gray was laid in his grave. Half a century later, his casket was found empty. Some believe his immortality elixir worked, and Ephraim Gray simply walked away.
In Episode 103, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the border town of Fort Fairfield, Maine, in search of Simeon Cary’s gold-hunting chickens. In 1898, Cary was quietly using chickens to peck for gold just over the Canadian border. His technique was so strange, it made the news in July of 1899.
In Episode 102, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visits the bushes next to Rt. 1 in South Kingston, Rhode Island, in search of the Jackson Pillar. This pillar is a stone monument telling the story of a gruesome murder of William Jackson that took place here in 1751. It’s a murder that would have been lost to time if not for this stone and the story of the aftermath.
In Episode 101, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the campus of Marlboro College in Vermont in search of the ghost of Emily Mather. They say Emily committed suicide after the man she loved took his own life because her parents forbade their romance. This story of star-crossed lovers still haunts the small campus today with strange paranormal activity and a haunting tale that’s told to students each year. But is it true?
In Episode 100, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive around Glastonbury, Connecticut, in search of the Glawackus -- a creature witnessed by hundreds of people back in 1939. Farm animals go missing, pets are killed, and hunters take up rifles in search of this strange beast. Then the media gets involved and the rest is legendary history. We see the maps of sightings, hear from the witnesses, and explore how the Glastonbury community embraces the weird!
In Episode 99, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike up to Crawford Notch in New Hampshire in search of English Jack: The Hermit of the White Mountains. In the late 1800s, this enterprising man lived in a shack in the woods selling postcards, his biography, trinkets, and even beer. The story of his life is both tragic and cinematic, but is it true?
In Episode 98, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger celebrate Independence Day in Sharon, Massachusetts, exploring the story of a Revolutionary War hero who never achieved a fancy rank, but he made all the difference. His is a story not heard enough. It’s an historical tale about a man who has risen to legend status because he didn’t follow the rules, and that may have helped with the war.
In Episode 97, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the ruins of Fort William Henry near Pemaquid Beach, Maine, in search of a Native American ghost who dates back to the time of the King William’s War. A horrible atrocity took place on these grounds, and they’ve been haunted ever since. Though many people know about the haunting, many have misidentified the ghost here.
In Episode 96, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger sail out to Block Island in search of a Rhode Island legend that dates back to June of 1996. Commercial fishermen J.T. Pinney and Gary Hall hauled up a strange skeleton with their nets. They brought back the bones to shore to the intrigue of thousands... and the Block Ness Monster was born. The legend grew until the bones were stolen. Since then, the creature has taken on a life of its own.
In Episode 95, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger climb Glastenbury Mountain near Bennington, Vermont, in search of monsters, a ghost town, a man-eating rock, and five people who went missing between 1945 and 1950. There have been so any strange occurrences in this area that it’s earned the name The Bennington Triangle. Some of these unexplained mysteries gave birth to the Vermont State Police.
In Episode 94, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger haunt Spider Gates Cemetery in Leicester, Massachusetts, in search of the hanging tree, eight gates to hell, ghosts, roads that appear and disappear, robed figures, and cult rituals. Their minds are blown when they learn that all the legends are true!
In Episode 93, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Liberty Hill Cemetery in Lebanon, Connecticut, where they say there’s a barrel of rum buried beneath one of the headstones. And the word is, there’s a local sea captain who was just dying to get to it.
In Episode 92, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive up to Franconia, New Hampshire, in search of the ghost of an Old Man who they say cursed a quarter. This Old Man was last seen in 2003, and since then his ghost is said to still lurk in the White Mountains. This is no ordinary Old Man. This Old Man helped give the Granite State an identity. Live Free or Die!
In Episode 91, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Capitol Park in Augusta, Maine, searching for the final resting place of Gov. Enoch Lincoln, who died in office in 1829. A stately tomb was erected for him in 1842, a stately tomb is erected for him in the park across the street from Maine’s Capitol Building. The only problem is, in 1986 during an inspection of the tomb, workers discovered his body and casket were gone!
In Episode 90, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Arcadia, Rhode Island, in search of moaning bones -- the ghostly cries of a peddler murdered long ago. While in town, we learn about a second, and eerily similar story coming from the region of Molasses Hill on Mt. Tome. Could these stories be one in the same?
In Episode 89, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the Green Mountain Inn in Stowe, Vermont, in search of the tap dancing ghost of Boots Berry. This is a story of heroism, a fall from grace, and a return to glory with a tragic ending that still haunts the 1833 Inn.
In Episode 88, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger walk the shores of Marion, Massachusetts, in search of the ghost ship Mary Celeste. In December of 1872, the Mary Celeste was found wandering the seas by the Azures Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. When the Brig Dei Gratia approached, the crew could see there was no one on board the Mary Celeste. Nothing was stolen or missing, the ship was in good order, but the captain and crew had vanished. What follows is one of the greatest maritime mysteries of all time.
In Episode 87, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Wethersfield, Connecticut, on the hunt for a ghost who has been haunting this town since December of 1782. Fresh off the heels of the American Revolution, wealthy merchant William Beadle has lost almost everything because he followed the law, and did the right thing. Once the new congress devalued his currency, he was broke, and couldn't live that... so he spent years plotting the murder of his entire family. This is a dark, downward spiral into insanity that led to America's first mass murder-suicide.
In Episode 86, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Hillsborough, New Hampshire, in search of the wicked witch Aunt Jinny, who plagued her neighbors with spells during the mid-1700s. Still, some had their doubts about Aunt Jinny, maybe she was just a cranky old widow. But those doubts were removed on Jinny's deathbed. It turns out, she wasn’t the only witch in town.
In Episode 85, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to an island on the Saco River in Biddeford, Maine. This site is ground-zero for an alleged atrocity that took place in 1675, when three British sailors tossed a Sokokis Indian baby into the river to see if he could swim. The baby's pregnant mother dove in to try and save him, but also drowned in her frantic attempt. These British sailors didn't know it at the time, but this woman was the wife of Chief Squando, a powerful sorcerer. And the children were his. Squando placed a powerful curse on the river that gave rise to a legend and monster that took countless lives in the Saco River.
In Episode 84, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Chestnut Hill Cemetery in Exeter, Rhode Island, in search of the mortal remains of Mercy Brown. Mercy died of Consumption on January 17, 1892. Three months later, her father had her heart and liver removed from her corpse so he could burn them to ashes and feed those ashes to his dying son. Why? Because some suspected Mercy was a vampire.
In Episode 83, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive up to Northfield, Vermont, with a bucket of slop in search of the infamous Pigman. In 1971, a naked man with the head of a pig terrorized the small town of Northfield in the area of the Devil's Washbowl. Multiple witnesses were rattled by a vision they can't explain, and one claims he was attacked. Could this mysterious man... or creature still be lurking in the woods of Northfield?
In Episode 82, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a drive up to Greenfield, Massachusetts, to explore Eunice Williams Covered Bridge. It was here on March 1, 1704, that Eunice Williams was executed with a tomahawk shortly after the Deerfield Massacre. That event has haunted the community, and would go on to haunt this bridge, ever since. They say on moonless nights you can still hear her scream.
In Episode 81, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the ghost village of Dudleytown in the woods of Cornwall, Connecticut. Throughout its 150 years of history, this small hamlet is full of stories of strange death, suicide, and madness. Some believe those tragedies are tied to a curse on the Dudley family that started in England back in 1510. No matter what, life on this mountain would have been difficult.
In Episode 80, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the small town of Warren, New Hampshire, in search of a missile, a ghost, and a wizard who, according to the history books, tormented a local family during Colonial times. This is one strange trip backed up by historical documents.
In Episode 79, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head out to Seguin Lighthouse off the coast of Maine near the Kennebec River in search of the source of the phantom piano music that's been heard all over the island and even on the mainland. A lighthouse has been in service on this island since 1795, and today the building and grounds are said to be haunted by a former keeper, and maybe even something more sinister. The guys explore the history and the haunt.
In Episode 78, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a Valentine's Day stroll down Benefit Street in Providence, Rhode Island, to the Athenaeum in search of the brokenhearted ghost of Edgar Allan Poe. It was at the Athenaeum that Poe once courted poet Sarah Helen Whitman and it was at this same building that Whitman once tried to summon his spirit. Could the master of horror still be haunting Providence? Had events gone differently would it had been Providence and not Baltimore that claimed Poe as their own?
In Episode 77, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive up to the Highlife Ski Club Building in Chittenden, Vermont, to a place once called the "Spirit Capital of the Universe." This building was the home of William and Horatio Eddy. These brothers were once one of the biggest names in psychic mediums in New England. We investigate their story and legends and ponder the big questions of life after death and spirit communication. Were the Eddy Brothers the real deal? Many thought they were.
In Episode 76, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike Mt. Greylock near Adams, Massachusetts, in search of the ghost of the Old Coot--a Civil War-era relic who came home after the war battered and broken to learn that life had gone on without him. According to an intriguing newspaper photograph from 1939, and even modern-day eyewitness accounts, the Old Coot may still be out there in the shadows of the old Thunderbolt ski trail. But who was the Old Coot in life? Is he alone?
In Episode 75, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the backstory of Canton, Connecticut's headless horseman. Dating back to 1778, this haunting specter is said to be that of a French paymaster who was once en route to Saratoga, New York, to deliver gold and silver to French officers fighting in the Revolutionary War. This rider made it as far as a tavern in Canton before he and the loot disappeared. The story of this headless horseman turns up in print about a century later, and is still around today though the tavern is long gone. Look out, Sleepy Hollow, you may have some competition in the Nutmeg State.
In Episode 74, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Providence, Rhode Island, to check in to the haunted Biltmore Hotel. The Biltmore opened in 1922 during the Roaring Twenties. It was a time of Prohibition, of secrets, and murder. One of the hotel's first financial backers has ties to Satanism and was renowned for throwing lavish bacchanalian parties. Maybe that's why the hotel was once proclaimed America's most haunted. But who is haunting this hotel and why?
In Episode 73, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore a mysterious hill in Salem, New Hampshire, called America's Stonehenge. This stone site seems to be a celestial calendar that marks solstices, equinoxes, but also half-holidays. It's a sacred site that may be up to 4,000 years old. But who built it? Were human sacrifices practiced here? Stone sites like this one shake the foundation of our history books.
In Episode 72, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike Mt. Katahdin in central Maine in search of the Pamola; a giant man-like bird with the head of a moose who is said to control the winter weather and punish those who dare to ascend Mt. Katahdin. Is there a connection between this creature, ancient Greece, the Navajo, and the U.S. Air Force? Is Mt. Katahdin cursed?
In Episode 71, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel to Middlebury, Vermont, in search of a 4,000-year-old Egyptian Mummy buried in the ground. In 1886, Vermont collector Henry Sheldon (a man described as "a Yankee who never threw anything away"), played a significant role in bringing the body of young Prince Amun-Her-Khepesh-Ef to central Vermont. But after the little mummy arrived he was lost, and almost forgotten for the second time. Is the mummy still there? Is there a curse?
In Episode 70, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Boston to the haunted Parker House Hotel in search of the ghost of the man who brought Christmas to America. We learned in last year's holiday podcast that the Puritans of Boston banned Christmas back in 1659 because they claimed making merry and dressing festive was "satanic." They'd fine you five shillings if you were caught! Though the ban was lifted in 1681, that doesn't mean Christmas was celebrated. You still had to go to work and school that day for almost the next two centuries. But something changed in 1867 when a man came to Boston with a story that transformed everything. Be careful, this episode may just squish your inner Grinch!
In Episode 69, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel to the Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut, to visit the enigmatic Voynich Manuscript. This 600-year-old book is full of hundreds of pages of writing and illustrations from an unknown author in an unknown language. Since its discovery in 1912, language experts and code-breakers have tried to decipher the meaning, but have failed to figure it out. More recently some Canadian software engineers applied algorithms that may have offered us the first crack in the case. But what does it say?
In Episode 68, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll the streets of Newport, Rhode Island, in search of the story behind 20-year-old Rosa Walker, who, according to dozens of 1878 newspaper accounts, laughed herself to death. Could this really happen? We call upon a medical doctor to help explain how. You may just learn something on this episode (sorry).
In Episode 67 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike Mt. Chocorua in the White Mountains of central New Hampshire in search of a centuries-old Native American curse based on betrayal, murder, and a horrible accident. Sokosis Chief Chocorua's final words still reverberate throughout these hills. The curse is so powerful, and has been blamed on so many tragedies, that in 1955 a politician proposed renaming the mountain in an effort to kill the legend. Beware... on Mt. Chocorua, Jeff and Ray find a connection to more than one legend.
In Episode 66 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the Paul Curtis House in Medford, Massachusetts, to one of the most famous homes in not only New England, but the entire country thanks to poet Lydia Child. Though you've likely never heard of it, and probably wouldn't recognize it by sight, we guarantee you've known this house since childhood. Kelley McCauley meets the guys to join them on piano for this musical Thanksgiving special -- posted early this week so you can listen in the car with your family as you head to grandmother's house.
In Episode 65 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger trek into the woods of Wallingford, Vermont, in search of the 1831 Patch Hollow Massacre site. Along the way, the guys encounters tales of tar, feathers, and a man named Rolon Wheeler who put up the fight of his life. This is the true story of when the rumor mill turns fatal. This story could have been ripped from today’s headlines!
In Episode 64 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel to Lobster Lake in Piscataquis, Maine, in search of a giant white moose that's been reported since 1891. Witnesses say the animal was a greyish white, and twice the size of a normal moose. For almost 50 years the sightings continued. Was it some rare version of Maine's most iconic animal, or was it something more paranormal? Join us as we go hunting legends in the woods of central Maine!
Recorded LIVE Halloween morning! In Episode 63 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger takeover Ray's morning show on MY FM 101.3 to talk Halloween origins, legends, you get to hear two songs Jeff and Ray recorded previously, they talk scary movies, childhood memories, candy, and more! Please note this episode is not our typical format. We'll be back to our normal (well... normal for us) stories next week. Happy Halloween!
In Episode 62 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger cruise down to Monroe, Connecticut, in search of Hannah Cranna: The Wicked Witch of Monroe. Hannah died in 1860 and was loathed by everyone in town. She used her witchy reputation to get things she needed like food and firewood. If she didn't get her way, she was known to throw curses around like confetti. Many say she still haunts the road near her grave. Perhaps her final curse is still being executed...
In Episode 61 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods around the old monastery in Cumberland, Rhode Island, in search of nine ghosts said to haunt this forest. Back in March of 1676 during the King Philip's War, something horrific happened on these grounds, and though that may be the beginning of the haunt, it's not the end of the story. More than a century later something happened that made a bad place worse. We're on the trail of ghostly apparitions and disembodied screams at Nine Men’s Misery.
In Episode 60 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head over the area surrounding Archer's Pond in Ossipee, New Hampshire, in search of ghosts, curses, plagues, and the story behind an alleged mass murder. So many legends swirl around this place that it's tough to know where to begin, but after searching news archives and town records, we find there's something to all of the stories.
In Episode 59 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head over to Stockbridge Cemetery in the Berkshires of Massachusetts in search of pie... Sedgwick Pie, that is. The Sedgwick Pie is a unique configuration of graves and headstones inside the cemetery surrounding Theodore and Pamela Sedgwick. This family has ties to famous historical figures, pop culture celebrities, and a unique legend we've found nowhere else!
In Episode 58 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger saunter into Green Mount Cemetery in Vermont's capital city of Montpelier in search of the Black Agnes grave. They say if you sit on the statue’s lap... it would be bad. Very bad. But how did this grave earn that reputation? How is the person buried here tied to the local library? Do Jeff and Ray dare to test this legend?
In Episode 57 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger sail out to Matinicus Rock Lighthouse off the coast of Maine in search of two legends. For years, lighthouse keepers and coast guard staff claimed the facility was haunted. But this facility is also the former home of a hero -- Abbie Burgess -- a young girl who, in 1856 saved her family from a brutal storm, and saved countless sailors and ships during some of the roughest seas this tiny island had ever endured. Could these two legends be more intertwined than previously thought?
In Episode 56 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger motor down Dracula Drive in Trumbull, Connecticut, in search of the mysterious Melon Heads. These small humanoids with enormous heads have been talked about in southwestern Connecticut for more than half a century. But who are they? Some monster? An alien? Or something else?
In Episode 55 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger walk the shores of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island searching for the ancient mystery of the Narragansett Rune Stone. This enigmatic rock may hold the key to European contact centuries before Christopher Columbus ever buckled his first shoe. Others claim this rock isn't what it seems. Still, it recently became the most famous rock in Rhode Island!
In Episode 54 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger row out on Scoby Lake in Francestown, New Hampshire... a place better known by its official name: Haunted Lake (seriously)! How did this lake get that name? Is it really haunted, or just a story? Jeff and Ray find out!
In Episode 53 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the streets of Provincetown, Massachusetts, at night in search of the Black Flash -- a creature said to be cloaked in black, over eight feet tall, who lurks the streets of town late at night, leaping over tall fences and bushes. In the late 1930s his presence was known on the streets and in the newspapers, but who was he? And could he come back?
In Episode 52 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger mark the one-year anniversary of the podcast in the dark! On May 19, 1780, the skies over all six New England states turned black at 11 in the morning. The darkness lasted over 16 hours. Many believed this was judgment day and turned to their churches. Others turned to their taverns. What caused this strange phenomenon? And could it happen again?
In Episode 51 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven, Vermont, in search of the final resting place of Timothy Clark Smith -- a man who suffered from taphephobia -- the fear of being buried alive. Smith's 1893 grave was designed with a chimney and a window. Why did he do it? And what's down there?
In Episode 50 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the forests of northern Maine on a quest to find Razor Shins -- an immortal monster in search of alcohol. When Maine loggers left out an acceptable offering, Razor Shins could prove helpful. If they failed to leave him hooch, he could turn deadly... Razor Shins is reminiscent of an ancient song and story about John Barleycorn. Do Jeff and Ray break into song for the first time in 50 episodes? Is that why Jeff brought his guitar on this adventure?
In Episode 49 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the site of America's first witch trial and execution in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. Then they travel north of Hartford to Windsor to speak with author Beth Caruso about Alse Young, the first victim. We'll learn Young wasn't alone, and this was decades before the 1692 Salem trials. Did Connecticut cover-up their own witch trials?
In Episode 48 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit North Kingstown, Rhode Island, in search of a footprint left by devil himself. Back in Colonial times they say a Native American girl murdered a white man and then made her way down to a rock in North Kingstown where she encountered the devil who dragged her off to her doom. But is this more than just a story?
In Episode 47 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the Russell-Colbath house near the Kancamagus Highway in Conway, New Hampshire, to learn about Ruth Colbath; a woman who waited. In September of 1891, Ruth's husband Thomas left their home one afternoon and didn’t return. Each night for the next 39 years Ruth lit a lantern and set it in the window for him. But whatever became of Thomas?
Episode 46 -- Our Independence Day Special! Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Boston's North End and swing by Paul Revere's house to discuss the Boston Massacre. On March 5, 1770, five colonists were killed in the streets of Boston by British soldiers. Six more were wounded. The event became known as the Boston Massacre. This tragedy helped start a revolution because of a now-famous and legendary engraving made by Paul Revere. The only problem is... Revere's image doesn't depict what really happened. Fake news? Propaganda? We explore the legend!
In Episode 45 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger try their hands at dowsing rods in Middletown, Vermont. Back in 1801 an end-of-the-world event took place here... or rather, DIDN'T take place here that inspired a boy to take up dowsing, and later to start a religion that today boasts millions of members worldwide. Could it all have begun with dowsing or divining rods?
In Episode 44 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a drive down Route 182 near Cherryfield, Maine, in search of the headless ghost who haunts the area of Catherine's Hill and Fox Pond. They say if you don't stop to offer her help it can spell your doom. But is this more than just a story? And who was Catherine? Author and professor Marcus Librizzi joins the guys in the quest to solve this mystery.
In Episode 43 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the shores of New Haven Harbor in Connecticut in search of a ghost ship that was first sighted in the mid-17th century. In January of 1647 a Great Ship set sail from New Haven bound for England, but it was never seen again until perhaps that June when dozens on the shores of New Haven watched a ghostly ship enter the harbor. The story of this sighting spread throughout New England and eventually made it into the pages of Cotton Mather's book on the religious development of early New England. But was this just some passing cloud? A sign from God? Or something more?
In Episode 42 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the haunted Slater Mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Known as the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution, this mill dates back to the 1790s and has seen its share of triumphs and tragedies. Children as young as 7-years-old once worked here long hours. Some lost limbs in the machinery, others lost their lives. Today, along with the Wilkinson Mill and the Sylvanus Brown House, this complex is one of Rhode Island’s most active haunts. But do Jeff and Ray have an encounter of their own?
In Episode 41 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Bay Path Cemetery in Charlton, Massachusetts, to visit the grave of John Capen Adams, a man who went on to inspire a folk hero legend, books, a popular television series in the 1970s, and a generation of kids eager to explore the great outdoors and tame wild animals. So who is John Capen Adams?
In Episode 40 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the Willey House on Rt. 302 in Crawford Notch, New Hampshire. Here in the heart of the White Mountains, something horrific happened on August 28, 1826. The story may just give you the willeys…
In Episode 39 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the cursed grave of Bucksport, Maine, founder Col. Jonathan Buck. When an outline of a lower leg with a pointy toe appeared on Buck's grave 150 years ago, locals began to wonder if this grave was cursed. They say Buck executed a woman for witchcraft around 1790, and before her sentence was carried out, she vowed to one day dance on his grave. How did this prophecy happen?
In Episode 38 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Lake Champlain on the Vermont/New York border in search of a lake monster whose legend dates back over 500 years to the time of the Abenaki and Iroquois people. The story of a 40-foot serpent shows up in many newspaper accounts as well as folklore over the centuries. But in the 1940s, things changed, but why? There have been hundreds of witnesses over the years, but can Jeff and Ray find one willing to share their own story?
In Episode 37 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the coastal town of Milford, Connecticut, in search of Charles Island -- a place three times cursed. From Paugusset sachem Ansantawae's initial curse, to the cursed pirate treasure of Captain Kidd, to a reference of cursed Aztec treasure buried here, we explore the history, the curses, and the effects. Some say Captain Kidd's ghosts still haunts the island protecting his booty!
In Episode 36 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the ruins of the Ram-Tail Factory in the woods of Foster, Rhode Island. The site is officially haunted according to the 1885 state census. Passers-by hear a work bell tolling late at night, others see an apparition of a man holding a lantern walking through the woods. They say a man hanged himself from the work bell rope long ago, but what really happened here? As with every episode, you can see photos related to this episode on our Web site.
In Episode 35 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger park alongside Evergreen Cemetery on Route 67 in New Braintree, Massachusetts, in search of the ghost of Elsie. On April 18th each year her spirit is said to rise from her grave and wander by the stone wall next to the cemetery. She's said to be the spirit of a bride who was murdered on her wedding day by a jealous groom. But what do we really know about Elsie? We investigate and learn there’s more to this ghost than just a story.
In Episode 34 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the quiet coastal town of Hampton, New Hampshire, in search of a Witch. Eunice Cole, or Goody Cole, as she was better known, was in an out of jail for decades due to witchcraft accusations. When she died in 1680, she was buried with a stake through her heart and horseshoe on her head. But what did she do to earn those charges? If you watch the news and social media today, her story rings eerily familiar. Maybe that's why she still haunts us.
In Episode 33 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the woods of central Maine in search of the North Pond Hermit. In 1986 Christopher Knight walked into the forest and lived out there for 27 years stealing supplies from local cabins and camps. How did he survive the Maine winters outside? How did he live with no human contact for almost three decades? How did he get caught? The Stranger in the Woods author Michael Finkel joins us to discuss the legend of the North Pond Hermit.
In Episode 32, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the town of Albany in northern Vermont to the haunted Hayden Mansion. They explore a curse that was set in motion in 1806 on the deathbed of Mercie Dale. Dale vowed the Hayden name would perish in the third generation, and the remaining children would die penniless. But did it come to pass?
You may have heard about perpetual motion machines--devices that could theoretically run forever once started, but have you heard about the God Machine? In 1853, a group of Spiritualists claim that they received plans from the "Other Side" on how to build a machine that would literally come to life and become the New Messiah. Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger check out the story and try to figure out what this machine looked like, and ask the big question: did it work?
In August of 1895, there were multiple sightings of a hairy "wild man" running through rural Winsted and Colebrook, Connecticut. Some claimed he was human, others said he was some kind of primate. Hundreds of people searched for him; the creature made headlines across New England before he seemingly vanished… until there were other sightings in the 1970s. Could it be the same creature? In Episode 30, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head into the woods of northern Connecticut in search of the legend.
In December of 1738, a ship called the Princess Augusta wrecked off the northern coast of Block Island, just off the shore from Rhode Island. Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the island and explore how this tragic and historic wreck turned into a ghost ship that still haunts the coast. Locals call it The Palatine Light. Folklorist and author Dr. Michael Bell joins us on this adventure.
In Episode 71, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel to Middlebury, Vermont, in search of a 4,000-year-old Egyptian Mummy buried in the ground. In 1886, Vermont collector Henry Sheldon (a man described as "a Yankee who never threw anything away"), played a significant role in bringing the body of young Prince Amun-Her-Khepesh-Ef to central Vermont. But after the little mummy arrived he was lost, and almost forgotten for the second time. Is the mummy still there? Is there a curse?
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger pay a visit to the Ocean Born Mary house in Henniker, New Hampshire, to learn about its ghosts, its stories of scallywags, buried treasure, and an infant born at sea and named for the dear mother of the pirate who spared her life.
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the cursed Brunswick Springs in northeastern Vermont in search of the ghosts of the Abenaki Indians who protect this land from all who try to exploit it. For centuries, these springs were considered sacred, until Europeans came here to try and sell the medicinal water. The history of this land is full of fights, fires, death, and now a curse.
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the Old North Church in Boston to explore a story you likely haven't heard. According to a plaque on the side of the building, it was here on September 13, 1757, that John Childs flew from the steeple of the church to the satisfaction of a great number of spectators--he did it more than once. Does that mean that Boston, and not Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, was the first in flight?
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger delve into the story of Paul Bunyan, America's most famous lumberjack. Many say he hails from the Great Lakes region, but one city in Maine stakes their own claim. We learn Bunyan's backstory, his influence, rise to fame, and we pick apart this legendary bit of American folklore. Could Paul Bunyan still be out there somewhere?
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the ruins of Little People Village in the woods of Middlebury, Connecticut. Who built these miniature stone houses, and why? Is this forest haunted by an elderly couple who went mad listening to the chittering voices of the fairies? And what's the connection to Lake Quassapaug? Listen to find out!
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the folk legend of Levi Beebe, the Weather Prophet of Beartown Mountain in Lee, Massachusetts, who predicted the devastating Blizzard of 1888 that claimed 400 lives in March of that year. How did he make this and his many other weather predictions? Listen to find out!
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods around Camp Ker-Anna in Cumberland, Rhode Island, in search of Fingernail Freddy and Hot Shot Charlie; two reclusive men/monsters who are said to stalk the children of the summer camp should they get out of line. Is there a connection between these legends and the Nightmare on Elm Street movie franchise?
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the Boston Molasses Disaster of January 15, 1919, that left 21 people dead and 150 injured. What happened and why? Could it have been avoided?
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate the story behind an obscure quilt in a Portsmouth, New Hampshire, museum. Ruth Blay was hanged for what was found inside this quilt in 1768, and today she haunts the city of Portsmouth. But why can't her spirit rest?
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore a story from the Montpelier region of Vermont that's been kicking around since the 1880s about a poor family who didn't have enough food and resources for everyone during the winter, so they would freeze their relatives solid and thaw them in the spring. Could this have been early inspiration for cryogenics?
The 2017 New England Legends Podcast Holiday Musical Spectacular! Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the controversial roots of the song "Jingle Bells," and its connection to Medford and Boston, Massachusetts. Is it just an innocent Christmas carol about a ride in the snow, or is it a circa 1850 song about a booty call? You'll never hear this tune the same after this! Kelley Cocuzzo McCauley joins us on piano.
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger celebrate Christmas like it’s 1659 in Boston… they don't! That's the year Massachusetts banned Christmas, and it would take almost two centuries to get it back! Why did the Puritans do that? And how could they call this holiday Satanic? Listen to find out!
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Casco Bay near Portland, Maine, in search of Cassie the Sea Serpent. Since 1779 there have been many reported sightings of a 100-foot-long serpent that has terrorized some local fisherman. Could this creature still be around?
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Gardner Lake in Salem, Connecticut, on a quest to find the source of phantom piano music that's said to emanate from the lake itself. What happened on this lake back in 1895?
Happy Thanksgiving! Two turkeys, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit the legendary Plymouth Rock on the shore of Massachusetts in search of the history behind the iconic rock, and the very founding of the Thanksgiving holiday. Does this rock live up to the hype?
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the legends and history of Gold Brook Bridge in Stowe, Vermont. Though it's officially known as Gold Brook, locals call it "Emily's Bridge" after the ghost said to haunt the structure. But who was Emily, and why would she still be here?
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the tragic fire that struck Cocheco Mill Number 1 in Dover, New Hampshire, on January 26, 1907. Six people perished as a result of the fire. Firefighters fought the blaze for 36 hours in frigid conditions. Could this event have been what led to the haunting of the building today?
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the mysteries and legends of stigmata through America's only reported case: Marie Rose Ferron of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Stigmata occurs when a devoutly religious person mysteriously exhibits the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ -- this can include bleeding from the hands, feet, side, and forehead. Marie Ferron was said to exhibit all of the wounds. But was she a bona fide miracle? Or was she used as a pawn by a Rhode Island Bishop?
Our 2017 Halloween Special! Do you know the story behind the jack-o-lantern? Did you know Cape Cod has its own version of the legend? Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger follow the tale of Captain Jedidy Cole's ghost, who is chased by the Devil up the shores of Cape Cod. Will the Devil get the Captain's soul? Listen to find out!
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger report LIVE from the bathroom mirror as they to try and summon Bloody Mary. What’s her backstory? What role does the mirror play? Does Ray get possessed? Tune in to find out!
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger tell the tale of an alleged Vampire in Woodstock, Vermont, that dates back to 1830. The story goes a man named Corwin had his heart removed and burned, but did it happen? And was he the only vampire in Vermont? Listen to find out!
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger discuss a 37-foot-tall New England monster that's been witnessed by many millions of people from all over the world. But what makes this more than a historical curiosity, and a true legend? Listen to find out!
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger discuss the devil's footprint rock that sits within a stone wall near a church and graveyard in Manchester, Maine. One fossilized print is said to be the devil, while the second is said to be that of a man who sold his soul. But how did it get there? And why do we still talk about it?
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger discuss the strange UFO abduction case of Barney and Betty Hill of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, that took place on September 19-20, 1961. What was that strange light they saw in the night sky? Their story has become one of the worldâs most famous UFO abduction cases.
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger discuss the legend of the White Lady of Easton, Connecticut. Who is this mysterious lady in white who haunts the boneyard and along Route 59? Where do these White Lady traditions come from?
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger discuss the movie The Conjuring, the story of Ed and Lorraine Warren’s investigation into the Perron Family’s haunted Harrisville, Rhode Island, home. But what really happened? Jeff and Ray talk to Roger Perron himself. He lived it.
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger discuss the work of Dr. Duncan MacDougall of Haverhill, Massachusetts, who made headlines in 1901 for running experiments to try and prove his dying patients have a soul. But was he successful?
Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger discuss the legend of Dungeon Rock in Lynn, Massachusetts. Hiram Marble claims spirits told him where to dig for pirate treasure. He spent decades looking, but did he find it?