Burgoyne - Haunted Lower Eastern Shore: Spirits of Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester Counties (Haunted America)

Published by Haunted America

A Division of The History Press

Charleston, SC

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2016 by Mindie Burgoyne

All rights reserved

Images are courtesy of the author unless otherwise noted.

First published 2016

e-book edition 2016

ISBN 978.1.62585.344.8

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016941434

print edition ISBN 978.1.62619.809.8

Notice : The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

For my little Miss Muffet, who was never frightened away by a scary story .

You have stolen my heart, sweet girl .

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

A lover of the Eastern Shore, its history and traditions, Mindie Burgoyne, in Haunted Lower Eastern Shore: Spirits of Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester Counties , has captured, in a skillfully written narrative, an intriguing story of the Lower Eastern Shore. While she emphasizes the folklore, folk traditions and rich heritage of the Eastern Shore, her monograph might well be read merely for the sheer readability of its history. Again and again, historic homes and sites and their inhabitants spring to life as she recounts the history and legends that surround them. Not satisfied to tell a tall tale, Mindie has spent incredible amounts of time researching the stories that seem to flow from her pages. Not only has she spent time in research facilities throughout the Shore, but she has also gone to each of the sites she describes, trying to get a feel for the place and story she has chosen to detail. People of all ages will be delighted with the many stories she recounts. Many will be tempted to jump into their cars and find their way to the old homes or sites, hoping to retrace the story she has told and looking up at that second-story window to see if indeed a face is peeking out from behind the closed curtain or whether some other unique feature will become visible to them. A combination of history, folk tale and guidebook, Mindies book will satisfy the curiosities of many readers. (Just as exciting is an opportunity to join Mindie or her staff on one of her famed tours of the Lower Eastern Shore. My wife, daughter and I took one of those toursunknown to Mindieand found ourselves enamored by the thoroughly researched presentations of the walking tour we attended and are searching for yet another tour to take.)

Even those who are not familiar with local folk tales will be drawn into the many stories Mindie has included in this work. Written to educate, not frighten, her readers, Mindie has woven various folk stories into a larger history of the Lower Eastern Shore. In this way, she shows the importance of such stories to the local area. Those of us who are come heres will have heard references to many of the stories that she describes in detail. Mindies research turns those scant references into fleshed-out stories.

A bright and insightful writer, Mindie uses her strength with words to pull her readers into the stories she tells. Reading her book is like sitting down and listening to her as she excitedly tells one story after another. We see the big picture at first; then, increasingly, we are pulled closer and closer to the site or event she is detailing. Whod have thought that the Pocomoke River could have a story so fascinating as the many-faceted tapestry spun by the author. Yet Mindie has done just thatshe has made the ordinary extraordinary. Her thorough research has added so much to each of the folk stories she has penned.

The vague outlines of the stories of the river, forest, city and village, and of houses and individuals, are recognizable to many Eastern Shore residents. It is the attention to detail that gives these stories their particular vitality. As the author notes time and again in the text, it is the mysteriousthe sense of mysterythat so often intrigues people. Fortunately, many of these stories have been preserved in archival facilities throughout the Shore. In particular, the folklore archives at the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture at Salisbury University have preserved more than thirty years of folklore interviews, many conducted by Professor Polly Stewart and her dedicated students. Mindie Burgoyne has taken these tales and added a rich historical overlay with photographs, creating a most entertaining, yet thought-provoking, series of stories of Delmarva and her ghostly apparitions.

Mindie holds that every bend of each river or every turn of each road on Delmarva holds a story worth telling. Readers will be osmotically pulled into the stories in this monograph. This book clearly demonstrates the love that Mindie holds for the Shore, its people, its historic sites and its folk tales.

G. RAY THOMPSON , PH D

Professor of History,
Co-Founder and Director of the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for
Delmarva History and Culture,
Salisbury University, Salisbury, Maryland, April 2016

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I want to sincerely thank the dozens of historians, librarians, citizens and friends who shared their stories and helped me uncover the truth that lives beneath the folklore. I offer deep gratitude to the people at the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture at Salisbury Universitynot just those who helped me comb through files but all the Nabb volunteers past, present and future, as well as those who have donated collections, financial contributions and time. Thank you. You have helped to create something that matterssomething that continues to give back to the community.

I extend my sincerest thanks to Dr. G. Ray Thompson, whose leadership and vision have shaped the Nabb Center into becoming one of the most powerful resources for understanding regional history and culture. I have never spoken to this wonderful man and not received some kind of compliment or word of encouragement. Dr. Ray is one of the great ones. He lifts others up, always focusing on giving and supporting.

To the scores of people who allowed me to interview them by phone, by e-mail, through social media or in person, thank you. I salute the Princess Anne Police Department not only for its support, its stories and gracious welcome but also for taking the time to do the little things that matter, like welcoming guests to the town, offering directions and returning lost keys. You are a class act. To the citizens and town staff in Pocomoke City, the Town of Snow Hill, City of Crisfield and City of Salisbury; to Julie Widdowson from Somerset County tourism and her staff; to Lisa Challenger from Worcester County tourism; and my dear friend Lisa Ludwig and the Lower Eastern Shore Heritage Council, thank you all for reaching out to me, for escorting me around your towns, for introducing me to your storytellers and for your warm welcome. This book reflects all that you have shared. Your efforts are the foundation on which these stories rest. They were your stories. But you allowed them to become everyones stories.