TRUTH... OR SCARE?
THE LADY IN WHITE
It was in the late 1990s that campers began telling new tales of a ghostly female figure wandering the grounds and visiting campsites at Burlingame. The fabricators told remarkably similar accounts of a petite apparition cloaked in white appearing at the edges of their campsites, watching them from a distance.
Others, making their way back to their campsites after a late-night walk, or more frequently emerging from their tents for a twilight bathroom run, have reported seeing a small silhouetted figure standing near their fading campfires. The flickering flames cast eerie reflections across its nearly translucent attire, creating a haunting and mysterious scene.
One witness, slow to focus after dusk, watched in disbelief as a lone figure (initially believed it to be another camper dragging a collapsed tent towards the woods) rounded the far side of Cabin J. The form crossed so near to him that the frame of a female, outfitted in a long white dress and billowing train trailing behind, was recognizable in the dwindling light.
Ghost stories of course, aren’t anything new to Burlingame. Due to the park's long history, it's inevitable that its grounds hold many residual energies. Uniform-clad young men, suspected to be from the 141st Company of the Civilian Conservation Corp, still reportedly haunt their old barrack grounds around Legiontown. Want to see things that have you rubbing your eyes in disbelief? Just keep an eye on the haze that envelops the rec field and the surrounding woods around dawn.
During World War II, the park was used to house German and Italian POWs. It has always been rumored that a few prisoners mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind only cryptic messages carved into the trees. On quiet nights, campers have reported hearing whispers in foreign languages and seeing shadows moving among the trees. Are they revisiting comrads long lost?
Burlingame's rich history also includes Native American heritage. There are tales of ancient spirits that still are protecting the park land. Campers not only describe seeing ghostly figures in traditional native attire, but also often hear rhythmic drumming on nights when the Pink, Flower, Strawberry, Buck, Sturgeon, Corn and Hunter's full moons appear during camping season.
In the 1970s, a camper at Burlingame settled in for a late season extended stay, looking forward to peaceful mornings surrounded by nature. However, his tranquility was shattered each dawn by a mysterious voice loudly hawking copies of the "Burlingame Beacon." Frustrated and sleep-deprived, the camper inquired with others, but no one had seen or heard this so-called newsboy. Years later, a group of local history enthusiasts discovered that the "Burlingame Beacon" was an actual publication distributed within the CCC encampment in the 1930s. The newspaper chronicled the daily lives and achievements of the young men who toiled to develop the park and it was delivered every morning. Is his spirit so bound to the park that he continues his morning rounds even in death?
There are other notable spirits rumored to wander the campground including:
- Two young children who wander the Vin Gormley Trail; Last seen hunting dragonflies near the covered bridge, their disappearance remains a mystery. Hikers claim their laughter still echoes through the woods. Visitors to the bridge often find/leave tokens, honoring the spirit of the children. Have they remained to protect this special spot where butterflies and wildlife gather amongst the pines and maples?
- An elderly gentleman who walks with a hiking stick or cane; He is said to resemble the park's namesake Edwin Burlingame. Although Edwin passed in Michigan in 1909, he spent a significant portion of his life contributing to the Rhode Island's park system. His heavy involvement in the establishment of Burlingame, and his time served as the longtime chair of the RI State Parks Commission, might suggest he chose to return to continue to uphold the legacy of the land he loved so much.
- This could akso be the spirit of John Vincent "Vin" Gormley, namesake of the Vin Gormley Trail. In 1956 after visiting the campground, he asked permission to become caretaker to the park trails. He dedicated decades trailblazing, keeping the trail clear of debris and constructing bog bridges throughout the trail system. Before passing in 2000 at the age of 89, Vin was heard to say " "If I live to be 100, I won't have that trail the way it should be." ... so, perhaps it is his spirit who lingers, still working hard to perfect the trails.
- A woman who died in a structure fire on the Burlingame property; Passed down through generations is the tale of a young housekeeper/nanny named Eliza who perished in the fire. Campers have reported seeing a spectral figure dressed in old-fashioned servant's attire wandering near the site of the old caretaker's cabin. It's said that on quiet nights, you can hear her soft cries and the faint rustling of her skirts as she scurries around the campsites in Main Camp, checking on the masses of young children left to their own accord.
- A middle-aged man wearing a swimsuit; Perhaps he is the spirit of the visitor who died after falling from the big rock in Watchaug Pond. Fishermen have been spooked by a male's reflection peering back from the water while retrieving their catch. Now you know the reason why the rock says "KEEP OFF".
- An older woman with graying hair, often giggling. Campers claim she has appeared, or they hear laughing just when an item supposedly goes missing or moves places from within their campsite. Do we have a practical joker ghost?
I personally do not know if these reputed entities can be substantiated.... do we really want or need them to be? Ghost stories make for good camping atmosphere, right? But with that being said, lets get back to our “Lady in White”. If there ever was a Burlingame spirit that could hold merit, it just may be her! Fact or fiction, truth or scare... what has been discovered in some recent archive searches just might make you question your belief in ghosts and the theory of afterlife. Could the following be mere coincidences? Maybe. Either way, it is pretty interesting stuff.
So, now let’s connect the dots on Burlingame's "Lady in White"...
French Gratitude Train -Train de la Reconnaissance Française
It starts with "THE MERCI TRAIN".
The Merci Train, also known as the French Gratitude Train or Train de la Reconnaissance Française, was a remarkable gesture of gratitude from the French people to the United States after World War II.
- Background: In 1947, the United States launched the Friendship Train to collect relief supplies for war-torn Western Europe. The train traveled across the country, gathering donations of food and other essential items. The generosity of American citizens was overwhelming, filling over 270 boxcars with supplies.
- The Merci Train: In response, France assembled the Merci Train, which consisted of 49 World War I-era boxcars. These boxcars were filled with gifts from French citizens as a token of appreciation for the aid received from the United States. The train was decorated with shields representing each French province and all carried over special gifts.
- Journey to the United States: The Merci Train arrived in New York Harbor on February 2, 1949. It was greeted with great fanfare, including a flyover by U.S. Air Force planes and celebrations by fireboats and smaller boats. The boxcars were then distributed to each of the 48 states, with the 49th boxcar shared by Washington, D.C., and the Territory of Hawaii.
- Legacy: The Merci Train symbolized the deep gratitude and friendship between the French and American people. Many of the boxcars are now preserved in museums and parks across the United States, serving as a reminder of the generosity and solidarity that followed the devastation of World War Il.
The rhode island box car
40 & 8s
The boxcars themselves were World War I-era "forty-and-eight" boxcars, which had no seats, windows, toilets, or sleeping accommodations. These boxcars were designed to carry either 40 men or 8 horses. They were the same type of boxcars that many American soldiers had traveled in during the wars. The boxcars were painted with the coats of arms of the 40 provinces of France and many of the boxcars featured banners and signs with messages of gratitude and friendship.
The Arrival of the RI boxcar
The Rhode Island Merci Train boxcar arrived at Providence Station on February 8,1949 and was displayed in front of the State House. The boxcar gifts were exhibited to the public in the governor’s reception room in the State House beginning on February 23, 1949.
Gratitude Gifts from the French
Over 52,000 gifts from all french states were donated by fellow citizens from their meager possessions. Wines, hand crocheted doilies, worn wooden shoes, plates, dolls, paintings, ashtrays made of broken mirrors, sets of black lingerie, a church bell, even a sabre sword that might have belonged to Napoleon. The gifts overfilled the old boxcars.
one very special gift
Enter... "THE GOWN".
The Rhode Island train carried one special treasure—a couture wedding gown. The exquisite gown with a tiny 24” waist, was made by a dressmaker in Lyon, a city famous for its silk industry. The princess-style gown with cathedral train, high collar and long sleeves was made of French Jacquard brocaded satin and valued at $500; an enormous price tag in the 1940s, when the annual median income was about $3,300. Whilst on display at Gladdings Department Store, a drawing was held to win the glamourous gown. The committee set two conditions: the dress had to fit, and the bride had to get married that September.
The girl in the gown...
A total of 104 women applied and Lillian Weimar of Westerly won the drawing. Lillian was a 25-year-old clerk at the Seidner’s Mayonnaise factory in Westerly. Her father had secretly entered her name in the drawing. Lillian, only 4’10” tall, had the prescribed 24" waist and a September 19th wedding date. Appropriately enough, she had been born in Paris; her mother was French and her father had served with the U.S. military during World War I. Lillian married Richard A. Caulfield on Monday, September 19,1949 at the Immaculate Conception Church in Westerly, wearing the beautiful wedding dress that had been carried to the USA aboard the Merci boxcar.
After the fanfare
While the gifts were on display in the State House, the train toured Rhode Island accompanied by parades and welcoming committees. It was fitted with rubber tires so that it could be towed through the towns. After the buzz died down, a decision was made about what to do with the boxcar. It was turned over to the care of soldiers housed at Burlingame. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corp camp was converted into a war-time Army camp, housing an American Legion unit. It's for this reason that the large field section of the campground is still known as Legiontown today. The boxcar however, like the beautiful couture wedding dress that had graced its travels, was stored away and was forgotten.
from forgotten...
In the 1960s, the Army camp was ultimately disbanded, Earl Crandall (the first caretaker of Burlingame State Park), hired his cousin Irving to demolish the encampment. By 1970, The Merci Train boxcar ended up on Irving’s Ross Hill Road property in Charlestown where he operated a junkyard. Although a useful catch-all unit, the box car sat there neglected and abused for almost thirty years. It was open to the elements, parts were vandalized and homeless people made fires inside to keep warm.
In 1995, an East Greenwich couple, Fred and Betty Tanner, read about the train’s deplorable condition in the Providence Journal. Fred had a passion for trains and at the time, owned the Newport Star Dinner Train. The Tanners found the box car wreck at Crandall’s Junkyard on Ross Hill Road and bought it for $800.
...to found
They transported it to their property on Frenchtown Road hoping that someone would undertake its renovation. In 1998, two Rhode Islanders began wondering what happened to the historic boxcar and tracked it down on the Tanners’ property. They described it as “more charcoal than wood”, a result of squatter’s campfires over the course of decades. The Tanners donated the relic to the Rhode Island Historical Society in 1999, fifty years after it had first arrived in RI. After an extensive repair and restoration project, the ancient car, looking much as it did in 1949, was installed in the Lt. Georges Dubois Veteran’s Wing of the Rhode Island Historical Society’s Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket.
Facing the facts
Some things can not be disputed...
When campfires flicker and the moonlight casts eerie shadows, whispers of the Burlingame spirits and the elusive "Lady in White" float amongst the campers. Increased sightings on busy holiday weekends are said to be attributed to collective energy and emotional resonance; a phenomenon spirits are drawn to. Who better to roam the campground than those spirits bound to the long history of the property. Do not discount that fleeting glimpse of "something" on the outskirts of your campsite. What is attributed to one's imagination, may be instead a legend in the making. However, until a camper grabs definitive photographic proof of our “Lady in White”, she too is destined to become part of Burlingame folklore.
Whether you believe in spirits or not, the following are facts:
- The Merci Train happened.
- The Rhode Island (RI) boxcar existed.
- The wedding dress can be substantiated.
- That wedding dress traveled on the RI Merci Train boxcar.
- That boxcar was then housed within Burlingame State Park for an extended period.
- The woman who was wed in the dress passed away in the mid-1990s.
- Campers are reporting sightings/encounters with a petite female ghostly figure wearing white.
- The woman wed in the actual dress stood only 4'10" tall.
Some Personal Perspective...
I suspect many readers will ponder the same questions I've asked myself. Why would the “Woman in White” return to the grounds of Burlingame? Does a spirit appear in garments they died/buried in, or do they possess the ability to choose? Why do apparitions only present themselves to select people? Unfortunately, I don’t have those answers for you. I’m just a nature lover who sits by a campfire... in the dark... past the stroke of midnight... often alone, sometimes not... perhaps indulging in a drink, but ALWAYS acutely aware of my surroundings. I’ve been camping at Burlingame a very long time, and I’ve roamed the campground extensively during both daylight and nighttime; including those mystical hours from dusk to dawn.
- Have I heard strange sounds? YES.
- Have I seen unusual things? YES.
- Do I scare easily? N0.
- When camping at site 771 in 2015, were my nerves so shaken that I suddenly slammed down my hatch and locked myself into my vehicle to sleep? YES! "gulp"
Afternotes
No disrespect is intended towards any person connected with THE content in this story.
- After some digging, I discovered that indeed there was a newspaper called the “Burlingame Beacon” which was written, illustrated, printed and distributed by the 141 Company housed at Burlingame! Some archives are here: https://dds.crl.edu/crldelivery/11033
- After Lillian’s Weimar Caulfield’s death, the Merci Train wedding dress was donated by her children for permanent display at the Rhode Island Historical Society’s Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket.
- Information and more photos on the Merci Train, the RI boxcar, the wedding dress gift and the 141 Company of the CCC can be found publicly online.
I was able to locate a photo of the original caretakers cabin. A fire heavily damaged the structure and supposedly claimed the life of a housemaid. Charlestown Fire Department later burned and demolished the remaining structure. I also read that the building was used as a movie house for the 141st Company.
If ever there was a residual spirit that might call Burlingame home, it would be that of Mary Mills Crandall. Mary, a daughter of original caretaker Robert Mills (hence Mills Camp) lived in the house (above) in the park until her marriage to Earl Crandall. When her father died, her husband Earl was hired as the new caretaker and Mary returned to Burlingame. Mary loved helping campers choose the perfect campsite. A well known prankster, I have to wonder if she’s hanging out with our “Lady in White” and pulling tricks on the Burlingame campers.
Follow grassy path up behind the house and bear right into the woods. Look for stone wall. Cemetery is short distance in on the left. Lots of trees across the paths, so be careful. This route is not for young kids.
The easier way in to Macomber Lot is via Mills Camp section. Locate road between Cabin Y and campsite 543 in rear right of Mills Camps. Continue straight and the road turns into a trail. Its a easy hike in with only a couple barriers across the trail. Cemetery will be on your right less than a 1/2 mile in.
Bonus cemetery on Klondike Road
BONUS-Although not located within the campground, there is another historical cemetery, Lot #27, The Simeon Crandall Lot, located on the opposite side of road near parking area on Klondike.
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