Uncharted Lancaster

Adam Zurn
  • 3.7 (14)
  • History

Uncharted Lancaster reveals the county’s most fascinating stories—local history with odd twists, forgotten places, and the occasional brush with the supernatural. Each episode explores the hidden histories and long-buried secrets of Lancaster County, where legend, landscape, and local lore collide.

  1. 11h ago

    The Crimson Scarf Ghost of Drytown Road

    This episode investigates one of Lancaster County’s most enduring unsolved crimes—the 1884 murder of tavern owner Bernard Short, better known as “Barney.” Found dead near Rawlinsville, Pennsylvania with a fractured skull, Short’s death was first dismissed as a tragic horse accident. A closer medical examination told a darker story: he had been violently attacked, likely with a hatchet. Suspicion soon fell on Thomas Baney and Adam Baney, following reports of a confession and an ongoing legal dispute over a horse. Yet despite mounting circumstantial evidence, the case unraveled in court, and both men were acquitted due to a lack of direct proof. Justice, it seemed, slipped away. But the story didn’t end with the verdict. Local legend holds that Short’s restless spirit haunted his former sleigh and the site of his death for years afterward—appearing along the road and demanding the return of his stolen property. Blending courtroom drama with ghostly folklore, this episode explores how one violent crime became a permanent fixture of regional memory, lingering somewhere between history and haunting. Click here to read more. Read More! Uncharted Lancaster’s Ghosts, Monsters, and Tales of Adventure takes readers on a 283-page spine-tingling journey through Lancaster County’s haunted history, eerie legends, and hidden treasures. From ghostly apparitions to outlaw loot, these 64 true local stories blend real history with gripping folklore.

    The Crimson Scarf Ghost of Drytown Road

  2. 4d ago

    Lititz Springs Inn’s Haunted Portrait of General Sutter

    This episode examines the complicated and often troubling legacy of John Sutter, a Swiss immigrant long celebrated as a western pioneer and the founder of what would become Sacramento. Sutter’s fortunes changed dramatically in 1848 when gold was discovered on his California land—an event that helped ignite the Gold Rush but ultimately destroyed his agricultural empire as prospectors flooded his property. Beyond the familiar pioneer narrative, the episode confronts the darker realities of Sutter’s life, including his exploitation and enslavement of Indigenous people—actions that have led modern historians to reassess his place in American history. Bankrupted and embittered, Sutter spent his final years far from California, living in Lititz, Pennsylvania, where he repeatedly petitioned the federal government for compensation for his losses, without success. The episode also explores how Sutter is remembered today—from the removal of monuments and renaming of institutions in California to local legends of supernatural activity associated with his final residence in Pennsylvania. Together, these threads reveal how myth, memory, and historical reckoning continue to shape the legacy of one of America’s most controversial figures. To learn more, visit UnchartedLancaster.com. Read more stories like this in Uncharted Lancaster’s Ghosts, Monsters, and Tales of Adventure book. This 283-page book is packed with 64 unforgettable stories, all set right here in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Order your copy here.

    Lititz Springs Inn’s Haunted Portrait of General Sutter

  3. Oct 12

    The Haunting of Rock Ford

    This episode explores the haunted legacy of Historic Rock Ford, a Georgian-era home where Revolutionary War history and supernatural lore have become deeply intertwined. Built in the late 18th century, Rock Ford was the longtime residence of Edward Hand, an Irish-born physician who served as Adjutant General under George Washington and remained a prominent figure in early Lancaster until his death in 1802. The mansion’s haunted reputation took hold just a few years later, following the tragic 1807 suicide of Hand’s eldest son, John Hand. The event cast a long shadow over the property, discouraging future residents and inadvertently preserving the home much as it stood in the early republic. Over time, Rock Ford became known not only as a historic landmark but as one of Lancaster County’s most mysterious sites. Drawing on modern accounts from staff and visitors, this episode examines reported paranormal activity throughout the house—apparitions in period dress, unexplained footsteps, phantom scents of tobacco and food, and sounds echoing through empty rooms. Today, under the care of the Rock Ford Foundation, the site operates as a museum that balances its Revolutionary War significance with the persistent stories that suggest some parts of its past may never have fully departed. Learn more when you visit UnchartedLancaster.com. Read More!  Uncharted Lancaster’s Ghosts, Monsters, and Tales of Adventure takes readers on a 283-page spine-tingling journey through Lancaster County’s haunted history, eerie legends, and hidden treasures. From ghostly apparitions to outlaw loot, these 64 true local stories blend real history with gripping folklore.

    The Haunting of Rock Ford

  4. Oct 10

    Bonus Episode: How Twelve Men Escaped Lancaster Prison...Twice

    What looks like an impenetrable fortress on East King Street has a very different story to tell. In this episode, we explore the Lancaster County Prison—not just as a building, but as a case study in the illusion of security.  From its origins as a simple log holding cell in 1729 to the towering stone “castle” built in 1851, the prison was designed to project absolute control. But that illusion shattered—twice. We dive into two of the most astonishing jailbreaks in Lancaster County history, in 1883 and 1971, where groups of twelve men escaped despite the prison’s massive walls and imposing design. One escape was orchestrated with the help of a pet canary. The other unfolded during a chaotic construction project, with inmates sawing through steel and scaling the walls. Though separated by nearly a century, both breakouts reveal the same truth: the greatest vulnerability was never the structure itself, but the human element inside it. It’s a story of ingenuity, complacency, and the uncomfortable realization that even the strongest walls mean nothing if no one is truly watching them.

    Bonus Episode: How Twelve Men Escaped Lancaster Prison...Twice

  5. Oct 8

    Meet Columbia's Little Bigfoot—the Albatwitch

    Meet Columbia's Little Bigfoot—the Albatwitch. In the area around Chickies Rock, near the ancient Susquehanna River, stories of a 4-foot-tall hairy ape-man have circulated since Native Americans dominated the region. As recently as 2024, people have seen the hairy beast. Legend says this small, hairy creature would terrorize picnickers up at Chickies Rock in the 1800s by stealing their apples and pelting the cores back at them. This episode of the Uncharted Lancaster Podcast explores the story of Columbia's little bigfoot—the Albatwitch. Learn more when you visit UnchartedLancaster.com. Read More! Uncharted Lancaster’s Ghosts, Monsters, and Tales of Adventure takes readers on a 283-page spine-tingling journey through Lancaster County’s haunted history, eerie legends, and hidden treasures. From ghostly apparitions to outlaw loot, these 64 true local stories blend real history with gripping folklore.

    Meet Columbia's Little Bigfoot—the Albatwitch

  6. Oct 5

    Doc Zimmerly’s House of Horrors

    This episode explores the disturbing true story of Harry Clifford Zimmerly, a disgraced doctor whose rural farmhouse in southern Lancaster County became known as a 1930s “house of horror.” Plagued by alcoholism and illegal medical practices, Zimmerly operated a makeshift hospital under filthy and dangerous conditions during the Great Depression. In 1935, the disappearance of Gladys Lawson exposed the full extent of his crimes. Investigators discovered that Zimmerly had dismembered and incinerated her remains to conceal a botched operation. The episode follows the sensational trial, the shocking testimony that sealed his fate, and the lingering questions about whether other victims were never found, leaving behind one of the region’s darkest criminal legacies. Read more at UnchartedLancaster.com Read More! Uncharted Lancaster’s Ghosts, Monsters, and Tales of Adventure takes readers on a 283-page spine-tingling journey through Lancaster County’s haunted history, eerie legends, and hidden treasures. From ghostly apparitions to outlaw loot, these 64 true local stories blend real history with gripping folklore.

    Doc Zimmerly’s House of Horrors

  7. Sep 24

    Capital Day: Lancaster and the Revolution

    In this episode, we explore the extraordinary moment in September 1777 when Lancaster, Pennsylvania, briefly became the capital of the United States. As the British captured Philadelphia and the Continental Congress fled in the dark, the American government was forced into a desperate, improvised evacuation that sent delegates, public papers, and even the Liberty Bell scrambling westward.  The episode follows the chaos that led to that moment, from General Howe’s campaign for Philadelphia to Alexander Hamilton’s urgent warning that triggered Congress’s midnight flight. It shows how Lancaster became a temporary refuge where exhausted delegates regrouped, confronted Washington’s grim reports from the field, and passed the emergency measures needed to keep the war effort alive before moving on to York. More than a story about one day in one courthouse, this is an episode about how fragile the American government really was in its earliest years, and how survival sometimes depended less on monuments than on motion, improvisation, and resolve. This episode is based on Adam Zurn's new book, Capital Day: Lancaster and the Revolution, September 27, 1777, which tells the dramatic story of the day Lancaster became the capital of the United States. The book is available now on Amazon and in the Uncharted Lancaster store.

    Capital Day: Lancaster and the Revolution

  8. Sep 14

    Pawpaw: America’s Lost Tropical Fruit

    In this episode, we explore the surprising story of the pawpaw, North America’s largest native fruit and one of its strangest. The transcript traces how this tropical-looking fruit came to thrive in Pennsylvania forests, from its prehistoric roots and likely relationship with extinct Ice Age megafauna to its long history as an important food source for Indigenous communities, early explorers, and freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad.  The episode also looks at the pawpaw’s unusual biology, including its clonal colonies, odd pollination strategy, chemical defenses, and fragile fruit, which made it nearly impossible to commercialize in the modern supermarket system. At the same time, it highlights the fruit’s current revival through foraging, local agriculture, craft brewing, and regional food culture in Pennsylvania and beyond.  At its core, this is a story about ecology, memory, and rediscovery. It shows how a fruit once central to life in eastern North America was nearly forgotten, and why it is now returning as both a culinary curiosity and a symbol of deeper local history.

    Pawpaw: America’s Lost Tropical Fruit
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3.7
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Uncharted Lancaster reveals the county’s most fascinating stories—local history with odd twists, forgotten places, and the occasional brush with the supernatural. Each episode explores the hidden histories and long-buried secrets of Lancaster County, where legend, landscape, and local lore collide.

Information

  • Creator
    Adam Zurn
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    82
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Uncharted Lancaster
  • Show Website
    Uncharted Lancaster

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