Dauphin Island Ghost Stories
Dauphin Island Ghosts Stories
Ready to get your scare on? Just a stone’s throw from Mobile is the historically haunted Dauphin Island. When French explorers first stumbled on the location, they named it “Massacre Island” on account of the mounds of bones, bleached by decades of sun exposure, that they found there. What they didn’t know at the time was that they had happened upon a scared burial ground of the Native Americans that – rumor has it – is populated by ghosts. Since that time, the stories surrounding this mysterious island have only grown.
Native Americans were the first inhabitants of this island, but there is doubt that they had ever made any permanent settlements there. It was used primarily for fishing and camping and, most importantly, as a burial mound site. The island is now host to the Shell Mound Park, which preserves their legacy. According to islanders, this – and the ghosts who inhabit it – is a place to be respected. Giant, ominous oaks thick with Spanish moss watch over the site which can be terrifying at night. According to legend, you can hear the beat of tribal drums and strains of haunting flutes riding on the Gulf breezes in the evening. It’s a regular site for seances, and many paranormal investigations have been conducted here.
Dauphin Island Real Estate Guide
French explorers deemed the island unfit to inhabit, and when the American government established a military installment there during the War of 1812, it was quickly scrapped. The area was flooded, reptile infested and crawling with malaria.
A new establishment was created during the Civil War and Fort Gaines was built, contributing significantly to Mobile’s ability to hold out during the Battle of Mobile Bay. It is now said to be the most haunted spot on the island. Tales of ghosts wandering around the indomitable red brick facade abound, and visitors have reported seeing ethereal beings dressed in period clothing skulking around the grounds.
Since the late 1800s two similar homes have sat side by side near Fort Gaines, and were used by officers as a place of respite. A few years ago the more structurally sound of the two was purchased and the entire house was moved to a new location on Bienville Boulevard, a few minutes away. According to reports from locals, it wasn’t just the house that was moved that day. Reportedly a gigantic, dark cloud floated above the home and seemed to follow it all the way to its new location. Urban legend has it that the apparitions in the two homes were awakened only to discover they were being separated from each other – and were none too happy about it. The new owners had trouble keeping contractors on during the restoration as the ghosts regularly scared them away.
Many paranormal investigators and photographers have flocked to Dauphin Island on account of its supernatural history. Ghost hunters from MTV filmed an episode of the show “FEAR” there, and many others have come out with tales of shadowy figures, cold spots, disembodied footsteps, and feelings of menace permeating the entire island.
Hats off to the tenacious residents of this small barrier island at the mouth of Mobile Bay. They have learned through the years to co-exist with their ghostly neighbors, each respecting the others’ space.