It's a Haunted RI Halloween

On Halloween night, after the kiddies are in bed and the porch lights are off, lock the door and curl up for some spooky stories with Haunted RI: The Legends of Dolly Cole at 8 p.m., followed by Things That Go Bump in the Night at 9.

The dense forests that line Tucker Hollow Road and Ramtail Road in Foster, Rhode Island, 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 grave sites scattered through these woods. Yet, of all these hauntings, no name has earned itself more prominence - and confusion - among the Fraternity of the Restless than Dolly Cole.

Fact mixes with fancy, maybe even fantasy, as is typical of legends passed down through generations. Dolly Cole 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 and reluctant to speak of them above a whisper.


In the company of Andrew Lake and Thomas D'Agostino, explore the landmarks and sites of the reported apparitions. Along the way, hear stories of specters and oddities from Foster resident and white witch, Pat Morgan. Join filmmakers and students of the paranormal, Jason Mayoh and Christian White, as they sort out The Legends of Dolly Cole.

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Things That Go Bump in the Night details some of New England's most bone-chilling stories, myths and legends. Interviews with local authors and experts, along with personal accounts, reveal tales of the supernatural, the unexplained and the mysterious. The special features visits to the infamous Lizzie Borden home in Fall River, MA, the long-abandoned village of Dudleytown in northern Connecticut, the Hoosac Tunnel in the Berkshire Mountains, the New London Ledge Lighthouse, Bellcourt Castle in Newport, Rhode Island and a Union cemetery in Easton, CT - the sites of terrible tragedies, supposed curses and ghostly hauntings.

They're Ba-ack! Third Episode of Haunted RI Premieres October 24

Since the premiere of its first episode in the spring of 2011, Haunted RI has taken audiences to some well-known and some unfamiliar legendary Rhode Island sites of reported paranormal activity. Rhode Island PBS is pleased to introduce the third episode on Wednesday, October 24. The spooky night begins at 8 P.M. with the original Haunted RI, followed by Haunted RI: The Legends of Dolly Cole at 9 P.M., then the premiere of Haunted RI 3 at 10 P.M.

In the third chapter, director Jason Mayoh expands on the story initially explored in episode one: the possibility that the vampire legend of Mercy Brown may have influenced Bram Stoker, author of Dracula. They also visit the gravesite of Sarah Tillinghast, whose vampire legend pre-dates Mercy Brown's story by a hundred years.

The Haunted RI crew also walks in the footsteps of Native American spirits and demons at Devil's Foot Rock in North Kingstown. An interview with Dr. Michael Bell exposes not just the legend and its variations, but his successful work to preserve the historic site from destruction by development.

The first episode of Haunted RI has quickly become a fan favorite. The team visits the Exeter grave site of Mercy Brown, Rhode Island's "last vampire." Then, it's north to the woods of Foster to Ramtail Mill, site of decades of reports of strange lights and sounds after the mysterious death in 1822 of the night watchman, Peleg Walker. Joining the investigation and filmmaking team of Brian Harnois, Jason Mayoh, and Christian White are the storytellers Dr. Michael Bell, Thomas D'Agostino, Keith Johnson, and Rory Raven.

In episode two, the team returns the dense forests that line Tucker Hollow Road and Ramtail Road in Foster to sort out The Legends of Dolly Cole, in the company of Andrew Lake and Thomas D'Agostino. Of all the reports of hauntings by dead mill workers and plague victims, 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 decades, most of whom are reluctant to speak of their experiences above a whisper.

Haunted RI - it's where history meets mystery, the historical greets the hysterical. It's fun, surprising, informative - and brought to you exclusively by WSBE Rhode Island PBS. See for yourself. You know you want to look...

They're Ba-ack! Second Episode of Haunted RI airs May 5 at 7 P.M.

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...