Life stories of local ghosts

By Mike Melchor
Backstage Pass Magazine

In the midst of all of the visitors to Daytona and among all of the hustle and bustle of everyday life, activities in the spirit world go largely unnoticed within the city. What’s that, you say? Daytona has a spirit world? Indeed it does! Not only that, but Daytona also has a history of spirits. The spirits of those who have come before and left their footprints on the World’s Most Famous Beach underscores many streets and landmarks. Those spirits can be seen at various times throughout the year, and all of them have their own reasons for remaining in Daytona. To whom do these spirits belong, and what is their history with the city? For answers to those questions, we paid a visit to Doris “Dusty” Smith. Smith is the organizer of ”Haunts of the World’s Most Famous Beach,” a series of Ghost Tours in Daytona and DeLand. Her tours cover the Halifax River, Main Street, and Riverfront Park in Daytona Beach, as well as Woodland Boulevard and Indiana Avenue in DeLand. The money Smith brings in from her tours funds a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring cemeteries. Her current projects include Pinewood Cemetery in Daytona Beach, as well as two more in Ormond Beach, and the Saints And Sinners Cemetery in Oak Hill. In addition, Smith is also a paranormal researcher constantly on the lookout for hauntings in the city and the reasons behind them. She has all of the latest scientific equipment at her disposal to document sightings and visitations from the other side. Smith’s research has uncovered quite a few hauntings here in Daytona Beach. Notable places include Pinewood Cemetery on Main Street, Riverfront Park on Beach Street, and Old King’s Road in Holly Hill. These are not the only places where spirits roam; many other places have spirits of those who have crossed over – and not all of them are human. To know more about the spiritual sightings in our fair city, read on – if you dare.

Mrs. Charles Burgone
With all of the history surrounding the graveyard, Pinewood Cemetery in Daytona Beach has quite a few residents remaining even though they have passed on, and I am not referring to cemetery plots and the bodies contained therein. Charles Burgone moved to the area in 1896 after Mathias Day, founder of Daytona Beach, had come and gone. Burgone is widely credited as being the father of tourism here in Daytona as well as a philanthropist. Burgone not only built the city up in grand order but also saw to it that, during the Great Depression, all of the children in Volusia County had milk to drink and a place to sleep. Burgone also donated to Daytona what would become known as Riverfront Park. Mrs. Burgone was a faithful wife who stood by her husband’s side and loved him dearly. While Mr. Burgone was busy with business affairs, Mrs. Burgone tended to the children of the city and saw to their welfare. She also saw to the yacht that the couple owned and used for sponsoring Halifax River trips departing from what is now the Magnolia Street Bridge that connects Beach Street to City Island. After Charles Burgone passed away in 1916, a monument was erected for him in Pinewood Cemetery. To this day, it is the largest monument in the graveyard. Each day after his death, Mrs. Burgone could be seen faithfully at his monument in her black dress praying for her husband until she died 28 years later in 1944. Many times after – to this day, in fact – a shadowy figure has been seen in a seated position and garbed in black at the Burgone monument in Pinewood Cemetery. This figure is believed to be Mrs. Burgone, still praying for the loss of her husband. If that is not strange enough, a photographer from the Sanford newspaper witnessed and photographed a most curious phenomenon that occurred in 1987. At the Magnolia Street Bridge, he watched the figure of a woman walking on the bank of the Halifax River. As she continued walking, the misty form of a ship appeared to pick her up for her journey. As she stepped onto the deck of the boat, both vanished into the night.

Adler Rawlings
Adler Rawlings was the first Chief of Staff at Halifax Hospital many years ago. A kind and dedicated man, Rawlings looked after the hospital until his death when he was placed inside a mausoleum in Pinewood Cemetery. Shortly after Rawlings passed on, many young folks began congregating on the boardwalk of Daytona Beach. With the police chasing them away from many places, they needed somewhere to meet and greet. The group stumbled upon the mausoleum of Adler Rawlings and converted the small structure into a clubhouse. As more and more teens gathered at the “clubhouse,” the mausoleum became a little crowded. Room had to be made, so someone had to go. That someone was Adler Rawlings. One night at around 4:30 a.m., the group removed Rawlings’s casket from its resting place and tossed it onto Auditorium Blvd. Upon hitting the street, the casket split open and Rawlings’s remains scattered onto the road. To add insult to injury, the charming youths decided to play a round of golf with Rawlings’s long bones and skull. A neighbor heard the commotion and called the police, who arrived at around 4:50 a.m. The teens were gone by then, but the casket and remains were still in the road. The police gathered the casket and bones as best they could and placed them back inside the mausoleum. Rawlings’s skull was missing and has never been recovered. On several occasions between 4:30 and 4:50 a.m., a figure has been seen on Auditorium Blvd. It is a figure without a head, pacing the street near Pinewood Cemetery. It is believed to be the spirit of Adler Rawlings, still looking for his missing head.

Howard Wetherall
Howard Wetherall was the caretaker of Pinewood Cemetery for over 30 years. He looked after the historic cemetery as if it were his own home. Wetherall was a gentle man who always had a kind word for everyone and was always willing to help those in need. Wetherall befriended many who volunteered time to Pinewood, including Smith herself and a young man hoping to make a fresh start after several run-ins with the law. Wetherall took the young man in and gave him clothes, a place to stay, and occasionally money (as needed), in an effort to help the young man start his life anew. The young man repaid Wetherall’s kindness by bludgeoning him to death in the bathroom of his condominium on July 3, 2001. The young man was ultimately apprehended in Virginia driving Wetherall’s car and wearing his clothes – which still had Wetherall’s blood on them. Months after the passing of Mr. Wetherall, Smith returned to Pinewood to continue her work. Thinking of her dear friend who was now gone, Smith sat down and cried, grieving the loss of her friend. As she wept, a hand touched her shoulder in a sign of reassurance and condolence. Smith turned to see who it was, but no one was there. In her heart and soul, Smith knows that hand belonged to Wetherall, who was telling her everything was going to be all right.

Brownie, The Town Dog
Many years ago during the boom of business on Beach Street, a little brown dog wandered up to the fire station one day. The dog was befriended by the firefighters, and they built a cardboard doghouse so the canine would have somewhere to sleep. The dog began to wander Beach Street and make many friends who walked the street while they shopped and ate. The dog was christened Brownie and became a fixture of Beach Street. Brownie was so popular that he became the nationally recognized mascot of Daytona Beach. Cards and letters containing donations for Brownie poured in. Donations were kept in a box next to Brownie’s new doghouse and was enough to take care of his food, licensing, and veterinary care until Brownie passed of old age.The funeral service for Brownie was one of the biggest the city had ever seen. The mayor tearfully read the eulogy before Brownie was buried in Riverfront Park, where he still rests today. Upon hearing the story of Brownie and doing the research, Smith and two assistants ventured to Riverfront Park to see what they could find. Smith found the resting place of Brownie and sat on a bench to talk with the dog. As she continued on, hoping Brownie was there, she felt a warm spot on her leg. Before she left, she requested a picture of Brownie for posterity. The picture contained a small purple orb at the base of the tree. Orbs are believed to be the manifestation of spirits here on earth. Smith took the photograph, cropped the orb, and enlarged it, making no other alterations to the image. Smith then compared the enlarged orb to a photograph of Brownie taken by the Daytona Beach News Journal. Can you see Brownie?

Old King’s Road
Old King’s Road is in Holly Hill, off LPGA Blvd., near Nova Rd. Smith has investigated various cases on that street involving noises, manifestations, and things being moved around in various houses. Smith decided to go to work and see what she could find. What she discovered was that Old King’s Road is rather aptly named, as it was the exact same path as Old Spanish King’s Highway. Old Spanish King’s Highway was the path that royalty and their entourages took from parts of southern Florida to St. Augustine, then the focal point of Florida. During travels to St. Augustine, many were lost to Yellow Fever and starvation. Whenever people passed on, they were buried there along the highway before the journeys continued, because it was not feasible to carry the bodies with them. Smith believes that the spirits of those who lost their lives on Old Spanish King’s Highway continue to populate Old King’s Road in Holly Hill to this day. One of the most spiritually active areas in Volusia County is Casadaga. Although it is the home of many spiritual “Sensitives,” the reasons the city is so active have remained unknown – until now. Smith has discovered the existence of “Magnetic Lay areas,” concentrated patches of magnetic energy under the earth’s surface. Due to the higher energy concentration, these areas also attract more spiritual activity. There are two areas off the coasst of Daytona Beach. There is also a much larger one directly under the city of Casadaga, which would explain the wealth of activity there. There are numerous other documented incidents and sightings in Volusia County. What you have read here is only the tip of the tombstone. If you should happen to be out enjoying the city one night, don’t be surprised if you feel a hand on your shoulder, and when you turn to see who is there, you find that you are all alone. It means only that you have come into contact with one who has crossed over to the other side. Happy haunting!

For more information about the tours or the cemetery restoration projects, contact Doris “Dusty” Smith at 386-253-6034 or visit www.hauntsofdaytona.com.