“History is a ghost story.”
New England Legends host and paranormal author and investigator Jeff Belanger joins us to talk about his first ghost sighting, why there are so many legends in New England, the long history of hauntings in the White House, and the value of a ghost story in teaching history.
Listen now:
But first, we take a look at what some sources have called the most famous White House ghost story—the encounter between a naked Winston Churchill and the ghost of Abraham Lincoln. This detailed story seems to go back as far as 2008 and has made its way to USA Today, The Washington Post, and countless books and blogs, but Churchill expert Richard Langworth thoroughly debunks it—multiple people have reported seeing Lincoln’s ghost, but Winston Churchill is not one of them.
After the interview, Jess opens up about a ghostly experience she had in Sin City.
For more information about Jeff Belanger, visit his website jeffbelanger.com.
Listen now:
Love the paranormal? Here are some other episodes that are perfect for your Halloween:
Paranormal Presidents Part 1: A Massachusetts murder trial of John Adams’s where the prosecution attempted to invoke the ghoulish medieval ordeal of bier right with the victim’s corpse, and the dark “lost” folktale of Rawhead and Bloody Bones, a term synonymous with the boogeyman for several founders.
Paranormal Presidents Part 2: Andrew Jackson’s encounter with the Bell Witch and a spiritualist “biography” that John Quincy Adams wrote from heaven.
The Haunted Hermitage & The Stone Library Heist: The haunted history of Andrew Jackson’s home and a thrilling FBI case to recover the priceless Mendi Bible gifted to John Quincy Adams from the Africans he defended before the Supreme Court.
We’ll be off next week and returning November 9th! Support the podcast by joining our Patreon where you’ll get exclusive access to uncut video interviews with guests, outtakes, and more!
Sources:
“Churchill’s Ersatz Meeting with Lincoln’s Ghost” by Richard Langworth, RichardMLangworth.com
