Hauntings in Maine: Ghosties of the Pine Tree State

The state of Maine is a picturesque and peaceful state. The small town I grew up in didn't even have a store. I lived within two minutes walking distance of my grade school. My parents knew all our neighbors and we always had trick or treaters that were on foot. They never had their parents drive them. The winters were long, the summers were short and the fall was full of beautiful foliage.

I distinctly remember the sounds and smells of October. The crackling of freshly fallen leaves and that distinct smell of winter on it's way. Mainers know what I mean. You can smell winter coming. My parents house is located in an extremely rural area. There is a big field behind their house, and beyond that, a graveyard. The graveyard itself is very small and run down. Moss is overgrown on most of the headstones and quite a few are even broken. We used to go grave rubbing. For those that do not know what that is, that is where you take a piece of paper and place it against the head stone, right on the birth and death dates. You then rub a crayon or charcoal pen against the piece of paper until the dates show up on the paper. Somewhat morbid, but I think at one point that was a "cool" thing to do.

In all the time I lived in that house, I never experienced any ghostly activity. I never saw anything in the graveyard or from my window that faced the graveyard. It still creeped me out, however that something COULD be lurking so close to our house. I'm not sure what what scared me more, the thought of actually seeing something, or NOT seeing something and it being there without me knowing.

I have always been fascinated by the Unexplained, ever since I picked up a book about The Loch Ness Monster in third grade. Whether it be The Loch Ness Monster, UFOs, or Ghosts I have always enjoyed reading about these topics. Since I grew up in Maine, I have over the years read about a number of places in Maine that are supposedly haunted. Some are even close to where I grew up. Though I have lived in a few different states now, Maine is where my heart is. It's where my nostalgia stems from. Here is a small list of haunted places I have read about a number of times.

Hockamock Hollow/Stache Foods: This building is in my hometown of Bremen, Maine. I was surprised to see a video clip about it on a video I bought at a bookstore in the next town over. The video was titled "Real Maine Hauntings". Hockamock Hollow or Stache foods is a place that bottles Marinades and sauces. It is said that tools will disappear and reappear in different places, and that at night the nearby neighbors have seen weird lights flashing in the windows. A séance determined that it was the buildings original owner that haunts the place. The building itself almost looks deserted when you drive by it during the day. One night my best friend and I and two other people stopped to try and take pictures of the place. We got a little creeped out by how dark it was and were afraid that if the neighbors saw us they might call the police, so we left.

The Boothbay Opera House: My mother grew up in Boothbay Harbor. She used to watch cartoons and plays in the old building and was quite disturbed when I told her that a ghost or unknown spirit supposedly haunts the second floor and plays the piano.

Jonathan Buck's Gravestone: One of the more popular Unexplained Phenomenas in Maine is in Bucksport. Many years ago Colonel Jonathan Buck ordered his mistress to be burned to death, claiming she was a witch. She promised to return and dance on his grave. It seems as though she has kept her promise. There is an imprint of a leg or foot embedded on his tombstone. No matter how many times the stone has been replaced and cleaned, the image returns. An ex boyfriend and I drove three and a half hours to Bucksport to see this strange phenomena. Imagine my disappointment when I realize that the graveyard itself is blocked off by a huge fence and you are not allowed to enter it. If I stood on my tippy toes I could just barely make out the tombstone. Wishing I had brought a camera with a zoom lens, I snapped some pictures with my disposable, knowing they wouldn't come out well. They didn't, of course.

Goose River Bridge: This is one of the more interesting and fun ghosts. The Goose River Bride in Rockport Maine is haunted by a ghost called the "Pitcher Man". He has been seen walking up and down the bridge at night offering passersby a pitcher of beer. Quite the friendly guy!

The Skowhegan Cinema: In Skowhegan Maine, this movie theater is haunted by ghosts who enjoy putting hand prints on the movie screen.

Maidens Cliff: In Camden Maine, about 100 years ago, a young girl attending a church service at the top of Maiden's Cliff fell to her death. She had been chasing after her new pink bonnet that the cruel wind had blown off of her head. She fell over 300 feet but didn't break one bone. She died later that night at her home from internal organ injuries.

Water Street, Wiscassette Maine: The oldest house in the town of Wiscasette is on Water Street. Objects moving by themselves. Objects being placed in areas they were not left. Shadows in the form of people have been seen.

The house that wasn't there..or was it?: In Northport, Maine, the home of Edward Cosgroves and his family burned to the ground, killing his two children and the couple that happened to be babysitting for them that evening. There was nothing left of the house. Just ashes and the little bit of one of the houses chimneys as well as some children's toys. A short time after the tragedy, someone took a photograph of the site where the house was. When the film from the camera was developed, the house was right there in the picture, as if it hadn't burned down. A few others have taken photos with the same results. This tale really peaked my curiosity and yet again my ex boyfriend and I drove a few hours to Northport to try and find this spot. Unfortunately, all we knew was that it was on an unmarked right a certain amount of miles after you enter Northport. We looked for an hour and decided to go home. It was very disappointing. One of the photographs of the old house that wasn't there supposedly hangs in the Northport Diner. Unfortunately, I had no idea where that was either!

These are just a few of the many haunted areas that Maine has to offer. While the state is of serene beauty with it's roaring ocean and green pine trees, it also has it's bleaker side. Maine is filled with haunting and the unexplained. You can almost imagine being swept away on the rocks overlooking the crashing ocean. The undertow is very strong on the coast and It happens quite often. I'm sure the ocean has it's fair share of ghosts. At night they probably walk the beaches, not realizing they are dead. I'm overcome with sadness when I think of the ghosts of children roaming those giant rocks, looking for their parents, not knowing they will never find them.