Haunted Maryland: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Old Line State

Stackpole Haunted Series

by Ed Okonowicz

Tales of unexplained phenomena in Maryland, including the bleeding stone of White House Farm, the vengeful ghost of Bigg Lizz, the Chesapeake sea monster fondly known as Chessie, America s most haunted lighthouse, the mysterious Toaster who visits Edgar Allan Poe s grave, and dozens more.

Genres: Paranormal, History, Nonfiction, Ghosts, Reference, Ghost Stories, Folklore

144 pages, Paperback

First published July 11, 2007

About the author

Ed Okonowicz, a Delaware native, is an editor and writer at the University of Delaware, where he earned a bachelor's degree in education and a master's degree in communication. Also a profesional storyteller, Ed is a member of the National Storytelling Association and specializes in local legends and folklore of the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays, as well as topics related to the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Reviews

[Hilary "Fox" · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book more than I did.

Ed Okonowicz has done a decent amount of research to uncover the folklore of Maryland. He does a fine job of pointing out just how much of Maryland's folkloric history has been destroyed by development - how many once important locations have just been plowed and built over, and thus no longer exist even in distant memory. Unfortunately, he also falls into the "Ancient Indian Burial Ground" trap... a... lot...

Sure, there are urban legends associated with Indian Burial Grounds, but so much of that can be traced back to The Amityville Horror and at a certain point that mixed with the sympathetic view towards Confederate soldiers and history rubbed me the wrong way. A lot. Referring to the Civil War in modern day as the War of Northern Aggression irked me. There was far too much of that and far too little examination of just the bare folklore.

So, yeah, it was all right but it could have been a lot more interesting and a lot more fairly portrayed overall.

[Diane Dunham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still find some of this stuff is hard to believe. But I keep reading the haunted series. It's interesting to read plus I get a good geography lesson.

[Heather Lynn Graden · Rating 3 out of 5]

👻Book review👻

Haunted Maryland by Ed Okonowicz

Ghosts and strange phenomena of The Old Line State

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Step aside, Maryland - the ghosts and sea monsters are taking over! 👻🐴✨

For those who dare to venture into the unknown, Haunted Maryland provides an indispensable guide to the supernatural side of the state. With each turn of the page, readers embark on an adventure through history, mythology, and the occult, all while discovering things they never knew existed just beyond their doorstep.


👻💀👹🛸⚰️🧛‍♀️

[Hepatica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hoping this was an anthology and was disappointed that it was not, but despite that, it was quite a page-turner. I was surprised by many of the tales mentioned and how few of them I'd heard of with my being Maryland born and bred. Sadly, the ghost story they told at my elementary school's sleep away camp was not a part of the list, but I suspect that was made up whole cloth just for us 5th graders.

[Dennis Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ed Okonowicz, the premier chronicler of ghosts, ghouls and all things of a paranormal nature in the Mid-Atlantic region has given his fans another gem with this wonderful book of strange happenings from the Old Line State. A master storyteller, Mr. Okonowicz has lined up a lovely set of spooky tales from across the entire state of Maryland and has presented them in his usual masterful manner.

[Joe Horney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living in Maryland it is interesting hearing some of the haunted areas in your own state

[Alayna Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure how accurate all these are but knowing how close some are is pretty cool and to know that there are stories all over Maryland is cool too!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this volume of ghost stories, which is better written than other alternatives. It is not presented like fiction. While he gets into the fun of telling the stories, his role is mostly that of a reporter and folklorist. I enjoyed the occasional droll tone. For example, he says of the Snallygaster, "Snatching small, unattended children for feeding, terrifying travelers, and providing subject matter for a bored population and festival storytellers seem to be the creature's main claim to fame."

[Sian Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

An odd shambles of a book for a man whose bio says he's a folklore instructor. Not a very good storyteller, I'll say that. He writes at a fifth-grade level, with no organization, and at points the book actually devolves into random lists. I finished the darn thing for the rare glimpses of oral history I occasionally saw.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the quantity of ghost stories and the breakdown of their locations. The delivery of the information was not engaging for me. I would recommend the book with reservations, it is not something you will have trouble putting down but you should tough it out (especially if you're local to Maryland).

[Severa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has ghost stories of Maryland in it. Some of the stories are really creepy, but I love it!

[Elizabeth Mckernan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It had lots of interesting tidbits about Maryland regions and history and some good ghost stories to go along with it.

[Stephanie Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up from the Aquarium. Being from Maryland, this book shall be a cherished one.