Ghost Houses?

Of course (like you?) I am always interested in ghost stories.  There are so many types of hauntings!

A recent find made me think that perhaps when I eventually begin to write my book about true Maine ghost stories (yes, it's in the pipeline, behind a couple other ones!), one chapter should be about Maine ghost houses, as it appears there is more than one.  

What do I think of as a ghost house, as opposed to a haunted house?  A ghost house is one that reappears in its prior form, as the ghost of what it once was, where only a ruin of itself remains now.  This occurrence is uncommon, but occasionally some unwitting person is there to witness it happening, and that is how the rest of us find out about such otherworldly things.

A good example of this is Chapter 10 in Carol Olivieri Schulte's Ghosts on the Coast of Maine, titled "The Invisible Estate," set in Northport. 

If you know of any local Maine stories about a house that isn't there... until sometimes it is! ... please do drop me a line.  I'd love to hear about it.

Behind the scenes!

 What, you think just because I have two books under my belt that I'm done?  Nahhh.  I've got a few things simmering away here, including a second volume of Bigfoot in Maine, and a book of Maine ghost stories that I'm collecting together (still collecting accounts for both of those).  But that's not all.

I've been pinging away at a bunch of little bits of information that are proving to be extremely elusive.  So I thought I'd just throw this out there, and see what pops up.

I'm looking for information on:

-- an early 1950s proposal to build an aerial tramway in Portland, Maine to increase tourist interest and ease of travel

-- a woodcarver famous for his duck decoys who worked near the Royal River Falls

-- footage of "To Tell the Truth" episode #1015 from the 1971-1972 season 3 of the show (then in its 2nd incarnation)

-- someone with connections to the Alex Tanous Foundation, because I can't seem to get any response from them (have been trying for years now)

 -- early 1950s giant Bean boot prototype-on-wheels and similar giant potato, both produced to promote Maine tourism 

-- anyone who was active in the Maine dowsing community in the late 1960s/early 1970s that was involved in the American Society of Dowsers

-- mid-to-late-1950s UFO sightings near Falmouth, Maine

...and about another million things.  But that'll do for now.  

 If anyone has helpful info for me on any of the above, please email me at michelle.souliere@gmail.com -- I will greatly appreciate it!

Tell me your MAINE Bigfoot experience!

Dear readers,

Many of you know that for some years I have been working on writing a book about Maine Bigfoot-related stories, titled Bigfoot in Maine. It has been over 10 years since I began digging around in Maine’s history in search of stories about Bigfoot and other mystery hominid encounters in the state. Even though my research has uncovered dozens of interesting stories scattered through our state’s history, it's not enough.

It is clearly time for me to take the next step. My goal is to start tying in all the current stories that are floating around, and talk to folks about what they’ve seen out there in the Maine woods. While archive sources are a great way to learn about Maine’s history, the state’s living history is just as important as its past.

I know there are folks out there working the logging roads and up in the Aroostook regions who have seen things they can't explain. I know there are also stories from mid-coast and Western Maine that have not been recorded yet.

In the wake of Finding Bigfoot’s Maine episode, which aired Monday, January 11th, 2016, I am hoping the new awareness of sightings within Maine’s borders will encourage eyewitnesses to step forward and have their stories added to the state’s historic record.

I am now actively searching for Mainers who believe they may have encountered Bigfoot or similar unexplained large mammals within the state and are willing to be interviewed, whether via phone or via email. Those interested should contact me using the information given below.
-------------------------------------
Contact:
Michelle Souliere
email: michelle.souliere@gmail.com ← best contact method
cell: (207)450-6695 (evenings and by chance)
mail: P.O. Box 5302 -- Portland, ME 04101

Real life superheroes?

Some of you may remember when Lewiston had two very real vigilante superheroes at large, namely Dreizehn and Slapjack. I posted about it back in September 2010, mentioning a June 2010 article in the Lewiston Daily Sun where they were interviewed: http://strangemaine.blogspot.com/2010/09/maines-cloaked-crusaders.html

While there is no mention of Maine real life superheroes in the news lately that I've seen, I have received a request from Nadia, who is a student at the Salt Documentary Institute. She is interested in interviewing any other Maine superheroes for a project she is working on. Here is a message from her to the Maine superhero community at large:

I (Nadia) am a radio documentary student at the Salt Institute of Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine and am interested in doing a story on a Real Life Superhero in Maine. If any RLSH would be interested in speaking to me or suggest any other Real Life Superheroes I should contact, I'd be most grateful!

My contact info is:
salt.documentary@gmail.com
(207) 699-2918 [student phone line]

If anyone would be interested in adding their voice to a documentary record of the Maine superhero scene, or in giving Nadia any hints as to where else she can look for activity, please do contact her. Thank you!