The Ocean Isle Beach area has had a rich history of Spanish conquistadors, ante-bellum plantations, Indian wars, pirates, shipwrecks, slave ships, civil war battles, smugglers, speakeasies, man-made calamities and natural disasters.  

This coastal region is also home to a rich diversity of mysteries, myths, phantoms, specters, and apparitions that span our distant past to our current headlines. Each of these paranormal events create a tapestry of stories and legends that reach into our imagination, touching on our greatest fears, confirming our strongest beliefs, demonstrating the depth of honor and duty, and yet confounding our senses.

In this collection of stories reported by The Star News, The News and Observer, The Southport Times, The Brunswick Beacon, Ghosts of America web page, and the Bald Head Island Gazette, I have assembled recollections, myths and legends of the Ocean Isle Beach area to give a unique perspective of our place in American folklore.

The Ghosts in the following pages have especially earned our fascination, fear, sympathy, and respect.