As a paranormal historian and researcher, one of my favorite aspects of the investigation process is conducting a deep dive into the background of every location in my case file. This deep dive includes studying a multitude of primary source documents, not just concerning the people involved, but the land itself as well!
One such primary source document that is a staple in my research process is the title/deed search. Although it won't give you everything you need (for example, the title will just tell you who OWNED the property, not necessarily who lived/worked there), it is an invaluable source of information. The title deed gives you a run-down of who has owned the land through written record. It can often tell you how that land was acquired from person to person---was it sold or passed down through a will to a family member. It will give you property boundaries and physical descriptions, allowing you to see just how extensive the property is/was and if it was ever part of a larger land tract. Sometimes, if you're lucky, it might even give you a reason for why that property is haunted.
Quite a few years ago now, my investigation team was called into an apartment building in Huntington, WV. Our clients were a young couple who were experiencing some strange paranormal activity. Well, that's not entirely true. The young man was the one experiencing paranormal activity. He was plagued by shadow figures darting around the apartment. Unexplained noises and voices were heard that could not be blamed on the neighbors. Objects would disappear, only to be found much later, and only by his girlfriend. At night, he experienced horrible dreams and interrupted sleep.
This poor guy was being terrorized by something he couldn't explain. The worst part, however, was that he and his partner were seriously starting to doubt his sanity. Why was his sanity being questioned? Because these things were happening to him and only to him. The young lady wasn't experiencing anything out the ordinary. She'd come home to her partner telling her something had gone missing, and she'd find it right where it was supposed to be. Aside from the nightmares, all other activity, including the shadow figures and voices, tended to only happen when the guy was home alone.
We spent the night at the apartment with all of our gear. Unfortunately, we didn't experience anything ourselves that night. After reviewing hours of audio and video, we still couldn't find anything that would make us believe there was paranormal activity going on in that apartment. In a way, it was really disappointing, because I know I personally felt that we had let this couple down.
But, in comes the historical research. Due to work restraints and the urgency of the case, I didn't get to do a full historical write-up before the actual investigation. So, it was several days later before I made my way to the Cabell County Courthouse to pull the title of the property in hopes of at least giving the clients a thorough report.
What I found was....interesting. The apartment dated back to the early 1930's and was always used as an apartment building. There was nothing unusual with the boundary descriptions or chain of ownership except for one little clause (or covenant) embedded in the original document. The original deed for the apartment clearly stated that PERSONS OF COLOR should never be sold or rented to.
This was an important detail because the young man was black. His girlfriend, however, was white. We came to the loose conclusion that he was the target of these paranormal hostilities because a deceased racist former owner did not appreciate that covenant being broken. When presented with this information, the clients also believed there may be something to it. The young man had never experienced paranormal activity in any other location before this. If he was just starting to show signs of mental illness, it's likely that his symptoms would also show up while outside the apartment, which they weren't. Everything started after moving into that apartment, and all the activity was contained therein and concentrated on him alone.
Since their lease was almost up, the couple decided the best thing to do was just to find a different apartment, one without a racist ghost. We checked in on them a few months later, and things were completely normal. I like to think this case had a happy ending, but while we were able to provide some answers to a client, can it really be a happy ending when things like this happen?
From the 1920's to the 1940's, the United States was seeing a population shift. It was the peak of what we call the Great Migration of Blacks from the south into the bigger cities of the north and midwest to find work. It was pretty common and perfectly legal for individual property owners, as well as whole entire neighborhoods, to include covenants in their title deeds banning different races and religions from taking ownership.
The first step against this practice was the 1948 U.S. Supreme Court case, Shelley v. Kraemer, which ruled that these covenants couldn't be enforced by state or federal governments. However, they could still be socially enforced and often were. It took another 20 years before the 1968 Fair Housing Act outlawed them completely. But, even then, there were other ways to socially enforce the original covenants and keep certain people out of certain neighborhoods.
Amazingly, out of all the title searches I've done over the years, that was the only time I actually found one of these covenants included, and it just happened to be for a case where it was significant. But, I challenge you---If title searches are part of your investigative process, keep an eye out for similar wording. You never know when it might be important.
Read more about racially restrictive housing covenants over on the History Channel! (LINK)
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