# PLO: A journey through the past....



## Stinky_Pete

1941 postcard....

















1930 

1925









The top ten most haunted lighthouses in the USA, ranked as follows:

1. Point Lookout Lighthouse - Maryland
2. Saginaw River Lighthouse - Michigan
3. Heceta Head Lighthouse - Oregon
4. Old Port Boca Grande Lighthouse - Florida
5. Plymouth Lighthouse - Massachusetts
6. Presque Isle Lighthouse - Michigan
7. St. Simons Island Lighthouse - Georgia
8. St. Augustine Lighthouse - Florida
9. New London Ledge Lighthouse - Connecticut
10. Yaquina Head Lighthouse - Oregon

Point Lookout Lighthouse - Maryland:
Point Lookout Lighthouse, ranked the most haunted Lighthouse in the United States, is located at the mouth of the Potomac River at Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. The reason for it's activity most likely stems from the fact that Point Lookout was once the site of the Civil War's largest prison camp. Neaby resided the U.S. General Hospital. Both locations suffered a great deal of death due to overcrowding and disease. Reports of hauntings of this location began as early as the 1860's.










The Keepers of Point Lookout Prison
James Barnes and Staff at Point Lookout, MD.
Barnes was in command of the district of St. Mary's, with headquarter's at Point Lookout, Md., during the latter part of the war. Here the largest prison of the North was established August 1, 1863, on the low peninsula where the Potomac joins the Chesapeake Bay. No barracks were erected within the enclosure; tents were used instead. There was at all times a sufficiency or these for shelter, though at times nearly twenty thousand Confederate prisoners were in confinement here, and they were occasionally overcrowded. ***** troops formed part of the guard, and such a vast number of prisoners naturally required a large organization to take care of them. In this photograph are shown all the officers in connection with the prison. From left to right, not counting the two soldiers holding the flags, they are: Dr. A. Heger, medical direclor; Captain C. H. Drew, assistant adjutant-general; Captain H. E. Goodwin; assistant quartermaster; Lieutenant H. C. Strong, assistant quartermaster; Brigadier-General James Barnes; Major A. G. Brady, provost-marshall; Dr. T. H. Thompson, Surgeon; Captain J. W. Welch, ordnance officer; Lieutenant Wilson, aide-de-camp; and the last is Lieutenant J. T. Cantwell, engineer.










The remains of the Union soldiers were moved to other cemeteries after the war, while the Confederate soldiers were left in unmarked, swampy graves.

In 1910 when the U.S. government returned to Point Lookout to mark the graves, they did not know who was buried where. To make matters worse, the bodies were not buried in coffins, and some of them had washed out of the graves. A decision was then made to move the bodies inland to higher ground.

This combination of the site's tragic history and the removal of the bodies from their original resting place, might be responsible for the many reported sightings of Union and Confederate spirits roaming the park.











Pics of the beach [when there was still sand....]










The old pier and motel....










....and the causeway! Pre-stone age [much easier to navigate!]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregg_m/2427184771/in/photostream/lightbox/

Thanks for remembering!


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## catman

Pete thanks for the tour of PLO. Those old postcards are great. Perhaps your post will kindle an interest in some of the vast histoty of the Chesapeake.


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## Andre

Thanks Pete ...great post


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## hengstthomas

Great post Pete .. Thanks for sharing !


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## hengstthomas

Whoever Gregg M is he has some very nice photos and has been around .. Love it !


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## MetroMan

Nice...thanks for sharing


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## TunaFish

That's really cool!!! Thanks for sharing. 

On the subject of ghosts. I spoke to one of those rangers and he personally experienced it. He told me years ago when a group of visitors stood next to some house at PLO and asked this ranger to take a picture for them using their polaroid camera. After the picture came out, they were astonished to find a "stranger" in the pic who was not among those who posed for the picture.


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## catman

For those non beleivers - ghost do exists. I've had two personal experiences but this forum isn't the place to talk about them.


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## Tracker01

Catman in my younger days I was a grave digger. I know what you mean.


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## catman

Tracker01 said:


> Catman in my younger days I was a grave digger. I know what you mean.


I'd love to hear some of your stories.


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## akhan

Would love to hear the stories as well - can we make an exception and let both Catman and Tracker01 discuss?


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## catman

akhan said:


> Would love to hear the stories as well - can we make an exception and let both Catman and Tracker01 discuss?


Thanks Akhan but this forum really isn't the place. As soon as we make an exception for one you open up a can of worms that's best left closed. Anyway I don't have any ghost fish stories.


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## Tracker01

Yeah, were would I begin. My wifes uncle called me digger for the longest time. Maybe we will get together and share one day.


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## catman

Tracker01 said:


> Yeah, were would I begin. My wifes uncle called me digger for the longest time. Maybe we will get together and share one day.


I'd like that very much.


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## WDinarte

Wow this is "History"...Nice!


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## sand flea

May be one for The Bible. Very nice.


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## hengstthomas

sand flea said:


> May be one for The Bible. Very nice.


I'd second that


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## Stinky_Pete

hengstthomas said:


> I'd second that


[scratches his head.....] The bible? Someone fill me in.


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## Stinky_Pete

Some interesting articles about Point lookout, going way back....

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...1836080&dq=point+lookout+chesapeake+bay&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...3453931&dq=point+lookout+chesapeake+bay&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...4005589&dq=point+lookout+chesapeake+bay&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...5778235&dq=point+lookout+chesapeake+bay&hl=en


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## hengstthomas

The Fishing Bible is the bottom most forum Pete


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