{"id":2096,"date":"2022-06-01T12:59:10","date_gmt":"2022-06-01T16:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nelights.com\/blog\/?p=2096"},"modified":"2025-03-06T13:29:06","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T18:29:06","slug":"haunted-wood-island-lighthouse-in-maine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nelights.com\/blog\/haunted-wood-island-lighthouse-in-maine\/","title":{"rendered":"Haunted Wood Island Lighthouse in Maine"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Wood<\/a>

Wood Island Lighthouse in Maine<\/p><\/div>\n

Ghosts of Suicidal Fisherman and His Victim
\nHaunt Wood Island Lighthouse in Maine<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

One of the best-known Maine lighthouse legends involves a true story about a murder-suicide at Wood Island Lighthouse<\/a><\/strong> from an altercation between a lobster fisherman, who was also a local sheriff living peacefully on the island, and a drunken resident who shot him, then shot himself.<\/p>\n

Keeper Thomas Orcutt was stationed at Wood Island lighthouse when Frederick Milliken, a lobster fisherman and part-time sheriff at Biddeford Pool near Biddeford in Maine, lived on Wood Island with his wife and three children. He was a rather sizeable, peaceful man in his thirties, known as the town\u2019s \u201cgentle giant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two drifters and part-time fishermen, Howard Hobbs and William Moses, persuaded Milliken to rent his chicken coop shack nearby so they could stay for a brief period. Both men had quite a drinking problem and, over the next few months, had not paid their rent to Milliken.<\/p>\n

One summer day in June 1896, Hobbs and Moses returned to the island from a heavy drinking session on the mainland. Milliken found his neighbors wandering drunk on the island and told them to meet him at his house to discuss the issue of the overdue rent. Both men came to his home with Hobbs carrying a rifle and started arguing with Milliken, presumably about the overdue rent. Milliken tried to persuade Hobbs to hand over the weapon, but Hobbs claimed that his gun was not loaded as he waved it around. As Milliken reached to take it away, the gun fired and shot Milliken in the abdomen. Milliken’s wife, who was nearby, witnessed the event in horror, along with Hobbs\u2019 friend Moses. As the two carried Milliken to his house, Hobbs followed, apologizing, still holding the gun in his arms.<\/p>\n

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View of Wood Island keeper’s building from the lighthouse tower.<\/p><\/div>\n

Still, in a drunken daze, Hobbs ran off to the nearby keeper’s dwelling at Wood Island Lighthouse to get help from Keeper Orcutt, carrying the rifle. The wound proved fatal, and Milliken died less than an hour later. Keeper Thomas Orcutt then advised Hobbs to give himself up to the authorities. Hobbs instead announced that he had one bullet left, which he intended to use on himself, ran off to his shack, and shot himself in the head.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hauntings at Wood Island Afterwards…<\/span><\/h3>\n

Since the incident, many strange events have been reported at Wood Island. Many believe Hobbs’s and Milliken’s ghosts haunt the Wood Island Lighthouse. Moans are still heard from the chicken coop shack, and locked doors have been mysteriously opened at the lighthouse. Dark shadows were observed near the lighthouse walkway at the top of the tower, and strange voices were heard. There have also been sightings of a woman believed to be Milliken’s wife.<\/p>\n

\"Wood<\/a>

Wood Island lighthouse guides mariners away from its rocky shores.<\/p><\/div>\n

In the fall of 2005, the New England Ghost Project, a paranormal research team, was invited to investigate the island and lighthouse area. Shadowy figures were observed and recorded near the lighthouse and walkway. A medium was brought in, and the spirit, believed to be Hobbs, was apologizing through the medium’s trance. Another spirit, believed to be Milliken, made her feel as if he were severely injured and trying to escape something.<\/p>\n

Recently, the Wood Island Lighthouse Foundation has held special events related to the hauntings to benefit the lighthouse restoration efforts.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n