When the Lord Spared Louisa

Downtown Louisa, Ky
Source: City of Louisa

This month I celebrated my 43rd birthday. In the 4+ decades that I've been alive on this earth, I have witnessed so many "end of the world" predictions...literally too many to count. In fact, I think it was twice just in 2025 that I managed to survive the Rapture! And of course, the Y2K panic is still as fresh in my mind today as it was twenty-six years ago. 

As we all waited out the end of 1999, waiting for the ball to drop (followed by the planes to start falling from the sky, computers to crash, and everything resetting itself to 1900), we were all wondering just what our fate would be. I thought New Year's Eve 2025 would be a fun time to share another, much older prediction of destruction, going all the way back to the summer of 1920. 

The awesome Facebook page, Historic Wayne County WV, recently shared this newspaper article from the Wayne County News, dated June 17, 1920. 

On a warm, Tuesday morning in June, a "holy roller preacher" had predicted that Louisa, Kentucky would be destroyed by a fire a Biblical proportions. This unnamed preacher persuaded his followers to cross over the Big Sandy River into West Virginia and take refuge in the hills overlooking Fort Gay. There, they could safely observe the town of Louisa and all of its sinners go up in smoke. 

But, like so many predictions of this type, this one failed to materialize and the people of Louisa and surrounding areas were spared. I honestly don't know enough about the history of the area to even make an educated guess as to why Louisa, Kentucky was slated for destruction, while the towns all around it, including those across the river in West Virginia, were totally safe. 

So, speaking of predictions....what predictions do YOU have for 2026? Please share them in the comments below or find me on social media and let me know! 

Wayne County News
17 June 1920

Solomon Efaw's Christmas Pardon

WV State Penitentiary ca 1922
Source: WV History on View

Merry Christmas from Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State!

Today it is known as one of the most haunted places in the country, but at one time, the West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville was simply the home to some of the state's worst criminals. Overcrowding issues, combined with violence, sickness, and despair, led to the prison's haunted reputation, but every once in a while, there was a glimmer of hope. For example, every Christmas, it was customary for the governor of West Virginia to grant a Christmas pardon to the oldest and/or longest serving inmate at the prison. In 1909, that inmate was Solomon Efaw.

Solomon Efaw, who was around 60 years old at the time of his pardon, had been at the penitentiary for around 19 years. He was serving a life sentence for the 1891 murder of B.B. Bennett in Upshur County. 

On May 8, 1891, B.B. Bennett was staying at a relative's home in the Sand Run area, just north of Buckhannon. While asleep in a bedroom shared with two young cousins, around 11pm, someone threw oil-soaked rags through a window, right at the foot of Bennett's bed. The commotion awoke Bennett and the rest of the family, and the fire was put out, but not before burning a large hole in the floor. 

Bennett went to stoke the fire in the fireplace in order to bring in additional light to see the damage. As he looked toward the window, a shot was fired, hitting him in the chest and killing him almost instantly. 

Witnesses said they saw Solomon Efaw's face, and later identified the murder weapon, a Marlin rifle, as belonging to Efaw. No motive was given for the murder, other than the idea that Efaw and a man named Isaac Kesling had a beef with Bennett earlier. 

While in prison, Efaw became a model prisoner, and was well-liked by guards and fellow inmates alike. He played the fiddle and even learned to write. He used this new skill to write many letters, pleading his innocence over the years, and even applying several times for the yearly Christmas pardon. 

He was finally granted his pardon in 1909 by Governor Glasscock. Apparently, this conditional pardon was Governor Glasscock's first Christmas pardon, he having taken the oath of office earlier that year.  Warden Matthews delivered the news personally. Solomon Efaw ate one last Christmas dinner with the rest of the inmates, and then was released with a gift of $25, courtesy of the prison staff. 

Following his release, Solomon Efaw led a long life. He passed away from heart disease at the age of 86 on December 10, 1936. There are some who believed that Solomon, although probably implicated in the murder, was not the one who pulled the trigger. 

The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer
09 May 1891

The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer
08 June 1891

The Fairmont West Virginian
23 December 1909

The Point Pleasant Register
29 December 1909

The Devil Comes to Clay County: A Demonic December Story

Image created in ChatGPT

Recently, researcher and author, Tony Breeden (you can find his work on multiple platforms including the websites Tony Breeden Books and Exotheology) shared a pretty interesting article with me. The article, which comes from The Martinsburg Weekly Independent dated 14 November 1874, tells the tale of a young pedagogue returning home from what I believe is implied to be the home of a girl he is courting, when he runs into a terrible creature. 

It was November 1st, and rather late at night when the young man was headed home in an area of Clay County near Oakton known as Back Creek. He was at a crossroads between the properties of Samuel Murphy and the widow Woods when an 8-10 foot creature suddenly appeared before him. 

The creature had large feet, and long arms that ended in huge, dreadful claws. A long, flaming tale whipped around the devilish form. A long, flickering tongue added to the fear the young man felt, as the creature stood in front of him, menacingly for approximately three minutes. Then, with a terrible sound, it ran off into the woods, leaving the terrified young man dumbfounded. The newspaper surmises that this was the devil himself, out looking for a victim to devour. 

But WHY would the devil, or one of his many minions, be out in rural Clay County, stalking young teachers out courting? Was this a liquor-fueled hallucination, or a young man's psychosis manifesting in a most demonic way? Does the proximity to Halloween play a part in the sighting...or is this just simply a fun story designed to pull in readership to a small West Virginian newspaper during the dark, cool days of late fall?

Martinsburg Weekly Independent
14 November 1874
Read online at Chronicling America

The OTHER Bridge Collapse

 

Elk River Bridge Collapse
Charleston, WV (15 December 1904)
Source: WV Regional History Collection

Synchronicity: The simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection. 

As a paranormal enthusiast, a student of West Virginia history, or simply just a resident of the tri-state area, you're likely familiar with the tragic events of December 15, 1967. That evening, the Silver Bridge, spanning the Ohio River at Pt. Pleasant fell during rush hour traffic, taking with it 46 lives. The event is intertwined with the Curse of Chief Cornstalk and Mothman lore, as to many, the event seemed to be the end of a 13-month period of UFOs, Mothman sightings, and other incidents of high strangeness in and around Pt. Pleasant. Some even claim that Mothman was seen on or near the bridge that day. Many who would have been on the bridge received psychic visions that kept them from becoming victims themselves. Was Mothman a harbinger of doom...or did he cause the bridge to fall? 

Most likely the answer is neither. In fact, the paranormal experiences didn't exactly stop---just no one really felt like talking about them or going Mothman-hunting when so many people had lost their lives. Nearly everyone in town was affected in some way by the tragedy or knew someone who was a victim. The collapse of the Silver Bridge was known for years as one of the worst accidents of its kind. But it wasn't the first of its kind....

In a weird display of synchronicity, another West Virginia bridge suffered a major collapse, 63 years to the DAY before the Silver Bridge disaster. 

On December 15, 1904, at 8:15am the old suspension bridge over the Elk River in Charleston, laden down with ice and snow, plummeted to the water below, taking with it quite a few pedestrians, wagon teams, and at least six children on their way to school. Miraculously, only two people were killed (despite early reporting that it was many more), but scores more were injured. The deceased were 11-year-old Mamie Higginbotham and 15-year-old Wray/Ray Humphreys.

The bridge in question, located at the base of Lovell Street and connecting today's Charleston proper with the West Side/Elk City area, had been built around 1852. It had been damaged during the Civil War but rebuilt. However, it had recently been noted to be in bad shape, and its wobbly nature earned it the nickname of 'Drunken Bridge.' Despite that, I don't think anyone was expecting its cables to come free of their moorings on that cold, December morning. At the time, it was described as being one of the worst accidents of its kind....

What are the chances that West Virginia would suffer two deadly bridge collapses on the exact same day, 55 miles apart, 63 years apart? Both accidents happened on cold, icy days during times of heavy traffic. Perhaps it is all just one big coincidence, but perhaps this may be another example of the weird synchronicity and high strangeness surrounding the whole Mothman phenomenon. 

The website, My WV Home, has an excellent page on the history of the Elk River bridge collapse of 1904, including photos and articles not pictured below. Go check them out for a fuller picture on the devastation that occurred on that fateful day. 

Hinton Daily News
15 December 1904

Bluefield Daily Telegraph
16 December 1904

Fairmont West Virginian
17 December 1904

The (Pt. Pleasant) Weekly Register
21 December 1904

Bluefield Daily Telegraph
22 December 1904

Martinsburg Statesman-Democrat
23 December 1904

The Death of John Pancake: A TALA Tale

Former 2nd St. Bridge---Weston, WV
Source: WV Regional History Center

On January 22, 1917, John H. Pancake, a trusty patient of the Weston State Hospital went missing. He was last seen around 6 am that day, and according to local newspapers (without any explanation as to why), it was believed he either jumped or fell into the West Fork of the Monongahela River, which ran directly in front of the hospital. The river was very high, almost at flood level, and actions were taken to dredge the river in hopes of finding Pancake's body. The papers also note that his family back home in Hampshire County had not heard from him. 

It wouldn't be until the morning of February 3rd that his body was finally found. It was found floating at the foot of the 2nd Street Bridge. His death was ruled a suicide by drowning, and the date his body was found was given as his official date of death.

Unfortunately, not much is known about John H. Pancake, and what little I could find came from his death certificate. Mr. Pancake, who was 58 years old at the time of his death, was described as a single, white, male farmer from Romney, WV. He had been institutionalized at Weston State Hospital since September 19th, 1908...a little over eight years. 

His reason for being sent to the asylum were not listed on his death certificate, nor could I find any newspaper articles to explain his condition. And, although his body was sent home to Romney for burial, I cannot find exactly where he is buried.  There are quite a few John Pancakes from the Hampshire County area, but no John H. Pancakes. 

Perhaps we will never truly know John H. Pancake and what led him to spend his final days at the Weston State Hospital. But, I'll continue the search for additional answers in hopes that yet another patient will be respectfully remembered. 

Historical Note: The 2nd Street Bridge where John's body was found was the third such bridge crossing the West Fork River at this location. It was built in June of 1891 to replace the former bridge that had fallen into disrepair. This iron bridge was the site of another tragic chapter in Weston's history. In 1892, a black man accused of murder was lynched off this bridge. A photograph of the event was sold as a souvenir, documenting a dark practice in vigilante law enforcement.  You can read about that in my post (A Lynching in Weston).  

A new, concrete bridge---the bridge that visitors see today---was built in 1922. There's a wonderful article about the history of bridges at this location by Anna Cardelli. You can find it on Clio (The East and West Second Street Bridge). 

Looking for more information on the Weston State Hospital, also known as the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum? I have a whole page of articles about the haunted history of this iconic location, with more being added all the time! 

TALA TALES

Martinsburg Evening Journal
31 January 1917

The West Virginian (Fairmont)
05 February 1917

Death Certificate for John H. Pancake
WV Vital Statistics

The Murder of William Farmer: An Old Hospital on College Hill Story

Stone, Ky ca 1913

Want some insider information? On Saturday July 11, 2026 Appalachian Ghost Tours will be hosting a public ghost hunt at one of southern West Virginia's most popular haunts....The Old Hospital on College Hill! Tickets for this event will be limited, but they will be an absolute STEAL. If you've been looking for an opportunity to investigate this awesome location, this will be the perfect opportunity. Please follow AGT on FaceBook for updates on when tickets for this (and many other awesome events throughout the year) go on sale!

I've been lucky enough to have investigated the Old Hospital on College Hill a handful of times, and it is one location that never disappoints. We've always had some crazy activity, and there really isn't one floor that isn't just as active as all the rest. We've even had activity begin almost from the second we started bringing in our equipment. So....in preparation for the big event, I'll be posting as many articles as I can about those who passed through the hospital's halls. Although there are a few more well-established stories associated with the hauntings, and a few names continue to pop up over and over through EVP and spirit box communications, you really never know just who will try to make contact with you, wanting their story told. William Farmer may be one of those spirits that cannot rest until he tells his side of things.

William (W.A.) Farmer was a 28 year old employee of the Tierney Mining Company, living at Stone, Kentucky in Pike County. According to contemporary newspaper reports, Farmer had gone to the home of fellow employee, Richard Tolbert, to confront him over a quarrel involving Tolbert's wife. 

It is believed that Tolbert, who fled after the attack, shot Farmer in the neck after he wrested away the gun that Farmer had just fired at HIM. As of this writing, I couldn't find any follow-up as to Tolbert being charged with the crime, so it's possible that the self-defense claim held true, at least in the eyes of the law. 

Farmer was brought to the nearby Williamson Memorial Hospital, located across the river in Williamson, WV. He passed away the next day from his injuries. The date was February 19, 1929. This event would go down on as being Pike County's first official homicide of 1929. Unfortunately, Williamson Memorial, now known as the Old Hospital on College Hill, would see many, many homicides during its years as the biggest and most modern hospital in the area, serving citizens from both West Virginia and Kentucky. Do some of those victims still roam the halls of the old hospital? Come join Appalachian Ghost Tours on July 11th to find out!

MORE Old Hospital on College Hill Articles

The Daily News (Pikeville, KY)
28 February 1929

Death Certificate for W.A. Farmer
Source: WV Vital Statistics

The Gurgling Ghost of Pocahontas

 

When an article is entitled "A Genuine Ghost Story," you've got to believe it, right? 

The tiny, but historic town of Pocahontas, Virginia has its roots as a mining community, a fact that seems to lend itself naturally to a strong sense of superstition. Pocahontas ran rampant with ghosts in the early 1900's (see my blog about the Ghost That Caused a Man to Faint), which in some cases, led to a disruption in the mines. 

According to a newspaper article, around 1900, the West Mine in Pocahontas had a section it called 'Bluefield.' This particular section was abandoned due to a water seepage that resulted in a fairly sizeable lake---200 feet in length, apparently. However, by November of 1907, the mine operators wished to cash in on this lucrative coal vein, and re-open Bluefield. To do so, the lake had to be drained. Pipes were laid and pumps were installed, but there was a problem. Workmen kept experiencing "strange and unseemly noises emanating from the lake." These noises consisted mainly of a furious and violent churning of the water. Despite investigation, no satisfactory cause was ever found for the eerie lake noises, and the company couldn't find men willing to stay on the job. The article concludes with the idea that further investigation would be held into the cause of the noises. 

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any follow-up as to whether or not the mystery of the gurgling ghost of Pocahontas was ever solved. I will, say, though, that I've been to Pocahontas a few times for an investigation of the Pocahontas Fuel Company's office building (blog for that coming soon!) and I don't remember seeing any lake. So, hopefully, they got that all worked out!

Bluefield Evening Leader
05 November 1907

Hinton UFO (April 1950)

The little railroad town of Hinton, WV is no stranger to the strange. Not only is the town known for quite a number of haunted locations throughout...it has also seen quite a few flying saucers over the years! Significant sightings of UFOs over Hinton and surrounding areas took place in 1947 and 1952. Now, we have an article from a local newspaper showing that once again, Hinton was included in a series of nation-wide sightings, this time in the spring of 1950!

Mrs. R.W. Rossen and a visitor, Mrs. C.C. Honaker, were at the Rossen home on Ninth Avenue on Saturday, April 22, 1950 when they saw a low-flying, metallic colored disc flying up and down over the side of Corporation Hill in the west end of town. The sighting, which happened around 3:10pm, ended when the craft disappeared into the foliage, possibly landing or crashing along the hillside.  

To my knowledge, no other reports of this particular flying saucer were reported...or at least, published in the local newspapers. The women were adamant that it wasn't a kite that was seen, but were hesitant to come forward for fear of being accused of trying to start another flying saucer story. 

What is it the draws these flying saucers to the area in and around Hinton? For what we'd now consider a fairly small town, the area has seen more than its fair share of unexplained aerial phenomenon. Hinton continues to be a location of great paranormal interest to me and I'll continue to document and explore its many mysteries. Stay spooky, ya'll....and as always, keep your eyes to the skies! 

The Leader
27 April 1950

Carnegie Hall Haunts

Source: Budget Travel

Lewisburg, West Virginia was once voted 'The Coolest Small Town in America' by Budget Travel Magazine. I would absolutely agree with that---but I would also like to nominate Lewisburg for MOST HAUNTED Small Town in America! With locations such as the General Lewis Inn, the John North House, and the Confederate Cemetery, plus legends such as the Angel of Death statue, the town of Lewisburg is steeped in haunted history. Another site to add to this list is the Carnegie Hall Building, located directly across from the Old Stone Presbyterian Church and burial yard!

Dating back before the War Between the States, the Lewisburg Female Institute was a top tier institution of learning for the young ladies of not only the surrounding areas, but from places as far away as Canada. Unfortunately, tragedy would strike the L.F.I. on December 16, 1901. A fire started in one of the academy's two main buildings. Believed to be caused by overheated furnace pipes, the building burned for hours and was a total and complete loss. Luckily none of the staff, nor any of the 115 students were killed in the blaze, but it left the school in a tough spot. 

Other buildings in the area lent space for students to continue their studies, and by March of 1902, a newer and more elaborate building was in the works! Pleas for funding were answered by both the infamous philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, who donated $26,750, and the townsfolk, who contributed another $10,000. The building was fully completed in time for the 1903 graduation ceremonies, with an official dedication ceremony occurring on Monday, June 8, 1903. 

The four-story building offered a gymnasium in the basement, ample auditorium space, and classrooms, toilets, an art room, and many other amenities. It was heated by steam, fully plumbed, and boasted electrical lighting. The new Carnegie Hall was a showplace for the entire town and served the L.F.I. (later the Greenbrier College for Women and then Greenbrier College) for many years, up until it closed in 1972. The following year, the property was bought by the state for use as the Greenbrier Center, a learning space for those with special needs.

In the early 1980's, however, the building was at risk of being torn down. Luckily, a local non-profit was formed called Carnegie Hall, Inc. Carnegie Hall, Inc. purchased the building and restored it to its original purpose---a showplace of education and the arts. Today, you can visit Carnegie Hall to take a class or workshop, see a variety of different types of performances, or peruse the gallery space.  

You should also keep your eyes and ears open for any potential paranormal activity! Over the years, visitors and staff have reported numerous incidents of ghostly goings-on. "Unexplained footsteps, flickering lights, and spectral whispers" are commonly reported, and earned Carnegie Hall a spot on West Virginia's 2025 Paranormal Trail---a fun project ran by WV Tourism that takes visitors to haunted locations throughout the state and lets them earn prizes for checking in to these locations. 

View of Carnegie Hall to the Left and
Old Stone Presbyterian Church to the Right
Photo by Theresa (October 2025)

Further spooky sightings that have been reported are seeing the full-bodied apparition of a woman in white. This phantom lady simply disappears before the stunned eyes of those who see her. The rattling of doorknobs may also be observed, only to realize there is no living person on the other side. 

But what makes Carnegie Hall so haunted? And who is the Woman in White? I can't answer that with any certainty, but I'd imagine that the buildings many years serving young women has a lot to do with the paranormal activity. When you have a large number of young people all in one place, that tends to create quite a bit of energy, which can leave behind an imprint that many people can pick up on.  You have a large group of students who are transitioning from adolescence into adulthood, many of whom are away from their parents and their homes for the first time. There are friendships being made, hearts being broken, and just a whole host of emotions getting stirred around, creating a psychic soup that is just right for fostering a haunting.

And obviously, when you have an institution that has run for that long, especially during the time period that L.F.I. and the Greenbrier College did, you're going to have students who pass away, either due to illness or accident, or occasionally by their own hand. Sometimes that death comes at the hand of another...

When researching this location, I came upon a frustrating lack of information regarding an incident that happened in 1904. A young Dr. Sandy Arbuckle was the on-site physician for the girls at L.F.I. and in the early part of the year, a few girls had taken ill with what seemed like a very treatable cough. The girls were given a codeine cough medicine and apparently became extremely ill. In the very few articles I found, the reports varied about how many girls actually took sick, and how many actually died. Only one name was ever given for a girl who passed away, and that was 21-year-old Maud Telford, who passed away on March 1, 1904, from what originally was listed as Angina Pectoris, or a reduced blood flow to the heart. 

Dr. Arbuckle was accused of mixing up the cough medicine with strychnine that sources hotly debated whether or not he stored on the same shelf. The blame shifted to the local pharmacy with the same accusations---they had accidentally sold Dr. Arbuckle strychnine instead of codeine tablets. I never did find a conclusion to these accusations, nor found the names of any additional victims, so I'll continue to look into this case. But could the Lady in White be Maud, or another student who suffered a tragic end? Hopefully, one day we'll have an answer. 

Sources and Further Reading:

Carnegie Hall Official Website and Facebook Page

Lewisburg Living History

Carnegie Hall, Inc Wikipedia

WV Paranormal Trail

Weird and Wonderful YouTube Channel: A Ghost Followed Us at a Cemetery!

Hinton Daily News
5 June 1903

Richmond Dispatch
17 December 1901

The Independent Herald (Hinton, WV)
07 April 1904

Rainelle UFO (May 1950)

Beckley Post-Herald
3 May 1950

The spring of 1950 was a big season for flying saucers in West Virginia! In February, a UFO was seen over Fairmont. In March, multiple witnesses reported a craft in Bluefield. In Charleston, a rectangular UFO was observed in April. Continuing with this trend, the town of Rainelle would have its own flying saucer report in May!

On May 2, 1950, two young men had a sighting on a rainy, spring afternoon. D.L. "Dave" Fleshman and Robert "Hank" Webb reported a brown disc streaked with silver, flying low over the town in a southerly direction. The object was about the size of a No. 3 washtub, and was moving very rapidly....so rapidly, that it had disappeared before the boys could alert anyone else to come observe the craft. 

Rainelle is located in the southern part of the state, in Greenbrier County. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of patterns with these 1950 sightings. They come from different parts of the state, and don't necessarily share many physical traits as well. So what was invading the skies over the Mountain State in 1950? 

#3 Washtub

Phantoms at the Pfister Hotel

Early Postcard View
Pfister Hotel

Today's blog takes us all the way to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for an overnight stay at one of the most interesting haunted hotels in the midwest. What makes the phantoms of the Pfister Hotel, located just blocks away from Lake Michigan at 424 E. Wisconsin Avenue, stand out is their apparent love of the local Major League Baseball team. Yes, the ghosts at the Pfister seem to do everything in their power to give the Brewers as much of a home team advantage as possible. But, more on that in a minute...

The Pfister Hotel is a stunning, 307 room luxury hotel built in 1893 by Charles Pfister. Charles Pfister, known affectionately as "Charlie" was born in Milwaukee on June 17, 1859. At the age of 11, he was adopted by Guido Pfister, a German immigrant. Guido, who originally operated a shoe shop, teamed up with his cousin Frederick Vogel who operated a tannery, to establish a hugely successful leather business. A successful business meant money---lots and lots of money---and therefore, Guido diversified his business interests. One dream of Guido's was to build an opulent hotel that would become a showplace of wealth and prestige in the Milwaukee area. 

Unfortunately, Guido passed away on February 2, 1889. With work on the hotel just beginning, Charles, who inherited an estimated $1 million and held stock in the Milwaukee Hotel Company, decided to finish the hotel in remembrance of his father. The Hotel Pfister was completed and opened for business in May of 1893, at an estimated cost of $1 million. Charles Koch was hired as the architect, and the hotel featured many state-of-the-art and luxury amenities.

Guido Pfister
Source: Find-a-Grave user, Anthony S.

Every US president since William McKinley stayed at the hotel at one point or another, as well as a host of celebrities, many who have had their own paranormal experiences staying there. Even Elvis Presley was a guest in 1977, a few months before his untimely death. For many years, Charles, who never married and never had children of his own, lived in the hotel to oversee its daily operations. For the first year it was opened, the hotel actually LOST money, sometimes hundreds of dollars a day. But, when the 1894 state Republican Convention was held there, all rooms were filled to capacity, and the hotel became a base of political operations for Milwaukee and Wisconsin as a whole. 

In 1927, Charles suffered a paralytic stroke and sold the hotel to long-time employee, Ray Smith. Charles had acted as a mentor to Smith, so he was the perfect candidate to take over the hotel. But, as times changed and the country went through the turmoil of a Great Depression and a second World War, the hotel suffered a period of decline, lasting through the 1950s and 1960s. Ben Mercer stepped in to purchase the hotel and completed extensive renovations to return the Hotel Pfister to its former splendor. He even added on the 23-guest room tower at this time. 

Charles Pfister
Source: Wisconsin Historical Society Collections

It is said that renovations are often the catalyst for paranormal activity, but it wouldn't be until the 2010's that the hotel would really hit the paranormal mainstream as a haunted location. That's because numerous stories of ghostly encounters began circulating from players of visiting baseball teams! When an out-of-town team came to play the Milwaukee Brewers, they were generally put up at the Pfister. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a running tab of players' experiences (READ ARTICLE HERE), but just a few examples are:

2018: Carlos Martinez, pitcher for the Cardinals hopped on Instagram in the middle of the night to alert his fans that he had been touched by the Pfister ghost. He played really bad the next day and blamed the performance on the ghost. 

2001: Adrian Belte of the LA Dodgers told Sports Illustrated in an interview that he had heard knocking on his door in the middle of the night, but no one was there. He watched as both the AC and the TV switched themselves on. But it was the knocking coming from his headboard that led him to sleep with his bat, in fear. He said out of a total of three nights stay at the hotel, he probably only slept for about 2 hours. 

Carlos Gomez of the Minnesota Twins heard disembodied voices and experienced his iPod turning itself on. Michael Young of the Rangers heard stomping inside his room. To this day, Mookie Betts of the Dodgers won't stay at the Pfister---he books his own lodging while in town. And it's not just baseball players experiencing things, although they certainly seem to be the number one targets. When actor Joey Lawrence stayed in 2006, he was awakened by his daughter's toys going off on their own. Megan Thee Stallion and her entourage even did a little ghost hunting while staying there for Summerfest one year. 

There's no question that there's some spooky stuff going on here, but who actually haunts the Hotel Pfister? Multiple theories abound. Some believe it's Guido, sticking around to experience the hotel that he dreamed of, but never got to experience in life. Others believe that Charles is the obvious culprit. He built the hotel, lived in the hotel, and used the hotel as the center of his business and social life. Both men may have a vested interested in seeing their local baseball team dominate...or at least, may have a little fun messing with visiting teams the night before the big game. 

Another theory is that the land itself was haunted, way before the hotel was built. In a Milwaukee Daily Sentinel newspaper article from May 5, 1893, a man named Charles "Milwaukee" Sivyer was interviewed. Sivyer is recognized as being the first white male born in Milwaukee and was often sought out to give a history of the area in its early days. He remembered living in a log cabin where the Hotel Pfister now stands and says the area around it was once a burial ground. And, as anyone who has seen the movie Poltergeist knows, the one thing you don't want to do is build atop a burial ground! 

Sources and Further Reading:

Pfister Hotel Website

Charles Pfister Wikipedia

The Legend of the Pfister Hotel Ghost, by Becky Mortensen for WUWM Radio. 31 October 2022

Dodgers' Mookie Betts, Other MLB Players Say They've Been Haunted by Milwaukee's Pfister Hotel, by JR Radcliffe. 13 August 2024 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Tormented by the Devil

Ennis, WV ca 1910
Source

Ennis, West Virginia was once a thriving coal community, located in McDowell County. Established in 1888 by William McQuail and James McCormick, the town served as the base of operations for the Turkey Gap Coal and Coke Company, and later, the Ennis Coal Company. It was named for the family of McQuail's wife, Joanna Ennis McQuail. Today, not much exists of the original town, and the location is now a part of the Switchback community along US Route 52. But, at one time it was home to a sensational ghost story!

Various newspapers throughout southern West Virginia ran the story of the Ennis Specter in late August of 1917. One early Friday morning, just after the midnight hour, the residents of a local boarding house were awakened by the awful screams of a female in distress. All 8-10 persons heard the screams, which upon investigation, turned into the disembodied voice of a woman, calling herself Smith. Ms. Smith related that she was the sister of Frank Smith, who lived in Columbus, OH. She had been visiting Ennis some 14 years prior and was staying at the boarding house when she was murdered. The assailants, three men, stole $143 from her. The ghost was even said to accurately name the family who was living in the home at the time of the alleged murder. 

By the next morning, word of the ghostly voice spread far and wide, and visitors from miles around came to hear it for themselves. It is estimated that at least 3000 people visited the town of Ennis in search of the ghost. Local miners even refused to go underground that Saturday. 

Ennis, WV ca 1910
Source

On Sunday morning around 9am, the ghostly voice again spoke, telling the crowd her tragic story. When one curious on-looker asked her why she had waited fourteen years to come back, she stated that she had been in torment these past years and the devil just now released her long enough to come back and share the secret of her murder. 

The boarders packed their bags and left, and it was said that the owners themselves were packed up and moved out by Monday, not wanting to deal with the ghost of a murdered woman and the scores of on-lookers she brought to town. The building in question isn't really specified, other than it being a frame dwelling on the north end of the railway, nearly opposite the post office.  While looking into the history of the town, I found mention of a boarding house beside the old high school that was specifically for the use of teachers, but as the high school wasn't built until the 1920's, this probably wasn't the house. There was also the Ennis Hotel, but that wouldn't have fit the description, either. Unfortunately, it really doesn't matter now, as none of these buildings are left. The town of Ennis is as forgotten as the phantom Ms. Smith who once visited and ended up staying an eternity. We can only hope that while forgotten to history, her murderers were one day brought to justice. 

For more about the history of Ennis, and an excellent collection of local photographs, make sure to check out the Bramwell WV Website! 

The Hinton Daily News
18 September 1917

The McDowell Times
31 August 1917

Theresa Travels: To the Greenbrier Valley

It's French!
(Click HERE for my Alderson Lion Blog)

Last Saturday, I made the trek down to Alderson, WV to help represent Appalachian Ghost Tours at the annual Alderson Fall Festival! Alderson is such a cool little town; once home to both Martha Stewart (during her incarceration in a federal prison facility) AND a pet lion named French, the town boasts a thriving little downtown historic district and a population that is proud of its unique history.

During the festival, we were set up near the old train station, and over the course of the day, met so many great people! We got a few leads for upcoming investigations and events, and chatted with our fellow vendors, making some new friends and some new contacts. And, we had so much fun sharing information about our organization with those who were just as excited about the paranormal as we are. We had some great conversations and heard some wild personal experiences and stories. A huge thank you to everyone who attended the festival and who made the festival possible in the first place is in order. It really was a fun, productive day.

I didn't get many photos from Alderson, unfortunately. After a really hard week, I was already exhausted before the event even started and was having a really high pain and brain fog day. However, that didn't stop me from heading straight home after event ended! Since I don't make it down to that part of the state very often, and it was still early, I decided that I was going to make the most of the trip and take a little side journey into nearby Lewisburg. 

My goal for visiting Lewisburg was to mark off a few locations on the 2025 West Virginia Paranormal Trail, a fun challenge issued by the WV Tourism office. The WV Paranormal Trail consists of 21 spooky locations, spread throughout the state. There are haunted locations, paranormal-themed museums, ghost tours, and just any place that has ties to WV's haunted history. Participants can visit these locations, 'check in' at them on the app, and earn prizes for how many spots they visit. 

Lewisburg has two locations on the WV Paranormal Trail: 1. The Greenbrier Valley Theatre and 2. Carnegie Hall. 

Greenbrier Valley Theatre

After stopping for lunch and to charge my phone, I headed straight for the Greenbrier Valley Theatre. Located at 1038 Washington Street E., this is a somewhat unconventional spot on the trail. Although not publicly known to be haunted, the location instead is home to The Greenbrier Ghost musical production, penned by Cathy Crowell Sawyer and Joe Buttram. In this eerie stage performance, actors tell the story of Zona Heaster Shue, the Greenbrier Ghost, who was murdered by her husband. Zona's ghost came to her mother in a series of dreams to tell her of the murder, which was finally taken seriously by authorities. As part of the theater's lobby decor, the beautiful costumes worn by the actress portraying Zona's ghost are on display. 

The theater is a really beautiful little gem in downtown Lewisburg, and the box office employee was super sweet and helpful when I explained why I was there, poking around the lobby and not purchasing tickets to an upcoming show. I was able to sit for a few minutes in the comfortable, spacious lobby area, which also had bathrooms for anyone checking out the trail and needing to stop for those facilities! The Greenbrier Ghost is currently not being performed, but I'll definitely be watching for the next production date and buying tickets!

Greenbrier Ghost Costumes
Greenbrier Valley Theatre

My next stop led me to Carnegie Hall. Well kind of---I got as close to Carnegie Hall as I could. On the day of my visit, the local high school must have been celebrating homecoming, because there were no less than 50 students in formal attire, accompanied by their families, taking photographs and milling around the Carnegie Hall property. There was nowhere to even park anywhere on Church Street!

Luckily, I was able to find a spot a street down and cut through the graveyard of the Old Stone Presbyterian Church. I didn't really get a picture of Carnegie Hall because I didn't want any of the dozens of families thinking I was some graveyard creeper photographing their kids.... but I got close enough so that the app could pick up that I was in range. 

Partial View of Carnegie Hall and
Old Stone Presbyterian Church

Carnegie Hall was built in 1902 with funds from Andrew Carnegie and local citizens. It served for many years as the Greenbrier College for Women. Today, it hosts performances, classes, workshops, art shows, and much more. It is a centerpiece of art and culture for southern West Virginia and apparently, it's very haunted. Phantom footsteps, shadows lurking the halls, lights flickering, and ghostly whispers are all reported within the old building.  Hopefully, I'll get a chance to investigate this awesome location one day!

Anyway, since I was already in the graveyard I decided to visit a very special grave, and source of a local urban legend: The Angel of Death. The Angel of Death (click HERE for my blog post) is a marble statue adorning the final resting place of Maud Mathews, who died of pneumonia in 1888, and her little sister Florence, who passed a year later. Legend states that two sisters, cousins of Maud, visited the grave and each kissed a cheek of the angel statue. Within a year, both sisters were dead---one from illness, and one from an unfortunate carriage accident. It is said that anyone foolish enough to kiss the angel's cheek would meet their own demise within the year. 

"Angel of Death"

The first time I visited the grave, the statue was always covered with lipstick marks. However, a few years ago, the tombstone was moved slightly and put behind a locked fence. You can still see and photograph the grave, but you can't get close enough to touch it.... preserving the integrity of the stone and perhaps, even saving a few lives. I sat for a bit and chatted with the girls, but again, there were a lot of people milling about nearby, and I didn't want to seem TOO creepy, so I stayed just a short while and left. 

I had all intentions of making one final stop on my trip, but I just didn't have the energy. The grave of Zona Heaster Shue, the Greenbrier Ghost is located just a short distance off the interstate at the Sam Black Church exit. I try to visit her once every few years, but I wanted to make it home to Charleston before. So, I put off a visit to her for now, but hopefully, our contacts with several locations in Alderson will play out and I'll soon get the opportunity to head back down that way. 

Overall, it was a really fun day and a perfect way to kick off October! We had a lot of networking success in Alderson, so absolutely follow Appalachian Ghost Tours on social media to keep track of upcoming events in the area, as well as throughout southern West Virginia. Also, continue to follow Theresa's Haunted History on Facebook for more spooky history, ghost hunting adventures, and much, much more! Stay spooky and have a safe and happy Haunt Season!

The Feathered Monster of Lincoln County

"Don't shoot me, bro."
The stare of the Shoebill Stork

Between February and October of 1896, newspapers around the country (except any in West Virginia that I have access to) ran an interesting story of a large, unknown "feathered monster." These cookie-cutter articles claim that Elias Midkiff of Hamlin had visited Charleston in hopes of convincing the State Historical and Antiquarian Society that if they'd send a taxidermist to Lincoln County, he'd ensure they'd be adding a bird specimen that no one had ever seen before...at least not here in West Virginia!

The bird in question was shot by a Mr. W.W. Adkins while out on a deer-hunting trip, just south of Hamlin in the Ranger area, near Vannater's Creek. According to Adkins' story, the bird had been circling in the sky before alighting on the water, where he was able to get a good shot at it. He got it in the wing, hoping to take it alive, but as it was overly aggressive, he had to finish the job. It took five bullets to finally bring the monster bird down. 

Adkins and Midkiff measured the bird, which was 7 feet, 4 inches from tip to tip (I'm guessing wingspan), and 4 feet from the tip of its bill to the tip of its tail. Its bill was flat, like a duck's and measured 4 inches long and 3 inches wide. It had webbed feet located at the end of its 11-inch legs. The coloring was dark brown, with light blue highlights along the wings and breast.

Adult Shoebill

I couldn't find any follow-up as to whether the creature was ever taxidermized, and if so, where it ended up. There's really not a good date as to when this actually happened, as the story leaves that detail out and the story literally ran in different newspapers over the span of at least 8 months. The newspaper article below is from February 1896, but the same article ran as late as October of that same year. 

Out of curiosity, I searched the physical description given of the bird, and Google's best guess is that it might be a juvenile shoebill stork. While adults are usually a lighter gray color (possibly mistaken for light blue?), the juveniles are brown in color. These would be birds that have a HUGE duck-like bill, long legs, and webbed feet. I can't vouch for how aggressive they are, but if you look at pictures of these things, they just LOOK like they'd mess you up, especially after you SHOT them. The problem is, the shoebill stork is absolutely not native to West Virginia, or even the United States. Could a bird all the way from a limited geographical region in Africa make it to a little West Virginia town, or was this really some mysterious, unknown cryptid? Or...was the whole story simply a tale taller than the bird itself? 

As we enter the final stretch to the annual Mothman Festival and are just a couple months out from the first wave of the 1966-67 Pt. Pleasant sightings, I love sharing additional stories of large, unknown bird-like creatures terrorizing the skies over the Mountain State. West Virginia has no shortage of strange creatures, on land, in water, or in the air. 

The Bay City Times (Michigan)
4 February 1896