Many may not know, but the RMS Titanic sent at least two distress calls that pinged the Hatteras Island Weather Station in North Carolina. Station operators Richard Dailey and Horace Gaskins received the message “CQD: Have Struck Iceberg” at 11:25 p.m. It was an urgent message from the Titanic. They immediately forwarded the message to…
The 1940 Guthery Apartments Fire in Charlotte
In the early hours of March 15, 1940, a massive and deadly fire swept through Guthery Apartments, now known as the Tryon House Apartments, on North Tryon Street in Charlotte. The fire was attributed to a suspected boiler explosion in the basement, which turned catastrophic due to ruptured gas lines. Within minutes, the older part…
The Valentine’s Day Murders in North Carolina
On February 12, 1971, a young couple, Patricia Mann and Jesse McBane, disappeared after they left a Valentine’s Day dance at Watts Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, and would never be seen alive again. The pair had planned to return to Mann’s dorm by the 1 am curfew time, but when they failed to show,…
The Tweetsie Railroad Cemetery
Tweetsie Railroad is a popular theme park between Boone and Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The centerpiece of the theme park is a three-mile ride on a train pulled by one of Tweetsie Railroad’s two historic narrow-gauge locomotives, but the park also has another piece of history that greets visitors as they walk through the gates….
The Great Flood of 1916: Asheville, North Carolina
The Great Flood, as many call it, and is often nicknamed “The Flood by Which All Other Floods Are Measured,” occurred when two tropical storms converged and packed a powerful punch over Asheville, North Carolina, during the summer of 1916. The National Weather Bureau stated that never before had so much rain fallen anywhere in…
Did The Pirate Jean Lafitte Live Out The Rest of His Life in This N.C. City
Legend and lore are essential parts of our cultural heritage in the Carolinas. Just ask our friends along the coast, such as those in the Outer Banks, Murrells Inlet area, Charleston, and people living in the Appalachian Mountains. Ironically, this legend is one that you may not be familiar with, and it ties one North…
Historic and Allegedly Haunted Blount-Bridgers House
The historic Blount-Bridgers House, known as The Grove, is in Tarboro, North Carolina. Thomas Blount built it in 1808, and many consider it one of the more haunted places in Edgecombe County. Visitors and staff have reported seeing a female specter since the home was converted into a museum in 1979. Many believe the ghost…