Friday, July 26, 2019

Fabric on Fleek: A Friday Funny



Chalk this up to one of those things that I laughed at harder than I should have...and had to share with you all so you could laugh, too!  While visually goofy, I really like the idea that a soul reaper, Death, or whatever you want to label this creepy creature can be distracted from his job by a beautiful and expensive garment!  Happy Friday, everyone...hope your weekend is on fleek!

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Remembering Rosemary

On Monday, July 22, 2019 I woke up, and decided to peruse Facebook.  I was startled to see several posts sharing a terrible bit of news to the paranormal community:  Author and researcher, Rosemary Ellen Guiley, had passed away.

As of this writing, the family has not released a cause of death, but from my understanding, Rosemary had been suffering from illness recently, and passed away on July 18th.  She had just celebrated her 69th birthday on July 8th.

This is a major blow to the paranormal research community, especially to those of us here in West Virginia and throughout the tri-state.  To call Rosemary a PROLIFIC author and researcher would be an understatement. She wrote over 65 books on a huge variety of paranormal topics, was a regular in FATE Magazine, on Coast to Coast AM, and an almost yearly guest at the annual Mothman Festival!

It was at the Mothman Festival where I first got the opportunity to really talk with Rosemary.  Like many in this field, I was already quite familiar with her work, and my personal paranormal library contains quite a few of her titles.  Needless to say, I was a little apprehensive when I approached her table. I bought a ton of back issues of FATE Magazine from her (actually, I did that for a couple of years, lol) and chatted with her a bit.  To be such a big name in the paranormal field, she was so sweet and down to earth.  She was really easy to talk to and was such a knowledgeable individual on such a broad spectrum of topics.  In addition to having a table at the Mothman Festival, she would usually speak at the historic State Theater as well.  As a moving tribute, at this year's Mothman Festival, the 2 pm time slot on Saturday (in which Rosemary usually spoke) will be dedicated to a tribute to her life and work.



Oddly enough, even though the Mothman Festival was my first opportunity to chat with Rosemary, I had met her briefly years before.  Years and years ago, a friend I had met through a paranormal message board had started a group and invited me to join them in an investigation at Ohio's haunted Prospect Place.  Rosemary was also invited, and while I got to MEET her, I didn't get the chance to actually investigate with her.  I really regret that now.  I regret that my shyness has stopped me from making the effort to really get to know so many people at a deeper level and now, in the case of Rosemary, it's too late.

Anyway, her spirit will live on in the many lives she did touch, as well as her huge contributions to the paranormal field.  Among her many written works are the Monsters of West Virginia and The Big Book of West Virginia Ghost Stories, which I was thrilled to see my blog mentioned in!   You can learn more about Rosemary Ellen Guiley  and her huge body of work at her website, Visionary Living.  May you rest in peace, Rosemary. 

Friday, July 19, 2019

The Daemon: A Friday Funny


The concept of a daemon, or daimon, has always fascinated me. According to Wikipedia, the ancient Greeks viewed daemons as lesser deities, or intermediaries between man and the divine.  However, this entity can also be interpreted as more of a spirit guide, or speaking strictly psychologically, a part of one's own conscience.  In Plato's Apology of Socrates, Socrates claimed to have a daimonion (literally, a "divine something") that frequently warned him—in the form of a "voice"—against mistakes but never told him what to do. 

So tell me...do you have a daimon, a little voice that guides you and gives you advice?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Friday, July 12, 2019

Ghost in the Closet: A Friday Night Funny



There is something absolutely unsettling about the idea of a child ghost...as this hilarious cartoon from Channelate, by Ryan Hudson, illustrates! I love how the classic trope of a child being afraid of something in their closet is given a Twilight Zone twist!  If you're loving the weekly dose of paranormal humor, check back each Friday at Theresa's Haunted History for more spooky fun! Happy Haunting, y'all! 

Thursday, July 11, 2019

The Martinsburg Beast



WILD BEAST SCARES PEOPLE
Martinsburg, W.Va., April 9.

---The vicinity of Hodgesville has been terrorized by a strange animal, which has chased many residents to their homes.  The fierce beast has been described as a wolf, panther, wildcat, hyena, and bear.

John Richard, mayor of Hodgesville, has measured the animal's tracks, which are 7 inches long and wolf-like in shape.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today's Throwback Thursday vintage newspaper article comes from the April 9th, 1914 edition of the Fairmont West Virginian newspaper, and tells of an interesting beast, sighted in the state's eastern panhandle. I assume that the 'Hodgesville' mentioned is actually Hedgesville, WV, which is located about 15 miles from Martinsburg.  

The description of the beast is interesting to me.  Different people described it quite differently, although all descriptions, save for the hyena, are of natural animals that any West Virginian would be familiar with.  It is also interesting to note the size of the animal's tracks.  They are described as being wolf-like in shape, but quite a bit larger than a normal adult wolf's paw.  What do YOU think the people of Hedgesville were seeing that spring, over 100 years ago?  Do you believe it was a shape-shifting beast, a series of different animals, or was the whole thing a hoax to sell newspapers?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! 

Monday, July 8, 2019

Monster Monday: Gator Edition


It's Monster Monday!

Okay, so I'm taking some liberties with the 'monster' part of this post, but I love this photo and wanted to share it here on my blog in honor of the July Ultimate Blog Challenge! You may have already seen me post it on Theresa's Haunted History Facebook, but I thought it was cool enough to deserve a more permanent tribute.

The couple in the photo is Harvey and Narcissus Trail who lived in the Raleigh/Summers County, West Virginia area. The photo shows the couple on vacation in Jacksonville, Florida around the turn of the last century, posing with some stuffed gators. Narcissus doesn't seem all too pleased with the choice of photo props, but I think its a wonderful souvenir! The photo can be found on the WV History on View website.

Sunday, July 7, 2019

On The Job Ghosts

I wouldn't necessarily say I'm the type of person that has ghosts follow her wherever I go...but over the years, I've worked at numerous locations that have had a reputation for being haunted!

In my late teens and early 20's, I had a bit of wanderlust, and never wanted to stay in one location very long.  Therefore, that led me to try various career fields and job titles over the years.  Maybe its just the sheer number of jobs I've held  giving me a statistical advantage for 'haunted' workplaces, because it certainly cannot be the locations themselves!  I haven't worked in any old, historical mansions, creepy cemeteries, or even hospitals.  In fact, most of the locations I'll be discussing are fairly modern retail/food service establishments!

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to tell you about a few of my haunted job experiences!

1. Private Nursing Home Facility---Buffalo, WV:  When I was in high school, my slightly older boyfriend got a job working the night shift at a local nursing home facility.  This was simply a large, modern house in a residential neighborhood where about a dozen elderly patients, most with dementia, resided. I volunteered at the home a few hours every week, and by the time I graduated, I had been offered a job, also on night shift.  The work was fairly easy; since I wasn't a nurse or CNA, my main responsibilities were cooking, cleaning, and just making sure everyone was safe and as comfortable as possible.  Before I even started volunteering there, my boyfriend had told me that he and a few others had witnessed an apparition in the sitting room!  There was a certain blue recliner where, when caught out of the corner of one's eye, it appeared as if a man was sitting there.  However, when you looked at the chair straight on, there would be nothing there.  Over the few months that I worked/volunteered there, I did experience this two or three times, but the eeriest thing I experienced was the shadow figure.  The office for the facility was added on after the original home was built and was connected to the main house via a short, narrow hall, which stepped down into the office.  Often at night when I was in the office filling out my paperwork, I could hear footsteps.  Thinking that it was one of our more mobile residents coming to find me, I'd turn around...only to see an inky black figure walking towards me.  As soon as this figure, which had the shape of a huge, imposing man, would cross the line between the original house and the addition, it would vanish without a trace.  Sometimes this would happen more than once a night, and I'd have to call my boyfriend, who lived close by, and have him come sit with me until I was calm enough to finish my duties.

2. Former Chevron Gas Station---Winfield, WV: When I was a freshman in college, I began working at Subway.  This Subway was located within the former Chevron gas station in Winfield, which is now a pizza restaurant.  I started noticing small stuff happening at first.  When I was back in the cooler area, I'd feel as if someone had tugged my ponytail or brushed up against me.  At first, I'd think it was a gas station employee, but when I would look, no one would ever be there.  So, I thought maybe it was a temperature thing since I was walking into the cooler.  I tried to use that as an excuse until I started actually SEEING the figure of a person walking around the office/prep areas.  Again, I'd immediately think it was the gas station employee on duty, but as I would walk out, I'd see them behind the counter, helping a customer or doing some other task.  Some of the weirder things that happened were one time I was at the sink washing dishes when I felt someone come up behind me.  I could feel their breath on my neck, their chest pushing into my back, and I even saw hands come around me and rest on the sink on either side of me.  I thought it was one gas station employee in particular being flirty, so I turned around quickly to playfully swat at them...and swatted at air.  Another weird thing that happened frequently affected my car, parked outside.  Even though it was locked and I had the only key, often I'd come out after my shift to find my radio turned to a country station that I would never have listened to, and my seat pushed all the way back.  The car itself had some weird activity, but that's for another blog!  Anyway, I finally asked some of the gas station employees if they had ever had anything happen to THEM, and was pleased to know that I wasn't alone.  They reported that gas pumps would 'ding' as if alerting them to authorize them for a customer, but no one would be there.  A few had even seen the figure flitting around the office area.  We were never sure if the suspected ghost was connected with the land, or even possibly related to one of the fatal accidents that occurred over the years at the intersection where the building stands. Here's my original blog on my experiences:  Haunted Chevron Station

Source


3. Former Dollar Tree---Teays Valley, WV:  Nothing really too significant happened during my time as a third key holder at the former Dollar Tree in Teays Valley, but there were a few things of note.  In this particular store, the aisles weren't really aisles, per se.  There were only a few actual shelves, with most aisles being separated by wire basket-type units.  Therefore, you could see through them and see who or what was in the aisle next to you.  And, of course, my luck---I would often see a man walking in a white T-shirt walking down the aisle next to me as I was cleaning up toward the end of the night shift.  Merchandise would also just 'jump' off the shelves/hooks/baskets in front of me as I was walking down an aisle and a few times, the vacuum would come unplugged from the wall, even though there was plenty of cord left to prevent it from pulling.  There was really only one other employee who was experiencing similar things, one of my managers who had recently lost her husband.  The strange thing was, her husband was my dad's cousin!  I had never met her before, but we figured out quickly how we were related since we both had a fairly uncommon last name.  She believed that it was her husband that was 'haunting' her at work, and we surmised that since I was family, maybe that's why I was experiencing things as well.

4. Walmart---Hurricane, WV: This is another location that I didn't experience a TON of activity, but enough to take note!  I was hired on at the new Hurricane Walmart before the store was even finished being built, so my first few weeks on the job actually included such tasks as stocking the shelves and putting together the checkout lanes.  During this time, there was a lot of controversy with the building of the Walmart and one local resident in particular, and at times things got pretty ugly.  There were also some weird plumbing issues and other problems that kept pushing the opening date back further and further.  With all this stuff going on, I remember jokingly saying that this building must be cursed.  But, we eventually opened, and I learned to hate my job as a CSS, lol.  So, eventually I moved to the overnight shift, and that's when things got weird. Just like at Dollar Tree, I'd see customers come in that would mysteriously vanish.  Weird electrical disturbances were commonplace, with one night in particular, my manager and I spending over an hour trying to figure out why the security shoplifting alarm was going off every 10 minutes or so with no one near it. It is interesting to note that at least one small cemetery had to be removed when the Walmart was put in, but whether a real-life Poltergeist scenario was in play or not is unknown.

Well, that's a sampling of my haunted resume...but I want to hear from YOU!  Have you ever worked somewhere that was haunted?  How did you deal with the activity? Were your employees open about the location's haunted reputation?  Let me know in the comments below, and if you're itching for some more haunted retail locations, check out my blogs on the haunted Toys 'R Us in Sunnyvale California or the haunted cash register located in a KMart in Idaho.  Happy Haunting!

Saturday, July 6, 2019

The Will-O' The-Wisp of Clarksburg's Quality Hill


WILL-O' THE WISP ON QUALITY HILL
Strange being Appears on Main Street and Maiden's Lane and Disturbs Society's Foundations

A will-o'-the-wisp, it is believed, haunts Quality Hill, and there is surmising and guessing galore in that neighborhood.  The residents are busy talking about it, and that is about the only topic of conversation these days.  Various stories are told about the discovery and more or less fright exists among the lady members of society.  That they beheld an apparition they are all firmly convinced and that there is a degree of dread they all confess.

Only a night or so ago they saw a tall person, dressed in female attire and wearing a man's hat.  The actions of the figure were strange and the figure itself just as strange. East Main street and Maiden's lane afforded the scene for the mysterious appearance and actions of the this strange being, mythical or real.  Gliding around in the neighborhood and standing silent as a ghost in the shadows of the darkness of night, the unknown figure aroused the suspicions of the citizens and shudders and chills crept over those who beheld it.

Some think it is a mythical being, others that it is a man dressed in woman's clothes, and still others have no definite idea.

It is surmised that it may be a society man, and yet it may be "Jack the Peeper."

It is needless to say that the appearance of the strange visitor has had a depressing effect along Maiden's lane, as well as the other street, and society is stirred to its foundations in that section.

Watches of the night will doubtless be established, as the strain is becoming intense and curiosity and fear have the upper hand.The mystery must be solved and that quickly, if the equilibrium of that community is to be restored.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This vintage article is from the July 22, 1903 edition of the Daily Telegram, a Clarksburg, WV based newspaper.  Apparently, either a ghost or a cross-dresser was haunting the rich, well-to-do neighborhood of Quality Hill in Clarksburg.  The largely residential neighborhood, with houses dating back to the mid-1800's, is now a recognized historic district and can be found on the WV's Register of Historic Places.   If you're looking for MORE historic haunts in Clarksburg, WV....please check out my blog on the Waldomore Mansion.  This historic mansion is not only haunted...but its home to the Gray Barker UFO files!

Friday, July 5, 2019

Imaginary Friend: A Friday Funny


Having a kid with an imaginary friend can be creepy...really creepy.  How do you know if your child's invisible buddy is simply a product of an overactive imagination...or if your kid is seeing ghosts?  While this is technically a Friday Funny post, I wanted to include a few tips for helping distinguish the two.  You know, just in case!

1. Is your child an only child or lacks siblings/playmates close to their age?  If your child doesn't have many kids his/her age around to play with, they might make up an imaginary friend to keep them occupied.

2. Have there been any major life changes happening to your family, such as a new baby on the way, a change in schools, moving to a new house, etc.?  Sometimes kids use imaginary friends to process change.

3. Is your child aged 3 to 5 years?  That's the most common age bracket for imaginary friends to show up.  While imaginary friends can stick around past that window, it's rare for a child to have an imaginary friend after the age of nine. 

4. Is your child showing bad behavior and blaming it on the imaginary friend?  Is the child claiming that the imaginary friend is telling them to do bad things or violent things, such as hurting themselves or others?

5. Has your child become afraid of the imaginary friend?  While the issues brought up in #4 and #5 don't necessarily mean that you're dealing with a supernatural interference, it does raise some red flags that something isn't right. At this point, I would contact the child's pediatrician immediately.  He or she can help point you in the right direction, including providing referral services if further intervention should be required.  If the child is in school or goes to a daycare/babysitter for a large portion of the day, also speak with the teacher/caregiver.  He or she needs to be aware of what is going on, and can give you updates if the child is experiencing anything outside the home that could be contributing to the issue.

So when is an imaginary friend MORE than an imaginary friend??

I honestly don't have an answer. As with other aspects of the paranormal, you can't really prove its existence either way.  However, I would be willing to believe there may be more than just the child's imagination if....

. You are absolutely positive that the child is receiving verified information that they could not have known otherwise.  This is sometimes hard to distinguish, as kids pick up on waaaay more than we give them credit for.  They can take an idea they see briefly on television, hear on the radio, or just experience anywhere out there in the world and morph it based on their limited life experience and developmental perceptions. 

Try to ask the child non-leading questions about their imaginary friend.  Try to get a name and any other information that can be verified. In addition to not asking leading questions, you want to try to remain neutral when speaking about the imaginary friend.  Don't get excitable.  Listen to the child and be supportive, but don't appear as if their answers to your questions are right or wrong.  

Based on the child's age, they can describe the physical appearance of the imaginary friend to you, or you can have them draw their friend.  Keep these drawings and a log documenting the activities of your child's imaginary friend.  Keeping a log will help you spot patterns, such as if the imaginary friend makes an appearance at certain times, and if the behavior changes over the course of time.

Obviously, if the imaginary friend is manifesting physical activity that the child isn't capable of...such as illustrated in the comic above...or if other members of the family are seeing/hearing/experiencing unnatural phenomena, you MIGHT want to seek out the counsel of an experienced paranormal investigation team in your area.  Your log of activity will be an invaluable resource to them, as they help research the history of your property, interview you and and your child, and help you get to the bottom of the mystery.   

Have a Happy Friday, Ya'll! 

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Happy Independence Day From Theresa's Haunted History!



Happy Fourth of July from Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State!

Have a safe, fun holiday weekend...but be careful out there.  I don't want to have to come investigate YOU. And, if Independence Day activities aren't necessarily your thing...feel free to celebrate by checking out my Haunted America Page for haunts across the USA! 

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Hauntings at the Homer Laughlin China Factory

If you're from West Virginia or surrounding areas, there's a good chance you've got a least one piece of Fiesta in your kitchen.  The iconic colorful dinnerware has been a favorite American classic since the 1930's, but the company that makes them (Homer Laughlin China Company) has been cranking out beautiful pieces in Newell, WV for 112 years!  With that kind of history, you might expect a ghost...or two.

Colorful Fiesta Dinnerware


The Homer Laughlin Company is actually a bit older, but the current building, known as Plant #4 is what is currently in operation...and currently what is haunted.  Built between 1905 and 1906, the plant was then known as the largest pottery plant ever built!

Homer Laughlin China Company Plant #4


It's evident that Homer Laughlin China is proud of their rich history, spanning from East Liverpool Ohio to Newell, West Virginia, but surprisingly, they seem quite proud of their HAUNTED history as well!  I always love it when businesses and organizations acknowledge their haunted history and are willing to be open about the spooky goings-on within their walls.

And, it looks like there's a lot of those spooky goings-on within the walls of the Homer Laughlin plant!

According to an article posted on the Fiesta Blog, "many workers in the factory have reported hearing footsteps when no one was around, garbage cans being moved, and even experiencing their hair being pulled when they were alone. Other employees have sworn that they’ve seen white figures darting around the showroom. Some have pictures of footprints in the factory that start and stop out of nowhere. Once, a worker even witnessed a clay mold being thrown across a room while completely alone." 

Showroom, where white figures have been spotted


The same blog surmises that the activity may be due to Homer Laughlin himself.  Homer, along with his brother, Shakespeare, began Laughlin China in 1871. Shakespeare left the company in 1879, and ten years later, Homer joined forces with William Edwin Wells.  Seven years after that, the two incorporated the company, and not long after THAT, Homer sold his share of the company out to Wells.  Homer Laughlin died in 1913 while in California.  Therefore, it doesn't seem like he was a part of the company that bears his name when the new factory was built...was he still watching over his namesake, regretting his decisions? 

Whoever the ghost(s) is/are is a moot point.  What is fascinating is that this reputable, historic factory, which makes beautiful, sought-after pieces of dinnerware known world over, MIGHT just have a few extra employees who aren't on the payroll!  

The Homer Laughlin China Company offers tours of its factory, providing you with an opportunity to stock up on pieces missing from your collection, view the history of this wonderful company, and maybe even catch a glimpse of a ghost! 

Sources:

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

The French Town Where UFOs are BANNED

Happy World UFO Day! 


Today is July 2...and that can only mean one thing:  It's World UFO Day!  In order to celebrate this fascinating holiday, I thought I'd bring you a really weird UFO-related story out of France.  You see...in one French town, UFOs are, well...BANNED.

In 1954, Mayor Lucien Jeune of the town of Chateauneuf-du-Pape issued a decree prohibiting the “flying over, landing, or taking off of flying saucers” in the area. The decree further states that "any aircraft, known as flying saucer or flying cigar, which should land on the territory of the community will be immediately held in custody."

The decree, which is still being upheld 65 years later, was issued after a local man named Marius Dewilde claimed to see a cigar-shaped craft from which two beings described as looking like 'deep-sea divers' emerged.  The former mayor's son, Elie, claims that his dad wasn't necessarily paranoid about UFOs taking over his quaint little wine town.  Rather, he saw it as a FREE means of publicity for the town during a time when UFO talk was mainstream.  It worked; Elie claims that journalists from all over came to Chateauneuf-du-Pape to interview Jeune. The legend lives on with the current mayor refusing to reverse the decree and a popular California wine bearing the name of Cigare Volant, or 'flying cigar.'

Marius Showing Where He Saw The Beings

Sources: The 1954 French UFO Craze That Led To The World’s Weirdest Wine Law by Joshua Malin

Monday, July 1, 2019

Book Review for Haunted Journeys: Waverly Hills

Title--Haunted Journeys: Waverly Hills
Authors--Sarah French and Joe Knetter
Published--by CreateSpace (September 2017)
Amazon Purchase Information

Ya'll know I can't resist a book about one of the most haunted locations in the world!  Waverly Hills is one of those iconic, bucket-list locations that every paranormal enthusiast loves to discuss.  So much has already been written about the infamous TB hospital where so many people suffered tremendously before losing their lives, but that hasn't stopped me from collecting everything I can on it!

Therefore, I was pretty thrilled when Aaron sent me a photo of books for sale at a Kentucky flea market and asked if I wanted any.  Of the offerings available, I picked Haunted Journeys: Waverly Hills, by Sarah French and Joe Knetter.

This was an...interesting....book, lol.  Sarah is a horror actress and Joe is a horror writer, and together they enjoy investigating haunted locations and writing about their experiences.  I love reading the experiences of other investigators, especially at iconic locations.  I love to keep up with what techniques and equipment others in the field are using, what their ideologies entail, and what kinds of personal experiences they have.

I also love to read the history of haunted locations, and Waverly Hills is definitely FULL of history.  There was some history covered in the book.  It wasn't an overwhelming amount, but sufficient to set up the atmosphere and background for the investigation aspects of the book.  Sarah and Joe explore some of the most haunted locations throughout Waverly's maze of hallways and floors.  And, they had some pretty awesome experiences, including seeing Waverly's shadow people, having a ball roll away and then return without any noticeable wind, and witnessing some pretty intriguing interaction with a flashlight.

The authors do try to debunk their experiences, and acknowledge a skeptical point of view without compromising what they truly feel is paranormal.  It was fun to read about their experiences, learn a little more about the most common reports of activity from Waverly Hills, and see their photos. The only thing about this book that took a little getting used to was the style in which it was written.  It was written in a very post-investigation/during-investigation conversational viewpoint between the two authors.  That in and of itself was okay, albeit a tad distracting a times, but often they'd go way off-topic, loving to talk about things of a sexual nature.  Throughout my reading, I was stuck between thinking this was at least something new and different than your normal book of this type...and thinking that this was just a non-funny clawing at trying to fill out page count, lol.  But, when it was all said and done, the style of writing doesn't really bother me, and I'd definitely be willing to try one of the other books the authors were plugging during this one.

It was a fun read...but it was a QUICK read.  The font in this book was huge, and there were plenty of pictures to help fill out the space.  If you're planning a trip to Waverly Hills for an investigation, this would be a nice little read to give you some tips on what to expect and where to go, and to set the mood for your experience.  There are even some music recommendations and a recipe to try! I would probably not let anyone under 13 read it, though, lol. 

Craving MORE Waverly Hills blogs from Theresa's Haunted History?  Try:

Mary Lee's Ghost Photo
Faces of Waverly Hills: Slideshow of Historic Photos