The Eastern Shore is well known as a favorite vacation spot, and enviable place to reside—with the natural beauty of the beaches and bays, and the allure of small town life, coupled with the close proximity to lively resorts. But long before what we enjoy in the modern-day—lived plenty of previous inhabitants, who may still have their own stories to share.
Forget what you know and love about the beaches and bays. Think not of the surfing, the bars and restaurants, the family fun. This area has a history that runs deeper , and is older, than that nearly every other area in the country. In fact, the Eastern Shores of Delaware, Maryland, and especially Virginia house many of the oldest actual settlements in the country. The first settlement on the Eastern Shore, called Dales-Gift, near Cape Charles Virginia, was established in 1616—four years prior to the Pilgrim’s landing on Plymouth, Massachusetts. People began truly inhabiting the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 1620, by way of land grants. The town of Snow Hill, MD was established in 1686.
There’s plenty more to say about the area’s rich and often hidden history. And, in the month of October, ShoreBread is showcasing the area’s early years in a way that’s both intriguing and perhaps a little creepy…by exploring some of the oldest properties, and areas rumored to be inhabited by ghosts!
It’s often said the older an area is, in terms of inhabitants, the more ripe it is for super natural activity. Europeans settled the Eastern Shore nearly 400 years ago. But thousands of year’s prior—native Americans walked and worked this soil. Some perceptions of thought behind the supernatural lie in the idea of energy, both negative and positive—the concept meaning that every being leaves behind an imprint on the world based on these energies. Or, some simply believe in ghosts—those permanently stuck in the in-between, incapable of moving on due to some incident from their previous lives.
In terms of the Eastern Shore and her actual age, it’s certainly probable—if one believes in such things—that the many rumored ghost stories are in fact…true!
The following three weeks, ShoreBread is pleased to bring you “Haunted History”, historical articles and videos chronicling the past, and potentially capturing the famous ghosts of the Eastern Shore. We have no idea what to anticipate…but are extremely excited, and more than a little cautious, as to what may be revealed.
This venture is made possible thanks to Mike Hrick, proprietor of RAD Films. He has graciously offered to be our novice ghost hunter, and capture all experiences on film. For the next few weeks he, accompanied by a brave and curious crew, will visit an old house, rumored to be haunted, camp out in an area with volumes of ghost stories—our own “Blair Witch Project,” and visit an actual ghost town. You can watch his videos and read the stories behind these places every Thursday on ShoreBread in “Haunted History.”
In the meantime, check out Mike’s inaugural creepy video below, shot with friend Jeff Phillips. The pair had intended to simply capture the Phillips family tomb in an old cemetery in Berlin. They never intended to video anything even remotely scary—it was simply about filming a piece of family history. What they shot peaked their interests and sparked a new venture. Think they captured anything? Watch the video below and see for yourselves.
The first full-length video and article is featured next Thursday in “Haunted History.” Happy Halloween! MUAAHAAAHAHAAAA!
