- An Introduction to:
“Ghosts of the Silver Coast”
The Ocean Isle Beach area has had a rich history
of Spanish conquistadors, antebellum 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 creates a
tapestry of stories and legends that reaches 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
The Ocean Isle Beach area provides a unique perspective of
our place in American folklore.
The ghosts in the following pages have especially
earned our fascination, fear, sympathy, and respect.
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Table Of Contents
An Introduction 2
Table Of Contents 3
Chapter 1: “The Grey Man Ghost” 6
Chapter 2: The Conquistador Ghost 8
Chapter 3: “The “SAM” Ghost” 10
Chapter 4: The Dunbar-Davis Ghost 12
Chapter 5: The Apricot Creek Ghosts 14
Chapter 6: The Indian Ghosts 16
Chapter 7: The Mt. Misery Road Ghosts 18
Chapter 8: The Tony Capella Ghost 20
Chapter 9: The Seneca Guns Mystery 22
Acknowledgements
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Chapter 1: “The Grey Man Ghost
The Gray Man has long been famous as a specter at
Pawleys Island, South Carolina, warns residents of
approaching storms, but the Gray Man has also been
seen at Ocean Isle Beach and as far north as Oak
Island.
It is said that the Gray Man walks along the beaches
right before a terrible storm or great tragedy. It is
said that those who see him know that they should
Leave at once or face disaster.
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It is also reported that, amazingly, the Gray Man is a
A supernatural warning sign that, when heeded, offers
safety and salvation.
A few days after the tragic October 29, 2007, fire at
Ocean Isle Beach, a local lady named Lisa, reported
that she saw the Gray Man a few days after the fire
In the early morning, cross Scotland Street in front of
the destroyed house.
No one is sure who or what the Gray Man is.
But all indications are that he means well. Quite a
few people report having seen the Gray Man along
the southeastern North Carolina coast.
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Chapter 2: The Conquistador Ghost
The earliest European explorers landed on or
Near Ocean Isle Beach in the 1520s. In 1526, the.
The Spanish attempted to settle the present-day
- Brunswick County. In the summer of 1526, Lucas Vásquez de
Allow led a group of 500 Spanish settlers to the
Mouth of the Cape Bear River. As their provisions.
Ran out, these would be conquerors who were forced to
move south and steal food from the natives.
By October of that year, only 150 of the original
500 survived, forcing the Spanish to give up and
Evacuate to Santo Domingo. Local historians believe.
That the Spanish foraged the Ocean Isle Beach area
and perhaps as far south as the Little River in there
Attempt to find food and shelter. The wanderings of
These first settlers may help explain an odd sighting
of an observer in Ash, North Carolina (9 miles (ca. 14 km) (ca. 14 km from
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OIB) of a creepy ghost of a conquistador that can
regularly be distinguished in the middle of the bay
The branch is trying to capture something to eat, as well as
The strangely dressed European warrior was seen hunting
in the early morning fog at Sunset Beach.
Did the ragged remnants of a past group of
starving settlers become forever etched into the
Ethereal fabric of the OIB area? Whatever the ghostly
source, perhaps it demonstrates that while time and
Starvation may have driven the Spanish from our
shores, some faint echo of the poor souls that tried
to become our first settlers still resonates in the
winds of our coastal plains.
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- Chapter 3: “The ‘SAM’ Ghost,”
In the 1970s, Miller Pope built the Wind Beach
Resort. This resort has grown over the years, and with.
each addition, it has become more comfortable.
accommodating and enjoyable for families of tourists for
over three decades.
The Winds also has the distinction of being a
preferred resort for the supernatural as well.
According to many reports, in one of the guest
cottages, one street back from the beach, a man named
Sam died of a heart attack while on vacation at the
Winds. Apparently, Sam was satisfied with his
accommodations because, since that time, employees and
guests have reportedly noticed strange happenings in the
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cottage, including cold spots and the shades
Opening on their own. In a few rare instances, people.
Have reported an actual manifestation of Sam.
Is Sam simply a lost soul trying to remain in the one
place he found happiness?
Whatever the reason, Sam is content to remain and
His ethereal imprint is now a permanent fixture in the
folklore of Ocean Isle Beach.
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Chapter 4: The Dunbar-Davis Ghost
Often, the living must make accommodations for the past
residents.
For almost 100 years, the Oak Island Life-saving
Station served as a quiet sentinel guarding the waters off
of Oak Island, N.C. The keepers of this station served to
protect ships, crews, fishers, and sailors during two
world wars and countless hurricanes and storms.
One of the bravest and most famous keepers of the
Oak Island station was Dunbar Davis. In 1893, the.
The infamous South Seas’ hurricane struck North Carolina
Coast and Dunbar and his crew rescued the crews of four
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ships at sea in a Category 3 storm, a Herculean feat
unmatched to this day.
After honorable and heroic service, Keeper Davis died
in 1923. However, he has seen fit to resume his duties.
When the Oak Island Life-Saving Station was bought
and renovated, the new owners found that Dunbar Davis
had resumed his post. The current owners have restored.
The station, and with a few exceptions, has found
accommodating this dutiful spirit rather easily. In fact, it is
said that guests who stay in his bedroom go unharmed
but will often find the door opening all night long, no
matter how many times they close it.
For duty, perseverance, and not leaving his post
Regardless of his personal circumstances, keeper Dunbar
Davis earns a place in history as a ghost near Ocean Isle
Beach.
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Chapter 5: The Apricot Creek Ghosts
During the 1920s, Ocean Isle Beach had a
Reputation is the place to go for a good time. Ocean.
The Isle was connected to the mainland before 1934.
- In. hose days, there was a road where the bridge is
Today, the road ran along the shore of Apricot Creek.
Also on Apricot Creek was a speakeasy or honky-tonk
that entertained visitors from as far away as
Greensboro.
In the 1920s, Apricot Creek was a wandering
tidal creek that ran from Ocean Isle Beach to Sunset
Beach and ended at Bird Island. Apricot Creek and
The tidal area off Ocean Isle Beach was also known
for liquor smuggling and the road running past the Ocean
Isle Beach from Georgetown to Wilmington was
considered one of the most dangerous in the United States
States.
Multiple apparitions have been seen along Apricot
Creek, but four recurring phantoms have been seen, apparently reliving a tragic set of events. The first is
The spirit of a pregnant lady who has been observed
very late at night, attempting to conceal a cadaver.
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The second is a female without a head. The third is
a man with a sizable hole through his torso at the
stroke of midnight, attempting to hide a dead body.
The fourth is a luminous human form regularly seen
before dawn, crawling out of Apricot Creek cove.
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