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The Lantern, Greenville, SC (2026)

08/17/2026

The Legend of the Richmond Vampire

Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, is home to a famous urban legend. For years, people have traveled to W.W. Pool's mausoleum, hoping the Richmond Vampire would make an appearance.

The legend of the Richmond Vampire dates back to at least the 1920s, and there are different origins of why W.W. Pool was dubbed a vampire. One states that Pool was born with a rare blood disease, which led people to label the man as a vampire.

But Pamela K. Kenney writes in her book "Haunted Richmond" that another origin of the tale is tied to the October 2, 1925, incident at the Church Hill Tunnel. A section of the tunnel collapsed, trapping ten rail flat cars, workers, and a steam locomotive.

Supposedly, the vampire dug himself from the rubble and was discovered by locals with blood dripping from his jagged teeth from his victims. The vampire ran to Hollywood Cemetery and hid inside the crypt of W.W. Pool.

The more logical story is that 28-year-old fireman Benjamin Mosby was inside the tunnel on that day and was severely burned, but managed to escape. Visibility was nonexistent in the extremely dark tunnel as people ran from the site, tripping over railroad ties and each other to get out.

Witnesses reportedly saw a ghastly figure rush out of the tunnel and run towards the James River. A group of men chased it, and it disappeared into the mausoleum in question.

But, according to some, that ghostly figure was Mosby, who was taken to the hospital and succumbed to his injuries.

It's also stated that W.W. Pool and his wife have been moved to another burial place, and the mausoleum door has been sealed off.

08/13/2026

The Black Hope Cemetery Horror

In the early 1980s, Sam and Judith Haney moved into what appeared to be an ordinary home in the Newport subdivision near Crosby, Texas. The neighborhood was new, the streets were quiet, and there was little reason to believe anything unusual lay beneath their house. Then the Haneys decided to put a swimming pool in their backyard sometime around 1983, and everything changed.

According to online accounts, a longtime resident approached Sam and warned him that people had once been buried exactly where they planned to dig. It was the kind of story that might have been dismissed as an old neighborhood rumor, except digging in the yard uncovered evidence of human burials. The Haneys soon learned that the property had once been used as an African American cemetery, commonly referred to in later accounts as the Black Hope Cemetery or Black Hope Addition Graveyard.

Two graves discovered behind the Haney home were said to belong to a married couple who had died decades earlier. Rather than remove the remains, the Haneys chose to leave them buried on the property. What happened afterward would eventually turn a forgotten cemetery into one of the most unusual haunting stories in Texas.

The Haneys later claimed that strange things began happening inside their home. Judith described unexplained sounds and unusual electrical activity. Objects reportedly disappeared and later turned up in unexpected places. In one of the strangest accounts, Judith said a pair of her red shoes vanished from the house and were later discovered sitting near the graves in the backyard. There was no evidence proving that any of these incidents were supernatural, but to the Haneys, something about their home no longer felt right.

Then other neighbors began telling stories of their own about the weird happenings around their homes.

Residents described televisions and lights turning on without explanation. Some reported unexplained noises, unusual cold sensations, and figures they could not identify. Ben and Jean Williams, another couple living in the neighborhood, also became convinced that something unusual was happening around their home. As the stories accumulated, so did the belief among some residents that the forgotten cemetery and the disturbances might somehow be connected.

Meanwhile, the discovery behind the Haney home had become more than a ghost story. The couple became involved in a legal dispute concerning the graves and what was actually known about the property. The case made its way through the Texas court system. Whatever might have been happening inside the homes could be debated, but the existence of human burials on the property was no longer questioned. Eventually, the Haneys left the home.

Books and television programs brought national attention to the strange events in Newport, and the case eventually became known as the Black Hope Curse. Unsolved Mysteries later featured the story, allowing the families involved to describe the experiences they believed had occurred in their homes.

08/13/2026

The Dare Stone(s): Did Eleanor Dare Leave Behind the Answer to America’s Oldest Mystery?

The Lost Colony of Roanoke has remained one of America’s greatest mysteries for over four centuries. In 1590, after being delayed in England for nearly three years, Governor John White returned to find the settlement deserted—homes dismantled, colonists gone, and no bodies left behind. The only clue was “CROATOAN” carved into a post. White thought the colonists might have relocated, but bad weather stopped his search. He left without finding his daughter Eleanor Dare, granddaughter Virginia Dare, or any other settlers.

Nearly 350 years later, the mystery resurfaced when Louis E. Hammond brought a twenty-one-pound stone to Emory University in 1937, claiming he found it near the Chowan River in North Carolina. The stone was inscribed with strange words that, when deciphered, seemed to be a message from Eleanor Dare to her father. If authentic, it could be the first message from the Lost Colonists.

The inscription told a sad story: years of sickness and conflict, many deaths, and a final attack that killed Eleanor’s husband Ananias and daughter Virginia. Only seven reportedly survived. The stone said the dead were buried east of the river and asked that the message be shown to John White.

Researchers took Hammond’s discovery seriously, traveling with him to North Carolina to investigate, though they couldn’t confirm the exact site. Interest grew, and a reward was offered for more stones—leading to a strange turn in the story.

Soon, more stones appeared in South Carolina and Georgia, many connected to Georgia stonecutter Bill Eberhardt. These stones, supposedly continuing Eleanor Dare’s story, gained national attention and sparked hope among scholars.

But problems arose. The later stones differed from the original, and suspicious links between finders—especially Eberhardt—surfaced. By 1941, evidence of fraud and artificially aged inscriptions led most to dismiss all but the first stone as part of a hoax.

Despite this, Hammond’s original stone was never linked to Eberhardt or proven to be a fraud. Hammond himself vanished, leaving little information about his role or the stone’s origins.

The first stone has been examined repeatedly, but experts disagree. Some find the lettering consistent with the Elizabethan era; others call it a modern imitation. Scientific tests have not settled the debate.

Nearly ninety years later, the stone’s authenticity remains in question. Most Dare Stones are considered frauds, but the original still fuels speculation about the Lost Colony.

Maybe Hammond found a clever hoax in 1937, played a part in its creation, or truly uncovered something centuries old.

If the first Dare Stone is ever proven authentic, it could mean Eleanor Dare left her own account of what happened after Roanoke.

Until then, the stone remains just another clue in a centuries-old mystery.

Image Credit: Nesnad, Wikimedia Commons. Image was slightly altered.

08/12/2026

The Surrency Haunting

The story begins in October 1872 in the tiny railroad community of Surrency, Georgia, at the home of Allen Powell Surrency, a prominent local sawmill operator.

According to contemporary newspaper reports, the trouble began when members of the Surrency family noticed objects apparently moving without explanation. Crockery fell from shelves and shattered. Books tumbled to the floor. Pieces of wood and bricks seemed to fly through the air. Household objects were reportedly thrown around rooms even when witnesses couldn't determine who was responsible.

One early account became especially eerie.

Surrency's daughter Clementine reportedly went toward the nearby railroad to meet an arriving train. While waiting, she claimed to see something resembling a man dressed in white approaching her. Frightened, she ran toward the house. Pieces of lightwood and bricks then reportedly began falling nearby. Other members of the household subsequently claimed to witness the strange activity themselves.

Then things inside the house became even stranger.

Reports described dishes breaking, objects moving, furniture being disturbed, and other unexplained occurrences. Word spread rapidly across Georgia.

And people started coming to see it for themselves.

This wasn't simply a story told decades later. Newspaper reporters traveled to Surrency and interviewed the family and witnesses. One contemporary account estimated that hundreds of people gathered around the property as curiosity about the supposed haunting spread.

The story became such a sensation that the railroad reportedly accommodated visitors traveling to the community to investigate the mysterious house. A modern government history of the area notes that major Georgia newspapers covered the events and that special trains brought curious visitors to what was then Station Number 6.

Even more interesting, the activity supposedly stopped and then started again.

A December 1872 newspaper account describes reporters returning to the house after Surrency informed them that the mysterious disturbances had resumed.

Nobody ever established exactly what was happening.

Some observers suspected trickery. Others attempted to connect the disturbances to particular members of the family. And some of the reporters who visited the property came away believing they had witnessed something they couldn't explain. The case would eventually become known as the Surrency Ghost and entered Georgia folklore. The story was even included in Nancy Roberts' The Haunted South.

The original house is gone. According to the area's official comprehensive history, the Surrency family eventually left it, and the structure burned in 1925.

08/11/2026

The Lost Treasure of Fort Congaree

Long before Columbia became South Carolina's capital, the area along the Congaree River was home to Fort Congaree, an important British trading post and frontier fort built in the early 1700s. It served as a center for trade with Native American tribes and later became strategically important during the Revolutionary War.

As fighting spread across the South, British troops, Loyalists, and Patriot forces all moved through the Congaree River Valley. The region became a crossroads for military supplies, weapons, payrolls, and valuable goods.

According to local legend, as Patriot forces gained the upper hand, British soldiers or Loyalist supporters buried a cache of gold, silver, coins, or military payroll near the old fort to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. Some versions of the story claim the treasure was hidden during a hurried retreat. Others suggest it was concealed by Loyalists hoping to recover it after the war ended.

Over the centuries, treasure hunters have searched the riverbanks, old trading paths, and surrounding woodlands for signs of the hidden treasure. From time to time, stories surface of old coins, military relics, and artifacts being discovered in the area, fueling speculation that something valuable may still lie buried beneath the soil or perhaps the Congaree River.

Despite generations of searching, no documented treasure connected to Fort Congaree has ever been found.

Historians agree that the Congaree Valley was an important military corridor during the Revolutionary War, making it entirely possible that supplies, money, or valuables passed through the area. What remains uncertain is whether a treasure was ever buried there at all.

Today, the legend survives as one of South Carolina's forgotten Revolutionary War mysteries.

Image Credit: Dr. Blazer (Wikipedia). No changes were made to the image.

08/11/2026

The Buffalo Mountain Balls of Fire

High above the rolling hills of Floyd County, Virginia, Buffalo Mountain has been a silent guardian of Appalachia for generations. Locals know its rocky slopes, thick forests, and winding coves by heart, and many have heard tales about the mysterious lights that sometimes appear after dark in this area.

For as long as anyone can remember, folks around here have told stories about glowing orbs drifting across the mountainside. Some people say the lights are bright and white, while others insist they burn with a gentle orange or bluish glow. Either way, the lights seem to appear out of nowhere, glide silently through the trees, and vanish into thin air.

Unlike the famous Brown Mountain Lights down in North Carolina, the Buffalo Mountain Lights or Balls of Fire haven't gotten much attention outside of southwest Virginia.

Old Appalachian storytellers used to talk about "balls of fire" flashing through the coves before slipping into the thick ivy covering the mountain. Hunters coming home after dark sometimes spotted the strange lights weaving between the trees, and a few claimed they hovered above the ground before melting into the darkness.

Over the years, many explanations have been offered.

Some folks figure the lights must be caused by odd weather, reflections, or maybe even gases coming out of the ground. Others believe it’s some kind of electrical phenomenon, like what’s been suggested for other mountain light mysteries across Appalachia.

But local folklore offers a different explanation.

Some locals have always believed the lights are restless spirits wandering the mountain. Others think they’re guardians of the land, showing themselves only to folks who wander deep into the woods after dark.

08/11/2026

The Legend of the Old Tram Road Ghost Light

Long before GPS guided travelers through southeastern North Carolina, Old Tram Road cut through some of the most isolated swamps in Columbus County. By day, it was just another quiet country road. But after sunset, locals knew it by a different reputation.

According to generations of local folklore, a mysterious light has been seen emerging from the darkness along Old Tram Road near Whiteville.

Witnesses describe the light as a glowing orb that appears deep within the swamp before drifting slowly toward the road. Some say it hovers silently among the trees, while others claim it follows behind vehicles for a short distance before suddenly disappearing. Just as quickly as it appears, the light is gone, leaving drivers wondering if they truly saw something at all.

Unlike North Carolina's famous Maco Light, there is no widely accepted story explaining the Old Tram Road Light's origin. There is no tragic railroad accident, no documented ghost, and no historical event that clearly ties itself to the legend. That uncertainty has only added to its mystery.

Over the years, countless theories have been offered for the mysterious ghost light.

Some believe the light is caused by naturally occurring swamp gas igniting under the right atmospheric conditions. Others suggest distant headlights, reflections, or unusual weather phenomena. But for many longtime residents of Columbus County, those explanations don't account for every encounter.

To them, the Old Tram Road Light remains one of the area's ongoing mysteries.

Stories like these have survived not because they were written in history books, but because they were shared around kitchen tables, campfires, and front porches.

Whether the Old Tram Road Light is the product of nature, misidentification, or something that has yet to be explained, it continues to occupy a unique place in the folklore of southeastern North Carolina.

08/10/2026

The Legend of the Beale Treasure

For more than two centuries, treasure hunters have searched the rolling hills of Bedford County, Virginia, hoping to uncover what many consider America's greatest lost fortune. If the legend is true, millions of dollars in gold, silver, and precious jewels remain buried somewhere beneath the Virginia countryside, waiting for someone to solve a mystery that has baffled historians, cryptographers, and adventurers for generations.

According to the story, in 1818 a group of thirty Virginians, led by an adventurous man named Thomas J. Beale, traveled west on a hunting expedition. While exploring the Rocky Mountains, they reportedly discovered a rich deposit of gold and silver. Over the next several years, the men mined an enormous fortune before making repeated trips back to Virginia, where they secretly buried the treasure in a secure location.

Knowing the fortune could fall into the wrong hands, Beale devised an unusual plan. Before leaving on another journey, he entrusted a locked iron box to a Lynchburg innkeeper named Robert Morriss. Inside were three pages filled entirely with numbers. Beale explained that the pages were encrypted messages, or ciphers. One revealed the treasure's location, another listed its contents, and the third identified the heirs entitled to claim it. He promised to send the key needed to decode the messages.

That key never arrived.

Years passed, and Beale was never seen again. Believing his mysterious guest had died, Morriss eventually opened the box but found only the undecipherable pages of numbers. He later passed them to a friend, who successfully cracked one of the three ciphers using the Declaration of Independence as the key. The decoded message described an astonishing treasure consisting of thousands of pounds of gold, silver, and jewels worth an estimated $65 million or more in today's value.

The other two ciphers have never been solved.

Since the story was first published in 1885, thousands of treasure hunters have searched the hills of Bedford County. Cryptographers have spent decades trying to crack the remaining codes. Some believe the treasure is still waiting to be discovered. Others argue the entire story was an elaborate nineteenth-century hoax designed to sell pamphlets and capture the public's imagination.

More than 200 years later, no one has proven either theory.

Perhaps Thomas J. Beale buried one of the greatest fortunes in American history.

Or perhaps the real treasure was the mystery he left behind.

08/07/2026

The 1973 Pascagoula UFO Encounter

On the evening of October 11, 1973, two coworkers, Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker, finished fishing along the Pascagoula River in Mississippi. It was a quiet night until they heard a strange buzzing sound behind them. When they turned, they claimed to see a glowing oval-shaped craft hovering just above the ground.

According to both men, the object emitted a bright blue light and silently floated toward the riverbank. Before they could react, a doorway opened, and three unusual beings emerged. Hickson later described them as having wrinkled, grayish skin, claw-like hands, and no visible neck. Their movements were mechanical, almost as if they were floating rather than walking.

The men said they were unable to move as the creatures carried them aboard the craft. Inside, they claimed they were examined by what Hickson described as a large mechanical eye that silently scanned their bodies before they were released a short time later.

Shaken and terrified, the two men rushed to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office to report what had happened. At first, deputies believed the story was a hoax. Without telling Hickson and Parker, investigators secretly activated a tape recorder after leaving them alone in an interview room, expecting them to laugh about the prank.

Instead, the recording captured two frightened men still trying to make sense of what had happened.

One voice can be heard saying, "I know one thing. Before I'll go to the river again, it'll be a long time." The other replies, "I got to get home and get me a sedative."

The recording convinced many investigators that, whether their story was true or not, the men genuinely believed they had experienced something extraordinary.

News of the encounter quickly spread across the country. Skeptics suggested stress, hallucinations, or an elaborate hoax, while others pointed to the men's emotional state and the secretly recorded conversation as evidence they had experienced something they could not explain.

More than fifty years later, the Pascagoula UFO Encounter remains one of America's most famous alien abduction cases. A historical marker now stands near the river where the event allegedly occurred, and the mystery continues to attract researchers, skeptics, and curious visitors alike.

08/05/2026

Secret Tunnels and Passageways Under Asheville

One rumor that has gained attention over the years involves the secret tunnels and passageways under Asheville, North Carolina.

A persistent rumor on online forums is that Asheville was planning a subway in the 1910s or 1920s, and that tunnels began to be dug for the project but were later abandoned. As fascinating as this would be, it is false. "The Asheville City Plan" by John Nolan—now held in UNC Asheville’s Special Collections—did suggest building a subway system, but there is no evidence the city council ever considered the idea, as the trolley network was sufficient for public transportation at the time.

However, there is a kernel of truth behind the tunnel legends. While there was no subway project, Asheville does have tunnels—mostly unconnected—built for drainage and utility service. Some of these even played a role during Prohibition, used for hauling booze.

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