Pictures and statues of pirates are seen on the streets of Fernandina
Beach; and people who come to our Annual Shrimp Festival see the reinactiment of pirates shooting off their ships' cannons
and invading the island.
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Many call Fernandina Beach the "City of Restless Ghosts."
When you request our Ghost Tour, you will learn about the many
ghosts that still make their presence known, You can also hear
tales of pirates, buried treasure, and the witch that lived in Old Town.
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At the Meddaugh House, a young girl who lived there in the 1800's
mysteriously unlocks doors at night and residents have hear the rustle of her dress as she paces the upstairs hall where the
smell of candles burning is found.....Miss Nettie Thompson, the first lady of the Thompson house, has
been seen revisiting there in a long black taffeta dress walking down the inner stairway and through a wall in the house.
(research has revealed that there used to be a door there which led to the kitchen).....Four headless ghosts have been
sited marching up the a rampart at Fort Clinch.....From 1906 to his death in 1960, Uncle Charlie
Beresford was a live-in bartender at the Palace Saloon and he still revisits often. Lights dim, water starts running, and
bar stools fall - all without an explanation. When the Palace suffered a devasting fire in 1999, his was the only room that
was not affected.....Recent owners of the Florida House Inn have also reported visits by invisible
guests that move things around in their office and rooms....
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The best documented pirate is Luis Aury who arrived in Fernandina in 1817 to take over the island.
Claiming to be an officer
of Mexico, he raised the flag of the Mexican Republic and annexed Amelia Island to Mexico. Local inhabitants fled as
they did not want to join his motley crew. He was made to surrender to the Americans 3 months later and his ghost
is said to still haunt the jail house on Third Street. This building is now the Amelia Island Museum of History.
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The Embargo Act of 1807 and legislation in 1808 made it unlawful
for U.S. ports to import European goods as well as slaves. This made Old Town Fernandina a lively center
for smuggling and a great attraction for pirates and blackhearted buccaneers. Local people tell tales of Captain Kidd,
Pierre and Jeanne LaFitte, Blackbeard, Gasparella, Red Legs Greaves, Mantbars, Calico Jack, and Mary Reed who disguised
herself as a man. Their buried treasures are said to be protected by guardian ghosts. One story told generations is about
a buried treasure marked by a chain hanging from a big oak tree (the "money tree"). Several people reported seeing this chain
so they go home to get a shovel only to return and find that the tree and chain have vanished!
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Felipa, the witch, was a fortune teller whose predictions were said
to be extremely accurate.
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In his novel, "The Golden Isle," the author Frank Slaughter describes Felipa,
the witch, a well-known resident of Old Town. Three lots found in the Spanish land records from 1811 to 1821 were deeded
to Felipa who had a thriving business on "Ladies Street" selling charms and telling fortunes.
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Note: We help you to distinguish between "tall tales"
and those which are well documented in accordance with actual recearch and The National Registry of Historic Places. When
children are riding our carriage, your driver will make the content for these tours age-appropriate.
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