Uncharted Lancaster
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.
Uncharted Lancaster
The Crimson Scarf Ghost of Drytown Road
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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.
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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.