Concord College

Concord College has always been a location that has had a haunted reputation; unfortunately, most of the information available online was a simple copy and paste line about horrible nightmares, apparitions, and noises.  I finally took some time to dig a little further into the legends, and found several personal experiences listed by alumni on different websites.

One thing that really stuck out about these experiences is that they all seemed to concentrate on Wilson Hall.  Wilson Hall is an all-women's dormitory.  It was built between 1960 and 1962, and opened as the Women's Upperclass Hall.  It was re-dedicated in 1977 in honor of Ms. Damaris O. Wilson, Dean of Women from 1952-1972.

According to numerous sources, students staying in the dorms have similar experiences.  The terrible nightmares mentioned do occur and are typically said to involve the students dreaming that they are being murdered, and in some cases, are committing the murder.  It is also said that those who have previously shown no signs of depression or anxiety feel unaccounted for fear and sadness while staying in the dorms.

The third floor of Wilson Hall is one of the building's hot-spots.  Some have seen a young girl wearing white roaming the halls.  It is believed that a former student committed suicide in room 320 by hanging herself from the clothes bar in the closet.  Doors opening, voices, and other noises have been observed coming from the room. 

Other hot-spots seem to be the 4th floor, the basement rec room, and even the first floor, where a student observed the phantom sounds of a group of people running down the hall laughing.

If you have any personal experiences from Concord College, please submit them to Theresa's Haunted History!

UPDATE: July 2013:

I wanted to thank everyone for the overwhelming comments sharing information and personal stories of this location; it truly seems like this location is much more haunted than internet reports let on!  To address a few issues:

1. I am aware that this institution has taken on the status of University.  However, I chose in my personal blog to refer to it by Concord College, the name it was under when the alleged "haunting" events were said to have taken place....and the name that I see emblazoned on everything since my mother went there WAY before the name change took place, lol.  This omission was done intentionally without malice, but I'll consider making changes to reflect current status.

2. Sarvay Hall and Wilson Hall are NOT the same building.  However, from my research, it does appear that Wilson was originally built under the general name of Women's Upperclass Hall before a formal dedication of Wilson.

3. It appears from the comments that Sarvay Hall is way more haunted than Wilson!  It's possible that certain events attributed to one building actually occurred at another, or that some legends are simply just that...legends, but I can see that this might have caused some confusion as to Sarvay and Wilson being the same place.  I promise I will look into the history of the alleged events that are said to have lead to these hauntings, and try to uncover as much as possible.

Again, thanks to everyone who has visited and shared!  Because of people like you, I am able to make this list of haunted locations in WV one of the biggest and most accurate and comprehensive!

-Theresa

Historic Ghost Story from Gilmer County

Today, the county seat of Gilmer County is Glenville, formally known as Glendale.  However, at one point, the county court met regularly at another Gilmer County location...the town of DeKalb, where the wealthy and prominent William Stalnaker Family had settled.

However, the county seat was moved to Glendale in 1846, and by the time Glenville was officially incorporated 10 years later, the town of DeKalb was nearly a ghost town.  It had been on the decline for some years previously, despite the initial rejections of citizens to move their county seat to the new town of Glenville.

To some, the decline of DeKalb was simply a product of progression...but according to this site, others blamed the decline on a ghost.

In the 1840s, Gilmer County was home to a roving band of mountain pioneers known as the Hell-Fired Band.  The Hell-Fired Band's main mission was to halt the stop of technology and progress in the Gilmer County area.  They preferred to live like true pioneers, and objected the building of roads and rail lines in their area. In 1843, several members of the Hell-Fired Band were tried and convicted of killing a man by the name of Jonathan Nichols/Nicholas.  The band was sentenced to an 18 year prison term in Richmond, Va.  Various members of the gang served varying amounts of their sentence, some dying before their punishment was complete.

One such man who died before he had served his time was Daniel McCune, a descendant of the county's first permanent English settler, Peter McCune.  Daniel served eight years of his sentence before dying in prison.  It is the spirit of Daniel McCune who is said to walk the town of DeKalb, forever trying to fulfill the mission of the Hell-Fired Band.

Here's a Story on the Incident:

CALHOUN'S HELLFIRE BAND MURDERED INNOCENTS - Outlaws, Vigilantes, Plunderers
(01/26/2009 HUR Herald)
By Bob Weaver

The Hellfire Band was an organized vigilante group that roved the West Fork River Valley, a group of men described as renegades and thieves claimed they provided law enforcement and justice to the region.

Hellfire Band member, Daniel F. McCune, son of early Calhoun settler Peter McCune, was one of the principals in the outlaw group. He was born in 1800 and died about 1850 in a Richmond VA penitentiary, where he was sent for the 1843 murder of Calhouner Jonathan Nicholas.

Col. D. S. Dewees in "Recollections of a Lifetime," recalls McCune and three other members of the renegade Hellfire Band, Jackson Cottrell, Joseph Parsons, Alexander Turner were tried and convicted for the murder of Nicholas. They were sentenced to 18 years in prison in Richmond, Va.

Mostly the band preyed upon law abiding citizens, resulting in one of the earliest calls for some kind of law enforcement in a region that was to become Calhoun County.

Jonathan Nicholas was the overseer in charge of building a road along the West Fork in what was to become Washington and Lee Districts. Nicholas was a first cousin to Daniel McCune's wife, Rebbecca.
The Hellfire Band, while roving the West Fork River Valley, claimed they wanted to preserve the wildlife of the region for a sportsman's paradise, opposed to all newcomers or improvements.

Nicholas, with his road building efforts, was an assault upon their "preservationist" beliefs.

Jackson Cottrell was pardoned after five years, Alexander Turner died on the road to the penitentiary near White Sulfur Springs, Greenbrier County, and Joseph Parsons died soon after going to prison.
Daniel McCune died in prison two or three years after Cottrell was pardoned, about 1850.

St. Peter's Catholic Church, Harpers Ferry

Construction on the St. Peter's Catholic church began in 1830 and was completed around 1833.  It was the third church built in Harpers Ferry, and sat on land previously owned by Robert Harper.  Over the years, it has been enlarged and renovated, but has been in continuous use since the late 1800s.

During the Civil War, St. Peter's was the only church to survive the fighting.  Father Costello is accredited with this feat.  He chose to stay with his church throughout the war, and whenever fighting started up, he'd fly the British flag over the church.  Fearing an international incident, neither side ever fired on the church.  The church WAS used as a hospital, however, and Father Costello himself helped care for patients.

There are two main ghost stories associated with St. Peter's.  The first comes from the time when the church was used as a Civil War hospital.  One young soldier was brought wounded to the hospital, but since his injuries weren't deemed as serious as some of the others, he was forced to wait outside for help.  This young soldier was of the Catholic faith, and took comfort in the fact that he was taken to a Catholic church for help.  Unfortunately, his wounds were worse than believed.  He died as he was being carried inside.  His last words are reported as being, "Thank God, I'm saved."  Visitors to the church since then have often reported a glowing aura coming from the threshhold of the church.  Some have even heard the light whisper of the dying man's last words, as he crossed over the threshhold of the church and over to the other side.

A more well known ghost story comes from the path right outside of the church.  Around 6pm, people taking the path up to Jefferson Rock have reported passing the church and seeing a priest in a black friar's hat.  The priest is seen leaving the rectory.  He looks so real that visitors have stopped to wish him a good evening...only to find out that they just talked to a ghost!

History from Christopher Fennell
National Register Application

We Will Never Forget You

I'm trying to clean out my Favorites tab...so I'm posting this joke a few days early.  Its a cemetery joke as opposed to something of a paranormal nature, but its still pretty hilarious. 

Two women go out one weekend without their husbands.  As they came back, right before dawn, both of them drunk, they both felt the urge to pee.  They noticed the only place to stop was a cemetery.  Scared and drunk, they decided to stop and go there anyway.

The first one did not have anything to wipe herself with, so she took off her underwear, cleaned herself off, then discarded them.

The second one, not finding anything either, thought, "I'm not getting rid of my underwear..." so she used the ribbon of a flower wreath to wipe herself.

The morning after, the two husbands were talking on the phone and one says to the other, "We have to be on the look-out; it seems as if these two were up to no good last night.  My wife came home without her underwear."

The other one responded, "You're lucky; my wife came home with a card stuck to her bottom reading, "We will never forget you.""

The Iron Horse Inn

The Iron Horse Inn, located on Potomac Street in Harpers Ferry, was built around 1798.  It served as the first home to the superintendent of the U.S. Armory.  During the Civil War, the building, being a government facility, housed both Union and Confederate soldiers at different times.  After the war, the building was auctioned off, became a private residence, and in the late 1960s, was turned into the Iron Horse Inn.  The term "Iron Horse" comes from the building's close proximity to the railroad tracks, located just across the street.

In the early 1970s, Shirley Doughtery was the owner and proprietor of the Iron Horse Inn.  It was quickly realized that she had bought more than just a restaurant...a resident ghost was thrown in for free!  Trouble started when Shirley's daughter-in-law and son were closing up for the evening.  As the daugher-in-law was upstairs changing clothes, she heard the door begin to shake violently.  Right after, she heard the unmistakeable sounds of something or someone falling down the stairs...hitting EVERY SINGLE STEP on the way down.  Thinking her husband had fallen down the stairs, she quickly ran down and met him.  He was in a similar state of panic, believing SHE had fallen down the stairs!

Shirley and family began asking the locals and old-timers in the area if they knew anything in the building's history that could account for such a strange phenomenon.  Finally, someone came forth with the following tale:

During the time of the Civil War, the town was occupied by Union troops.  A young Confederate spy was sent to infiltrate the area, and gain as much information as he could.  Unfortunately, as he was walking down Potomac Street, he noticed guards up ahead.  He quickly turned around and began going in the opposite direction.  When the guards called out to him to stop, the boy panicked and fled into the nearest building.  He ran up the stairs, and attempted to gain entry into a room at the top of the staircase.  Unbeknownst to the young Confederate, he had stumbled upon a room full of Union officers.  One of the officers pulled out a revolver, shooting the boy in the chest.  The impact knocked him backwards, and down the stairs, where he hit each one on his way down.  He was dead before he reached the bottom.

Although this series of events would most likely fall into the realm of a residual haunting, either the ghost of the fallen Confederate, or someone else, seems to still be sticking around in a more intelligent way.  For over 2 months, a kerosene lamp would hurl itself across the room on a weekly basis.  The ghost also likes to play with water, according to some witnesses, including one family who had water thrown at them from the area of the staircase.

According to recent sources, the building is at present unoccupied, but it still remains a stop on the Harpers Ferry Ghost Tours.  In fact, it is believed that the creation of the tour is a direct result of the Iron Horse!  Now deceased, Shirley Doughtery was intrigued with the history and the hauntings of her restaurant, and sought out additional tales from around Harpers Ferry.  As a result, the tours were born, and have been going strong ever since!

Tour Information

The Haunted Cottage

Believed to have been built around 180 years ago, the pre-Civil War Booth House has had a long and sinister reputation to the Harpers Ferry locals. 

The Booth house was so called because during the time before the Civil War, John Wilkes Booth was nationally known as a famous actor.  Several times throughout his life (and before the act that has thrown him in US History infamy), he would visit Harpers Ferry and need a place to stay.  It was this quaint little cottage on Old Taylor Lane where he'd rent a room, and from time to time, invite a lady friend to accompany him.  Due to the patronage of this famous figure, locals dubbed the building "the Booth House."

Over the years, the cottage served many purposes, and was recently on land owned by a dairy farm, where it was rented out to various families as a single-family home.  Although not everyone who stayed at the Booth House had a paranormal experience, there was enough talk to get this location cited as being one of the most haunted in all of Harpers Ferry!

It was this haunted history and prime location that attracted author Vince Wilson to the site.  In 2009, the Booth House finally became available, and Wilson was able to rent it.  It is now used as his own residence as well as a paranormal museum and training facility, and is known simply as the Haunted Cottage.  Within months of moving in, Vince had his own experience:  phantom footsteps were heard AND recorded coming from the second floor of the house.

Other experiences include a wide array of sounds and physical sensations.  Footsteps, singing, and people talking have been heard, and some people have felt the sensation of having their clothes or hair tugged.  Other stories recall various shadowy beings, and objects moving on their own.

If you'd like to experience the ghosts of the Booth House for yourself, the Haunted Cottage hosts many different events and tours throughout the year, as well as offering admission to a large paranormal library and of course, the paranormal museum.

Haunted Cottage Website

Photo property of the Haunted Cottage

Monsters and Ghosts of West Virginia Book Review

Thanks to a good friend and fellow HPIR member, I am the proud owner of another volume of West Virginia supernatural tales!

Title:  Monsters and Ghosts of West Virginia
Authors:  Erin Turner and Isaac McKinnon
Published:  2011 by Quarrier Press
Purchase Information from the WV Book Company

This was a really fun little book, with an awesome backstory:  The two authors are actually a mother and her middle school-aged son, who worked together to bring some of WV's most fascinating ghost, cryptid, and UFO cases to life.  It is illustrated with vibrant, full-colored paintings by Erin Turner.

I really only have praise for this slim volume.  While I generally prefer my WV ghostlore to be straightforward and as factual as can be expected of such a topic, I found myself drawn to this book, and truly enjoyed it.  Each chapter is based in fact; the authors take a popular WV tale, or a widely accepted phenomenon, and spin a yarn, so to speak, to bring it to life. The creative license really seems to work here; tales are loosely interpreted or told from unexpected viewpoints, without actually giving any false information like some similarly formatted books I've seen.  As an added bonus, the authors have included a map of West Virginia, marking the locations of origin for each of the 15 tales discussed.

The text is extremely simple and easy to read, and the stories are presented in a very "safe" way, leaving out some of the more gruesome or "adult-themed" details that often accompany some of these tales.  It still maintains a creepiness factor, though!  Therefore, this is a PERFECT book for middle school aged kids or younger to read as an introduction to the ghostlore and supernatural history of the Mountain State.  It's also a great family book, perfect to share around a campfire or on a stormy Halloween night.  I'd also recommend it to any adult who finds himself yearning for a simpler time when the idea of ghosts and monsters lurking in the woods was still a very real thought!

As a side note, I have to point out the enjoyment my friends and I got from the wonderful paintings by Erin Turner which graced the pages of this book.  Never will you find a more prim and proper depiction of Satan having his afternoon tea...and never will you find a more effeminate interpretation of Chewbacca (er, I mean, Big Foot) fleeing an apple orchard loaded down with his bounty.  That alone is reason enough to pick up a copy of this book today!

East End Ghost

This following tale was submitted to the Winter 2011 edition of the KYOWVA Genealogical and Historical Society Newsletter.  It is dated from a July 31, 1935 newspaper, but does not tell WHAT newspaper, or whether or not this story came from HUNTINGTON, WV, as I imagine.   I'll be doing more research into this story, but until then, I HAD to share this piece as a Friday Night Funny!  (Story has been updated as of March 2012)

MAN'S FACE IN PILLOW DRAWS CROWD TO EAST END RESIDENCE

Something just as strange as pink elephants, formations of human beings and animals in the clouds, and the face of the man in the moon happened yesterday at the home of Mrs. S.D. Gilfillen, 812 Twenty-eight Street.

The face of a man appeared in the pillow on the bed in Mrs. Gilfillen's room.  The features of the face, the eyes, forehead, nose and mouth were outlined in the imprint which looked as if it had been made by a head resting on the pillow.

Mrs. Gilfillen said she discovered the face yesterday after she had cleaned the room and made the bed.  She had straightened the pillows and smoothed them out.  After this she went about her work in the kitchen as usual and when she returned to her room shortly afterward she discovered the face.  Her explanation was that it was some miracle or some sign.

Crowds have viewed the face since it was discovered.

The pillow in which the face appears is made of turkey feathers, and someone suggested it might be the turkey's ghost.  Another spectator inquired if someone had recently died in the bed.  Mrs. Gilfillen declared absolutely no.  She believes it is a sign.


What I find so freaking hilarious about this submission is the spectator who believes that this man shaped face belongs to the ghost of the TURKEY!  Once again, we have a tale of a...wait for it...poultrygeist!

UPDATE March 2012:  I was able to verify that this story does come from a Huntington address.  The Mrs. S.D. Gilfillen of the story is none other than Mary Ledmond Gilfillen.  I also found a somewhat tragic twist to this tale.  Less than a year after the face in the pillow sighting, the Gilfillen's lost their young son.  On May 23, 1936 Hurbert Gilfillen, aged 21 years, decided to go swimming in the Guyandotte River, right near where Special Metals is located.  Somehow, he was overcome, and drowned there in the river, his death being ruled accidental.  Was the face in the pillow just a fluke...some trick of the eye, what we'd call simulcra or even pareidolia today?  Or...was it really a sign as Mrs. Gilfillen believed...one that turned out to foretell the death of a young man way before his time? 

Hurbert's Death Certificate

Photo from Google Streetview

Book Review for A Ghostly Tour of Harper's Ferry

Aaron, Luke, and I spent a wonderful Saturday afternoon in downtown South Charleston.  While Aaron took Luke down the street to explore the Mound, I perused what was single-handedly the best antique store I've been to in a long time!  This book was just one of the items I picked up on my trip!

Title:  A Ghostly Tour of Harpers Ferry
Author:  Shirley Dougherty
Copyright: 1982 by EIGMID Publishing Company
Purchase from Amazon for $23.95

This slim volume is only 40 pages long, but is PACKED with Harpers Ferry history and its most famous ghost stories.  Each chapter, highlighting a different tale, comes directly from Shirley's popular walking tours, which began in 1977 as a way to showcase the rich haunted history of the small town.  The book is beautifully illustrated by Suzanne Randell.

Although I was familiar with many of the tales and legends discussed in the book, this was still an EXCELLENT addition to my personal library.  It seems as if nearly all known ghostlore of Harpers Ferry comes directly from Shirley's research; her name has literally become synonymous with Harpers Ferry ghostlore.  For those studying West Virginia's haunted history, this book is a must-have.

As an added bonus, I did find a few tales that I was previously unfamiliar with for whatever reason.  Still, there was such a sense of familiarity and nostalgia while reading this book!  Back in high school, I accompanied my best friend and her family on a weekend trip to Harpers Ferry.  We specifically went during Halloween weekend to take advantage of one of the haunted history tours!  Our guide was none other than Shirley herself, and while her frail voice could hardly be heard over the traffic, I had an excellent time.  Reading this book allowed me to revisit a significant moment in my life when I realized that I wanted to grow up to be a tour guide for a haunted history tour!

I was lucky enough to purchase my copy for a mere $5, but Amazon has a copy for $24, if interested!

The Little Drummer Boy

Located in the heart of Harper's Ferry, the Town House, as it is called, was once used as quarters for Union soldiers.  Among the ranks of the soldiers lived a young Confederate drummer boy that had been captured.  Fearing that the young child would never survive being sent off to a prison, the Union troops adopted him as their mascot...and personal slave.

The young boy was ordered to do all the chores, and to basically serve the Union soldiers as if he were their slave.  Eventually, the constant badgering of the boy left him broken and depressed.  He began to weep constantly and beg for his mother.

One night, the soldiers had been drinking, and the young boy's crying and begging began to irk them even more than usual.  As a game, they picked the boy up, and began taunting him, as they literally threw him from person to person.  One soldier missed the boy as he was tossed to him, and out the window the boy flew, where he crashed to the ground several stories below, hitting his head on a rock and dying instantly.

Visitors and employees to this day have heard strange sounds in and around the building:  the whimpering cry of a young boy begging for his mother.

Image above by Henry Kidd

The Drunk in the Graveyard

It's Friday night, so you know what that means!  This week's tale has been passed around for years, and there are many versions of it floating around.  This tale is from this site!

One dark, windy night, just outside Doncaster in Yorkshire, England, Neil, the town drunk was meandering his way home after the pub had closed. Somehow Neil got turned around and ended up walking through the graveyard in St Mary's church instead of taking the Tadcaster road home.

The wind howled louder and Neil thought he could hear a voice calling his name. Suddenly, the ground opened up in front of him, and he fell down, down into an open grave. He could still hear the voice clearer and louder now, calling to him. Neil knew it was Satan , coming for him just like the vicar had said, on account of him being the town drunk.

The hole was very deep and inside it was pitch black. His eyes adjusted to the darkness and after a few moments, and he made out a form sitting in the darkness with him. It called his name, and he scrambled away in fear, trying to climb out of that terrible grave. Then the figure spoke to him, 'You can't get out,' it moaned.

Neil gave a shout of pure terror and leapt straight up in the air, caught the edge of the hole in his hands, and scrambling out for his very life, he ran for home as fast as he could go.

Inside the open grave, his neighbour Tony sighed in resignation. He, too, had fallen into the hole a few minutes before his friend and had thought that together they might help each other climb out. Now he was going to have to wait until morning and get the gravedigger to bring him a ladder.

The Yurei

If you were born in the 1980s, your teen years were probably filled with cinematic classics such as the Ring, the Grudge, and a slew of other creepy American remakes of popular Asian horror flicks.  If these movies strike a chord, then you're definitely familiar with the concept of the Yurei!

The yurei actually comes from Japanese ghost-lore, and is a term that in its purest form, denotes any being that we would consider a ghost or spirit...and there are definitely plenty of ghosts and spirits in Japan!  According to cultural belief, all humans have a soul or spirit that enters a state similar to purgatory upon death of the physical body.  The spirit must stay in this purgatory until a series of funeral and post-funeral rites are performed...and performed correctly.  If everything goes as planned, the spirit moves on to be with its deceased ancestors, becoming a protector of those still in the living.

However, death rarely has a storybook ending, and things often go wrong.  If for some reason the funeral rites are not performed satisfactorily, the spirit can become trapped here on earth until the situation can be remedied.  Further, those who die a sudden, violent death, or with strong emotions (greed, jealousy, hatred, etc.) can also become earthbound until their consequences are resolved.

There are different types of yurei, classified based on their manner of death and/or their reason for being earthbound.  Further, the yurei aren't just wanderers; they have a very specific purpose and will either stick to the site of their downfall, or follow the one who did them wrong.  They will remain earthbound until either they have fulfilled their reason for being here, or in extreme circumstances, are exorcised.

Luckily, the popularity of yurei in 17th century pop culture, literature, and theater, led to a very detailed description of these beings in an effort to distinguish their presence more easily from the living.  The modern description of the yurei was first described in a painting called the Ghost of Oyuki.  The description of the yurei is as follows:

a. Dressed in a flowing white garment, representing a traditional burial shroud

b. Hair is long, loose, and disheveled.  This represents the idea that woman would keep hair long, but pinned up.  It was let down for funeral and burial.

c. The hands dangle lifelessly from the wrists, and the arms are often outstretched in a zombie-like stance.

d. The feet and legs are completely absent, and the figure is floating.  However, sometimes if the feet and legs are present, the feet will be on backwards.

e. The yurei will be accompanied by several glowing orbs called hitodama.

As seen in the photo above, these creepy image has not only invaded the big screen in a line of hit movies, but has also infiltrated the hoaxed ghost photo circuit as well!

Medina Steakhouse and Saloon

I'm still working on enhancing the Haunted Ohio section of the site, and with that, I bring you the latest post from Medina!


The Medina Steakhouse and Saloon is located in a former stagecoach stop.  The stagecoach stop was built in 1858 by Harrison Blake, a colonel with the Union Army.  Over the years, the building has been used as an inn, a brothel, a grocery store and finally, as of 1997, the Medina Steakhouse and Saloon restaurant.

In 2011, the Medina Steakhouse and Saloon changed its name to the Medina Steak and Seafood Company, but it didn't change its haunted reputation.  Employees believe that no less than three ghosts inhabit the restaurant.  The first is a woman named Anna or Ann.  Marcelle Arndt, former owner and self-proclaimed parapsychologist, made contact with Anna through a Ouija board, and found out that she died at the inn in 1895.  Anna is credited with mysteriously putting out a fire on the second floor, and saving the building.

The second spirit is that of a man who hanged himself in an upstairs hall.  A visiting psychic called in to get rid of the ghosts came up with the name of Frank Curtis, a handyman who died on Christmas Eve, 1922.  According to employees, the psychic was unable to get rid of the ghosts...but they did find evidence of a Frank Curtis buried in a local cemetery.

The third spirit is that of another female.  She simply goes by the name "M" and may or may not be the sister of Anna.

Restaurant's Website

Return to Bruce Chapel

On Saturday, February 11, 2012, HPIR made its return trip to investigate Bruce Chapel in Mason County, WV.  Bruce Chapel first came to the attention of HPIR in 2006, as many reports surfaced online concerning alleged paranormal activity at the location.  In August of that year, the newly formed investigation group conducted an outdoor investigation of the grounds and surrounding cemetery.  That investigation resulted in one of HPIR's first  and finest EVPs as a group...and a quest to know more.  Sadly, I had not yet joined the group yet, and missed out on this early investigation into a location that has intrigued me for quite some time. 

To hear the EVP for yourself, please see the link below, and let us know what YOU think is being said!
Bruce Chapel Investigation 2006

On a return trip to this location a year or so later, a newly erected gate over the entrance road to the church pursuaded us to turn back, for fear that the vandalism had taken its toll, and that public visitors were no longer allowed unrestricted access to the grounds.  Luckily, that wouldn't be the end of our relationship with Bruce Chapel!  Just recently, the property was passed down, and a family member to the chapel's founding fathers and mothers contacted us.

We jumped at the opportunity to revisit this historic location, and see the inside of the chapel.  Winter, which had been on vacation all season long, chose OUR weekend at the chapel to finally show up, but we braved the snow and below-freezing temperatures and conducted a successful investigation of this wonderful location.  While personal experiences were scant, within a day or so, the first piece of possible evidence popped up:  a photo taken by Melissa, HPIR founder, during breakdown.  The photo, taken with an infrared camera, shows a strange anomaly behind investigator Carrie, as she takes up video cable.  After much scrutiny and analysis, HPIR is still at a loss to explain this photo, which many believe shows a young child, curiously peering from behind our investigator as she works. 

As of this point, the photo can be found on the HPIR Facebook Page, linked below.  You can also see how we've tried to analyze possible theories as to what the anomaly is, and even see the photo inverted in an effort to get a clearer view of it.

HPIR FaceBook

Even without that photo, the investigation was a great success.  Despite the cold weather, the chapel itself had a warm and inviting aura to it.  Despite its age and previous vandalism, the building was in remarkably beautiful shape.  The love and protection of almost 200 years of care by its congregation and family members have left a lasting impression.  Fortunately, that tradition will carry on, as further plans to improve and protect the property are being put into place by the current owners.  Eventually, the location will be made open to the public.  As that information is released, HPIR and Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State will keep readers informed.  We're also still going over evidence and will update if anything becomes available.

Theresa's Note:  In preparation for this investigation, I found a TON of more information on the Moore Family, Mai Moore Mansion, and of course, the chapel and its cemetery.  In addition, the owner gave us some clippings that further provided and verified some wonderful historic details about the location.  The updated information can be found in part at the links below, but not all information will be disclosed at this time.  For additional information, please email me:

Bruce Chapel History
Mai Moore Mansion History

Photo above taken by Melissa Stanley and is property of Huntington Paranormal.  It may not be used without permission.

Getting to Know HPIR, Volume I (Melissa)

Five years ago, I joined up with a great group of people who shared my passion for the paranormal.  Since then, Huntington Paranormal Investigations and Research has continued to grow and branch out, while maintaining that level of professionalism and dedication which first attracted me to the group.

I am honored to bring you the first in a series of interviews with HPIR members.  We are a diverse group, with many differing opinions and backgrounds melding into an ideal resource pool from which our investigations are based.  My intent with this series is to allow the public a chance to really get to know HPIR and its individual members on a more personal level. 

The first interview will be with president and founder, Melissa Stanley.  Without her hard work and leadership, HPIR would not be where it is today.

When and why was HPIR founded? I have been intrigued by ghosts and ghost stories since I was very young. My interest really hit home with some unusual experiences in my late teens and early 20’s. I had several instances of telepathic communication with a close friend; those experiences really made me want to find out more about the paranormal world. When that friend passed away, I had an experience that really left an impact on me and shortly afterward I began searching for people who shared my interests. That summer in July of 2006 Huntington Paranormal Investigations & Research was founded. Prior to HPIR, did you have any investigation experience? No, I started out in this field with nothing more than a desire to learn more. Why did you decide to start your own group as opposed to joining an existing group? I actually began searching for other groups in the area to join and I had made contact with several groups but I never received a response. After a few weeks of research and a lack of response from existing groups, I decided to take charge and find others who were interested in forming a group. What skills, characteristics, personal experiences, education or training, etc. do you possess that contribute to your success as a paranormal investigator and team leader? Well to start off with, I never could have imagined that I would end up being a leader of any group of any capacity. I have always been a fairly quiet and shy person and to take (at my own doing) a leadership position was out of my comfort zone. It did take me a while to grow into my position, but it has helped me overcome personal fears and doubts in myself. As I stated before, I came into the paranormal field knowing very little. Even though I had little experience, I began by learning from some of my more experienced teammates. Of course since then I have expanded my knowledge of this field and continue to do so. I am not the type of person that allows being in charge to go to my head, as far as I am concerned my team members are my equals and my friends and I respect and value their thoughts and opinions. I think what makes me a successful investigator is that I am not easily influenced by what’s popular or trending in this field. I am not in this to become famous or to make a name for myself; I truly have a desire to find answers to those things we just don’t understand yet. When it comes down to the decisions I make for myself and the team, I always follow my heart and so far that has led me and the entire group in the right direction. Describe HPIR's mission and style of investigation: Our mission is fairly simple; to find answers to those things we cannot explain. Our style of investigation involves taking a logical approach to every situation we go in to. We try to obtain all the facts about a location as well as its history. We use that information to try to find rational explanations for any claims of paranormal activity. During investigations we take a respectful approach in our communication attempts, we rarely use provocation. We typically try to re-create familiar situations or time periods if it is relevant to the situation. When it comes to our evidence if we feel that we have found something of note during an investigation, we go over those findings with a fine tooth comb before we draw any conclusions about it. Our philosophy on evidence we collect is quality over quantity, because we never want to induce any unnecessary fears into those who we are investigating for. What do you feel is the biggest problem faced by the paranormal investigation field today and what are you and HPIR doing to help remedy that problem? One huge problem I see is the pure animosity among groups in the paranormal field. It seems there is constant bickering between different groups and also within individual groups. This type of behavior is counterproductive to paranormal research and reflects badly on the field as a whole. HPIR has worked with a few other teams and we have formed working relationships with some but prefer to avoid situations which may cause drama. We have experienced internal problems among our members in the past, but we were able to manage it in a non-public and professional manner. Our group is open and willing to share information about investigations and to share our experiences with others as long as we can steer clear of conflict. I can not say we have a solution for this problem because it is so widespread, I just hope in the future that individuals and individual groups can learn to better deal with their issues. HPIR is very active in both community involvement and with historic preservation. Tell me about that: Several years ago I decided to take our team in a bit of a different direction when I proposed that the group begin giving ghost tours in Huntington . I had been on several out of town ghost tours and enjoyed them so much that I began thinking what a wonderful thing it would be if we had our own tours locally. We began working with several organizations in Guyandotte to assist us in our goals of getting a tour started. With the help of those organizations we had a very successful first tour, and subsequent tours since. We regularly work with these groups throughout the year and I, my husband and co-founder Dustin and Theresa have even became members of several historic organizations. Not only do we have a passion for ghosts, but we love history too and we want to help in the preservation of our local historic sites. HPIR will be celebrating its sixth anniversary this summer. What do you think sets HPIR apart from other groups, and what has contributed to its endurance? I believe one thing that sets us apart has been our sustainability in this field. Since the time our group was first organized I have seen many groups dissolve. We have had our share of issues over the years but instead of allowing negative experiences to break our group apart, those experiences have allowed us to learn and move on from them. Another factor that I feel had allowed us to endure in this field is our member base, the individual members of our group are deeply passionate about the work we do. We all have a common bond and we have worked hard and have established ourselves in our community. I also feel our community work has set us apart from others. Many groups are involved in only the investigative side of things, however we have taken our group to new levels and taken on different challenges that many other groups just don’t do. What are your future goals for HPIR and yourself as a paranormal investigator? I certainly can see our group continuing in this field for many years. I hope that HPIR will remain a constant in the paranormal community and in our local area. Naturally I hope we have some great opportunities to investigate some new and particularly historic locations in the future. I hope to continue our successful ghost tours and perhaps at some point expand. My personal goals are to continue learning all I can about different topics related to the paranormal and to continue leading HPIR in the right direction. Is there anything else you feel people should know about HPIR? I think people should know that underneath all the seriousness of investigations and our group activities, that we are all fun loving individuals. Our members are funny, fun and friendly and we really enjoy getting together for meetings to chat, eat tons of food and laugh together. I think I have the best team around, if I do say so myself! A big thank you to Melissa for answering my questions thoroughly and honestly.  To learn more about Melissa and the rest of HPIR, please visit our website...and check back soon as the rest of HPIR gets the chance to speak out! Theresa's Note:  I apologize for the weird format...its harder to copy and paste from an email into Blogger than I thought!  This is about as good as its going to get for now, lol. Photo above property of Melissa Stanley and HPIR

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Wait 'til Emmet Comes

I'm a few hours late, but it is time for another Friday Night Funny!  This morning on my FB I posted a horribly hilarious and satisfyingly inappropriate article from Cracked.com concerning several of the world's most ridiculous ghost stories....and I think I may have offended at least one person, because my FaceBook likes went down a notch immediately after!  This post is much more family-friendly.  It used to be one of my favorite stories when I was younger!  You can find this version in the book Spooky South by S.E. Schlosser.  Enjoy!

Wait Until Emmet Comes

A West Virgina Ghost Story
retold by
S. E. Schlosser

A preacher was riding to one of the churches on his circuit when darkness fell. It was about to storm, and the only house nearby was an old mansion which was reputed to be haunted. The preacher clutched his Bible and said: "The Lawd will take care o' me".

He went into the mansion just as the storm broke. He put his horse into the barn and made his way into the house. The door was unlocked. He went into a large room which contained a fireplace that filled one wall. There was wood laid for a fire. He laid a match to it. Then the preacher sat down to read his Bible.

Gradually, the fire burnt down to a heap of coals as the storm howled around the mansion. The preacher was roused from his reading by a sound. He looked up from his Bible. A very large, black cat was stretching itself. Then it walked to the fire and sat down among the red hot coals. It picked a coal up in its paw and licked it slowly. The cat got up, shook of the ashes, and walked to the foot of the preacher's chair. It fixed blazing yellow eyes upon him, black tail lashing and said quietly: "Wait until Emmet comes".

The preacher jumped from Genesis to Matthew in shock. He had never heard of a cat talking before. Nervously he kept reading his Bible, muttering to himself, "The Lawd will take care o' me."

Two minutes later, another cat came into the room. It was black as midnight, and as large as the biggest dog. It lay down among the red-hot coals, lazily batting them with enormous paws. Then it walked over to the other cat and said: "What shall we do with him?"

The first cat replied: "We should not do anything until Emmet comes".

The two cats, black as midnight, sat watching the preacher, who read through the Gospels at top speed, aware of blazing yellow eyes watching him.

A third cat, big as a tiger, entered the room. It went to the fire full of red-hot coals and rolled among them, chewing them and spitting them out. Then it came to the other two cats facing the preacher in the chair.

"What shall we do with him?" it growled to the others.

"We should not do anything until Emmet comes," the other cats replied together.

The preacher flipped to Revelation, looking furtively around the room. He closed the Bible and stood up.

"Goo'night cats. I is glad of yo' company, but when Emmet comes, you done tell him I been heah and went."

Source

Horse Found in Tree

The winter of 1936/1937 was especially tough on the people of the Ohio River Valley.  On top of the hardships associated with the Great Depression, that December was cold and snowy.  However, with the start of a new year, there was new hope.  January was much warmer, and the snow started to melt.  Unfortunately, it started melting too fast, and coupled with 19 straight days of rain, the Ohio River at Huntington, WV finally crested on January 27, 1937.  The river crested at 69.45ft, 19 feet above flood level.

After five days, the flood waters began to recede, but the Great Ohio River Flood of 1937 had left its toll on the tri-state.  In Huntington alone, five people died, and property damage was estimated between $17 and $18 million.  Many were left homeless as houses were washed off their foundations.  Overall, 25,000 Huntington residents were directly affected by the flood.  However, the flooding was not localized to just this area.  Flooding up and down the Ohio River and into the Mississippi River costs 137 people their lives and close to $400 million in damages.

The photo above shows the aftermath of the flooding in Huntington.  I'm not sure exactly where the photo is from, or who took it,but it was labeled as being from the 1937 flood.  However, in March of 2018, I came across this photo on Facebook, and it was NOT listed as being from Huntington. Eh. It's an interesting picture either way, and one day when I get a few spare moments, I'll try to track down and documents its actual history. Stay weird.

More information

Cinematic Research

No one ever said being an investigator wasn't hard work.  There's the hours of on-site investigation, where generally not much happens, followed by the hours of sifting through video footage, voice recordings, etc., again, where not much happens.  Then, there's the hours spent reading up on different theories and locations and learning new technologies.  Often, additional hours of sitting at the computer, poring over historical documents in order to help prove/disprove evidence leads to nothing but disappointment and frustration.

Sometimes, we just need a break from it all!  A little suspension of disbelief offered by popular horror films is one of my personal favorite pasttimes, especially on dark, stormy nights when I can't sleep.  However, the past few days, as I've stayed up all night basking in the warm glow of Netflix...I've tried to somehow justify my perceived lack of productivity.

The answer hit somewhere in the middle of Paranormal Entity.  I realized that although I was lying in bed like a lump, munching on popcorn and drinking Diet Pepsi by the gallon, I WAS being productive!  I was actually engaging in bona fide paranormal research!

For those of you who don't know me, I like to frequent several different paranormal message boards, and it is these message boards where I have really felt the fruits of my labors pay off.  I've noticed trends in the type of problems people are being plagued with, and their questions about certain paranormal activities often coincide directly with what popular horror film is most prevalent at the time!  In order to understand what the HECK they're talking about, one has to be in the know with the latest pop culture!

It goes beyond message boards, however.  Many times, a client will associate what they are experiencing with something they've seen...such as on television or at the movie theater.  Many laypersons' only forays into the supernatural involve movies or television...not hardcore research into folklore and theory.   Again, knowing what is going on in these genres can help provide the best possible understanding of the client, yielding the best possible care.  It also helps to really understand and research the movies that are dubbed "based on a true story," as this "warning" doesn't hold a lot of weight in the paranormal community, but can really be held as gospel by those more gullible.

Movies and television are unique in that they can really illustrate the public's popular views on different paranormal activities, even if those views are NOT based in actual research or have the evidence to back them up.  However,  many movies and television shows DO have at least some research and folklore to back up the story...and its these movies that are the most fun.  They can offer obscure references on which to do further personal research.

There's also an added bonus...about ten years ago, there was a huge online explosion of what was dubbed "TV ghosts." These ghosts were showing up in family photos right and left...directly on the person's TV. In each case, a ghastly figure was seen on the screen, while the submitter of the photo SWORE the television was turned off. It turned out that most of these were quickly explained away by researchers with a vast knowledge of movie monsters!

So go forth and watch as many horror films as you like!  After all, you're just doing a little research!  And...I'll be doing my own research this weekend by watching The Woman in Black.  Be sure to check out Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State on FaceBook to hear my thoughts on this much-anticipated film.

Photo above is a movie poster from the Woman in Black

*Here's a list of movies to give you some inspiration!
      Paranormal Investigations, Hollywood Style

Peninsula Cemetery

Wheeling's Peninsula Cemetery has a history as fascinating and unique as those entombed within.  Located along the National Road, Peninsula Cemetery, sometimes referred to as Foundry Cemetery because of its close proximity with a WWII-era factory, opened on May 2, 1842.

Before the cemetery opened, many of the area's dead were buried in the East Wheeling Cemetery, including the Zanes family, founders of the city of Wheeling.  However, westward expansion was in full bloom, and the area was prime real estate for the railroad.  Despite protests from the town, the location of the East Wheeling Cemetery was sold on May 1, 1854 to make room for a B&O railroad right of way.  Bodies from the cemetery were spread out to a number of different places.  More prominent families seemed to choose the new Mt. Wood Cemetery, while the Peninsula Cemetery readied itself to receive the bulk of the unclaimed bodies.  Unclaimed bodies were reinterred in the upper end of the cemetery, which became a Potter's Field.

The potter's field area of Peninsula Cemetery saw much more action over the years.  In the 1890s, a smallpox epidemic swept through the area, and many of its victims were buried in the potter's field.  Then, in the 1920s, the old Sixteenth Street Cemetery fell out of decomission, and again, bodies were reinterred here.

At 22 acres, the Peninsula Cemetery was at one time the third largest cemetery in the city.  However, according to a 1946 newspaper article, at that time, all available spaces in the cemetery were full, and although a caretaker worked dilligently to keep up the newer section, the potter's field was severely neglected.

Perhaps it was this neglect that caused the initial manifestation of the cemetery's ghostly inhabitant.  Visitors to the cemetery have witnessed a woman wearing a black cape, standing over a grave which is presumably her own.  She is only seen in the older section of the cemetery, and has been known to chase visitors out.  Is she upset that the city let her grave fall into disrepair, or is she simply trying to keep vandals from causing further damage to her final resting spot?

There is some confusion with the name of this cemetery, beyond its simple Peninsula vs. Foundry Cemetery monikers.  Some sources say that the nearby Tunnel Green (formally, the Hempfield Tunnel) runs under a section of this cemetery, or a different cemetery with the same name.  The bodies were SUPPOSED to have been moved, but never were, and railroad men perhaps even robbed some of the graves during construction of the tunnel right of way.  Please see my entry on Tunnel Green or this listing for a Tunnel Green geocache for more info, and if any locals have any information to clear this up, please let me know!

*Note:  The link to the newspaper article above mentions an interesting tombstone inscription for a unique slave burial.  Check it out!

Find-a-Grave Listing

Photo from Mark Browning, Find-a-Grave contributor

Rohs Opera House, Kentucky

Rohs Opera House was built in 1871 in downtown Cynthiana, Kentucky, about 20 miles north of Lexington.  The original opera house was built by Hermann A. Rohs (pronounced "Ross") and his son Karl.  Hermann Rohs, although born in Cynthiana, came from German ancestry, and ran a successful jewelry business in Cynthiana prior to opening the opera house.  His son, Karl, born in 1902, is perhaps more known for being the grandfather of actor Chris O'Donnel.

In 1941, the opera house was expanded to fit the modern times, and thus, turned into a movie theater.  The first movie shown was Down Argentine Way.  Meanwhile, the original opera house (a term generally denoting a fancy and socially acceptable name for a vaudeville venue) was maintained upstairs under the name of the Aeolian Hall.

Somewhere in the theater's long history, it picked up the reputation of being the "3rd most haunted location in Kentucky," presumably behind Waverly Hills and Bobby Mackey's.  It is best known for the reports of a full bodied apparition dubbed the Woman in White.  Witnesses have reported seeing a woman who appears to be in her 40s, wearing a long, flowing white garment.  Evidence from various paranormal groups seems to support the idea that she isn't the only ghost at the theater...the sounds of children laughing and playing, as well as a man's voice have all been captured.

In early 2011, the Rohs Opera House was featured on an episode of My Ghost Story, with supporting evidence being supplied by the local team, iHuntGhosts.

It is possible to check out this location for yourself!  The Opera House does have overnight ghost hunting packages starting at $25 per person.  Please see their website below for more information.

Photo is from the Rohs Opera House Homepage

The Buckley House's Permanent Resident

Today, the Buckley House is a posh restaurant, located in Marietta Ohio.  It opened under new management in 2010, after being a bed and breakfast for at least 14 years before that.  However, the house started out as a private residence, built in 1879 for Maria Morgan Woodbridge, grand-daughter of Dudley Woodbridge.

In the early 1880s, Maria became the patroness of a young Chinese immigrant and missionary sponsored student named William New Kim.  William, while living in the home during his studies, fell in love with Sophia Hoff, a chambermaid.  The two pledged their love for each other, and it is believed that they physically consumated the relationship as well, leading William to feel that he was considered "married."

Sophia was sent off to Cincinatti, but the lovers kept up their correspondence and even managed to visit each other from time to time.  All was well until Mrs. Maria Woodbridge discovered the love letters.  Not approving of the relationship, she sought the advice of the pastor of the First Congregational Church.  The pastor gave William a long lecture, presumably on the evils of premarital sex, sin, and who knows what else.  Whatever was said, however, was enough  to put the young Chinese immigrant into quite a depression.

One November day, on his way home from work, he stopped at a local pharmacy to pick up a bottle of chloroform.  The next day, on November 7, 1881, the young man was found dead in his room.  He had dressed himself in his own funeral clothes, and had taken his life.  He is buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery, under a unique monument written in 3 languages. 

During the house's tenure as a bed and breakfast, strange things began happening that led guests and staff alike to believe that the young Chinese man's spirit never left.  Creaking stairs and floorboards were common, but the middle bedroom on the second floor is said to be the center of the haunting.  It is the room where dogs refuse to enter, and those sensitive to such things claim to feel an overwhelmingly negative energy.

The majority of the above-mentioned info from Forgotten Ohio website
Photo from Itinerant Foodies


*Just a quick note:  This home has nothing to do with the popular Buckley Family Murder photo that is circulating around the web.  Please see the embedded link for THAT spooky story!*

The Castle in Marietta, Ohio

Despite its rich history, Marietta, Ohio might seem an unlikely location for a CASTLE, but The Castle, as its known to the local community, definitely lives up to its stately moniker. 

The Castle was built in 1855 by Melvin C. Clarke, an attorney, abolitionist, and the city's first solicitor, elected in 1854.  Clarke lived in the home for a mere three years before selling the property to John Newton, Esq., in 1858.  Clarke would later see battle during the Civil War and die in the battle of Antietam.

On July 17, 1886, John Newton passed away and the estate was sold the following year to E.W. Nye, a newspaper publisher.  After only two years in the home, Nye passed away unexpectedly, leaving the elegant home to his daughter, Lucy Nye Davis.

Lucy had married a man named Theodore Davis, and together, the couple had two daughters:  Jessie and Grace.  Jessie, who was 14 years old when her mother inherited the home, had her own wedding reception in the house when she married John Lindsay in 1896.  When Jessie was 55 years old, she inherited the home for herself, and lived there until her death on February 14, 1974.  She was just short of 100 years old, and according to legend, had become somewhat of a recluse in her older years, rarely leaving the house and spending the majority of time either in her upstairs bedroom, or in her first floor library.  Her advanced age and reclusiveness led the neighborhood children to believe that Jessie was a witch.

After she died, however, L. Stewart Bosley and his sister acquired the property, and spend the next two decades fixing it up and restoring it to its 19th century glory.  Unfortunately, both brother and sister died before their vision was realized.  On April 24, 1992, the Betsey Mills Corporation took over operation of the home as an historical asset to the city of Marietta, to be used for education and public functions.  It was opened in 1994 to the public for tours and historical events.

It was during one of these events that the resident entity made itself known to a group of girls and their guides.  The Girl Scouts were at the house for a day of historic cooking, arts and crafts, followed by a sleepover, when they heard footsteps coming from above them...in the location of Jessie's former bedroom.  This happened several times with different troops, all hearing the same footsteps coming from the upstairs bedroom.

Other odd things that have happened in the house include a door being locked behind two docents, seemingly by phantom hands, light anomalies, and strange moaning.  Even a hygrothermometer, installed to keep tabs on the temperature and humidity levels for museum purposes went haywire.  At 2am, around the time when the odd moaning noises were most often heard, the data from the device was reporting a severe drop in temperature, coupled with an increase in humidity.

It doesn't appear that The Castle is open for public ghost hunting or paranormal investigation, but ghost stories and haunted history tours are given during the Halloween season, in addition to other creepy events, such as a mock Victorian funeral presentation.  The house is also a stop on Marietta's Haunted Trolley Tour.  For more information see the link below:

Photo from the Castle Homepage
Additional details on the history and hauntings from John Kachuba's Ghosthunting Ohio.

Crosskeys Tavern

The next time you're in Chillicothe Ohio, be sure to stop in at the Crosskeys Tavern, located at 19 East Main Street for live music, great sandwiches, spirits and....spirits!

The Crosskeys Tavern opened in 1972, owned by two friends, Dale Perry and Tom Burke.  The popular Irish pub, which is housed in a building dating back to the 1800s, has served as a tavern since at least the early 1900s.  In the 1930s, the building was occupied by Sun's Bar and Grill, and by 1933, was home to Shine's Restaurant occupying the front, and Club 19 in the back, operated by a man named Tom.  The building got its current moniker from both a nod to the historic pioneer tavern of the same name, and the inspiration of Burke's father, who was born and raised in Ireland.  It is an Irish tradition that a tavern bearing the cross keys emblem meant that room and board was offered there.

And, according to legend, it appears if one spirit took that symbolism a little too far, choosing to remain there for all eternity...or until further notice. 

The pub's resident specter goes by the name of Harold.  Harold, however, acts more like a poltergeist as his preferred methods of manifestation include turning lights on and off, and moving and breaking glasses in the bar area, which features an antique 1860s era bar made from one solid piece of wood.  Harold also likes to hang out in the basement area, where staff members have reported hearing footsteps and whispers.  The name of "Harold" actually came about when a friend and co-worker of one of the owners, a man named Bill, was over.  After a series of poltergeist activity involving a door opening by itself, and then a separate incident involving a light that kept going out, Bill loudly announced to the specter, "Harold!  You cut that out!"  When asked why he chose to call the entity Harold, he shrugged and said that it seemed like a good idea at the time.

It is unclear who Harold is, or why he is haunting the Crosskeys Tavern.  Some believe that he is the spirit of a man murdered in a back alley behind the bar. In fact, some believe that Harold is actually Tom, the owner of Club 19, who was allegedly a heavy gambler and was killed in the back alley behind the building over a bet gone bad. Others believe that there is a connection with Harold to the system of underground tunnels found under Chillicothe, which date back to at least the 1800s.

Entrance photo from Backroads of North America website

Friday Night Funnies-Observation Skills

I've recently seen an influx of FaceBook postings with pictures that are a little....off.  Inspired by such, I bring you this week's edition of Friday Night Funnies!  Take a GOOD look at the photo below.  Do you see anything that just doesn't seem right?

This post is part entertainment/part observational exercise.  A paranormal investigator/ghost hunter often must rely on their powers of observation, not only in picture analysis, but in any type of investigation or research work. 

So...did you spot the anomaly?  Kinda creepy, huh?