Listen With The Lights On

Starting in Washington D.C. on April 21st the funeral train carrying President Abraham Lincoln’s body for his last journey around the nation left Union Station northward bound where it cut through Philadelphia, New York, Poughkeepsie, Hudson, Albany, Utica, Buffalo, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Chicago, before arriving in Springfield Illinois on May 4th. The presidential procession traveled across the country so mourners from all over could see the President’s final ride. Just days earlier, the country was celebrating the Confederate surrender.

One lesser known fact is that Lincoln actually signed the bill creating the secret service the exact same night he was shot in Ford’s theater. His body guard was not at his post but rather drinking at the saloon next door during intermission, supposedly the same saloon where John Wilkes Booth was drinking.

On a recent visit to the New York State Capitol, we chatted with official Capitol tour guide Stuart Lehman about the infamous train’s alleged appearance in Albany…

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New England Folklore blog author Peter Muise joins us for a few witchy tales from Central and Eastern Massachusetts, and to discuss the significant role that witch lore has played in New England history.

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Perhaps the most recognizable of monsters in legend and lore is the witch. You probably already have an image of what a witch is in your head right? But the story behind this witch in the Hudson Valley describes one closer to a trickster, almost poltergeist character. Sit down and listen as Master storyteller Jonathan Kruk tells us the story of the Catskill Mountain Witch.

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The seat of New York state government is marked by a series of iconic, landmark buildings that stretch from north to south Albany, atop a hill that slopes gently down to the Hudson River. From the ornate Capitol to the stately governor’s mansion, it has played host to legendary figures like Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. It has served as the epicenter for major events in New York State politics for hundreds of years. It also has its share of legends. On this episode of Listen With The Lights On, we take a look at a few famous Capitol ghosts.

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Along the banks of the Hudson River, roughly halfway between New York City and Albany, lies one of the country’s most famous centers of culinary learning: The Culinary Institute of America. Countless chefs have passed through its venerable Roth hall, a signature behemoth of a building dating back to the early 1900s. Roth Hall houses a variety of classrooms, kitchens, dining rooms and administrative offices. And like many universities, it is home to its share of legends.

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Today we bring you part 2 of Tales from the Tavern, our live event recorded at the great Olde English Pub in Albany, New York. In this episode you’ll hear us talk to live audience members about the stories from their childhood and around the region. We wanted to specially thank Maeve McEneny and Paul Nooney of the Original Albany Ghost Tour for joining us for the live event and Mark Graydon from the Olde English Pub for providing the space and his own story. If you missed Part 1 go back and give it a shot.

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This week we bring you the first of a two-part special broadcast from our first-ever “Tales from the Tavern” live event. We hosted a two-hour panel at the Olde English Pub in Albany with special guests Maeve McEneny and Paul Nooney of the Original Albany Ghost Tour. We discussed regional lore both new and old to this podcast, including legends from the New York State Capitol building, tales from the days Alexander Hamilton frequented Albany and stories from the Olde English Pub itself.

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It’s an urban legend you’ve probably heard before in some form. You saw it play out in a movie, or read it in a book. It’s the one about the innocent couple who goes “parking” one fine summer night. They pull up to a discreet spot at the edge of a wood, a spot with a romantic reputation among locals, where the stars light the skies above and love is in the air.

Suddenly, the scene is shattered by the crash of something impossibly heavy dropping on the car roof. The terrified lovers cower as they hear the sound of a metallic screeching, almost as if some being were dragging giant nails across the body of the car. Then, whatever it is jumps off the car and darts into the woods. Only a glimpse leaves them with the impression of something monstrous, something inhuman.

What happens next depends on the story. Sometimes it’s merely an investigation of the damaged car afterward that confirms it was the work of a monster. Sometimes it comes to a bloody end, as the creature re-emerges from the woods to attack the lovers.

In this episode of Listen with the Lights On, we’ll hear a version of this tale from Troy, New York. The Original Albany Ghost Tour leaders Maeve McEneny and Paul Nooney join us for a telling.

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Much like the protagonists of the short stories that run in The Strand Magazine, managing editor Andrew Gulli likes a good literary mystery — and he has built a reputation as a man who can solve them. Periodically we check in Gulli after he has unearthed a new story from long-gone master. Today, he joins us to talk about “The Haunted Ceiling” by H.G. Wells, which runs in the latest issue.

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Every year on Christmas Eve, millions of children around the world go to bed with the expectation of waking up to a house full of presents on Christmas morning. The bearer of gifts? A portly, white-bearded old man in a red suit with a cheery disposition and a herd of magical flying reindeer.

Santa Claus. Father Christmas. Kris Kringle. Jolly Ole’ Saint Nick. He’s a legendary figure with many names in many cultures, and the star of many a Christmas story.

The figure of Santa Claus, as we know him today, is a pure blend of history and lore. His origins can be traced in part to a real-life, 4th century Greek Bishop St Nicholas of Myra, who was known for giving gifts to the poor.

Santa’s story is also a blend of British, Dutch, Belgian and German folklore about a gift-giving (or in some cases, gift-withholding) spirit that came out around Christmastime. Those tales reflect a mix of religious and pagan traditions.

Master Storyteller Jonathan Kruk joins us again on this episode with another story: How a dour old bishop became a jolly old elf.

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