May 7, 2025 • 7 mins
Welcome to The Strange History Podcast! In this episode, we journey into the spooky, surreal, and psychically charged town of Cassadaga, Florida—America’s Psychic Capital of the World. Founded by a medium guided by a ghost, this bizarre little hamlet is packed with haunted hotels, spirit guides, mysterious ley lines, and the infamous Devil’s Chair. From real-life ghost stories and psychic cats to séances with flying cheesecloth, we're diving into the weird history and lore that makes Cassadaga one of the strangest small towns in America. Whether you're a believer, a skeptic, or just here for the haunted hotel gossip, this episode is full of history, humor, and high strangeness.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Cassadaga, where everyone knows your aura.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Thanks Dan, hope you're having a good day. Let's dive
right into it, shall we. Cassadaga, Florida, is not your
average sleepy Southern town. Founded in eighteen seventy five, it's
a place where talking to the dead is a local pastime.
Psychics outnumber Starbucks, and the neighbors might ask for your
star sign before your name. Located just off I four
(00:29):
between Daytona and Orlando, this spiritualist camp is a strange
bubble of Victorian houses, healing crystals, ghost tours, and at
least one haunted hotel. While the rest of Florida is
busy dealing with sinkholes and meth gators, Cassadaga's biggest problem
is ghostly HouseGuests who won't pay rent.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
The origins a spirit told me to do it.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
The town was founded by a man named George P. Colby,
a spiritualist from New York, who claimed that a name
of American spirit guide named Seneca told him to go
south and establish a spiritualist colony, because when an ancient
spirit tells you to head to a Florida swamp, you go.
In eighteen seventy five, Colby arrived in what was then
(01:14):
dense forest and built a camp where fellow spiritualists, those
who believed the dead could communicate with the living, could gather, meditate,
and casually chat with their deceased aunt, Mildred. Why do
I always think everyone's elderly aunt is named Mildred? I
have no idea, honestly. By eighteen ninety four, the Southern
(01:37):
Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association was formally established. To this day,
it's a private, non profit community of psychics, mediums, healers
and believers who live and work in the area, many
in gorgeous and supposedly haunted late Victorian homes.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Ghosts, oh honey, they're practically on the payroll.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Cassadaga isn't just known for its psychics and mediums. It's
crawling with ghost stories. Let's dive into a few of them.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
The Cassadaga Hotel.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
This nineteen twenties hotel is the spiritual and literal heart
of the town. Legend has it that Room twenty two
is haunted, with guests reporting everything from moving furniture to
shadowy figures and cold spots. Some visitors claim to have
seen a woman in Victorian dress gliding down the hall
or staring at them in the mirror. A Victorian ghost
(02:32):
in Florida. That's a bold fashioned choice for the humidity.
Other hotel spirits include a cigar smoking man whose phantom
stogy scent wafts through the air, and a ghost who's
fond of turning on water faucets. Apparently, even in the
afterlife people forget to turn off the tap. Side note,
(02:53):
the first home my husband and I purchased was built
in eighteen sixty three. It was a Victorian colonial paps
did indeed turn on by themselves regularly, amongst other things
that went bump in the day and night. But that
is a whole other story and we do not live
there anymore. Needless to say, we did not like sharing
our space with the.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Afterlife spirit Pond.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Behind the hotel lies a quiet little area called Spirit Pond,
where seances and rituals have been performed for over a century.
Locals claim to see orbs, mists, and ghostly figures rising
from the water, although skeptics argue it might just be
the Florida fog and overactive imagination.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Devil's chair in Lake Helen's Cemetery.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Just a short walk from Cassadaga proper is the infamous
Devil's Chair, a brick chair in the cemetery said to
be cursed. Legend has it, if you sit in the
chair at midnight, the devil himself will whisper secrets to you,
probably something like get more cats or pineapple does belong
on pizza. People leave unopened beers on the chair overnight,
(04:01):
and in the morning the can is mysteriously empty. Either
the devil is a thirsty frat bro or Florida raccoons
have developed a drinking problem. Cassadaga is steeped in its
own peculiar mythology, the first being the spirit line. It's
said there's a lay line running directly under Cassadaga, an
(04:21):
energetic hotbed that enhances psychic abilities and spiritual communication. It's
like being on psychic Wi Fi Full bars.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
The Haunted Forest, because no ghost story is complete without it.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Near Cassadaga is a patch of woods where multiple people
claim to have seen shadow people, ghostly figures, and even UFOs.
It's either an inner dimensional portal or someone smoking something very.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Strong seances with side effects.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Historically, some of Cassadaga's early mediums were famous for dramatic
seances featuring spirit trumpets, glowing and ectoplasm. Skeptics claimed they
were hoaxes, but believers said the ectoplasm, often cheesecloth or
egg whites, was the real deal. Honestly, if ghosts are
(05:13):
sneezing cheese cloth at me, I'm charging extra. Let's get
into some real stories from real weirdos, and we say
that lovingly.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
The psychic who solved a cold case.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
A long time Cassadaga medium reportedly helped police locate a
missing person's body in the nineteen eighties by drawing a
map during a reading. While there's little documentation, locals treat
the story like gospel, and the medium is still remembered
as a spiritual detective.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
The poltergeist plumber.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
A plumber once refused to finish a job in one
of the historic homes, claiming that tools were flying off
shelves and faucets turned on and off by themselves. He
fled mid job and refused to return. To be fair, haunted,
plumbing is above any one's pay grade.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
The psychic cat. When we speak of spooky things, we
must mention our four legged friends.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
One local healer swore her cat could sense spirits and
would hiss at corners of the room before a reading.
Taurists loved it, and the cat became a minor celebrity.
Sadly she passed on, but believers say her spirit still
patrols the bookstore, shelves.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Crystals, chakras, and capitalism.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Cassadaga today is both a sacred place and a very
quirky tourist trap. It has a bookstore where you can
buy books on astral projection and incense to mask the
smell of your third eye opening. A temple where weekly
services include guided meditations, healing ceremonies, and sometimes impromptu messages
(06:50):
from the beyond. Dozens of resident mediums, many of whom
have been practicing for decades, and often book appointments months
in advance. Getting a reading here is like trying to
get into a tailor swift concert, but with more sage smoke.
Cassadaga is weird, it's wonderful. It's like twin peaks with
palm trees, And whether you believe in ghosts or not,
(07:13):
there's something undeniably magical about a town where the dead
get better cell reception than the living, and everyone waves
like you've known them in a past life. It's a
reminder that history doesn't have to be dry and dusty.
It can be spooky, sassy, and slightly spectral. Thanks for
tuning into the Strange History Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode,
(07:35):
like review, subscribe and tell all your friends. If you
have no friends, head down to Cassadaga. It's quite clear
you will never be alone.
Welcome to Cassadaga, where everyone knows your aura.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Thanks Dan, hope you're having a good day. Let's dive
right into it, shall we. Cassadaga, Florida, is not your
average sleepy Southern town. Founded in eighteen seventy five, it's
a place where talking to the dead is a local pastime.
Psychics outnumber Starbucks, and the neighbors might ask for your
star sign before your name. Located just off I four
(00:29):
between Daytona and Orlando, this spiritualist camp is a strange
bubble of Victorian houses, healing crystals, ghost tours, and at
least one haunted hotel. While the rest of Florida is
busy dealing with sinkholes and meth gators, Cassadaga's biggest problem
is ghostly HouseGuests who won't pay rent.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
The origins a spirit told me to do it.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
The town was founded by a man named George P. Colby,
a spiritualist from New York, who claimed that a name
of American spirit guide named Seneca told him to go
south and establish a spiritualist colony, because when an ancient
spirit tells you to head to a Florida swamp, you go.
In eighteen seventy five, Colby arrived in what was then
(01:14):
dense forest and built a camp where fellow spiritualists, those
who believed the dead could communicate with the living, could gather, meditate,
and casually chat with their deceased aunt, Mildred. Why do
I always think everyone's elderly aunt is named Mildred? I
have no idea, honestly. By eighteen ninety four, the Southern
(01:37):
Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association was formally established. To this day,
it's a private, non profit community of psychics, mediums, healers
and believers who live and work in the area, many
in gorgeous and supposedly haunted late Victorian homes.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Ghosts, oh honey, they're practically on the payroll.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Cassadaga isn't just known for its psychics and mediums. It's
crawling with ghost stories. Let's dive into a few of them.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
The Cassadaga Hotel.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
This nineteen twenties hotel is the spiritual and literal heart
of the town. Legend has it that Room twenty two
is haunted, with guests reporting everything from moving furniture to
shadowy figures and cold spots. Some visitors claim to have
seen a woman in Victorian dress gliding down the hall
or staring at them in the mirror. A Victorian ghost
(02:32):
in Florida. That's a bold fashioned choice for the humidity.
Other hotel spirits include a cigar smoking man whose phantom
stogy scent wafts through the air, and a ghost who's
fond of turning on water faucets. Apparently, even in the
afterlife people forget to turn off the tap. Side note,
(02:53):
the first home my husband and I purchased was built
in eighteen sixty three. It was a Victorian colonial paps
did indeed turn on by themselves regularly, amongst other things
that went bump in the day and night. But that
is a whole other story and we do not live
there anymore. Needless to say, we did not like sharing
our space with the.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Afterlife spirit Pond.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Behind the hotel lies a quiet little area called Spirit Pond,
where seances and rituals have been performed for over a century.
Locals claim to see orbs, mists, and ghostly figures rising
from the water, although skeptics argue it might just be
the Florida fog and overactive imagination.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Devil's chair in Lake Helen's Cemetery.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Just a short walk from Cassadaga proper is the infamous
Devil's Chair, a brick chair in the cemetery said to
be cursed. Legend has it, if you sit in the
chair at midnight, the devil himself will whisper secrets to you,
probably something like get more cats or pineapple does belong
on pizza. People leave unopened beers on the chair overnight,
(04:01):
and in the morning the can is mysteriously empty. Either
the devil is a thirsty frat bro or Florida raccoons
have developed a drinking problem. Cassadaga is steeped in its
own peculiar mythology, the first being the spirit line. It's
said there's a lay line running directly under Cassadaga, an
(04:21):
energetic hotbed that enhances psychic abilities and spiritual communication. It's
like being on psychic Wi Fi Full bars.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
The Haunted Forest, because no ghost story is complete without it.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Near Cassadaga is a patch of woods where multiple people
claim to have seen shadow people, ghostly figures, and even UFOs.
It's either an inner dimensional portal or someone smoking something very.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Strong seances with side effects.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Historically, some of Cassadaga's early mediums were famous for dramatic
seances featuring spirit trumpets, glowing and ectoplasm. Skeptics claimed they
were hoaxes, but believers said the ectoplasm, often cheesecloth or
egg whites, was the real deal. Honestly, if ghosts are
(05:13):
sneezing cheese cloth at me, I'm charging extra. Let's get
into some real stories from real weirdos, and we say
that lovingly.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
The psychic who solved a cold case.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
A long time Cassadaga medium reportedly helped police locate a
missing person's body in the nineteen eighties by drawing a
map during a reading. While there's little documentation, locals treat
the story like gospel, and the medium is still remembered
as a spiritual detective.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
The poltergeist plumber.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
A plumber once refused to finish a job in one
of the historic homes, claiming that tools were flying off
shelves and faucets turned on and off by themselves. He
fled mid job and refused to return. To be fair, haunted,
plumbing is above any one's pay grade.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
The psychic cat. When we speak of spooky things, we
must mention our four legged friends.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
One local healer swore her cat could sense spirits and
would hiss at corners of the room before a reading.
Taurists loved it, and the cat became a minor celebrity.
Sadly she passed on, but believers say her spirit still
patrols the bookstore, shelves.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Crystals, chakras, and capitalism.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Cassadaga today is both a sacred place and a very
quirky tourist trap. It has a bookstore where you can
buy books on astral projection and incense to mask the
smell of your third eye opening. A temple where weekly
services include guided meditations, healing ceremonies, and sometimes impromptu messages
(06:50):
from the beyond. Dozens of resident mediums, many of whom
have been practicing for decades, and often book appointments months
in advance. Getting a reading here is like trying to
get into a tailor swift concert, but with more sage smoke.
Cassadaga is weird, it's wonderful. It's like twin peaks with
palm trees, And whether you believe in ghosts or not,
(07:13):
there's something undeniably magical about a town where the dead
get better cell reception than the living, and everyone waves
like you've known them in a past life. It's a
reminder that history doesn't have to be dry and dusty.
It can be spooky, sassy, and slightly spectral. Thanks for
tuning into the Strange History Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode,
(07:35):
like review, subscribe and tell all your friends. If you
have no friends, head down to Cassadaga. It's quite clear
you will never be alone.
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