Richard Potter’s Final Bow – A New England Legends

The Paranormal 60 Network

P60 Podcast Admin

Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.6 • 627 Ratings

🗓️ 1 September 2025

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Step into the world of America’s first professional magician. In this episode of New England Legends, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger travel to Potter Place in Andover, New Hampshire, where Richard Potter—the nation’s earliest celebrity illusionist—took his final bow in 1835. Potter wasn’t just a master of sleight of hand; he was a trailblazer. A Black man who defied the odds, he toured the north and south, sold out theaters, and earned a fortune at a time when such success was nearly unthinkable. But the real mystery? He’s not buried where you’d expect. Join us as we uncover the strange twist behind Potter’s final resting place… and why his last illusion may be the most enduring of all. Richard Potter’s Final Bow – A New England Legends Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more episodes join us here each Monday or visit their website to catch up on the hundreds of tales that legends are made of. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ournewenglandlegends.com/category/podcasts/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Jeff Belanger here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jeffbelanger.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ PLEASE SUPPORT THE ADVERTISERS THAT SUPPORT THIS SHOW Happiness Experiment - ⁠⁠https://go.happinessexperiment.com/begin-aff-o2?am_id=podcast2025&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=michael⁠⁠ Factor Meals - Get 50% off your first order & Free Shipping at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.FactorMeals.com/p6050off⁠⁠⁠⁠ & use code: P6050off at checkout Mint Mobile - To get your new wireless plan for just $15 a month, and get the plan shipped to your door for FREE, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.MintMobile.com/P60⁠⁠⁠⁠ Shadow Zine - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shadowzine.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Love & Lotus Tarot - ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://lovelotustarot.com/

Transcript

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0:15.1	Hey Anna, I've got a new secret weapon for print. Print. Vista print, right? That's not a secret.
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0:36.1	All right, Ray, pick a card, any card.
0:38.3	Oh, man.
0:39.0	Is this a magic trick, Jeff?
0:40.4	It is.
0:41.3	I have a couple of go-to card tricks, you know, but nothing up my sleeve.
0:45.0	All right, fine, fine.
0:45.7	I'll take this one.
0:46.9	All right.
0:47.5	Now put it back in the deck anywhere.
0:49.8	Okay.
0:50.8	And I'll shuffle it again.
1:27.6	All right, quick flip. And your card should be right here on top. Is that your card? The Six of Diamonds? It is. Wow. Okay, how'd you do that? Magic. Fine. All right. I'm guessing we didn't come to this quiet spot in Andover, New Hampshire, just to do car tricks. No, no, we didn't. We came here to explore the life of someone buried right over there in the corner of the lot. Okay. Well, we're standing near the historic Potter Place Railroad Station, where there's a little fenced in area in some graves. We're in front of the grave of Richard Potter. Says he died in 1835.
1:29.5	And this is who we came to see.
1:33.7	Richard Potter isn't only the first in New Hampshire when it comes to his profession.
1:35.8	He's the first in all the United States.
1:42.1	We've come to Andover to pay our respects to the first American-born professional magician.
1:52.8	Hello, I'm Jeff Belanger. Welcome to episode 399 of the New England Legends podcast. And I'm Ray Osier. Thank you for joining us on our mission to chronicle every legend in New England,
	...

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