In 2022, I published Haunted Ocala National Forest through Arcadia/History Press.

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After the book’s publication, more people came forward with stories and ghostly legends from all around the Ocala. In the years since, I have begun to look into some of these. The trouble with social media, it tends to mix and match stories from different locations. In the Ocala, that tends to happen a bit more. While interviewing people and gathering stories, I always asked where they were in the forest, what town they were in when it happened. Most had trouble answering. Some could not even remember if they were on the west or east side of the woods when it happened.

Two names that kept coming up: Griggs Cemetery and Electra Cemetery.  There are several cemeteries named Griggs, many of which disappear under the influence of what I dubbed The Ocala Shift. There are Griggs connected to a curse in connection with the Salem Witch Trials, and the state does have a history of attaching names in Florida to different New England Legends. Nikki and I stumbled through a swamp looking for one. Many twists and turns and bug bites later, no cemetery was found. Here is a video by Florida Trailblazer on one, but the ghostly legends are a blur and attributed to several different geographical locations in the area.

Nikki and I were able to find the Electra Cemetery, all that remains of a ghost town long since disappeared from maps. While we were unable to connect any of the stories told online about it with the actual cemetery, it stands as a model of how easily The Ocala mixes and matches its stories. Confusion is currency there, and all the stories make sense. People have a similar experience in one of the many rotating burial grounds and the folklore is vague enough to make it stick. It also means we will continue to trip them while the stories keep coming.

Here is an excellent summary of the history of the town from Ghost Towns.

And another exploration from Florida Trailblazers there.

Explore the darker side of Fort Myers with Christopher Balzano during the dark on a hauntingly unforgettable walking tour with True Tours.

Check out Christopher Balzano’s books, including the newly released Haunted Southwest Florida.

Feel free to call our new phone number during our live shows to get involved, share a legend you’ve heard, or to just ask a question at (813) 418-6822.

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You can contact us with questions, comments, and your favorite legend or tidbit of folklore at spookytripping@gmail.com.