Episode 298 - The Witch's Curse and the Stone Foot
Apple Podcasts 
Spotify 
Amazon Music 
Overcast 
Castro 
iHeartRadio 
PocketCasts 
Castbox 
Podchaser 
TuneIn 
Pandora 
Podcast Addict 
RSS Feed Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email.
Dominating the small Buck family cemetery in Bucksport, Maine is a tall granite obelisk honoring Colonel Jonathan Buck, founder of the town in 1762. On its pedestal is a strange, foot-shaped outline that has drawn the curious for over 130 years. Is it a supernatural curse, or simply a flaw in the granite that the legend was built to fit?
In 1898, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that according to local legend, it was left there by a woman he condemned as a witch, who swore with her dying breath that her footprint would mark his stone forever.
Of course, Jennie and Dianne dig into Colonel Buck's Ordinary Extraordinary story from his birth in 1719, his service as colonel in Maine's 5th militia during the American Revolution, and the 1852 erection of the obelisk by his great-grandchildren, 57 years after his death.
Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun merch here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com
Family Tales: A free printable is now available! Gather 'round the table and dig into your roots! This interactive family history game is perfect for holidays, reunions, or just because. Ask, listen, and laugh your way through generations of stories and secrets. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UT_R56qEwNTIxIBrTy8KFyVmGnFOe7g8/view?usp=sharing
Resources used to research this episode include the following historical newspaper articles, as well as various additional articles from Newspapers.com and documents from Ancestry.com.
"The Witch's Curse and the Stone Foot." Philadelphia Inquirer [Philadelphia ], p. 26.
Burnham, Emily. "The real story of Bucksport namesake Jonathan Buck has nothing to do with a witch’s curse ." https://www.bangordailynews.com/. 16 July 2019. www.bangordailynews.com/2019/07/16/news/the-real-story-of-bucksport-namesake-jonathan-buck-has-nothing-to-do-with-a-witchs-curse/. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.
"The mystery of the Johnathan Buck monument: was it really cursed by a witch? ." https://enchantednewengland.com/. 25 Mar. 2023. enchantednewengland.com/stories-all/johnathan-buck-monument-cursed-by-witch. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.
