Massachusetts

Cape Cod has a rich tradition of local lore, stretching back to a time before the Pilgrims arrived.

Ancient Wampanoag legends like Granny Squannit and Princess Scargo are as familiar as tales of pirates and explorers, including "Black Sam" Bellamy and Donald Baxter Macmillan. Felines often blocked "Cat's Alley" in pursuit of food from fishermen's boats. The remnants of Billingsgate Island can be seen at low tide, and visits from Jenny Lind and Helen Keller contrast with the mysterious stories of the "Lady of the Dunes" and New England's Dark Day. Author Robin Smith-Johnson shares historic tales of shipwrecks, murders, hauntings and more from the Cape.

For over three hundred years, stories of witches, sea serpents and pirates have amazed and terrified residents of Massachusetts's North Shore. In the summer of 1692, phantom men were spotted in the fields of Gloucester. Farther north, "A" marks the spot for pirate treasure in the marshes of Newbury, while to the east, full moons might bring out the werewolf of Dogtown. The devil himself has burned his mark on the boulder-strewn landscape, while shaggy humanoids have been sighted loping along the coast. From Boston to New Hampshire, Massachusetts's North Shore is filled with remarkable stories and legendary characters. Join author Peter Muise and discover the North Shore's uncanny legends and tales of the paranormal.

The stories, legends, and lore surrounding New England's most haunted places. A must-read for fans of the supernatural and New England history.

New England's history is marked with witch executions, curses and an untold number of cemeteries hiding mysteries beneath their stones. In this sometimes harsh landscape, the truth is often stranger than fiction. Examine the footprints burned into the ledge of Devil's Foot Rockin Rhode Island. Spend a night at the Kennebunk Innin Maine, where the mischievous specter of Silas Perkins still resides. Traverse an old dirt road near Sterling, Connecticut, where the Darn Man'sfrozen body was uncovered in 1863.

Authors Thomas D'Agostino and Arlene Nicholson uncover the history behind the region's best-kept secrets and lore. As you flip through these pages of New England's legends, tread lightly--you just might find a story that will follow you home.

Venture back to 1715, when a fifteen-year-old Cape Cod girl named Maria Hallett was seduced by a twenty-six-year-old Englishman named Samuel Bellamy.

Bellamy soon left her to become one of the most infamous pirates of his day--Black Sam Bellamy. Maria remained on the Cape but was forced to live in solitude after giving birth to Bellamy's child. Two years later, Bellamy returned to his love, and Maria watched from the dunes as his flagship, the Whydah, sank in the worst nor'easter in the history of the Cape. The legend of Maria Hallett has been passed down for over two hundred years, and Cape Cod writer Kathleen Brunelle brings a fresh breath of sea air to this epic tale in her search for Bellamy's bride.

Just hours after the "shot heard 'round the world" marked the start of the American Revolution, the news from Lexington set alarm bells ringing in Framingham. Minutemen from the town rushed along the road to Concord to help cut off the retreat of British troops. In Salem, where dozens of women were accused of witchcraft, Framingham's founder, Thomas Danforth, helped to end the hysteria and afterward provided sanctuary in Framingham for the families of the wrongfully accused. Staring down the barrels of British guns in Boston, Framingham native Crispus Attucks was one of the first to die for American independence. Though rarely in the foreground of history, Framingham pops up again and again as a backdrop to our nation's great historic episodes. With tales of pirate gold, hypnotized evangelists, blundering spies and bravery in battle, this captivating collection of historical episodes sets Framingham squarely in the spotlight.

Find stories of magic and witches, sailors, pirates and shipwrecks and more in this book filled with folks with great stories and interesting lives.

Author and Marblehead Museum & Historical Society director Pam Peterson recounts the oral and written accounts that Marbleheaders have handed down over the past 400 years. Compiled with meticulous care, Marblehead Myths, Legends and Lore offers a diverse sampling of tales from one of New England's maritime treasures.

From the Native American sagamore seeking refuge from tribal raids to the foreign prince who came to participate in a Myopia polo match, Hamilton has always been a magnet for interesting events and fascinating characters. Pairing scrupulous research with wildly entertaining local anecdotes, Annette V. Janes paints a charming historical picture of the Hamlet. Read about the fatal danger of cooking too loudly, the horseman who smoked his cigars upright in the bowl of his pipe, the heinous murder of John Hoddy and the packs of wolves that used to prowl about, endangering children. Hamilton: Myths, Legends & a Few Quirky Characters presents a history that you've likely never heard before and won't soon forget.