In the Ocala, Florida area, there exists the Oak Hurst legend. In the 1800s, a plantation owner's wife was mysteriously killed while riding her large white horse. The owner later ends his own life. Thereafter, preceding any tragedy in the Ocala area, a riderless white horse races up to the plantation home, snorting loudly, nostrils distended and covered with dust and sweat. The horse pauses for a moment, then disappears. The sighting is always followed by a tragic event, such as the burning of downtown Ocala in 1883 or the death of a prominent person. The author of Tragedies of Oak Hurst was the wife of a prominent Ocala druggist, Dr. Rene R. Snowden. Using the pen name of Beatrice Marean, she based her novel, published in 1891, on the legend. A beautiful bride is shot while riding her white horse, and she is returned to the plantation house, Oak Hurst. He takes her to their bedroom, where he shoots himself. Almost a decade later, Dr. Dudley MacKenzie and his wife buy Oak Hurst with a loan from the richest man in town, Mr. Andrews. Eventually, Andrews gains control of Oak Hurst through fraud and deception. MacKenzie threatens revenge. Then, a white horse roars up to the entry of Oak Hurst, and shortly afterward, Andrews is killed, and his son blames MacKenzie. In the intervening time, the white horse keeps showing up as tragedy follows tragedy. Before everything concludes, a catastrophic train wreck significantly influences the plot. The book reveals the true murderer only at the end. It's a fascinating blend of gothic romance, social commentary, and regional folklore with a heart-rending injection of greed and redemption.