'Crazy on Religion'

Weston State Hospital, 1892
Source: WV History on View

In my last blog, I brought up a list of reasons why one may have been admitted to the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in the 1800s. While 'superstition' was the focus of the story of Mrs. Callahan, today's tale is inspired by another 'condition' listed: Religious Excitement.

According to the 21 April 1892 edition of The Buckeye (a newspaper from Troy, Ohio), Miss Rose Hardy was the engaged daughter of a wealthy and well-respected citizen near Parkersburg, West Virginia. Some time before her wedding, however, Miss Hardy attended a series of religious meetings, that for whatever reason, left her 'insane.' 

She went missing from her home, and after a few days, was found in the woods, suffering from exposure. After being formally adjudged insane by the court, she was admitted to the Weston Asylum, also known as the Weston State Hospital or Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. 

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any further information on Miss Rose Hardy. However, I hope that she was able to overcome her condition, and go on to happily marry and live a full life outside of the asylum walls. It does make ya wonder, though...what exactly broke in her mind to cause this condition, and what exactly was going on at these religious meetings that would lead to a young woman losing her mind??

*I've got a few more upcoming blogs about the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, many that will focus on the alleged ghosts who haunt this fascinating and spooky old building. Until then, check out my page, TALA TALES, for many more blogs on this topic!*

Gypsy Curse Sends Woman to Weston Asylum

Female Patients on Ward B
Weston State Hospital 1924
Source: WV History on View

A few years ago, a compiled list of outlandish reasons why patients were sent for treatment at the Weston State Hospital (Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum) in the 1800s was making its rounds on social media. Many were shocked to see reasons such as 'novel reading,' asthma, and laziness being enough to have someone locked away.  Among the causes of insanity listed was 'superstition,' and just recently, I ran across a story that seems to illustrate this example.

In the autumn of 1897, Mary Susan Callahan was at her home on the Charles Miller farm, just outside of Shepherdstown. Nearby, a group of 'gypsies' had set up camp. One day, a gypsy woman approached the Callahan home, asking to come in and tell fortunes. Mrs. Callahan met her at the door and told her to go away. The gypsy woman obliged, but as she was walking away, she suddenly turned around and matter-of-factly told Mrs. Callahan that her husband would be dead within two months.

It's unclear whether this statement was intended to be a curse, a warning, or simply a prediction of future events. Either way, those words uttered by that unknown gypsy woman in 1897 would have dire consequences for Mrs. Callahan, and...depending on what you believe, Mr. Callahan as well. Because, you see...the prediction came true.

About a month later, Thomas Callahan, Jr. would be stricken ill. For over three weeks, he languished with what various news articles reporting on his condition would label as typhoid-pneumonia, pneumonia, or inflammatory bowels. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to recover from his illness(es) and he passed away on Sunday, December 5, 1897 at the age of 47. The obituary listed his cause of death as pneumonia, although for whatever reason, the vital statistics registry has him dying of 'heart disease.' 

Thomas was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery with members of the Cliff City Lodge Shield of Honor in attendance. In addition to Mary, Thomas was survived by several siblings, both of his parents, and two sons. But, just as Thomas was unable to recover from his illness, Mary was never able to recover from both the shock of losing her husband and the persistent idea that she was responsible for his death for refusing the gypsy woman entry into the home. 

This idea that Thomas' death could have been prevented if only she hadn't turned the woman away ate away at Mary over the next year. She quickly descended into insanity and even became violent and uncontrollable. Things deteriorated to the point where finally, in May of 1899, Mary was sentenced by Justice Moorehead Miller to be admitted to the Weston Asylum. 

Whether WE believe that gypsy curses are real and that this one caused the death of a man is a moot point. What's important is that MARY held onto that belief to the point where it drove her mad. It's a horribly sad case and I hope that in her lifetime, Mary was able to realize that Thomas' death was not her fault. 

*Did you enjoy this story? If so, you might be interested in my blog, 'Bewitched Man Adjudged Insane.' It seems like Mary wasn't the only person who was committed to a state institution here in West Virginia for holding on to a superstitious belief!*

Also, check out my collection of stories from the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum!

TALA Tales

Shepherdstown Register
25 May 1899

Bigfoot Researcher Mike Familant at the So. Chas. Public Library!

Bigfoot Mobile Command Center

The South Charleston Public Library has one heck of a summer reading program for adults! All summer long, patrons can enjoy various cryptid craft activities, trivia, movie night, and...on June 21st, a lecture on Bigfoot by researcher, Mike Familant.

Mike, a New Jersey native, has been researching and investigating the Bigfoot phenomenon all over the eastern United States for quite a number of years, following his own experiences during a public Bigfoot Hunt in Florida. Now, as the owner of the YouTube channel, Sussex County Bigfoot, he shares his knowledge both through his 'In the Shadow of Big Red Eye' docu-series and website, as well as his lectures at various public libraries. 

Mike Familant

The activity room was packed with curious Bigfoot enthusiasts who listened attentively to the hour-long talk. It was a well-informed, humorous, and interactive look at the Bigfoot phenomenon and the scientific data backing up the suggestion that a large, relic hominid actually does exist. Mike displayed some of his own track castings, as well as shared some audio recordings and photos of suspected footprints. His stories about his own investigations and experiences was really interesting, but he also covered a lot of more objective info, such as investigation equipment, what to look for when trying to distinguish a footprint, and various other facts about the suspected diet and characteristics of our beloved cryptid. 

Mike holds the opinion that Bigfoot is a living, breathing creature, not unlike any other form of wildlife found out in the woods. Personally, I enjoy delving into the possibility of a supernatural element to the Bigfoot and relish in the woo...but I totally respect looking at this phenomenon from a strictly scientific standpoint and presenting more...measurable...types of data to support those claims. But, overall, it was a fantastic talk and I learned a few new things (for example, did you know the average Bigfoot sighting only lasts 5 seconds?). I also just had fun being with 'my people.' Not only was my good buddy, Ike, in attendance, but so was Amber and her daughter, from Amber's ParaWorld. There were also a ton of other like-minded folks who were genuinely interested in this subject and eager to learn more. One lady bravely stood up and told of her encounter, but I was surprised that more people didn't share publicly. 

Bigfoot Footprint Castings

I'm sure they made up for it afterwards, as Mike was swarmed following the lecture with people eager to take a closer look at the casts he had brought, pick up a keychain, or just talk to him and hopefully share their experiences! I managed to snap a quick picture with him (thanks, Amber!) but time was short, and the library was ready to close. But, I walked away completely happy knowing that there are so many people right here in this area who are open-minded and eager to accept the possibility of Bigfoot...and maybe a few other unexplained things.

As an added bonus, while outside talking with Ike and some new paranormal buddies we met, I got to witness a little raccoon emerge from the sewer and boldly approach the trash can we were standing beside! It was cute, but we gave it a wide berth just in case! A large part of Mike's message was to just get out and enjoy nature as much as possible, but I wasn't expecting to get that close to nature out in front of the library's main entrance, lol. 

Me and Mike Familant

Anyway, make sure you follow Mike at the links provided above, and if you missed his lecture at the library, don't worry! He'll be speaking this Saturday at the West Virginia Bigfoot Festival in Sutton! There's an awesome lineup of speakers and events, as well as plenty of vendors and activities on Saturday, and a special banquet on Friday night (sorry, but as of this writing, ticket sales on Friday's banquet have closed, but check with the event organizers for more info!)  And, for you Kanawha Valley folks who are itching for MORE Bigfoot learnin', Wild and Weird WV is once again hosting a Bigfoot Workshop at Kanawha State Forest! Tickets are $40, which includes a ton of hands-on activities, food, and a small Bigfoot hunt in an area with plenty of known sightings. This year's event will be July 15th, and ticket sales are limited, so hop on over to the Wild and Weird website to sign up. 

Happy (Bigfoot) Hunting, Y'all and Stay Spooky!

Our lil' raccoon friend!

The Ghostly Nun of St. Frances of Rome

Source

Being that this blog is called Theresa's Haunted History of the TRI-STATE, it has always been my intention to fully integrate Ohio and Kentucky into my work...but I just can't help always coming back to my home state of West Virginia! Here in the Mountain State, we're wild, we're weird, we're just plain spooky! However, there are plenty of wonderful stories out there from other locations as well, and today, I'm finally gonna dive into one of those places I came across while reading an article on hauntings in Louisville.  There's actually a West Virginia connection...but the actual haunted location IS in Kentucky!

That place is the St. Frances of Rome Catholic Church, located at 2119 Payne Street in Louisville, KY. More specifically, the haunting itself seems to take place in the part of the church used as a school, as the ghostly apparition seen is none other than a former teacher. 

When Steve Wiser was doing some research for an upcoming book on the history of the church, he interviewed quite a few parishioners of St. Frances, many of them having a similar story to tell. It seems as if the apparition of a ghostly nun, pushing a broom around the inside of the school area had been frequently seen. It was believed that she could possible be none other than St. Frances herself. 

Steve, though, had another theory. He believed that the ghost was actually that of former nun/school teacher, Sister Frances Eccles. 

Unfortunately, I couldn't find out much about Sister Frances, but I believe she was the daughter of George and Christina Eccles. She had a sister, Mary, and three brothers: George, Gerald, and John. According to the Find-a-Grave listing for her burial, she was born on January 20, 1935 in England. At some point, she joined the Sisters of Charity in Nazareth, KY.

Sadly, her life ended too soon when she boarded a Piedmont Airlines flight on August 10, 1968. The Fairchild-Hiller 227 had left Louisville that morning, en route to Roanoke, Virginia. It had already stopped in Cincinnati, with another scheduled stop in Charleston, WV at the Kanawha Airport (now Yeager). But, at 8:56am, the plane, hindered by fog, came up short of the mountainous runway, clipped some trees, and burst into flames. 35 of the 37 people on board perished, including Sister Frances, or Sister Francesca as she was listed on the passenger manifest.  She was brought home and buried in the Sisters of Charity Nazareth Cemetery.

After that, the mysterious ghostly image of the sweeping nun was reported at the school and throughout the church. It seems as if even if death, the Sister was not ready to leave her work here on Earth. According to the historical marker database, the school closed in 1975. Hopefully with the students now gone, she has since found peace and has moved on to her greatest reward. 

Sources and Further Reading:

8 Louisville-Area Ghost Stories and Urban Legends That Keep Us Up At Night, by Carolyn Brown

My WV Home: Info and Photos on the Piedmont Crash

George Eccles Obituary

Sister Frances/Francesca Find-a-Grave

That Time Apple Jacks Was in the Ghost Hunting Business: A Friday Funny

Source: Mr. Breakfast

As a paranormal investigator, I'm always on the lookout for affordable, out-of-the box tools and techniques for detecting ghosts. Way back in 1989, a 'free,' VERY portable, and quite unique little device became available for would-be ghost hunters...but it would come from a very unlikely source.

That year, Kellog's Apple Jacks cereal offered up an in-box (heehee) prize that definitely would have appealed to six year old me had I seen it. It was a small, hand-held GHOST DETECTOR! According to the back of the package: "The Ghost Detector is a toy created for play and amusement. There are no real ghosts, but you can still have lots of fun with your friends. If the Ghost Detector turns upright in your hand, flops over after a few minutes, or crawls off your hand, there are no ghosts in the room."

Kids had a chance at receiving one of three varieties---a neon green, pink, or orange image of a ghostly, shrouded figure on thin black plastic. When the device was placed in the hand, it would react strangely, curling and flopping around, ensuring to the child that there were no ghosts present. But why did this strange little piece of plastic react so erratically when held?  Well, science!

These things operated on the same principle as the Fortune Teller Miracle Fish. Fortune Teller Fish, those red, plastic toys found as carnival prizes and stuffed down English Christmas crackers, were a favorite of mine as a kid, and back then, I loved to watch them writhe and flip and twist in my hand, while consulting the guide to see what each unique movement had to say about my personality and future. What I didn't know was that there was a perfectly logical explanation as to why they reacted the way they did. 

Fortune Teller Fish, and presumably the Ghost Detectors were made with sodium polyacrylate, a special salt that will grab onto any water molecule it comes into contact with, changing the shape of that molecule, and thus the shape of the fish. Your palm is full of sweat glands, so there's plenty of moisture to grab onto, making sure that the fish (or ghost detector) WILL move. (Article on how Fortune Fish work)

Personally, I think I would have changed up the marketing and claimed that the movement indicated a ghost WAS present, and that the different movements maybe meant different types of ghosts or different temperaments of the ghost, but I guess that may have been a little too scary for most kids. Six year old me, however, would have been fascinated. I was always a strange kid, though. 

Anyway, hope everyone has a safe and spooky weekend and please let me know...what are some of YOUR favorite cheap and non-traditional investigative tools? Let me know in the comments below, or find me over on Facebook at Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State. Stay spooky, ya'll!