Published by Haunted America
A Division of The History Press
Charleston, SC 29403
www.historypress.net
Copyright 2014 by Mindie Burgoyne
All rights reserved
Cover image: Photograph of the Ocean City Life-Saving Station. Courtesy of Jim Lamm.
Opposite: The Trimper Menagerie Carousel.
First published 2014
e-book edition 2014
ISBN 978.1.62585.284.7
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014951997
print edition ISBN 978.1.62619.754.1
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.
To Sweet Pea and Sweet Tater
Twins of my heart who traveled with me as I researched this book and allowed me to see the ghosts of Ocean City and Berlin through a childs eyes.
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
Welcome to haunted Ocean City and Berlin.
What you hold in your hands is not your average beach reada quick and easy way to while away a sunny afternoon in the sand or a rainy day stuck inside. No, this is much more fun. And much more chilling because these tales of the old days really did happenand might still be happening even as you read this.
The land between the ocean and the Bay has a long, ancient history beneath the creosote boardwalks, the concrete abutments and the candy-colored condos. A great deal of this history isnt dead. Its not even passed. If you glance out of the side of your eye, you might see just the edge of an old-fashioned petticoat or a sinister-looking sea captain. But theyre not really there, are they? That step on the stairs, that faint burst of childish laughterwas that a distant scream in the night?
Or is it something, well, ghostly?
So you thought the beach was all cotton candy, salt water taffy and promenading on the Boardwalk? You believed that the small town of Berlin was a peaceful old hamlet where nothing ever happened or ever will? That these staid old resort towns where Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean would never entertain restless spirits or unhappy endings? Bwahaha. Prepare to have your spine tingle on this tour through the supernatural.
Welcome to Mindie Burgoynes world, where nothing is as it seems and the unknown and undead linger in the most unlikely places. Think Trimpers landmark amusement park on the boards is all bright lights and great rides? Behind the tinsel and twinkle, a ghost is flickering between the bumper cars and the carousel.
Those footsteps on the Boardwalk? Dont turn around. There may not be a living person behind you. At the historic Atlantic Hotel, one of the original resorts of Ocean City, built by the Lower Shore Purnell family, people have checked in and never checked out.
The Atlantic has a long history, and in the place where the ocean meets the dunes, haunts and happenings abound. The drowned, the shipwrecked, the lovelorn and the beloved all have their stories here. And if youre lucky, you might see, or hear orfeel them. Is that the laughter of children you hear? Are they children in the here and now or children from long ago, still lingering? Is that tree haunted or is it just the wind?
Come meet the spirits of innkeepers, jazz singers, writers, watermen and seafood packers and the restless ghost of one Charles Rackliffe, a cruel master who was murdered by his slaves and still wanders his old property, looking for revenge and a way to make you very, very uncomfortable.
Farther inland, theres another Atlantic Hotel in Berlin, where Horace Harmonson opened the red brick landmark, where the spirits of old traveling salesmen still roam the halls, doubtless looking for a different kind of spirits altogether.
Come visit with ghosts and elementals, jilted lovers and lost lifeguards in eighteen tales told only as Mindie Burgoyne can, guaranteed to freeze your blood and make you look behind you on a moonlit night on the beach.
HELEN CHAPPELL
Trappe, Maryland, 2014
Author of The Oysterback Tales and Chesapeake Book of the Dead
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Haunted Ocean City and Berlin grew out of the ghost walks I crafted for these two towns. Gathering the information for those walks was the foundation for the content in this book. There were several key people who helped me dig into the history, find the ghost stories, verify facts, locate photographs and find sources for interviews. Without their assistance, Id never have been able to craft the walks or write this book.
My deepest thanks go to Glenn Irwin, executive director of the Ocean City Development Corporation, who set aside an hour during the workweek to meet with me, map out the historic part of the town and give me the names of key people who could help me with the stories and information I needed to put a ghost walk together. Glenn opened all the right doors for me and helped make the process swift. From historians to artists to town officials, Glenn knew who would help me. And they did.
Id also like to thank the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum. The museums executive director, Sandy Hurley, and her staff helped me navigate this vast repository of the towns history. Sandy in particular was able to answer so many of my questions when I found gaps in the history or confusion over dates or family names. She is such an asset to Worcester County, as is that amazing museum.
I sincerely appreciate the cooperation I received from the business owners in Ocean City whose properties are featured in this book. Charlie Purnell and Denise from the Atlantic Hotel, Greg Shockley from the Shoreham Hotel and Anna Dolle-Bushnell from Dolles Candyland were all generous with their time, stories and support. A special word of thanks goes to Brooks Trimper and Johnny Jett from Trimpers Amusements who provided me with a magical, romantic tale that has become my favorite ghost story.
I conducted many personal interviews during my research. One of the most valuable resources for the Ocean City portion of this book was my interview with Ocean City historians George and Sue Hurley. I so appreciate them welcoming me, with my nine-year-old granddaughter in tow, into their home for an interview. These two have so many Ocean City memories and stories between them. I feel lucky for the time we shared. Id also like to thank Betty Jester and Richard Manse for recounting their story of the little boy they saw in the Life-Saving Station Museum, Jo Ellen West for her memories of the Tarry-A-While and Denise Milko and Missy Mason for their insights on Rackliffe House.
In Berlin, my greatest ally has been Angela Reynolds, general manager of the Atlantic Hotel. Angela has given up her time to share stories about the hotel, been supportive of our ghost walk efforts and partnered with us to promote Berlins haunted heritage. I also appreciate the cooperation and assistance of the Calvin B. Taylor House Museum, especially Cheryl Holland and Susan Taylor, and the guys at Adkins Hardware who shared their stories.
