Few People Know One Of Delaware's Most Popular State Parks Is Hiding A Dark And Terrifying Secret
By Chris Muras|Published November 28, 2022
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Chris Muras
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Every adventure starts with a single step. And then another, and another, until you find yourself somewhere new and undiscovered. That’s the journey of a writer. You never know where the next word will take you. Hopefully, together, we can experience some amazing new adventures at OnlyInYourState.
For centuries lighthouses have given ships a beacon of light to guide them home. Jagged rocks, surging waves, violent storms, and whistling winds all lurk off the coast like sirens ready to lure sailors to their death.
But what if strange Corpse Lights in Delaware are calling ships to shore when it isn’t safe? What if dangerous spirits have other plans for our adventurous sailors? And what if events from our past are literally coming back to haunt us? Such may be the case in Delaware’s Cape Henlopen State Park.
Native American storytellers tell the tragic tale of an event that happened over 350 years ago...
It is said, strange lights haunt the point to this day because British soldiers raided a wedding ceremony being held by a native tribe. Nearly all of the tribe was killed. The remaining tribal members cursed the land with a "Drum of Stone" which signals "death to all white men." Locals call these ghostly lights Corpse Lights, or Bad Weather Witch.
Over the years, hundreds of sightings and strange events have haunted Cape Henlopen. And Corpse Lights continue to lure ships to the dark rocks of Cape Henlopen Point.
On Christmas Day 1655 the Devonshireman and her more than 200 sailors were lost in the night until a light guided them home - or so they thought.
The mysterious light they assumed was a lighthouse guiding them to safety was instead luring them to a jagged outcrop of rock. The ship crashed in the night as the ghostly light faded away - no one survived.
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To this day residents of Cape Henlopen report seeing ghost ships on the horizon. And Corpse Lights keep claiming victims.
In 1798 a British ship by the name DeBraak became entranced by the lights, crashed, and sank into the shark-infested waters of the Cape Henlopen peninsula. And again in 1800, the ghost of a lone Indian was seen standing on an outcropping of rock - just before a barge crashed into the rocks killing many aboard.
Cape Henlopen’s tragic past keeps coming back to haunt it. In 1980 the USS Poet was transporting grain to Port Said in Egypt. Once the ship was clear of Delaware Bay Captain Leroy Warren and his crew of 33 men set course for Gibraltar.
They were never seen again.
Even Fort Miles, an old World War II installation built by the US Army on Cape Henlopen is rich with ghostly tales, strange sightings, and haunted lights.
As the sun sets over the bay and the corpse lights come calling lock your doors, call your children inside to the warmth of their beds, and whisper a little prayer that any ships pass safely by without harm.
If you love spooky tales, haunted places, and a history full of tragic legends, perhaps a visit to Cape Henlopen State Park is in order. If you are lucky your ship will make it to shore…
For more haunted places in Delaware how about a trip to Maggie’s Bridge – if you find her long-lost baby, we’re sure she will reward you with a chilling ghostly kiss.
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