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 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