Huntington's Mischievous Monkey

 

In the Autmn of 1915, a little monkey named Mary Jane wreaked havoc in the streets of Huntington, WV. 

 

In Early October, Mary Jane, who was owned by the Huntington Police Department, escaped her cage at headquarters and went on a month-long mischief-making romp throughout the city. At first, Mary Jane stayed fairly close by to the police department, jumping from rooftop to rooftop and scurrying overtop streets via telephone lines. No real effort was made to capture Mary Jane until the mischievous little monkey turned to a life of breaking and entering and petty theft. 

Mary Jane wasn't content just to play cat-and-mouse with her former owners. She was heading towards a life of crime. She terrorized the local citizens when she started entering their houses. Once she had found entry into a home, she would go through the residents' drawers, pull pictures off the walls, and even steal purses and other small items. Sometimes all it took was her to show up unannounced in some poor, unsuspecting woman's boudoir.  

The crime spree would not last long. Chief Davis ordered Mary Jane be captured. Shortly after, she was found in the pantry of a local home by City Turnkey, Jack Cole. Mary Jane was busy smearing jam all over her face at the time of the apprehension and apparently returned to her 'prison' without further incident. 

I've yet to find any information on how Mary Jane became a permanent resident of the Huntington Police Department, but ironically, a similar situation was playing out about an hour away in Charleston. The Charleston Daily Mail ran an article on December 18th pleading for someone to come get Jim and give him a home. 

Jim was the pet monkey of Hubert Kelly, fireman with the central fire department in Charleston. He had bought the little monkey and had quickly come to the conclusion that it was too much to handle and was causing too much mischief. The animal was being held at the fire department after Jim's admittance that his attempt of pet ownership was a failure. 

PSA Time: All pets, especially exotic ones with special needs, are a lifelong commitment. Please make sure you are able to provide for the needs of your specific animal before adopting---including safe and adequate housing, exercise, and mental stimulation. There have been a lot of 'cryptid' sightings over the years that can probably be explained by exotic animals that either escaped captivity or were dumped by their owners when it became too difficult to care for them. I hope Mary Jane and Jim lived out the rest of their lives in loving environments suited to their unique needs. They wouldn't be the only monkeys to make the news, though. I'll be sharing some similar stories in the near future, so keep an eye on Theresa's Haunted History! 

12 November 1915
Charleston Daily Mail

13 November 1915
The West Virginian

18 December 1915
Charleston Daily Mail

Blue Orbs at the Bluegrass Inn Motel

Bluegrass Inn (Google Street View)

Today's blog post is more of a Fright Bite, a little snippet of spooky, if you will. I just could not find out a whole lot about either the history or the hauntings of a little roadside motel known as the Bluegrass Inn of Ashland, Kentucky. But, here's what I've got!

I learned about this location's ghostly reputation while browsing the Haunted Places website. A submitter by the name of Jason B. reported that while staying at the Bluegrass Inn, in rooms 129 and 127, a series of odd events occurred. There was a feeling of dread, which caused the hair on the arms to stand. Softball-sized light blue orbs were observed. The witness even reported receiving three fingernail scratches down his back, which weren't deep, but burned. 

This little tidbit has been shared on a couple of different sites that curate paranormal phenomenon, including a page called Kentucky Haunted Houses. On that entry, an anonymous comment was left in March 2021 by another witness to the weirdness at the Bluegrass Inn. 

Airline Recruitment Ad
18 April 1984
The Big Sandy News

This second witness reported that room 205 may also have paranormal activity. When staying there, unexplained noises and feelings of not being alone were common. The witness admits that both of these examples could be explained away by the setting being a busy motel with people constantly coming and going---but it couldn't explain the weirdest thing. The witness reported their pillow being aggressively tugged away from them at night.  

The Bluegrass Inn Motel is located at 1835 Winchester Avenue and is within walking distance to the historic downtown Ashland. It's situated between the river and the historic Central Park area, making it an ideal location for anyone staying in the area short term or long term and worried about transportation and access. 

I didn't have much luck with Kentucky property records, but the inn has been there AT LEAST since 1968. I suspect it's older, but that's the earliest mention of it I could find. Throughout the 1970s it was known as the Henry Clay Motel. In the 1980s, it was known as the Colonial Inn Motel. For over 50 years, the motel has been a happening location. The patio hosted a bar/restaurant called Carl's, where a lot of civic meetings took place. I found newspaper snippets of campaign rallies, a seminar/recruitment event for an airline, and even a trucking school, all listing the motel as base of operations. 

Congressman Hubbard Announces Bid for KY Governor
10 December 1978
The Courier-Journal 

I also found a lot of private individuals listing the motel as their home address. With that information came several obituaries and several arrest records. Most of the arrest records and even recent complaints have been for drugs or petty theft. However, in March of 2025 and argument between two men in the parking lot left one man dead. After an argument around 6:15 am on March 12, Christopher Hammond shot and killed Barry "Justin" Burton in the parking lot of the motel. 

Today, the motel is still apparently known to deal more with longer term rentals on a weekly/monthly basis, as opposed to catering to tourists. These longer term rentals offer a place to stay for out of town workers, those who cannot afford or qualify for traditional housing, and those being helped by local churches and charity groups after experiencing being unhoused. 

When you have such a high turnover rate of people in and out of a location, many of whom are most likely going through negative emotions, it's natural to think that some of that energy lingers on and may manifest in different ways. I'd love to hear if anyone has additional stories from the Bluegrass Inn. Despite the frustration of researching and investigating hotels/motels, I still love a good ghost story from these places and would love to hear if anyone else has had any experiences. You can comment below or find me over on Facebook at Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State! 

Hinton's Flying Saucer...Debunked??

Hinton, WV (ca 1940)
Source: WV History on View

Back in July 1947, when the world was abuzz with news that a flying saucer...or was it a weather balloon?...had crashed near Roswell, New Mexico, a woman in Hinton, WV was also claiming to have seen visitors from outer space. The local papers reported that Mrs. Lee Ramsey of 419 Summers Street was on her front porch one Saturday afternoon when she noticed a series of flying saucers about the size of a small plate, coming up over Cemetery Hill directly following a flyover from an airplane. She called for her husband, but by the time he came out to look, they were gone. 

About six saucers were observed in total, and they were standing up on edge. 

I shared this story here on Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State in August of 2022...but it seems as if I may have jumped the gun and failed to do my due diligence. After nearly four years, while doing some unrelated research, I came across ANOTHER article with two more witnesses to that incident. Unfortunately, the two additional witnesses, while corroborating that an event did take place, both claimed that it wasn't actually a flying saucer or UFO. 

Mrs. Fannie Johnson of 615 Ballengee St. was on HER porch a short distance away at the same time as Mrs. Ramsey. However, she got a somewhat better look. She noticed that after a plane flew over from Cemetery Hill, it was followed by something black, and then more of them. She does note that she felt the items were paper. 

Mrs. H.C. Porter of Greenbrier Drive agreed. She and her neighbor, Mrs. Lough, also saw items falling from the sky and chalked it up to being a plane throwing out handbills. 

The consensus agreed that a plane was throwing out some type of advertising leaflet or handbills, a conclusion that was printed in the 09 July 1947 edition of the Hinton Daily News. It certainly does sound like Mrs. Ramsey's description of what she saw was nothing more than pieces of paper. The size fits, and the description of them standing on edge, cutting through the air also makes sense. 

What doesn't make sense to me is why would only so few leaflets be dropped? And if they were actually part of an advertising campaign, why didn't any of the ladies who witnessed the drop actually RECEIVE a leaflet? I've spent a little time poking around and couldn't find any additional information about anyone coming forward to say that they had picked up one of the flyers, or any businesses coming forward to say that they were the ones dropping them. 

The answer to that may have come a few weeks later. The Beckley Post-Herald, a newspaper from nearby Beckley, WV, warned citizens that the city was about to be inundated with 'flying saucers' about the size of a dinner plate. The 'flying saucers' were to bear the insignia of the Civilian Air Patrol and be dropped from a CAP plane. 

Mrs. Ramsey may have been influenced by the news of the Roswell incident and misidentified a normal event, or maybe there is more to the story. While this was cited as being Hinton's first UFO/Flying Saucer report, it certainly would NOT be its last. UFOs continued to be seen over the city and surrounding areas, with notable events in 1948, 1950, and 1952. You can read all about those sightings right here on the blog. But, whether or not any were of actual visitors from outer space, it's important to keep your eyes to the skies. You never know what's going to fall from it. 

Sources and Further Reading:

Lee Ramsey Blog Post (Original Story)

Hinton Furniture Store Uses Flying Saucer Story in Ad

1948 Monroe County Report

April 1950 UFO Report

July 1952 UFO Flap Comes to Hinton

1958 Talcott Report

09 July 1947
Hinton Daily News

10 July 1947
The Leader

31 July 1947
Beckley Post-Herald

Silver Gap Railroad Ghost

Virginian 737 (Close enough, maybe?)
Source: Locomotive Fandom

Today's blog post is inspired by a true paranormal experience submitted to the WV Ghosts website by Clara Beverage and published on August 6, 2021. 

One night, the author and her friends found themselves out way past dark, walking the desolate railway tracks between Oak Hill and Dothan, WV (Fayette County). Although it was dark---VERY dark---there was enough light that they could still see the path along the tracks well enough to make it back home to the Oak Hill side. 

About midway between Dothan and Oak Hill is a small valley known as Silver Gap. It is in this area that the group had a shocking encounter. Up the hill from them, overlooking the tracks, was a wispy, gray form, about the same height as a human. The form remained motionless for some time, but as the group got the courage to hurry past it, it descended the embankment and took position on the tracks. 

Again, the form stood motionless for some time, as it seemingly watched them. Then, it began moving away from them, down the track, slowly fading until it disappeared completely in the darkness. At that point, the unearthly scream of a terrorized man echoed out over the valley. 

Understandably, the group fled and didn't slow down until they saw the lights of Round Hill Road. 

Curious as to who this ghostly specter may have been, I did some cursory research. Unfortunately, I didn't uncover a whole lot. The railroad tracks between Dothan and Oak Hill were part of a new line of the Virginia Railway that opened in 1907 as a way to connect to points along the already established Norfolk and Western Line. Over the years, the area was no stranger to train wrecks, some fatal and some not, but I only found one that specifically mentioned the Silver Gap area. 

On November 9, 1948, at about 11:15 pm, Engine No. 734, a U.S. Mallet type, was carrying 10 loaded cars, 11 unloaded cars, and a caboose. It was traveling between Elmore and Page, working several mines along the way when it derailed. The engine overturned against an embankment at a 45-degree angle, leaving Engineer Bert Kelly and Fireman J. Howard Griffith shaken up, but uninjured. It took about 18 hours for crews to get things moving again, but business resumed as usual. It was believed that the 'pony truck' (a set of small lead wheels behind the cowcatcher) derailed, causing the accident. 

We understand that a haunting doesn't always need to be associated with a death. Sometimes, an event can be so steeped in emotion (good or bad) that it can leave its imprint on an environment. Perhaps the screaming the group heard that night was an echo caught in time of Kelly or Griffith, shouting for his life, assuming he was about to meet his maker. Perhaps the ghostly figure was a small piece of one of the men that was left at the site to bear witness to the area where a tragedy almost occurred...and warn others away from the same. 

Or maybe there is a death associated with the Silver Gap section of the railroad. Any number of train derailments, trains hitting a pedestrian, or other deaths in the area and being lost to history is entirely possible. I'll keep looking for more information, but until then, if you're passing through the Silver Gap between Dothan and Oak Hill on a dark night, watch out for a human-sized column of fog!

Sources and Further Reading:

Silver Gap Ghost Near Oak Hill, by Clara Beverage (WVGhosts.com)

Topographic Map of Silver Gap

11 November 1948
Beckley Post-Herald

10 November 1948
The Raleigh Register

15 July 1907
Hinton Daily News

Disappearing Jesus

 

Disappearing Jesus
July 2026

It's not often that a city will have TWO major cemetery urban legends, but Ashland, Kentucky is a spooky, history-filled river town that is no stranger to the unknown. A few weeks ago I brought you the story of the Weeping Woman of Ashland Cemetery, a funerary statue known to come to life and sob uncontrollably in grief. Today, we'll be discussing the Disappearing Jesus of East Ashland Memorial Gardens!

Near the entrance to East Ashland Memorial Gardens is an Italianate marble statue of Jesus Christ. Known as a Christus Memorial, the statue is modeled after the original 11-foot marble statue of Christ sculpted in 1833 by Bertel Thorvaldsen. These were popular additions to memorial garden cemeteries around the time that the East Ashland Cemetery began its modern expansion from the old Williams Cemetery (which dated back to the late 1800s) to its modern inception in 1955. 

Shortly after the statue was in place, those traveling along the main road in front of the cemetery noticed something rather odd. Sometimes Jesus was there, on his pedestal in all his glory. And, sometimes when they looked again, he had disappeared!

The story of a Disappearing Jesus statue was so widespread that it earned a lengthy article and photo in the July 21, 1968 edition of the Ironton Tribune. Written by staff writer, Leigh Ferguson, the article goes on to interview Edward H. Scott, who was President of Golden Oaks and East Ashland Memorial Gardens, Inc. (Golden Oaks is an adjoining cemetery property, which has a similar statue, lacking a haunted reputation)

Scott fully admits that the statue in question has a quirky disposition for disappearing, but there's a perfectly natural explanation for it. It is simply an optical illusion caused by the color of the statue blending in against the horizon. It all depends on angle and timing. The phenomenon only works after dark. 

Back of Statue
July 2026

As the cemetery is closed to visitors after dark, the phenomenon is mainly observed by those driving by after sunset. Keep a steady gaze on the statue as you go by, and watch it simply disappear from view! For decades, carloads of teens and other curious onlookers drove by in hopes of seeing it for themselves. I thought it was interesting that Scott noted the urban legend had not attracted vandals to the cemetery. For the most part, everyone remained respectful of the sacred space. The only thing they'd notice is paper cups littering the area around the entrance.

Obviously, I wanted to test this out for myself, but I only had the opportunity to be in town during daylight hours. It was daylight, but it was a rainy, overcast day so I thought that may work to my advantage. The sky WAS very similar in color to the statue, after all. I entered the cemetery coming from the Golden Oaks side and immediately saw the statue to my right, facing away. I drove around the interior of the cemetery, which is BEAUTIFUL, by the way, but I could never get an angle where the statue disappeared. I stopped to take a few photos from different angles, but I could not make the statue seemingly disappear...until I was ready to leave.

I turned left out of the cemetery onto 55th Street, which is the opposite of the way I came in. As I was driving away, I glanced in my passenger side mirror back at the cemetery and was absolutely shocked. Where I was almost 100% sure the statue should have been was an empty pedestal! I slammed on my brakes, turned around and looked and made the realization. I wasn't looking where the statue was located. At the angle I was at, I was seeing the pillars at the entrance of the cemetery, which obviously do not have Jesus atop. 

Hopefully, I'll make it back that way soon after dark and can test out the legend more fully. I'll drive by going both directions, something I also failed to do during my first trip and maybe instead of mistaking a different pillar, I'll actually witness the optical illusion for myself!

Sources and Further Reading:

Find-A-Grave East Ashland/Golden Oaks

East Ashland Memorial Gardens Website

Christus Memorial-Wikipedia

21 July 1968
Ironton Tribune (Ironton, OH)

Please Don't Trespass

Photo from Alamy.com

Paranormal investigation can be a dangerous hobby. As investigators, we put ourselves in a position where we're exposed to a wide array of safety concerns. We traipse around old buildings with steep stairs, structural damage, BATS...and we're doing so, walking around in the dark, loaded down with equipment. I could go on and on with all the dangers we face in this field. There's a lot of factors we can try to minimize and control, but inherently, there will always be risks.

One way we can minimize quite a few risks is simple. Don't trespass on private property. Don't be where you don't have permission. Often, access to a location is denied/restricted based on liability issues---abandoned properties are fun to explore, but they aren't safe. Other times, a location isn't deemed dangerous because its abandoned....it is dangerous because it is NOT. 

Such was the case of University of Cincinnati freshman, Jack W. Langhorst. Jack, 18 years old, and two of his buddies were at a drive-in restaurant when they met up with some girls. The conversation turned spooky, as the girls began sharing stories of 'haunted houses' they knew about in the area. 

The group decided that a little ghost hunting was more fun than hanging out at the drive-in, so the entire group of nine piled into their cars and drove to one of the houses. The house chosen was a 150 year old farmhouse near Ross, Ohio. They parked in the front yard, and Jack got out. Showing his bravery in front of the girls and his guy pals, he boldly walked up to the house and entered. Seconds later, two shotgun blasts rang out. 

Jack staggered out of the house and collapsed. He had been shot in both the neck and the back and passed away from his injuries. The shooter was 82 year old Harry Demoret, who owned the home. Demoret claimed a group of kids had broken into his property just a few days ago, and believed the group was there to rob him. No charges were filed and this incident became just another example of a tragic accident that could have been prevented. Jack is buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Cincinnati. 

Before you head out in search of ghosts or just a spooky good time, please remember to make smart choices. Obtain permission, scout out the location in daylight hours, and never go alone. You can check out my article below for more info on the dangers of trespassing. Stay spooky, ya'll. 

SAFETY: GETTING PERMISSION TO INVESTIGATE

 

15 January 1962
The Ironton Tribune (Ironton, OH)

Uploaded to Find-a-Grave by
user, AmericanMacabre

2026 Spooky Reading Part 1

Ya'll know I love a good ghost story or a book full of strange and unusual tales! For 2026, my spooky reading has taken somewhat of a backseat when it comes to my general reading selections. I've been focusing a lot more on certain social issues that are important to me, as well as books for my work teaching middle school. But, I've managed to squeeze in a few paranormal non-fiction titles that I wanted to share. Here's what I've read between January 1st and June 30th:

1. Hauntings and Apparitions, by Andrew MacKenzie (1983)

Although this is an older title, it's a Society for Psychical Research publication, and I found it to be an awesome little collection. Part of the book dealt with the history of the SPR and its methodology and evolving belief systems. The other part was a deep-dive into some of SPR's case files. Some of the stories I had come across before in other SPR works, but for the most part, it was an enjoyable read, both entertaining and educational. 

2. The Wisconsin Road Guide to Mysterious Creatures, by Chad Lewis (2011)

I always enjoy Chad Lewis' work, and even though I'm not super familiar with the Wisconsin area, I was really excited to read about some of the state's strangest monsters and other unexplained phenomena. I'm a long ways away from Wisconsin, but I really appreciate the format of these books, which make it easy to find locations accessible to the public. Who knows? One day I might go monster hunting out that way! 

3. Phantom Phenomena, by Darkness Prevails (2024)

I'm not gonna lie. I bought this book at Five Below on a whim, and was really disappointed. I'm pretty sure its AI-generated slop. If not, I sincerely apologize to whatever minimum wage intern was forced to churn out these stories.  It was a quick read and may be really fun for someone young just getting into the paranormal. That's all I say about it. 

4. Haunted Shores: True Ghost Stories of Newfoundland and Labrador, by Dale Jarvis (2004)

I don't live anywhere near this area, nor have I ever visited it. But, for whatever reason, I picked this book up and I'm glad I did. Although it seemed a little disjointed at times when it came to how the stories were organized, the stories were fun. It was a nice mix of historical background and storytelling. 

5. What Happens After Death--Scientific and Personal Evidence for Survival, by Migene Gonzalez-Wippler (1997)

Okay, so this one started off fantastic. I was scribbling notes and formulating ideas for topics to study more in-depth. And then, it went off the rails. The first half of this book is the 'scientific' part. It is a thorough and engaging look at the history of afterlife studies. The second half is a weird narrative of the author's communication with her guides...who aren't exactly what you may think they are. She goes on about past lives on other planets, time not being linear, and all sorts of strange and fascinating ideas. I was intrigued and read this section more like science fiction than fact. I can't quite wrap my head around it, but I'm trying to keep an open mind. 

6. Searching for Ghosts and Poltergeists, by Bill Breman (2011)

Although this book was meant for younger readers, there were some little hidden gems in here. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything I wasn't already familiar with. I found this book available to read for free on the Internet Archive and didn't realize exactly what it was at first. But, I can't resist a ghost book, even one for kids, so I finished it and added it to the list! 

7. A Ghost Hunter's Guide to the Most Haunted Places in America, by Terrance Zepke (2012)

This book got a little over-repetitive in its telling of each haunted location, but overall, I found it a light, fun read. I always enjoy hearing what haunted locations make the "Best of" lists for other people, and this was a fair sampling of some places with both the history and the haunted reputation to earn them a top spot. 

8. The Haunting of Bishop Pike: A Christian View of the Other Side, by Merrill F. Unger (1971)

Last year, I read Bishop Pike's book about the death of his son, the strange communications he began receiving after, and his quest to finding the answers to the question of what happens when we die. That book was extremely controversial, as was its author. This follow-up offers a Christian rebuttal to Bishop Pike's rather radical ideas. I was surprised that Unger wasn't more preachy about the topic, but this book still kinda gave me the ick. It was interesting, though, to read about the events that happened from another perspective. 

9. Humanoid Encounters 1 A.D.-1899: The Others Amongst Us, by Albert Rosales (2017)

I bought the first two books in this Humanoid Encounters series for a very specific research project a few years ago. I'm just now finishing up this chunkster. It is FILLED with strange, unexplained encounters with humanoid creatures, ranging from fae-type beings, aliens, mermaid, to who knows what else. This was definitely a fun read and I found a few more rabbit holes to go down in addition to my original project!

10. Freaky Stories About the Paranormal, by M.H. Seeley (2016)

This was another one of those books for kids that caught my attention while perusing the Internet Archive. I was actually really impressed with it. There was a wide range of strange and unusual topics covered in this book, and while the info was short and sweet, it was accurate and not dumbed-down for a younger audience. 

11. Haunted French Quarter Hotels, by Nicole Beauchamp (2025)

My sister always brings me back ghost books from her vacations, and this year's trip to New Orleans resulted in Haunted French Quarter Hotels! I can't say enough good things about this book. I loved the writing style. I loved the blend of historical research, personal experiences, and popular legend. And, of course, I love all things having to do with the French Quarter. My only complaint is that there could have been so many more stories and so many more places added to this book.