North Carolina Ghost Lights and Legends by Charles F. Gritzner

Author:Charles F. Gritzner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blair
Published: 2019-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

Maco (Brunswick County): Maco Light [Joe Baldwin Light] (railroad—tracks removed)

Maco is a small rural settlement on the former Atlantic Coast Line (now CSX) Railroad and US Highways 74 and 76, about twelve miles west of Wilmington.

By any measure, the light that appeared for at least 110 years in the vicinity of Maco Station (more correctly, a rail siding) was one of North Carolina’s—and the nation’s—most fascinating, enigmatic, and reliable ghost lights. And it is very likely that its accompanying legend may play a significant role in ghost light–related folklore. Thousands of people were thrilled (and often spooked) by the light, which rarely disappointed viewers with its amazing, unexplained, luminous display. The light even inspired the lyrics of several folksongs and was featured in a number of national magazines. To add to the lore, it may be the only ghost light in the country reportedly seen and asked about by a president. Passing through the area by rail, President Grover Cleveland is said to have seen a strange light and asked about the glowing orb.

According to most accounts, the light first appeared in 1867 and vanished when the tracks were removed in 1977. It was my good fortune to see the eerily glowing orb in the early 1960s. As a member of the East Carolina University geography faculty, I took several students on a field trip to the Wilmington area. One of them suggested that we go to see the famous Maco Ghost Light. At the time, I had never heard of ghost lights by that or any other name. But always ready for a new adventure, I replied “Sure!” and off we went. What we saw was absolutely astounding. After several minutes of suspecting that we were on a proverbial wild goose chase, a strangely glowing pale white orb, about the size of a basketball, appeared floating several feet above the tracks. Rather than a direct illumination, it looked like light passing through fog or smoke. Needless to say, this initial sighting instilled in me an interest in ghost lights that now spans more than a half century.

As is true of most ghost lights, a plethora of fiction and a paucity of verifiable fact surround the Maco Light. Nonetheless, one thing is certain: there was a light. Unfortunately, what evolved through time is an abundance of lore, very little of which withstands close scrutiny. According to most versions of the legend, the nature and sequence of events occurred as described in the following passages.

As the story goes, a strange light first appeared over the tracks of the Wilmington, Manchester, and Augusta Railroad in 1867 (or, according to different versions, in 1862 or 1873). All accounts agree, however, that it was visible near Hood’s Creek, located a short distance east of the small rural settlement of Farmer’s Turnout, which was renamed Maco in 1890. Descriptions of the light vary considerably. The earliest known account describes two lights, one white and another green, weaving back-and-forth about three feet above the tracks. Most

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