Santa Paula, CA/ Bladenboro, NC

Santa Paula, CA/ Bladenboro, NC

Author: Fred Knoop May 16, 2021 Duration: 1:36:54

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The city of Santa Paula lies in southern Ventura County in California. The small city is the self-proclaimed “citrus capital of the world”. But perhaps, just perhaps there is something stalking through the orange groves, something called the Billiwhack Monster.


Wikipedia article about Santa Paula, California

califolk.blogspot.com/2007/10/billiwhack-monster-of-ventura-county.html

weirdca.com/location.php?location=76

YouTube video (Iltev1bG69k)

YouTube video (QAS5chcXKsw)

The Los Angeles Times (Los Angles, CA) Nov 4, 1694.

Chasing American Monsters by Jason Offutt. Llewellyn Publishing, ( © 2019) “Chasing American Monsters Creatures Cryptids ebook” on Amazon

 Ghosts of Ventura County’s Heritage Valley by Evie Ybarra. Haunted American ( © 2016) Item on Amazon (B01KBCK1X2)


The little town of Bladenboro sits in Bladen County with a population of just under 1800. The town grew to prosperity after the Bridger brothers moved into the town and started a turpentine business and then later got involved in lumber. There isn’t much to say about the town unless your speaking of the mysterious beast that has terrorized Bladenboro since the 1950s.


starnewsonline.com/article/NC/20061029/News/605129891/WM

Wikipedia article about Beast of Bladenboro

ranker.com/list/beast-of-bladenboro-legend/laura-allan

northcarolinaghosts.com/piedmont/beast-bladenboro/

weekinweird.com/2013/07/02/has-the-vampire-beast-of-north-carolina-returned-new-killings-by-mystery-animal-match-classic-cryptid-case/

The Robesonian (Lumberton, NC) Jan 8th, 1954.

The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC) Jan 14, 1954.

news.google.com/newspapers

news.google.com/newspapers

Chasing American Monsters by Jason Offutt. Llewellyn Publishing, ( © 2019) “Chasing American Monsters Creatures Cryptids ebook” on Amazon


Local Headlines

abc.net.au/news/2021-05-11/mitta-valley-big-cat-sighting-continues-victorian-legend/100130380

castanet.net/news/Penticton/333803/Summerland-woman-describes-freaky-sighting-of-what-she-believes-was-Ogopogo

coasttocoastam.com/article/ghost-photographed-at-infamously-haunted-waverly-hills-sanatorium/



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There's a particular kind of quiet that settles over a small town, a hush that often holds more than it reveals. Small Town Secrets, hosted by Fred Knoop, goes digging beneath that surface calm to find the stories that define a place. Each episode is a journey to a different community somewhere in the world, where the strange and the historical intertwine. You might hear about a decades-old mystery that still divides local opinion, or an architectural oddity with a bizarre origin story. The scope is broad, touching on unexplained phenomena, compelling historical footnotes, and those simply peculiar events that become local legend. This isn't just about cataloging oddities; it's about understanding how these narratives become woven into the fabric of a community's identity, shaping its culture and the people who live there. Knoop approaches each tale with a curious and respectful tone, letting the atmosphere and the details build a vivid sense of place. The podcast serves as an audio travelogue to the shadowy corners of the map, proving that sometimes the most remote locations harbor the most fascinating secrets. It’s for anyone who suspects that the real story of a town isn't found on the welcome sign, but whispered in its diners and remembered in its forgotten buildings.
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