Haunted Indian Trading Post
Back in pioneer days, Seminole Indians, hermits, pirates, and outlaws traded their furs, skins, and trinkets for supplies at Ted Smallwood’s trading post. Set on a remote Calusa Indian mound in the Ten Thousand Islands called Chokoloskee, this old wooden store saw more than its share of mysteries, murders, and nefarious goings on before it was nailed shut for a quarter of a century. When Ted’s granddaughter unshuttered the old place, she found its shelves still packed with medicines and potions, hides, cans of snuff, calico, ammunition, and household supplies. And ghosts. Unexplained things happened. Unidentified shadows passed through at odd times. There were whisperings during the day, and at night one could stand underneath the store, which is on pilings, and hear boots stomping around. The old trading post became known as one of Florida’s most haunted places. National Geographic’s ghost hunters once flew in with sophisticated paranormal devices, but they flew back out the next day, because as soon as they set up, their equipment went dead.
October is a great month for a day trip to Chokoloskee, just over the bridge from Everglades City. Soak up the spooky trading post atmosphere, and even meet Old Ted himself (well, a pretty impressive likeness of him) peering at you from his favorite rocking chair. Then, immerse in the experience with a 6th generation Smallwood family-guided boat tour through Everglades National Park and the Ten Thousand Islands. Smallwoodstore.com; smallwoodstoreboattour.com
Buried Pirate Skeletons
When’s the last time you drove over a dead body? Never? Are you sure? Because if you’ve ever driven between the grand row of royal palm trees along McGregor Boulevard in downtown Fort Myers, you certainly have. Actually, you’ve rolled over 103 dead bodies. Late one night in 1913, men were digging on a nearby shell island for paving material. As one workman turned his shovel, something big and round rolled over his foot. Picking it up in the dim bonfire light, he was horrified to see he was holding a human skull. More digging on that eerie night unearthed the rest of the skeleton, and dozens more. Experts speculated that they were pirates from Jose Gaspar’s ship, Floridablanca, massacred in 1821 by the USS Enterprise. Unlike Calusa bones, pirate bones weren’t considered sacred, so the paving of McGregor proceeded, skulls and bones and all. So if you’re wandering around the McGregor neighborhood on Halloween night – it’s one of the town’s most picturesque trick-or-treating spots – avoid all ghostly-looking pirates. One might be the real thing! While you’re in the spirit, so to speak, take True Tours’ Haunted History Tour along the cobblestoned streets and alleys of downtown Fort Myers. Not all ghosts are creepy. In fact, some of them are pretty funny. Take your camera and see if anything strange shows up later in a picture. truetours.net
Ghosts of the Lowcountry
The recent fury of Hurricane Florence on the Carolina coast apparently awakened a famous ghost who first appeared in 1822 on Pawley’s Island, just south of Myrtle Beach. If you’re walking the beach there on a late summer/early fall evening, and a young man – usually walking, but sometimes on horseback – appears out of thin air and commands you to leave the island, he’s not being inhospitable. He’s warning you that a hurricane is coming. Don’t even think about doubting this. Just go.
The story goes that a young sailor returned from duty to visit his fiancé, who was visiting her parents on the island. Mounting a horse, he took the quickest route, straight through uncharted marshland. His horse galloped into deadly, quicksand-like “pluff mud,” whereupon both horse and rider were quickly swallowed up. One night, as the grieving girl walked the beach, the hazy gray apparition of her love appeared out of the dunes. “Leave the island at once,” he urged. Your family is in danger.” Then he vaporized. They did leave, and several days later, a hurricane devastated the island. It’s said that the Gray Man has appeared just before every major hurricane since, including Florence, to warn locals and visitors. Thankfully, hurricane season is over for another year, and Pawley’s Island is in recovery. But if you’re in a spirit-hunting mood right now, Ghost City Tours has family friendly (and not quite family friendly) options in some of the South’s most notorious ghost haunts: Charleston, Savannah, St. Augustine, and New Orleans. ghostcitytours.com
Travel Editor KAREN T. BARTLETT is also Ghosthunter-and- Adventurer-in-Chief of Mostly Kids’ Guides, “The Most Awesome Family Guidebooks on the Planet.”
Haunted Day Trips
We all know that St. Augustine is one of the most haunted places in America, right? But you may not know that there is a wealth of haunted spots within an easy drive of Naples. Neapolitan Family’s intern Ginny Lundstrom did the research for you, and put together a list of some of the best haunted day trips.
Palm Cottage
137 12th Ave. S., Naples
napleshistoricalsociety.org • 239-261-8164
Dating back to 1895, this is the oldest house in Naples. It is said that the ghostly encounters happen whenever renovations take place at Palm Cottage. Workers feel cold spots in certain places in the house and notice their tools constantly being moved. Guided tours are available.
Koreshan State Park
3800 Corkscrew Rd., Estero
floridastateparks.org • 239-992-0311
In 1869, a doctor named Cyrus Teed launched a new religion called Koreshanity. “Koreshan” is the Persian version of Teed’s first name. In 1894, Teed moved his group of followers to Estero, to what is now Koreshan State Park. When he died in 1908, his followers awaited his resurrection. Many say that his followers’ spirits are still there watching over the land. Witnesses have even reported shadow people who disappear on the trails and hearing mysterious voices.
Marco Island Mystery & History Tours
marcomysteryandhistory.com • 239-537-8353
The Olde Marco Inn, Caxambas Cemetery, and Otter Mound all are stops on the Marco Island Mystery & History tour. Join Martha Hatta as she brings Marco Island’s history to life with stories of its frightful past.
Don Cesar Hotel
3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach
doncesar.com • 727-360-1881
Thomas Rowe, the creator of Don Cesar, met and fell in love with a beautiful woman named Lucinda while studying in Lon- don. When Lucinda’s aristocratic parents found out about their relationship, they moved her back to Spain. Thomas returned to America and vowed to never love another. Rowe built the Don Cesar as a monument to her, and included on the property an exact replica of the fountain in London where he and Lucinda met secretly. Workers and guests of the hotel have reported seeing the ghost of a man that resembles Thomas, and that sometimes his ghost is accompanied by a beautiful raven-haired woman.
Biltmore Hotel
1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables
biltmorehotel.com • 855-311-6903
Built in 1926, the Biltmore (see photo)was first used for hosting social events, like glamorous fashion shows and golf tournaments. During World War II, the hotel was transformed into military hospital, which closed in 1968. High school students who frequented the abandoned building reported seeing ghosts, and being tapped on the shoulder by men in Army uniforms. There were other stories of babies crying, unexplained noises, and more recent tales of people vanishing in what is again operating as a hotel.
Tampa Theatre
711 Franklin St., Tampa
tampatheatre.org • 813-274-8981
The theater opened in 1926 as one of the country’s most lavish movie palaces. A man named Foster Fink Finley is thought to be haunting this theater. He was the projectionist who worked and practically lived at the Tampa Theatre from 1930 to 1965. He died of a heart attack in the projection booth during a showing. You can learn about the theater’s other hauntings on the ghost tour.