University Archivist Publishes Book of Bizarre Philadelphia Tales

Forgotten Tales of Philadelphia is the fifth book written by Thomas White, University archivist and adjunct lecturer in history. The collection contains unusual history, folklore and legends, and unveils bizarre tales that are often overlooked in history.

This offbeat compilation of strange stories and weird lore written by White, along with his co-author and brother Edward White, includes accounts of body snatchers, a 12-foot bull shark found in the Delaware River, witch trials, ghost catching and a snake-wielding lunatic.

Forgotten Tales of Philadelphia takes a “wickedly gleeful romp through the freak happenings, dastardly deeds and unbelievable characters that lurk in the lost chronicles of the City of Brotherly Love,” White said.

White’s previous books also deal with regional hauntings and ghost stories in a historical context. His first book, Legends and Lore of Western Pennsylvania, discusses the unusual happenings, including tales of ghosts of St. Ann’s Hall and Old Main, and odd occurrences in Fisher Hall shortly after it was purchased by the University in the 1990s.