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 91 –  Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Freeport to explore the Desert of Maine. While there, they search for a man named Coffin, the Hermit of Maine, who lived nearby and charged tourists 15 cents to look inside his shack. How did a desert appear in Maine? And who was this hermit? This episode first aired November 4, 2021   Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends   

In Episode 376 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate Exeter, Rhode Island, to see the former site of the Ladd School. Built in 1908, the former Rhode Island School for the Feeble-Minded has a dark history of neglect, patient abuse, and even murder. We explore the disappearance of a nine-year-old boy in-depth. Though the buildings are all gone now, history has left behind a stain that can never be washed away.    See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-376-haunting-the-ladd-school/    Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends    Listen to RAYdio: https://localraydio.com/   See Jeff Belanger's The Fright Before Christmas LIVE and In-Person: Dec. 22, 2024 - 7:30PM - Shea Theater Arts Center, 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, Massachusetts Tel: 413-648-SHEA Tickets: https://www.showclix.com/event/the-fright-before-christmas-shea    

Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 90 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the woods of Narragansett, Rhode Island, in search of a strange configuration of stone monuments locals call the Druid’s chair and Witch’s Altar. In the 1880s, these monuments and the house across the street were built by eccentric Spiritualist Joseph Peace Hazard. Though Hazard built these structures, he would tell you the design was dictated by spirits, but for what purpose? He never knew. This episode first aired March 25, 2021   Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends      

In Episode 375 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate a haunted home in Dixmont, Maine, that made the news back in 1905 because a ghost—believed to be the spirit of a murdered peddler from decades earlier—was stirring up activity throughout the house. Dozens of locals witnessed the unexplained phenomena that attracted the attention of the press.     See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-375-a-ghostly-cry-for-justice-in-dixmont/    Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends     Listen to RAYdio: https://localraydio.com/  See Jeff Belanger's The Fright Before Christmas LIVE and In-Person: Dec. 7, 2024 - 7PM - The Singh Performance Center, 60 Douglas Rd, Whitinsville, Massachusetts Tel: (508) 234-6232 Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fright-before-christmas-with-jeff-belanger-at-the-singh-performance-center-tickets-950993405877    Dec. 12, 2024 - 6:30PM -  Cobblestone Arts Center, 1622 Route 332 Farmington, New York Tel: (585) 398-0220 Tickets: https://buy.stripe.com/bIYaHP8lFdKn5So4gN   Dec. 22, 2024 - 7:30PM - Shea Theater Arts Center, 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, Massachusetts Tel: 413-648-SHEA Tickets: https://www.showclix.com/event/the-fright-before-christmas-shea   

Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 89 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger search for a vampire buried in a tiny family cemetery in Cumberland, Rhode Island. In February of 1796, the father of Abigail Staples petitioned the town to exhume her body and perform some experiments in an effort to save his other daughter, Lavinia who was dying from consumption. Some believed if Abigail was indeed a vampire, perhaps they could break the spell to save Lavinia. This episode first aired February 6, 2020   Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends     

In Episode 374 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger sit down to a weird Thanksgiving feast New England style! We celebrate some of the food and beverage products that are synonymous with the northeastern United States. We’re grateful to spend time with you each week -- think of this as our own Friendsgiving.  See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-374-a-weird-new-england-thanksgiving-feast/    Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends    See Jeff Belanger's The Fright Before Christmas LIVE and In-Person: Dec. 7, 2024 - 7PM - The Singh Performance Center, 60 Douglas Rd, Whitinsville, Massachusetts Tel: (508) 234-6232 Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fright-before-christmas-with-jeff-belanger-at-the-singh-performance-center-tickets-950993405877   Dec. 12, 2024 - 6:30PM -  Cobblestone Arts Center, 1622 Route 332 Farmington, New York Tel: (585) 398-0220 Tickets: https://buy.stripe.com/bIYaHP8lFdKn5So4gN  Dec. 22, 2024 - 7:30PM - Shea Theater Arts Center, 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, Massachusetts Tel: 413-648-SHEA Tickets: https://www.showclix.com/event/the-fright-before-christmas-shea      

Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 88 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to New Castle, New Hampshire, in search of a stone-throwing devil that plagued the home of George Walton for three months back in 1682 according to multiple eye-witnesses. Rocks were tossed, as were pots, pans, and hammers. Windows were broken, and passers-by were pelted with stones. It nearly drove Walton mad. This episode first aired June 25, 2020   Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends    

In Episode 373 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore a neighborhood in Concord, New Hampshire, to see what’s left of the original New Hampshire State Prison. It was on these grounds that Josiah Pike became the first person executed by the state for a capital crime. We’ll explore the heinous crime that led to his execution.     See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-373-new-hampshires-first-execution/    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 87 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the Point of Pines section of Revere, Massachusetts, in search of buried treasure guarded by a ghostly pirate and his horse. In the 1690s, local Native American leader David Kunkshamooshaw used his witch hazel divining rod to locate a buried pirate treasure near the shore, but what happened next frightened him and his treasure-hunting crew to their core. Some say that treasure is still out there. This episode first aired September 26, 2019   Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends   

In Episode 372 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger hike the woods of Erving, Massachusetts, searching for the former “castle” of the hermit John Smith who lived in a cave in the woods for more than 30 years in the latter half of the 1800s. Two books were published that included his writing and remarkable story.    See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-372-the-hermit-of-erving-castle/    The limited-edition 2025 Haunted New England calendar by Jeff Belanger and Frank Grace is on sale now! You can buy it online here: https://jeffbelanger.com/playlist/2025-haunted-new-england-calendar/   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 86 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut, in search of the haunted headstone of Midnight Mary. Mary E. Hart died at midnight on October 15, 1872, and her headstone and epitaph have stood behind various legends about being buried alive, a curse, and her wandering ghost being seen on nearby Winthrop Avenue. This episode first aired November 11, 2021.   Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends  

In Episode 371 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore a grave in the woods of West Windsor, Vermont. In 1934, Vermont’s eccentric and snobby poet laureate Daniel Cady built his tomb on a hill so the world would forever have to look up at him. He made his money the old-fashioned way. He married rich.   See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-371-a-snobs-mausoleum/    The limited-edition 2025 Haunted New England calendar by Jeff Belanger and Frank Grace is on sale now! You can buy it online here: https://jeffbelanger.com/playlist/2025-haunted-new-england-calendar/   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 85 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger go trick-or-treating at the haunted Lizzie Borden House and Museum in Fall River, Massachusetts. In this Halloween special, we explore the infamous case from August 4, 1892, and the haunt the double-murder left behind. We walk room-by-room with tour guide Sue as we take in the house, examine crime scene photos, and sit where Andrew Borden’s skull was crushed in while he napped. Happy Halloween! This episode first aired October 29, 2020   Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends 

Episode 370: for Halloween we spin the tale of an old Inner Sanctum radio drama. It’s the story of a ghostly, murderous witch who returns from the grave to seek revenge on the descendants of her accusers. Special thanks to our voice actors: Tim Ellis, Carolyn Chaplin, Michael Legge, Dean Calusdian, Jay Pillarella, Jeff Belanger, and Ray Auger.   See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-370-halloween-drama-the-vengeful-corpse/    The limited-edition 2025 Haunted New England calendar by Jeff Belanger and Frank Grace is on sale now! You can buy it online here: https://jeffbelanger.com/playlist/2025-haunted-new-england-calendar/    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 84 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger drive up to Northfield, Vermont, with a bucket of slop in search of the infamous Pigman. In 1971, a naked man with the head of a pig terrorized the small town of Northfield in the area of the Devil’s Washbowl. Multiple witnesses were rattled by a vision they can’t explain, and one claims he was attacked. Could this mysterious man… or creature still be lurking in the woods of Northfield? This episode first aired March 21, 2019   Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends  

In Episode 369 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate a haunt from 1915 in Essex, Connecticut. Strange knocks on the wall got a lot of newspaper coverage, but the strangest part of the story was this ghost knew where to find beer! This is our kind of haunt!    See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-369-the-essex-ghost-with-a-nose-for-beer/    The limited-edition 2025 Haunted New England calendar by Jeff Belanger and Frank Grace is on sale now! You can buy it online here: https://jeffbelanger.com/playlist/2025-haunted-new-england-calendar/   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 83 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger sail out to Matinicus Rock Lighthouse off the coast of Maine in search of two legends. For years, lighthouse keepers and coast guard staff claimed the facility was haunted. But this facility is also the former home of a hero — Abbie Burgess — a young girl who, in 1856 saved her family from a brutal storm, and saved countless sailors and ships during some of the roughest seas this tiny island had ever endured. Could these two legends be more intertwined than previously thought? This episode first aired September 20, 2018   Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends 

In Episode 368 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the haunted Fleur de Lys building in Providence, Rhode Island. Built in 1885 by artist Sydney Richmond Burleigh, the building has always served as a studio for area artists. In 1921, Burleigh’s protégé took her own life inside the building. There were rumors of an affair, and that her ghost has haunted the building ever since.    See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-368-the-haunted-fleur-de-lys/    The limited-edition 2025 Haunted New England calendar by Jeff Belanger and Frank Grace is on sale now! You can buy it online here: https://jeffbelanger.com/playlist/2025-haunted-new-england-calendar/   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 82 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger walk the shores of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island searching for the ancient mystery of the Narragansett Rune Stone. This enigmatic rock may hold the key to European contact centuries before Christopher Columbus ever buckled his first shoe. Others claim this rock isn’t what it seems. Still, it recently became the most famous rock in Rhode Island! This episode first aired September 6, 2018   Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends