New Zebedee is a Michigan city. The population was 6,000 in the late-1940s. It is the county seat for Capharnaum County.
Name Origin and Symbolism[]
The world created by John Bellairs is very rich in folklore and Classical history. The original Zebedee was a fisherman of Galilee; James and John were his sons, who followed the call of Jesus to come with him. In Hebrew lore, Zebedee was possibly a school of thought; in either case, the symbolism is clear. New Zebedee is where people live, and many of them step away from their everyday tasks, take up themselves, and fight evil. There is certainly no lack of these folks, young and old, magical or un-magical, within the town!
New Zebedee: A Strong Current of Magic[]
"Well, you see, Lewis, magic is a bit like gold or silver. It doesn't exist just anywhere. There are places that have veins of magic running through them, just as you find some locations with veins of gold or silver ore. In the United States, there are, oh, maybe a dozen or so places where magic flows more strongly than elsewhere. It just so happens that one of the strongest magic lodes of all is right here in New Zebedee, Michigan, believe it or not." ... "A true magician can work his enchantment just about anywhere, but he will do much better when there is a strong current of magic flowering all around to call upon. The spells are a lot more powerful and a lot more effective."
Mrs. Zimmerman was speaking like a true Earth Witch when she described New Zebedee to Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita in The Doom of the Haunted Opera.
Things happen in New Zebedee.
Residents[]
- Jonathan Barnavelt
- Nephew, Lewis
- George and Louise Pottinger
- daughter, Rose Rita
- Albert Galway, Lousie's father and Rose Rita's grandfather
- Cora, Albert's first wife
- Florence Zimmermann
- Mrs. Holtz, Lewis' occasional babysitter
- Mr. Pfeiffer, owner of several stores
- Miss Ophelia White, the music teacher at Lewis' junior high school
- Mordecai Finster
- Miss Fogarty, schoolteacher
- Miss Greer, librarian, who owns a cat named Jailbird.
Famous and Infamous Visitors[]
Notable locations[]
- Barnavelt House
- Civil War Monument
- Courthouse
- The Farmers' Seed & Feed
- Fountain
- Grand Army of the Republic Hall
- Hawaii House
- Heemsoth’s Rexall Drug Store
- Lyon Lake
- Main Street
- Mansion Street
- Masonic Temple
- National Museum of Magic
- Opera House
- Oaklawn Hospital
- Oakridge Cemetery
- Schuyler’s Restaurant
- Wilder Creek Bridge