Nazy Never Left

Last month our dog, Nazy, finally crossed the Rainbow Bridge after months of slowly deteriorating, both in physical health and cognitive ability. Nazy was almost 16 years old, and although we had given her a good life, she came from tragic beginnings.

When my nephew was in 4th grade, he and I went to the animal shelter to pick out a pet dog for him. As we were led into the back kennels of the shelter, so many dogs were barking at top volume, going crazy.  All except one---a little black and white dog who sat calmly in her cage. We asked to take a closer look at her, and when my nephew walked in, she jumped up and put her paws on his shoulders and her head on his chest, still not making a sound. We both knew right then that this was our dog.

Her name had been given as Nazy, which we decided to keep because we weren't sure exactly how old she was and we didn't want to confuse her by giving her a new name. When we brought her home, Nazy had no hair around her neck, on her ears, or on her hindquarters. We were told that she had been seized from her owner for abuse/neglect. She was terribly allergic to fly bites, which had caused the hair loss around her ears and back, and the missing hair around her neck was from a too-tight collar that had actually embedded itself in her neck and had been cut out. 

It didn't take long to figure out there was more wrong with Nazy than we thought. For the first several years we had her, she would have occasional seizures, possibly stemming from the abuse she endured. Her eyes always had a milky look to them, so we figured she probably didn't have the greatest eyesight either. You couldn't touch her hip area without her yelping in pain and snapping at you. Again, we figured this area had been injured during her abusive start to life. She hated having her nails trimmed and even bit a vet tech who decided she could handle her without a muzzle. 

Nazy wasn't exactly a GOOD dog. She had severe aggression towards other animals, and it took so long to get her to not attack our yellow lab. She would run away any chance she got, and did NOT listen. If you corrected her, or even raised your voice to her, she'd get mad and immediately go tear something up or poop in the house. She was the only dog I ever knew that was actually spiteful. 

Still, we loved her and spoiled her up until it was her time to go. I think it hit my mom really hard, because my mom had basically turned her life upside down to care for Nazy during her final months, as she needed so much care. But, I don't think Nazy ever really left...

I was the first to hear her. The day after we put her down, I was about to walk out the front door when I heard Nazy's signature bark. Nazy never was a normal, barking dog. If she was outside wanting in, she'd let out one sort of high-pitched, yip/woof noise to let us know she was at the door. It's a very distinct sound, and that's exactly what I heard. But, the dogs next door started barking right after that, so I figured that I was just missing Nazy and thus, misinterpreted another dog for her. So, I didn't say anything.

Recently, however, my mom told me that she hears Nazy EVERY night. Nazy was a creature of habit, and when SHE was ready to go to bed, she thought everyone else must go to bed as well, so she'd make that yip/woof noise to let my mom know that it light's out. 

Then, just last night my husband heard Nazy for the first time. He was standing in the kitchen, cooking dinner, while my mom and I were in the adjoining family room. He stopped what he was doing, looked out the kitchen window, then walked over to the patio doors and looked out. He was like, 'you're not going to believe this, but I just heard Nazy.' He described the same high-pitched yip as mom and I had heard, coming from the back porch.

Nazy isn't the only pet we've seen or heard in my mom's house, well after their bodily death. I just hope if she is sticking around, she's not terrorizing Ambrosis, my ghost cat, too much!

Soul Reaping: A Friday Funny

It's always important to leave feedback! I love the spooky comics put out by War and Peas, and this one is pretty hilarious. There's a certain annoyance when you're put on the spot and asked to leave a review right then and there...especially when the service provided wasn't exactly asked for! 

 

The Clarksburg Mermaid

Just recently, Les of WV Cryptids and Strange Encounters, posted a really strange vintage newspaper article from Clarksburg, WV. The article, which comes from the August 15, 1870 edition of the Wheeling Daily Intelligencer. As I'm reading it, I realize it sounds vaguely familiar---and sure enough, I had the same article saved to my laptop. I took that as a sign that it's time to finally add it to the blog for posterity!  Seriously, this is a really strange one; a MERMAID in Clarksburg, West Virginia???  I really wish there were more information included in this article, pinpointing where this creature was seen. I assume the river in question is the West Fork River...but where exactly does the mermaid (or milkmaid) hang out?

You can read this article for yourself, FREE, on the Chronicling America website! 

Haunting of The Windham Restaurant

Windham Restaurant-From Facebook

I think I may have found the most haunted restaurant in the entire world. Seriously, you could write a book (and I hope someone does!) about all the paranormal activity that has been reported at this historic New Hampshire restaurant. 

In September of 2001, Vess Liakas and his aunt, Lula, opened up the Windham Restaurant on Range Road in Windham, NH. The building is a converted family home that was built around 1812 on the site of a farm dating back even further, to about 1729. The house was occupied as a family residence until the 1980's, when it became home to several different restaurants over the years, including The Riviera. While the restaurant experiences some of the usual 'haunting' activity, such as objects (mostly dishes) falling, moving on their own, and even breaking, disembodied voices (including a gruff male voice saying 'Get Out!') and cold spots, Riviera employees have reported one of the strangest things I've heard.  During the holidays, employees claimed that they'd come in to work and and see wrapped Christmas boxes actually floating in mid-air, above the third floor staircase!

The ghosts of Windham seem to enjoy physical interaction as well. Many females have felt someone touch them, especially their hair. Often, female guests and employees will feel the touch, and then one of their earrings or necklace will mysteriously come unclasped and fall off.

There are also several apparitions seen. An old man in a blue suit is believed to be the spirit of a man named Jacob. It is believed that Jacob died when he had a heart attack and fell down the stairs. A young boy named William is believed to have been killed outside the restaurant when he was hit by a horse and carriage. He was brought into what was then a private home, where he died of his injuries. He is sometimes accompanied by an unknown little girl apparition. Another regular is a teenage girl. She is believed to have lived in the home in the early 1980's and passed away from a car accident nearby. 

Other apparitions seen included a group of three men sitting at a dining room table that disappeared into thin air, and various shadowy, human forms seen throughout the building. The majority of activity seems to take place in the basement and on the second floor, where two main dining rooms are located. Fortunately, Liakas believes that even though quite a few people have been startled, or even frightened, by the ghosts, for the most part, they aren't malevolent. Rather, they're mischievous. 

Because of all the activity, over a dozen paranormal investigation teams have investigated the Windham, and apparently, much of their data is similar to each others' and supports the claims. There have also been a TON of articles written about the restaurant. I've linked a few below! 

Food & Spirits; Windham Restaurant Believed to be Haunted, by Doug Ireland. The Eagle-Tribune, 31 October 2016

Dining with Ghosts at the Windham Restaurant, by Lynne Snierson. New Hampshire Magazine, 5 October 2014

Mothman's Mittens

 

Brrrr.....it's been a cold, snowy week here in the tri-state, as well as throughout the eastern United States! Mothman has the right idea, though. Taking a cue from Bernie's warmth-over-fashion look as seen in this year's Presidential Inauguration, West Virginia's favorite cryptid knows how to stay comfortable in this weather. This little image, combining pop culture and my favorite creature, was too good not to post here for historical documentation. The best part is...you can purchase merchandise featuring Bernie Mothman from the Look Human web store. Stay warm. Stay safe. Stay spooky, everyone. 

January 2021 Recap

It's February! I'm excited to start a new month, full of ghostie goodness at Theresa's Haunted History! Although it's a short month, I'm thinking it's going to be a busy month. I have an investigation coming up with Haunted Beckley at a never-been-investigated-before location, which I'll definitely share more details about later this month. I was able to snag one of the Haunted Beckley memberships, so this year should be filled with some really fun investigations, tours, and events.  Of course, I'll be blogging and posting all about those adventures on social media, so keep an eye out on Facebook and Twitter.

Also, as you may have seen in previous posts, I've joined Spectral Research and Investigations, a new paranormal investigation team based in Huntington, WV. We are currently recruiting new members, so if you're located in the area, or are willing to travel, and would like more information about our organization, shoot me an email, comment below, or contact me on Facebook/Twitter. 

I'm hoping to make some progress on some other research projects throughout the month, and continue to read, watch, and listen to as much paranormal media as I can.  Let's take a look at what kept me busy in January:

Books Read:

1. Hauntings and Poltergeists: A Ghost Hunter's Guide, by Loyd Auerbach. This is a re-read for me, but it's been quite a few years. I highly suggest this book for anyone involved in paranormal investigations, as it takes a look at ghosts and hauntings from a parapsychology viewpoint. It's a really enlightening perspective about what might cause the phenomenon of ghosts, hauntings, and poltergeist phenomenon...and contains a clear explanation of how parapsychology defines those terms. 

2. Gazetteer of Scottish and Irish Ghosts, by Peter Underwood. There were tons of stories jammed into this rather full volume of ghostly tales from Scotland and Ireland. Most of the stories were actually about Scotland, so if you're interested in that area of the world, this is an awesome collection by a well-known ghost researcher and author.

3. Haunted in Alabama, compiled by Marie Tayse. A free Kindle ebook, this one actually wasn't that bad! It was a fairly short, but well-written collection of haunted locations throughout the state of Alabama. It was a quick, fun read. The 'compiler' is the founder of Seeking Answers Paranormal, so even though there wasn't a ton of in-depth information about the history behind the haunts, each entry was written from the perspective of someone who has the respect and knowledge needed to write a paranormal non-fiction book. 

4. Unexplained Mysteries of the World, by Brian Kingsley. Another short, free Kindle ebook, but also a quick, enjoyable read. There was a little bit from many areas of paranormal interest represented in this book, including hauntings, lost civilizations, and ancient aliens. 

5. Underground Bases, by James and Lance Morcan. The idea of secret, underground bases used by our government, a NWO shadow government, or even extraterrestrials, is something that intrigues me, so I'm always willing to take a shot at learning more. While the authors claim to have personal experience with such bases, and provide fairly objective data, this was still another short, free ebook, and thus was just an introduction of sorts to the topic. It wasn't bad. 

Documentaries:  This wasn't a very productive month for documentary-viewing for me, lol.

1. A Race of Giants--Free on Tubi and on YouTube. Did giants once walk the earth, and if they did...where did they come from? This documentary explores those questions, talks a bit about North American burial mounds said to contain the remains of these giants, and goes over some of the newspaper articles from the early 20th century discussing common descriptions of these giant skeletal remains. I was disappointed that West Virginia seemed largely left out!  Anyway, as a freely available documentary, it's not bad. I had it on in the background while working on an art project, and it was an interesting and enjoyable distraction. Hardcore researchers and those well-read in the subject probably won't get much out of it, but it was a nice introduction.

2. Alien Moon--Free on Tubi and Amazon Prime. So, I have a slight obsession with the moon. Ever since I can remember, I have been drawn to the moon. I love it's beauty, I love its place in folklore, and (don't hate me) I love moon-related conspiracy theories, lol. This documentary tries to solve the question as to what the moon actually is and why it's there. Quite a few theories are presented, but ultimately, the message is that the moon is hollow, and is an artificial satellite, acting as an alien base/former spaceship. If anything, this documentary gave me some leads for further study, and I'm trying to keep an open mind. Again, it wasn't terrible; it was just something fun to casually watch. 

Podcasts: There are so many great podcasts dealing with the paranormal! This month I focused on just a few. 

1. Wild and Weird WV Radio: I love this local podcast on all things weird and wonderful in West Virginia and beyond! I caught a few episodes this month including:

a. Fallen Worlds Chapter 2: Chasing Giants---in a weird bit of synchronicity, I listened to this right after watching the documentary, A Race of Giants. 

b. Hopkinsville Goblins---this show was all about Kentucky's weirdest 'alien' encounter!

c. Lake Monsters---another great show, this time discussing lake and other aquatic monsters throughout the world. 

2. This Uncanny Earth Episode 132 with Chris George: Chris George is a park ranger and paranormal investigator who shares some strange experiences in the parks he's worked at. If you're interested in the Missing 411 series, you'll enjoy this episode.

3. Paranormal Round Table Episode 106: Cryptid Connections to Ancient Animals with Ken Gerhard. I've been a fan of Ken's for a long time, and always look forward to his lectures at the annual Mothman Festival. In this episode, Ken discusses some real life ancient animals that may be the basis for modern cryptid sightings. 

4. Appalachian Mysteria: I've listened to Season 1, which deals with the WVU coed murders, plus a recent episode where a mysterious code plate was decoded. This was a REALLY in-depth look at the murders, the potential suspects, some mystical connections to the murders, and of course, whether or not the convicted killer was actually guilty. 

Other:

I've also been devoting a lot of time this month to studying Irish Paganism, which includes history and folklore. Irish Pagan School offers several free classes, and operates a YouTube channel with some excellent information! I'm not exactly interested in converting to Irish Paganism as a religion, but its a topic that has really drawn me in recently. Like most Appalachians, my family came from Ireland and I'd love to learn more about my roots. As an added bonus, since I do the majority of my investigating in Appalachia, I think it'd be wonderful to gain a broader perspective on the folklore and beliefs that the Irish brought to this area and that may affect the ghost stories still being passed down.