MANTEO, N.C. – The lush forest that surrounds Roanoke Island holds America’s oldest secret.
In 1587, 117 colonists arrived in Manteo, North Carolina as one of England’s first attempts to colonize the land.
Instead of birthing a nation, a mystery was born. Three years after the colonists arrived, they vanished without a trace.
Historians have several theories about what happened to the colonists, but none of them can be proved, leading to the name "The Lost Colony."
It is likely we will never know what happened to the colonists more than 400 years ago, but many believe that the colonists are still in the very woods they disappeared from.
"There is no doubt people feel something when they are here," explained Bill Coleman, CEO of the Roanoke Island Historical Association.
Every year a dramatization of the lost colonists is performed in the last place they were ever seen alive, and they are known to make their own special appearances.
"We like to think that in our show the ghosts of the lost colonists are protecting us and they want their story told," said Coleman.
A new version of the mystery lives on in Hollywood, through the new season of American Horror Story. While the season takes its twists and turns Coleman wants viewers to know that the mystery is right in their backyard.
"We want them to understand the history of what happened right here in this spot we want them to understand the struggles that they went through to try and get here," said Coleman.
Click here for more information about The Lost Colony's history and events.
