The eagerly anticipated second episode of
Haunted RI airs on WSBE Rhode Island PBS on
Saturday, May 5 at 7 P.M. as part of the ongoing Rhode Island PBS series
Rhode Island Stories.
Haunted RI: The Legends of Dolly Cole tries to untangle the myths associated with the woman – women – in Foster, Rhode Island.
The dense forests that line Tucker Hollow Road and Ramtail Road in Foster have been the setting for more than one story involving the restless dead. Ghosts of perished mill workers and the haunted graves of plague victims are commonly found there among the ruins and forgotten gravesites scattered through those woods. Yet, of all these hauntings, no name has earned itself more prominence – and confusion – than that of Dolly Cole. She was a witch, a vampire, a murdered prostitute who dressed in men's clothing... She lost her daughter – or maybe it was a son – in a fire set by neighbors afraid of this Witch of Foster. She was murdered in the woods at age 27; she drowned in the stream near her house; she is the “Woman in White” seen by hunters, fishermen, and local residents for years. Some witnesses were alone, some were in groups, all were chilled by their encounters with an entity and are reluctant to speak of the experiences above a whisper.
In the company of
Andrew Lake and
Thomas D'Agostino, filmmakers and students of the paranormal
Jason Mayoh and
Christian White sort out the legends of Dolly Cole. Together, they visit and explore the landmarks and sites of the reported apparitions. Along the way, they document stories of specters and oddities as retold by Foster resident and white witch,
Pat Morgan.
Haunted RI: The Legends of Dolly Cole is written and directed by Jason Mayoh, whose name may be familiar to Rhode Islanders: Jason created a comic book series,
Tales of Rocky Point Park, based on the urban legends and mysterious history of the amusement park. Jason has also storyboarded numerous feature films produced in New England, most recently
The Town, directed by fellow New Englander Ben Affleck. Christian White has developed several independent films, as well as two Internet TV pilots.
Mayoh and White, in association with WSBE, present Rhode Island's stories of the paranormal in their historical context. They researched available archived newspaper articles, old photos, historical town records, personal diaries and letters - the kind of evidence that establishes the origins or factual basis of the legends, the truths that fuel the oral tales.
Haunted RI is not a typical “shocker” ghost hunting reality show.
Haunted RI is fun, informative, and very surprising. Think of it as history meets mystery. You know you want to look...
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