“Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.”
Hans Christian Andersen
If you’re from Biddeford or grew up here, you’ve likely heard some of the tales, but they are not all fairy tales.
The Ghost of the Biddeford Opera House
Biddeford has a beautiful theater with a rich history. It was opened under the original name was the Biddeford Opera House and it was considered a premier play-house in Maine and north of Boston. In January of 1926, it was renamed to City Theater. Famous starts such as Charlie Chaplin, Al Jolson, Laurel and Hardy, Fred Astaire and others were seen on stage there among a few.
There are several tales of sightings in the theater. One of the stories often told is the tale of Eva Gray, the ghost of the opera house. The story has even been investigated and was the subject of a news release by WGME TV. The clip can be found here.
Eva Gray was a soprano soloist and illustrated song singer of the Dot Karroll Company. At the time of her death, she was singing at the Biddeford Opera House. After singing a rendition of “Good-bye, Little Girl, Good-bye”, with her three year old daughter in the audience, on the night of October 31st 1904, she came back to the applause for a double encore, but was unable to return for a third encore due to feeling faint. The stage manager, Arthur E. Claire, helped her to a dressing room where she collapsed and died shortly after, about an hour after leaving the stage. She was about 30 years old when she died of an apparent heart disorder.
Since the time of her death, there have been multiple sightings of a woman moving around backstage, or on the perimeter of the stage, which some believe is the ghost of Eva Gray. There have also been reports of a child calling for its mother on occasion, perhaps Eva’s own daughter who was present at the time of her death.
The story has even been investigated several time and a video was released by EVP Paranormal of Maine which investigated and published the video on January 17, 2017.The clip can be found here. What do you think?
The supposed ghost is seen here going up the stairs on the left hand side via infrared light.
Another City Theater Ghost Tale
City legends claim that there is more than one ghost at Biddeford City Theater.
Mr. Murphy was the caretaker of the theater in the 1930’s and 1940’s when Biddeford City Theater began to show movies. It was reported that Mr. Murphy had a ” firm hand” and was so committed to his job at the theater, that after he died, people could still hear, see and feel him watching them when they are working and operating equipment at the theater.
For years there have been stories of flickering lights, odd sounds and seeing eyes moving high above the stage inside the theater.
Murder Suicide on Wood Island
Built in 1808,on granite blocks, Wood Island Light House in Biddeford Pool is one of the oldest lighthouses in New England and the fifth oldest in Maine.
On June 1st 1896 the Biddeford Daily Journal reported that there was a murder suicide on the island.
The story told says that Howard Hobbs, 24 yrs old, was overdue on his rent and had been drinking prior to the murder. He was asked by Frederick W. Milliken of Woods Light to meet him later in the day and at some point in the late afternoon, Mr. Hobbs seems to have shot Mr. Milliken intentionally and point blank, with Mr. Milliken’s wife and William Moses, a friend and his roommate, as witnesses.
William Moses went for help and Mrs. Milliken attempted to help her husband who eventually died. It seems Howard Hobbs, after realizing what he had done, also tried to help, but would not relinquish his weapon. He was asked to get the lighthouse keeper and he did go there, telling the keeper what he had done. Howard then claimed he would go home and kill himself, which he did.
He was found by his roommate, Moses, when he had returned from the mainland with the doctor.
