Florida Urban Legends, Myths & Folklore: Not Your Average Bucket List Season 2
Marisa Roman
Author
On this episode of Not Your Average Bucket List: Local Lore & Legends, Sara and Marisa dig into all the best hauntings and happenings in The Sunshine State. Learn all about the best Florida folklore and Florida urban legends across the state. For instance, did you know there was a Florida monster known as the Skunk Ape? Or how about central Florida legends that take place in Cassadaga? In this episode, our hosts take listeners through the Psychic Capital of the World to take a seat on the Devil’s Chair before discussing the most haunted doll in Key West. Are you ready for a wild ride through Florida?
Florida Urban Legend Questions We’ll Cover
- What are the most haunted places in Florida?
- How did Cassadaga, Florida, come to be?
- What is up with The Devil’s Chair in American folklore?
- Who is Robert The Doll?
- What is the most haunted restaurant in Florida?
Cassadaga, Florida – The Psychic Capital of the World
Cassadaga, Florida, has a unique history within the state, dating back to the late 1800s when a man named George O. Colby was sent to build a spiritualist community. Colby was a trance medium from New York who used to travel the country, performing seances and readings. As the folk story goes, Colby was contacted by the spirit of a Native American man named Seneca, who told Colby that he was his spirit guide. This was after a seance in Iowa. Apparently, Seneca told Colby to travel to Florida and directed him to a particular area, which is what is known as Cassadaga today. Cassadaga is actually a Seneca Indian word meaning “water beneath the rocks.”
Apparently, many affluent people visited at the beginning of this town’s founding. It was well-educated spiritualists who wanted to create an inclusive space.
Today, people come to Cassadaga for various reasons – obviously to see what the hype is about. Maybe to connect with their own spiritualism. But also, there are still a lot of psychics, spiritualists, mediums, and healers that have businesses and shops here that offer services to people who visit. Tune into the podcast to hear all about this incredible town.
The Devil’s Chair – Florida
We love a good haunted chair story, right? It’s basically the least creepy piece of furniture, and yet there are haunted chairs all over the place. In terms of folklore, haunted chairs or Devil’s chairs are common. And there just so happens to be one in Florida. No surprise there.
But, old graveyards, often from the nineteenth century, included carved chairs to comfort mourning visitors. So technically, these were known as mourning chairs.
This particular chair, called The Devil’s Chair, is in the Lake Helen-Cassadaga Cemetery, and here’s the story behind it. The Devil communicates with you if you sit in this giant brick chair at midnight. But also, apparently, The Devil likes to drink beer. People have said they left the unopened beer on the seat overnight, and when they return the next morning, the can is empty, sometimes without ever being opened. Tune in to hear what we thought about this brew offering and whether or not these chairs are haunted.
Podcast Timestamps:
Timestamps:
(00:43:00) Skunk Ape Sightings
(2:35:00) Florida’s Haunted Road Trips On Only In Your State
(12:55:00) The Devil’s Chair – A Brief History
We’re dropping a few links for you to check out in addition to listening in case you want to check out some of these haunted places in Florida on your own. For instance, we mentioned Ashley’s of Rockledge as the most haunted restaurant in Florida, and you can learn all about the haunted history on Only In Your State. Plus, we discuss Robert the Doll, who is said to be one of the creepiest, most sinister dolls in Florida, dating back to the 1900s. For anyone who has already listened to the podcast, we’re keeping our promise of showing you Robert the Doll up close!
Are you ready to tune into the episode? Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Or you can watch the entire episode on YouTube!
Get In Touch!
If you have personal experiences with any of the Florida folklore and urban legends mentioned above, call or text 805-298-1420! We’d love to hear your thoughts on these creepy, potentially haunted places and maybe even share your clip on the show! You can also reach out to us via email at podcast@onlyinyourstate.com.
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