Urban legends are part of the collective imagination. They are fictional stories that dress up with pretensions of reality; To do this, they are reinforced through a series of elements that aim to emphasize their veracity: well-known places, a specific time, protagonists close to the narrator (the famous “this happened to a friend of a friend…”).
There are many urban legends in all parts of the world, but it is in Florida (United States) where many of the creepiest are concentrated. Below, we present a compilation of several of Florida’s best-known urban legends summarized.
Ghosts that wander through old mansions or dark forests, a “haunted” hill, the curse of alligators… join us on this brief journey through the most fascinating urban legends in the state of Florida.
1. “Villa Paula” and the ghosts
The truth is that few places like the state of Florida have as many urban legends about ghosts. They are so popular that there are many tours ghostly due to the different scenarios in which these strange phenomena are supposed to occur.
One of these scenarios is an old mansion from the beginning of the 20th century, Villa Paula, which is located in Little Haiti, in Miami. The building was built in 1925 to be the headquarters of the Cuban Consulate in the city, and was named after the wife of the then consular officer. The fact is that Paula, the wife, died a few years later and, since then, strange activities seem to be taking place in the mansion.
The urban legend probably comes from an (alleged) seance that took place in Villa Paula in the 1970s, in which Paula apparently manifested herself along with four other ghosts.
2. The New York crocodiles… that were brought from Florida
Yes, we know. New York is not Florida. But this famous urban legend of the city of skyscrapers is closely related to this state in the southern United States. Now we will see why.
First, we will explain what the story is about. It turns out that, for many years, there has been an urban legend in New York that blind crocodiles live in its sewers. Blindness is given to the poor animals because, being locked underground, they have never been able to see the light of the sun. These crocodiles are terribly dangerous ; They feed on food waste and garbage, but they also hunt rats and, from time to time, an absent-minded human being.
Where does this curious rumor come from? As always, there are several versions, but the most widespread says that it was some tourists coming from Louisiana or Florida who threw some baby crocodiles that they had brought through the bathroom. According to some sources, the New York City Council still receives letters from concerned citizens about whether fearsome crocodiles really live under their feet.
3. The three girls of San Agustín
It is perhaps the most famous “ghostly” place in the state of Florida. The San Agustín lighthouse, which stands on the Atlantic coast on the so-called Anastasia Island, was built in the 19th century and practically since its construction, urban legends have spread regarding its ghosts.
The origin of the legends is the astonishing number of deaths that have occurred at the lighthouse; Of all of them, the best known is that of three little girls who died during the works. Specifically, they were in a small boat when, due to some impact, it cracked and the girls fell into the sea and drowned. Other versions insist that the deceased were two children…
Be that as it may, since then many people claim to have heard children’s laughter floating through the lighthouse, and even to have seen the little girl’s face looking through the windows. They also witness the presence of a ghost dressed in blue that haunts the place.
This urban legend dates back to the time of Prohibition in the United States, which prohibited the production, sale and consumption of alcohol. It seems that the Casablanca hotel, also located in San Agustín, was run at that time by an old woman who did not hesitate to rebel against the law and help the smugglers who sailed through the bay at night.
The woman turned on a light from the roof of the building when the authorities approached and, in this way, the bandits knew when they could dock safely Since the death of the old woman, many people who sail along the coast at certain times claim to glimpse a light coming from the roof of the hotel…
5. Spook Hill
There is a disturbing elevation in the city of Lake Wales that has the privilege of defying the laws of physics And, according to urban legend, when they go down the hill, the cars actually “go up.” That is, they destroy the law of gravity and, on a slope, roll upwards.
The anecdote is so famous that there is even a sign on the side of the road that invites the driver to put his car in neutral to watch how, suddenly, it begins to “climb” the mountain. There are several legends that try to explain the phenomenon: a native warrior who rests buried there, the spirit of a pirate that pushes cars… But what scientific explanation can such a phenomenon have? According to some experts, it is a well-known optical illusion, which is called, precisely, “gravity hill”, and which gives the sensation of going up when, in reality, it is going downhill.
6. “Good luck, Mr. Gorsky”
This urban legend is related to Florida because, allegedly, Neil Armstrong, its protagonist, made the relevant statements in Tampa Bay, one of its locations, in 1995. Needless to say, the statements did not exist, nor did Armstrong say the phrase that originated them. But let’s go to this curious story.
Everyone knows the famous astronaut; He was the first human being to step on the moon, that distant month of July 1969. We also know the phrase he uttered: “One small step for man, one giant leap for humanity.” The phrase itself has its nuances, but let’s get to the real crux of the matter: it seems that, after the well-known sentence, Armstrong added: “Good luck, Mr. Gorsky.”
Who was this Gorsky and what being was Neil referring to? The legend grew, until, apparently, the astronaut clarified everything in the aforementioned interview in Florida. Mr. Gorsky was Armstrong’s neighbor when he was little, and one day the boy heard his wife tell him that she would not give him fellatio until the son from next door (little Neil) came home. Moon. That’s why, when Armstrong set foot on the satellite in 1969, he wished the neighbor good luck… and that she would enjoy it.
A very funny urban legend, but it is still just that, a legend. There is no testimony in the 1969 recording that verifies that Neil said that, nor is there any evidence of the alleged statements in Florida in 1995.
7. The “devil tree”
We have already mentioned that Florida is incredibly rich in chilling urban legends. We could not finish this compilation without mentioning the famous “devil tree”, located in a forest in Port St. Lucie. Is about a thick, ancient oak tree where, according to urban legend, a series of murders took place in the 1970s
Since then, many visitors claim to have seen ghosts hanging from the branches at night and hooded beings prowling around. Urban legend insists that no one has been able to cut down the tree, and that a priest even went to perform an exorcism in 1990. It seems that it had no effect.
