Roanoke Island, North Carolina, United States

Author: Kaylah Ginyard 

August 1590 brought the occurrence of one of the most puzzling mysteries in history. As John White arrived too England in order to gather supplies he came across a war between England, Spain, and Queen Elizabeth I. Three years later John White returned to Roanoke. When White left in 1587, he left in his wife and daughter, his infant granddaughter and some other settlers. He came back with no proof or evidence of the colony, including the entirety of his family. The only clue he did discover was the word “Croatoan,” which was carved into a wooden post. The “Lost Colony” is still under investigation, and there are plenty of theories and conspiracies which are laced with what little evidence exists, but science and anthropology have yet to yield an affirmative answer to the question of the “Lost Colony.” Although, “Croatoan” was discovered to be the name of an island South of Roanoke, it was founded to be the home of native Americans. Studies state that perhaps the colonists were killed or abducted by Native Americans. 

Works Cited: 

Mason, Emma. “What Happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island?” HistoryExtra, March 26, 2019. https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/what-happened-to-the-lost-colony-of-roanoke-island/.

Rogers, James. “Roanoke Colony Mystery: Could This Strange Rock Reveal the Settlers' Fate?” Fox News. FOX News Network, June 11, 2018. https://www.foxnews.com/science/roanoke-colony-mystery-could-this-strange-rock-reveal-the-settlers-fate.

Conway, Stuart. “It Was America's First English Colony. Then It Was Gone.” The Search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke, July 3, 2018. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/06/lost-colony-roanoke-history-theories-croatoan/.

“The Lost Colony of Roanoke: 8 Theories About the Mysterious Island and Its Inhabitants.” History Collection.co, 15 Aug. 2017, https://historycollection.co/lost-colony-roanoke-8-theories-mysterious-island-inhabitants/.

For even more leads than this article provides: 

“What Happened to the ‘Lost Colony’ of Roanoke?” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 3 Oct. 2012, https://www.history.com/news/what-happened-to-the-lost-colony-of-roanoke. This article discusses one of America’s oldest unsolved mysteries traced back to August 1587. After settling, John White, governor of the new colony sailed to England to get fresh supplies. Three years after returning, he found no trace of the colony, including his wife and daughter. The only thing that was left was the word “Croatoan” carved on a wooden post.

 “Roanoke Island.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Sept. 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roanoke_Island. This article focuses on the main history of Roanoke Island, the birthplace of America’s first English child. Located on an island in Dare County on the outer core of North Carolina.

 “Haunted Roanoke.” Colonial Ghosts, 7 Oct. 2017, https://colonialghosts.com/haunted-roanoke/. In 1998 archaeologist and historians discovered an extraordinary golden ring engraved with a prancing lion. Unfortunately, there was a huge misconception and researchers had it all wrong from the start. The ring had a numerous amounts of lab test ran on it. After being sent to east Carolina University, archaeologist “Charles Evans” was appalled by the results. The purpose of this article is to showcase why and how the research was wrong. What is distinctive about this article is the actual artifact that was found.

The Maco Light

Sara Wilson 

Maco Light

In 1867, a guy named Joe Baldwin died from a horrible train accident in Maco, North Carolina . Some people believe that he was the conductor of that train and some people believe that Joe worked on that train track. At the time Joe was riding in the last train cart. Joe’s train cart started to slow down. Eventually, his train cart was detached from the rest of the train. Joe then realized that another train would be coming any minute. Then, he heard it. This time it was different, this train was a passenger train. He decided that he had to find a way to warn the other engineer that his train cart was in the way of the tracks so that the passengers would not get hurt. Joe stood on top of the train and waved a lantern back and forth to try and warn the engineer.  He did not know if this was going to work or not , but he had to try and do something to try and save the passengers on the other train. The engineer of the other train saw the light and tried his best to stop before he hit Joe , but there was no possible way he could stop in such a short distance. Joe died and was decapitated.  During the time of the accident investigators looked and looked for Joe’s head, but they unfortunately had no luck. To this day they still have not been able to find Joe Baldwin’s head and he was buried without it. Years after people reported that a lantern would start coming near you and then gradually float away when they visited where the tracks in Maco, North Carolina used to be. Today, people are still traveling to the tracks to see if they can see The Maco Light. The legend still goes on, but some people are not sure that the light is what everyone thinks it is.

Works Cited:

“Brunswick County’s Maco Light has Haunted Generations.” Our State Magazine, Barnes, James. https://www.ourstate.com/maco-light/

Davis, Will. “The Maco Light and the Legend of Joe Baldwin.” Youtube, 13 May 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBdv15am4ZA

NorfolkTV. “John Baldwin and the Maco light Ghost Story.” Youtube, 23 October 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyZFD8cTMYY

“The Maco Light; Brunswick’s “True” Ghost Story.” Ben Steelmanstaff Writer, 10 October 2008, http://www.starnewsonline.com/news/20081010/the-maco-light--brunswicks-true-ghost-story

Unexplained America. “The Maco Railroad Light.” http://www.prairieghosts.com/maco.html

  

Links for further research:

The Moonlit Road

http://themoonlitroad.com/maco-light-north-carolina-railroad-ghost-story/

This link gives a lot of information on The Maco Light as well as photographs of the train.

Maco Light

https://www.sosnc.gov/kidspg/maco.htm

This short article explains the history of The Maco light.

The Maco Light and the Legend of Joe Baldwin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBdv15am4ZA

This video shows the town of Maco, North Carolina and the legend behind it with a ghost hunter. 

The Beast of Bladenboro

Naomi Aaron

The Beast of Bladenboro

In 1953, there were strange killings that were appearing in Bladenboro, North Carolina. Something was killing animals and leaving their bodies bloodless and skulls crashed. This killer was given the name “The Beast of Bladenboro” (Hotz). The first witness to see The Beast was a police officer, who described it as a black and large four legged animal. The second victims of The Beast were dogs. The dogs were ripped apart and found with not any blood in their bodies (Hotz). After this incident, numerous dogs were killed and their bodies torn. Most of the people who say they have seen The Beast described it as being dark and bigger than a dog (McCray). Everyone, including tourists, want to see The Beast of Bladenboro, so they could have a story to tell everyone. Police told townspeople, especially women and children, to stay inside their houses when the sun went down and to never walk outside alone (Hotz). One morning in 1954, a bobcat was caught in a large cage. Many people suspected that the bobcat was the Beast of Bladenboro, or wanted to believed that the bobcat was. Then the killings of 1953 and 1954, suddenly stopped and the tourists left Bladenboro, North Carolina. On June 15th, 2013 dogs were found dead with little to none blood in their bodies. Many people believed that this was the second coming of the Beast of Bladenboro (Mathews). The tourists came back to Bladenboro, North Carolina to look for the Beast. But, just as quick as it appeared, the killings stopped and the news channels left.

Works Cited:
Hotz, Amy. “The Beast of Bladenboro.” Starnewsonline.com. 27 October 2006. Web. 12 October 2015.

Mathews, Dana. “Has the Vampire Beast of North Carolina Returned? New Killings by Mystery Animal Match Classic Cryptid Case.” Weekinweird.com. 02 July 2013. Web. 12 October 2015.

McCray, Jonathan. “The Vampire Beast of Bladenboro.” Canofmystery.blogspot.com. Web. 12 October 2015.

Redfern, Nick. “The Beast of Bladenboro.” Monstrumathenaeum.org. Web. 12 October 2015.

Stroming, Jason. “The Beast of Bladenboro.” 2015.

Links for further research:
http://theoccultsection.com/2014/03/31/the-beast-of-bladenboro/Gives you images of what the Beast of Bladenboro might look like.

http://ads.bladenjournal.com/elizabethtown-nc/communication/newspaper/bladen-journal/2014-10-21-1325378-8th-annual-beast-of-bladenboro-festival-a-family-friendly-event-friday-oct-24-6-00-am-10-00-pm-saturday-oct-25-10-00-am-00-pm-classic-cruisers-car-show-free-horse-and-carriage-rides-dream-land-amusement-rides-friday-night-and-all-day- Talks about the annual Beast of Bladenboro Day in Bladenboro, North Carolina that people celebrate every year.

http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Seekers-Society-Beast-Bladenboro-ebook/dp/B00B8W2JZS
http://www.wect.com/story/8432580/bladenboro-beast-is-on-the-prowl-on-the-history-channel
Example of when The Beast of Bladenboro was on the History Channel and many viewers watched and wanted to learn more about the Beast.
https://books.google.com/books?id=pcC6NW_NCK4C&pg=PA123&lpg=PA123&dq=beast+of+bladenboro&source=bl&ots=uGVvEhEsQq&siq=d4LYosRFagq2Nes7FM_Qi3N5yK0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBzgoahUKEwii-v7O8M_IAhVL6IAKHXpaDas#v=onepage&q=beast%20of%20bladenboro&f=falseThis article talks about animals including the Beast of Bladenboro that have been a mystery and only a few have claimed to see them.

The Maco Light

Author: Rhett Barnard

Near the coastal areas of North Carolina, nestled in swampland, is the small town of Maco. In this quaint little town lies a legend, one of tragedy and searching from beyond the grave. That is the legend of the Maco light. In the years after the Civil War, the railroad was king. Joe Baldwin, a flagman for the trains out of Maco Depot Station, was asleep in the back of the caboose. He was awoken by a loud noise and a violent shake. The caboose had become unhinged. 

Joe ran to the back to the train to alert another train, which was traveling nearly top speed towards the caboose. Unfortunately, the conductor didn’t see Joe through the mist, and hit the caboose at full speed. He was decapitated, and after much searching for his head with no luck, he was buried without it. After his death, many sightings of a mysterious light were reported. It was said to be Joe with his lantern, looking for his head. Many people, including President Grover Cleveland, claimed to see this light. That is until 1977, when the railroad was torn up. The sightings stopped after this. The legend of Joe Baldwin has inspired legends, skeptics, even videos about the subject. 

The story of Joe Baldwin is a tragic one. It is said that after his death, he was viewed as a hero for giving his life trying to prevent a collision. Of course, as with most legends, the lines between what really happened and what people perceived became blurred. In this particular legend, even details about the ghost became skewed. There are variations of this story that say Joe’s ghost can be seen carrying a two light, one red and one green, to warn an oncoming train. This is a stark contrast to the most widely believed accounts of him carrying one lantern in search of his severed head. 

In a short documentary, those who claim to see it claimed that the light began to slowly recede as they moved closer. The legend, however, states that the light will suddenly disappear upon looking at it for more than a few seconds. As the years go by, and the legend diminishes, the crazy claims are sure to outweigh the long standing legend.

Though there will always be skeptics, the legend of the Maco Light will live on in the hearts of the people of Maco. The light is not predicted to ever be seen again, due to the railroad being pulled up. There are, however, those who remain loyal to the legend of Joe Baldwin. With the lack of reported sightings, it is a very large possibility that this legend may disappear in areas far from this sight. But this small town will surely never forget. 

Works Cited:

Steelman, Ben. “THE MACO LIGHT | BRUNSWICK'S ‘TRUE' GHOST STORY.” Star News. 10 October, 2008. Web. 14 October, 2013.

“The Maco Light.” Northcarolinaghosts.com. N.p. n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2013.

Will Davis. “The Maco Light ( & The Legend of Joe Baldwin)” Yotube.com. Web. 14 October, 2013.

Links for Further Research

The Maco Light

darkartsmedia.com/Maco_Light.html

Leads to a multimedia presentation on the Maco Light.

The Light at Maco Station

www.ibiblio.org/ghosts/maco.html

Gives detailed description on the Maco Light and leads to an interactive sight where multimedia can be viewd.

History of the Maco Light

www.thenbm.com/macolight.htm

Gives detailed description of the legend along with credible real life sources that can be found today.

The Vampire Beast of Bladenboro

Author:  Jonathan McCray

 Previously, the small town of Bladenboro encompassing approximately 2.2 square miles of land, was an unknown shadow of the southeastern piedmont of North Carolina.  That changed dramatically during the winter 1953-1954.  In North Carolina Ghost and Legends, it explained that a local farmer reported seeing a huge cat-like creature that mauled one of his dogs and dragged it into the woods four days after Christmas of 1953 (“The Beast of Bladenboro”).  Several other mysterious attacks followed including an attack on New Year’s Eve where two dogs were killed and another one a day later in a farm named Woodie Storms (Weaver).  After New Year’s, a young wife went on the front porch and discovered a four foot tall animal “stalking” towards her.  Frightened, she ran into the house, slammed the door and summoned her husband.  Later that night, while surveying the premises, he later found unusual paw prints in the dirt (Administrator). Local theater owner and mayor W.G. Fussell decided that the scare needed more publicity.  He reported the beast to larger, state newspapers and it caught fire.  Reports on the newspaper went public the week after Christmas 1953 saying that the monster crushed the skull and sucked the blood out of its victims.  These sensational reports soon caught headlines and the attention of hunters eager to get a shot at this beast.

“Vampire Beast of Bladenboro.” 

 

With the attacks of dogs and livestock during the winter of 1953 and into 1954, came the terror of the citizens of Bladenboro at large.  Women and children stayed inside the house while men cautiously went about their business armed with a weapon (Hoyt).  Then just as suddenly as the mysterious attacks and sighting started, they stopped.  The creature vanished without leaving a trace.

“Then in September of 2007, the mysterious attacks started up again across a much larger area.  Similar attacks on dogs and goats have been reported in North Carolina along a 200 mile track including the towns of Greensboro, Lexington, Bladenboro, and Bolivia.  The methods of attacks have been similar to those reported in 1954 (Adminstrator).”

The History Channel visited Bladenboro in 2008 for an edition of MonsterQuest.  After exhuming the remains of some of the canine victims and examining them, they concluded that the dogs died from blood lost and severe spinal trauma.  Given the nature of the evidence, they said a vampire-like animal could have not attacked the dogs of the livestock (Administrator).  People still believe that the beast is still in existence to this day, and the people of Bladenboro hold a festival every year to attract more tourists and to bring more attention to the area.  The beast has certainly brought a  tradition to the town of Bladenboro.

Works Cited:

 

Hotz, Amy. “The Beast of Bladenboro.” StarNewsOnline.com. Star News Online, 27 October 2006. Web. 16 October 2012.

Administrator.  “The MonsterQuest Search for the ‘Vampire Beast.”  The Monster Site. N.p.,

            2 February 2010. Web. 12 October 2012

“The Beast of Bladenboro.” North Carolina Ghost Stories and Legends. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 October 2012

Weaver, Jefferson. “Coverage of "beast" became real monster for Bladenboro” BoroBeast. Loren Coleman. 1 September 2006. Web. 9 October 2012.

“Vampire Beast of Bladenboro.”  Photograph. Webshots. 2008. Web. 19 October 2012

Links for further research:

You Tube website  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVGX7McTX8s 

Contains the episode of MonsterQuest featuring the beast

Star News Online 

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20061029/NEWS/61027007 

Contains an article written for the Beast of Bladenboro

My Reporter
http://www.myreporter.com/?p=781 
Contains more information on the beast of Bladenboro.