Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Theresa Travels...to Helvetia, WV for Fasnacht 2024!



I have always wanted to attend Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Heck, I just always wanted to visit New Orleans at any time of the year, as it was a Bucket List item for me. I was able to finally cross that one off  late last year. And, while we do plan on returning to the Crescent City at some point, it was a little too soon to go back for Mardi Gras. So, I compromised...and managed to knock ANOTHER Bucket List item off in the process: Fasnacht in Helvetia, WV!

Helvetia is a really unique little community nestled in the mountains of Randolph County. It was founded in 1869 by a group of Swiss/German immigrants. These immigrants, part of a society called the Grütliverein, were living in Brooklyn, NY after the Civil War and had made a decision to move together to a new part of the country when the time was right.  

When a newspaper notice advertising cheap plots of land in the newly formed state of West Virginia popped up on their radar, a committee of men boarded a train and headed down south to explore. The train could only take them as far as Clarksburg.  However, the extremely cheap price of the land won over the extreme ruggedness and isolation of the plot, and by 1871, 32 people called Helvetia home.  




 While the town was a busy and fairly prosperous little hamlet, it never reached a population of much over 300 people. And, well into the 21st century, it remains an extremely isolated community. That isolation has had some interesting advantages, however. It has allowed the community to largely preserve much of its Swiss and German heritage. One such tradition it has managed to keep alive is a pre-Lenten celebration, similar to Mardi Gras, called Fasnacht!

Fasnacht is quite the fun and unique little festival. It is a both a celebration with fatty foods, lively music, and good-old fashioned partying (with lots of alcohol, we observed, lol) before Lent begins, as well as a farewell to Old Man Winter, as participants don homemade masks to scare him away, and then burn his effigy in a massive bonfire. 

Old Man Winter
awaits his fate.



That's a pretty wild ride, especially for such a small, isolated mountain community. But, for at least one day...the Saturday before Ash Wednesday...that little town isn't so isolated. In fact, the number of people descending upon Helvetia to help celebrate Fasnacht is well over the town's peak population of 300+.  The push to bring in outside tourism to Fasnacht dates back to the 1960's, but definitely had a surge when Fallout 76 came out, actually featuring the festival in the game. 

 For Fasnacht 2024, we managed to buy our tickets online just hours before the pre-sale tickets sold out. A set number of pre-sale tickets are sold online, followed by a limited amount of tickets that are sold day-of. However, what is important to note, is that buying a ticket/wristband only means that you get a free little baked good, and entry to certain buildings. Most activities and even entry to different buildings were free and open to the public. 
Mari Llywd!


The festival officially began at 3:00pm, but my husband wanted to sleep in, so we didn't arrive in town until about 2 pm. That was a big mistake, as everyone else wanted to get their early, and with good reason. We had to park about 3/4 of mile outside of town on the side of the road. By the time we walked into town, I was in so much pain that I really couldn't do much more that day. It didn't help that it was SOOO crowded. Don't get me wrong, I am so happy that people from all over the United States and beyond appreciate our West Virginia history and culture. I'm sure it's a great economic boom to the people in the area, and overall, it is just a really fun time. But, we couldn't really do much. We couldn't get a good look at the museum, store, or archives because it was just shoulder to shoulder people, many of whom were really invested in getting their own pictures and video. I wanted to take the historic walking tour, but again, I was in so much pain by that point, I couldn't. 

I held out, though, because I really wanted to see the masks and the Lampion Parade, and the Burning of Old Man Winter. When it was time for the mask judging, everyone was supposed to circle out, but people jumped directly in front of us, so I couldn't see anything. We did get a nice view of part of the Lampion Parade, but again, someone jumped directly in front of me, blocking my view. So, we decided to just hop on into the parade and head down to the community center where the bonfire was set up. We didn't make it halfway there before we heard the cheering and yelling, denoting that they had already thrown Old Man Winter onto the fire. As we arrived, people were shoulder to shoulder all across the roadway. I could see the top of the fire, but that was it. Since it was so crowded, and I was tired, we just went home without staying for the dance. 




I can't say I had a bad time, but I just didn't have a GOOD time, either. We should have gotten there earlier, and it was no one's fault but my own that I was in so much pain that day. I will say, however, that one could easily tell who was a local and who was not. I won't go as far as to say that anyone was maliciously rude, but there certainly were more than a few young out-of-staters who had too much to drink and thought it would be cool to pretend to be a hillbilly for a day. 

It was fun, however, seeing all the artistry involved. There were some fantastic homemade masks and costumes. Lots of West Virginia monsters were represented, as well as plenty of Fallout 76 inspired masks. There was even a guy dressed up as the Welsh Mari Llywd.  The music was fun to listen to, and it was just really awesome to see the town itself, much of it unchanged in over 100 years. When it comes down to it, I'm glad I checked this celebration off the Bucket List...but it will probably be the last Fasnacht that I celebrate in Helvetia. I would, however, like to visit the town during any other time of year, so that I can get a good look at everything, explore at my own pace, and have dinner at the Hutte House restaurant! However, if I would go back....

Lampion Parade



Things I'd Do Differently:

1. I'd absolutely take the time to create a mask. I just didn't have the energy this year, but it was so fun seeing everyone else's creation that I'll definitely make it a priority next time to join in.

2. Get there EARLY...like super early. I cannot physically go through that parking situation again, plus, I'd like to get a chance to eat at the Hutte House.

3. NOT buy a wristband, especially in advance. The wristband was required to enter certain buildings, but during the day, no one was checking, and we didn't stay around for the dance at the community center, so it really didn't do us any good. 

4. Run down to the community center BEFORE the parade. We totally missed the burning of Old Man Winter because we were in the back of the parade. When we did arrive, we couldn't get anywhere near the fire pit anyway. 

To learn more about Helvetia and Fasnacht:



Helvetia: The Swiss of West Virginia, a video by the Augusta Heritage Center

Monday, February 19, 2024

The Rake and Other Ghouls: St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group (January 2024)


The St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group kicked off its third year of spooky fellowship on Wednesday, January 31st at the St. Albans Historical Society. We had a very special presenter that evening: Barry Miller! Along with Angie Breeden, Barry Miller was instrumental in the creation of the Paranormal Discussion Group, and is super-knowledgeable about a variety of paranormal topics. For his talk, he chose the topic of the Rake.

So what is the Rake? Although largely accepted as being a Creepy Pasta creation, with popular 'photos' of the creature taken straight from pop culture, the Rake is a well-known and well-feared entity for many people out there who have claimed to actually have experienced one. Pale crawler, hairless man-dog, tall and thin like Slenderman without the tentacles: these descriptions and others make up the horrifying visuals of these odd beings.

Barry went over many famous sightings and stories, complete with handouts which was a really cool touch. With mediation by Tony Breeden, Barry's talk was followed-up with additional information and more discussion on just why people may be seeing these strange creatures that were admittedly a work of fiction. Sleep paralysis, ghouls, alien abduction, tulpas/thought forms...all these topics merged to create a lively discussion about the Rake.




This first meeting of the Paranormal Discussion Group was PACKED, and everyone had a wonderful time learning about and discussing this unique topic. Seasoned members, along with a few new faces were in attendance, and it was just really cool to see so many people from so many viewpoints respectfully come together over a shared interest and discuss it in a safe, supportive environment. At the beginning of the meeting, there was also time for members to share any upcoming projects or announcements, which is another really cool aspect of the group---it really is for everyone. There is no charge to attend, there's a wide variety of paranormal topics spread out over the year with a wide variety of presenters, and everyone is welcome. I really look forward to these monthly meetings, and am eagerly awaiting February's presentation of meditation by Adam Good!

If you'd like to attend a meeting of the St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group, we'd love to have you join us! We meet on the last Wednesday of each month at the St. Albans Historical Society Building (404 Fourth Avenue, St. Albans, WV). Meetings start at 6pm and tend to run between  one and two hours long on average. Please follow the group on Facebook for more updates and the 2024 schedule of speakers. Stay spooky! 

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

The Diakka

Andrew Jackson Davis
Source

As a paranormal investigator, I follow the creed that 'if you're a jerk in life, you're going to be a jerk in death.' More succinctly put, one's personality follows them in death. Dying doesn't automatically make you a good person, nor  does it necessarily give you a measurable uptick in wisdom.

Hudson Tuttle, a 19th century Spiritualist from Ohio, had this to say: "As the spirit enters the spirit world just as it leaves this [world], there must be an innumerable host of low, undeveloped, uneducated, or in other words, evil spirits."

While I don't agree that these spirits are 'evil,' I do agree that they often get that reputation. There are many locations where we investigate that have garnered a reputation of being home to a malevolent, or in some cases, demonic haunting. Sometimes these entities come across as malevolent and/or demonic, not because they actually ARE some type of evil non-human entity, but because they just aren't very nice. They may curse and growl at us, both through disembodied voice and through spirit boxes. They may tell us to leave, or even try to interactive physically through scratches or shoves.

Aside from the mean spirits of those who were mean in life, occasionally, you'll have a spirit that acts out in an improper way, much like a frustrated child throwing a temper tantrum. I believe that these spirits are desperately trying whatever works to communicate with us, and thus, they too fall under this category of low, undeveloped, and uneducated spirits. 

Andrew Jackson Davis, another 19th century Spiritualist known as the Poughkeepsie Seer, had a name for these entities. He called them 'Diakka,' and blamed them for the fraud and trickery often witnessed during seances. In modern times, could these Diakka still be practicing their trickery on paranormal investigators? We often get alleged communication with entities that just doesn't make sense, or have other experiences that just seem like someone is messing with us. 

These Spiritualists of the late 1800s/early 1900s believed that the Diakka resided on their own plane or sphere, much like being on probation and that the best way to avoid their influence is to live a pure life...since they liked to seek out those they felt were weak or had minds that most resembled their own. 

You can read Davis' book, The Diakka, for FREE via the Internet Archive! LINK HERE

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

The West Virginia Yayho

Paris Hammons c. 1920
b. 1856 d. 1926
Source: WV History on View


Sasquatch. Bigfoot. Wild Man. Hairy Man. Hearing any of these names generally evokes the same image of a tall, large, hairy bipedal humanoid type creature roaming the woods. Although here in the eastern United States, we tend to settle on the name of Bigfoot, the mountain people of West Virginia have historically had their own moniker for this classic cryptid.

If you've ever heard the term yahoo or yayho in reference to a Bigfoot-like creature in the Mountain State, you may have wondered where that name came from. The name most likely is inspired from the distinct howl that the creature makes, echoing over the valleys and sending shivers up the spines of those who hear it. And, one of the earliest witnesses of the yayho in West Virginia is a family known as the first family of traditional WV music!

The Hammons Family came to West Virginia just prior to the Civil War, with many of its members settling in Pocahontas and surrounding counties. And, since that time, the family has been synonymous  with West Virginia/Appalachian music. In the early 1970's, a local musician and WVU graduate student, Dwight Diller, befriended several of the elderly members of the Hammons clan and interviewed them. These interviews became the basis of a documentary two-disc LP and booklet project published by the Library of Congress with the help of Alan Jabbour and Carl Fleischhauer. 

Although the focus of the interviews skewed towards the family's musical genealogy,  plenty of other tales were also shared, including some of a supernatural bent. And, one of those stories involved encounters with a strange and mysterious beast in Pocahontas County!

Two of the Hammons brothers interviewed were Burl and Sherman, who shared a tale about their father Paris and a particular bear hunting expedition. Paris, Paris' father, and a man named Wilburn Baldwin were among those who set out one fall day for a multi-day bear hunt near the head of the Cherry River. They had planned to stay about 2-3 days, but decided to extend their trip another couple of days. The problem was that they had only brought enough food to last them enough for their original plan. So, one of the men volunteered to head into Hillsboro to pick up supplies. He was expected back the next evening, and made plans for the rest of the group to meet him at the designated time and place.

Cherry River
Source: Tim Kiser
Wikipedia


The time agreed upon came and went. It was already after dark and getting darker. Suddenly, the men heard hollering. The hollering came closer and closer, and at first the men thought their friend may be calling out. But, it was Uncle Pete who realized that the hollering was NOT coming from any man, but some sort of beast. Not long after, they did hear their buddy's voice and found that he had dropped all the supplies, including his gun, and had shimmied up a tree, claiming that something big was after him. This thing even tried jumping up at him from below the tree.  The next day tracks were found in the area that appeared like a man's footprints...but definitely not any normal man. 

This wasn't the only time the family would encounter evidence of this strange beast, which they described as huge and hairy and able to jump 25-30 feet. And, while history would remember the Hammons for their wonderful contributions to traditional Appalachian music, especially fiddling, I'll personally remember them for being early witnesses to the Bigfoot phenomena here in West Virginia. Interestingly, the area of Pocahontas County where the bear hunting incident occurred is still to this day one of the places with the most Bigfoot reports in West Virginia....

You can read about the encounter in the booklet, The Hammons Family: A Study of a West Virginia Family's Traditions, available for free download HERE.  

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

The Greenbrier Ghost: Mary Heaster's Testimony

Zona Heaster Shue
The Greenbrier Ghost


Since many already know the basic story of Zona Heaster Shue, the Greenbrier Ghost, I'll only give a brief introduction.  On January 23, 1897 the body of Zona Heaster Shue was found lying on the floor of the home she shared with her husband, Edward/Erasmus 'Trout' Shue. After a hasty medical examination and burial, and the odd behavior of Trout, the small WV community had its suspicions...especially Mary Heaster, Zona's mother. Mary prayed to God to show her what had really happened to her daughter. Zona's ghost came to her mother in a series of dreams, finally revealing that Trout had attacked her after she failed to cook meat for dinner. 

The body was exhumed, spurred largely on the fact that even the medical examiner admitted that Trout did not permit him to get close enough to Zona to do a thorough exam, but had noticed some bruising around her neck. A new exam revealed that Zona's neck had been broken and her windpipe crushed. Trout was charged with the murder and brought to trial that summer. The following is an excerpt of Mary's testimony, as published in the Greenbrier Independent on July 1, 1897: 

Mary Robinson Heaster
Zona's Mother



Mrs. Mary J. Heaster, Mother of Mrs. Shue, Sees Her Daughter in Visions

The following very remarkable testimony was given by Mrs. Heaster on the pending trial of E.S. Shue for the murder of his wife, her daughter, and led to the inquest and postmortem examination, which resulted in Shue's arrest and trial. It was brought out by counsel for the accused:

Question--I have heard that you had some dream or vision which led to this postmortem examination?

Answer--They saw enough theirselves [sic] without me telling them. It was no dream-she came back and told me that he was mad that she didn't have no meat cooked for supper. But she said she had plenty, and said that she had butter and apple-butter, apples and named over two or three kinds of jellies, pears and cherries and raspberry jelly, and she says I had plenty; and she says don't you think that he was mad and just took down all my nice things and packed them away and just ruined them. And she told me where I could look down back of Aunt Martha Jones', in the meadow, in a rocky place; that I could look in a cellar behind some loose plank and see. It was a square log house, and it was hewed up to the square, and she said for me to look right at the right-hand side of the door as you go in. Well, I saw the place just exactly as she told me, and I saw blood right there where she told me; and she told me something about that meat every night she came, just as she did the first night. She cames [sic] four times and four nights; but the second night she told me that her neck was squeezed off at the first joint and it was just as she told me.

Q--Now, Mrs. Heaster, this sad affair was very particularly impressed upon your mind, and there was not a moment during your waking hours that you did not dwell upon it?

A--No, sir; and there is not yet, either. 

Q--And was this not a dream founded upon your distressed condition of mind?

A--No, Sir. It was no dream, for I was as wide awake as I ever was.

Q--Then if not a dream or dreams, what do you call it?

A--I prayed to the Lord that she might come back and tell me what had happened; and I prayed that she might come herself and tell on him.

Q--Do you think that you actually saw her in flesh and blood?

A--Yes, sir, I do. I told them the very dress that she was killed in, and when she went to leave me she turned her head completely around and looked at me like she wanted me to know all about it. And the very next time she came back to me she told me all about it. The first time she came, she seemed that she did not want to tell me as much about it as she did afterwards. The last night she was there she told me that she did everything she could do, and I am satisfied that she did do all that, too.

Q--Now, Mrs. Heaster, don't you know that these visions, as you term them or describe them, were nothing more or less than four dreams founded upon your distress?

A--No, I don't know it. The Lord sent her to me to tell it. I was the only friend that she knew she could tell and and put any confidence in; I was the nearest one to her. He gave me a ring that he pretended she wanted me to have; but I don't know what dead woman he might have taken it off of. I wanted her own ring and he would not let me have it.

Q--Mrs. Heaster, are you positively sure that these are not four dreams?

A--Yes, sir. It was not a dream. I don't dream when I am wide awake, to be sure; and I know I saw her right there with me. 

Q--Are you not considerably superstitious?

A--No, sir, I'm not. I was never that way before and am not now.

Q--Do you believe the scriptures?

A--Yes, sir. I have no reason not to believe it.

Q--And do you believe the scriptures contain the words of God and his Son?

A--Yes, sir I do. Don't you believe it?

Q--Now, I would like if I could, to get you to say these were four dreams and not four visions or appearances of your daughter in flesh and blood.

A--I am not going to say that; for I am not going to lie.

Q--Then you insist that she actually appeared in flesh and blood to you upon four different occasions?

A--Yes, sir.

Q--Did she not have any other conversation with you other than upon the matter of her death?

A--Yes, sir, some other little things. Some things I have forgotten--just a few words. I just wanted the particulars about her death, and I got them.

Q--When she came, did you touch her?

A--Yes, sir. I got up on my elbows and reached out a little further, as I wanted to see if people came in their coffins, and I sat up and leaned on my elbows and there was a light in the house. It was not a lamp light. I wanted to see if there was a coffin, but there was not. She was just like she was when she left this world. It was just after I went to bed, and I wanted her to come and talk to me, and she did. This was before the inquest and I told my neighbors. They said she was exactly as I told them she was. 

Q--Have you ever seen the premises where your daughter lived?

A--No, sir, I had not; but I found them just exactly as she told me it was, and I never laid eyes on that house until since her death. She told me this before I knew anything of the buildings at all.

Q--How long was it after this when you had these interviews with your daughter until you did see buildings?

A--It was a month or more after the examination. It has been a little over a month since I saw her. 



Saturday, January 20, 2024

The Former Morgue Bar and Lounge: Haunted New Orleans

November 2023

I think it may be safe to say that there are fewer places in New Orleans that AREN'T haunted than there are those that have reported some level of paranormal or unexplained activity. Seriously, there is no shortage of spooky happenings around the Crescent City, and the French Quarter is especially prone to tales of ghosts, goblins, and vampires. 

Although my interests in visiting New Orleans are mainly for the ghosts, there's no denying that this is a party city year-round, but especially during this time of year as we approach Mardi Gras. In fact, the only thing New Orleans may have more of than ghosts is bars. Bourbon and surrounding streets are filled with places to get a Hurricane, Hand Grenade, or one of many, many other beverages to drink on-site or take with you. And, to no one's surprise, most of these bars are believed to be haunted! Haunted pub tours take visitors to some of the best-known haunted bars, but there's one location that stuck out to me on our recent trip. 

Unfortunately, it has been closed for some time, and now sits vacant, but directly across from our hotel on St. Philip Street was the former Flanagan's...known before that as the Morgue Bar and Lounge. 

Located at 625 St. Philip Street, the old Morgue Bar and Lounge is part of a larger building, subdivided by address. From what I can gather, it was built in the 1840's by Jean (John) Gleises, a wagon-wheel maker born in France. It was while the Gleises family owned the home that perhaps its darkest times would befall the Creole townhouse. During the summer of 1853, a particularly nasty yellow fever epidemic hit the New Orleans area. Those who had the money to spend the warm summer months in a more hospital climate did so. However, 50,000 residents of New Orleans would have no means of escaping the city. In a span of only 3-4 weeks, 10,000 of them would die from the dreaded disease.

1960's

This overwhelming amount of death required increased space for the bodies, and homes throughout the French Quarter and beyond were opened up as makeshift morgues. That was the fate of the Gleises residence. Not only were the bodies of yellow fever victims stored here, but those dying from other causes as well. Unfortunately, Jean wouldn't live to see the end of the year either, and died on September 4, 1853. 

After his death, there are conflicting stories about just who the building was willed to...either his wife, or a daughter living in France. Either way, the property went through a handful of different owners with apparently nothing significant enough going on to really be recorded. It wasn't until the 1920's that the Ruffino family acquired the property. The Ruffino's were an Italian family who started up a bakery and ran a restaurant out of the location. The Ruffino's owned the property up through the 1960's.

Banking off of the spooky history of its use as a morgue (sometimes said to be the first or one of the first desegregated in the city), a witty entrepreneur opened up the Morgue Bar and Lounge, featuring a signature cocktail called Embalming Fluid. During its operation as the Morgue (and later Flanagan's), this bar became known as one of the city's haunted hot spots---a great place for spirits and spirits. Bathroom lights were known to completely dim into pitch darkness, and toilets overflowed for no reason. Workers were troubled by a refrigerator that always seem to break...but in reality, the plug was being pulled from the outlet by unseen hands. 

The website, Haunted Hovel, has an interesting explanation for some of the activity. Not only is the building haunted by the many, many poor souls whose bodies were stored here before burial...but also by the 'mortician's daughter.' I'm not entirely sure there ever was an actual mortician associated with the building, as it was only used as a temporary storage space for dead bodies, but the stories go that this young woman had a nasty habit of stealing jewelry from the deceased! After her own death, perhaps as punishment for her misdeeds, she's stuck at the location, where she is still up to her old tricks. Women will often report jewelry or other small items going missing after a trip to the bar's restroom. 

I'd love to see this place open and fully functional on our next trip down south, and I'd love to see a return to the morgue-themed bar---a macabre, but historical tribute to the building's long-ago past. 

Sources and Further Reading:

Ghost City Tours: The Haunted French Quarter Morgue

The Haunted Hovel: Haunted Places in Louisiana 

Vieux Carre Digital Survey

Ruffino Family

Old New Orleans, by Stanley Arthur

Friday, January 12, 2024

Dolph Griggs: An FCI Fright Bite!

Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
22 June 1959

Back when SRI members, Brian and Kaysee, joined WVPI for a joint investigation of the Fairfield County Infirmary, they caught a name come over the spirit box loud and clear: Dolph. Dolph isn't exactly a popular name these days, and barring the possibility that they tuned in briefly to a podcast featuring Simpson's side characters, I think it's possible to say that they made contact with a former inmate: Dolph Griggs.

On June 20, 1959, the local rescue squad was dispatched to the Fairfield County Infirmary. There, they found 72 year old Dolph with a 2.5 inch cut across his throat. Dolph was either unable or unwilling to tell anyone what had happened, so first aid was administered and he was taken to the hospital for further treatment. Luckily, the wounds were not serious, and Dolph was released a few days later.

Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
06 June 1959

There never was a public explanation for what happened to Dolph; we can only speculate. It's possible it was just an accident---perhaps he cut himself shaving. It's also possible he was attacked, as inmate-on-inmate wasn't unheard of. However, I think Dolph may have tried to end his own life.

Dolph was originally from the area, but for several years had been living with his wife, Veatress, near Houston, Texas. She was ill for about two years before passing away in Houston hospital. The Lancaster newspapers ran her obituary on June 6, 1959. It stated that she was being brought home to Fairfield County for burial. 

Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
2 April 1962

Two weeks later, Dolph is in the county Infirmary and being taken to the hospital for a mysterious wound. I think that Dolph, accompanying his wife home, found himself either too ill to return to Texas, or with no reason to go back, but nowhere else to go, either.

Death would finally come for Dolph. He died on April 1, 1962 at the Fairfield County Infirmary. His body was interred next to his wife's at Maple Grove Cemetery in Baltimore, OH. What's sad is that there is a tombstone marking the couple's graves....but there was no one around to make sure the dates of death were ever filled out. 

Find-a-Grave
by Ann Lodder