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Bailey Cemetery in Portland, Maine, has all the ingredients of a good, haunted cemetery. It has a Colonial history, unmarked graves, and some neglected plots.
The location is great for Portland ghost enthusiasts who prefer sites that can be reached on foot or via Metro, local public transportation.)
Unfortunately, the cemetery’s location also makes it less desirable for research: It’s on a busy street and next to an active fire station.
All in all, I recommend this site for casual, repeated research. It’s the kind of location that tends to become more clearly haunted with repeated visits.
Sites like these tend to respond well to familiar visitors. In my opinion, the energy appears to organize itself and increase when the spirits realize that they’re getting attention.
[The area around Bailey Cemetery was recommended by Danielle of Portland, Maine.]
AT DUSK
A couple of us investigated this site. Our first visit was at dusk. The site has a slightly eerie feeling, but nothing truly scary.
Two gravestones with pointing fingers reminded us of the legendary grave of Abel Blood, so we took a few photos. The results were surprising.
The first photo revealed no orbs, just a few reflections.
The second photo included several.
I usually dismiss orbs in photos with obvious lights in the background. When we see so many orbs, I’d also check humidity levels to rule out moisture, but it was a very dry evening.
Despite those factors, these two photos—taken just seconds apart—show such dramatic anomalies that I’m intrigued.
DAYTIME RESEARCH
We returned the next day for additional research. These were our results:
Unmarked graves – Numerous irregularities in the cemetery suggest unmarked graves (depressions) and unmarked plots (raised beds) throughout the cemetery.
For further study: Burial records for Bailey Cemetery are maintained at Evergreen Cemetery, 672 Stevens Avenue, Portland, Maine 04101 – 207-797-4597
Compass anomalies – Needle swings in excess of 20 degrees throughout the cemetery.
Dowsing rods – Several areas indicate energy surges. One followed a line, suggesting an underground spring. (Buried power lines are also possible, and indicated by a sign at the cemetery, but unlikely less than a foot from older graves.)
We noted the most consistent reaction about six feet north of Charles Howard’s small headstone. (That stone is more than halfway back in the cemetery, towards the middle.)
Location
Bailey Cemetery on Forest Avenue (Rte. 302) between Newton Street and Farnham Street (East of I-95)
Portland, Maine
Nearest parking: About half a block east on Forest Avenue.
Location, for GPS
Degrees Minutes Seconds:
Latitude: 434149N
Longitude: 0701831W
Decimal Degrees:
Latitude: 43.69694
Longitude: -70.30861
HI My Name is Tamara Grover I am ding my Family Genealgy
I have a Great Aunt Buried at Bailey Cemetery her Name
was Mrs Addie.E.Roark could you tell me if her Husband
is Buried with her William.R.Roark he Died 1952 or are they
with the Lunt Family Neal D. Lunt Died 1953 and Wife
Adaline W. Lunt died Jan 12 1903 would you Have any
thing on William R Roark Like when was he Boen
if you have some thing could you E-Mail
me AT tgrov2@maine.rr.com
or Write to me
Tamara Grover
73 Coach Lantern Lane E
Scarborough Maine 04074 thank you
Tamara, you’ll need to contact the association connected with Bailey Cemetery. (Sorry, I don’t know that without research.) They’ll have records of which graves contain which people. For the other info, I recommend Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org. They both have extensive information for genealogical research.
Hi Tamara,
I think this William Roark was my Great Uncle, my grandmother’s brother. Would you know if they have any children? I would like to share a letter he wrote to my grandmother during world war 1.
Thanks,
Sharon
Hello…I am looking for the grave of my great-uncle, Alexander W. Nichols; born April 10, 1887, Camden, Me. I do not have a death date for him; I know he lived in the Portland area for many years, so am searching the cemeteries in this area. Thanks, Monica Alexander
Hi, Monica! That’s a challenging name to research, since there was at least one other in the northeast.
At Ancestry.com, I see a family tree that says: “When Alexander Warren Nichols was born on April 10, 1887, in Camden, Maine, his father, Henry, was 22 and his mother, Rozilla, was 22.” (Rozilla’s parents were Thomas Cobb and Eliza T. Wentworth.)
I’m assuming you’ve looked into Alexander Warren Nichols’ wife’s records, in case they give you any additional information. Marriage records say she was Nellie V Stinson,, born on July 3, 1891, in Bath, Maine, to Christine S Walker, age 27, and Edwin Stanton Stinson, age 29.
Nellie and Alexander married in Portland (ME) on 20 June 1911. She died in 1918 and was buried in Bath, Maine, so you might look there for Alexander’s grave… though records suggest he was living in Portland in 1918.
If you’re finding little for him, her family tree (and researchers) might be able to help you. Good luck!
Dear Sharon
William Roark Marriage Addie E Roark
They lived in Westbrook my Mother told
Me that they had no children at all could you
Tell me about your grandmother could you share
The letter that he wrote to your grandmother
It would be nice to see I am sanding fro his paper work
From world war 1 I will share them with you
Tamara Grover
How wonderful, Tamara! Thanks for posting that information. I hope Sharon reads this and you two can share your family history.
Hi Tamara,
I thought I answered you before, but it’s not showing.
William Roark’s parents were Laura E McQueary 1873-1905 and John Richard Roark 1871-1905. They had five children: Richard O 1891-?, William G 1893-1952, Susee I 1895-1921 (my grandmother), Flora E 1897-?, and John Lewis 1900-?. I think Richard may have died in WW1, can’t find him after enlisted, Susee died 5 months after my father was born, she had married Harvey Victor Sowder, Flora married Clifford Odell in Montana and moved to California, John was the youngest and was raised by his uncle Andrew McQueary in Russell Springs, Kentucky. Richard and William wrote letters to my grandmother during WW1. They were printed in the newspaper and I have copies of Rhodes newspaper articles. Do you have any pictures of William? My sister and I have always wondered what happened to the parents that they died so young and left these children orphans.
My email is [removed for privacy and liability issues]
I’ve tried your email.
I hope to hear from you soon!
Sharon, I recommend making a connection with Tamara via a site like Ancestry.com, etc. I’m sorry, but I’m not comfortable putting your email address on my site. Too many, umm, odd people browse sites like mine, looking to take advantage of people.