Maine’s Most Famous Urban Legend: A Haunting Tale for Curious Travelers

I’ve forever been fascinated by lighthouses. Their quiet simplicity and rustic coastal charm never cease to amaze me. I am first drawn to the beauty of these beacons of the sea, but I find that the stories behind the lights are equally enchanting.

Throughout the world, these unassuming structures have witnessed decades of storms, shipwrecks, and peril. It is no wonder that they are the source of so many haunted stories. In fact, the eerie tale of the Wood Island Light may just be the best urban legend in Maine. 

Wood Island is located near the coast of Biddeford Pool, Maine. Like most islands, it is typically a quiet and peaceful place, that is, until the local spirits make themselves known. On these 35 acres of land lies the Wood Island Lighthouse, built in the early 1800s. This majestic light is the second-oldest lighthouse in the state. The granite structure is still active and serves to safely guide boats through Saco Bay.

The lighthouse and island have long been considered one of Maine’s most haunted areas. Over the years, strange things have taken place on Wood Island. Legend has it that the grounds are haunted by the spirit of a murdered deputy, and possibly his murderer.

The story goes something like this. In June 1896, a local fisherman named Howard Hobbs was squatting in a tiny, run-down shack on the west side of the island. Hobbs was a questionable character who liked to party hard. One afternoon, after returning from a night of disorderly drinking at Old Orchard, Hobbs was paid a visit by the sheriff’s deputy, Fred W. Milliken, who supposedly had some questions for the young man. The motive for what happened next was unclear, but the result was tragic. Hobbs ended up shooting the deputy. A short time later, after confessing his crime to the island lighthouse keeper, Hobbs turned the gun on himself. Both men succumbed to their wounds. 

Ever since this incident happened, serene Wood Island has never been the same. Biddeford Pool residents have reported seeing unexplained flashes of light and eerie orbs coming from the island. Even more terrifying is the spirit of Fred Milliken, who was spotted by a former lighthouse keeper’s wife, who claims that the apparition hauled up in her closet and brushed up against her. Paranormal activity was later confirmed by a group of ghost hunters from the New England Ghost Project who encountered the spirit while on an investigative trip to Wood Island. One project member reports that the spirit actually entered her body while she was in the lighthouse tower.

Whether you come for the ghosts or just to visit the historic lighthouse, Wood Island is a lovely place to spend a few hours. Tours are available during the summer months and can be booked on the American Lighthouse Foundation website. You can also view the Wood Island Lighthouse by land at the nearby East Point Audubon Sanctuary.

Are you brave enough to venture out to Wood Island? For even more scary New England haunts, check out the Boston Harbor Islands in Boston, Massachusetts, and these three scary spots in New Hampshire. If you would like to plan a spooky visit to Maine, be sure to use the Only In Your State AI-powered itinerary to map out a customized haunted trip.