Huntington's Most Reliable Spirit

Third Avenue, circa 1880
Source: WV History on View

The Huntington, WV of today is vastly different than the Huntington, WV of 1875. Third Avenue, between 9th and 10th Streets, was a mere dirt road, filled with pedestrians and horse-drawn wagons eager to complete their shopping and take care of other errands in one of the city's main business districts. But beside one such shop, Chase and Burdick, was a house. A HAUNTED house. 

For over two weeks, the occupants of the house experienced a mysterious phenomenon. Every night at 9pm sharp, there would come a tapping at every window in the building, both upper and lower floors. The taps would start at one window, and when they reached 12...not one more or one less...they'd move on to the next. Witnesses said it sounded like a small hammer striking a nail. 

Four brave fellows gave up a Saturday evening to try to solve the mystery, standing guard at four separate windows. At 9pm, the tapping began at a front window on the second floor, then proceeded to make its rounds. No explanation was given as to what was causing the strange sound. 

An article in the Huntington Advertiser notes that members of Huntington's Spiritualist movement were convinced the tapping was the result of a deceased person, desperately trying to communicate with the living. An elderly Black woman living in the rear of the nearby Third Avenue Hotel, had a more specific cause in mind. She claimed that a man was killed on the spot where the house stood, back about 15 years prior (so, around 1860). It was this man's spirit who was the one trying desperately to communicate or make his presence known. 

I don't know if an explanation was ever discovered for the mysterious window tapping, but I do hope that after nearly 150 years, the phantom tapper finally got his message across to someone and is now at peace. 

Huntington Advertiser
4 March 1875

The Rotary Park Mothman

Crotty St. Highlighted in Blue with
Rotary Park off to the Left
Source: Google Maps

Recently, I've been perusing some of the older books on my bookshelf, and I came across an interesting story from Jeff Wamsley's, Mothman: Behind the Red Eyes,  that I wanted to share. We all know that Point Pleasant, West Virginia is the indisputable home territory for the Mountain State's favorite red-eyed monster. But, before Mothman was flapping around Mason County, he may have been hiding out about an hour away in a secluded area of Huntington.

Author, researcher, and owner of the Mothman Museum, Jeff Wamsley, was able to interview a lady named Shirley Hensley who grew up on Crotty Street (referred to by locals sometimes as 31st Street Hill). Right up the hill from her backyard was Rotary Park, a large, wooded, secluded piece of land on the outskirts of town. Starting about 1961 and lasting through 1964 when the family moved away, they were plagued by SOMETHING lurking around their property. 

It started out as weird sounds, always after dark. The family would hear a loud gargling sound, which would morph into a loud scream unlike anything they'd ever heard before, despite being familiar with various types of wildlife found throughout the state. Other times, they'd hear a large creature actually bumping up against their home, making a grunting sound as it did so. 

The first time Shirley heard the mysterious creature was when she and a boyfriend were parked out in the yard in the boyfriend's truck one evening and heard it actually bump underneath them and let out a grunt. At first Shirley thought it may have been the neighbor's pig on the loose...but the neighbor didn't have a pig. The first time her mother heard it was not long after. She had gone out to the well after dark. It was quickly decided by the family that all needed well water was to be fetched before sundown and no one was to leave the home after dark. 

Historic Rotary Park Bridge
Source: WikiCommons

These encounters would happen somewhat intermittently. The creature would be heard every few days for a few weeks, then they'd have a brief respite of quiet before it would return. Again, the strange sounds and the bumps against the home were the main interactions. But that would all change one fall evening about 6pm.

That was when Shirley's dad would actually SEE the creature. He reported something big, at least 7 feet tall with large red eyes that resembled red bicycle reflectors, staring back at him from behind the coal pile behind the house. He ran and got his .22 and took a shot at the thing. Despite being warned to stay in the house, Shirley's sister Mary followed her dad outside and caught a glimpse at the creature. She described it as a 'big, tall shiny thing with big red eyes." Whether it was hit or not is unknown, but the creature apparently scrambled up the hillside toward Rotary Park. 

Although Shirley would marry and move away, and the rest of the family didn't stay long after, they still talk to their former neighbors about the red-eyed monster that lurked around Crotty Street. And, when the news broke from Point Pleasant of multiple sightings of a large, red-eyed creature menacing the town just two years after Shirley's family's moved away, she couldn't help but wonder: Was the strange creature HER family saw outside of Huntington related to the Mothman of Point Pleasant? 

For me personally, I think the connection to Rotary Park is an interesting one. Not only is Rotary Park located VERY close to the confluence of the Guyandotte and Ohio Rivers, but it's only about an hour away from Pt. Pleasant. Even today, the park itself is still a heavily wooded area with plenty of dark, secluded spots that don't see a ton of regular traffic. In the early 1960's, I imagine that the area was even more rural, especially along Crotty Street. But perhaps what's most intriguing is the violent history of the park itself.

Over the years, I've heard unconfirmed, and not very detailed reports of Rotary Park being haunted (read my blog, Rotary Park---Haunted Or Not?). Although actual stories of paranormal activity haven't really been available, the park has seen it's fair share of tragedy. In July of 1963, Elbert Wooten and Jimmy Pelfrey were killed when a car they were riding in struck a tree within Rotary Park. In 1958, Mrs. Inez Booth was taken to the park where she was raped and stabbed by Larry Fudge. Mrs. Booth managed to crawl to a nearby housing development for help and was able to to name her attacker. Unfortunately, she passed away and Fudge was executed at the WV State Penitentiary at Moundsville. Other unsavory incidents have occurred at the park over the years, making it a place to avoid after dark. 

Ever since the collapse of the Silver Bridge, and carrying into modern-day sightings, Mothman has gained an association with tragedy. Some believe he is a harbinger of doom, while others believe he is some type of protective spirit. Is he simply attracted to the darker places of human history, or is he simply attracted to places where humans naturally fear to tread? 

The Ghost of Floyd Collins Comes to Marshall College

View of the Ladies' Hall, pre-1905
Source

The following newspaper article comes from a February 24, 1925 edition of the Hinton Daily News, a newspaper based in Hinton, WV (Summers County). It immediately caught my attention because not only was it about a ghost---but a ghost that was seen in Huntington, WV at Marshall College, now Marshall University!

As the tale goes, Dean Beaumont, along with about 50 female students living in the girls' dormitory heard an eerie, disembodied voice. The voice was praying for his life and freedom, with special mention of freeing his leg. And, as stated in the headline of the article, the ghost was believed to be none other than Floyd Collins. And even if you don't recognize the name, you've probably come across the tragic death of Mr. Collins. 

Earlier that month, Floyd was exploring a new section of Kentucky's Mammoth Cave when he became wedged into a narrow crevice. Valiant efforts were made to free him, but the very few who were even brave enough to attempt reaching him could not quite get to him. His official date of death is recorded as February 13, 1925 and his body was left where he took his last breath. Newspapers across the nation carried daily updates on the rescue mission and surely, the young ladies of Marshall College were well aware of the situation.

Ladies' Dormitory Room
Source

In addition to the prayers, the ladies also reported hearing other strange sounds, including sobs and wails. The college president ordered an investigation into finding an explanation for the ghostly noises, but none was ever found, despite the fact that floorboards were ripped up and walls thoroughly examined.  

I thought surely the dormitory where these strange events took place nearly 100 years ago would have been long ago torn down, but thanks to a helpful archive of 1920's era school catalogs digitized on the university's webpage, I was able to discern that in February of 1925, the ladies' dormitories were located in a space called College Hall, formerly Ladies' Hall. College Hall survives today as the back section of the main administrative building known as Old Main!

So, if you ever find yourself walking the hallowed halls of the oldest building on campus, make sure you take a moment to stop and listen. You just might hear the cries of cave explorer Floyd Collins, still crying out for his life a century later. 

Students "Aroused" By The Ghost of Floyd Collins

Huntington, W.Va., Feb. 24th--"The ghost of Floyd Collins" is haunting a girls' dormitory at Marshall College here and has so frightened the 400 co-eds that school work is virtually paralysed, it was reported when the faculty of the institution called a meeting to investigate the mystery. 

Numerous students said they heard Collins praying between midnight and 3a.m. Wierd noises accompanied the prayers.

"Spare my life, O Lord! Loosen my leg; allow me my freedom, I beseech Thee," the praying voice said.

Dean Beaumont and half a hundred co-eds were aroused by the noise.

The prayer was followed by a series of wails and sobs.

President M.P. Shawkey was notified of the mystery and ordered an investigation.

Floors were taken up and walls were tapped without finding a trace of the "ghost."

2016 Keenan House Ghost Photo

Photo by Kim Miller

Hey, everyone!  I apologize---I need to start this blog off with a bit of bad news.  As many of you already know, my paranormal investigation group, HPIR, has spent the past 10+ years giving FREE ghost tours of downtown Guyandotte, WV.  Unfortunately, there will be no Haunted and Historic Guyandotte Walking Tours for the 2018 season for either Halloween or Guyandotte Civil War Days.

We have absolutely loved sharing the history of this community in a fun and spooky way, and have met so many great people along the way.  This is not a permanent end, but just a break to reassess how we can best serve a changing community.  For now, I encourage you to hop on over to the Haunted and Historic Guyandotte Tours Facebook page where our President and Founder, Melissa, is busy sharing plenty of stories, articles, and pictures in the interim.

And, for today's blog, I wanted to share with you ANOTHER spooky photo taken by one of our tour guests!  This photo was shared with us by Kim Miller.  The photo was taken during our 2016 tour season during one of our Civil War Days tours.  The home in question is the historic Keenan House, built in the early 1800s.  Over the years, the Keenan House has served as a home for several prominent citizens, acted as a historical society headquarters, and suffered a devastating fire that destroyed much of the interior.  It's biggest claim to fame, however, is the purpose it served over the course of November 10 through 11, 1861.

Close-up 

That year, a small Union recruitment camp and training center was set up in the then-bustling town of Guyandotte, Va., much to the chagrin of the local citizens who were largely made up of Confederate sympathizers. Late Sunday evening, on November 10th, the camp was raided by Confederate troops under the leadership of Captain (later General) Albert G. Jenkins. Surviving Union recruits and Union sympathizers throughout town were rounded up, tied together two-by-two, and held overnight at the Keenan House.  The next morning, those surviving the night were marched to Richmond to be imprisoned.

With 200+ years of life and death, combined with a good deal of suffering contained within its walls, could there be spirits still present at the Keenan House...and if so, could this photo show some of that energy?

One of the biggest things I'll miss about tours this year is the infectious excitement of our tour guests when they have an experience they cannot explain or capture a photograph they can't debunk. It's so fun to share that excitement with them and give them the opportunity to explore the haunted history of their own community...or even to introduce them to the haunted history of a new location for them!  We've actually had guests come from as far away as Israel enjoy our tours!  Keep an eye on our Facebook page, linked above.  I think we'll be back before you know it, stronger than ever!  Happy Haunting, ya'll!

West Virginia's Top 5 Most Haunted Hotels and Inns

Are you looking for a spooky place to rest while visiting the Mountain State? West Virginia is full of historic hotels, creepy motels, and beautiful, old bed and breakfasts---many of which claim to have a resident ghost or two! Since today is the season premier of American Horror Story: Hotel, I thought I would share with you some of MY personal favorite places to stay in West Virginia where your room might come with a little more than just a mint on the pillow...Lady Gaga not included!

Lowe Hotel

Lowe Hotel---The Lowe Hotel seems to be the central point for all things spooky in the little Ohio River town of Pt. Pleasant. Its THE place to stay during the annual Mothman Festival, at which time haunted history tours of the hotel, which opened in the early 1900s as the Spencer Hotel, are given. Various ghosts haunt the old hotel, including Juliette Smith--a beautiful young woman seen dancing on the mezzanine, and Captain Jim, who causes disturbances to guests staying in Suite 316.

The Frederick Hotel

Frederick Hotel---The Frederick Hotel in downtown Huntington officially opened to the public in 1906, and until it closed in 1973, was one of the most lavish, expensive hotels in the city. Unfortunately, you can no longer stay at the Frederick, but you CAN visit one of its fine restaurants, shop in one of the retail stores, or visit/work in one of the office suites that now occupy the former glorious hotel. That still gives you plenty of opportunity to experience the ghosts, including two children who are said to frequent the site of the 21 Club Restaurant, and whatever entities that jangle keys, cause cold spots and are responsible for all manner of paranormal activity throughout the former hotel, especially on the sixth floor.

Blennerhassett Hotel

Blennerhassett Hotel---Built in 1889 by William Chancellor, this Parkersburg hotel is a beautiful example of Queen Ann architecture. It's also a beautiful example of what a haunted hotel should be! The Blennerhassett serves as the meeting point for Susan Shepperd's Parkersburg Ghost Tours, and for good reason. William Chancellor is known to frequent his hotel, emitting a phantom smell of cigar smoke, or manifesting a weird glow in his own portrait in the front reading room. Other ghosts include a man in a white tuxedo, a sobbing woman, and a little boy from the 1920s era...among others!

General Lewis Inn

General Lewis Inn---The General Lewis Inn of Lewisburg opened in 1929 and was built around an existing structure that dated to about 1834. At least three ghosts call the General Lewis Inn home, including a former slave named Reuben who was believed to have been hanged where the current dining room sits, a little girl who is heard crying or laughing in room 208 or 206, and the Lady in White of Room 208.

Wells Inn

Wells Inn---The Wells Inn of Sistersville has been in business since 1895, and was built as a luxurious hotel in response to a local oil and gas boom. Former owner Ephraim Wells is allegedly the main (and possibly ONLY) ghost to reside at the Wells Inn. Mr. Wells likes to move items around and create unexplained noises throughout the hotel. He is especially fond of room #324 and his former office on the second floor, where he can still be heard writing to this day.

*There's your sneak peek of haunted West Virginia hotels and inns, but the state and surrounding areas are full with even more haunted accommodations! Make sure you check out Theresa's Haunted West Virginia Page for more Mountain State hauntings!*

Meteor or Bad Omen Over Huntington?

I spend a lot of time at the Cabell County library going through old newspapers.  Sometimes I'm looking for information on cases we're working on and sometimes I'm looking for information for my blog. Sometimes, I just stumble upon some really weird and awesome things!  That's what happened to me last week, when I was doing some personal research on a family member who was involved in a murder.

The following article has been transcribed exactly how it appeared (weird spelling, grammar and all) in the January 13, 1914 edition of the Huntington Herald Dispatch.  According to other articles from around the same time period, near this date a meteor was spotted by many over this area of the country.  However, this was the only odd tale apparently associated with an otherwise normal event.  Several boys who witnessed the meteor near the old C&O Hospital on Huntington's 6th avenue reported it did some pretty strange things!  As an added bonus, this article goes on to discuss a haunted house that was located on 20th Street at the time!  Note:  If you enjoy this story, please check out The East End Pillow Miracle, another newspaper article I found about a bad omen discussed in a local Huntington newspaper.

Old C&O Hospital on 6th Avenue

BOYS SAY THEY SAW BRILLIANT METEOR DESCEND FROM HEAVEN WRITE NAME IN LETTERS OF FIRE, THEN RISE TO SKIES IN FORM OF WOMAN'S HEAD

Strange Story of Youngsters Living Near Chesapeake & Ohio Hospital Startles Their Parents---'Twas But Ordinary Shooting Star, Many Declare---Dark Tale of Haunted House in Same Vicinity Heard.

By R.S. Thornburgh

What many persons in the vicinity of the Chesapeake & Ohio hospital on upper Sixth avenue declared to have been a celestial portent of grave mien, but which others say was nothing more nor less than a huge brilliant meteor that swept the heavens shortly after dusk last night, was seen by several small boys while skating on a pond near the hospital who afterwards told a tale which is as wonderful and wierd as any of the dark mystery stories painted in classical literature.

The shadows had become long and disappeared in the gathering gloom as the youngsters played about an old field close to the hospital where there is a small sheet of ice.  About as they were ready to start home one suddenly cried out to the others to behold a great falling star which was zizzagging its way down the heavens.  One of them, according to his mother, Mrs. J.W. Terry of Nineteenth street and Buffington avenue, who afterwards related the story to a reporter, ran terrified to his home while the others waited in breathless fear to see what would happen.

This is the story they told to their parents:

The star became brighter and brighter, leaving in its path a tail of fire. Suddenly pausing over a lonely cottage in the vicinity, it spread into a great light.

As it hung like a fiery apparition over the home it silently burst into a flame of illumination.

So stunned by fear that they could scarcely move the boys saw written in letters of fire a strange name over the house.  They  said it was:

"Myrs. Vyrant."

As they watched the letters faded and in their stead was the face of a woman, beautiful and pale.  The blazing eyes of fire seemed turned upon them, they told their parents, as slowly the spirit-like form that had come down from the stars rose over the house and finally disappeared in the eastern heavens.

The youngsters, who sought out separately by persons in the neighborhood of the hospital told exactly the same story, are Charles and James Nash, the children of Mr. and Mrs. John Nash of Sixth avenue; Orben Davis, the son of Mrs. N.A. Davis, a nurse, of Sixth avenue, and Llewellyn Terry, the son of the Rev. and Mrs. J.W. Terry.  The Rev. Mr. Terry is a traveling evangelist, now in the south.  Orville Perry, a small colored boy, also saw the vision, according to his story.

The neighborhood on upper Sixth avenue was greatly excited last night by the story of the boys and credence was given to it by many.  The boys were closely questioned by many persons, who expressed fear that the mysterious thing that blazed in the heavens was an omen of ill tidings, that death or deep suffering was to follow to someone.  They said that it could not have been sent for nothing.

Strange tales were told there last night of a murder committed near where the wonderful sight was seen, in days long ago when the city was still young, and of a treasure buried by the murderer.

Hinging onto the story it was related that on Twentieth street, some distance away is a haunted house.  Several persons have moved into the place and afterwards left because of wierd sounds that startle them from their sleep in the early hours of the morning. 

These sounds, the tale goes, take the form of soft footsteps on the stairway and creakings of doors that never moved.  None has explained these nocturnal disturbances nor why the sights that would make one's blood run cold have been there, said one woman last night, to whom the ghostly heavenly visitor that frightened the small boys brought to mind the haunted house.

It is the common talk in the vicinity that there is a treasure buried somewhere near this house and that back of this hord lies deep plot of intrigue as dark as any of the narrative of the operations of Kidd, the pirate, in the early days.

Writers of old times in their eastern mystery stories of strange happenings on wide deserts told of beings descended from the skies, of devils and genii risen from the depths of the region of fire, yet none dared conceive a more puzzling "yarn" than that told by the youngsters of what they thought they saw!  All insisted that they were telling the truth and were apparently much frightened by what they could not understand.

Many persons in the city saw a flaming meteor just after dark last night.  It was described as one of the most brilliant that has ever been witnessed in this part of the Ohio valley, forming a complete arc over the heavens before it finally disappeared in the western horizon.

Meteors, considered by the ancients as forerunners of disaster, famine or war, and almost as greatly feared as were comets, ever have had a romantic supernatural air about them, that leads to many a delightful tale.

However, at this season meteors are not unusual, astronomy tells us.  This heavenly body is nothing more than a large shooting star which has become diverted from its course in the space beyond our atmosphere and is hurled through the air.  The contact of the body with the air, because of its terrific speed causes the meteor to catch fire, therefore being visible to the eye.  Most meteors and shooting stars burn themselves out before striking the earth, but occasionally one reads of one of these bodies reaching the ground with such force as to bury itself in the soil or even to damage property, in case of striking a building.  Examination of such fallen stars by scientists have shown them composed of earth and various metals.

There are certain times of the year when falling stars are quite frequent, one of these periods being during the last of this month.  At these times one may notice a large number of shooting stars if the nights are clear. 

Ghostly Encounters Tour 2013

Hunter's Moon by Nightskyinfo.com

This weekend kicks off the second weekend of Huntington Paranormal's Haunted and Historic Guyandotte Tours!  In this installment of our 2013 tour season, we're bringing back our popular Ghostly Encounters Walking Tour of downtown Guyandotte!

The Ghostly Encounters tour will take visitors on a guided walking tour through Huntington's oldest, and some say most HAUNTED, neighborhood!  At a little under 2 hours and a little over a mile in distance, your Ghostly Encounters tour will take you to about a dozen of Guyandotte's most haunted locations.  History combines with legend to provide a unique experience that is sure to leave even the most skeptical shaking their heads!  Every year we change things up a tad, and every year multiple visitors report having their own paranormal experiences!  Cameras are highly encouraged as a way to document YOUR experiences!

As always, this tour is being offered to the public for FREE, and is led by knowledgeable guides eager to make your tour experience one you'll never forget.  Tours leave from the Guyandotte Branch Library on Richmond Street and early ticket distribution begins at 6 pm.  This year, the library is holding a special movie night in conjunction with our tours!  Arrive at 5 pm for a FREE horror movie and popcorn while you wait for your tour to start.  Bring your camera and flashlight, and be sure to wear comfy shoes and join us this Friday and Saturday, October 18th and 19th for Ghostly Encounters!

An interesting side note:  Friday's tour falls on the 2013 Full Hunter's Moon!  The Hunter's Moon is the full moon immediately following the Harvest Moon, which is the full moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox.  Sometimes referred to as the Dying Grass Moon or the Travel Moon, the Hunter's Moon signified the start of the time when hunters began stocking up on meat for the upcoming winter.  It is believed to have gotten its name from Native American origins, but the first mention of it comes from a 1710 edition of British Apollo, which states that its the name the country folk used to describe the October full moon.  Some believe that a full moon can actually increase paranormal activity, but either way, it'll be a hauntingly beautiful and somewhat spooky experience as we tour the town under the light of the full moon!

I'd also like to take a moment to thank all of our volunteers and all of our guests!  HPIR has been offering these free ghost tours since our inception at the 2008 Guyandotte Civil War Days.  We truly enjoy offering this service to our community and have gotten wildly positive feedback.  We often say that the best way to teach history is through a good ghost story and I've personally seen this in action year after year as some of our regulars can quote, nearly verbatim, Guyandotte's early history up through the Civil War!  We hope you continue to enjoy our tours as much as we love giving them.  Hope to see ya out this weekend, and please see our website for full details on the Ghostly Encounters Tour, and the rest of our season's schedule!

www.GuyandotteGhosts.com

Upcoming Tour Dates:

October 18th and 19th-Ghostly Encounters Walking Tour

October 26th-Guided Ghost Hunt

November 1st and 2nd-Civil War Haunted History Tour

Strange Photo Taken from a Previous Tour

Tour Season 2013

Welcome to October!  With the lowering of the temperature and the falling of the leaves comes a very special time for Huntington Paranormal Investigations and Research...TOUR SEASON!

Our Haunted and Historic Guyandotte Tours are entering our 6th season of offering completely FREE, historically accurate, fun and of course, SPOOKY walking tours of Huntington's oldest neighborhood.  This year, we've added a little special treat for ya'll!

We get so many requests to join us on a ghost hunt and unfortunately, that's just not feasible to take everyone who contacts us.  So, we've decided to bring the ghost hunting to YOU!  Our first event of the year will take place this weekend on Friday and Saturday, October 4-5.  Instead of the usual walking tour (those will be held later on) we're offering YOU a public ghost hunt of Huntington's oldest brick residence, The Buffington House.

Please join us this weekend for a hands-on guided ghost hunt of the historic home!  Bring your own equipment or help us use ours to see if we can capture evidence of Guyandotte's earliest and most prominent citizens!  Recent investigators visiting the house have captured a myriad of EVP evidence,  mysterious Ovilus and K-II hits, and even a few personal experiences!

These special tours are FREE.  Please meet us at the Guyandotte Branch library at 6pm for early ticket distribution.  We'll be leading THREE separate hunts, lasting a little under 2 hours each, and visiting one other haunted and historic location in downtown Guyandotte!  (If you miss this weekend's event, another ghost hunt will be held on October 26.)

*Please see our website, GuyandotteGhosts, for more information on THIS event and our upcoming tour schedule!*

BE THERE AND BE SCARED!

(Theresa's Note:  This event is not a part of Guyandotte's Swinefest activities.  HPIR and Haunted and Historic Guyandotte Tours are not affiliated with this organization and will no longer be providing free tours in conjunction with the festival.  If you'd like more insight on this, plenty of articles can be found in the Herald Dispatch and on local news stations' websites.  Unfortunately, due to a scheduling conflict, Swinefest is being held on the date of our first event AND is apparently advertising a haunted cemetery tour.  Please be advised that the cemetery tour being advertised on Swinefest literature/posters/websites is NOT being hosted by HPIR and Haunted and Historic Guyandotte Tours.  )

Some Paranormal Humor from Spring Hill Cemetery

It's been awhile since I've posted a Friday Night Funny.  Luckily, on Wednesday I came across this little gem of grave humor and couldn't wait to share it!  This amusing anecdote comes from the Huntington Advertiser in an article dated June 6, 1911 and features one the city's most prominent burial grounds.  This particular cemetery has long had a reputation of being haunted by real ghosts and spirits...but maybe not all the stories are what they seem!  (For the ghost stories, check out Spring Hill Cemetery on Theresa's Haunted History!)

LOVERS FRIGHTENED AS CORPSE AWOKE

UNIQUE PRACTICAL JOKE WAS PLAYED

Sexton at Spring Hill Cemetery Tells Novel Tale at Confederate Reunion

Col. A. F. Southworth, recently returned from Little Rock, Ark. and is authority for the following story, which he alleges was told by Rev. W.J. Cocke, a veteran of the war, now sexton at Spring Hill Cemetery.

It concerns a youth and a maiden fair who were wont to roam about the cemetery grounds in the cool shades of twilight.

Now and then the sexton would discover the pair of lovers, in a secluded nook engaged in that phase of love-making called "spooning."  For many days the sexton watched the couple and smiled upon their happiness.

It occurred to him one day, however, that they might be fit subjects for a joke which he accordingly prepared.  He climbed into an empty coffin and closed the lid as they were approaching one evening.  As they drew near he made noises indicative that some supposed corpse was howling about being put in a coffin before he was dead.

The poke worked.  The lovers separated in their fright and fled in desperate haste when they saw the corpse, or ghost, or what-not, climb out of the coffin.  The boy went in one direction and the girl went in the other, climbing a wire fence in her hurry, and leaving thereon a goodly portion of her gown.

"They never came back," said Sexton Cocke, concluding his story.

Theresa's Note:  I did a little extra research to make sure that Sexton Cocke was in fact in charge of the Spring Hill Cemetery, and indeed it appears he was.  He's actually the Reverend William Joseph Cocke, who also later served as the chaplain for Huntington State Hospital, located just across the street from Spring Hill Cemetery.  Rev. Cocke passed away at the ripe ol' age of 94 on December 8, 1938.  He outlived two daughters, Rebecca (died 1901 at the age of 21) and Irma (died 1923 at the age of 44).

Mountwest Community and Technical College Inherits a Ghost!

Photo by Lori Wolfe, Herald Dispatch

Just up the street from Huntington's famous Phantom Hitch-Hiker of 5th Street Hill is a 4-story modern office complex.  It was built in 1980 and served as office space and the Huntington headquarters of Ashland Coal. When Ashland Coal merged with Arch Mineral around 1997, the building became locally known as the Arch Coal Building, serving that corporation for another year or two until many of the jobs were sent down to the St. Louis headquarters.

The following year, Applied Cards Systems leased the building and began a rocky existence in the Huntington location.  In May of 1999 15 employees were hospitalized with dizziness, vomiting, and respiratory issues, although inspectors never found any cause for the illness.  Later, the company would have issues with parking, a lawsuit filed by the state against them, and lease problems.  Twice they threatened to leave the Huntington area, but stuck it out until the official closure of the call center in 2006.

The following year, another call center, PRC opened its doors.  PRC's client was DirecTV, so when PRC went bankrupt in 2008, DirecTV worked out a deal to buy the building and maintain over 500 jobs.  DirecTV continued to grow and flourish and today is one of Huntington's leading employers.  However, they were not destined to stay in the old Ashland Coal Building for long.

When Mountwest Community and Technical College was forced to split from Marshall University, it began looking for a new home.  It's first choice was the ideal Ashland Coal Building!  It had ample space for classrooms, labs, dining facility, and all the other amenities the campus would need.  DirecTV agreed to vacate the building and move down hill into the former Ames building, which shut down in 2001.  They made the move to this better suited facility in August of 2011 and after extensive renovations, Mountwest was ready to open the new campus the following year for its Fall semester.

And, like all good institutions of higher learning, this new campus is said to be haunted!

The hauntings actually date back to around 2002, according to a viewer-submitted experience on the StrangeUSA website.  According to that person, a security guard working at the Applied Cards center died of heart failure in the fourth floor restroom.  Immediately afterward, employees at Applied Cards began reporting paranormal activity throughout the building, but most notably in the basement and on the fourth floor.  Doors were said to open and close on their own, even locking themselves without explanation.  The smell of pipe tobacco would pop out of nowhere around the halls and offices, only to disappear as quickly and mysteriously as it appeared.  The most creepy activity reported is probably the feelings of being watched.  People were reporting that they constantly felt as if someone were standing behind them, looking over their shoulder.  Obviously when they turned around, they were completely alone.

Today the fourth floor of the building is used as office space, classrooms, and a study area.  The basement area is used as dining facilities and locker room facilities.  One cannot help wonder if the recent construction and renovation has managed to stir anything up...or has finally laid to rest the paranormal activity that plagued employees of Applied Cards for four years.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has worked in the building, or is going to school at Mountwest and has any information on any possible recent hauntings!  You can comment below, or reach me at theresarhps@yahoo.com.  Thanks!

Huntington's Suicide Hotel and the Ghosts of the Express Printing Building

Park Tower, Randal Brown Collection

So...the term "suicide hotel"  obviously seems a little dramatic, and you're probably wondering what the heck it has to do with a local printing company...a haunted local printing company, at that!  Honestly, I haven't really put together all the pieces myself, but I hope you enjoy reading about the wild journey that led me to both of these locations from the 700th block of Fourth Avenue in downtown Huntington!

It actually all started at another investigation...

During an HPIR investigation of another historic building in the Huntington area, our Ovilus started saying some strange things.  While in Dictionary Mode, it surprised us all when instead of saying something normally found in a dictionary, it spit out the name Edwin.  We had some other interesting things happen that evening that seemed to be associated with this entity that we now called Edwin, so when I got home after the investigation, I began the research process into finding out whether this guy really did exist, and if he did, who he could be and why was he there.

I started with a simple search on the West Virginia Division of Culture's website, looking for anyone named Edwin who died in Cabell County between 1920 and 1940.  I didn't find anything that might relate to the case we were working, but I did find something of interest that immediately drew me in:  On July 30, 1938 Edwin M. Godby, a divorced dentist from Clarksburg, took his own life.  The 41 year old shot himself in the head at a place called the Park Tower Hotel in Huntington.

I don't pretend to be an expert on Huntington's history, but I thought that I would have at least come across this location before.  But, never having heard of it, I turned to Google.  The first entry that popped up was a Find-a-Grave entry!  The entry was for a 21 year old gentleman named Ronald E. Barr.  Barr was a traveling glass salesman from Wellsburg, WV.  On October 9, 1935, Barr took his own life through an overdose of Sodium Amytal.  He did so at the Park Tower Hotel in Huntington, WV.

So within a few minutes time, I had gone from having no knowledge of the Park Tower Hotel, to finding out only two pieces of information about it:  that it was located on the corner of 7th Street and 4th Avenue, and that two people had committed suicide there.  Therefore, I facetiously nicknamed it the Suicide Hotel!  Later, I went on to do some library research and found out a little more about the history.  The Park Tower Hotel was built around 1927 by renowned architect Levi Dean.  70 guestrooms boasted private baths, while 53 rooms were available without.  George Arrington was the proprietor for many years and was a proud manager for the "fireproof" hotel.  A 1928 Marshall yearbook ad claimed that visiting sports team to the college always stayed at the Park Tower because it was clean and homey...and at rooms available for $2 or less a night, was an economical choice!  Over the years, the Engineers Club of Huntington also met here.  Unfortunately, the hotel would quickly lose its charms.  It later became known as the Milner Hotel, and had a rather seedy reputation up until the 1980s.

Park Tower after the 1937 Flood. Source

*Side Note:  In 1924 Congress passed legislation promising anyone serving in WW1 a bonus of sorts; they were to receive $1.25 for each day served overseas and $1 for each day served in the United States.  These payments were to start in 1945, but in 1932, many of these veterans were feeling the effects of the Great Depression.  Destitute, they banded together  and ascended on Washington, D.C. Calling themselves the Bonus Expeditionary Force, they demanded their payment be made early.  Much to the dismay of Huntington officials, who were already having a hard time feeding its own citizens, the fight of the BEF was brought to Huntington, and Doak Carter set up headquarters in the Park Tower Hotel.*

Anyway, this was a cool location with some tragic history, but since the building was torn down in the early 1980s and there were no actual ghost stories known, I never added it to the growing list of Haunted WV locations.  I kept it in the back of my mind, though...

Sometime before all this happened, I had been introduced to another Huntington location said to be haunted:  The Express Printing Building, located across from the courthouse.  Geoffrey Foster, a local paranormal investigator, had written a book about some of his personal experiences and local haunts...and the Express Printing Building was a location where he personally lived and experienced paranormal activity.  According to Foster's book, Ghosts of West Virginia, the most common occurrence in the three-storey building's upstairs apartment complex is hearing heavy, phantom footsteps in the hallways.  Other activity included the sounds of dishes rattling in the sink in the author's own apartment, and a collection of Happy Meal toys in a friend's finding themselves taken off a shelf and apparently played with!

It was believed that these hauntings could be a result of a fire that broke out in the back of the building...a fire that took the lives of a small child and a homeless man who had passed out on the back staircase.  The staircase in particular became a hotbed of activity, with several people having the experience of someone unseen following them up the stairs, breathing heavily, and even brushing up against them.  At the time, I didn't really pay attention to the address of this location, but knew it was across from the Cabell County courthouse.  With so many other things going on, I never got a chance to research the location further, and like the "Suicide Hotel," it got relegated to the back of my mind.

Then, last year, I needed a printer in a hurry to whip of some preview copies of my own book, Haunted Huntington, Volume I.  I chose Express Printing because it was local and I had heard good things about them.  The owners were wonderful people and they did a great job, VERY quickly, for me and seemed very interested in the subject matter of the booklet.  I only got to chat a moment with them, but they claimed to have never had any ghosts in the bottom floor of the building, where the shop was located.

Anyway, it wasn't until a week later when I was picking up my books that I came to a startling realization.  The address for Express Printing was in the 700th block of Fourth Avenue, with just a small building separating it from being on the actual corner of 7th St. and 4th Avenue.  I wracked my brain trying to remember where I had heard that address before:  it was the address of the Suicide Hotel!

There's no real reason to believe that perhaps the many souls and/or energies that permeated the Suicide Hotel moved over to Express Printing when the building was torn down, but the coincidence of how I found out about the hotel and how it does relate, at least geographically, to a reported haunting, is just one of those weird things that this field always finds me in the middle of!

Black and white photo and some historical information for the Park Tower Hotel, courtesy of Huntington: The Edwardian Age's Modern Movement (2005) by Don Daniel McMillian.

Ghosts of the Hotel Prichard

Prichard, 1950s

In my humble opinion, and I may be a bit biased, but it seems like Huntington, WV is one of the most haunted cities in all of West Virginia, and even in the tri-state area.  Ghost stories are associated with nearly every one of its vast number of historic buildings, and the Prichard Hotel is no exception.  Unfortunately, this is one of those buildings where the ghost stories were unclear and undefined...with just a simple "its haunted," taking place over any specific incidents.  Until now that is!  I've finally stumbled upon some concrete stories, and while I'm still doing some additional research on the history of this building, I wanted to go ahead and share a little about this location in hopes that someone out there will come forth with his/her own personal experiences!  Anyway...

The Hotel Prichard was built on the corner of 9th Street and 6th avenue in 1926 by Frederick C. Prichard.  It was designed by the architect Henry Ziegler Dietz and boasted 13 floors (a bad omen?) containing 300 guest rooms, all with private baths, a ballroom, and several public AND private dining rooms.  Prichard, who had made his fortune in the coalfields of Fayette County, built this building, but is also famous for the Robson-Prichard Building, now known as the Guaranty Bank building; at the time, these were two of the tallest buildings in the city.

However, the good times would soon come to an end for Prichard and he lost his fortune during the Great Depression, only a few years after his lavish hotel was built.  He was forced to sell his Huntington properties, but instead of giving up completely, relocated to Texas.  He never lived in West Virginia again, but did visit from time to time, up until his death in 1960.

Over the years, the hotel hosted a number of very interesting guests!  In 1949, Gene Autry stayed there while performing in Huntington.  In 1956, the staff of NBC's Today Show stayed at the Prichard...including the famous chimpanzee host, J. Fred Muggs!  He was the first (and presumably only) chimpanzee to stay at the hotel during its glory days.  Even John F. Kennedy and his staff stayed at the hotel during the 1960 presidential campaign!

It seems like symbolically, the year 1960 was the start of the hotel's decline.  That was the year when Prichard himself passed away...and the year when Kennedy was elected, only to be assassinated three years later.  It lasted another 10 years as a hotel, but it was never the same as it was in its glory days.  Then, in 1970, the hotel was purchased by Polan Realty and converted into an apartment complex, with businesses renting space on the ground floor.  Today, Shane Polan is the owner of the building, which is still being used as an apartment.

It was in one of these apartments that a young tenant reported a year of living hell...not from a nightmarish roommate or an inconsiderate landlord....but from a constant barrage of paranormal activity!

The account, which occurred on the 10th floor in room 1003, was submitted to the Ghosts of America site, and contains the whole gamut of hauntings.  A man was seen wearing turn of the century clothing, drinking glasses shattered one at a time over a period of several weeks until the renter was left without any, and an incessant ringing of the doorbell was heard on a regular basis.  The ringing would stop when the renter would get within a few feet of the door...and of course, there was never anyone there when the door was answered.  Even the renter's cat was terrified of the apartment, refusing to come out from under the bed.  When removed from the situation, the cat blossomed into an outgoing, friendly animal.

During the course of my very brief look into the history of this location, I've already found a ton of deaths associated with the hotel, leading up to present day as its use as an apartment.  The Prichard has also, in recent years, suffered with a run of bad luck in regards to illegal drug activity, petty crime, and a disproportional number of fires.  The building has stood strong, though, and the current owner, Shane Polan, is working hard to clean up the magnificent old building and restore her grandeur.  However, its because of this checkered past that its anyone's guess as to who or what might be haunting this Huntington landmark.  Again, I'll be looking into the history a bit more, especially about what was on the site before the hotel was built, but I'd love to hear from you readers!  Do you have a ghost story or any additional historic information?  Do you have a wonderful memory of staying here, eating here, or even attending prom in the ballroom?  Please submit anything you'd like to share in the comments below, or reach me at theresarhps@yahoo.com.  Thanks, and happy haunting!

Photo and historical info from:
Jean Tarbett Hardiman, Herald-Dispatch

The Ghostly Duo of Sharkey's Fins Cafe

Vicker's Apartment Building seen to the right of the large white building

There's always a certain excitement when I get to add a new haunted location for Huntington!  This location is no exception, especially since it is one that HPIR got to investigate in a rare Sunday evening investigation late in November.

We were called in to this popular night spot after multiple witnesses had experienced different types of paranormal activity at the bar.  Reports range from a shadowy figure being seen darting about, an upstairs door that refused to stay shut on its own, and even poltergeist-like activity---one employee had straws thrown at her while working at the bar, and another had something smack him on the head while upstairs.

From talking to the clients that met us onsite, it does appear that there's a very good possibility, as they believe, that there are two separate entities who make their presence known.  One entity is believed to be almost a "pervy" sort of prankster, who enjoys giving the ladies' an occasional smack on the rear.  This prankster is believed to be connected with a tragic event that occurred in recent years, tied with the bar.  While "fresh," this entity is usually seen as kind of playful, and fairly harmless.

It is the black, shadowy entity that tends to give off a more negative vibe, and we believe that it may be more connected with the history of the building, although at this point, there is nothing obvious that is popping up, giving a clue as to WHO this entity might be.  However, from what we do know of the history, there are plenty of possibilities!

The building itself actually encompasses three different addresses:  410, 412, and 414 10th St.  Sharkey's currently occupies addresses 410 and 414, while 412 in the middle is a staircase that leads to an upstairs apartment complex, known as Vicker's Apartments.  The building, collectively known as the Vicker's Apartment Building, was built by a prominent WV architect, Levi Dean, who was known for many, many beautiful churches, hospitals, government buildings, schools, etc. around Huntington and throughout the state.  The first mention of the Vicker's Apartments available to us at this time is in the 1916 Polk City Directory.  412 is listed for the apartments, while 410 and 414 are listed as vacant.  However, it is possible that the building is slightly older...

The more visible J.W. Valentine building, which would later become the Day and Night Bank, sits just to the 4th Avenue side of the building.  It was constructed by architect Sidney Logan Day in 1908, with an addition in 1910, meaning that this apartment complex could have been built shortly thereafter.  Afterall, Levi Dean came to Huntington around 1904, which would put him at the right time period.

In any event, 412 would remain the Vicker's Apartments, even up through today, but the businesses that occupied the first floor were extremely varied.  By 1917, the left side of the building was occupied by a piano store, Steinway and Sons, with Thomas Newberne as the manager, while the other side was a ladies' clothing store, named Woman's Exchange.  By 1920, the New System Bakery was on the left, while the ladies' clothing store had a name change, and was now known as Eva E. Suiter Company.  In 1924, the bakery was replaced by Kearney-Weiler Sporting Goods.

In 1930, the sports store was still in operation, but the 414 address belonged to the Medical Arts Pharmacy and Supply, under the management of Harry Carnahan.  There is a gap in records until 1936, but we know by that year, the medical supply store had expanded, now occupying the entire bottom floor (410/414).

The medical supply store stayed at this location until 1945, when it was replaced by Dunfee Boot Shop, under Chester H. Dunfee.  Dunfee's had a 30 year run at this location, before the bottom level became vacant in 1974.  It stayed vacant until 1976, when the short-lived Elbow Room Club would spend two years, before finally becoming Verb's Tenth Inning Restaurant in 1978.

In 1983, the entire building, apartments included, was listed as vacant, with a brief period in 1987 when the apartments only were occupied.  This streak was broken in 1990 when Tom Cyrus and Rebecca Richardson opened up the Academy of Ballroom Dance.  In 1993, the building was once again vacant, but would return in 1994 as Sharkey's!

I would have never guessed that this little brick building would hold as much history as it does, and I've been methodically examining those who have lived in the apartments, and who owned/managed businesses downstairs for anyone who could be a candidate for the ghost!  Unfortunately (for our purposes), most lived normal, everyday lives and died normal, everyday deaths, so we're hoping when we get our audio, etc. fully analyzed, that there might contain some clue to lead us in the right direction.

Also unfortunately for us, it doesn't seem like the ghosts really wanted to come out to play while we were there.  Aside from a member seeing a shadowy form in front of her and some strange Ovilus hits, not many personal experiences were recorded.  We were told that the ideal time to witness the paranormal activity was when the bar was closed and when no one was supposed to be there...making our investigation time right on target.  But, it seems that the spirits of Sharkey's share a familiarity with those who know share their space on an everyday basis, making the only spirits available to the casual observer the ones in bottle form!

HPIR Investigation of Sharkey's (Check back for updates!)
List of Levi J. Dean projects

Huntington's Spring Hill Cemetery

The year Huntington was established, the city set aside almost 30 acres for use as a public cemetery.  The land was purchased from Collis P. Huntington's Central Land Company and named after the Old Spring House nearby.

The first official burial was for Josephine Webb, which took place in 1873.  However, the 1838 grave of Elizabeth Prosser was already erected in a field included in the acreage, so its listed as the "unofficial" first burial for the cemetery. As a spooky side note---there is an old southern belief that the first person buried in a new cemetery is destined to become that cemetery's protector, or guardian. Their spirit is said to remain on earth, protecting the sacred site until called home. So, who would be the Graveyard Guardian in this case...Josephine or Elizabeth? Anyway....

Bias stone. Photo by Ernie Wright

The original cemetery included a potter's field, although today, all such burials are reserved for the Highland Cemetery.  Over the years, as the city grew, small family cemeteries were relocated to the grounds of Spring Hill. Gen. Albert Jenkins was moved here in the 1920s, and is buried among 300 civil war soldiers.  A brick chapel on the grounds now serves as a sales office, but originally held funeral services.  A yellow sexton's house was located near the side entrance, but has since been torn down.  The last sexton was Arden Ross, who retired in 1998.  The superintendent now looks over the cemetery, but does not live on the grounds.

During the 1903 smallpox and the 1918 flu epidemics, many victims were buried here, some in the potter's field section.  Rumor has it that some of these were buried in mass graves.  What is known is that many of these flu victims did not have any funeral service due to the widespread contagious nature of the illness.  One such family had a grandfather (William Alfred Bias) who passed away during the 1903 smallpox epidemic, and was buried one day along with dozens of others.  Several of his sons sneaked out and waited outside the fence near the family plot for his burial to take place.  When he was placed in the ground, the boys said a few prayers, but then noticed a ball of light hovering above the grandfather's grave, which slowly lifted up and floated away.  The boys followed it all the way home, where it went through the front door of the house with a thud. This story, as told by Betty Burns Lusher, can be found in The Greenbrier Ghost and Other Strange Stories, by Dennis Deitz.

Today, there are still rumors of the cemetery being haunted.  There is some belief that the hauntings are connected to the many flu/smallpox epidemic victims, or even with the old Huntington State Hospital across the street. Whomever the ghosts may be or wherever they may come from, its important to note that not ALL the perceived paranormal activity found in Spring Hill is what it seems! A local newspaper article from 1911 tells the story of the sexton for Spring Hill Cemetery deciding to play a little prank on some young lovers that were using the cemetery grounds as a rendezvous spot. He climbed into an empty coffin, made some spooky noises, and then jumped out at them. Needless to say, they never came back.

More information about the history of this cemetery can be found in Joseph Platania's Huntington Quarterly article, issue 49.

*Updated January 2018*

Huntington's Keith Albee Theater

Construction on 4th Avenue's Keith Albee Theater began in 1926 when A.B. Hyman consulted architect Thomas Lamb for plans to build a magnificent vaudeville theater for the people of Huntington. With the introduction of the the "talkie" "The Jazz Singer" in 1927, plans had to be tweaked, and the original budget of $250,000 was exhausted quickly.

The rococo style theater named for the Keith Albee vaudeville chain opened May 7, 1928 with vocalist Rae Samuels, several vaudeville acts, and a screening of "Good Morning Judge" with Reginald Denny.  Opening day admission was 50 cents a person, and all 3000 original seats were filled.

Still in private operation despite financial difficulties, the 1937 flood, and various changes in the entertainment industry, the Keith Albee has also picked up the reputation of being one of the most haunted locations in the tri-state area.  There have been a few verifable deaths in the building.  Down in the basement, two electricians were electrocuted, and a maintenance man died in the modern projection room.  There are also rumors that a homeless man taking shelter in the basement froze to death one winter under the stage area.

In fact, the areas of the deaths ARE reported to be some of the "hot spots" in the theater.  Movement and shadows are often seen in the projection room where the maintenance man has died, and the basement, and its legends of the tunnel system have long been the source of ghostlore.

However, the most famous ghost in the theater is no doubt the Lady in Red.  The Lady in Red is seen in the mezzanine level ladies' room.  A mirrored parlour leading into the restroom is said to be her favorite locale, but she has also been seen wandering around the rest of the mezzanine.  She is described as wearing a 1940s style red fancy dress and high heeled shoes.  Another Keith Albee ghost tends to stay in the area of the basement level ladies' room.  Visitors to this restroom often report the feelings of someone watching them, and following them down the stairs into the restroom.  Unlike the Lady in Red, this resident ethereal is heard and felt, rather than seen.

HPIR investigated this location in the fall of 2007.  Please click the link to see our investigation results!

UPDATE July 1, 2011:  The Keith-Albee sign was damaged in an early June storm.  Please click on the link below for the story, and how you can assist with restoration efforts.

Keith Albee Sign Damaged