Actually, Theresa's Haunted History goes back to 2006 when I joined what would soon become Huntington Paranormal Investigations and Research. Shortly after joining the team, I was promoted to head up the historic research department. I had always been interested in historic research, and had already done quite a bit of looking into the local legends on my own, even before I joined the group. What I kept finding was that there was a LOT of misinformation out there. There were really only 1-2 sites that reported information on West Virginia haunted places, and those stories generally came from young people and/or people who were not very well versed in either local history or paranormal research. Then, other sites would pick up these erroneous personal accounts, and copy them word for word.
Therefore, Theresa's Haunted History was born! I wanted one localized site where investigators, researchers, and the general public could access the most accurate information about haunted locations throughout the state. And, since HPIR was located right at the borders, I decided that I had to include the entire tri-state region of Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia.
I chose to do this blog style because...basically it was free and easy, lol. Oh, and there were no bandwidth limits to fight with. I liked to have the ability to still have "pages" but also have all new entries easily available and seen.
My first entry was a profile for the Apollo Theater in Martinsburg, WV. It was a brand new entry, not found on the previous site. However, I quickly started the painstakingly mundane task of moving everything from the Freewebs site over to the blog...which is why there are a LOT more entries that first year. It's taken nearly two years to move everything and sort out the formatting and photo issues that accompany such a move, all the while adding tons of new content on a fairly regular basis.
Today, this blog has grown more than I ever thought it would! On the paranormal off-season, I'm averaging over 500 visitors a day. I've been contacted by numerous television shows and publications, and have been plagiarized more than I can count, lol. Still, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have a lot of fun researching and writing for this blog, and I couldn't do it without you many loyal readers. Thank you so much for your continuing support through the new year. I've got a lot of new features I'm working out for 2013, and even challenging myself to up the post count to at least once every other day! Help be a part of the haunted history of the tri-state by bookmarking this site, following me on Twitter, or giving me a LIKE on FaceBook for the latest news on this site and all my other paranormal pursuits. And, as always, if you have a question, comment, or know a location that needs to be included on this blog, feel free to email me at theresarhps@yahoo.com or leave a comment. Thanks again!
-Theresa
(Photos are some early promotional images I made)
Congratulations on coming this far! Keep up the marvelous work. For me, at least, your blog is the best source for information on West Virginia hauntings. Any state would be lucky to have you as a champion of its ghosts, but you chose WV, which, until now, has been woefully underrepresented.
ReplyDeleteI'm working on my first book and when I start on the WV, you'll likely be hearing from me.
As a champion of Southern ghosts in general, I'm grateful for your research and work. Here's to a great third year and future!
Thank you, Lewis! You've been a big inspiration to me, so that means a lot. Everyone, I sincerely urge you to go check out his site, Southern Spirit Guide for the best in haunted spots throughout the American South.
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