New England Legends Podcast

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/

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/ 

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/