Maco light

Last updated

The Maco Light was a supposedly anomalous light, or "ghost light", occasionally seen between the late 19th century and 1977 along a section of railroad track near the unincorporated community of Maco Station in Brunswick County, North Carolina. Said to resemble the glow from a railroad lantern, the light was associated with a folk tale describing a fatal accident, which may have inspired tales of a similar type around the country. [1]

Contents

The light was never formally explained, but was often thought to be the result of marsh gas from nearby swamps or the refraction of lights from a highway. [2] [3]

Legend

The tale associated the light with Joe Baldwin, a train conductor who was said to have been decapitated in a collision between a runaway passenger car or caboose and a locomotive at Maco, along the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad, in the late 1800s.

According to the most common version of the legend, Joe Baldwin was in the rear car of a Wilmington-bound train on a rainy night in 1867. As the train neared Maco, Baldwin realized the car had become detached from the rest of the train. He knew another train was following, so he ran to the rear platform and frantically waved a lantern to signal the oncoming train. The engineer failed to see the stranded railroad car in time, and Baldwin was decapitated in the collision. [4] Some variants of the story added that Baldwin's head was never found.

Shortly after the accident, residents of Maco and railroad employees reported sightings of a white light along a section of railroad track through swamps west of Maco station, and word spread that Joe Baldwin had returned to search for his missing head. The light was said to appear in the distance, before approaching along the tracks facing East, bobbing at a height of about 5 feet, and either flying to the side of the track in an arc or receding from the viewer. [5] Other reports spoke of green or red lights, or other patterns of movement. The earliest stories supposedly dated from the 1870s, and until the 1886 Charleston earthquake, two lights were often reported: railroad employees said that trains had occasionally been stopped or delayed due to the activities of the light, which had even been seen from locomotive cabs. [6] The journal Railroad Telegrapher, for example, reported in 1946 that the light had been seen on March 3 that year, and suggested it had been appearing for some seventy years previously. [7] One commonly cited aspect of the legend, that the light was discussed with President Cleveland when his train was stopped at Maco in 1889, seems to have originated with Atlantic Coast Line employee B. M. Jones, who claimed to have been present at the visit as a young child. [7] [8] Another early account of the Joe Baldwin legend was given by Robert Scott, editor of the Atlantic Coast Line News, to the journal Railway Age in 1932. [9] Similar "headless brakeman" stories have been found associated with other "ghost lights" in the United States, such as the Bragg Road ghost light and Gurdon light: from a folklore perspective the story connected with the Maco light, being substantially the oldest and best-known and having received some national coverage, may have served as the point of origin for the others. [1] [10]

Popularity and investigation

The legend became widely known across the region, and the site was frequented by curiosity seekers and those looking to explain the light, including a team of electronics engineers (two from radio station WWOK, one from WKIX and one from Bell Laboratories) in July 1962. [11] In the 1950s and 60s it became a common local pastime to park by the tracks at night to try and glimpse the phenomenon; Life magazine even devoted a two-page article to the light in an October 1957 issue. Photographers from the Wilmington Star-News attempted to photograph the light in 1946 and 1955, claiming partial success. [12] Joseph Dunninger visited Maco in 1957, without managing to see the light, and a 1964 investigation by paranormal researcher Hans Holzer led to the latter concluding (despite failing to see the phenomenon himself) that Baldwin "did not realize" he was dead, and was still warning oncoming trains of disconnected rail cars. [13] More prosaic explanations were put forward by locals, such as phosphorescent gas from the swamp or reflected car headlights, or that the light had appeared regularly until 1935, when the railroad filled in the swamp under a trestle, but that since then only automobile headlights had been seen. [2]

A search of newspaper records for the Wilmington Railroad Museum discovered that although there was no record of an 1867 accident or of a Joe Baldwin, a conductor called Charles Baldwin had been killed in an incident in January 1856 close to the later site of Maco station. The accident had occurred when a locomotive, returning to its previously decoupled train after leaving it at a station while it went to work out technical problems, ran into it. Baldwin was thrown clear (although not decapitated) and later died from his injuries. [14] The coroner's report laid the blame on Baldwin for failing to hang a lamp on the train to alert the engineer. Garbled memories of the death of Charles Baldwin (who was locally well-liked, as indicated by his contemporary obituary in the Wilmington Journal) might explain the later story of "Joe Baldwin", if not the light itself. [14]

Modern times

A 1972 article in the Wilmington Star-News argued that "most investigators" had believed the light was traceable to refraction from car headlights on a nearby highway, U.S. Route 74. Reprinting a 1950 long-exposure photograph of the light, the newspaper stated that a bend on the highway was the cause of the phenomenon, noting both that amber and red lights had been seen close to the main light when viewed through a telescope (corresponding to truck turn and brake signals) and that the light had been rarely seen since highway widening in the late 1960s eliminated the bend. [3] Refuting the stories of some locals, who claimed that the light had still appeared while the highway was closed for a period during World War II, the Star-News researcher noted that a thorough check of archives twenty years earlier to verify this part of the tale had failed to reveal any evidence of such a closure taking place. [3] The newspaper was the scene of a good deal of discussion on the subject, with one resident writing that "the Maco Light is what [the Star-News] says it is [...] all the Maco Light is now is just a lovers' lane and a place to start a lot of trouble". [15] However, the light retained some supporters: in the mid 1970s a reporter for The Robesonian was eventually, after several failed attempts, able to see the light, which he described as "chilling" and "resembling the light thrown from a kerosene lantern as seen from a distance of about 50 feet [...] primarily white light with an ever so little reddish tint. It tended to travel down the center of the track, swinging to and fro with slight vertical undulations". [16]

Author Bland Simpson, interviewed on North Carolina Public Radio in 2005, called the Maco Light "one of [his] favorite" North Carolina legends, describing his own sighting of it as "like a match, the light in a kerosene lantern [...] what the source of it was I'll never know". [17]

Sightings of the light ended when the railroad removed the track in 1977 and a trestle bridge related to the legend was destroyed. A street in a nearby subdivision bears the name Joe Baldwin Drive.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will-o'-the-wisp</span> Atmospheric ghost lights

In folklore, a will-o'-the-wisp, will-o'-wisp, or ignis fatuus, is an atmospheric ghost light seen by travellers at night, especially over bogs, swamps or marshes. The phenomenon is known in much of European folklore by a variety of names, including jack-o'-lantern, friar's lantern, and hinkypunk, and is said to mislead travellers by resembling a flickering lamp or lantern. In literature, will-o'-the-wisp metaphorically refers to a hope or goal that leads one on, but is impossible to reach, or something one finds strange or sinister. Wills-o'-the-wisp appear in folk tales and traditional legends of numerous countries and cultures; notable named examples include St. Louis Light in Saskatchewan, the Spooklight in Southwestern Missouri and Northeastern Oklahoma, the Marfa lights of Texas, the Naga fireballs on the Mekong in Thailand, the Paulding Light in Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and the Hessdalen light in Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lantern</span> Portable lighting device

A lantern is an often portable source of lighting, typically featuring a protective enclosure for the light source – historically usually a candle, a wick in oil, or a thermoluminescent mesh, and often a battery-powered light in modern times – to make it easier to carry and hang up, and make it more reliable outdoors or in drafty interiors. Lanterns may also be used for signaling, as torches, or as general light-sources outdoors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marfa lights</span> Atmospheric light phenomenon in Texas

The Marfa lights, also known as the Marfa ghost lights, have been observed near U.S. Route 67 on Mitchell Flat east of Marfa, Texas, in the United States. They have gained some fame as onlookers have attributed them to paranormal phenomena such as ghosts, UFOs, or will-o'-the-wisp. Scientific research suggests that most, if not all, are atmospheric reflections, automobile headlights or campfires.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boilermaker Special</span> Mascot of Purdue University

The Boilermaker Special is the official mascot of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. It resembles a Victorian-era railroad locomotive and is built on a truck chassis. It is operated and maintained by the student members of the Purdue Reamer Club. It is often incorrectly assumed that Purdue Pete is the official mascot of the university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disneyland Railroad</span> Steam railroad system in Disneyland

The Disneyland Railroad (DRR), formerly known as the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad, is a 3-foot narrow-gauge heritage railroad and attraction in the Disneyland theme park of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, in the United States. Its route is 1.2 miles (1.9 km) long and encircles the majority of the park, with train stations in four different park areas. The rail line, which was constructed by WED Enterprises, operates with two steam locomotives built by WED and three historic steam locomotives originally built by Baldwin Locomotive Works. The ride takes roughly 18 minutes to complete a round trip on its main line when three trains are running, and 20 minutes when four trains are running. Two to four trains can be in operation at any time, three on average.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown Mountain lights</span> Purported ghost lights near Brown Mountain, North Carolina

The Brown Mountain lights are purported ghost lights near Brown Mountain in North Carolina. The earliest published references to strange lights there are from around 1910, at about the same time electric lighting was becoming widespread in the area. In 1922, a USGS scientist, George R. Mansfield, used a map and an alidade telescope to prove that the lights that were being seen were trains, car headlights, and brush fires, which ended widespread public concern.

The St. Louis Light, St. Louis Ghost Light, or St. Louis Ghost Train is a supposed paranormal phenomenon seen near Saint Louis, Saskatchewan, Canada. It has been described by witnesses as a huge beam of white light, reminiscent of a locomotive headlamp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Spooklight</span> Ghost light reported in Missouri and Oklahoma, United States

The Spooklight is an atmospheric ghost light on the border between southwestern Missouri and northeastern Oklahoma, a few miles west of the small town of Hornet, Missouri. It is caused by the misidentification of distant car headlights.

The Light of Saratoga is a legend located in the Big Thicket of Southeast Texas. This legend of a mysterious light is also known as the Ghost Road of Saratoga, the Saratoga Light, and Bragg Light by local residents. Located on a dirt road, it is a light that may appear and disappear at random during the dark of night without explanation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moonville, Ohio</span> Ghost town

Moonville is a ghost town in southeastern Brown Township, Vinton County, Ohio, United States. Little remains of this former mining community except a few foundations, a cemetery, and an abandoned railroad tunnel which is the subject of numerous ghost stories.

The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum is the official state railroad museum of Alabama. Dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and operation of historically significant railway equipment, the museum is located at 1919 Ninth Street, Calera, Alabama, on I-65 approximately 30 miles (48 km) south of Birmingham.

The Gurdon Light is an atmospheric ghost light located near railroad tracks in a wooded area of Gurdon, Arkansas. It is the subject of local folklore and has been featured in local media and on Unsolved Mysteries and Mysteries at the Museum. The tracks are no longer in use, and the rails at least partially removed/covered, but it remains one of the most popular Halloween attractions in the area. The light has been described as blue, green, white or orange and appearing to have a "bobbing" movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghost train</span> Folklore trope

In ghostlore, a ghost train is a phantom vehicle in the form of a locomotive or train. The ghost train differs from other traditional forms of haunting in that rather than being a static location where ghosts are claimed to be present, "the apparition is the entire train".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paulding Light</span> Light that appears in a Michigan valley

The Paulding Light is a light that appears in a valley outside Paulding, Michigan. Reports of the light have appeared since the 1960s, with popular folklore providing such explanations as ghosts, geologic activity, or swamp gas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Headlight flashing</span> Act of flashing a motor vehicles headlights

Headlight flashing is the act of either briefly switching on the headlights of a car, or of momentarily switching between a headlight's high beams and low beams, in an effort to communicate with another driver or drivers. The signal is sometimes referred to in car manufacturers' manuals as an optical horn, since it draws the attention of other drivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beast of Bladenboro</span>

The Beast of Bladenboro refers to a creature responsible for a string of deaths amongst Bladenboro, North Carolina animals in the winter of 1953–54. According to witnesses and trackers, it was likely a wildcat species, but its identity was ultimately not definitively confirmed. According to reports, the animal commonly crushed or decapitated its victims, which were mostly dogs.

Atmospheric ghost lights are lights that appear in the atmosphere without an obvious cause. Examples include the onibi, hitodama and will-o'-wisp. They are often seen in humid climates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Train lights</span> Lights installed on trains

Trains include a variety of types of lights, for safety, illumination, and communicating train status. The most universal type of light is the headlight, which is included on the front of locomotives, and frequently on the rear as well. Other types of lights include classification lights, which indicate train direction and status, and ditch lights, which are a pair of lights positioned towards the bottom of a train to illuminate the tracks.

The Cohoke Light is a reported ghost light in King William County, Virginia near West Point. The light has been frequently sighted along a stretch of Virginia State Route 632, where Mt. Olive Cohoke Road crosses the Norfolk Southern Railway.

References

  1. 1 2 Joiner, G. D. (2010). Historic Haunts of Shreveport. History Press. p. 89.
  2. 1 2 "Ghost of Joe Baldwin Disappears". The Sumter Daily Item . May 7, 1964. p. 9.
  3. 1 2 3 Wilmington Star-News. February 13, 1972. p. 1.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[ full citation needed ]
  4. ↑ Norman, Michael & Scott, Beth (1995). Historic Haunted America. New York: Tor Books. ISBN   0-812-56436-7.[ page needed ]
  5. ↑ Harden, J. (1980). Tar Heel Ghosts. p. 47.
  6. ↑ Harden (1980) , pp. 47–49.
  7. 1 2 Railroad Telegrapher. Vol. 63. 1946. p. 142.{{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[ full citation needed ]
  8. ↑ North Carolina Folklore Journal. Vol. 40. 1993. p. 32.{{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[ full citation needed ]
  9. ↑ "Phantom Lights". Railway Age. Vol. 92. 1932. p. 741.
  10. ↑ Prizer, T. (2004). "Shame Old Roads Can't Talk". Contemporary Legend: the Journal of the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research. Vol. 7. p. 79.
  11. ↑ "Seek to Reveal Maco Light Mystery". Wilmington Star-News. July 19, 1962. p. 17.
  12. ↑ Steelman, B. (October 31, 2004). "Brunswick's True Ghost Story". Wilmington Star-News.
  13. ↑ Holzer, Hans (1966). Ghosts I've Met.[ full citation needed ]
  14. 1 2 Burke, J. "A Possible Source for the Legend of Joe Baldwin". Wilmington Railroad Museum. Archived from the original on December 28, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  15. ↑ Wilmington Star-News. February 20, 1972. p. 1.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[ full citation needed ]
  16. ↑ Hamilton, L. (May 27, 1975). "State's Mysterious 'Maco Light' Again Beckons Occult Researchers". The Robesonian. p. 5.
  17. ↑ "Interview with Bland Simpson" (Audio). North Carolina Public Radio (WUNC). October 2005.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.