The Two Doctor Saltons at Old Hospital on College Hill

Dr. Russell A. Salton, Sr.

One of my favorite haunted locations here in West Virginia is Williamson Memorial Hospital, now known on the spooky circuit as the Old Hospital on College Hill, located in Mingo County. Spectral Research and Investigation (SRI) has already investigated this fascinating spot a handful of times, and plan on more visits in the future! And, similarly to the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum and the former WV State Penitentiary at Moundsville, the stories and history of the hospital are far too numerous to be limited to just a single blog post. Therefore, I'm slowly working on documenting as many stories from Williamson Memorial as I can---both the haunted history as well as the day to day stuff.  Today, I'll be showcasing two of the doctors that were integral to the hospital's inception, as well as it's continued reputation as a premier medical facility in southern West Virginia.

So, there's a GREAT story that is told to visitors of the hospital. It is said that one of the founders of Williamson Memorial, Dr. Salton, Sr., was an animal lover. When his horse needed surgery, instead of entrusting its care to a local veterinarian, Dr. Salton brought the animal to his own hospital and personally escorted the beast up the elevator to the fourth floor surgery suite. Patients and staff on the third floor kept hearing what sounded like hoof-steps above them, and were shocked to learn that indeed, there was a large, hoofed animal above them. To this day, there are those that strain to listen for the phantom 'clomp, clomp' coming from the fourth floor or a disembodied whinny echoing from the old elevator. (Source: Old Hospital on College Hill Website)

One might ask himself, 'who in their right mind would bring a HORSE into a people hospital?' Honestly, I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the tale, but let's take a look at the doctor behind it!

Dr. Russell Arthur Salton, son of Robert and Margaret Salton, was born in Hamden, New York on  August 12, 1887. In 1911, Dr. Salton graduated from Baltimore Medical College and shortly thereafter, married his wife, Ella Robertson. After completing an internship at a hospital in Welch, WV under Dr. Henry D. Hatfield, he opened up a practice in Big Sandy in McDowell County.

By 1914, Dr. Salton found himself in Williamson, WV where he opened up a joint practice with Dr. George Conley (watch for a future blog dedicated to Dr. Conley!), which would later become the basis for the first hospital in town the two would open together. When that hospital was destroyed by fire, Dr. Salton and Dr. Conley would embark on a journey to create a state of the art facility, well ahead of its time, known as Williamson Memorial Hospital, opening to the public in 1928.

From all the accounts I've read, Dr. Salton was an absolutely brilliant and progressive surgeon who was able to save countless lives over the years. One story that sticks out to me is documented in the Matewan Oral History Project interview with Charlotte Sanders from 1990. Mrs. Sanders shares that Dr. Salton was able to save her mother's life and her fertility from a tubal pregnancy when she was a young a girl. Unfortunately, nine years later, her mother became pregnant again with a tubal pregnancy, and while Dr. Salton again saved her life, at this point, both fallopian tubes had to be removed. 

Dr. Salton himself had three children with his wife, Ella. Their daughter, Virginia was born in 1913. A son, Robert, came in 1915, but unfortunately died in 1919. Finally, Russell Arthur, Jr. came along on March 7, 1921. Russell, Jr. would follow in his father's footsteps and also become a doctor.  In fact, it would be Dr. Salton, Jr. who would eventually take over Williamson Memorial. More on that in a few...

On January 20, 1941 Dr. Salton passed away from a pulmonary embolism at the age of 53. He passed away in the very hospital where he spent so much of his life. He was buried in Fairview Cemetery in Williamson. At the time, his son, Russell Jr. was in medical school, preparing to carrying on his father's legacy.

Dr. Russell Arthur Salton, Jr.
Source: Find-a-Grave user MLDS

As stated above, Dr. Russell Arthur Salton, Jr. was born on March 7, 1921 in Williamson, WV. He attended Williamson High School, where he played varsity football and later gave back by serving as the team physician. In 1942, he graduated from the University of Virginia. He met his wife, Cornelia Thomasson there; she was an RN in charge of the newborn nursery at University of Charlottesville Hospital.

Dr. Salton, Jr. also served three years in the US Air Corps and was Chief Surgeon at Suisun AFB in California. His love of aviation continued his entire life as he continued to pilot his private plane and serve as Chairman of the Mingo County Airport Authority. 

In 1949, Dr. Salton, Jr. assumed ownership of the Williamson Memorial Hospital along with Dr. Woodrow W. Scott. When Dr. Scott left, he was replaced with Dr. Robert J. Tchou, who was unfortunately killed in a plane crash in 1977. A year later, Salton was ready to retire from the medical field and sold the hospital in 1979 to Health Management Associates of West Virginia, who would later build a new hospital a short ways a way from what is now known as The Old Hospital on College Hill. 

Dr. Salton was a member of the local Presbyterian Church and served as the President and Medical Director of the R.A. Salton Clinic, named for his father. He passed away on December 20, 1992 and was buried in Mountain View Memorial Gardens. 

I think that its really interesting that the old Williamson Memorial Hospital 'stayed in the family' for pretty much it's entire existence as a hospital. Almost everyone in Mingo and the surrounding counties has had their lives touched by either one or both of the Drs. Salton in some way or another. These two men dedicated so much of their time and energy to their work, saving lives and unfortunately watching others slip away. Dr. Salton, Sr. himself passed away right there in the hospital that he helped bring to fruition. It makes me wonder...do either of them walk among the many spirits that still call the Old Hospital on College Hill home? The next time you're investigating this awesome location, maybe ask a few questions tailored to the Salton Family. You never know what responses you'll receive!  

Dr. Salton, Sr. Obit
21 January 1941
Bristol Herald Courier

Further Reading and Sources:

*Much of the info for this blog post came from bios submitted by 'Sabrina' to Find-a-Grave*

Find-a-Grave for Dr. Salton Sr.

Find-a-Grave for Dr. Salton Jr. 

The Old Hospital on College Hill Website

The Old Hospital on College Hill FaceBook

Theresa's Old Hospital on College Hill Collections

SRI Old Hospital Video #1

SRI Old Hospital Video #2

Dr. Salton, Sr.'s Death Certificate

The Murder of Wade Marcum: An OHOCH Story

The Old Hospital on 
College Hill

It's been awhile since I've written about one of SRI's favorite haunted locations, the Old Hospital on College Hill! This haunted hot spot, located in Williamson, WV has quite a few ghost stories that have made it famous among paranormal investigators and paranormal enthusiasts around the country...but we've found that during our investigations at the former Williamson Memorial Hospital, we've been more apt to interact with some unknown entities. Therefore, I think it's important to highlight as many of the stories of those who died within the walls of this historic hospital as I can find. You never know who might try reaching out to you and who might not be completely at peace yet. With such a violent and bloody past as the Mingo County area has, there is no shortage of tragic tales and potential ghosts walking the halls of The Old Hospital on College Hill. 

One of the unfortunate souls who lost his life within the walls of the old hospital was Deputy Sheriff Wade Marcum. As the story goes, it was Saturday night, January 5, 1935. Marcum had stopped his car at the one-way bridge between Dingess and Kirk, in Mingo County. Albert Dillon, 33 years old, go out of another car and started shooting at Marcum. A gun battle ensued. Dillon was wounded in the left wrist. Marcum, however, took shots to the abdomen and the left leg. 

Hurt badly,  42 year old Marcum was taken to Williamson Memorial Hospital where Dr. Henry Hatfield was called in from Huntington to attempt to perform a lifesaving operation on him. Dillon turned himself into authorities in Logan. On Monday, January 7th at 6:30am, Wade Marcum succumbed to his injuries, dying from shock. Later that day, Dillon made his first appearance in court. Until the very end, Dillon maintained that the shooting was done in self-defense. His father went on record as saying that Dillon saw Marcum's stopped car, and therefore got out of the car he was in and approached Marcum. He struck up a conversation and for no reason, Marcum started shooting at Dillon, hitting him in the wrist, and striking the other vehicle. Dillon turned briefly, and then began firing back. 

Not much was mentioned about the case until February 22nd, when a local newspaper mentioned that jury selection had begun and that Judge B.F. Howard had overruled a motion for a continuance on the grounds that three witnesses were absent---he instead sent out arrest warrants for the three missing witnesses. Deliberations only took a day or two, because by the February 23rd newspapers, it was reported that after 4 hours of deliberation, the jury had still not reached an agreement. 

I'm not sure if they ever did. As of this writing, I can't find any more mention of the case in any of the newspaper archive services I subscribe to. However, I did find a death certificate for Mr. Albert Dillon dated for 1948. He died in Logan County...not at the WV State Penitentiary. So, if he WAS found guilty, he didn't do more than 13 years.

The Old Hospital on College Hill is an awesome place to investigate, and it offers various public and private investigations throughout the year, as well as many other fun and spooky events. Check out their website, or follow them on Facebook for more information! 

Wade Marcum Death Certificate
Source: WV State Archives

Williamson's Haunted Rail Yard

Norfolk and Western Rail Yard (1944)
Williamson, WV
Source: WV History on View

It seems weird to me to write a blog post about Williamson, WV that ISN'T about the haunted and historic Williamson Memorial Hospital, now known as the Old Hospital on College Hill. But, awhile back as I was collecting old newspaper stories about haunted places and ghostly goings-on throughout West Virginia, I had clipped a tale from the September 1st, 1935 edition of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph.  At the time, the newspaper was running a series of articles featuring ghost stories submitted by readers. Most of the submissions were coming from Virginia, but a handful were from the Mountain State, including this story from Mingo County. 

For whatever reason, I pushed back sharing this article for quite some time and kind of forgot about it...until I saw where my good friend and colleague over at The Southern Spirit Guide had shared HIS blog post about this story. That post, while recently shared again, was published in 2018 so I'm REALLY late to the party, lol.  (Go check out the post, entitled Railyard Revenant) However, I still wanted to record the story here at Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State in an effort to further preserve the haunted folklore of West Virginia and share this story with as many people as possible. 

The rail yard in Williamson is still there, and still in operation, although the Norfolk and Western is now known as Norfolk Southern. The next time you're in town, especially if you're attending a private investigation or one of the upcoming spooky Halloween events at the Old Hospital on College Hill, take a moment to stop by. Although the yard itself is private property, you can still get close enough to MAYBE hear the phantom cries of a long-lost baby....

WRITER UNFOLDS NEW GHOST STORY

Strange Incident on Williamson Yards Baffles Railroad Men; Cry of Babe Heard From Locomotive Firebox

The popular demand for Sunday ghost stories has reached the point where these true tales are literally being "eaten" alive.

The first railroad ghost story, learned by accident, attracted so much attention that readers requested more of them.  Last Sunday was told how a fireman jumped off his engine at Flat Top yard after a voice from heaven had demanded that he quit railroading. That was a true story. Another voice from the spirit world warned an engineer in charge of a flier of an open switch ahead. A beautiful white pigeon alighted on a locomotive and the engine was wrecked killing the engineer. 

But today comes the strangest ghost tale ever published. The wonder of it is some of the big newspapers have not grabbed it, for it sure is a knockout. Many Norfolk and Western railroad men vouch for the truth of the story, men whose word is as good as their bond.

This amazing happening has its setting on Williamson yard, and has been told and retold until around the Mingo County seat the kiddies are sometimes put to sleep thinking about the yarn. 

But we will not longer keep the reader in suspense.

From the inferno of the boiler of a Norfolk and Western yard engine in use in Williamson yard may be heard the pitiful cries of a baby. Of course, there is no baby in that firebox. Even a child need not be told that.

But often during the dead hours of night from the firebox the engineer and fireman almost stand speechless as the faint cry of an infant is emitted from the seething furnace of their locomotive.

Billy Dotson, veteran engineer, is said to have been the first to hear the baby cry, but since, others claim to have heard the voice distinctly. 

One theory advanced is that a long time ago a young baby in some manner was tossed into the firebox of this particular engine, and that its tiny spirit remains.

Anyway, you have the story. It is not for us to offer a solution of this amazing phenomenon. 

Don't forget to check out my other blog posts from Williamson, WV!

The Nurse Who Never Clocked Out--Old Hospital on College Hill

The Haunting of Mose

Theresa's Travels: Williamson's Coal House

The Damron Family Tragedy at the Old Hospital on College Hill

The Nurse Who Never Clocked Out (Old Hospital on College Hill)

After a successful and exciting investigation of The Old Hospital on College Hill this past summer, the SRI team is ready to head back for a follow-up! On Thursday, October 14th, we'll once again be making the trip to Williamson, WV to explore and document the haunted history of the old Williamson Memorial Hospital. 

One of the most popular stories from the Old Hospital on College Hill is the tale of the nurse who never clocked out. As the story goes, sometime during the 1950's, or possibly into the 1960's, one of Williamson Memorial's very own nurses was involved in a car crash on her way to work.  She was taken to the hospital's Emergency Department, where she passed away from her injuries.  Ever since then, she has been seen in various parts of the hospital grounds by both staff and patients alike.

Back when the hospital was still in operation, a woman had come to Williamson Memorial at the start of her labor.  She was presumably admitted to the second floor obstetrics unit, where she patiently awaited the birth of her child.  She claims that a nurse came into her room and told her that her baby would not be born that day, and that she should head home to wait until labor progressed further. On her way out, she was stopped by a different nurse, who alarmed, asked her where she was going.  The woman stated that the other nurse had told her to go home.  Flabbergasted, the 'real' nurse told her that she was the only nurse on the floor that day, and not, she would NOT be going home until the after the baby was born!

During some renovations to the hospital, a construction worker reported seeing the apparition of a nurse on the fourth floor. He was so spooked by the image that he refused to return to work.

The phantom nurse has also been seen in the basement. Here, she is seen FLOATING, mainly back and forth in the area between the two X-Ray rooms. Interestingly to note, the basement was the original location of the emergency department. 

But, perhaps one of the most interesting pieces of evidence for the existence of a ghostly nurse is a set of two photos. The photos were taken on Halloween night of 2018 by a tour patron named Sheena Daniels.  After her tour had ended, she had taken the two back-to-back photos on the 'overlook' between the hospital and the nurse's college. One picture came out normal, but the other clearly shows what appears to be the image of a nurse in an older uniform.

The Old Nurse's College

I've searched diligently for any historical documentation of a nurse passing away in a car crash. I looked through tons of death certificates from the WV Vital Statistics website, and tried multiple search terms on Newspapers.com.  While an absence of evidence doesn't necessarily mean the story isn't true, as of yet I haven't been able to find any historical documentation to give us an idea of who this phantom nurse may be. I did find something close, however...

On November 12, 1957, Mrs. Anna Hensley had just dropped her daughter (Mrs. Alice Davis) off at work at the Miners' Memorial Center in South Williamson, KY, where Mrs. Davis worked as a nurse.  Mrs. Hensley was returning home to Chattaroy with her young grandson, Barry Neal Davis (Alice's son). As she was driving along Turkey Creek Road, her car skidded off the highway and plunged 200 feet end over end into the waters of the Tug River.  Both Mrs. Hensley and Barry were thrown from the car.  Barry had been thrown quite a distance into the river. Mrs. Hensley had been thrown from the car much closer to the bank.  Gravely injured and clinging to her overturned vehicle, she was desperately trying to get to young Barry. 

Luckily, a Good Samaritan had witnessed the accident.  Orange Adkins, described as a small man in his 60's, was driving his truck west on Turkey Creek Road when he saw the car skid off the road.  Adkins stopped his truck, ran down the embankment, and plunged into the cold river.  He got Barry ashore first, and then went back and pulled Mrs. Hensley to safety.

Mrs. Hensley was actually a nurse employed at Williamson Memorial at the time, and that is the hospital she and Barry were taken to for treatment.  Barry was treated for exposure and released.  Mrs. Hensley, however, had suffered a fractured pelvis and other major injuries.

Admittedly, I was super excited when I found the newspaper article outlining this accident.  I assumed that if Mrs. Hensley was so badly injured, there's a good chance that she had passed from those injuries. The timeline fit the ghost story as well. Fortunately for Mrs. Hensley, though, that wasn't the case. The 48 year old nurse recovered from her injuries and lived to the ripe ol' age of 96, passing away in 2005. 

The Courier-Journal, 13 November 1957

I'm interested in finding out where the story of the nurse who died in a car accident originated from, and if any other researchers have found documentation showing who this dedicated employee may be. Whether or not the back story of a nurse dying in a car crash is true doesn't necessarily matter, however.  Over the hospital's 60+ years of operation, I'm sure many nurses have been employed there and passed away from various causes, at various times, and in various places, including their own ER. Nursing is one of those professions that requires a great deal of dedication and it would be totally believable for someone who spent so much of their life helping others to want to continue doing so after death. I'll be continuing my search to give an identity to this oft-seen ghost of Williamson Memorial---The Old Hospital on College Hill. 

Want MORE ghost stories from The Old Hospital on College Hill? Check out my blog post about Mose Blackburn! Also, check out Brian's blog post about SRI's Old Hospital on College Hill investigation! 

The Old Hospital on College Hill Facebook

The Old Hospital on College Hill Website

The Haunting of Mose (Old Hospital on College Hill)

Photo from The Old Hospital on College Hill Facebook

Recently, Spectral Research and Investigation (SRI) traveled to Williamson, WV to investigate the haunted and historic Old Hospital on College Hill. Formerly known as Williamson Memorial, the hospital opened to patients on March 3, 1928 after a devastating fire destroyed the town's previous hospital. Built as a state of the art facility, Williamson Memorial served patients throughout southwestern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky for 60 years before being converted into doctors' offices, and then later used as storage. In 2020, the hospital was purchased by private investors, with the intent of saving the historic building and sharing that history with the public...as well as offering a really awesome spooky tourism opportunity. Public and private ghost hunts began earlier this year, and lemme tell you---if you get the chance to participate in an investigation or attend some other spooky event hosted by the Old Hospital on College Hill, DO IT! You won't be disappointed.

SRI had an extremely eventful evening, and I'll definitely be sharing all that in the upcoming weeks (also follow us on Facebook for updates!), but I wanted to start breaking down some of the most well-known ghost stories from the hospital. Let's get started with the haunting of Mose Blackburn. 

In the early hours of Saturday, July 21, 1962, a man named Mose Blackburn and his wife Ora had gotten into a pretty heated fight outside of the restaurant they owned on Pike Street. The police were called, and Lt. Garnet Richmond, accompanied by Patrolman Howard Hatfield arrived in their cruiser. When they arrived at the restaurant, they found Mose sitting in one car, and Ora in another. Hatfield got out of his vehicle and began to approach Mose’s car. At that time, Mose drew his .22 pistol. Richmond got out and circled Mose’s vehicle from the other side. Mose fired a shot through his windshield, and struck Lt. Richmond below the left eye. A gun battle ensued, and with 20 bullets fired, Mose ended up being struck in the right arm before being subdued when additional officers arrived.

 Both Richmond and Blackburn were taken to Williamson Memorial for the treatment of their injuries. Unfortunately, Lt. Richmond did not survive. According to his death certificate, he was shot around midnight, and was declared deceased 25 minutes later. In truth, he probably was dead long before he even made it to the hospital.

 Lt. Garnet Richmond was a 43 year old veteran of WWII. He left behind a wife, Ola Mae, a daughter Marcia, a step-daughter Janice, and…according to the Officer Down website, a daughter named Garnet Elaine who he never met. It seems as if Ola Mae had been pregnant at the time of the shooting. He was buried in Mt. View Memory Gardens in Huddy, Kentucky.

Hinton Daily News, 30 July 1962

Blackburn’s arm wound must have been fairly serious, because he was still in the hospital on Tuesday, July 24^th. A newspaper article from that day states that his arraignment was to be held upon his release from the hospital and had been scheduled for Monday (presumably the following Monday-July 30^th?). However, Mose would never make it to his arraignment.

While under the care of hospital staff, Mose was guarded by two sheriff’s deputies, who took turns watching him. These deputies were Enoch Fillinger and Morrie Blair. On Sunday night, July 29^th, it is reported that Mose asked Fillinger to go to the nurse’s station and get him a drink of water. When Fillinger had stepped out of the room, Mose took off running out of his third floor room into the hallway, and leapt out a window. It is surmised that Mose had tried to commit suicide ahead of his Monday arraignment, but the fall left him in critical condition---for awhile at least.

 Mose survived and was being treated at Williamson Memorial up until his death at 2:15 am on Friday morning, August 24, 1962.  In a newspaper article from the next day, the Mingo County coroner, Tabor Ball, declared the cause of death to be an abscess on the lung. The death certificate backs this finding up, stating that the immediate cause of death was a condition called ‘empyema,’ which is when pus builds up in the area between the lungs and inner chest wall. This condition arose from having fractured his rib in his jump from the hospital window. In that leap, he also managed to suffer a broken femur, a fractured mandible, and multiple contusions, on top of the injuries sustained to his right arm in the gun battle. Mose was buried in Davis Memorial Gardens in Stone, Kentucky.  These are the facts as are backed up by newspaper articles and death certificates. What is left to speculation is whether or not Mose REALLY jumped out that 3^rd story window or not, and if he did, why.

Mose's Death Certificate (Source)

Various sources have speculated that Mose did not jump on his own accord. Rather, he was thrown/pushed out the window by one of the police officers in retaliation for killing one of their own. This is plausible if the window Mose jumped from was the window in his own room. If he was thrown out the hallway window, surely a nurse or another patient would have seen what was going on.  Maybe they did, but chose not to say anything about it.  

This is the short-form county-issued death certificate for Mose Blackburn, which
can be found hanging beside the window Mose is said to have leapt from. 
Note that cause of death is listed as emphysema, NOT empyema. I
believe this is a transcription error and that the true cause of death
is actually empyema, not emphysema. 
Photo by Bree Fitzpatrick, SRI

Either way, let’s say that Mose DID jump out the window on his own. It makes perfectly good sense that a man in his mid-50’s would choose suicide over spending the rest of his life in the state penitentiary, or more likely, facing the electric chair (WV didn’t abolish the death penalty until 1965).  However, there might be a darker reason. There are stories that leading up to the suicide attempt, Mose was plagued with nightmares about someone coming to get him, and had commented that he feared for his life. Was he afraid of the living, breathing police officers that were constantly watching his every move, or were his fears a little more…supernatural?  Could the spirit of Lt. Garnet Richmond, who suffered a terrible death at the hands of Mose Blackburn, have been haunting him? Both men were taken to the same hospital and treated by the same doctors, yet one of them was dead within the hour, never again to see his expanding family. Did Lt. Richmond get his revenge by scaring Mose so badly that he tried to escape that hospital through any means necessary? Did Richmond’s spirit actually physically push him?  These are the questions that paranormal investigators are trying to answer, as it is believed that Mose is one of the ghosts that haunt the Old Hospital on College Hill.

When Paranormal Quest investigated the building in Spring of 2021, they actually gathered some data in that area. One member felt something breeze by him several times, taking the route that Mose would have taken when fleeing towards the window. Various sensors designed to pick up energy also were activated along the route that Mose would have taken, but could also be interpreted as being along the route that the officer or a nurse would have taken if they had rushed from the nurse's station to the window.  Other claims include sightings of a man standing in a third story window, seen from the outside by neighbors and visitors, which may or may not be the spirit of Mose Blackburn.

SRI spent a portion of our evening attempting contact with Mose and actually had some rather intriguing words pop up on the Ovilus, as well as being spoken through a 'ghost box' device. Obviously, the Ovilus isn't a super scientific, fool-proof tool of paranormal investigation, but I will say that we were almost able to have a conversation with whatever or whomever may have been present, with little to no outlier words popping up. Communication was brief, and abruptly stopped after only a short time, but not before we were able to establish that Mose seemed to feel at least some level of remorse for what he had done, but also felt that he was a victim too. Again, there is absolutely no scientific proof that we contacted anyone, let alone Mose, but it was intriguing. 

If you're interesting in booking a private investigation at the Old Hospital on College Hill, or wish to stay up to date on all the public hunts and other spooky events held throughout the year, be sure to check out the official Old Hospital on College Hill website, as well as their Facebook page. Stay spooky, ya'll! 

Information for this blog post came from the following newspaper articles:

"Cop Killer Critical." The Raleigh Register. 30 July 1962

"Police Lt. Killed in Gun Battle at Williamson." Beckley Post Herald. 22 July 1962

"Cop Killer to be Arraigned." The Weirton Daily Times. 24 July 1962

"Death Cause Fixed." Beckley Post Herald. 25 August 1962

"Williamson Man Jumps Hospital." Hinton Daily News. 30 July 1962

"Slayer of Williamson Cop Dies in Hospital." The Raleigh Register. 24 August 1962

Aunt Kate and the Booger: Guest Blog #2

Nolan, WV

Theresa's Note: Today's blog post is another wonderful Guest Blogger submission, this time from local paranormal researcher, Chris May. Chris has shared this awesome story, passed down to him from his Grandmother, about a suspected witch living in the small coal town of Nolan, WV. Enjoy this fascinating tale of what happens when you don't give a witch what she wants...and make sure to share this post with anyone you'd think would also appreciate a little spookiness from West Virginia's southern coalfields! A HUGE THANK YOU goes to Chris for sharing this story; I personally love hearing these old tales passed down from generation to generation, and I'm a sucker for anything related to our state's coal history. 

My Grandmother told this story to me. According to her when she was a child, an old woman lived next door to her and her family in the small coal town of Nolan. My Grandmother stated that many strange things happened in and around the old woman’s home. On one occasion my Grandmother, who was scared to death of old Aunt Kate, witnessed the old woman stick her hand back into a coal burning stove and pull out hot coals and wiggle them in her hands without being burned. 

Grandmother also stated that Aunt Kate would openly admit to witchcraft and on one occasion claimed to have fought with the Devil himself, ripping his leg off and throwing it behind a bed. 

The most disturbing story about Aunt Kate pertained to the old woman not getting something that she wanted....

My Great Grandfather had produced a garden several miles from his home every year. This particular year was very dry; water had to be carried to the crops as well as extra care needed to be taken with ensuring the crops survival. My Grandmother helped her father throughout the growing season and when time came to harvest the crops my Grandmother worked with him to bring the crops the long distance back to the old home place. As my Grandmother and Great Grandfather were wheeling the crops past Aunt Kate’s, she stopped them and stated, “Harrison, give me some of them beans.” 

Now, my Great Grandfather was a very generous man, but felt that due to the hard work that they had put in, the family should get first choice on the crops. He replied, “Old woman we’ve worked hard for those beans and your not gonna get any”. Aunt Kate was very angry at this reply and stated, “Ok Harrison, you’ll be sorry”, and were they ever. 

That night after the family went to bed my Grandmother stated that she heard something walking in the house. According to her the “thing” walked into her room and stood at the head of where she was sleeping and then it would turn and walk out of the room. My Grandmother said she had never been so scared. Because of this walking, she did not sleep all night. The next morning my Grandmother came in for breakfast and was confronted by my Great Grandfather about the “thing” that walked the night before. My Grandmother stated that she and my Great Grandfather were the only two in a house of twelve to hear it walk. My Grandmother stated that her father took old Aunt Kate the beans without haste and as he gave them to her, he told her to “take your booger back!” She replied in an evil tone, “it won't bother you no more” and it didn’t.

Chris May is a 42 year old married father of two. He resides in Barboursville. He holds a master’s degree in leadership studies and a master’s degree in counseling. Chris has worked in the law enforcement field for nearly 13 years as a probation officer. When he is not reading or researching the paranormal and history, he enjoys bass fishing with his 10 year old.