New Smyrna Beach is said to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world perhaps even the softest of white sands on the east coast. Flagler Avenue ends right on the beach side and has a long history of Haunting's as well as history. When I fish at the inlet where the lighthouse is off in the distance I can see New Smyrna beach so it ailed me to want to do an investigation of the beach and its haunted street.

Some of the buildings are over 100 years old with galleries, surf shops, restaurants, inns, boutiques and much more. Many walk the dimly lit streets at night enjoying live entertainment. Our first visit we got to enjoy some and more. 

The area here became in inhabited well over 1000 y ears ago by the Native Americans who hunted, fished and lived right near the beach. The women wore Spanish moss as clothes and men were tattooed wearing top knots smoothed with bear grease. They wore ornaments from feathers, shell, bone and fish bladders. They built mounds all over New Smyrna many which are gone due to the building of the Old Kings Highway. They used bone to make dippers, axes, scrapers, and spear points. The baskets were made of palmetto leaves, pine needles, and bear grease. When Ponce De Leon landed here in 1513 on the beach the population started to vanish with plagues of the measles, malaria, and small pox. Then the Seminoles took over the area.

When Juan Ponce De Leon came to here he wanted gold, land, and fame most of all immortality.  He called the inlet mosquito inlet a place where I caught my 4 foot hammerhead because there was so many mosquitoes in the area at the time. The fierce surruque tribe did eventually kill him and he died in Puerto Rico from poisoning. Some say it was the Ais Indian tribe.

During the 1600s many pirates sailed along the coast of New Smyrna who would attack the Spanish Colony to St. Augustine which was further north. Sir Francis Drake a pirate and favorite of Queen Elizabeth l landed on this beach. He knew it was a safe port for English privateers to slip into stealing gold from the Spanish Ships coming from Havana through the gulf. One incident happened when in 1682 a Spanish Governor of Cabrera of St. Augustine reported that English pirates killed 10 Indians at the inlet and taken 15 others as slaves to dive for sunken treasure from a Galleon.

After awhile there was a colony developed in the 1700s by a man named Turnbull. You can read about it here Click Here: Turnbull Colony so the area had quite a history being it was once part of a plantation. Then you h ad the Seminole Indian war where buildings were burnt down but I do not think it was beach side. 

Lets not forget the civil war which was very important to the history in New Smyrna. The area had many salt works which were important to the confederates and their families. The beachside was a convenient port for bringing in arms and supplies for the confederates.  So the area has alot of history to it.

Now as far as Haunting's go there is alot of ghost tales told here. I did not do this investigation for the ghost since its already been proven haunted. I did it so I could get a feel of its history if that makes sense.

Some of the history you hear is about a young boy and sailor which haunted one of the inns. I also heard from a friend about a woman who burned to death. There is also a story about a  murder that took place and her ghost haunts the area.  Then their is a restaurant that is haunted by a ghost who use to live there. 

But the major story that is told here is about a 17 year old cheerleader who lived in a house on Flagler when one night she need fabric in the 1970s for her cheerleading outfit. She ended up going out to Daytona stopped to help a stranded motorist and it turned out he was a serial killer. He dumped her body after killing her so tragic and such a cause of evil. When the family found out of her death they up and abandoned the entire house food, clothes and everything. The car the teenager drove was still in the driveway as well kind of eerie. I do not know what is wrong with these people in Florida I feel that perhaps people are less insane up north cause of the better mental treatments and sanitariums. More serial killers come from Florida then any other state.

The in one of the boutiques a ghostly lady moves things around and haunts the store. So lots of history and haunts to this little street. Even the beach feels dismal. My first kiss ever on a beach was done with Ariel now she is no longer in my life leaving me so I will always treasure that moment we had cause its all I got left from when we were together.  Its a beautiful beach and I visit the area often but hope to pull of a second investigation down the road.

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Rick-LordOfThyNight