Shadows From the Past in the Luna Park Historic District: Charleston

Theresa's Note: I've got another Guest Blog submission for you today, and I think it's going to be one you're absolutely going to love. Kimberly Taylor, a local law librarian and paranormal enthusiast, has shared these experiences from her residence in Charleston's West Side. Possibly stirred up by some local construction projects, her formerly tranquil apartment became a passageway for citizens of another time. Kimberly then looked into the history of the area, and may have found the cause of these spooky disturbances!  A HUGE 'thank you!' to Kimberly for sharing this well-written, well-researched account of local activity!

Luna Park Entrance Sign Postcard
Source: Wikipedia, courtesy of My WV Home

I live on the West Side of Charleston, West Virginia in an apartment building that includes a nice view of the Kanawha River.  The location's tranquility drew us in; then the construction on Kanawha Boulevard began.

In an attempt to make the West Side more inviting, the City Council decided to expand the riverside walking path and add a bicycle lane.  This meant reducing the four-lane Boulevard to three.

Soon surveyors and heavy equipment showed up.  Monster size machinery ripped layers of concrete and rebar up like they were peeling an onion of its layers.  Backhoes exposed decade's old oil and river residue and deposited it in neat piles in front the apartment building.

Other than the inconvenience of road construction in my front yard nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Washing dishes is mundane so I like to pass the time daydreaming or staring into the living room at the television.  I'd been in our small kitchen for a while one particular afternoon and staring mindlessly at the television set for quite a while.  Then, what the hell was that?  A guy just casually strolled through the living room followed by another!  I rushed into the living room thinking the worst of the West Side had finally intruded into our quiet space only to find no one there. 

I wasn't frightened by the occurrence because shades have been a part of my life experience since childhood.  Startled, yes.

The next construction phase brought in more equipment including earth movers as tall as the apartment building that churned up soil and river residue so old it smelled like swamp and sickness.  Sometimes it burned my eyes.

Workers showed up before dawn and frequently stayed well past dusk.  Glaring spot lights became the norm and quiet time was pushed later and later into the evening.  Eventually I took to wandering the apartment in the middle of the night, peering out windows.

During one late night roam, I lingered in the office looking at a friend's painting, getting lost in the swirl of colors and, then got further distracted by the pages of a familiar book.  Reminding myself that it is a work night, I move toward the living room for one last glance out the windows.

Except between me and that last glance is a man leisurely sitting on the couch eating his lunch from a tin pail.  What the hell?!  Now he's looking around and unscrewing the lid to his thermos!  I slowly move into the living room barely stifling a shout to my sleeping husband, when the man stands up in a fluid motion and heads toward Kanawha Boulevard disappearing through the corner wall.

Heart pounding and palms sweating I quick step it back to bed, pulling the blankets close for comfort sure that the morning will bring clarity.  Sleep didn't come and dawn's light certainly didn't make the night's event any clearer.

An old building such as ours probably has a secret or two and, I intended to uncover those secrets with some property research.  There was even a date etched into one of the basement walls that would provide a good starting point.  Though it was faded from time, I could make out the 193 and part of the last digit as either a 1 or 9, 1931 or 1939.

The property searches turned up nothing.  Nothing except an old building with a perfectly normal history of tenants moving in and out.

So I smudged the apartment with sage and put the lunching and strolling shadows behind me.

Driving home from work one evening I noticed a new sign on Park Avenue.  The sign read, Luna Park Historic District.  Luna Park?

Once home I raced to do an internet search on Luna Park, Charleston, West Virginia.

Frank Ingersoll invented, designed, and commissioned the construction of a series of amusements to house the roller coasters his company manufactured.  These parks became known as Luna Parks. 

Crowds at Luna Park, circa 1915. Photo from WV History on View

Charelston's Luna Park opened to the public in 1912 and was owned and operated by John Crowley and Sam Moore of Moore Books.  By 1913, thousands of people were visiting Luna Park.  They came by street car and steamboat.  A local newspaper reported that street cars sometimes delivered people to the Park's entrance at a rate of 1,200 per hour.

The more I read the more curious I became about the grand entrance that supposedly could be seen from the decks of the steamboats chucking up the Kanawha River.

At last, I found a trove of Luna Park pictures and among them one of the entrance.  It was indeed grand for the time period.  The arched gateway spanned more than a city block and was flanked by two tall towers covered in colorful flags and bunting.

I continued looking through the pictures, marveling at the sheer number of visitors depicted and just how sad and kind of creepy the Park's clowns and other entertainers appeared.  Most of all I was in awe of the massive public swimming pool made of timber and sheet of tin.

In 1923 Typhoid was rampant.  The City's response to the epidemic was to pump the pool so full of chlorine that it is said a single welder's spark set the pool afire and ultimately devastated the whole park.

Plans were made after the fire to rebuild Luna Park to its' original glory but the funds fell short.  And in 1925 the swollen Kanawha River rushed the banks leaving ten feet of water covering what was once Luna Park.

The water eventually receded but, the City decided to parcel the land into private land plots and through streets.  The last photo I found showed a map of those plots of land and streets superimposed on Luna Park's grid.  The answer to the mysterious lunching and strolling shadows was right there.  The apartment building was built alongside Park Avenue and on top of the once grand entrance to Luna Park.


If you'd like to learn more about Luna Park and see some excellent photographs from its short time as a Charleston landmark, then please check out the My WV Home website. And, if you'd like to read about and see some current photographs from the Luna Park Historic District, its National Register application is available online at the WV State Archives site.  Again, I cannot thank Kim enough for sharing these experiences with us and allowing me to publish them on my blog. Please make sure to share this with all your spooky friends on social media and if you have a story you'd like to share, please contact me at Theresa's Haunted History Facebook. Stay spooky! 

The Haunted History of Maryland's Landon House: Guest Blog #3

From Wikipedia

Theresa's Note: Today is another absolutely fascinating guest blog! I met the author, Jen, several years ago at a local festival and I'm thrilled she has decided to share these ghost stories with us! These stories are from the historic Landon/Stancioff House, located in Urbana, MD. The home has a looong history. Among other historical facts of note, at various times the house was used as a silk mill, a private residence, several educational institutions, and a field hospital during the Civil War. After reading this collection of experiences from Jen's husband and mother-in-law, I'm inclined to believe that this location may be Maryland's most haunted location! As always, please enjoy this wonderful guest submission. A huge THANK YOU goes to Jen and her family for sharing these wonderful tales with us!

Jen writes:

These stories come from my husband, Dave, and his mom and pertain to the Landon House in Urbana, MD circa the early 1980's. Dave remembers hearing about a few of these right after they happened, but most of the stories were told to him later in life by my mother-in-law. He says he doesn’t remember anything that happened to him directly, outside of the last story. The women of the family were the focus for most of the hauntings as the men were usually at work when they happened.

Dave's biological father was the caretaker of the Landon House for half a year in 1982 when Dave was 5 years old. Dave, his parents, and his siblings lived in the updated left side of the house. The right side was kept original to the time period of the mansion’s heyday, with most of the original furnishings, or historic replicas, decorating it. The incidents didn’t start out small and escalate like you hear from a lot of hauntings. They started strong and stayed that way until the family left six months later.

Cherry Tobacco
Every once in a while, there was a strong smell of cherry tobacco. No one in the family smoked a pipe. The owners said that the previous owner had smoked cherry tobacco and had died in the house.

The Attic
Dave’s aunt and uncle had been living with the family prior, so naturally moved to the sprawling Landon House with them. They originally chose to stay in the attic, but soon moved to the basement as they were hearing inexplicable cannon fire from their attic room.

The Man in the Basement
The basement seemed to be worse than the attic. One day, his mom heard his aunt screaming for her from the basement. When she opened the door, the aunt ran past her, white as a ghost. She said that she couldn’t get out of the basement because there was a man blocking the door.

Footsteps on Tape
Dave’s mom wanted to see if she could record some of the noises they were hearing, so she put a blank tape into a tape player to start recording while she and the aunt took the kids to the mall. When they got back, they checked the tape. About midway through, there was the sound of walking throughout the hallway. No one had been home during that time.

Confederate Sighting
This one’s a bit short, but apparently Dave’s uncle saw a Confederate soldier run across the front yard.

They’re Heeeeeere
The kids were outside trying to climb the rope to the treehouse. Their mom went to the basement to talk to their aunt. She was down there for maybe three minutes and came back to the kitchen to find all of the cabinets open. The kids were still outside and no one else was in the house besides the two ladies.

The Dresses
There was a costume party being held in the house and Dave’s mom and aunt found a couple of dresses in a trunk in the basement. After the party, neither woman returned their dresses. Dave’s aunt kept hearing a voice telling her to put the dress back. His mom had put her dress in a box with one of the kid’s basketballs, and the basketball started bouncing on its own. They both put their dresses back into the basement trunk. His aunt and uncle were done and moved out of the house shortly afterwards.

Kick in the Butt
One of the family’s guests was laughing at an old portrait on the wall because he thought the man’s hair looked ridiculous. As he said so out loud, he felt someone kick him in the behind. He ran out of the house and never came back.

The Lady
Incidentally, living in that house is what made my husband interested in the paranormal. He says he doesn’t remember this, but his mom claims she heard him talking to someone when he was in his room playing by himself. Take that with a grain of salt, though. Kids at that age tend to talk to themselves when they’re playing. However, Dave’s mom also tells a story about Dave coming downstairs and telling his parents that there was a lady in his room. Maybe this is who he was talking to?

Soap Moving
There was an old claw foot bathtub in the upstairs bathroom. Dave’s mom was taking a bath and closed her eyes for a moment. She heard a “skreeeeech” and when she opened her eyes, the metal soap dish was on the other side of the bathtub. She was understandably upset and very sternly told whoever moved it that she was going to close her eyes, and that thing had better be back where it belonged when she opened them. She closed her eyes again, and heard the “skreeeeech”. When she peeked, the soap dish was back on the other side. No word on whether she took quick showers after that. But she did tell the ghost off for peeking at her in the bath.

Exorcism
After all of this, the family had a priest come and exorcise the house. For some reason, he had a psychic with him. In the basement, the psychic said “something bad happened down here”. Dave’s mom pointed to the shackles on the wall like they hadn’t already figured that out. Dave’s parents owned a used toy store at the time, so they took the kids there to stay overnight while the exorcism was taking place at Landon. On their way back home early the next morning, the family stopped at the local convenience store across the street from the house and two of the employees joked that they weren’t invited to the party. Apparently, after the priest and his assistant had left the night before, there were the unmistakable sounds of a party, complete with loud music and all of the lights in the house turning on and off. Dave’s aunt and uncle had already moved out by this point. Unless the priest had an impromptu dance party, there was no one in the house. Dave’s family moved out soon after this incident.

---------------------------------

As both Dave and his mom have pointed out, the experiences of the family sound like a classic 1980's horror movie and can be a little hard to swallow. I asked about the cherry tobacco and he said that there was something about the former owners in one of the Frederick County ghost books. Not only did I possibly find some answers as to what they experienced, but I’m a little creeped out that several of the hauntings they claim to have gone through have also happened to other tenants.

There is a book called “Ghosts and Legends of Frederick County” that talks about the previous owners. The book was written in 1979 by Timothy L. Cannon and Nancy F. Whitmore. I pulled out my copy to check for Landon House stories and I got chills when I read this excerpt on page 17"

“In 1862, Landon served briefly as the headquarters of General J.E.B. Stuart, until overtaken by northern troops.  During this time, Stuart was accompanied by a Colonel Luke Tiernan Brien, his chief of staff. Brien, a native of Frederick County, liked the area so much that almost 20 years after the war he and his wife purchased 180 acres of rich farm land surrounding Landon, calling their estate Tyrone.

Since the deaths of the Briens in the early 1900’s, there are those who say that Landon is haunted. Porch rockers move for no explainable reason, and on occasion an old man has been seen walking in the basement.

Recently, while in the basement, the grown son of the present owner and a friend were frightened by the appearance of the upper torso and head of an old man floating about.

The old man is believed to be the ghost of Colonel Brien.

However, Mrs. Brien is usually the more visible of the two. Children are often tucked into bed and when questioned, they insist that an old woman wearing a shawl was in their room.”

-------------------------------------

Does this mean that Dave’s lady friend was the ghostly Mrs. Brien and Mr. Brien was angry that Dave’s aunt had taken over the basement?

There was also an article in our local paper that tells the same story of the ghostly woman tucking the kids in. Katherine Marks of the Frederick News-Post wrote in a 1998 article that a woman in white was known for tucking in the children and/or bringing them milk. 

That's a whole lotta activity! Since Dave and his family's time in the house, it has changed owners several times. It became a popular wedding venue and for a time, even offered ghost tours to the public! The house has been written about in numerous books and articles, and may even be home to some additional sightings not experienced by Dave's family! Jen writes that one of the more popular contemporary tales involves ghost dogs. While in residence at the home, Dave and his mother noted that there was a living hound named Ollie on site, but no ghostly ones! Once again, thank you so much Jen!

Further Resources:

Historic Landon House Sold at Auction (2013)

Landon House Wikipedia

Ghost Soldiers Paranormal Investigation Team

Child Ghosts of Tennessee: Guest Blog #1

Theresa's Note: My call for Guest Bloggers has gotten a much bigger response than I ever could have imagined! I want to personally thank each and every one of my readers who have taken (and are planning to take) the time to submit such wonderful stories for us all to read. Throughout 2018, I'd like to make it a top priority of Theresa's Haunted History to showcase more personal experiences, more varied viewpoints, and of course, more of what YOU want to see! 

Our first Guest Blogger of the year is Kevin G. from Tennessee. Kevin has been gracious enough to share several strange and unusual experiences he and his family encountered at their private residence: 

My story begins in 2000. I had been living in a house with my ex-wife and young son for about six months when we started having strange events happen. One night on my way home from working second shift, I saw my wife driving up our road. Upon seeing me she slammed the brakes and said something's there. When I got her to calm down, she said she was in the basement of our tri-level house when she heard someone kick the door next to her from the outside. She fled. 

At the time I didn't believe her because she was fond of hyperbole. However, a month later I was waiting for my son to awaken from his nap when I heard what I thought were his footsteps coming distinctly down the stairs. I didn't see him peep around the corner so I went looking for him, only to find that he was fast asleep. 

These initial encounters were to become routine after a while. 

The highlights include the time when my oldest was standing in the hallway at 2:30 in the morning talking to someone. When I asked him who he was talking to he replied "these people keep calling my name." His first cousin told me that someone kept pulling the blanket down to her feet. Another time, I felt someone poke me in the side and sit down next to me on the bed. Then I felt them get up and I heard what sounded like someone standing on a loose floorboard in front of me. 

We finally asked the neighbors if anything strange happens at their house. He said no, but the look on his face said there was more to the story. "You are not going to want to hear this, but three children died in your house from smoke inhalation ten years ago." I will say that explained quite a bit. The occurrences were shocking at first, but we never felt anything evil or malevolent. It was more like someone wanting attention. 

My mom didn't believe me when I was telling her about it in my house. Suddenly she got a strange look on her face and said someone just put their hand on her shoulder and breathed on her neck. My response was, "told you"! 

I always felt like the ghosts liked the fact that my house was full of kids at all times. I was the last one in the house the day we moved and I felt a heaviness in the air. Like an incredible sadness.

Awesome story, Kevin! Thank you again for sharing it with us. I'm always looking for new contributions, so if anyone is interested, please see my blog, Looking for Guest Bloggers, for more information. 

Looking for Guest Bloggers!

Do you have a paranormal experience you're willing to share with the world? Are you a paranormal investigator or researcher looking for some FREE promotion? Are you knowledgeable in the paranormal, UFOlogy, cryptozoology, or history fields and want to share your expertise?

Then I'm looking for you! Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State is searching for guest bloggers! 

As part of my plans for 2018, I'd like to incorporate more personal stories and experiences from my readers, as well as spotlight those working tirelessly in the field of paranormal investigation and/or research. And, I'm not gonna lie---it's going to be a busy year for me, and if I can get a few guest bloggers submitting content every now and then, it would REALLY help me keep the content on here fresh and interesting! 

If you're interested, here's what you need to know:

1. This is NOT a paid gig:  Unfortunately, I don't really make any money from this blog, and therefore, do not have the budget to hire a staff of writers. You will, however, be given full credit for your content, which will be shared on various social media sites, the same as my other blog posts. You may also share the post wherever and whenever YOU like. You may also include  links to your website or any social media sites you own within the blog. I cannot guarantee a specific number of hits, but on average, my blog gets about 1000 unique visitors.

2. You may submit as many blog posts as you'd like. If you have just one experience you'd like to share, I'd love to share it for you! If you'd like to submit a series of articles, photos, etc., that's great, too! I do, ask, however, that blogs be at least 500 words in length, with some exceptions allowed.

3. You do not have to write your own post. If you have an experience or piece of evidence you'd love to share, but hate writing, I'll be happy to write the actual blog post for you. You will still receive credit for the story and/or evidence. You may choose to include your full name, partial name, or submit anonymously. 

4. I reserve the right to turn down any submissions that I feel don't fit in with the mission of Theresa's Haunted History. Stories that contain references to illegal activity (such as trespassing), are not related to the topics mentioned above, or that badmouth another team/investigator/researcher will not be allowed. Posts related to the tri-state area of West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky will be given first priority.

5. I reserve the right to edit any submissions for minor grammar/spelling errors. If more editing needs to be done on my part, a final draft will be sent to the author for review before being published. 

If after all that you're still interested or would like more information, please send me a message via Facebook, or email me at theresarhps@yahoo.com with the subject of Guest Blogger. I look forward to hearing from you! Stay spooky!

Guest Blog--Places to Investigate!

Hey everyone!  Sorry for the late posting of today's blog, but I've been feeling a tad under the weather.  Luckily, today we have a first ever Guest Blogger joining us at Theresa's Haunted History!  This blog comes from Joey Racer, a local paranormal investigator who has worked with several area teams...and who also just happens to be my cousin!  Joey has shared with us some area locations that are ideal locations for investigators, and I've added a few comments below.  Please enjoy!

weston hospital would be good place to try the obanden tracks in weston is good place to try i been there once ive been to alum creek cemetary is good place to try i been there 2 or 3 times capital plaza theater would be good try i think ive been to spring hill cematary in charleston it would be good try again and theres a place in harts about a woman named mary thurman

Theresa's Commentary:

The Weston State Hospital, or Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum as the new owners are calling it (as an homage to one of its earlier monikers) is an excellent place for new investigators, and those who are not necessarily working with a team.  This location is what we call a Pay-to-Play, meaning simply...you pay for a night of investigation.  I personally have not investigated this location, but I have been on a history tour of the place, and had visited the grounds several times before the new owners took over.  I am convinced that this place is the real deal in hauntings...but just make sure you do your own historic research first!  Please see the TALA Website for more information on how to book your own investigation at this Civil War era hospital!

Nearby, is the Flinderation Tunnel, also the Brandy Gap Tunnel #2 and its an excellent location that is very accessible to the public...for FREE.  For those traveling a long distance to investigate TALA, the Flinderation Tunnel is a great two-for-one investigation opportunity while in the area.  I've written extensively about this location on my blog.

Alum Creek Cemetery is another great place where most teams have gotten some type of evidence or had some type of experience.  I've also written about this location on the blog, linked to above.  Please be mindful, however, that proper permission should be sought if visiting after dark.  WV Code calls that all cemeteries are actually "closed" from dusk until dawn, and this is located on the property of an active church.

Unfortunately, Capital Plaza Theater in downtown Charleston may be a little harder to investigate.  I looked into the opportunity myself awhile back when I was taking an Historic Preservation class with Billy Joe Peyton, which was held in the building.  Even with his help and influence, we were told that the director over that campus had a strict policy of NO paranormal investigations whatsoever.  But...there is hope!  When the former WVSCU President was essentially overthrown, much of the administrative staff was also replaced, and a new person is now in charge of the building!  For more info on the history and hauntings, however, see the link above.

Spring Hill Cemetery in Charleston is known for its beautiful sculpture and being the final resting place to many of Charleston's most prominent early families.  The most paranormally active spot tends to be the old Pauper's Cemetery section, but I've heard people have experiences throughout, especially in the oldest sections.  

Lastly, the tale of Mamie Thurman is a classic in West Virginia ghostlore.  Mamie was a young woman who was murdered under mysterious circumstances, and her killer was never brought to justice.  Her apparition has been seen many times along 22 Mine Road, just outside of Logan (near Holden), where her body was found.  In addition to her apparition being spotted, 22 Mine Road is a popular legend tripping spot, and on any warm evening, chances are, there are several cars parked along the road in order to test out an old urban legend.  It is said that if you park on this road, Mamie (or sometimes, in other stories, a miner) will pull your car uphill!  Many have parked and felt the unmistakeable pull of their vehicle uphill.  A friend said that when she went, there was a kid on a skateboard also testing this out.   Of course, this is just an illusion known as a gravity hill...or is it?

Thanks again to Joey for taking care of the blogging today!  It really worked out since I was sick today and did NOT feel like doing anything constructive, lol.  However, I've got a very special treat for my readers in the Ashland-Ironton area planned for tomorrow!   Sweet dreams!