tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40760723050140831652024-03-18T16:50:18.342-04:00Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-StateCombining the Fact with the FolkloreTheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.comBlogger1449125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-86314406823347220772024-02-28T12:32:00.007-05:002024-02-28T12:32:57.827-05:00Theresa Travels...to Helvetia, WV for Fasnacht 2024!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0owrhjIf4-AJyvjOy6kuUYmpFlYK0zq_wGXtxa2LaJOEdvyM-EK4FUicqOa66kQeDvhKPx96hy3XztVaz0Qh7Y7WCut49t62ik65YRftwLBzA_wBfwa8eDO9YUUNAx_UsV3nafjY1jJQ1_CravScIfz_IHUuIBoZfo66walzC4_QjnZilsEgo2k2KXvB/s4032/PXL_20240210_193153097.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0owrhjIf4-AJyvjOy6kuUYmpFlYK0zq_wGXtxa2LaJOEdvyM-EK4FUicqOa66kQeDvhKPx96hy3XztVaz0Qh7Y7WCut49t62ik65YRftwLBzA_wBfwa8eDO9YUUNAx_UsV3nafjY1jJQ1_CravScIfz_IHUuIBoZfo66walzC4_QjnZilsEgo2k2KXvB/w272-h362/PXL_20240210_193153097.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>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!<div><br /></div><div>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. </div><div><br /></div><div>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. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5obiLU9Xtg-Bqn7RvPq7AMhR7BIACP1h5EVigsKH8xUi0LOgVaVbrfaRdpowrLZ8Z3r4_Q9j68FtaZzgTVdscAC3CUUOgQKSkZt3f5yFvt7eqqVbI7MYmz7RvfrhBVKVecPmlPCCkpLrlC-hIwtb9KOlDfRbcOs58l97UK_jS7j0NNNZTrGUSNtF-WZ7g/s3389/IMG_20240211_131618_439.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3389" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5obiLU9Xtg-Bqn7RvPq7AMhR7BIACP1h5EVigsKH8xUi0LOgVaVbrfaRdpowrLZ8Z3r4_Q9j68FtaZzgTVdscAC3CUUOgQKSkZt3f5yFvt7eqqVbI7MYmz7RvfrhBVKVecPmlPCCkpLrlC-hIwtb9KOlDfRbcOs58l97UK_jS7j0NNNZTrGUSNtF-WZ7g/s320/IMG_20240211_131618_439.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> 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!</div><div><br /></div><div>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. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIZIh5aYUflfjC-xzTuDyi83xTOptlkMNM-mYF9q9tZ3p21a5OPjo2rM8BfwTkbN1OCYRnntedsVq34CXjnymw6eg8oriQ5DHqqVXySKFbomVfAOf50611ZFl-S7eUfTXXJ_c2voDvBMdGVGkkt2eGKLYsmaGuvgX2XaXAbniPSawoYz7cIYfzUsTpvOe/s4032/PXL_20240210_203914659.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIZIh5aYUflfjC-xzTuDyi83xTOptlkMNM-mYF9q9tZ3p21a5OPjo2rM8BfwTkbN1OCYRnntedsVq34CXjnymw6eg8oriQ5DHqqVXySKFbomVfAOf50611ZFl-S7eUfTXXJ_c2voDvBMdGVGkkt2eGKLYsmaGuvgX2XaXAbniPSawoYz7cIYfzUsTpvOe/w301-h401/PXL_20240210_203914659.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Man Winter<br />awaits his fate.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>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. </div><div><br /></div><div> 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. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS52L3Lv3FRZdLDMW8n1DRipoNwE5PRXoMYocGlBMFROtYFzWoLu74GZdmTmRWlBFurg8331rOwB_rdHT1mJrvqvlXeZZkjvkbxOwxf9ZPJNI1jrP1xy9ePJ075NhqdebBC3iiST2VqhVbDN71rcqtovc5Kln_T4R3bk7eqBrENqy6fWC2cEPunnEWfn7p/s4032/PXL_20240210_205459407.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS52L3Lv3FRZdLDMW8n1DRipoNwE5PRXoMYocGlBMFROtYFzWoLu74GZdmTmRWlBFurg8331rOwB_rdHT1mJrvqvlXeZZkjvkbxOwxf9ZPJNI1jrP1xy9ePJ075NhqdebBC3iiST2VqhVbDN71rcqtovc5Kln_T4R3bk7eqBrENqy6fWC2cEPunnEWfn7p/w382-h215/PXL_20240210_205459407.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mari Llywd!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>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. </div><div><br /></div><div>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. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHr71UV_GClRfo3CINGGipnJWwbIx_dZFpHKJxNqkNHz2BTkt_Bq8uXeYeN1uaiaNERtF4H0FGSR4jl568zyyOqgrnQj_RXsoB4Vg4bUeFIbUipPb02ThuT_aWiZ3ASOUdqLw1tgyBRDuudx7sMBF-1c_PQZUH0b6TZWxiMiS67tPgJRGgW7ABmuN0qEJz/s4032/PXL_20240210_225138340.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHr71UV_GClRfo3CINGGipnJWwbIx_dZFpHKJxNqkNHz2BTkt_Bq8uXeYeN1uaiaNERtF4H0FGSR4jl568zyyOqgrnQj_RXsoB4Vg4bUeFIbUipPb02ThuT_aWiZ3ASOUdqLw1tgyBRDuudx7sMBF-1c_PQZUH0b6TZWxiMiS67tPgJRGgW7ABmuN0qEJz/w369-h276/PXL_20240210_225138340.jpg" width="369" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>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. </div><div><br /></div><div>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....</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPof4iN9vQPKUs1d7O2eQzteC2xlO4eHPSC4vIbEHZtUKFD5DFrGqpvMnItLLI5NKnJwx2L6sFuc03eLB__Vrgv5RuD2TmEMQmo-tWHy1Z58ZTspIOyUt04eHUGSYPeEDSdtKqNFoMIWf1VzbHxtmeTJ5t3gxzJ2RkZu9d9bz6aVuTs20PmkLQ90pO2QYH/s4032/PXL_20240210_232228608.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPof4iN9vQPKUs1d7O2eQzteC2xlO4eHPSC4vIbEHZtUKFD5DFrGqpvMnItLLI5NKnJwx2L6sFuc03eLB__Vrgv5RuD2TmEMQmo-tWHy1Z58ZTspIOyUt04eHUGSYPeEDSdtKqNFoMIWf1VzbHxtmeTJ5t3gxzJ2RkZu9d9bz6aVuTs20PmkLQ90pO2QYH/w279-h372/PXL_20240210_232228608.jpg" width="279" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lampion Parade</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div>Things I'd Do Differently:</div><div><br /></div><div>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.</div><div><br /></div><div>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.</div><div><br /></div><div>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. </div><div><br /></div><div>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. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>To learn more about Helvetia and Fasnacht:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.helvetiawv.com/" target="_blank">Official Town Website</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helvetia,_West_Virginia" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk2Gv2lKzRI&ab_channel=AugustaHeritageCenter" target="_blank">Helvetia: The Swiss of West Virginia</a>, a video by the Augusta Heritage Center</div>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-19724794905500320282024-02-19T08:07:00.000-05:002024-02-19T08:07:01.129-05:00The Rake and Other Ghouls: St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group (January 2024)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0v1Mv9bu-DK3eceWkm4U8VNfdb3RP4SzRe8YkBimweioxPOSv5FroCIQXgw-ESMScgizR56Jp16B21Z-zx_Xnoi9SrrGC6HhGPfzcnKN9buhaGTEviN3DLjzgpcbYDdNBixBatXjBtnVU5h6iTHRzW2S4_dpzC6UwmEuWLV2-dGGapdLmgD644GPnmg6/s1640/therake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1640" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0v1Mv9bu-DK3eceWkm4U8VNfdb3RP4SzRe8YkBimweioxPOSv5FroCIQXgw-ESMScgizR56Jp16B21Z-zx_Xnoi9SrrGC6HhGPfzcnKN9buhaGTEviN3DLjzgpcbYDdNBixBatXjBtnVU5h6iTHRzW2S4_dpzC6UwmEuWLV2-dGGapdLmgD644GPnmg6/w402-h226/therake.jpg" width="402" /></a></div><br /><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0f7WfPffn_CbOBzormsBBcCn4usJNS-u_geP6R8m2BJVglBZra3FanRI84edfrjVho0TPSrupLGLvGYtvcnCHwgpML3eNl1FT_quX2IGQKp56jPBZmkP4UmdhEkSytxN9Pi6x5I83XuX3MebtJpi4xfPkuzIwc_ZmXl5jiDAsJPiEcbIYaiDNeJW5rddR/s2048/rake2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0f7WfPffn_CbOBzormsBBcCn4usJNS-u_geP6R8m2BJVglBZra3FanRI84edfrjVho0TPSrupLGLvGYtvcnCHwgpML3eNl1FT_quX2IGQKp56jPBZmkP4UmdhEkSytxN9Pi6x5I83XuX3MebtJpi4xfPkuzIwc_ZmXl5jiDAsJPiEcbIYaiDNeJW5rddR/w376-h282/rake2.jpg" width="376" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>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!</p><p>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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/saparanormalgroup" target="_blank"> Facebook </a>for more updates and the 2024 schedule of speakers. Stay spooky! </p>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-21163766182954309162024-01-31T00:00:00.001-05:002024-01-31T00:00:00.139-05:00The Diakka<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcNVYAgBGyoBOPUwdTGP8S66uVpPJhqQzzhU5bJIKBaH6fdbKqZQptAAozFHF89EFJynJ_Rq8kYAXn3E2wpTA9o2YXPg62K-urLwMciVYlF_AyhxZ_B4fPD3E38XqXj6VGjoRP483zNQ6kJszW9hdh6thdn925vx1Uju1sMOJFR_RIeoTqhLCJTKbSW6B/s280/davis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="188" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcNVYAgBGyoBOPUwdTGP8S66uVpPJhqQzzhU5bJIKBaH6fdbKqZQptAAozFHF89EFJynJ_Rq8kYAXn3E2wpTA9o2YXPg62K-urLwMciVYlF_AyhxZ_B4fPD3E38XqXj6VGjoRP483zNQ6kJszW9hdh6thdn925vx1Uju1sMOJFR_RIeoTqhLCJTKbSW6B/w291-h433/davis.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew Jackson Davis<br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Jackson_Davis" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>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.</p><p>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."</p><p>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.</p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>You can read Davis' book, <i>The Diakka</i>, for FREE via the Internet Archive! <a href="https://archive.org/details/diakka00davi/mode/2up" target="_blank">LINK HERE</a></p>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-90035995237111997502024-01-30T09:20:00.003-05:002024-01-30T09:23:58.296-05:00The West Virginia Yayho<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISYHCh-gEOzQCkjEHADOYpeRKwtwjIr1CPIIqQK9d2ARXp-7ZxQaQytizOEKpNieJ0xvXXLid-uxmpq3QJdUptGYnUselv-foylRBNJC46hATcCVd7PvV1WKhDFIB8-rMUaEKqdO6K2x5IFPeu6kUpFQpZRDP0-zaz4B7H3wiTSnErIjMy3G3BqPOhEVF/s1000/paris.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="640" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISYHCh-gEOzQCkjEHADOYpeRKwtwjIr1CPIIqQK9d2ARXp-7ZxQaQytizOEKpNieJ0xvXXLid-uxmpq3QJdUptGYnUselv-foylRBNJC46hATcCVd7PvV1WKhDFIB8-rMUaEKqdO6K2x5IFPeu6kUpFQpZRDP0-zaz4B7H3wiTSnErIjMy3G3BqPOhEVF/w266-h416/paris.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paris Hammons c. 1920<br />b. 1856 d. 1926<br />Source: <a href="https://wvhistoryonview.org/catalog/038919" target="_blank">WV History on View</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>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.</div><div><br /></div><div>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!</div><div><br /></div><div>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. </div><div><br /></div><div>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!</div><div><br /></div><div>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.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQr67D9fzRWsnb6zw3mIMC8c8lHU0Bd2YSKzoSpRIVAfIqPtRulWuyivhtohfgPimAAHErKTICjIaUHvT1vUzgB7GBQaAo21Fdin19HzSQx-Ft_92U6oGKaneeyN_nRoZnsbeXTLgGg5Wza1B7dLlIpZM0f-eOWUqY4IUIN9EQoQ2MSycFrLVpYs4vWrtx/s800/cherryriver.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQr67D9fzRWsnb6zw3mIMC8c8lHU0Bd2YSKzoSpRIVAfIqPtRulWuyivhtohfgPimAAHErKTICjIaUHvT1vUzgB7GBQaAo21Fdin19HzSQx-Ft_92U6oGKaneeyN_nRoZnsbeXTLgGg5Wza1B7dLlIpZM0f-eOWUqY4IUIN9EQoQ2MSycFrLVpYs4vWrtx/w367-h275/cherryriver.jpg" width="367" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cherry River<br />Source: Tim Kiser<br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_River_(West_Virginia)" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>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. </div><div><br /></div><div>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....</div><div><br /></div><div>You can read about the encounter in the booklet, T<i>he Hammons Family: A Study of a West Virginia Family's Traditions</i>, available for <a href="https://www.academia.edu/55685405/The_Hammons_Family_A_Study_of_a_West_Virginia_Familys_Traditions" target="_blank">free download HERE.</a> </div>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-17589520828289169892024-01-23T17:08:00.007-05:002024-01-24T00:38:27.564-05:00The Greenbrier Ghost: Mary Heaster's Testimony<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxlkLs95-kC6fMjOsql0QnhWz7v6lq5xoFgoNiSDs55_R4p2wXqF7roFqGK6sJPkjRV1AaHnQvVDwzSpy-dI1rB751_7KOI_VrdRf9RcfnINFSv79LAEcr5-MiozyYmrobS8G4FFDCrKgWSLeS16Okm3Fi7hDfW8QI_fr1B12lp4eRoxosT-Z0sQYwX5x/s768/zona1.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="768" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxlkLs95-kC6fMjOsql0QnhWz7v6lq5xoFgoNiSDs55_R4p2wXqF7roFqGK6sJPkjRV1AaHnQvVDwzSpy-dI1rB751_7KOI_VrdRf9RcfnINFSv79LAEcr5-MiozyYmrobS8G4FFDCrKgWSLeS16Okm3Fi7hDfW8QI_fr1B12lp4eRoxosT-Z0sQYwX5x/w403-h282/zona1.jpeg" width="403" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zona Heaster Shue<br />The Greenbrier Ghost</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>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. </div><div><br /></div><div>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 <i>Greenbrier Independent</i> on July 1, 1897: </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1UIp3dXEeIyXnl-sOl-Xq7LiLBd5hFChUQTEOVvuHkELZiEYwSdllFJBnB_JfBvf0baEqQhmmRgOO6Hilld1e3kZXs-QthVyd9bMYgPg88SpUgXH_rtynXeUgsDkmaiFFjoIUWeuAD5iwXR0Nj3n2RcP0tPElzzlgCVE1zAuRknouxAaTsWwmpDNP7aa/s237/maryheaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="237" data-original-width="184" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1UIp3dXEeIyXnl-sOl-Xq7LiLBd5hFChUQTEOVvuHkELZiEYwSdllFJBnB_JfBvf0baEqQhmmRgOO6Hilld1e3kZXs-QthVyd9bMYgPg88SpUgXH_rtynXeUgsDkmaiFFjoIUWeuAD5iwXR0Nj3n2RcP0tPElzzlgCVE1zAuRknouxAaTsWwmpDNP7aa/w217-h279/maryheaster.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Robinson Heaster<br />Zona's Mother</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Mrs. Mary J. Heaster, Mother of Mrs. Shue, Sees Her Daughter in Visions</b></div><div><br /></div><div>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:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Question--</b>I have heard that you had some dream or vision which led to this postmortem examination?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Answer--</b>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.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Q--</b>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?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A--</b>No, sir; and there is not yet, either. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Q--</b>And was this not a dream founded upon your distressed condition of mind?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A--</b>No, Sir. It was no dream, for I was as wide awake as I ever was.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Q--</b>Then if not a dream or dreams, what do you call it?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A--</b>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.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Q--</b>Do you think that you actually saw her in flesh and blood?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A--</b>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.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Q--</b>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?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A--</b>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.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Q--</b>Mrs. Heaster, are you positively sure that these are not four dreams?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A--</b>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. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Q--</b>Are you not considerably superstitious?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A--</b>No, sir, I'm not. I was never that way before and am not now.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Q--</b>Do you believe the scriptures?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A--</b>Yes, sir. I have no reason not to believe it.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Q--</b>And do you believe the scriptures contain the words of God and his Son?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A--</b>Yes, sir I do. Don't you believe it?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Q--</b>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.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A--</b>I am not going to say that; for I am not going to lie.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Q--</b>Then you insist that she actually appeared in flesh and blood to you upon four different occasions?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A--</b>Yes, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Q--</b>Did she not have any other conversation with you other than upon the matter of her death?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A--</b>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.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Q--</b>When she came, did you touch her?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A--</b>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. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Q--</b>Have you ever seen the premises where your daughter lived?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A--</b>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.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Q--</b>How long was it after this when you had these interviews with your daughter until you did see buildings?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A--</b>It was a month or more after the examination. It has been a little over a month since I saw her. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjo-RHyaaeJ39mD_V7GKI-lfJ25HAMwnSiJ2boCilGFkeBFjGslCT7-bMB0pcHMGmKHZC0mtpxOHe0on_pU7Oesvaat5zZqpnXGr24LrjN4wUFCuPAlQ-MDPE9Jqvkpu9DFcQFrmnPpuH7eliYhQ6LZSFgUKnfGm8bNGvPqRQjnEwzEMgVpu4Rqp9wE-Yd/s4204/Heastertestimony.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4204" data-original-width="819" height="1718" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjo-RHyaaeJ39mD_V7GKI-lfJ25HAMwnSiJ2boCilGFkeBFjGslCT7-bMB0pcHMGmKHZC0mtpxOHe0on_pU7Oesvaat5zZqpnXGr24LrjN4wUFCuPAlQ-MDPE9Jqvkpu9DFcQFrmnPpuH7eliYhQ6LZSFgUKnfGm8bNGvPqRQjnEwzEMgVpu4Rqp9wE-Yd/w333-h1718/Heastertestimony.jpg" width="333" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-55062086247194938772024-01-20T15:28:00.001-05:002024-01-20T15:28:22.212-05:00The Former Morgue Bar and Lounge: Haunted New Orleans<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggS7noakIfgBDZVd3GINrYooTHFGPdnkLpR-z-_V_aR9w8aJoWNsnzt-Z7lxBbQeBo8ypyRFXtQ7Fhqav95ymKBaEBy7J3-fKOFFpZjFMTPWGN_kUAPMU_sKteNHDdeoMhCUKabQM94HhNIj1nK7IulMcrvCXhBsEzmbWG0vLcH0Bh2BfgE3ek3wdFgys/s2048/morgue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggS7noakIfgBDZVd3GINrYooTHFGPdnkLpR-z-_V_aR9w8aJoWNsnzt-Z7lxBbQeBo8ypyRFXtQ7Fhqav95ymKBaEBy7J3-fKOFFpZjFMTPWGN_kUAPMU_sKteNHDdeoMhCUKabQM94HhNIj1nK7IulMcrvCXhBsEzmbWG0vLcH0Bh2BfgE3ek3wdFgys/w287-h383/morgue.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">November 2023</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEYsGTm2eoByi1CUuapzcAYs7Fxe5EN2scO7LN-EVA1iI550SNY1fYMmiuPz7YQBX44e0PFjchrB6lWuvACrY3jI2ZmTv8CDi_v1nvnNzoJ5iPY_wlq8QpGxqGi2Mdin_vqfi5JHeyD38PtoIMtGF2R_5eKECJ7MUSS4l3mFTLR5I4JMO76Wz8P8CkmA6/s1024/morgue1960s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="706" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEYsGTm2eoByi1CUuapzcAYs7Fxe5EN2scO7LN-EVA1iI550SNY1fYMmiuPz7YQBX44e0PFjchrB6lWuvACrY3jI2ZmTv8CDi_v1nvnNzoJ5iPY_wlq8QpGxqGi2Mdin_vqfi5JHeyD38PtoIMtGF2R_5eKECJ7MUSS4l3mFTLR5I4JMO76Wz8P8CkmA6/w249-h361/morgue1960s.jpg" width="249" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1960's</td></tr></tbody></table><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>Sources and Further Reading:</p><p><a href="https://ghostcitytours.com/new-orleans/haunted-places/morgue/" target="_blank">Ghost City Tours: The Haunted French Quarter Morgue</a></p><p><a href="http://www.hauntedhovel.com/hauntedlouisiana.html" target="_blank">The Haunted Hovel: Haunted Places in Louisiana</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.hnoc.org/vcs/property_info.php?lot=22769" target="_blank">Vieux Carre Digital Survey</a></p><p><a href="https://docstudio.org/2019/12/07/the-ruffino-family/" target="_blank">Ruffino Family</a></p><p><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=Fzeevi01QmIC&lpg=PA142&ots=8dvKPCtbND&dq=%22jean%20gleises%22%20new%20orleans&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=%22jean%20gleises%22%20new%20orleans&f=false" target="_blank">Old New Orleans</a>, by Stanley Arthur</p>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-41565490123090666852024-01-12T20:19:00.003-05:002024-01-12T20:19:22.578-05:00Dolph Griggs: An FCI Fright Bite!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uGNbTUEAvnTQNxhcHwlpv4F06oEnTb5U-_n6lOeY3JyzKiBJZS044kB_6F1oykiLWF6rIOspnURcIa8_1pyPNrrutWUZSXNpdTCocx1EyEs1mHArenb5GhaubFzsmMjEj3uOTk5vSo6jMtvmhkbLZMb2ouCW7mdZCgx8pqkd0Cc3g4txMyTo2-uaBVd8/s722/img%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="622" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uGNbTUEAvnTQNxhcHwlpv4F06oEnTb5U-_n6lOeY3JyzKiBJZS044kB_6F1oykiLWF6rIOspnURcIa8_1pyPNrrutWUZSXNpdTCocx1EyEs1mHArenb5GhaubFzsmMjEj3uOTk5vSo6jMtvmhkbLZMb2ouCW7mdZCgx8pqkd0Cc3g4txMyTo2-uaBVd8/s320/img%20(1).jpeg" width="276" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lancaster Eagle-Gazette<br />22 June 1959</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjboJzeRSyR7oIGvjoY5VwmJS7DtVS1FAItYLKtKOl7OL8H7HPQNuETW_WkMSZhoe5V4505y_jFDgBRASYCp0EYlRo0Cff2IwUVGVH_6b_1KJVCLjie6E0IQ8cSKa7_A2p518NugzzQC4J06ms44I-auiPGY2r_2O31l4G-xOEoZVNp0ld9UGZKSqbWX9Cl/s259/2580_602_597_1712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="252" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjboJzeRSyR7oIGvjoY5VwmJS7DtVS1FAItYLKtKOl7OL8H7HPQNuETW_WkMSZhoe5V4505y_jFDgBRASYCp0EYlRo0Cff2IwUVGVH_6b_1KJVCLjie6E0IQ8cSKa7_A2p518NugzzQC4J06ms44I-auiPGY2r_2O31l4G-xOEoZVNp0ld9UGZKSqbWX9Cl/s1600/2580_602_597_1712.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lancaster Eagle-Gazette<br />06 June 1959</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>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.</p><p>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. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-S8FfvcG8PZdWWVGcCwwdWlCakfMMNn894S4Auk5Rc7OoSTQVTiHTrn_s0wIkHLzocYB-C9L9UrFI7V2NBnvSGJ_D31mZQsw0-vc0prM_jvioxvbl9g4mX1qE58QmzxKpmlXYXBKoeDGZYBX-RYiAD88gOod_HfKj1P9YyTy8UT_9kO2LzTB9pJdN8ej/s260/1937_2737_626_576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="251" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-S8FfvcG8PZdWWVGcCwwdWlCakfMMNn894S4Auk5Rc7OoSTQVTiHTrn_s0wIkHLzocYB-C9L9UrFI7V2NBnvSGJ_D31mZQsw0-vc0prM_jvioxvbl9g4mX1qE58QmzxKpmlXYXBKoeDGZYBX-RYiAD88gOod_HfKj1P9YyTy8UT_9kO2LzTB9pJdN8ej/s1600/1937_2737_626_576.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lancaster Eagle-Gazette<br />2 April 1962</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>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.</p><p>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. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWRVKCvMVwzH07RJQOyCrIyImH_8XPM-mIHrr0oR7ywNUtoxh5SdVm4ea0JrkPrxloUqnKnistWC2ozvibm29aYhKv3XlW0E1hsEXowwwKuiv_yebO7NsNvnlfGhvCXoNnOSHhISrJF3WakLO8IE4AFfa_yQlsxJ3INfien78G98FCKZMB5JZOMMSZVuU/s4032/80517613_c41e2512-7086-4ab8-b5bd-4c266294773b.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWRVKCvMVwzH07RJQOyCrIyImH_8XPM-mIHrr0oR7ywNUtoxh5SdVm4ea0JrkPrxloUqnKnistWC2ozvibm29aYhKv3XlW0E1hsEXowwwKuiv_yebO7NsNvnlfGhvCXoNnOSHhISrJF3WakLO8IE4AFfa_yQlsxJ3INfien78G98FCKZMB5JZOMMSZVuU/s320/80517613_c41e2512-7086-4ab8-b5bd-4c266294773b.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/80517613/dolph-griggs">Find-a-Grave</a><br />by Ann Lodder</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-23506442493239845892024-01-12T10:58:00.001-05:002024-01-12T10:58:39.212-05:00In Defense of Supt. Hummel: A Fairfield County Infirmary Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqhSFZHI64PGEJo5mSoStx-rk2dP1mDtW8Z9fipXx0wGU_K2kp5VplK4-7EYGdF7WbLpntIKUunD0_gESB9PD1C9Jjc-_CgniXcQc2u-QdkPN1-HN1l4AhAeSAJAscd2wFgslhRFbpQSswLHAM61FEXkKg5YUocu9d8Ikn7IMzd08MNeAGhGO2daPtLSM/s1422/FCIfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1422" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqhSFZHI64PGEJo5mSoStx-rk2dP1mDtW8Z9fipXx0wGU_K2kp5VplK4-7EYGdF7WbLpntIKUunD0_gESB9PD1C9Jjc-_CgniXcQc2u-QdkPN1-HN1l4AhAeSAJAscd2wFgslhRFbpQSswLHAM61FEXkKg5YUocu9d8Ikn7IMzd08MNeAGhGO2daPtLSM/w469-h211/FCIfront.jpg" width="469" /></a></div><br /><p>So today's blog might be a little...controversial...but that's never stopped me before in the pursuit of the truth! And while the title of this post is 'In Defense Of,' I offer you what historical documentation I've found, give my opinion, but encourage you to look at the facts and come to your own conclusion. </p><p>There are several stories that are told to every visitor investigating the Fairfield County Infirmary in Lancaster, Ohio. One of those stories is of a certain Superintendent by the name of Hummel, who was a cruel and abusive overseer of the institution. A shocking claim is that people going past the infirmary would see Hummel out in the farm, beating inmates without mercy. They reasoned, 'if he's doing that out in the open where the public could see, what the heck is he doing behind closed doors to those poor, unfortunate souls?' Further stories tale of gross neglect in addition to the abuse, and many believe that Hummel was outed from his position of Superintendent when the citizens of Fairfield County finally had had enough and requested a formal investigation. </p><p>To back up these claims, an incident is cited where an abused inmate had finally had enough, and brutally attacked Hummel out in the fields one day, nearly ending his life. And despite being gone from the institution for so many years, the ghost of Hummel has returned. His name has popped up on spirit boxes, and affirmative responses have been given when communicating with spirits about their thoughts on this cruel superintendent. Even our group has had a definite feeling that there was some darker, more oppressive force on site, possibly hindering the communication with other spirits. But how much of it is true?</p><p>Henry Matthew Hummel was born on November 10, 1873 to parents Louis and Sophie, in Lancaster County, where he would live out his entire life. Hummel was a devout Lutheran, and was a member of several civic organizations. He married his wife, Minnie Watts, on September 4, 1899 and the couple had five children together. As their children began to get older and leave home, Hummel and his wife started exploring new opportunities. They took the Civil Servants test (kind of like the test government workers today take) and both passed with high scores. As a result, Henry was appointed to the position of Superintendent of the Fairfield County Infirmary in 1917, with Minnie joining him as Matron. </p><p>But, all was not well for Superintendent Hummel. Despite the fact that the local paper was constantly running articles on him for his outstanding management of the county farm, and his work with bringing community charity into the infirmary, there were those who disliked him. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNb5ii6G1JrK9rE-vnnAdXtPmQLI_0m5QLWBqgFoEKhM3OdsUXe14UIj16FZ_dJxMASdnAGPerTu9Vsrd4b375Igzyr-vFjSlB4JOukfPy4L5pxdmceS2eW3eLcDV8I3tJJ0j6iZcLIBWU8qzl05a7N2Gja0TC1NoJq_qA-eXeN9Oe7XoVzqf1n_IFXmj/s1808/hummelremoval.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1808" data-original-width="819" height="497" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNb5ii6G1JrK9rE-vnnAdXtPmQLI_0m5QLWBqgFoEKhM3OdsUXe14UIj16FZ_dJxMASdnAGPerTu9Vsrd4b375Igzyr-vFjSlB4JOukfPy4L5pxdmceS2eW3eLcDV8I3tJJ0j6iZcLIBWU8qzl05a7N2Gja0TC1NoJq_qA-eXeN9Oe7XoVzqf1n_IFXmj/w225-h497/hummelremoval.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lancaster Eagle-Gazette<br />25 November 1918</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>On November 20, 1918, Hummel received a letter from two members of the County Commission, President Ben Friesner and Mr. E.B. McCullough (the third member, Amos Hoffer was against the complaints) stating that Mr. Hummel will be removed from his post, effective at 9 a.m. on November 25th. The letter listed three reasons: 1. In the summer of 1918 inmate George Smith was noted to have maggots in his foot. 2. In the summer of 1918 inmate John Switzer died without proper care. 3. The farm lost too many calves last season. The letter listed the temporary superintendent as George Bierly, a young man from the community involved in the grocery business.</p><p>Obviously, Hummel filed an injunction right away, and the court agreed. Hummel claimed that not only were these allegations vague, but that he was not given proper time to defend himself against them. He maintained that he had never been neglectful of his duties in any way and that the two commissioners had been opposed to his appointment from the start, and had actively been conspiring to have him removed ever since. Oddly enough, both Friesner and McCullough admitted that they had never actually seen anything supporting these claims, but that they were admitted by Hummel himself in his reports, and that they had heard complaints (again, Hoffer maintained that he had never heard any complaints). </p><p>As part of the investigation, a special commission was sent unannounced to the infirmary for a surprise inspection. This delegation was greeted warmly and welcomed into the facility. They noted that neither Hummel or his wife ran off to coach inmates or to hide any evidence of wrong-doing. Instead, they were given full access to the building to roam un-chaperoned, interviewing as many inmates as they wished. The group noted that every inmate they talked to LOVED the Hummels, and claimed that they had always treated them with the utmost attention and dignity. They said they were the kindest and most hard-working, even suggesting the county hire a nurse to alleviate some of the burden on Mrs. Hummel, who did her job without complaint at all hours of the day and night. </p><p>Two little old ladies said they'd leave if Hummel was forced to leave, despite not having anywhere else to go. Another elderly woman said that the man with maggots in his feet was crazy, and that he would rip off his bandages faster than they could be put on, cursing and swearing the whole time. Everyone interviewed was quite agitated at the idea of losing their beloved overseers. </p><p>The board decided to petition in favor of Hummel, finding no evidence of neglect. At the same time, the taxpayers of the county were also signing a petition to keep Hummel at the infirmary. Playing Devil's Advocate, it is possible that someone on the board gave Hummel a head's up about the surprise inspection. It's possible that the worst of the worst inmates were somehow silenced, or that a biased group just chose to focus on the positive. Whatever the scenario, the court was unable to substantiate any reason to fire Hummel, and he remained at his post until his death. </p><p>Henry Hummel passed away at his residence at the Fairfield County Infirmary on February 20, 1927 after a five month illness. He had served the institution faithfully for ten years. Immediately upon his death, his son, Lloyd, was named interim superintendent, with Minnie as Matron, until a replacement could be found. He was buried in the mausoleum at nearby Forest Rose Cemetery. </p><p>So where do these stories about Hummel being a horrible, abusive overseer come from? I think they stem from a combination of two things: 1. The brutal attack of Hummel by an inmate, and 2. Charges filed against ANOTHER superintendent! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5geP_WOrjeX_f6CPm2HzGfKTl1flrp7T9CpeGQblLRoit8KfgrrQOfdBUyPdLvthvSrKRkzWL2jwvxn-kmWq2EfWhe0rBPJg9fmKn_6-3sp1hI00-Q52wHe1RcbsUevpse9_ASctsmSxnZ7K1Z1MdXQL5RwYRh6vvJG3Pt1EPSCHkiP-o8p15-yrY7COq/s960/hummelattacked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="819" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5geP_WOrjeX_f6CPm2HzGfKTl1flrp7T9CpeGQblLRoit8KfgrrQOfdBUyPdLvthvSrKRkzWL2jwvxn-kmWq2EfWhe0rBPJg9fmKn_6-3sp1hI00-Q52wHe1RcbsUevpse9_ASctsmSxnZ7K1Z1MdXQL5RwYRh6vvJG3Pt1EPSCHkiP-o8p15-yrY7COq/w332-h390/hummelattacked.jpg" width="332" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lancaster Eagle-Gazette<br />30 July 1924</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><b>The Attack</b></p><p>On July 29th, 1924, Hummel and one of the infirmary inmates were entering the hay field across the street. All of a sudden, the inmate rushed towards Hummel, and whacked him over the head with a three foot iron bar, used to stack hay. This first blow broke Hummel's hat and stunned him, allowing the inmate to get in a second blow, causing a large laceration. Frenzied by the sight of the blood, the inmate just kept going, while Hummel, now fighting for his life, began to grapple with the man. Hummel was able to grab a wrench out the man's pocket, and hit him with it, causing the man to stop and take off running. By this time, others had seen what was going on and grabbed the crazed man. An article in the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette stated that they nearly beat the man to death, but Hummel intervened. Both were taken to the infirmary and given medical treatment, and both thankfully survived the encounter. Although the name of the inmate wasn't given, he was said to be a 36 year old man who had been at the infirmary for the last 16 years. Days prior to the attack, other inmates claimed that the man was walking around muttering, "I'm bloodthirsty. I'll kill somebody!" An interesting side not to this story is that obviously the public was upset that something like this could happen, and it brought up the discussion of whether or not 'insane' inmates should be housed with what was mostly an elderly and infirm population at the county infirmary. What we see after this event is an increase in inmates from the infirmary being brought up on lunacy charges and transferred to the state asylum in Athens.</p><p>Now, I never met Hummel. I can't say whether he was generally a likable guy or not (although newspapers paint him to be). What I can say is that I'm sure the job of superintendent wasn't an easy one. Maybe he was a little too strict in his effort to keep things running smoothly and keep everyone in line. And, whenever you have a person in authority, you're going to have those who oppose that authority, no matter what the disposition of the authority figure is. So yeah, maybe the guy was just crazy, or maybe he just had a beef with Superintendent Hummel over a real grievance, intended or not. Either way, I don't think anyone could compare Hummel with Superintendent Braden. </p><p>In early Fall of 1851, a scathing story came out in the local Lancaster papers, calling for the removal of Superintendent Joseph Braden. It seems as if the town was divided in a bitter dispute, which sounded like it was mostly political in nature. The main issue was over how much Braden was being paid by the county, but a further charge was that Braden was an extremely cruel overseer.</p><p>Corporal punishment had been abolished at the county infirmary only that past January. When Braden started this job, it was perfectly legal, and even acceptable to use canes and wagon whips to beat unruly inmates into submission. However, Braden was accused of not only carrying on this tradition after it had been abolished, but carrying it out with an intense cruelty that went above and beyond what was necessary for order and punishment. Some came to Braden's defense and claimed that he was doing what he was told to do in his position as Superintendent, but the public testified that these beatings would occur out in broad daylight, and many were witness to the inhumane treatment of inmates. </p><p>Whatever the true story was behind Braden, and despite his supporters, he did end up leaving the position over this controversy. You can't keep a man like Braden down, however. The following year, an article appeared in the newspaper that discussed a young, tall, bearded Captain Braden on picket with the 30th Indiana, "sporting his sword as vigorously as he once did the birchen rod."</p><p>Superintendent Hummel and Superintendent Braden seem to have very similar stories, that ended in very different ways. Both seemingly were doing their best in a difficult position, hindered by politics. Both had plenty of supporters, but also enough detractors to make one wonder what was really going on. Admittedly, in the early days of the infirmary, corporal punishment WAS the norm, a tragic realization for a location already filled with sorrow and death. I do, though, think that for the sake of narrative, the stories of Hummel and Braden were intertwined to create one entity that speaks of the symbolic nature of the tragedy that is the Fairfield County Infirmary. </p><p>Additional Sources/Citations Coming Soon!</p>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-72497221847071756062024-01-10T11:42:00.000-05:002024-01-10T11:42:23.848-05:00Fright Bite: The Meat Eater of the Fairfield County Infirmary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_rb8f8eV8dlcNZqQAEdVhZrtw7BEXNwCuy0t_7sggx6fJjQw0xUhigj2QizpCfDjnS3gykw9BvLYPhg8-sGhDgt0TIjh01OVCjkQxAW8oCfpwfu3aYHq4-hCMOpwtrNCtL6sRLGBA7pktHO2owphZEdhDLyUuOQyrEMZplDQN7hz_pL-hSyHHMUAdRSl/s4032/PXL_20231223_045034815.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_rb8f8eV8dlcNZqQAEdVhZrtw7BEXNwCuy0t_7sggx6fJjQw0xUhigj2QizpCfDjnS3gykw9BvLYPhg8-sGhDgt0TIjh01OVCjkQxAW8oCfpwfu3aYHq4-hCMOpwtrNCtL6sRLGBA7pktHO2owphZEdhDLyUuOQyrEMZplDQN7hz_pL-hSyHHMUAdRSl/w297-h396/PXL_20231223_045034815.jpg" width="297" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>It's been awhile since I did a Fright Bite feature, which simply means that I don't have a ton of information on a topic...but I wanted to share it for posterity anyway! The term 'fright bite' also seems to fit rather well with today's story for another reason.<div><br /></div><div>Okay, so hearing a growl on an investigation is pretty common. Whether it's a disembodied sound, or a sound captured solely on our digital recorders, a growling noise is something that many of us have dealt with. But what could be the cause of such a scary sound?</div><div><br /></div><div>Ruling out growling bellies from team members (another common occurrence on paranormal investigations!), and ruling out living, breathing animals that may be on site, we ask ourselves, "why would a ghost growl at me?" </div><div><br /></div><div>Many tend to associate a growling noise with something negative, because honestly, a growl is not a welcoming, happy greeting. It's primal, a warning of impending danger, an angry sound of displeasure, that some will interpret as even being 'demonic.' It's definitely a noise we tend to pick up more often in places where suffering was widespread, especially prisons mental institutions. Those in an altered mental state, whether in life or continuing into death, might not be able to communicate any other way. And...that kind of seems like it might explain the growler of Fairfield County Infirmary. Further, there is actual historical documentation of a rather growly patient!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWKBmRc6NATc_QURULs-aF9cALmKOVIYljGzdoigB_M3b4CXACM3SpAqJPSO_KdpaYMHqBIqRrsHN3tqbhv67rTAwOR_g_fiuQN8C4LhihSfR5SOWj6ofws-poHZBmwIrj358irl8YPRh1ClIVV2G4Z9vIEZMQnwJnhJMzuxPcbzEvcZJRUB9-BL95l_b/s4032/PXL_20240106_182346501.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWKBmRc6NATc_QURULs-aF9cALmKOVIYljGzdoigB_M3b4CXACM3SpAqJPSO_KdpaYMHqBIqRrsHN3tqbhv67rTAwOR_g_fiuQN8C4LhihSfR5SOWj6ofws-poHZBmwIrj358irl8YPRh1ClIVV2G4Z9vIEZMQnwJnhJMzuxPcbzEvcZJRUB9-BL95l_b/w388-h291/PXL_20240106_182346501.jpg" width="388" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>According to Infirmary Records compiled and published by the Fairfield Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, there was a man named C.H. Jenery who was admitted to the infirmary under the care of Dr. J.M. Broyles. Dr. Broyes kept a journal of patient notes between 1855 and 1886. These notes are actually very sparse, but there is an interesting entry for Mr. Jenery.</div><div><br /></div><div>It seems that Mr. Jenery was often referred to as "Mr. Nucence" (I'm guessing Nuisance?) "because he always growls on the account of not getting 5 lbs of beef at one meal, and says he cannot live unless he gets the above amount stated." The notes go on to further state that "we could not allow the amount, then he was discharged" on August 27, 1886. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's not noted whether or not Mr. Jenery was just a hungry, hungry boy or if he had some legitimate reason for wanting so much meat in one sitting. Did he think he was a werewolf? Did he suffer from low iron or Prader-Willi Syndrome? Maybe he was just really dedicated to a keto lifestyle. Whatever the case, if you find yourself investigating the Fairfield County Infirmary and hear a menacing growl, don't panic. Just tell Mr. Jenery that you hear him and understand him...and will try to bring him a burger next time. </div>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-67687729009551565232024-01-10T11:39:00.000-05:002024-01-10T11:39:06.092-05:00The Abandoned Child Bride of FCI<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCCLzFAWSS53HAXwOSXPIGG-fXW4tWia3GK_VC81DuHR8G2PdoYZznj_qus5Ev95qO3GcUuj5i7hXv1pfKUpaJfHlhnN3H-kjbsEBRQ2SuCjlXb3ezWLUbGkUXl-Dwv91c8jj2_ejQqScfy0jKaTT6pbYiIxhwxGnkzSHdshECQuG3oVbdvOsyydaYvZp/s1903/meetatinfirmary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1903" data-original-width="690" height="573" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCCLzFAWSS53HAXwOSXPIGG-fXW4tWia3GK_VC81DuHR8G2PdoYZznj_qus5Ev95qO3GcUuj5i7hXv1pfKUpaJfHlhnN3H-kjbsEBRQ2SuCjlXb3ezWLUbGkUXl-Dwv91c8jj2_ejQqScfy0jKaTT6pbYiIxhwxGnkzSHdshECQuG3oVbdvOsyydaYvZp/w208-h573/meetatinfirmary.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lancaster Eagle-Gazette</i><br />13 June 1927</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>There are so many sad stories that have emerged from the Fairfield County Infirmary. For years, this imposing building was a place where the unwanted were dumped. Anyone who was too ill, too poor, too mentally impeded to take care of themselves could find themselves trapped in this institution with no way out...other than death.</p><p>One of the more pitiful cases that is often talked about is that of a 'child bride.' Married at 15 years of age, this young woman soon found herself pregnant. What should have been a joyous occasion, turned tragic when the baby was either stillborn or passed shortly after birth. The exact timeline isn't made clear, but the inconsolable young woman was abandoned by her husband and left to spend out the rest of her days at the Fairfield County Infirmary. </p><p>This story was used as a tear-jerker/human interest piece in the December 23, 1927 edition of the <i>Lancaster Eagle-Gazette</i>, which annually ran a plea for the public to donate to the county infirmary and children's home. What this particular article fails to include is that this couple was reunited...SIX MONTHS EARLIER. It wasn't, however, a happy reunion.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu4l9_vREkqwrFRO7zEy9gc0ziUV_sz-sMAvea4vc09Pb2H_rxW9oZc6TotWa9GsMWXrN62ySK4WualmsuDM8DW9EFrDJ6PaDp8l_WCcms8PNQfltCYJkAaO9hh1l7Txshk_wNSGjR6WOjEI7sq4pglJbOk01kLpeTLLQnsye5R5enXFP9r3bWzbHeF5zg/s642/bertha2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="642" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu4l9_vREkqwrFRO7zEy9gc0ziUV_sz-sMAvea4vc09Pb2H_rxW9oZc6TotWa9GsMWXrN62ySK4WualmsuDM8DW9EFrDJ6PaDp8l_WCcms8PNQfltCYJkAaO9hh1l7Txshk_wNSGjR6WOjEI7sq4pglJbOk01kLpeTLLQnsye5R5enXFP9r3bWzbHeF5zg/w395-h268/bertha2.jpg" width="395" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lancaster Eagle-Gazette</i><br />23 December, 1927</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>According to several articles printed in the <i>Lancaster Eagle-Gazette</i> in June of 1927, an elderly man named Charles Trotter showed up at the infirmary. Charles, now 76 years old, had spent his life traveling the world in search of his fortune. Never having found it, he wound up visiting the Lancaster area (where it all began) and was admitted, broke and broken, to the Fairfield County Infirmary. He was surprised to find there a patient named Bertha Trotter, now 73. Bertha was the wife he had abandoned 56 years ago. </p><p>Charles claimed that he had been told she had died, and that was why he never came back for her. The matron of the infirmary, Mrs. Henry Hummel, asked Bertha if she was happy to see Charles after all these years. Her reply was perfect. Despite the fact that the chief complaint for her being left at the infirmary was that she could not longer 'talk very plain,' she plainly and boldly answered: "No; he left me when I needed him the most, he need not have returned." </p><p>Unfortunately, I couldn't find any additional information on the Trotter family. I assume that both lived out the rest of their lives, together but separate, in the old Fairfield County Infirmary, but I have yet to find any confirmation as to when either actually passed. I hope, however, that their shared time at the infirmary was one of vindication for Bertha. </p>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-56283886458351985642024-01-10T11:36:00.000-05:002024-01-10T11:36:04.700-05:00Seven Foot Tall Shadow Man at Fairfield County Infirmary<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBVH1gB1rZ7fY6-FhX-ysmYt7_C6sOGNheAKmhHZBBq8NfAbHAtnNitF7Dt5NGTQkiAvxlSSe4obh7DK6IHNfrCayYOtbjq1U_77UqKYJGfQJZZU9PiYMeFJfa10YOeRsNP_bnRB6VBwPh5l7DvtMjYiTC0OawtIEUFamYG-Gt5sWmPpowsgJGIz1z2W7/s2048/FCI2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="922" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBVH1gB1rZ7fY6-FhX-ysmYt7_C6sOGNheAKmhHZBBq8NfAbHAtnNitF7Dt5NGTQkiAvxlSSe4obh7DK6IHNfrCayYOtbjq1U_77UqKYJGfQJZZU9PiYMeFJfa10YOeRsNP_bnRB6VBwPh5l7DvtMjYiTC0OawtIEUFamYG-Gt5sWmPpowsgJGIz1z2W7/w232-h516/FCI2.jpg" width="232" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fairfield County Infirmary<br />'Dungeon' Area</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Hey, hey, it's time for another installment of my deep-dive into the haunted history of the Fairfield County Infirmary, located in Lancaster, Ohio! Since SRI will be returning their soon, I wanted to delve into some of the reported paranormal activity and just see what type of historical documentation I could find that may help back up those claims. </div><div><br /></div><div>There's really no 'dead' (pun intended) area of the old infirmary; activity takes places on all four floors, and everything from full-body apparitions to phantom voices has been witnessed. Shadow people are extremely common, popping in and out of doorways and blocking the light at the end of long corridors. But, there's a shadow being at FCI that's a little out of the ordinary. In the attic of the old county home, there has been reported a dark, towering figure standing at least SEVEN FEET TALL! </div><div><br /></div><div>By some accounts, this super tall shadowy being can grow to 8 or 9 feet, but generally he's clocked in at around 7 feet. Now, humans are notoriously bad at estimating size, but there does seem to be a very consistent flow of people witnessing a shadow that is at least much taller than the average person. Let's take a look at some possible explanations for this phenomenon.</div><div><br /></div><div>Firstly, though, let's get some background on the area. The fourth floor attic space has been used for quite a few things over the years. Before a proper orphanage could be built in the latter part of the 1800's, one whole side was dedicated to housing the children of the poor farm. In later years, the attic was where transients could 'rent' a space to stay by working the fields. More disturbingly, though, is the fact that the attic was where the 'dungeon' was located. The dungeon was an area where the most incorrigible 'inmates' were chained to the wall for an indeterminate time. If the 'jail cells' on the lower floor didn't straighten you out after 24 hours, you were sent to the attic for punishment. There's also a small section of the attic now called the 'Chicken Coop,' denoted by a space with a chicken wire door, that the most mentally ill patients were said to have been kept. </div><div><br /></div><div>With that sort of history, it's easy to see how this area could gain a haunted reputation. SRI has personally had some interesting activity recorded in the attic, including having a REM pod's batteries removed and thrown on the floor in the orphanage area. And while we did see several shadowy 'things,' we unfortunately didn't experience the 7 foot tall Shadow Man. So what could cause an entity of this size to haunt the Fairfield County Infirmary? Here are a few theories:</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">1. The IR Shadow</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Before we even consider the idea that there's a 7 foot tall shadow being, we have to rule out the idea of natural causes. Are witnesses just seeing the shadow of a living person that looks larger due to the placement of the light source? Are they seeing the shadow of some inanimate object that just appears human-like under the right circumstances? Or, are they experiencing an IR shadow witnessed through the lens of their camera? An IR shadow is simply a shadow where the light source is an infrared light. It is not visible with the naked eye, but will show up on your camera in pictures/video. And, like a regular shadow, depending on the angle and placement of the light source, can cause the subject to appear taller than it actually is. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4EfqgLR4h5WeD41O4ndRlWJOATFpVfRmnc15rYc06zTeZ97DJIUiyVZKBLHc2K47G5BxCygY0toSnlwtFGj_m4bnVILF7JkdEsGabdshtGvsUDhsZ8926KbNcyqDqUBRtsPB0CdMv5eSBP9BiUr9tFop5BGSyLoEWKV2zkjtplOOfz2HOSlsAmHw8NKs/s300/irshadow.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="300" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4EfqgLR4h5WeD41O4ndRlWJOATFpVfRmnc15rYc06zTeZ97DJIUiyVZKBLHc2K47G5BxCygY0toSnlwtFGj_m4bnVILF7JkdEsGabdshtGvsUDhsZ8926KbNcyqDqUBRtsPB0CdMv5eSBP9BiUr9tFop5BGSyLoEWKV2zkjtplOOfz2HOSlsAmHw8NKs/w370-h208/irshadow.jpeg" width="370" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">2. Ghost of a Really Tall Dude</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>If we are dealing with an actual paranormal entity, specifically a deceased human entity, is it possible that there could be a ghost who was actually 7+ feet tall in life? As stated earlier, humans are notoriously bad at estimating height, especially when only catching a fleeting glimpse. Still, with the average male only being around 5'6'' to 5'7'' in 1900, you wouldn't think that so many people would be overestimating by so much. However, I was able to find an interesting article about Benjamin "Toppy" Parot, who lived at the county infirmary, and unfortunately died there as well. Toppy was cited as being over 6 feet, 4 inches tall in his stocking feet. It was said that his casket was among the largest ever furnished by the county home. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMA9gMeAzErLt_vohZY6tBIiqtORJZ18VzrHaKgEfXhOkuNjLHjL01Sn7XNBpraGCUxIYyhzwOdR3XrCBtBOdZFWD8qjN11SYq_NNM__qv_WLhSOJKeTQ-99WKzfjh1MvF_s9uIUHWvBAV1d_fad2cx1TyeqRgCgL8qbP2QR0v8qw2eeCkO4RNTcZX0A-/s1157/toppy1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1157" data-original-width="685" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMA9gMeAzErLt_vohZY6tBIiqtORJZ18VzrHaKgEfXhOkuNjLHjL01Sn7XNBpraGCUxIYyhzwOdR3XrCBtBOdZFWD8qjN11SYq_NNM__qv_WLhSOJKeTQ-99WKzfjh1MvF_s9uIUHWvBAV1d_fad2cx1TyeqRgCgL8qbP2QR0v8qw2eeCkO4RNTcZX0A-/w236-h400/toppy1.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lancaster Eagle-Gazette</i><br />30 January 1915<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1Mykn6px4AnI1b7vuowQ0M3A15M-9uYYyhWB4K5oWoNgk_akzexSCx-8gKVIdcMkkAuviSJ34hRf4KjY-g_HNwN77f_w1kRL8MLkYvSnbbul38Sr52tceAFCsxFjRxBz_JL0nHRcWAAPGhW6xfg_SxzygNMXNZIe0HOP5GfZsRsQ7S4jxtiq5vCsme2-/s6786/toppy2.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6786" data-original-width="3702" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1Mykn6px4AnI1b7vuowQ0M3A15M-9uYYyhWB4K5oWoNgk_akzexSCx-8gKVIdcMkkAuviSJ34hRf4KjY-g_HNwN77f_w1kRL8MLkYvSnbbul38Sr52tceAFCsxFjRxBz_JL0nHRcWAAPGhW6xfg_SxzygNMXNZIe0HOP5GfZsRsQ7S4jxtiq5vCsme2-/w233-h426/toppy2.jpeg" width="233" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://images.findagrave.com/photos/2023/57/44665854_e9577785-c010-4795-9bc6-f90553a62d7c.jpeg" target="_blank">Find-a-Grave</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">3. Ghost of a Not-So-Tall Dude</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div>While Toppy Parot was considered rather tall for his time, there are plenty of other 'inmates' of the infirmary who passed away, some of which who would inevitably make that transition after spending a significant amount of time in the attic...or who actually did die in that space. One gentleman who attempted to take his life in that space was Seward Wagner. Wagner climbed out a skylight and jumped off the room, injuring himself. He passed shortly after. But why would Wagner, or any other potential ghost show up so tall? I found an interesting explanation given by Patience, one of the tour guides at FCI. Patience explains that the attic area isn't exactly on one consistent floor level, especially around the cupola area. What if the shadow person only LOOKS like its taller...but is in fact, 'standing' on flooring that is 18 inches taller than surrounding areas?</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RPxcCr6uXbJbRTCaIHEf7vkxX3T1T_eRtJm6nIJSJusxEb9VbnugUgEpzPo9AbSTfMb6SOl_E8PynCd_0NX8FJGglgSKkyzwhYi117Y7UMqQjELmbOWe65GBxQn_PUes0wx6lIdOM5qQ7xxzq_AhHJ_oLp11kESLo_qvZD18l-otB-DxK-DJYRLKAO-R/s1555/wagner.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1555" data-original-width="679" height="453" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RPxcCr6uXbJbRTCaIHEf7vkxX3T1T_eRtJm6nIJSJusxEb9VbnugUgEpzPo9AbSTfMb6SOl_E8PynCd_0NX8FJGglgSKkyzwhYi117Y7UMqQjELmbOWe65GBxQn_PUes0wx6lIdOM5qQ7xxzq_AhHJ_oLp11kESLo_qvZD18l-otB-DxK-DJYRLKAO-R/w198-h453/wagner.jpg" width="198" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lancaster Eagle-Gazette</i><br />11 February 1950</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgff8fhNPQ1Hf4JF_tZr4B3SxMSh69hVmDUZ0JaPyIlc_-Pz7RzFKpINXfHyNvNgsANM9xKFSY1lQEQB1s0fKBDYZYIWPwKVeCNWG0zCA2QNUADjp4nHPJ1tnEwO_2NsiSBO2X6YpXs5G93bkkAK12bJb2b7TSSmYrw1U-I871Of5hdPD51_smPt2mbFzHL/s648/wagner2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="648" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgff8fhNPQ1Hf4JF_tZr4B3SxMSh69hVmDUZ0JaPyIlc_-Pz7RzFKpINXfHyNvNgsANM9xKFSY1lQEQB1s0fKBDYZYIWPwKVeCNWG0zCA2QNUADjp4nHPJ1tnEwO_2NsiSBO2X6YpXs5G93bkkAK12bJb2b7TSSmYrw1U-I871Of5hdPD51_smPt2mbFzHL/s320/wagner2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lancaster Eagle-Gazette</i><br />17 February 1950</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">4. Ghost/Energy Manifesting in a Way We Don't Understand</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div>One last thing to consider is that perhaps we're just dealing with a matter of our understanding of OUR physical world doesn't quite mesh up with the physics of 'their' world. Perhaps a human entity can choose how it manifests, and this particular being chooses to manifest in a way that appears intimidating and large. Maybe it's more symbolic; maybe there is no actual 'ghost,' but something more elemental, or even a collection of energy that represents a large, angry, oppressive entity. It's these types of questions that keep me in this field, always trying to find another piece of the puzzle. As Spectral Research and Investigations return to the Fairfield County Infirmary this month, we'll be working to answer these questions and inevitably, uncovering additional questions to ponder as well. Stay spooky, ya'll...and keep an eye out for more FCI articles being posted on Theresa's Haunted History!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br />TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-5487228005892715712024-01-10T11:32:00.001-05:002024-01-10T11:32:25.094-05:00Tragedy at Fairfield County Infirmary: Jane's Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN5kB_bxavmOteQgVr07xoV4N4wZAWEJHk9bZWtTI02FSiE9lCBwN0nyA0qnOdidunEZg955x4hYwFZYhBYhYXNZcRs6YuZh7J31sGvEyQH2ahknkOAA13cmx-GZKMQRNMWj7lAJefvI7e_N-_f3tuRfE16t6RsbXl4grt71TmXZ36up0xvQkgPHyo46zK/s2048/FCI1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="2048" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN5kB_bxavmOteQgVr07xoV4N4wZAWEJHk9bZWtTI02FSiE9lCBwN0nyA0qnOdidunEZg955x4hYwFZYhBYhYXNZcRs6YuZh7J31sGvEyQH2ahknkOAA13cmx-GZKMQRNMWj7lAJefvI7e_N-_f3tuRfE16t6RsbXl4grt71TmXZ36up0xvQkgPHyo46zK/w438-h197/FCI1.jpg" width="438" /></a></div><br /><p>Welcome to another post in my deep dive series into the history and hauntings of Lancaster Ohio's Fairfield County Infirmary (FCI)! FCI has been investigated numerous times since being purchased by current owner, Adam Kimmell in 2020 and being turned into a premier paranormal investigation attraction. Countless teams have gathered data and had experiences, adding to the lore that already existed, much of which comes to us from former employees/visitors to the building when it served as county offices.</p><p>One resident ghost that gets a lot of attention is an elderly woman named Jane Householder. There have been various apparitions of an elderly woman seen, sometimes with a gray bun, other times with dark, curly hair, but almost always wearing a white dress. She's seen mainly in the second floor area, but has also been reported in the attic. On occasion, people have claimed to have seen this woman enveloped in flames.</p><p>Whether or not people are seeing and communicating with the same entity or not, the majority of these experiences are attributed to Jane and her tragic demise at the Fairfield County Infirmary in the 1920's. Depending on who you ask, the details change slightly, but the basic story goes that Jane, an elderly woman living in the county home, died when her dress caught fire. In some versions of the story, Jane is reported as having been rebelling because the staff told her to stay in her room. Angry at being told what to do, she went to light the stove (or a match) and an accelerant of some type on her dress caused it to quickly catch fire. In other versions, she had lit the stove to stay warm. Occasionally, the story is told as happening on the fourth floor (but as you'll see below, it probably didn't). </p><p>A newspaper article from the <i>Lancaster Daily Gazette,</i> dated March 22, 1929 clears up some of the details of what happened. Here's the article transcribed in its entirety (source: Ancestry.com Newspaper Archives):</p><p><b><i>AGED WOMAN DIES OF BURNS AT COUNTY HOME</i></b></p><p><i>Literally cooked alive when her clothing caught fire from a gas stove, Miss Jane Householder, 73 year old inmate of the Fairfield County Infirmary since March 11, 1891, was burned so badly about 4 p.m. Thursday that she died at 1 o clock this morning.</i></p><p><i>The aged woman had recently been ill with a cold and Miss Mae McCall, the institution nurse, was treating her in her room. About 3:30 o clock the nurse cautioned her to remain in room, believing the aged woman should not expose herself to possibilities of contracting a more severe illness.</i></p><p><b><i>Accident Unwitnessed</i></b></p><p><i>But she did not obey the nurse and came down to the room where the women spend their afternoons chatting. No one was in the room at the time and it is not known just how her clothing caught fire from the stove but ashes, found in the stove later by Supt. Zeph Musser, indicated she had burned something in it.</i></p><p><i>Her screams attracted the nurse and another employee, Mrs. McClurg. When they got to her the victim of the tragedy had run into an adjoining room and was standing at a hydrant enveloped in a sheet of flame and trying to extinguish the fire.</i></p><p><i>The two attendants threw rugs around the woman's body, smothering the flames and then dashed water over her. However by that time her clothing had been practically burned off. Her body was almost entirely charred.</i></p><p><b><i>Blamed Self</i></b></p><p><i>As they carried her to her room, she moaned, "Oh! If I had only done what the nurses told me to." Dr. Clifford B. Snider was summoned to the institution and did about all humanely possible for her, but she had been so hopelessly burned that medical science could do little to save her life, except possibly prolong it. </i></p><p><i>Records at the county home classified the aged inmate as somewhat feeble-minded. </i></p><p><i>Sup.t Musser went to Bremen today in an effort to learn the whereabouts of even a distant relative, although it is believed she had no living relatives. </i></p><p><i>"I cannot blame anyone for the accident," Sup.t Musser said this morning, "for it was just one of those unavoidable tragedies."</i></p><p><i>Musser explained that other inmates were nearly all on an upper floor at the time of the accident preparing for the supper hour and for this reason and because she had failed to obey the nurse, accounted for her being alone when her clothing was ignited.</i></p><p><b><i>Stove Examined</i></b></p><p><i>The superintendent said he had examined the stove and turned the gas on full, but failed to find anyplace where the flames come out of the stove when the gas was burning high.</i></p><p><i>It is believed that the woman thought it was not quite warm enough in the room and attempted to increase the heat by burning something in the stove.</i></p><p><i>The body was taken to the Johnson-Orr Funeral Home and prepared for burial.</i></p><p><i>Funeral services will be conducted Saturday afternoon at 1:30 o clock at the county home with Rev. A. Orr officiating. Internment will be made in the institution cemetery by Johnson and Orr. </i></p><p>Jane Catherine Askins Householder was born in Fairfield County on June 2, 1856 to Gustavus Askins and Margaret Hill Askins. Her father was killed in battle during the Civil War, leaving her mother to raise five children alone, with minimal help from grandparents living nearby. Jane (who may have gone by Catherine during her childhood) married a man named Andrew Householder on February 26, 1876, at just 19 years old. While 19 was an acceptable marriage age for a woman during that time...her husband was actually 30 years her senior, and already had several children of his own, including one who was a year older than Jane herself. Andrew passed away in December of 1890, and shortly after, the now-widowed Jane was sent to the Fairfield County Infirmary to be cared for. She was only in her mid-30's. (Info from Ancestry.com census records and <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44662236/jane-catherine-householder" target="_blank">Find-a-Grave</a>)</p><p>Although the newspaper article states that she was somewhat feeble-minded at the time of her death, chances are, Jane was a perfectly 'normal' woman when she was brought to FCI. She may, however, been considered a little slow. While going back over old census records, Jane apparently was sent to school early on, but she's often listed on census reports as not being able to read or write. Either way, one thing remained the same: She was a WOMAN, whose husband and her father were both deceased, and she had no other relatives willing or able to support her. Not only did she live out the rest of her mortal life at the infirmary, she was buried in the on-site cemetery. No wonder she feels like she must spend the rest of her eternity at this place. </p><p> Taking a step back, as I said before, Jane (or a similar apparition) has been reported in the attic, and this, combined with the idea that there is fire damage visible on that floor has led many to believe that this tragic death happened on the fourth floor. While the newspaper article makes it clear it did NOT, there was an earlier fire that did do damage to this area.</p><p>On Tuesday, May 19th, 1925 fire broke out in the Fairfield County Infirmary. Frank Engle of a neighboring farm was the first to notice flames coming from the kitchen chimney at the north end of the building around 4 pm. He ran to alert the staff, and attendant, Miss Bertha Fisher, sounded the fire alarm. At the same time, Paul Hummel, the son of the superintendent, was arriving home from high school. He ran in and grabbed a fire hose from the second floor. A car full of young men traveling by saw the commotion and stopped to help. </p><p>Assistant Chief Ed Rockey, along with firemen Cave and Craft were first on the scene with a pumper truck. Chemical tanks were brought up to the fourth floor, and were able to effectively stop the spread of the fire, which was lucky because the only water to the infirmary came from the wells out back, fed by the spring which runs under the property. Although filled the day before, they had a tendency to run dry. A second alarm was called in, and more firemen, carrying more hoses and filling up the pumper truck at a local creek arrived to help out. Thanks to low winds and an enormous volunteer effort, all 58 residents escaped with their lives. Despite flames leaping 25 feet in the air through the roof around the cupola, the fire was brought under control about 5:30pm, yet not before extensive damage was done. The attic had been gutted, and the fire broken through the floor to the level below. In total, about $3000 worth of damage was done. Below is a clipping from the <i>Lancaster Eagle-Gazette</i>, dated 20 May 1925:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHK-V4hyphenhyphenLG3pxP7vL4t84Kp-O51rahyphenhyphen-AJgsFLZiD88lnG8A4Cnh0t2H4DLvIg0rOmA3xx5XhKeWHrzHjiQ8LCWc4H0xAJk64IpdwqmLPQMDgJ-3QCImzu1tIvCxC9yPsMullBhZx2M3Yz4ZbnqnU8zxhATaCJFhjExCfM2wqEfpbElcySeimxHe_5djyA/s2815/FCIfire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2815" data-original-width="819" height="970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHK-V4hyphenhyphenLG3pxP7vL4t84Kp-O51rahyphenhyphen-AJgsFLZiD88lnG8A4Cnh0t2H4DLvIg0rOmA3xx5XhKeWHrzHjiQ8LCWc4H0xAJk64IpdwqmLPQMDgJ-3QCImzu1tIvCxC9yPsMullBhZx2M3Yz4ZbnqnU8zxhATaCJFhjExCfM2wqEfpbElcySeimxHe_5djyA/w282-h970/FCIfire.jpg" width="282" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-73313139531752460772024-01-10T11:29:00.008-05:002024-01-12T11:02:45.649-05:00The Haunted History of the Fairfield County Infirmary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7MFE6CGCTfeG4A81xslEtptvVj7mraxfFPzpUdI5SRhGWTQUYSa8f8Nr5plJzZVM36Fd2-arNwBbOffvcMkVdMU75QjkxqFIghCGVveLjWP8u9BPAEuuw3xRJC6VLRq-5P8JvDSVH7VHmCeRkiyD03Y-G-jYYMI3VedYYzOzcgeIGQsCB3Sa3Hb0w1bx/s2048/FCISRI.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="459" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7MFE6CGCTfeG4A81xslEtptvVj7mraxfFPzpUdI5SRhGWTQUYSa8f8Nr5plJzZVM36Fd2-arNwBbOffvcMkVdMU75QjkxqFIghCGVveLjWP8u9BPAEuuw3xRJC6VLRq-5P8JvDSVH7VHmCeRkiyD03Y-G-jYYMI3VedYYzOzcgeIGQsCB3Sa3Hb0w1bx/w344-h459/FCISRI.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><br /><p>In mid-January, the Spectral Research and Investigation team will once again head to Lancaster, Ohio to investigate the Fairfield County Infirmary. Although this is the second trip for most of us, and a third trip for some, we're really looking forward to once again visiting this magnificent old building filled with the haunted memories of its unfortunate past. Although historical research was conducted for previous investigations, as part of my newly appointed role of Lead Historian for SRI, I wanted to take a deep, DEEP dive into some of the stories that make up the lore of FCI. I'll be sharing those throughout the next few days, but first, a brief overview...</p><p>The best way to describe the Fairfield County Infirmary is as a place for the unwanted. After the state of Ohio decided that each county should have a centralized home for its poor and indigent, county poor farms or 'infirmaries' were set up, taking these poor, unfortunate souls out of private homes and into a group setting. Before 1828 when the Fairfield County Infirmary was built, 'overseers of the poor' set up those less fortunate in private homes, awarding a 'contract' of sorts to the lowest bidder. The caretaker offered space and their supposed 'love and care' for a small stipend to cover the pauper's food, medical care, and other necessities. As you can imagine, there was probably plenty of room for abuse of the system. </p><p>Unfortunately, the solution was not perfect. The original infirmary building was quickly found to be too small, so additions were made in the 1840's, and again right after the Civil War. During those years of expansion, a multitude of outbuildings were constructed and the property boundaries were extended to accommodate a pretty self-sufficient county farm. But, as beautiful as the brick building appeared, and as productive as the farm seemed, things inside weren't great by any means, especially in the early days.</p><p>Throughout much of the infirmary's history, it truly was a place where the unwanted could be unceremoniously dumped for a variety of reasons. If you could not take care of yourself for any reason, whether it be due to poverty, sickness/injury, old age, mental illness and/or deficiency, being widowed, or simply being a transient coming through town with little to nothing in your pockets, you could easily find yourself taken to the infirmary and remaining there for the rest of your life (and possibly beyond).</p><p>Although attempts were made at some segregation (women and men had separate wings and up until a separate orphanage was built in 1886 children were kept on the fourth floor) the sick, the crippled, the mentally ill, everyone...was just housed together. Those who could work were forced to do so, either out on the farm or taking care of domestic tasks around the home, including caring for the more severe patients, or inmates, as they were all called, regardless of status. Children were born to mothers staying there, many of whom were not of sound mind to consent. Many of those children were either taken away and given up for adoption, but many others would never know life outside the infirmary walls. </p><p>Beginning at the turn of the century, and as more and more social programs began to help those less fortunate, improvements did seem to be happening. Those who were suffering from extreme mental illness were petitioned to be transferred to the asylum at Athens. Civic groups raised money for Christmas gifts, ice cream socials became the norm, and groups would come in and sing and/or play music for the 'inmates.' But, even those improvements could not take away from the suffering and tragedy...and death. </p><p>Reports of abusive and/or negligent superintendents, ranging from nearly the beginning of the institution's operation (more on that in another blog!) are told, as well as probable inmate-on-inmate abuse. Death was a common occurrence, especially since most of the inmates were elderly and/or infirm, but reports of fatal accidents, suicide, and even violence were not unheard of. </p><p>The Fairfield County Infirmary was in operation until 1985, when the remaining patients were finally put into nursing care facilities or placed with foster families. The following year, the county took over the building as headquarters for its various health department offices, renamed it the Clarence E. Miller Building, and made some structural changes to meet fire codes. The most notable of these is the enclosure of several staircases, giving the building some interesting architectural features! It was during the building's tenure as the health department offices that its haunted reputation began. Workers began noticing strange sounds, like footsteps and voices coming from unoccupied areas of the buildings. Objects would be moved around. Phones from empty offices would ring into other offices. Apparitions were even seen...</p><p>By 2011, it was pretty apparent that the old building needed some major upgrades, and by 2013, the county health department had moved out. With the old farm area across the road being sold decades before to a local university, the much smaller property with a dilapidated brick structure sat vacant for some time, looking for a buyer. The site was considered by a local real estate investment firm as potential apartments, but that fell through, especially after it was discovered that the on-site cemetery far exceeded its distinguished boundaries, and that there were probably bodies buried across the entirety of the property. For one season, Habitat for Humanity ran a haunted house attraction, but when it came up on the auction block, Adam Kimmel was the lucky bidder. There's an interesting story that Kimmel was told there was another investor vying for the property and was tempted to put in quite a high bid. However, a ghostly little child from the property told him that there were no other bidders, and thus, he won the FCI with a low-ball offer. It is now ran as a year-round mecca for paranormal researchers and ghost hunters, by Kimmel and his partner, who own several more properties around the midwest for the same purpose. </p><p>With literally hundreds of investigation teams pouring into Fairfield since 2020, the activity experienced does tend to fluctuate a bit, but there are some hauntings that are told as canon. In addition to the general activity of footsteps and disembodied voices, there have been reports of apparitions of a doctor figure, and several of an older woman wearing white. Children are heard laughing and running in an area now set up as the boys' playroom. Shadow figures are a constant, with shadowy beings darting in and out of rooms down dark halls, and even a seven foot tall shadow seen in the attic area. People have been scratched or bruised, and some have felt extremely ill, especially after visiting the morgue area. A little ghost girl named Susie is often reported, as is a male ghost who calls himself Willie. Some believe the apparition of the woman (or ONE of the female apparitions) is none other than Jane Householder, an elderly lady who burned to death in the 1920's. </p><p>From my own personal research, I've also noticed that many investigative teams have had great success with the Estes Method of communication, where the 'sitter' is listening to a spirit box, while other investigators ask questions, hoping for a response. The sitter cannot hear what the other investigators are asking, hopefully eliminating some of the audio pareidolia of looking for answers that 'fit.' Through this method, not only have they received intelligent responses, but will often get the names of owners and staff at FCI, along with their own names and names of fellow investigators on site. </p><p>The most active areas of the old infirmary tend to be the attic, which was used both as an orphanage and as a 'dungeon,' where the most incorrigible inmates were kept, the third floor 'women's cell,' where those committing minor offenses were held for up to 24 hours, and the morgue/autopsy area. However, there doesn't seem to be any location within the four floors that isn't active, a fact that is attributed to both the amount of tragedy and death that took place there, a spring that runs directly under the building, giving an unending supply of energy, and an odd fact about the cemetery out back that may contribute to those buried there being unable to rest in peace. We'll explore some of these topics and stories in further blogs, which I'll link to below as they are published. Also, if you're interested in the investigative side of Fairfield County Infirmary, please check out the YouTube playlist I compiled, highlighting some of teams that have filmed here. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFBv5EYEQnQby3LuvSO6PYKFKDOZpDmkU" target="_blank">Fairfield County Infirmary YouTube Playlist</a></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Fairfield County Infirmary Collection</span></b></p><p><a href="https://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-christmas-story-from-fairfield-county.html" target="_blank"> An FCI Christmas Story</a></p><p><a href="https://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/2024/01/tragedy-at-fairfield-county-infirmary.html" target="_blank">The Story of Jane Householder</a></p><p><a href="https://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/2024/01/seven-foot-tall-shadow-man-at-fairfield.html" target="_blank">Seven Foot Tall Shadow Man</a></p><p>Body Snatching at FCI</p><p><a href="https://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/2024/01/in-defense-of-supt-hummel-fairfield.html" target="_blank">A Defense of Superintendent Hummel</a></p><p><a href="https://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-abandoned-child-bride-of-fci.html" target="_blank">An (Un)Happy Reunion at FCI</a></p><p><a href="https://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/2024/01/fright-bite-meat-eater-of-fairfield.html" target="_blank">The Growling Man of Fairfield County Infirmary</a></p><p>The Fairfield County Infirmary Cemetery</p><p><br /></p>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-27223820072045819322023-12-20T21:07:00.006-05:002023-12-20T21:07:42.318-05:00A Walk Through Natchez's Haunted History<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">An Evening with Natchez Ghost Tours</span></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSu_vJQv1sL1A3F9k-TlxIhv9vSmoN4A8HTeJFSRYSmYChp-73jjosaUuwRRJW9bIoN-GVoKWqU3PAFmRESjdRBgl_dZCzMXQVXERAvv8Z51RwR7qLrxE6oDgVulWT8T_RodTreCOTyhHNHQzKjNcqRA8Irl3qjksao0AJ4Q_jiD-WdBDSVl5fP2CKQQ_/s960/FB_IMG_1701826962451.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSu_vJQv1sL1A3F9k-TlxIhv9vSmoN4A8HTeJFSRYSmYChp-73jjosaUuwRRJW9bIoN-GVoKWqU3PAFmRESjdRBgl_dZCzMXQVXERAvv8Z51RwR7qLrxE6oDgVulWT8T_RodTreCOTyhHNHQzKjNcqRA8Irl3qjksao0AJ4Q_jiD-WdBDSVl5fP2CKQQ_/w267-h356/FB_IMG_1701826962451.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SRI Selfie<br />by Kaysee</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Any time I visit a big city on vacation, I immediately look to see if they have a ghost tour available! Ghost tours are an easy way to get a good overview of the haunted history of an area in an entertaining (and often pretty humorous) way. In recent years, I've been to ghost tours of a few 'southern' locations, including Wilmington NC, Charleston SC, and even New Orleans. But, when I found myself in Natchez, Mississippi with some time to kill, the idea of a ghost tour didn't even cross my mind. Surely, this little town, while being steeped in history and having quite a few local haunts, wouldn't be offering ghost tours in the middle of winter. Luckily, as I was waiting in the lobby one day, I wandered over to my hotel's display of brochures and pamphlets for nearby attractions. My eyes immediately landed on a rack card for...Natchez Ghost Tours! The best part was...these tours were advertised as being offered year round, 7 days a week!</p><p>The night before we were to return to West Virginia, Dan contacted tour guide and owner, Scott McCoy, and reserved us four spots for that evening.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUa3h6NTJB7QVVyqMl7n5qOfzd9WxG6sV0iQCIR9gFkvjC6-xfKa5UsFdnBDMOy_5G9dbV0ZQKpnTCx0SkLHC58SH7bDpGb4LaAWCHb40FmZi4bvS-l_tFfV6n_WS_WYBYKR6BCEFQyA34EP4_gvVXcQmNUhiMs8DaMXL_xgQ8F2-GJcy15G1czcrZwbNH/s4032/PXL_20231205_020038581.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUa3h6NTJB7QVVyqMl7n5qOfzd9WxG6sV0iQCIR9gFkvjC6-xfKa5UsFdnBDMOy_5G9dbV0ZQKpnTCx0SkLHC58SH7bDpGb4LaAWCHb40FmZi4bvS-l_tFfV6n_WS_WYBYKR6BCEFQyA34EP4_gvVXcQmNUhiMs8DaMXL_xgQ8F2-GJcy15G1czcrZwbNH/s320/PXL_20231205_020038581.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tour Guide, Scott<br />in front of the<br />Eola Hotel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> It was a brisk, yet not cold (by WV standards!) evening when the three SRI ambassadors to the south, with my husband tagging along, met Scott in front of the historic, but unfortunately closed, Eola Hotel on the corner of Main St. and Pearl. After a brief introduction and what to expect on the tour, we learned that the Eola was in fact, the first haunted building we'd be hearing about. The Eola, which had its grand opening on July 1, 1927, was made possible by the Natchez Investment Corporation. Isidore Levy, who was President of the Board of Directors, had the hotel named after his daughter, Eola. <p>I don't want to give too much away in this blog as Scott has curated some great stories and history for his tour, and I highly encourage you to go hear them from HIM if you get the chance. But, I will say that if the Eola Hotel, which has struggled for quite some time, despite being an extremely prosperous hotel and mecca of local social functions, ever opens back up for business....you're going to want to explore the 7th floor. The seventh floor, which was built to house an auditorium, banquet hall, and kitchen, is the heart of the haunting, and the hotel's three reported ghosts (a young woman in white, and two older men) like to hang out mainly in that area, interacting with staff and visitors alike.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_UfnQjav1jeb_wItw6Dr2OuY0tpd6GSkjYxoooy1fzNm5iXc4z936_xQxcchuuqVXtKF0M4-E8Omu7fLZKfxBWBdifW107QRQBGgY9VFfFvJ0V-588G2oBxxoKG39nBCS0gv-JQeFMl0gR21z9Q_bjYQxqTCqjHSfwX5nkW45NMMs8srCKFMF7UN4Vek/s4032/PXL_20231205_021246236.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_UfnQjav1jeb_wItw6Dr2OuY0tpd6GSkjYxoooy1fzNm5iXc4z936_xQxcchuuqVXtKF0M4-E8Omu7fLZKfxBWBdifW107QRQBGgY9VFfFvJ0V-588G2oBxxoKG39nBCS0gv-JQeFMl0gR21z9Q_bjYQxqTCqjHSfwX5nkW45NMMs8srCKFMF7UN4Vek/s320/PXL_20231205_021246236.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prentiss Club</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Our next stop was the Prentiss Club, which opened in 1905 as an elite gentleman's fraternal organization of wealthy businessmen, named after Sergeant Smith Prentiss. It served various functions over the years, including a speakeasy during Prohibition, and was considered a total loss after a 2018 fire. The building was restored, but as of right now, sits empty, awaiting a new purpose. It's also a favorite location of a colorful local named Buzz, who passed away in 2011. Buzz has been spotted walking along the sidewalk by the building, immediately recognizable by his fashionable attire. Buzz has been reported to interact with those he encounters, communicate via K-II, and even be photographed. Unfortunately for us, it may have been a little too cold for this southern gentleman during our trip, as we didn't receive any sign that he was willing to talk.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghieIOzJ-kwKLILa_3v-3PqrNb0dLTb_XoRjhxeyL4UVgQC2aJvy10DjPktESk-OmozlTApo-Zmdj3nYHCGq1h9_DosR4C5v9B1GkWe-FIuRD8KQGAKAozblfVdELJ_pHQqlFJXNMQAZc6W5jlEgKoh4ptbgcbEyj5vMnLPtqX3J7oEbyQH9a8LrDJbnDK/s4032/PXL_20231205_023037480.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghieIOzJ-kwKLILa_3v-3PqrNb0dLTb_XoRjhxeyL4UVgQC2aJvy10DjPktESk-OmozlTApo-Zmdj3nYHCGq1h9_DosR4C5v9B1GkWe-FIuRD8KQGAKAozblfVdELJ_pHQqlFJXNMQAZc6W5jlEgKoh4ptbgcbEyj5vMnLPtqX3J7oEbyQH9a8LrDJbnDK/s320/PXL_20231205_023037480.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King's Tavern</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Our approximately two hour, one mile long tour took us to other parts of downtown, where we learned about a devastating night club fire, and the small museum dedicated to it that may have some lingering spirits. We also learned much about the town's early history and Civil War-era history with a stroll through the local park...a park that also serves as a cemetery. In addition, we made a stop to the historic King's Tavern. I've already dedicated a blog post to the King's Tavern (read it <a href="https://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/2023/12/ghosts-of-kings-tavern-natchez-ms.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>!), but that was one of the locations that repeatedly came up as being the most haunted place in the area, so it was definitely a top priority for me to see before heading home. The tavern, which boasts being the oldest building in the state's oldest town has a long history of serving both the town and the riverboat community...and may have even been the site of a terrible murder that left a young woman named Madeline bricked up in the chimney. Madeline is still around, most often showing herself through a series of bare footprints traipsing through recently mopped floors.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCXolm3fndLzhv3ZPxRwAGfZwE4lC1QpRHHdl2wF2ApPWHTu1Vmiz-Ml0eJ7dZdeSKx-oFlPeIOIqXQYOP7u_1xpsSmZXYMLsh9QgIkwdAtKX4XygWJP9jFme25EpPhsKDxIkvJrK_ypkOCYjyATrMry8zX7jbvThLoTUH9HU_vLefFTg_kJ3WJqEromt/s3024/IMG_20231205_002309_338.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCXolm3fndLzhv3ZPxRwAGfZwE4lC1QpRHHdl2wF2ApPWHTu1Vmiz-Ml0eJ7dZdeSKx-oFlPeIOIqXQYOP7u_1xpsSmZXYMLsh9QgIkwdAtKX4XygWJP9jFme25EpPhsKDxIkvJrK_ypkOCYjyATrMry8zX7jbvThLoTUH9HU_vLefFTg_kJ3WJqEromt/s320/IMG_20231205_002309_338.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Memorial Park</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>We wrapped up the tour with a special treat; we were allowed to go inside the old county jail! While the building is still used mainly for city offices, the old converted Victorian house still has the original jail cells in the back...including the 'death row' section, complete with what is believed to be the original indoor gallows. But, it's not the prisoners' ghosts who have most often been reported in the area; the spirits behind the hauntings are said to be the former guards, still on duty after so many years. We got to spend a little time exploring the jail and attempting to communicate through both the K-II and the flashlight method. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7o2EGL4wPgJzWRrr-T7Jvgz2egQtefA3shTz90i7onNWxyE5nbhyFHaZ_ece-7_VpIsdIsiSy2amZ9jCV2WB-EnvveWZ8hesPeYLjt6oQVeycRiduxUfVyNcnwFkM5DSgLQOd7X4FByHUYy1WJhhYHiBMZGe9I2wS3vbyF1tXp_fSegmqavgqiq4sHP_h/s2977/IMG_20231212_051917_067.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2977" data-original-width="2977" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7o2EGL4wPgJzWRrr-T7Jvgz2egQtefA3shTz90i7onNWxyE5nbhyFHaZ_ece-7_VpIsdIsiSy2amZ9jCV2WB-EnvveWZ8hesPeYLjt6oQVeycRiduxUfVyNcnwFkM5DSgLQOd7X4FByHUYy1WJhhYHiBMZGe9I2wS3vbyF1tXp_fSegmqavgqiq4sHP_h/s320/IMG_20231212_051917_067.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guard's Walk<br />Old City Jail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>This was a great tour, and fairly priced at $25 per person. Scott was a great storyteller, and any 'down time' between stops was spent with personable conversation, us telling him about ourselves and our own paranormal experiences, and vice versa. And, while Scott notes that he is a storyteller/historian and NOT a paranormal investigator, he did bring along a few ghost hunting gadgets to help enhance the spooky experience. </p><p>The Natchez Ghost Tour was a great way to wrap up our week down south and have one final spooky sendoff before heading back to the cold, snowy mountains of Appalachia. If you're ever in the area, please make this a part of your itinerary. It's a fun, informative way to see the downtown Natchez area and get a glimpse into its haunted history. Find them at:</p><p><a href="https://www.natchezghosttour.com/" target="_blank">Natchez Ghost Tour Website</a></p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066442693863" target="_blank">Natchez Ghost Tour Facebook</a></p><p>Phone-- (225) 772-0525</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Further Reading:</b></p><p><a href="https://www.apps.mdah.ms.gov/nom/prop/377.pdf" target="_blank">National Register Application for Eola Hotel</a></p><p><a href="https://natchez.org/properties/prentiss-club" target="_blank">Historic Natchez Foundation: Prentiss Club</a></p><p><br /></p></div>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-74253086120261355742023-12-18T06:03:00.001-05:002023-12-18T06:03:53.516-05:00A Christmas Story from Fairfield County Infirmary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAYsiLQ1tCgDiqhjSzzuPcAXS6lSQoY8daTalGidMJJs9lKhD-395FgM-LYy_Sr5VXiDFA7s1LmVncSD0ffxksMIG39tmn59rV92sV1gG63FBDVTBlBhgTiSLE3NhgjwyJEq73gfX3GfEjErhSxlo8-xe7zcBdA2Eo8HIC8X1W7gJEO_Ku0uFxbNDfWWL/s2048/FCI1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="2048" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAYsiLQ1tCgDiqhjSzzuPcAXS6lSQoY8daTalGidMJJs9lKhD-395FgM-LYy_Sr5VXiDFA7s1LmVncSD0ffxksMIG39tmn59rV92sV1gG63FBDVTBlBhgTiSLE3NhgjwyJEq73gfX3GfEjErhSxlo8-xe7zcBdA2Eo8HIC8X1W7gJEO_Ku0uFxbNDfWWL/w472-h212/FCI1.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SRIHuntingtonWV" target="_blank">Spectral Research and Investigations</a> team has had a busy, busy year, which we wrapped up this weekend with a small holiday get-together. After a period of food, fun, and friends, with our buddy Raymond Newsome from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChrGvEJkHWUHMTLl3qcd1xg/about" target="_blank">Newsome Paranormal</a> and his family joining us, the SRI team went back to work, planning for another great year in 2024. One thing that was decided was to make a return trip to the Fairfield County Infirmary near Lancaster, Ohio. The team has investigated this location once before on our own, and once as guests of WVPI (check out the FCI video<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy4dLu3qQ_U&ab_channel=WestVirginiaParanormalInvestigations" target="_blank"> HERE</a>). But, since we have several new members that hadn't been a part of those investigations, we felt this was a location that we needed to revisit. <div><br /></div><div>That got me going on another research spree, and as I perused the newspaper archives, I started noticing a pattern. Throughout the 1910's, 1920's, and even into the 1930's, every December the local newspaper ran little features by 'The Santa Claus Club,' asking citizens to help make the Christmas season a little brighter for both the children at the Children's Home, and the mostly elderly residents of the Fairfield County Infirmary. Fruit, candy, magazines, interesting books, and tobacco products were among the most wished for items at the infirmary, as these were nice little extra luxuries to supplement the already well taken care of needs of the patients. </div><div><br /></div><div>In an effort to further humanize these poor souls and appeal to the charitable side of the readers, these articles often contained some human interest-type stories from infirmary residents. Most of the time, these were just short blurbs featuring a brief rundown of the circumstances which led to the patients being admitted to the infirmary, or even a short quote about their feelings on the place. However, in 1922, the local paper really outdid itself with its featured Fairfield tale. The following is an excerpt which appeared in the <i>Lancaster-Eagle Gazette</i> on December 16, 1922:</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>WONDERFUL XMAS STORY</i></b></div><div><b><i>Comes from Fairfield County Infirmary---Read It and Then Help</i></b></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Truth is stranger than fiction, so runs the old adage, and a story that came from the Fairfield County Infirmary last week tends to confirm the ancient saying. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>A high powered car with a chauffeur at the wheel stopped at the institution, while a gray haired gentleman of apparent refinement stepped from the car and making his way to the office made known his errand. He asked if he might be permitted to look about the premises, stating that he was raised there as a child seventy years ago. The matron Mrs. Hummell escorted him about the building and he inquired for the room in which he had been raised. Being unable to find it, he was finally ushered up to the attic, which by the way is a finished one, and in recent years has been used for storage only.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>The infirmary was built eighty years ago and for a long time was used both as Infirmary and Children's Home. Upon entering the attic the aged man exclaimed, "Yes, this is the room in which I was raised," and then he told the following remarkable story to the matron:</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>"Seventy years ago this Christmas, my mother took me covered over in a basket into the railway depot at Lancaster and she said to another woman sitting there, will you kindly watch this basket for a few moments while I step across the street. My mother never returned and all that I know about her is that she was well dressed and apparently a woman of refinement. I was warranted to the County Infirmary, and at ten years of age I was adopted by a good family. Today I own two of the largest shoe stores in Dayton and I am a man of wealth, but I would gladly give every dollar that I possess if I could but find my mother.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>For many years I have advertised and searched through many Infirmaries, hoping against hope that I may find her. While my life has been crowned with success in a business way, still I feel that it has been a great failure on account of not being able to find my mother. I have gone through life with an aching heart. I have never married as I feared that that step might interfere with my search."</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>The stranger's card read James G. Randolph.</i><br /></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESdw2nhgJoKsmDxKObH35ji4zP9_tVW486RkC5rfVOlb2ypnGUmbFlCMpj34sDuAFkS_W15iWxoyDpWYDJ_hyphenhyphenqnQv881WHWOlV21Zi3g4BWAR3SKo7_jVtDM69BKlwfRtAFEv50n8zZV4zXYEImVlh4yLiLd5lgd1GOotx2uM2YqAYKY0EJkvacmGswUn/s2048/FC3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="922" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESdw2nhgJoKsmDxKObH35ji4zP9_tVW486RkC5rfVOlb2ypnGUmbFlCMpj34sDuAFkS_W15iWxoyDpWYDJ_hyphenhyphenqnQv881WHWOlV21Zi3g4BWAR3SKo7_jVtDM69BKlwfRtAFEv50n8zZV4zXYEImVlh4yLiLd5lgd1GOotx2uM2YqAYKY0EJkvacmGswUn/w245-h544/FC3.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How we found our REM<br />Pod. No one had been in this<br />section of the building. This was the<br />attic space said to house the <br />children. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><i><br /></i></div><div>I couldn't tell you how much of this, and other stories posted in these features was true, and how much was made up to tug at the heartstrings. It's certainly plausible, though. We do have documentation that the infirmary was home to many children during its early years, as a dedicated Children's Home for the area wasn't established until the 1880's. And, during our last trip there, we were told that a portion of the attic space was where the youngest patients (or inmates, as they were often called) were housed. In fact...it was in this space where we may have actually interacted with a child spirit. And, it was the location where we found a piece of our equipment with the back battery compartment removed and the battery on the floor...despite the fact that no one had been in that area. </div><div><br /></div><div>As we get closer to the big day, I'll be posting more information and other interesting tidbits about this really cool location, which served as Fairfield's 'poor farm' and home for those who could not care for themselves between 1848 and 1985. That long of a stretch means there's plenty of opportunity for some crazy stuff to have been documented. But, I wanted to get this little Christmas story out in time for the holidays and to act as a little teaser to the new year ahead. SRI looks forward to investigating some great locations in 2024, and sharing our adventures with you! Please subscribe to our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@srihuntingtonwv" target="_blank">YouTube Channel</a> and follow us on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/SRIHuntingtonWV" target="_blank"> Facebook </a>for more information. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Have a wonderful holiday season, a very Merry Christmas, and as always...Stay Spooky!</b></div>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-26904161670916942862023-12-15T03:42:00.001-05:002023-12-15T03:42:16.625-05:00Beware of Frau Perchta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5k74CV2G_GsV9aX8pXE9ZbYNSHk3itd-17pqmFCZ8LMRayA5TRyyysSGzC74wlPLZOeuw2teaUPl-quoQh2ah0d-h32QLydXVbuO18zOimxSpl9oGazfny29hVtr6QWuf-6MCvoZP2RJlSor0YjqW75yTjffjl4RxnPQHGXTYDu84vgbMXeERyMOOefRa/s414/frauperchta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="260" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5k74CV2G_GsV9aX8pXE9ZbYNSHk3itd-17pqmFCZ8LMRayA5TRyyysSGzC74wlPLZOeuw2teaUPl-quoQh2ah0d-h32QLydXVbuO18zOimxSpl9oGazfny29hVtr6QWuf-6MCvoZP2RJlSor0YjqW75yTjffjl4RxnPQHGXTYDu84vgbMXeERyMOOefRa/w267-h425/frauperchta.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br /><p>Christmas is full of weird, spooky witches and monsters. From Krampus, to Hans Trapp, to Gryla and her demonic kitty and Yule Lads (more on those traditions in a later post!), there's plenty to keep one scared straight during the holiday season. However, the majority of these yuletide terrors are designed to keep children in line. While here in the modern USA, parents threaten their kids that if they don't behave, Santa Claus will NOT bring them presents. That's pretty tame compared to the European folklore of Krampus, who will either beat them with birch sticks or stuff them into his sack and drag them off to Hell. </p><p>But what happens when its the adults who are naughty...particularly the lady of the house? Enter Frau Perchta.</p><p>Frau Perchta is an interesting character. She goes by many names, arrives in various forms, and her tradition can be linked to a number of different legends and tales. She's most known, however, for being absolutely terrifying. </p><p>Hailing from the Alpine areas near the Austrian and German border, Frau Perchta or "Spinnstubenfrau" (The Spinning Room Lady), acts as a warning for the womenfolk to make sure their house was not only spotless during the 12 Days of Christmas--from December 25 to January 6--but to ensure that they had all their spinning finished before the holidays. </p><p>If a household heard a knock on their door on any of the three Thursdays leading up to Christmas (known as Berchtle or Knocking Nights), or on any of the 12 days of Christmas, the maternal head of home had better have it together. If the above-mentioned conditions weren't met, or if Frau Perchta had not been honored with a feast of porridge and fish, she may angrily set fire to one's unfinished fiber arts. If she was in a really bad mood, she might just withdrawal the long knife concealed under her skirt and slit you open, replacing your organs with rocks, straw, and even garbage. But, if you had been a good girl and got all your chores done, you might find a nice, shiny silver coin left for you.</p><p>In her 'evil' form, Frau Perchta appears as an old crone dressed in rags. You know its her by her large, beaked nose made of iron and her one non-human foot, often described as a goose, or swan foot. In her 'good' form, she shows up as a beautiful maiden dressed all in white, sometimes going by the moniker of Holle. Another interesting characteristic of Frau Perchta is that she is often accompanied by an unholy posse of unbaptized babies and the Perchten, which are a bunch of Krampus-looking demons. Any thunder or windstorms during this time are attributed to this band of creatures, and link the Frau Perchta legend to the Wild Hunt. </p><p>There are way too many fine points and rabbit holes associated with Frau Perchta, so I'll let you run off to do your own research if you'd like to know more. But, just take this as a warning: make sure you have all your chores completed by Christmas. It might just save your life. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Stay Spooky!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Links of Interest:</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://boneandsickle.blubrry.net/2019/12/09/frau-perchta-the-belly-slitter/" target="_blank">Bone and Sickle</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://boroughsofthedead.com/frau-perchta/" target="_blank">Boroughs of the Dead</a></p>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-78792170606659184012023-12-13T00:52:00.003-05:002023-12-13T00:52:54.910-05:00Ghosts of King's Tavern (Natchez, MS)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZQTbRSWJrF1SvMYy-v62Rtf8MBJRS20tZM96h-FRlGNMgr-3UbPpZ_y00vOcE5gRzXjhQoyfjhxkcow-_KFC9cVSNz4ntE5v9PyAkj1T8ZDZ05TI-19l5Agrknt_fTpX-_JFlTJYF4B0u0kqyi_cqwclKNM6qxYunN8CXfpMqOtxEaG3tDf2m814_vxF/s400/kingstavern1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="400" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZQTbRSWJrF1SvMYy-v62Rtf8MBJRS20tZM96h-FRlGNMgr-3UbPpZ_y00vOcE5gRzXjhQoyfjhxkcow-_KFC9cVSNz4ntE5v9PyAkj1T8ZDZ05TI-19l5Agrknt_fTpX-_JFlTJYF4B0u0kqyi_cqwclKNM6qxYunN8CXfpMqOtxEaG3tDf2m814_vxF/w393-h249/kingstavern1920.jpg" width="393" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King's Tavern<br />Circa 1920<br />Source: <a href="https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/mss-lampton-images-ms-sw/12/" target="_blank">Mississippi State University Libraries</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">On a recent trip down south, I stayed just outside of Natchez, Mississippi while working on a film project with the Uncovering History Crew. Sitting in my hotel doing some research one night, I decided to be nosy and see what haunted locations were in my area. Natchez, being such an old and historic town on the Mississippi River, had quite a few places with a ghostly reputation, but one in particular kept popping up: King's Tavern.</span></div><p>Located on Jefferson Street in Natchez's On-Top-Of-The-Hill Historic District, The King's Tavern is the oldest building in the state's oldest city. The tavern dates back to 1769 when it was built by the British as a blockhouse for nearby Fort Panmure. The construction of the building is pretty interesting in and of itself. Aside from the sun-dried bricks used, the wood for the three-story tavern came from two main sources. First, wood was recycled from scrapped sailing ships in New Orleans, which were brought in via mules. But, the majority of construction materials came from the flat riverboats that sailed down the Mississippi, loaded with supplies. Since these types of boats couldn't go back UP river, they were dismantled and sold, and their captains and crew returned north via the Natchez Trace.</p><p>After the Revolutionary War, the British left the area, and the old blockhouse was sold to Richard King in 1789. King, originally from New York, moved his family down south and opened the place up as a tavern and inn catering to the riverboat men and those taking the stagecoach. Comfortable accommodations could be found on the third floor, while good drink and food could be found in the tavern. During this time, King's Tavern also served as a social center for locals, as King acted as the town's postman, receiving and sending out the residents' mail. The family was held in high regard throughout the community...but that may have just been their outward impression. More on that later...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgNOnlQZS6W0mFuFCLhrggizlw2liPSvcutFqIScpaujstyVvXgQzmQgV-Juo-Ks6zMNePxJbXu6wP-ZkVXeVvbIRqFAhOKABRrQBoSZQcd-6jgnPLb95is4_bDMLCH-yBwBFVbStwrbv2x_GZmHyiSWHTlb2OwxDzZ6G59EwEms8v2IM439K1wqBb8ky/s2048/kingstavern2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgNOnlQZS6W0mFuFCLhrggizlw2liPSvcutFqIScpaujstyVvXgQzmQgV-Juo-Ks6zMNePxJbXu6wP-ZkVXeVvbIRqFAhOKABRrQBoSZQcd-6jgnPLb95is4_bDMLCH-yBwBFVbStwrbv2x_GZmHyiSWHTlb2OwxDzZ6G59EwEms8v2IM439K1wqBb8ky/w347-h260/kingstavern2.jpg" width="347" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King's Tavern, December 2023<br />Photo by Theresa<br />Natchez Ghost Tour</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Riverboat men and other travelers weren't the only ones who stayed at the inn. During this time, the Natchez Trace was the main route back up north, and thus, was the route that many of the riverboat owners, now with their pockets stuffed with the cash from the goods unloaded and boats scrapped, traveled to go back home. Outlaws and highwaymen were known to frequent this route, robbing and often brutally murdering travelers. Some of the worst of these criminals were the Harpe Brothers, who were regulars at the tavern. In one story, it is said that Micaja 'Big' Harpe even killed his own daughter when she wouldn't stop crying! He was hunted down by a posse and killed in Kentucky in 1799. His head was displayed on a pike--a warning to other criminals that the good citizens were through with this type of behavior.</p><p>It wasn't long until steamboats replaced the old riverboats, and these vessels COULD travel UP the Mississippi, lessening the need for an inn at this location. In 1817, the property was sold to the Postalwaith family, and from 1823 to 1973, the old inn was converted into a private residence passed down through the family for several generations. That year, it was sold to an investor and became a restaurant. After a brief closure, it reopened as a farm-to-table style restaurant, but is currently closed and up for sale. Perhaps like many local restaurants and similar establishments, King's Tavern couldn't recover from the Covid-19 closures. Or maybe, people weren't too sure about having a meal in the state's most haunted restaurant!</p><p>There's been quite a bit of reported activity at King's Tavern over the years. Objects moving, shadow figures, and mysterious sounds have all been documented. On the third floor, people have even heard the sounds of a baby crying, accompanied by a wailing mother. One story to explain this was that Big Harpe (remember him?) was staying at the inn one night and a mother and infant were staying in another room. The baby wouldn't stop crying, which kept the infamous outlaw awake. He calmly barged into the woman's room, grabbed the crying child from her arms, dashed it against the wall, then calmly handed the now silenced (and deceased) child back to its mother. Without an ounce of regret, he went back to his room and finally fell asleep. As seen earlier, there was a story that Harpe had killed his own daughter for crying....could this unnamed child actually have been his own?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGG7MqDUuyeCFzPkMAATp5qQ9l3Z2CJ6oQMUmstT9A32LYfCxiSV1tY_WCk3npRTcigBnilRmtUgTyHRgEz0WcRGHraYZ-8T-uY-SvsI5c1siZJ2flhKF6vvtmXX7RrvnHykWJRKvF8FEw1PmETzivy39GqhxSxmFHrXDjQKI3vcVYR3iog-Q7hAmILn_/s850/kingstaverndaytime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="850" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGG7MqDUuyeCFzPkMAATp5qQ9l3Z2CJ6oQMUmstT9A32LYfCxiSV1tY_WCk3npRTcigBnilRmtUgTyHRgEz0WcRGHraYZ-8T-uY-SvsI5c1siZJ2flhKF6vvtmXX7RrvnHykWJRKvF8FEw1PmETzivy39GqhxSxmFHrXDjQKI3vcVYR3iog-Q7hAmILn_/w360-h254/kingstaverndaytime.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King's Tavern in Daylight<br />Source: <a href="http://hauntedhouses.com/mississippi/kings-tavern/" target="_blank">Haunted Houses</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Arguably, the tale of the crying baby ghost is the most horrific from King's Tavern...but the story of Madeline is a close second. Madeline was a beautiful young girl who worked for the King family. An affair began between Mr. King and Madeline, and eventually Mrs. King found out about it. The perfect family wasn't so perfect after all. One day, Madeline went missing. She wasn't seen alive ever again. But, it is believed that she WAS found. In the 1930's, work on the brick chimney revealed a hidden wall. Behind the wall were three skeletons; two men and one woman. Along with the remains was found a bejeweled dagger. It's not known who exactly the men were, but the woman is thought to obviously be Madeline. It is theorized that Mrs. King either killed her herself, or had her killed and bricked up her remains and murder weapon behind the wall. The two men who joined her in death may have been the hitmen, killed to cover up the crime, or two additional witnesses/accomplices who knew the truth behind Mrs. King's evil smirk.</p><p>Madeline is the main ghost of the King's Tavern, and is blamed for the majority of activity. Although no longer in service, the fireplace where her remains were found always seems much warmer than the rest of the room, as if there's a fire burning. Things around the bar are moved around, and a woman wearing old-fashioned clothes has been spotted throughout the building. But, Madeline's favorite 'calling card' is her footprints. Many employees have been vexed by a line of bare footprints traipsing through the wet floor that they JUST mopped, even though they know for sure no LIVING person could have passed through. </p><p>Unfortunately, this place was closed during my stay, but we did get to see it AND hear about its haunted history from Scott McCoy of the<a href="https://www.natchezghosttour.com/?fbclid=IwAR1DjzR39ev67_D8zi3o7DWp2un_PCT5BWdXEOYhPnBAYuOxSxwmAklQ1zs" target="_blank"> Natchez Ghost Tour</a>! This was a really awesome tour, full of anecdotes and scary stories from the town's most haunted hot spots. I'll be doing a blog post dedicated to that tour soon, so keep an eye out. And as always....stay spooky everyone!</p><p style="text-align: center;">*<a href="http://hauntedhouses.com/mississippi/kings-tavern/" target="_blank">Haunted Houses</a> has a wonderful summary and plenty of pictures of this location. Please check the link provided for more information!*</p>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-74931047398577831912023-12-12T02:09:00.001-05:002023-12-12T02:09:14.985-05:00The Christmas Eve Hitchhiker<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDK79p3kNg1cPrXyIjBOOITBQhAQaMpH8I5JBairRBXcITuDYXIP1FsjlHxmX7hIBITW2-1u6J6UD3yex2p50HMz4oIrW1iAzOpl4Z5k3r_lFv9vKpWxpYLZs2uyc1Gk_SIRDh5tyKdIRYlMoVpvADUUcOl0XjJ1zbHNI-vdJ9UdrIVkLMdb8p2QJl3By5/s480/valleyfallsrd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="360" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDK79p3kNg1cPrXyIjBOOITBQhAQaMpH8I5JBairRBXcITuDYXIP1FsjlHxmX7hIBITW2-1u6J6UD3yex2p50HMz4oIrW1iAzOpl4Z5k3r_lFv9vKpWxpYLZs2uyc1Gk_SIRDh5tyKdIRYlMoVpvADUUcOl0XjJ1zbHNI-vdJ9UdrIVkLMdb8p2QJl3By5/w294-h392/valleyfallsrd.jpg" width="294" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Route 310 across from<br />Valley Falls Road</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Being from the Huntington area, and working with investigation teams based in that city, the most (in)famous phantom hitchhiker that I'm familiar with is the ghostly woman in white who haunts the<a href="http://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/2011/07/huntingtons-own-urban-legend.html" target="_blank"> 5th Street Hill</a> area, begging cabbies and bus drivers to give her a ride to the bottom of the hill, where she promptly vanishes around Ritter Park.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not sure of exactly when it was, but several years ago, I started seeing the story of another phantom hitchhiker in the state. Up in the northern part of West Virginia, between Grafton and Fairmont, was a woman in red. The Lady in Red has been seen along Old Grafton Road (WV-310) near Valley Falls Road. Drivers have noted a woman with long, dark matted hair wearing a matted gown, walking alongside the highway. She appears to be sopping wet, with her gown closely clinging to her skin, and her hair dripping down her back. Whatever the weather, she appears to be hunched over, struggling against a strong wind that may or may not be present.</div><div><br /></div><div>Occasionally, she frantically waves down a passerby, and occasionally, a Good Samaritan will stop and offer her a ride. Those who have notice the woman emits a scent of old fashioned perfume---and death. She struggles into the vehicle, and then softly asks the driver to take her to <a href="https://shinnstonnews.com/2799-2/" target="_blank">Cook Hospital</a> in Fairmont. Unfortunately, Cook Hospital hasn't existed since 1938-9, when a bigger hospital, Fairmont General, was built. Nevertheless, the drivers take the woman to the Gaston Avenue address. As they pull up in front of the NON-hospital site and go to open her door for her, they find her seat empty. She has vanished. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4h9__5KwOfUohxrapPzdFHndIGQf-9TD-hV1unYiXdfSSE89hzuLBxZpNPJWexUfaQTEapbVd4fMHzAOsZ6zQmbSPmLaZ0pXSESvH56l-5cia9gNhPaNyUAfuE7rGA8rTSHZcDV5Ir_eiikStJxdqSy8SWjsejwo6ItPPY8IMi-zmTN6mNWU4c4GbOb0Q/s640/cookhospitalnight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4h9__5KwOfUohxrapPzdFHndIGQf-9TD-hV1unYiXdfSSE89hzuLBxZpNPJWexUfaQTEapbVd4fMHzAOsZ6zQmbSPmLaZ0pXSESvH56l-5cia9gNhPaNyUAfuE7rGA8rTSHZcDV5Ir_eiikStJxdqSy8SWjsejwo6ItPPY8IMi-zmTN6mNWU4c4GbOb0Q/w283-h377/cookhospitalnight.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Former Cook Hospital<br />Fairmont, December 2019</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>The most well-known sighting of the Lady in Red comes from a truck driver in what I'm guessing was the 1960's or very early 1970's. It was Christmas Eve, a little before midnight. The truck driver, working for the<a href="https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1786" target="_blank"> Owens-Illinois Plant</a> was carrying a load of powdered glass to the Fairmont factory along WV-310 when he was flagged down by a woman in a red dress.</div><div><br /></div><div>He helped her into the passenger side of his truck, and since she was shivering violently in the cold, December air, he draped his coat around her shoulders. As she always did, she quietly asked him to take her to Cook Hospital. Being local to the area, he tried to reason with her that Cook Hospital no longer existed. But, he pitied the poor thing, alone and shivering on the side of the highway, and so he drove her the 10 miles into Fairmont to the site of Cook Hospital. As expected, when they arrived and he went to help her down out of the seat, she had vanished, leaving only his own coat lying in the seat where she had once sat.</div><div><br /></div><div>The trucker was already running late when he stopped to pick the woman up, and the side trip to the hospital was another several miles out of his way. Therefore, his bosses weren't happy and he was fired for his tardiness. It is said that he contacted the well-known folklorist and collector of ghost stories, Ruth Ann Musick, who was then able to contact his employers and get his job back!</div><div><br /></div><div>To this day, no one knows who the fancily dressed woman in red is, or why she was so desperate to get to Cook Hospital. Was she a nurse/nursing student trying to get back home after a night of partying, yet met a terrible accident along Old Grafton Road in the rain? Was she involved in an accident on the way to or from a Christmas party and trying to make it to the hospital to receive treatment? We may never know for sure. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSde-irRAUT3qQSvmQGxuBcqF6eK1aH9wZeJC1d5VcI6tPeTccVubnJU07fPbfCQMxZloXERp0L03TbQyZq1CxaRdz1ClQf41-L48qe4ur-9hadCMjZu-ln6KyIhOsuiXrrL4xUwZffrN-vGT59X8GRQgzVqHW3JWq8fHJanHKIEG78IkiuHTZDsdW-oj7/s1000/cookhospitalhistoric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1000" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSde-irRAUT3qQSvmQGxuBcqF6eK1aH9wZeJC1d5VcI6tPeTccVubnJU07fPbfCQMxZloXERp0L03TbQyZq1CxaRdz1ClQf41-L48qe4ur-9hadCMjZu-ln6KyIhOsuiXrrL4xUwZffrN-vGT59X8GRQgzVqHW3JWq8fHJanHKIEG78IkiuHTZDsdW-oj7/w360-h230/cookhospitalhistoric.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cook Hospital, 1906<br />Source: <a href="https://wvhistoryonview.org/catalog/044953" target="_blank">WV History on View</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>In December of 2019, my husband and I did try to see the lady in red for ourselves. We waited until nearly midnight, then drove up and down the area where WV-310 meets with Valley Falls Road. Valley Falls Road leads directly to Rock Lake; could this lake have something to do with why the woman appears to be sopping wet...or was she simply caught in a storm, fighting against both rain and wind? The night my husband and I went out searching, the weather was unseasonably warm and mild. To our disappointment, despite next to no traffic, no woman in red was observed either. We went ahead and drove into Fairmont to take a look at the old Cook Hospital. At the time, it was being converted from office space for the Marion County Board of Education to low-income apartment space. Nothing spooky was noted there, either. </div><div><br /></div><div>Obviously, this story contains a lot of the same phantom hitchhiking tropes that are found around the world---a mysterious person, usually a woman, and usually dressed inappropriately for the weather, asks motorists to take her to an address that may no longer exist (or when they get there, find out that the woman did live there, but has been dead for many years). When the motorist goes to let her out of the car, they've found she has mysteriously vanished without a trace. We don't get that closure that many of these stories have, however. We never get her back story. We never know why she was out, and why exactly it was the hospital she was desperately trying to return to.</div><div><br /></div><div>What we do get is even MORE mystery. This story has elements borrowed from a few other West Virginia tales. For example, in Ruth Ann Musick's book, <i>Coffin Hollow and Other Ghost Stories</i>, there's a story called 'Vision in the Snow' about a cab driver during the Great Depression who was fired after picking up a disappearing woman in late December. The rationale was that the cab company couldn't afford to be picking up customers that didn't pay their fare, despite their status of being alive or dead. (I read this story on my <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@theresahauntedhistory" target="_blank">TikTok</a> if you're interested!)</div><div><br /></div><div>So there's at least two stories from WV where someone was fired after picking up a phantom hitchhiker, and both have a direct connection with author and professor, Ruth Ann Musick. Further, our lady from this story isn't the only Lady in Red out hitchhiking West Virginia roads. As seen in the book, <i>Cry of the Banshee,</i> by Susan Sheppard, Rt. 50 (the road between Salem and Clarksburg) is home to a ghostly woman in red. When the moon is full, motorists have said to have spotted a woman wearing a red hooded coat, walking along the side of the road. Those who stop to ask the woman if she needs help are shocked to discover that under the scarlet hood, the woman has no face. Allegedly, this woman is also said to follow motorists home, pacing outside of their home, peering into their windows with her faceless visage.</div><div><br /></div><div>Clarksburg is not far from Fairmont at all, so it seems strange that despite the huge disparity between these two ghostly hitchhikers, they both appear in RED, as opposed to the classic white. The Route 50 hitchhiker doesn't actually hitch a ride...unless you count following people home ::shudder::...which makes me prefer an encounter with the Fairmont ghost any day, especially around the Christmas season! </div><div><br /></div><div>For more on this story, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ghostsofwestvirginia" target="_blank">Haunted West Virginia</a> is the place to go!</div>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-61630619404371503012023-11-21T18:48:00.004-05:002023-11-21T18:48:31.614-05:00Halloween 2023 Wrap-Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVORKLsP3HS3o5JSTd-FKD7z7qgI9iqxlcbLS-pGaHdOL-KTwlAcXHLR4Vu7qAQVgUM9DjtgXIqvc2Vn0fjvCQL_SMefHdG6MeZO9HnMpiW5w31gw-6iipcLJL-TVp5jB5UIPXkhq1iK6FzkvX-9SrTwa8ug-mA6bpO72ixwAZtTLG55elIhZojrhTV75T/s700/111912_30_700x700.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVORKLsP3HS3o5JSTd-FKD7z7qgI9iqxlcbLS-pGaHdOL-KTwlAcXHLR4Vu7qAQVgUM9DjtgXIqvc2Vn0fjvCQL_SMefHdG6MeZO9HnMpiW5w31gw-6iipcLJL-TVp5jB5UIPXkhq1iK6FzkvX-9SrTwa8ug-mA6bpO72ixwAZtTLG55elIhZojrhTV75T/s320/111912_30_700x700.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I can't quite explain why, but the Halloween season is a bittersweet time for me. I love it; it's my favorite time of the year. But at the same time, I get really depressed as well. Part of it is hiraeth---an obscure word meaning homesickness for a time or place that no longer exists. I can never go back to the magic of the Halloween from my childhood. It's also partly FOMO-the fear of missing out on all the awesome NEW activities that are out there, that I just don't have the time or the energy to fit in. </p><p>I've been a little mopey the past several of weeks thinking about all the things I didn't get to do this year. I didn't carve pumpkins for the first time in my entire life. I didn't decorate the new apartment. I didn't visit a haunted house/trail. Oh, and I only watched about a third of the Halloween movies I usually I watch each year. Today, however, I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself, and take a look back on the wonderful things I DID get to experience this year, including a couple of bucket-list items for me. Let's start with some of the activities I did with my group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SRIHuntingtonWV" target="_blank">Spectral Research and Investigations</a>!</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVu5Suma7uDOH0ViTsgaS9cT-U6L8vqQmwNudOsyVOtZ2oYnAwPfo65GftfZGmS59wCCLAjlKjUWIcRNrW1UgI-DG8Oaa3w5pKUYGSbkoLlkD-FzZ-OpDLdb0K2Ds_2eetkt_SUhVXFaLsTkBZi0vUlbqMwK7RtZSq6uM2Hjexg-0E1YLYrsa-fP9Np_W/s1440/FB_IMG_1698466999223.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVu5Suma7uDOH0ViTsgaS9cT-U6L8vqQmwNudOsyVOtZ2oYnAwPfo65GftfZGmS59wCCLAjlKjUWIcRNrW1UgI-DG8Oaa3w5pKUYGSbkoLlkD-FzZ-OpDLdb0K2Ds_2eetkt_SUhVXFaLsTkBZi0vUlbqMwK7RtZSq6uM2Hjexg-0E1YLYrsa-fP9Np_W/s320/FB_IMG_1698466999223.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian dressed up at ready<br />to receive trick-or-treaters!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>2023 was the start of our (hopefully!) annual Safe Trick-or-Treat, held at the<a href="https://www.mrtwv.org/" target="_blank"> Museum of Radio and Technology</a> in Huntington. In the three hours we were open, we had well over 220 people come through the museum, where they were greeted by costumed members of the SRI team. We loaded them up on candy and non-food treats (we even had to make a store run halfway through!), and let them play games, participate in Halloween crafts, and of course, explore the museum itself. It was a wonderful way for us to give back to our community and introduce the museum to many new faces. Almost everyone we talked to either didn't realize the museum was even there, or had never had the opportunity to stop by. It was so awesome to see entire families dressed up and having a great time. Plans are already underway to make 2024 an even bigger event! </p><p>Another community outreach service SRI offered this Halloween season was donating our services to the Cabell County Library's Halloween Gala. After the gala had concluded for the evening, SRI members led small groups of gala participants around the main branch library in search of ghosts, giving them a little history of the building's alleged haunts, and showing them how to use popular ghost hunting tech. We had done something similar last year, offering two separate public hunts of the main branch and the Gallaher Village area. Those events were so much fun and went so well that we were honored to be asked to return again this year to help raise funds for the library system.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgv-gxZl2DOoLWBXSNM07yL9pL6tebWf9u1ve25EIoUkDCeJcuSTAljxZHabwJHlBBjXENf5bgk5NyLtrAwuKFxuOQew8cz7BCnVng3bDRTPLGqmmOSyUK7DeE9iqKYZNBB4w6l0vFVXU5GzRQIE0YN9fAmkgOkve_c19_LV6a5n7PXcpl3qfSpSz2b9n/s1080/FB_IMG_1700610045064.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgv-gxZl2DOoLWBXSNM07yL9pL6tebWf9u1ve25EIoUkDCeJcuSTAljxZHabwJHlBBjXENf5bgk5NyLtrAwuKFxuOQew8cz7BCnVng3bDRTPLGqmmOSyUK7DeE9iqKYZNBB4w6l0vFVXU5GzRQIE0YN9fAmkgOkve_c19_LV6a5n7PXcpl3qfSpSz2b9n/s320/FB_IMG_1700610045064.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The SRI team and the Uncovering<br />History team in front of the Lowe Hotel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The last big project that SRI worked on in October was a two-day on-location film shoot with the crew from<a href="https://www.facebook.com/UncoveringHistory" target="_blank"> Uncovering History</a>! We joined the guys in Point Pleasant in search of the Mothman, starting with an investigation of the haunted and historic Lowe Hotel, and wrapping up with a wild romp through the TNT area. We did a little of our own filming as well, so I'll be sure to share when each of our videos premiers. We had a blast and got along so well with the crew that we've been asked to lend a hand on further adventures...more on that coming up soon!</p><p>Amidst all that chaos, I managed to work in some personal adventures as well, starting with attending MystiCon at the Ravenswood Public Library. MystiCon is an annual all-things spooky and Halloween event, offering guest speakers, vendors, and all kinds of other cool activities to get you in the mood for the season. I've already blogged about it (<a href="https://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/2023/10/2023-ravenswood-mysticon.html" target="_blank">MystiCon blog</a>) so I won't babble on, other than to say that this is a REALLY well put together event with some great speakers, and I look forward to hopefully vending next year. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-tZs7ZbiX9EmerwDXxmZ8aqH_vzMjfwrH9j_d__2E_0zFQguhwRQdMLr-4UIFwPa0AymTeL-fgxiYuaWzpGf8O3x2Qz8CVoIeB-dRDMI1e1Z7NAtPjAiv-lrFwOLgcGx28PAhmF5FX4S7LWV8bfamPK45wAwxBekKe_mV-jRswj4HfG-cp_BGcs703U_/s4032/PXL_20231007_160921625.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-tZs7ZbiX9EmerwDXxmZ8aqH_vzMjfwrH9j_d__2E_0zFQguhwRQdMLr-4UIFwPa0AymTeL-fgxiYuaWzpGf8O3x2Qz8CVoIeB-dRDMI1e1Z7NAtPjAiv-lrFwOLgcGx28PAhmF5FX4S7LWV8bfamPK45wAwxBekKe_mV-jRswj4HfG-cp_BGcs703U_/s320/PXL_20231007_160921625.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MystiCon 2023</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>My husband, who is trying to make a solid effort to join me on more of my spooky pursuits tagged along to MystiCon and had a great time. He didn't, however, care too much for another event I dragged him along to....</p><p>Okay, so ever since I saw the Halloween episode of King of the Hill with the Hallelujah House, I've wanted to experience that for myself. The problem was, I could never find a Hell House or Judgement House close by. This year, I started my search early, and found that <a href="https://www.mbcbeckley.com/" target="_blank">Memorial Baptist Church</a> in Beckley was offering a Judgement House AND it had a Sunday date that I could work into my schedule! It was quite the experience. The place was packed, and that poor staff was trying their best to move the huge number of guests through as efficiently as possible, which meant that each 'scene' involved us being stuffed butt to gut with about 20 other people into a small viewing area. We got super up close and personal with our fellow patrons as we moved through the story line of a family just discovering church....only to be gunned down in a home invasion. </p><p>It seems we were the only ones who were there ironically, lol. I won't get into the subject of religion other than to state that I wholly disagree with the message that was being preached. But, we watched as the mother went off to Heaven, while the father went off to Hell, which was the coolest scene in the whole production. Afterwards, we had to sit in a room with a preacher for an additional 30 minutes, not unlike a timeshare presentation. I was disappointed that this was not one of those Hell Houses that were really wild and gruesome in its coverage of multiple sins. It was fairly tame with one message at hand and one story line. Still, we remained absolutely respectful and left there knowing that we were surely going to Hell. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYotwlvJdpYyXzzc621etmZUB9uMgqVQIuoinzeS4N-mzrXqGU1aRHIq8a0knKe3hf_eC31tDjHExr-8fJeiGUEZ2JagNIwlHCt8h7nIJQq_qoNl2RuUCtCZGV_fbPVQuzB5I5dQ9i96HyuLWdS5K7g8V70cXdqqJuS0fmTQgMX8_GLkrExcKtjciBf2ud/s4032/PXL_20231101_002551978.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYotwlvJdpYyXzzc621etmZUB9uMgqVQIuoinzeS4N-mzrXqGU1aRHIq8a0knKe3hf_eC31tDjHExr-8fJeiGUEZ2JagNIwlHCt8h7nIJQq_qoNl2RuUCtCZGV_fbPVQuzB5I5dQ9i96HyuLWdS5K7g8V70cXdqqJuS0fmTQgMX8_GLkrExcKtjciBf2ud/s320/PXL_20231101_002551978.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kenova Pumpkin House</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The other bucket-list item I checked off for 2023 was my first visit to the<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KenovaPumpkinHouse" target="_blank"> Kenova Pumpkin House</a>! I'll be dedicating a whole blog to this one, but the Pumpkin House is a internationally-known attraction, with thousands of carved and lit pumpkins on display. We went on Halloween night, and surprisingly, found a good parking spot. It was crowded, but not overwhelming, and plenty of food trucks and vendors were set up along the street to enhance the experience of seeing more jack-o-lanterns in one place than I'd ever seen before. It was kinda funny, though...the weather had been downright HOT that week, then wet, so there was quite a bit of visible mold on most of the pumpkins, which actually somewhat added to the Halloween atmosphere, lol.</p><p>Sadly, I have yet to bring back my own Halloween party, but I went to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/saparanormalgroup" target="_blank">St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group</a>'s end of the year Halloween bash, and it was awesome! Games, costumes, prizes, good food and great friends were just what I needed to cheer me up. Ron Lanham of Wild and Weird made a little alien body cake that we all devoured, my team dominated Paranormal Trivia, and Denise Cyrus from the St. Albans Historical Society gave our group a special haunted walking tour of the town. Angie Breeden, who started the group with a young man named Barry, has done an excellent job with this group, and if you're interested in the paranormal at all, I'd highly suggest you follow on Facebook for updates! Meetings will resume in January 2024 and are held on the last Wednesday of the month at the St. Albans Historical Society.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFXkTLuouT6k3unAADp1_kW8fl8tHxagPtT5Tvc4zjw37RYeVYgp-VwFurFsztF8JknjLH0LFlr4zhp-o4-KitzNVJQoqvtQIlU5zUFqWWRyJxrCcbrwBZiTXuHcyamsZO4bDihbUXQiqBQ1YYzsmXOZpG6yDheVJthYTtGNvYF8qeugPPCpzIpdDVIHF/s4032/PXL_20231025_213916505.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFXkTLuouT6k3unAADp1_kW8fl8tHxagPtT5Tvc4zjw37RYeVYgp-VwFurFsztF8JknjLH0LFlr4zhp-o4-KitzNVJQoqvtQIlU5zUFqWWRyJxrCcbrwBZiTXuHcyamsZO4bDihbUXQiqBQ1YYzsmXOZpG6yDheVJthYTtGNvYF8qeugPPCpzIpdDVIHF/s320/PXL_20231025_213916505.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Move over, Jaimie!<br />This alien was delicious</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>One last thing my husband joined me for was a Ghost Hunting 101 class with Tracey Perry. I attended Tracey's class last year as well, and both times have lucked out; I've walked away with the door prize! Last year I won a nice video camera, and this year I (well, my husband actually won, but....) walked away with a little ghost hunting kit. It was a nice presentation, and I'm always interested to see how other teams out there are operating, and I'm always willing to support my fellow investigators. I wrote about my experience last year <a href="https://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/2023/01/intro-to-ghost-hunting-with-wv.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. </p><p>Looking back over this super long list of things I did, I realize that I need to stop moping around! I did a LOT of cool things this Halloween season, and made some lasting memories with friends and family. I only hope that Halloween 2024 is as awesome as this year was. </p><p><br /></p>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-72902101951743285252023-11-07T00:00:00.001-05:002023-11-07T00:00:00.128-05:00The Horse with a Halo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCU48xywyMYN0hN-jig2gOGDs8RqUGB_HeAd8Kh0Zei9QlKa1hy-G_wRy6BVpsD_jlikoeTuhoZ08T98OfBmNlYlujzcyFpq8nOejbYTi0wiIlDNKmrAXYkvrcx6zXakaATcNiYrK-MxPPdvo1PZ1wyIJ0OEI6P4K-S1wDbEfB3cWtjqjoRsrYgy8e0SQI/s894/horseghost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="894" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCU48xywyMYN0hN-jig2gOGDs8RqUGB_HeAd8Kh0Zei9QlKa1hy-G_wRy6BVpsD_jlikoeTuhoZ08T98OfBmNlYlujzcyFpq8nOejbYTi0wiIlDNKmrAXYkvrcx6zXakaATcNiYrK-MxPPdvo1PZ1wyIJ0OEI6P4K-S1wDbEfB3cWtjqjoRsrYgy8e0SQI/w343-h343/horseghost.jpg" width="343" /></a></div><br /><p>This spooky and strange tale can be found in Appalachian Ghost Stories and Other Tales, by James Gay Jones, originally published around 1975. If you'd like to hear me read the story in it's entirety, as written in the book, head on over to my <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@theresahauntedhistory" target="_blank">TikTok account</a>. But, read on for a more summarized version of this fascinating tale from the Leatherwood Creek area of Clay County, West Virginia. </p><p>It seems that many years before the tale was collected, a family was being plagued by an odd apparition: a white horse with its head surrounded in a halo of ethereal light. One evening, this family was sitting on their front porch after dinner, enjoying each other's company and conversation. After awhile, they noticed the spooky horse trotting up the highway in front of their house. When it turned off the main road onto their lane, the family, understandably spooked, ran inside and took their positions at the windows to see what the horse would do next.</p><p> As the horse reached the gate, it paused, snorted, then leaped over into their yard and on towards the house. By this point, the family was already getting pretty anxious. Some tried to get a better view out the windows, while others abandoned their post and started trying to find a place to hide! Meanwhile, the horse continued to approach the house, and within seconds had leaped up onto the porch. From this close-up view, the family could see that the horse was 'monstrously large,' had 'eyes shining like coals of fire,' and of course, the halo. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQfNaFWXsTsPHlM9NXc4aaom1ELz_XETXmIfGynDs4jKZLpK3ajbV3CJ9kzUdSc0Mcrt6bEo_H05jnUc4PAhXAHcHZmk3aI_hQIIv9I6JEIF9uai9Wurwcrsj5CuDcHPGkfytnbkieyVFlsyyujQZAfXL98-UsNjuLZwLXLQ3QjLnIYzrq6PRkR4Z53dh/s275/moonhalo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQfNaFWXsTsPHlM9NXc4aaom1ELz_XETXmIfGynDs4jKZLpK3ajbV3CJ9kzUdSc0Mcrt6bEo_H05jnUc4PAhXAHcHZmk3aI_hQIIv9I6JEIF9uai9Wurwcrsj5CuDcHPGkfytnbkieyVFlsyyujQZAfXL98-UsNjuLZwLXLQ3QjLnIYzrq6PRkR4Z53dh/w317-h211/moonhalo.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><br /><p>The horse started stomping through the front door, sending the family fleeing out the back door and up the hill behind their house, where they hid behind the trees, waiting to see what else this fallen angel of a horse would do next. Fortunately, the horse did not pursue the family. Instead, it backed out of the house through the front door and into the yard. But, it didn't turn around and continue on down the road. Instead, it began to ASCEND into the sky, up and up until it had disappeared. However, it did leave a clue to it's existence. For some time after, a halo of light was observed around the moon. No one ever did figure out what this strange phenomenon meant, where it had come from, or where it went. </p><p>Theresa's Note: This is an absolutely wild story to me, and I couldn't even begin to fathom what it all means, especially since we aren't given any more details about who the family was or what happened to them afterwards. Depending on your culture and interpretation, a white horse can symbolize death, but it can also symbolize purity and good fortune. The addition of a halo further denotes that this horse was a symbol of something divine, not evil, and some native tribes believe that a halo around the moon was either a sign of good luck or of change. Was it an omen foretelling the imminent death of a young and innocent family member? Was it a guide of sorts, guiding that soul to Heaven? Or did the family prosper following the sighting? Maybe it was just one of those weird things that aren't meant to be understood. </p><p><br /></p>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-44267516753818994132023-11-06T03:25:00.001-05:002023-11-06T03:27:53.213-05:00The Man Who Wanted to Go Back<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7mG5fL15Z_VDzcOHyJmJp5r7jjaCTQTuhC8s_vdugrorNbL_OrvCsrrPoOTzYfnuuD8cLZmoXb_9HI5WCPLT2GVDT24amdRx7UqFMyXs9C97Uccmg1c3Zz__wELPOl-Onobo-r-GfounQT4OTKfanO43z83MnkaVb_e2ckjzG6BkWhrRDwgnGlcFwqOfK/s521/jarrett.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="521" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7mG5fL15Z_VDzcOHyJmJp5r7jjaCTQTuhC8s_vdugrorNbL_OrvCsrrPoOTzYfnuuD8cLZmoXb_9HI5WCPLT2GVDT24amdRx7UqFMyXs9C97Uccmg1c3Zz__wELPOl-Onobo-r-GfounQT4OTKfanO43z83MnkaVb_e2ckjzG6BkWhrRDwgnGlcFwqOfK/w361-h349/jarrett.jpg" width="361" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wheeling Daily Intelligencer<br />4 January 1898</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Hey, everyone! By now, regular readers to Theresa's Haunted History know that I love to share weird history, even if it isn't necessarily paranormal. I also like to share interesting tales from popular haunted hot spots that aren't necessarily related to the location's ghost stories. Today's blog is a two-for-one deal, covering both those themes. </p><p>The story first came to my attention through an un-named author's account collected in <i>West Virginia Heritage, Volume Two</i> (1968) and was further confirmed through a newspaper article in the January 4, 1898 edition of the <i>Wheeling Daily Intelligencer</i>. The un-named author in the story was apparently a lawyer working in Clay County, West Virginia who represented Mr. William 'Bill' Dorsey, the Man Who Wanted to Go Back.</p><p>It started on Sunday, January 2nd, 1898 at the Big Sycamore Church in Clay County, a small location that served as a one-room schoolhouse during the week and held services during the weekend. On that particular Sunday, the preacher failed to show up for services, so Mr. Dorsey took over duties, leading the congregation in prayer and song, and even preaching a short sermon. After he dismissed the congregation, he hurried out the door. </p><p>After many church services, the priest/preacher often greets and shakes hands with the congregation as they leave the church. But, familiar pleasantries were the furthest thing from Dorsey's mind. He waited until a young man named Benton Jarrett exited (who just happened to be chatting with and escorting Bill's wife out of the church building). Not saying a word, Dorsey pulled out his .38 caliber revolver and fired two shots at Jarrett. One of the bullets hit Jarrett in the stomach, killing him.</p><p>Dorsey turned himself in to authorities without incident. Due to the fact that he was the brother of Judge J.M. Dorsey of Clay County, the trial was moved to Parkersburg, under Judge Lew Tavenner. </p><p>Dorsey's family, obviously in shock over the events that had transpired, insisted that he was insane, and his lawyer agreed to that defense. Per court order, he was examined by a panel of doctors, who couldn't agree on a diagnosis. Some believed he was insane, while others thought he definitely knew right from wrong. During the trial, his lawyer noticed that Dorsey was sweating profusely...but only on the right side of his head/face. The reason for this was a nasty scar on the left side of Dorsey's head, caused by a head injury sustained when a piece of lumber fell on him. The family claimed that he hadn't been the same, mentally, since that accident, and it was the cause of the insanity that led to tragedy.</p><p>Another factor used in the insanity defense was the rumor that Dorsey had shot Jarrett because he was jealous of the relationship between Jarrett and Mrs. Dorsey. However, everyone insisted that Mrs. Dorsey was a fine, loyal wife who never gave her husband reason to suspect her fidelity, so even if he WERE jealous, there was no reason to be, other than insanity.</p><p>The jury deliberated, but were torn. As a compromise, instead of offering up a charge of premeditated murder, which would have surely resulted in a hanging, they found Dorsey guilty of voluntary manslaughter, a charge carrying a penalty of 1-5 years in the state penitentiary at Moundsville. The judge decided on a sentence of two years for Dorsey.</p><p>As the trial concluded, Dorsey thanked his lawyer for his help in defending him and offered up a pretty damning detail: he told the lawyer he had actually waited for Jarrett in the woods over a period of three weeks, but he had never shown up. Wisely, the lawyer kept that tidbit to himself until many years later! Dorsey was transported north to the penitentiary, and it was said that the Warden himself remarked to the Sheriff chaperoning Dorsey on his trip that the man was obviously insane and should be in the state asylum, not prison.</p><p>Anyway, Dorsey served his two years, minus 4 months off for good behavior. Upon returning home to Clay County, he stopped by his former lawyer's office and asked for help in writing a letter to the governor. It seems as if Dorsey didn't want to leave the penitentiary. It was the 'best place he had ever been,' and wanted the governor to allow him to return. The lawyer promised to write the letter, but never did. </p><p>It wouldn't matter. Dorsey would soon devise a plan to make it back. He went to go visit his adult daughter on Sycamore Creek. The daughter had several small children and Dorsey asked her how many she had now. When she replied that she had three, Dorsey pulled out a pocket knife, remarked that three was getting to be too many, and that he intended to thin them out. </p><p>Understandably alarmed, the daughter ran to the neighbors for help, who in turn took Dorsey in to a local Justice on an insanity charge. But, Dorsey would NOT get his wish. He wasn't sent back to the WV State Penitentiary. Instead, he was found insane, and committed to the State Hospital in Spencer, where he died two years later. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/p/west-virginia-state-penitentiary.html" target="_blank">MORE WV STATE PENITENTIARY ARTICLES</a></span></p>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-45597877908219877452023-10-24T10:03:00.000-04:002023-10-24T10:03:22.905-04:0012 Foot Tall Humanoids in West Virginia<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbYbDwDy4r5hNh8duPz4pAfo8kRMidDwmVq4VFKAk0oDOp6dw11tEpr5g7GVBl4g57mg8VjgRfmMXj1ddHXDjNID8PbYYAcF0y1Q96EQmKI48jPiCAnM4ZQ2DuXqPJ4Z9HZMSuSN8tc4SS27q6eqA72rXFcZHdLR_fbYm86oZ5mPOJGr3ouFTWYLZruHP/s425/alien.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="425" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbYbDwDy4r5hNh8duPz4pAfo8kRMidDwmVq4VFKAk0oDOp6dw11tEpr5g7GVBl4g57mg8VjgRfmMXj1ddHXDjNID8PbYYAcF0y1Q96EQmKI48jPiCAnM4ZQ2DuXqPJ4Z9HZMSuSN8tc4SS27q6eqA72rXFcZHdLR_fbYm86oZ5mPOJGr3ouFTWYLZruHP/w368-h271/alien.jpg" width="368" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From The Twilight Zone <br />"To Serve Man"<br />This is what I see when I read the description, lol!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>In 1897, the little West Virginia town of Ogden was in the midst of an oil and gas boom. Located in Wood County, Ogden quickly became home to numerous drill sites dotting the former farm lands. Tycoons, businessmen, investors...all would descend upon the town in order to try their hand at making a fortune. However, that spring, another type of visitor would also show up.<div><br /></div><div>According to sources, on April 21, 1897 a man witnessed an astonishing sight. This unnamed man observed a well-lit aerial object land nearby. Out of the craft came eight creatures, each 11-12 feet tall with disproportionately large craniums. As luck would have it, these creatures spoke English, and told the man they were there, "exploring the planet." Further, they were observed eating small pills and 'drinking air.' This crew remained in Ogden for about an hour before taking off again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Okay, wow. That's quite a story! Unfortunately, that's all there currently is to it. Researcher Albert Rosales included this little blurb about a run-in with giant UFO occupants in his book, <i>Humanoid Encounters and Others Among Us: 1 A.D.-1899</i>. He cites HIS source as a book by Phillip L. Rife called <i>It Didn't Start with Roswell</i>. The case was also mentioned in <i>Strange West Virginia Monsters</i>, by Michael Newton, which is where I first heard it and began my (feeble) attempts to track down more information. </div><div><br /></div><div>Although all three books recount the exact same details, no more no less, Newton's book did offer a little insight into where this tale may have possibly come from. It seems as if, despite Rife's jumbled notes, the story most likely came from an article in the <i>Parsons Advocate</i>, a newspaper out of Tucker County, WV, located over 2 hours away, all the way across the state from Ogden. The article allegedly appeared in the April 23, 1897 edition, but neither Newton nor myself have been able to get ahold of an archival copy. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, I'll have to take Rife's word on it, I guess! But, I think there are some important things to consider when looking at the authenticity of the sighting. If we put away how much like an episode of Scooby Doo this reads as (shady oil and gas tycoons scaring off potential threats to their claims), there is some contemporary precedence for this event. </div><div><br /></div><div>While I haven't gotten a chance to read further than the free Google Books preview, Rife's work documents a huge number of both 'ufos' and encounters with the beings inside them dating from late 1896 into 1897. In fact, West Virginia was no stranger to this flap of reported 'phantom airships' that were seeming moving east across the United States during this time frame. </div><div><br /></div><div>On April 19, 1897, only TWO DAYS before this weird encounter, witnesses in Sistersville, WV reported seeing red, white, and green flashing lights in the sky. When observed through 'strong glasses,' witnesses could see an 180 foot, cone-shaped craft with fins on either side. It was seen for at least 20 minutes, but seemingly it never landed in that area. (Read<a href="https://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/2021/07/sistersville-phantom-airship-1897.html" target="_blank"> Sistersville Phantom Airship</a>)</div><div><br /></div><div>Sistersville is only about 35 miles north of Ogden, both being right along the Ohio River and accessible via today's Route 2. Was the craft seen in Ogden the same one seen two days earlier only 35 miles north in Sistersville? Or, was the story made up, playing on the sheer number of other newspaper articles from various other locations all reporting weird phantom airships and/or strange humanoid encounters?</div><div><br /></div><div>There's a good chance we'll never know just how true this story was...but one last thing to consider. Remember how I said Ogden was located in Wood County, West Virginia? Around 70 years later, Wood County would be the location of ANOTHER humanoid from a spaceship encounter...possibly one of the most famous in modern ufo history. In early November 1966, Woodrow Derenberger, returning home to Mineral Wells from a business trip in nearby Marietta, OH would meet a fellow who would call himself Indrid Cold. But, that story is for another day! </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Keep your eyes to the skies!</div>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-76492103180212918252023-10-11T16:02:00.001-04:002023-10-11T16:02:37.209-04:00The Wild Man of Mason County<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-CEuy4QPdWl44vhyphenhyphen_Q4p8bXm8AvkKJewmdOQ8Uz4RYoset0s17CpT9A6er-AJNLScZfVVcYjkt2Kih9fSqiDER0FfkTCl8-DF2M681_VGq_mG2VWH5E8lLdWpJGNSeExaqj-GWSKvehqbxxhG6fcPfmKA8RyUjDdYt5NNRqSYCtoSoFntpvEOkgxr385/s3000/5f15ec6effac2ae8dcec2959d4084f60.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2229" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-CEuy4QPdWl44vhyphenhyphen_Q4p8bXm8AvkKJewmdOQ8Uz4RYoset0s17CpT9A6er-AJNLScZfVVcYjkt2Kih9fSqiDER0FfkTCl8-DF2M681_VGq_mG2VWH5E8lLdWpJGNSeExaqj-GWSKvehqbxxhG6fcPfmKA8RyUjDdYt5NNRqSYCtoSoFntpvEOkgxr385/s320/5f15ec6effac2ae8dcec2959d4084f60.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.roberthannaford.com.au/" target="_blank">Robert Hannaford</a><br />Self Portrait as a Wild Man</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>It has been a minute, but I wanted to bring you all another Wild Man Wednesday blog! This particular wild man doesn't appear to be a Bigfoot or Sasquatch, but an actual human. Still, the story is pretty interesting!</p><p>Back on October 27, 1897, the Point Pleasant newspaper, <i>The Weekly Register, </i>ran not one, but TWO small pieces about a Wild Man who had been seen for awhile in an area of Mason County called Coal Hollow. Coal Hollow was a local hunting area known for an abundance of rabbit and squirrel. For several weeks, at least, area residents would see a very large man. When approached and questioned, he refused to talk. And, when spotted, would disappear back into the dark ravine. </p><p>Residents speculated as to who this strange man may be, and it was largely believed that he must be an escaped lunatic OR a member of a group of escaped highway men from Meigs County, Ohio. Whoever is was, he was blamed for setting a series of mysterious and destructive fires at area farms. </p><p>Fast forward almost three years later to June 6, 1900. <i>The Weekly Register </i>posted another article about a wild man in Mason County. Described as having hair 5 feet long, and arms 5 feet long, and wearing an old pair of boots, this particular wild man may or may not be the same one seen in 1897. This time, the unkempt stranger was being seen along Mission Ridge, near West Columbia. That's about 35 miles from Coal Hollow. </p><p>And, unlike the Coal Hollow wild man, this particular wild man DID speak. Believed to make his home in the nearby caves, when hungry, the man would come to local farms and order the women-folk to prepare him a meal. </p><p>One house he sought sustenance from was the Edwards residence. He was given an adequate lunch, but the wild man insisted that he be allowed to sit at the table and dine with the family. He stated that he was good enough to eat with President McKinley himself. Mr. Edwards didn't agree, and a verbal altercation broke out. That fight devolved into a physical altercation, and no more was mentioned about the Mason County Wild Man. At least...not that I've found yet, but the hunt continues!</p><p>So, what do you all believe? Was this an escaped asylum patient, or even a criminal on the run? Were these two incidents, three years and 35 miles apart, even the same person? Let me know in the comments what YOU think! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMS_iGhk9DaGDP8y8jUTDViPXTshLI-dG0fhYTWjTccjWeUAcZKQwEAncufm1WuuSadkOP4cOAGO_RA6C4SkGi3WxjxLrowOXTxBPgpn0AsPkVKgu2DgkZs95qm5LPUt-3QpuGnEXLsgVamuXON7ZyuprcVYe6IJ5gD-2QRk6xow8vfTGXp9sEEVDrsrez/s595/CoalHollow1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="214" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMS_iGhk9DaGDP8y8jUTDViPXTshLI-dG0fhYTWjTccjWeUAcZKQwEAncufm1WuuSadkOP4cOAGO_RA6C4SkGi3WxjxLrowOXTxBPgpn0AsPkVKgu2DgkZs95qm5LPUt-3QpuGnEXLsgVamuXON7ZyuprcVYe6IJ5gD-2QRk6xow8vfTGXp9sEEVDrsrez/w189-h526/CoalHollow1.png" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Weekly Register</i><br />27 October 1897<br />Page 4</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMvE1yJxmBB2G3_nWVP4XbXH2ROiHVfB22AbrOFhszW_L2qG5NVwwq0sidYrE2HFtQsY8uTL9Olan9z0CYIXjHNusKM8MiEtoSyD-wM14J2RQIGGD8JsrBchID-yC1C_7qQgpg0dkU-glH8yzVUjl1Yj2ZP8wdYX17sc0ygxLncwMx05wA0FiQRCxWQHJ/s472/CoalHollow2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="472" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMvE1yJxmBB2G3_nWVP4XbXH2ROiHVfB22AbrOFhszW_L2qG5NVwwq0sidYrE2HFtQsY8uTL9Olan9z0CYIXjHNusKM8MiEtoSyD-wM14J2RQIGGD8JsrBchID-yC1C_7qQgpg0dkU-glH8yzVUjl1Yj2ZP8wdYX17sc0ygxLncwMx05wA0FiQRCxWQHJ/s320/CoalHollow2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Weekly Register</i><br />27 October 1897<br />Page 1</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChfrQOFuWmhkPul7YteAmQKrNNzmOOXqmCHH9kMCk_JI9Ap3PjmDmzoUSTuQ52tDvEJZkxpEco7CpHvvW0YEUFC584GRxQ7JhSftvTzCz-9qq-51RQWfNEks4YlhBYhxAGeYpWEy9F_RjBBxz-Y0f5rPKndLahqbVRvo-yUl7bCxkF6QWmK8omwg2gTT-/s370/CoalHollow3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="219" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChfrQOFuWmhkPul7YteAmQKrNNzmOOXqmCHH9kMCk_JI9Ap3PjmDmzoUSTuQ52tDvEJZkxpEco7CpHvvW0YEUFC584GRxQ7JhSftvTzCz-9qq-51RQWfNEks4YlhBYhxAGeYpWEy9F_RjBBxz-Y0f5rPKndLahqbVRvo-yUl7bCxkF6QWmK8omwg2gTT-/w256-h433/CoalHollow3.png" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Weekly Register</i><br />06 June 1900</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-50203257657065961422023-10-09T15:18:00.000-04:002023-10-09T15:18:10.519-04:002023 Ravenswood MystiCon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1NO66QpawyXycG2eW_eqvF3SI5GhqCmS4rPSOHjqrsyrWFQ9yUaVrqSl0bnXo3yz941qe8QtnUfffSJOMVdHYLgumOYULEDGnd6jr3HMycdb3dLiDqDZfBKiPFKNtUs37RFlRFNZFsWSgQECBM9lMD483MlkEXGXCqPjw3Zo2uIIEnWOCKBAMA7qw_7T/s3189/IMG_20231007_124831_598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3189" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1NO66QpawyXycG2eW_eqvF3SI5GhqCmS4rPSOHjqrsyrWFQ9yUaVrqSl0bnXo3yz941qe8QtnUfffSJOMVdHYLgumOYULEDGnd6jr3HMycdb3dLiDqDZfBKiPFKNtUs37RFlRFNZFsWSgQECBM9lMD483MlkEXGXCqPjw3Zo2uIIEnWOCKBAMA7qw_7T/s320/IMG_20231007_124831_598.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>On Saturday, October 7th, the Ravenswood Public Library in Ravenswood, WV hosted its second annual <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/590180699143886" target="_blank">Ravenswood MystiCon</a>! This sleepy lil' river town really knows how to capitalize off its spooky name and come together to put on a really nice FREE smaller-scale paranormal convention.</p><p>I didn't attend last year, and honestly debated as to whether or not I was going to this year, as there was actually another event that same day that I was interested in attending. I'm really glad I gave it a shot, though! We arrived about 15-20 minutes after the event started and found ample parking nearby. We gave a quick peruse of the outside vendors, before heading in to say hello to this year's speaker line-up. Being in the field as long as I have, I knew just about everyone scheduled to speak!</p><p>After a bit of small talk, JR (yeah, my husband made a rare appearance!) and I went to find seats and settled in to listen to the speakers. Hearing the lectures on various paranormal topics is always my favorite part of any convention. I like to keep up with the research being done in this field, and I'm always down with learning new snippets of information. As we were waiting, we took note of the extensive and creative decorations adorning every available space in the library, giving it a fun, spooky, magical feel.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKDIzaorFkNCyw7NW__TMkWbOJk4-NdL742sihlw-NzFOXgFTH0-DbWikK3R22gbHz_6XEquuDrRsdXn6NN6OPQcrLbegrmJnnp7daIt0G0J9Xsf4QJdwlBQD7RSQJskeCg3zVvPzBFXGLUJaGwsDoJK6HhwwZYXgOYj3auQo0Pa38DBF3ZAPlCTubM5Y/s4032/PXL_20231007_164555114.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKDIzaorFkNCyw7NW__TMkWbOJk4-NdL742sihlw-NzFOXgFTH0-DbWikK3R22gbHz_6XEquuDrRsdXn6NN6OPQcrLbegrmJnnp7daIt0G0J9Xsf4QJdwlBQD7RSQJskeCg3zVvPzBFXGLUJaGwsDoJK6HhwwZYXgOYj3auQo0Pa38DBF3ZAPlCTubM5Y/s320/PXL_20231007_164555114.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tony Breeden</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><a href="https://tonybreedenbooks.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Tony Breeden</a> was the first speaker we had the pleasure of listening to, and he gave a humorous and fact-filled talk all about WV's very own controversial ufologist, Gray Barker. Since I know Tony from the monthly <a href="https://www.facebook.com/saparanormalgroup" target="_blank">St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group</a>, I was already familiar with his views on Barker, but it was a really fun refresher on such a fascinating topic. Next up was Ashley Hilt, a Fortean researcher and podcast host (<a href="https://linktr.ee/wednesdaystalk" target="_blank">On Wednesdays We Talk Weird</a>) who specializes in the topic of Mothman. She gave an interesting talk about the Men in Black phenomenon, and even shared her own crazy encounter with a possible MIB. Her talk was also very informative, and hilarious at times. As a bonus...I got to sit next to Linda Sigman during the presentation! Linda is an original Mothman witness who spoke about her experiences at this year's Mothman Festival. I also picked up a copy of her book while in Pt. Pleasant, so I was happy to get the chance to tell her how much I enjoyed it. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBzbAtMvrEwUwwULpqjXNaaLucsV2l9m5_EaQH4PMcY91Lh-DG0U4urx6yU9KWxbjqVqS71twQoDxFasjkTQHQIWQe4IO79KZ2uUV8YCvgVSJ39BlyqhlfyOfITn2onacpEldRgGUnBmj1dHL6oAu8mHY9Id4_-LcTN5g5aUJ_VXPjFYHtOB7PUcRicae/s4032/PXL_20231007_173815864.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBzbAtMvrEwUwwULpqjXNaaLucsV2l9m5_EaQH4PMcY91Lh-DG0U4urx6yU9KWxbjqVqS71twQoDxFasjkTQHQIWQe4IO79KZ2uUV8YCvgVSJ39BlyqhlfyOfITn2onacpEldRgGUnBmj1dHL6oAu8mHY9Id4_-LcTN5g5aUJ_VXPjFYHtOB7PUcRicae/s320/PXL_20231007_173815864.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ashley Hilt </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>We had a brief interlude after Ashley spoke, so we grabbed a snack from the food trucks. I had a yummy chicken fajita from Jimmy Avocado's. As the temperature had recently plummeted, we hurried back inside to settle in for the next speaker. While waiting, I checked my phone, and my sister had another pleasant surprise for me: an interview on ghost hunting I gave to Amanda Larch that had been published in the <a href="https://www.wvgazettemail.com/life/spook-tacular-wv-ghost-hunts-paranormal-investigators-full-of-spirit/article_0cfadd41-3e3b-560f-a212-462b0682a689.html?fbclid=IwAR2cuj3LJSc1uA5YZUVFATcmF6rNW65y9xMNjXWVHct9gx9GGoyb-UpnPd8" target="_blank">Charleston Gazette</a> the previous weekend had been posted online as well! My sister sent me the link and saved me a physical copy of the newspaper! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdUn9YWCR0GYeNQUEvwDfkziwtS_EBtjsqJnX0jScxr8finwJb8s_-NKjvWu6GurnHuc5H81kadQdFccpdvND2p2qSJLwL6Kmhn3qaoTFn80Jcnw_kNAwC49o_cfo-jEx2g7vVpVeGWNgQm9jAkRXciVX0gLonQDM6_8IiuTVKp7PdJbJafR-McVgWrNj/s4032/PXL_20231007_185051312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdUn9YWCR0GYeNQUEvwDfkziwtS_EBtjsqJnX0jScxr8finwJb8s_-NKjvWu6GurnHuc5H81kadQdFccpdvND2p2qSJLwL6Kmhn3qaoTFn80Jcnw_kNAwC49o_cfo-jEx2g7vVpVeGWNgQm9jAkRXciVX0gLonQDM6_8IiuTVKp7PdJbJafR-McVgWrNj/s320/PXL_20231007_185051312.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ron Lanham</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Ron Lanham, who also appeared in the article, speaking about <a href="https://www.wildandweirdwv.com/" target="_blank">Wild and Weird West Virginia</a>, was up next. He spoke on a variety of things going on in the paranormal field and within his own research. I'd heard quite a bit before from other presentations (seriously, at this point, I feel like a Wild and Weird Groupie, with all the events I follow them to, lol) but there was some never-before-seen footage from their investigation of the RAVENSWOOD LIBRARY! Seems like this little community hub is home to spooky things more than just once a year! As always, Ron's talk was excellent, and he had plenty of embedded QR codes for further information, which is a really cool touch.</p><p>The last speaker we saw was WV author, researcher, and TV personality <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DaveSpinks1569/" target="_blank">Dave Spinks</a>. Dave talked a little about UFOs, cryptids, AND ghosts/hauntings, mainly in West Virginia, but also those pertaining to his research worldwide. Even though I had heard Dave speak before, there were a lot of stories and details that I hadn't heard previously, so that was awesome. Plus, he even took a minute to shout out my blog, so that was super appreciated as well!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvqpXdhhe0R2vmgnGKj2F3nGGIhDsiaNLmHpWM628Zl2GHEhLozp0ADh6psG5iKYkYSqYxa7ei1s0GF-TwwFa3IFDx15bEjWHGEnJG4VQqsNnrMNqgn-V8zjQA-wvUMnfS7bEMzXcE_UgCCWuDof4a-QmKsOqc35OKej0P52Q6xu9VOQuDYW6Xnq0KJfQ/s4032/PXL_20231007_193521438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvqpXdhhe0R2vmgnGKj2F3nGGIhDsiaNLmHpWM628Zl2GHEhLozp0ADh6psG5iKYkYSqYxa7ei1s0GF-TwwFa3IFDx15bEjWHGEnJG4VQqsNnrMNqgn-V8zjQA-wvUMnfS7bEMzXcE_UgCCWuDof4a-QmKsOqc35OKej0P52Q6xu9VOQuDYW6Xnq0KJfQ/s320/PXL_20231007_193521438.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave Spinks </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>After Dave spoke, we did one final lap around the inside-vendors, picking up a hot chocolate bomb for Luke, and a weird little musical instrument for JR. I snagged some books from both Tony and Dave, and JR picked out a UFO art print of Ron's...which, get this: using the app <a href="https://artivive.com/" target="_blank">Artivive</a>, MOVES. It's the coolest/freakiest thing I've seen in a long time, lol. </p><p>Anyway, we had a lot of fun, despite the fact that we didn't really take advantage of all the cool things on offer. There was also a costume contest going on, an Escape Room, photo booth, psychic readings, door prizes (we were there between 12:15 and 4:45 and never heard these called?), LOTS of merch, and live music later in the day. But, I got to see what I really wanted to see...and that was my paranormal family. My earlier years in this field were filled with groups not getting along and not working together, and even though that's still true for many areas, I feel like I've finally found a supportive community that works together to further this field along. Of course, I love spending every minute I can with like-minded people doing like-minded things, making this weekend another incredible one!</p><p><br /></p>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076072305014083165.post-19514495230375959652023-10-05T19:48:00.000-04:002023-10-05T19:48:43.275-04:00A Frankenberger Follow-Up<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3Sc3HRy2YBE9lYK8PvRvXTMwaZNCr8ODrnqMAiuAitKfyn1NLFEN6EyWu_AM9NYW84eiwAzIdtO_x0INPs8n7rCmY_ceYlCi57lb7Xvt6NkI2fvZCpo5zcYTkRZbPnMnFshwR1lBUcvsFANAGVSzDs4EGesoEN0O-yv_xO2M_mdcj3yAhNxDylQtOUgv/s978/ghostphotofrankenberger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="820" height="441" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3Sc3HRy2YBE9lYK8PvRvXTMwaZNCr8ODrnqMAiuAitKfyn1NLFEN6EyWu_AM9NYW84eiwAzIdtO_x0INPs8n7rCmY_ceYlCi57lb7Xvt6NkI2fvZCpo5zcYTkRZbPnMnFshwR1lBUcvsFANAGVSzDs4EGesoEN0O-yv_xO2M_mdcj3yAhNxDylQtOUgv/w369-h441/ghostphotofrankenberger.jpg" width="369" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the photo by Dick Johnson allegedly<br />showing the shadow figure(s). Unfortunately,<br />this copy is too dark to see anything!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Hey everyone! It's officially Spooky Season, and despite the fact that I last mentioned it almost two years ago, I wanted to post a follow-up to the <a href="https://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-frightening-frankenberger-mansion.html" target="_blank">Frankenberger Mansion</a> in Charleston, WV! This location came to my attention via a modern-day story on it ran by a local news station. That article was fun, and it inspired me to look into the history behind the turn-of-the-century home turned broadcast station, but details about the actual reported paranormal activity were kinda...sparse. But, thanks to newspaper archives, I was able to find a story from the <i>Charleston Sunday Gazette Mail </i>dating back to 1972, which delves a little deeper into eyewitness reports. The smell of perfume, LOTS of phantom footsteps, and a wayward hat are pretty much what was experienced by everyone who worked there.</p><p>I've transcribed the article from the 19 March 1972 edition of the <i>Charleston Sunday Gazette Mail</i> below for your Halloween-time reading pleasure!</p><p><b>THE RADIO-ACTIVE GHOST</b></p><p><b>By Terry Marchal</b></p><p>Al Sahley, the rotund radio man, arrives at WCHS in the deep, dark hours before dawn. The minute he steps inside the main door of the television-radio building on Virginia St. E., he starts talking to a ghost.</p><p>"Ghost," he says, "I know you're in here. Just let me know you're around. You can have a cup of coffee with me if you want. But don't do anything. I don't like surprises."</p><p>Sahley has never seen the ghost. He has never experienced anything unusual. But he sincerely believes the spirit is there.</p><p>"A lot of people laugh at me," he said. "But I really believe in the thing. Too many things have happened to too many people around here. It couldn't possibly be a practical joke."</p><p>For several years, incidents around the older section of the WCHS building complex have kept alive the belief that a ghost wanders in the nighttime.</p><p>Hats being knocked from heads. Puffs of cold air blowing through closed-up rooms. Strange odors. Eerie noises. Footsteps in deserted areas. Slamming doors. Flickering lights.</p><p>The WCHS complex is built around an old three-story Virginia Street home. Although a newly built front section and an adjoining television building have hidden the outer views of the old house, it's still there. And that's where the ghost is said to stay.</p><p>"Nothing ever happens in the newer television section," Sahley said. "And the incidents mostly occur in the upper two floors of the old house."</p><p>Sahley said the house was once owned by the Frankenberger family. The radio man said he has tried to dig up some history of the house, something that might account for the presence of the ghost. So far he has found nothing. "But I'll keep trying," he said "because I know the ghost exists. </p><p>Dick Johnson, director of photography at the station, also believes in the ghost. He thinks it's a female.</p><p>"Well, there have been perfume odors," he said. "So, I figure it must be a woman."</p><p>Like Sahley, Johnson talks to the ghost. He calls it "honey." He said "I guess as long as you talk nice to it, it won't bother you."</p><p>Johnson may have taken a picture of the spirit of WCHS.</p><p>He once set up a camera on time exposure overnight in an office at the station. When he processed the resulting picture, two shadowy images were apparent.</p><p>"It could have been someone who came in to get a coat and created a shadow on the time exposure," he said. "But I like to believe it's the ghost."</p><p>Gene Brick, chief engineer, also believes that talking to the ghost keeps its bothersomeness limited.</p><p>Brick said his hat was knocked from his head a couple of times one evening. At first he thought it was done by a fellow human. When he realized there was no one around him, he assumed that the hat had been knocked off by a string dangling from an overhead light.</p><p>"But the string was five or six feet away from me," he said. "So I turned around and said "Ghost, why don't you stop bothering people around here?"</p><p>That was the last trouble he had with the spirit, Brick said. </p><p>When art director Butch Armstrong first came to WCHS 20 months ago, he had a harrowing experience.</p><p>The art department is on the top floor of the old section. A storeroom adjoins the art room. </p><p>"I don't believe in ghosts," Armstrong said, "but when some strange thing happens that you can't explain, you can't discount it."</p><p>Armstrong was working in the art department one night when the lights suddenly went out. He said he went to a master switch and circuit breaker next to the storeroom door. But flicking the switches failed to bring the lights on again.</p><p>Armstrong said he had a hint of perfumey odor near the storeroom. In the darkness he opened the storeroom door. </p><p>"When I opened that door," he said "the odor filled the entire art department. It was a sweet musty odor like that of an old trunk that's just been opened."</p><p>"I had a morbid feeling as if a cold wind had swept past me. But all the windows were closed. I backed away from the storeroom door. Then the odor faded and the lights came on."</p><p>Armstrong said he didn't think too much of it. "I'm a believer in logic and there must be some explanation," he said. "But it wasn't my imagination. I didn't even know about the ghost at the time."</p><p>The art director said there are often footsteps around the upper floors of the building.</p><p>"They are distinct footsteps. Sometimes you hear them approach from behind, but there's no one there when you turn to look. I once had an assistant run out on me one night after hearing the footsteps."</p><p>Armstrong said the footsteps may be explained by the acoustics of the building, that they could possibly be an echo from some other section where someone is walking.</p><p>"But there are very few people in this building who will come upstairs alone after dark to investigate noises."</p><p>Bob Hamlin, assistant operations manager, agreed. </p><p>"There are a lot of unexplainable happenings," he said.</p><p>One night, Hamlin was working after midnight on a videotape project with Gary Lashinsky of National Shows Inc. </p><p>Although all the offices were locked and deserted and the lights turned out on one of the upper floors, they heard a banging noise from the area.</p><p>"When we went to check," Hamlin said, "we found all the doors open and all the lights on." Still, he said, the floor was deserted of other human existence.</p><p>"We turned out all the lights and relocked the doors," Hamlin said. But shortly after they returned downstairs they again heard the noise.</p><p>Returning to the area, they once again found all the locked doors swung open and all the lights on.</p><p>"This ghost has a thing with lights," Johnston said. "I was here one New Year's Eve--just stopped by to pick something up--and a fluorescent light above my desk that had never worked suddenly came on. "It hasn't worked since," he said.</p><p>"I walked into a hallway and around a corner and said to the ghost, "Hey, Honey. Happy New Year." My wife was with me. I went back to the office and got her and said, "Let's get out of here."</p><p>Commercial film coordinator Charles Martin had a "frightening experience" one night.</p><p>It was last summer. He was alone on the third floor, preparing to pack up a projector. </p><p>"There was suddenly this sickening sweet perfumy odor you wouldn't believe. An eerie feeling came over me, just as though someone had slipped up behind me and started running their fingers up and down my back."</p><p>Martin said all the windows were closed, that there was no breeze in the room. Suddenly the door slammed shut and locked. </p><p>"That door is next to impossible to lock," he said. "You really have to work with it. But it locked by itself."</p><p>"Naturally I was scared. I ran to the door and it wouldn't open right away. When I finally managed to get it unlocked and open, I ran downstairs.</p><p>He said newsmen Roy Brassfield and Jane Martin had to sit with him for about 20 minutes before he was calm enough to drive home.</p><p>"When I'm working alone upstairs now, "Martin said, "I tie the doors open. I know a lot of people laugh at people experiencing things like this, but I say wait until it happens to you. I was scared and I admit it."</p><p>Jane Martin, the pretty blonde TV weather girl, said she has experienced noises when there's no one around. </p><p>"Some of them can be explained," she said. "Once, I was fixing some coffee and reached for a paper towel when I heard the floor squeaking as if someone was walking. But there was nobody there."</p><p>It was explained to her, however, that the tile floor often popped or squeaked a few seconds after someone had walked by, a natural occurrence. </p><p>"But I tend to believe there is a ghost," Mrs. Martin said. "There are some things that haven't been explained. I once heard shuffling noises in a corner when there was absolutely no one there."</p><p>Engineer John Barker said there is a WCHS janitor who refuses to go to upper floors after dark because of the footstep noises he has heard.</p><p>"There are noises all around here at night," he said. "We used to have a lot of break-ins around the building and when we hear noises, we always go check them out. But we never find anything."</p><p>Barker said there are very few people who will travel alone to upper floors at night. </p><p>"They always go in groups," he said. The footsteps are frequent. Nearly everyone in the building at night has heard them at one time or another.</p><p>"People hear the footsteps in the hall," Charlie Martin said, "and open a door to look. There's no one there. You hear them in the same room with you when there's no one there but you."</p><p>"There are a lot of people around here who laugh at the idea," he said, "but I'm a firm believer that there's a spook in this building."</p><p>The other morning, Charles Ryan, the news director, banged on the door of the control room and moaned softly. </p><p>"There were people inside," he said "but they wouldn't open the door to investigate. Around here, nearly everyone believes."</p><p>Does Charles Ryan believe?</p><p>"Well, I don't know. Are there such things as ghosts?"</p><p>Before WCHS refronted the old house, it looked as though it certainly should be haunted.</p><p>Art Linkletter once visited WCHS. As he stepped from a car on Virginia Street and looked up at the old building, he said: "I thought they filmed <i>The Munsters</i> in California."</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>TheresaHPIRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04402373253869028879noreply@blogger.com0