Mandy the Haunted Doll

Source: Quesnel and District Museum

The collection of the Quesnel and District Museum and Archives of British Columbia has an interesting piece. What may seem like an ordinary, early 20th century doll with a damaged face is actually one of the museum's most often visited artifacts. That's because it's also one of the museum's most HAUNTED artifacts.

Not much is known about Mandy the Doll's early history, but it is estimated that she was made sometime between 1900 and 1920. In 1991, she was given to the museum by an anonymous female donor who claimed the doll gave her a weird vibe. She had inherited the doll from her grandmother, and for many years, it had been kept in a locked trunk. Legend states that one evening, the woman heard the cries of a baby, coming from the basement where Mandy's trunk was kept. Finally mustering up the courage to check it out, she found a window open, and Mandy missing. But, Mandy would somehow return the next morning, like she had never left at all. According to the museum, the woman donated the antique doll shortly after her daughter was born, both because she was creeped out by it, but also because she wanted to know the fragile doll would be kept safe. I can't help but wonder if she was more concerned with keeping her family safe from Mandy than the other way around!

In any event, Mandy came to live at the Quesnel and District Museum, and immediately began giving the staff problems. When Mandy was acquired by the museum, she had to be photographed and cataloged as an official part of their collection. Following this first day ritual, she was left overnight in the lab. As staff returned the next day, they found the lab in complete disarray. Items were knocked over, strewn about, and the room was just an overall mess. It was almost as if a child had had a temper tantrum. 

Source: Cabinet of Curiosities

Mandy would continue to throw her temper tantrums and prank the staff. Staff would report their paperwork, documents and even LUNCHES would go missing, only to be found later on in the most random of places. Also, Mandy could not be displayed near other dolls. Almost as if she was jealous of them, they'd be found knocked over whenever Mandy was left in a room alone with them.

The year 1999 was a busy year for Mandy. She was featured in the book, Supernatural Stories Around British Columbia. She was also flown to New York to appear on the Montel Williams Show for an episode with psychic, Sylvia Browne. Browne felt the doll had originally been owned by twin girls who had died of polio. It was their mother's grief that had left a psychic imprint on the doll. 

After her television appearance and her story published, Mandy began to draw quite a few visitors to the Quesnel Museum! People from miles around wanted to see the haunted doll for themselves. Unfortunately, Mandy wasn't too keen on them taking any souvenir pictures of her. Visitors found that when they tried to take a picture, their camera batteries would die or their flash would fail to initiate, leaving an underexposed piece of film. In that regard, she's very much like Robert the Doll, who resides in a museum in Key West. Robert also has been known to cause camera malfunctions and a string of bad luck to those who he deems disrespectful. 

Twenty-five years later, and Mandy is still available to view at the Quesnel and District Museum. You can read her story, including her scrapbook of reports from visitors and staff, watch YouTube clips of her, and if you're lucky....maybe she'll let you take her photograph! 

Sylvia Browne with Montel Williams

Sources and Further Reading:

Quesnel and District Museum

Horror Society

Cabinet of Curiosities

The Dolls of Harry Powers' Victims

Merry Christmas! I hope Santa brought you and yours lots of goodies this year! Maybe he brought you lots of fun, new ghost hunting gadgets, or maybe a trip to your favorite haunted location in 2023? Maybe he even brought you a possessed or haunted collectible...

In the not too distant past, it was pretty much accepted that every little girl wanted a new dolly for Christmas. Baby dolls, fancy porcelain dolls, rag dolls---it didn't matter. As long as there was a new doll waiting under the Christmas tree, you were going to have one happy tot. 

On Christmas morning in 1931, little girls in and around Park Ridge Illinois may have woken up to a dolly under the tree...but that dolly may or may not have been NEW. In fact, it may have been previous owned by a victim of Harry Powers, West Virginia's very own serial killer!
 

Harry Powers was actually born Harm Drenth in the Netherlands on November 17, 1893. He moved to the United States in 1910, first settling in Iowa, before moving to a little area known as Quiet Dell, West Virginia in 1926. A year later, he married Luella Strother, owner of a grocery store owner, whom he met through a 'lonely hearts' personal ad. But, even after his marriage, Powers continued to correspond to multiple women through such personal ads.

One such woman was Asta Eicher of Park Ridge, Illinois, who Powers wrote to under the name of Cornelius Pierson. Mrs. Eicher was a widow with three children named Harry, Greta, and Annabel. Powers went to visit Mrs. Eicher in Park Ridge on June 23, 1931 and the two went away together for a few days while the children remained in the care of a family friend named Elizabeth Abernathy. While gone, Powers sent a letter to Abernathy saying he was coming to collect the children to bring them to their mother. When he showed up, he brought with him a check to cash from Mrs. Eicher's bank account. However, when he sent one of the children to the bank to cash it, the teller refused because the signature appeared to be forged. In response, Powers and the children immediately left, telling a concerned neighbor they were taking a trip to Europe. 

Unfortunately, this would be the last time that the people of Park Ridge would see the children alive. In August of 1931, police began investigating the disappearance of the Eicher family, and found "Mr. Pierson" had cleaned out the Eicher home. They also found letters connecting "Pierson" to the home in Quiet Dell, West Virginia. Authorities searched the Quiet Dell property and made a series of gruesome discoveries. In a set of rooms under the garage, a bloody child's handprint, bloody clothing, hair, and a burned bankbook were found. As neighbors began to ascend on the property to watch the proceedings, a 15 year old boy told authorities that he had recently helped Powers dig a ditch. When the filled-in ditch was searched, the bodies of Mrs. Eicher and her three children were found, along with the body of Dorothy Lemke, another 'lonely hearts' victim of Powers who had recently gone missing from Massachusetts. 

On December 12, 1931, Powers was found guilty and sentenced to death by for his crimes. He was hanged on March 18, 1932 at the West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville. He is buried at the prison's cemetery, known as Whitegate Cemetery. 

The photograph above comes from the September 17th, 1931 edition of the Burbank Daily Evening Review (Burbank, California). It was posted by the awesome Facebook page, Historian of the Strange.  The photo shows a collection of dolls owned by presumably Greta and Annabel Eicher that were left in the house after their disappearance and murder by Harry Powers. The police officers are preparing to auction the dolls off to the public...just in time for Christmas! So, I'm guessing there were a few little girls out there who received a rather unique present that year, and a few macabre relic collectors who treated themselves as well. And I know it was a different time, but even back in 1931, it just seems really bad taste to auction off a bunch of toys owned by children who had just recently been discovered to have been brutally murdered.

I can't help wondering if any of these dolls are still out there and if any of their owners ever reported any paranormal activity associated with them. 

Another photo of Herbert Fraker with some of the dolls.
From NY Daily News Archives via GettyImages

Cursed Fridge: AFriday Funny

 

My stepmother had a heart attack on our kitchen floor in the middle of an electrical storm, and her soul was transferred into the computer unit of our smart fridge. She has been subtly undermining me ever since, commenting on how many processed cheese slices I've eaten, or whether I've put properly a lid back on a thing.

Whilst my wife finds comfort in her mother's still being around, I'm starting to feel it completely unreasonable that she's decided to linger in our fridge, judging me on my culinary decisions. SHE HAS TO GO.  Aside from the soul within, the fridge itself is in complete working order, and I'm sure the unit would be farm more agreeably housed with someone who hadn't forced their 'perfect child' into a life of 'mediocre servitude' 

I've come across this little flyer for a haunted fridge up for sale a couple of different times on social media, and have definitely had a giggle. This sounds like the perfect plot for a sci-fi horror; actually, I'm pretty sure I HAVE seen a near-similar plot! Anyway, it's interesting and begs the question---can an appliance be haunted, especially one with such a high tech computer component to it, here a human consciousness may become intertwined? That's kinda horrifying to think about. 

Want MORE haunted appliance stories?

Satanic Toast: A Tale of a Possessed Toaster

Possessed Toilet

Haunted Objects: Paranormal Discussion Group June Meeting

Barry and Angie kick off the On Purpose Project's Paranormal
Discussion Group: Haunted Objects

Every last Wednesday of the month, the St. Albans On Purpose Projects hosts a Paranormal Discussion Group at the St. Albans Historical Society building. This all-inclusive group of paranormal enthusiasts gets together each month to hear presentations from those in the field of paranormal research, share their own spooky stories, and generally just enjoy being in each other's paranormal-loving company! 

The June meeting, however, shook things up slightly. Members were invited to bring in items they suspected may be haunted, tell their stories, and....have them actually investigated through various pieces of paranormal investigation equipment!

I chose to bring in my memento mori hair locket, which I don't necessarily feel is haunted, per se, but my mom does hate it, thinks it's evil, and is uncomfortable with it in her house. And while I don't think it is actually haunted by an intelligent entity that has an attachment to it, I do agree that it has a strong energy associated with it, which would be expected, as it was worn by someone in deep mourning over the loss of a loved one. Through what I believe is spontaneous psychometry (also called token object reading), I've caught glimpses of the previous owner through my mind's eye.

Anyway, there were some interesting objects. Barry brought in a hand-made box filled with old documents, Angie brought in a horrifying ceramic bunny that seemed to have a little girl attached to it, and there was a whole freaking basket worth of spooky dolls. But, probably the most active piece investigated that night was an old card table that was donated to the St. Albans Historical Society.

I don't want to spoil it, as there will be more information coming later, but this card table seemingly was still in possession of a prominent judge and St. Albans resident. And, this dude was eager to communicate! His dominating personality was left completely intact in the afterlife, as he had some pretty strong reactions to certain lines of questioning, and even tended to steal the spotlight from any other entity that may have wanted to communicate with us---including his own wife. 

The investigation of the items was led by Ron Lanham of Wild and Weird WV and Jess of WV Unseen Paranormal. The judge seemed to respond to direct questions through the use of what is commonly referred to as The Flashlight Method. This method of communication utilizes the type of flashlight (such as a Maglite) that switches on and off through twisting. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that this technique can be controversial in the field of paranormal investigating, as it lends itself quite easily to false positives. There are numerous articles and YouTube videos explaining the process in detail, such as this excellent example from Paranormal TV.  However, the technique isn't something that we necessarily have to completely dismiss, especially under certain conditions. 

As you can see in the video that Ron put together, this method was used in conjunction with other pieces of equipment, such as the tri-field EMF meter, which actually gave corresponding readings whenever the flashlights would light up. Further, with some exceptions, they did tend to light up AND turn off on command. 

So overall it was a really interesting evening, and a great way for different paranormal teams to meet up and work together to further this field, and share our findings with others paranormal enthusiasts!

The next meeting will be Wednesday, July 27 at 6pm. Ike Fauber, friend of SRI, will be there, discussing dreams, sleep disorders, and how it all fits into the paranormal field. Follow me on Theresa's Haunted History for updates! 

Check out the video:

Can Items Be Haunted? Can We Measure Paranormal Activity Around Haunted Items? 

Book Review for Cursed Objects

Title: Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items

Author: J.W. Ocker

Published: 2020 by Quirk Books, Philadelphia, PA

Amazon Purchase Info

I just have to say, this book is physically stunning! The chunky hardback packs in 271 thick pages and has a beautiful cover featuring some eerie little illustrations in a sort of shiny, shimmery, metallic silver and blue combination. Honestly, that's what initially drew me to the book---but its content is pretty awesome as well! 

I've always had a fascination for cursed and haunted objects, the weirder the item the better! Ocker packs in quite a few of these items, each with a well-written, factual background on the item's known history and it's alleged 'cursed' activity. Each entry is only a few pages long, and there are plenty of illustrations to keep even my ADHD mind focused and moving through the book.

As someone who is a fan of all things strange and unusual, I've heard of quite a few of the objects mentioned in this book.  Some of the more famous cursed items include The Hope Diamond, King Tut's Tomb, the Dybbuk Box, The Crying Boy paintings, and of course, Annabelle the Doll.  However, I was delighted to see entries for objects that I either knew little about, or had never heard of, including Little Mannie and the Prague Orloj. 

These objects are discussed with just the right bit of humor mixed with legend mixed with fact to make for a really interesting read, and I love that the author also included a chapter on the museums that make a business out of collecting and showcasing the types of items found within this book. There isn't a whole lot of scholarly analysis as to the phenomenon of cursed objects as a whole, but there are few little extras throughout the book to help give a better understanding of why an object may be cursed. There's also a bibliography AND an index, which as a researcher, I'm thrilled to see included. Overall, this is a neat book for both the hardcore paranormal enthusiast and for someone who just likes a good, interesting read about spooky, unsolved mysteries. 

Want MORE from J.W. Ocker?  Ocker has a podcast called Odd Things I've Seen, about well...odd things and where to find them! 

See what else Theresa is reading at my Book Reviews page! 

Chilton House's Demon-Possessed Mirror

For years it has been a fancy restaurant, located on the banks of St. Albans' Coal River. But, is there a darker past hidden behind the brick and gables of Angela's On the River, formerly known as the Chilton House?  Maybe...

The historic Chilton House was built around 1857 by businessman Allen Smith, who had purchased the property a year earlier.  It was originally built about 200 yards away from its current location (right about where the post office sits now) and was right in the hub of the St. Albans business district.  It's a beautiful brick home,  built in the Gothic Revival style and sporting seven steep gables.  It wasn't until 1883, well after the Civil War, that the illustrious Chilton Family took ownership of the house.  Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Wilson Chilton, wife of William Chilton, Sr. bought the home from Smith's daughter and son in law.  It's noted that the house was expanded in 1883 when the Chilton's moved in, but you could hardly tell because the bricklayer was able to match up the original bricks so well!

Mary and William apparently needed the extra space because they had two daughters and five sons, all who became prominent citizens in St. Albans and throughout the Kanawha Valley.  One son, Samuel Blackwell, was a physician who died of typhoid fever in the home in March, 1893. Another son, William E. Chilton, II would go on to be a prominent lawyer and politician, serving as a WV Senator for several years.  The youngest son, John Savary, took over ownership of the home in 1915, but would go on to sell the property outside the family later on.

By the mid-1970's, the historic home was in danger of demolition as the 'Loop' was being built in St. Albans.  Local citizens were able to get the process started to get the home listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and by the end of 1974, the process of moving the home to its current location was underway.  It wouldn't become a permanent fixture until a cinder block foundation was finished in 1976, and would finally be formally added to the NRHP by 1977.  

It would later become the Chilton House Restaurant, and is still to this day a restaurant.  Angela Samples opened Angela's on the River in 2010 and its under this current ownership where a strange story unfolds.  This story came to my attention during the 2019 St. Albans' History and Mystery Tour, in which a costumed interpreter, portraying a member of the Chilton family, told the history of the home.  When asked about the 'ghosts' mentioned on the tour flyer, the interpreter mentioned that the restaurant was once home to a demon in a mirror!  

Wait, what?!?  A demoniacally possessed mirror?  I had to know more.  Luckily, a gentleman nearby was able to fill in some of the details with first-hand knowledge.  Here's the story as it was told to me:

As part of the period furnishings in the restaurant, there was included a large, antique mirror.  Being an antique mirror, its appearance was understandably a lil' spotty and grubby looking.  However, no matter how much effort Angela or her staff put into trying to clean the mirror, it would never come clean.  But the mirror wasn't just dusty and spotted with the normal gunk and grime acquired over the years...people would actually SEE something, something potentially evil, reflected in the mirror!  It was decided that it would be in everyone's best interest if the mirror was just removed and disposed of as quickly as possible.  So, it was taken out to the dumpster.

Chilton House 1950's

However, it was quickly brought to Angela's attention by someone familiar with what was going on that if that mirror happened to break, surely the demonic entity trapped therein would be set free and be unleashed into the community!  So, the mirror was quickly dug out of the trash and gently sat nearby, apparently in full view of travelers driving down St. Albans' Loop. I say 'apparently in full view' because the mirror wasn't out of the trash for more than a few minutes when someone drove by and saw it being discarded.  This person asked if they were offering it for free.  The staff in charge of disposing the mirror replied that yes, it was in fact free...but there was a demon in it!

The person didn't stick around for clarification and pealed out without saying a word.  The mirror would soon find a new home, however, when another driver stopped by shortly after and loaded it up.  

It would be interesting to know whatever happened to that mirror and if the new owners experienced anything spooky associated with it.  So, if you live in the St. Albans area and know what happened to the mirror...perhaps its hanging in YOUR dining room?...please let me know!  I'd love to check it out and bring some closure to this story.  And...if you're wanting to get rid of it, I'm guessing there's a guy out in Las Vegas by the name of Zak who'd be willing to give you a fair price! 

Bonus Fright:  I heard another rumor from a tour patron that there were still slave shackles visible  in the basement, left over from the home's pre-Civil War days.  I don't *think* this would be true, at least not at the modern location, because when the house was moved in the 1970's, it was put on a cinder block foundation.  Any old basement/cellar/etc. would not have been included...right? 

The 666 Bible of Morris Memorial Hospital

Not everyone realizes that in Moundsville, WV there is a paranormal museum that rivals even the most well known of its kind.  Alongside of the Warrens' Occult Museum and Zak Bagan's Haunted Museum is the Mountain state's very own Archive of the Afterlife!

Photo from the Archive of the Afterlife Facebook Page

I have visited the Archive of the Afterlife twice now, and each time I've been blown away the sheer quality and quantity of exhibits.  Haunted objects, funerary history, military history, and a host of memorabilia from haunted locations are just a sampling of what you'll find here.  There are several exhibits that I have felt a really strong fascination for, and one of those is the infamous 666 Bible.

According to the museum's website, this mysterious artifact was donated by an anonymous urban explorer from Glen Dale, WV.  This person and his friend were visiting the abandoned Morris Memorial Hospital for Crippled Children in Milton, WV.  The current Morris Memorial building was originally built between 1935 and 1936 and treated over 10,000 children, most of who were suffering from polio, up until the hospital closed in 1960.  With advances in medicine, including a polio vaccine, the great need for a hospital of this type was no longer needed, and the next year, Morris Memorial became a nursing home under the direction of John and Rose Greene.  It operated as a nursing home until it was completely turned over to the city and used as storage about ten years ago.

At first, security wasn't exactly tight at this location, and many amateur ghost hunters, urban explorers, and just plain curious folks ventured onto the property. Even the grounds gave off a spooky feel and peering into windows, one could easily see a mixture of old nursing home furniture and the city's Christmas decorations.  Unfortunately, vandalism was a big issue, with some people going as far as to breaking windows and doors and tearing apart the inside of the old hospital.  At any given time, access to the hospital was easily obtained through one of these busted windows or doors.

With a change in local government came a change in how the property was maintained.  No Trespassing signs flooded the property, and security cameras were installed.  Those caught breaking in were punished, and the vandalism began to curb.  Today, there are plans being implemented to turn the former hospital into a high-end hotel and resort facility.  All that's quite fascinating...but what about this Bible?

The person who donated the Bible to the museum noted that it was found in an otherwise empty room.  The rather large book was opened up to pages 666-667, and the pages were being held in place by a small angel figurine.  Even creepier, the top of page 667 appeared to have been scorched!  As a souvenir, our donor took the Bible home, and his friend took the angel.

In my investigation group, we didn't have too many rules, but one thing that was highly encouraged was leaving things alone.  Ghost lore is filled with many tales illustrating the idea that taking an object from a haunted location is never a good idea.  Unfortunately for this urban explorer, he would find that out the hard way.

Upon returning home, he put the Bible on his fireplace mantle.  Within three days, the family cat died.  His mother and pet dog became gravely ill.  He heard his name being whispered, only to find no living person anywhere in ear shot.  Things reached a spooky crescendo when three full-bodied shadow people were observed in the back yard.

Presumably, the streak of bad luck and paranormal activity ended when the Bible was donated to the museum.  And if you're brave enough, YOU can visit this seemingly cursed holy book for yourself!  The museum, which has recently expanded, can be found in Moundsville's Sanford Community Center, just a short drive from the WV State Penitentiary at Moundsville!  The museum is a great deal at $3 per person, or $5 per couple and you could spend hours browsing just the collection itself.  But, if you're a little more eager, there are investigation opportunities and paranormal conventions/events held throughout the year.  Now...I wonder if anything similar ever happened with that angel figurine!

More Reading:
Archive of the Afterlife Website
Archive of the Afterlife Facebook
Excellent article by James E. Casto in the Herald Dispatch about the history of Morris Memorial
Theresa's Visit to the Archive of the Afterlife

Idaho's Haunted KMart

Awhile back it was announced that my local KMart store would finally be joining the long list of closed retail chains throughout the tri-state.  This store, which held on while other area KMarts bit the dust a couple of years ago, now joins Elder-Beerman, Magic Mart, Rite-Aid, and Toys R Us in becoming an empty and abandoned shell of a building.

There are numerous reasons why I hate to see this death trend in brick and mortar stores, and one of those is...where are all the ghosts going to go?  Retail stores, many of which are located in relatively new strip malls or shopping complexes, don't usually come to mind when it comes to spooky places with a haunted reputation.  But...there are more haunted retail stores out there than you'd think!  We've seen the infamous Toys R Us ghost photo taken at a Sunnyvale, CA location, and there's even a haunted KMart here in Parkersburg, WV.  Back in my early 20s, I worked at a haunted Dollar Tree where the resident ghost liked to walk the aisles after closing, unplug vacuums, and knock merchandise off shelves.  Today's blog, however, is about another haunted KMart---this one located in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho!

Okay, so in the spirit of full disclosure, the KMart itself isn't haunted.  The haunting involves an object housed within the store.  This KMart is home to a possessed cash register.

The story of the spooky cash register surfaced back in October of 2013 when a local newspaper in northern Idaho asked its readers to send in their own ghostly experiences for a Halloween piece.  One such story that came in was so fascinating that it got its own feature in The Coeur d'Alene Press!  Cashier Tamara Dobbs wrote in to share her experiences with Register two at the Kmart store, located at 201 West Neider Avenue.

Register 2 is accused of being possessed by a potential poltergeist because of its penchant for malfunction.  The older register is the only one in the store that is known for frequently freezing up, dumping transactions, and generally causing chaos for the cashier assigned to it.  When a manager is called in to assist with the problem, or when technicians are called in to service the machine, there are never any problems.  It seems like the ghost, whom employees believe to be a male spirit, only likes to mess with cashiers.

The Coeur d'Alene Press reached out to store manager, Lauren Larson.  Larson confirmed that the register in question was known to cause problems for cashiers and even referred to the machine as "an independent thinker" that regularly "loses its mind."

Unfortunately, it appears as if the Coeur d'Alene KMart closed last October.  I'm not sure if the register is still in use at another location, but if it is, today it would be 18 years old. I hope that wherever the machine ended up, its paranormal inhabitant can now find peace. 

GHOST IN THE MACHINE: KMART CASH REGISTER HOME TO PICKY POLTERGEIST

The Coeur d'Alene Press

Article by David Cole; October 24, 2013

Theresa's Travels: The Museum of the Bizarre

It's been awhile since I've posted a Weird Wednesday blog and you can't get much weirder than the Museum of the Bizarre!

The Museum of the Bizarre, located in historic downtown Wilmington, N.C., was one of my favorite stops on our recent Wilmington/Carolina Beach trip.  For just a few bucks per person, my son, my boyfriend, and myself were able to spend an enjoyable hour or so perusing the oddities and other attractions that make up the Museum of the Bizarre.

I had first learned about the collection from Jacob the Carpetbagger, one of my all-time favorite YouTubers. Jacob posted a video about his travels to this unique Wilmington museum back in September of 2017...WELL before we decided to visit the area for vacation this summer.  However, when my boyfriend announced that he'd found us a great rental house in nearby Carolina Beach, I remembered the video and immediately put a stop at the Museum of the Bizarre on our itinerary!

Because I had enjoyed the video so much and knew this was a location I definitely wanted to check out, I didn't start reading the reviews from other visitors until after we had visited.  Don't get me wrong...the reviews aren't BAD, but a lot of people tended to focus on the size of the collection.  Admittedly, when we entered the museum, we were under the impression that there was going to be a lot more...so we were disappointed when we realized that the entire collection was just in the big room as you walk in.

And although I would have LOVED to see many more strange and unusual artifacts, I still had an awesome time.  The collection of strange and bizarre items housed at the museum is from the personal collection of owner, Justin LaNasa. As the story goes, when LaNasa, a local tattoo artist, was about to get married, his future bride gently suggested that his collection of anatomical specimens, taxidermy animals, horror movie props, etc. should be housed somewhere outside their home.  At the suggestion of a friend who owned the former serpentarium next door (which is now unfortunately closed down), the Museum of the Bizarre was born.  It opened its doors in April of 2015.

I think when you take into consideration that the items are simply the collection of one enthusiastic collector, the lack of size isn't an issue.  Plus, what the collection lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality!  Obviously, I'm a weird chick.  My boyfriend is a little more mainstream than myself, but he still appreciates unique history and offbeat attractions.  My son simply just gets dragged to wherever the rest of us choose to go.  Yet, we all found things in the collection that were of interest to us!

We accidentally caught the cursed clown doll in the Photo Op spot of the stocks!

I was drawn to the more 'spooky' attractions.  Housed in the collection were plaster casts of Yeti and Bigfoot footprints.  There was an old Bozo the Clown doll with a sign warning visitors not to look it directly in the eye because it was cursed.  We saw a mummified Chupacabra hand and the signal lantern involved in the famous Maco Lights haunting.  There was even a Ouija Board owned by Houdini.  I also thought the signs posted throughout the museum noting that this was a haunted museum, so don't be surprised if you heard any weird noises, were pretty awesome.

Aaron is a huge fan of Houdini, so he too enjoyed the Ouija Board, as well as the specimen of Alexander Hamiliton's hair.  Other notable exhibits included a crystal skull, shrunken heads, a two-headed calf, tons of movie props, a Hand of Glory, a Freemason alter, and a variety of stuff in jars, lol.  There was also an extremely large 'Fiji Mermaid,' which allegedly was found at nearby Ft. Fisher.

My son, Luke, for some reason, got pretty freaked out while we were there.  Luckily, for an extra couple of dollars, he was able to explore the Hall of Mirrors exhibit (mirror maze) and also play unlimited games on the floor projector.  There was comfortable seating to wait in while Luke played, FREE ice pops, and a small gift shop where I picked up a sticker and some postcards.  Several of the exhibits were interactive, and even though photography of the collection was largely prohibited, there were a few photo op spots where you could take pictures.

I wish photography of the exhibits was allowed, because there was some really cool stuff in there that I would have loved to share with you all---but check out the video below to get an idea of what's there.  Overall, however, this was a really cool little spot in downtown Wilmington, N.C. There is so much to see and do in the Wilmington area, especially if you appreciate things supernatural and/or strange, and a stop to the Museum of the Bizarre makes a great part of any day trip to the city. 

Theresa and Bree Take on the Grave City Haunted Relic Expo!

I make it a New Year's Resolution every year to keep improving my knowledge and experience of the paranormal. To make that work, I try to read as much as I can, take classes--both online and in person, watch interesting documentaries, and my favorite: attend lectures, conferences, and other public events!  January has started off great, with a wonderful opportunity to network with other people in this field, get my website's name out there a little more, and to hear some wonderful speakers share their expertise. 

That opportunity came in the form of the Grave City Haunted Relic Expo!

The first annual Grave City Haunted Relic Expo was a three-hour event held on Saturday, January 20th, 2018 at the Sanford Center in Moundsville, WV. The expo was put on by Steve Hummel. Steve is a paranormal investigator, a member of Paranormal Quest, and the owner/curator of the Archive of the Afterlife Museum. You might remember that this past summer, Luke, Aaron, and I took a mini-vacation to Moundsville and visited the museum (located on the 2nd floor of the Sanford Center) for the first time. It was a really cool place, filled to the brim with haunted/possessed/cursed objects, funerary antiques, and much more. Read about our experience HERE. 

Anyway, I decided that it would be a great start to 2018 to attend this expo. I then took it a step further and signed up as a vendor! My main goal was simply to promote Theresa's Haunted History, but I made a few stationary sets, coasters, and other goodies to sell in hopes of breaking even on my table fee.

Dave Spinks

Luckily, my friend Bree was able to make the 3+ hour drive up to Moundsville with me, and was even nice enough to craft some beautiful hand-made dowsing rods to sell at our table. We left around lunchtime on Saturday and made the long trek up north. Once we got past Parkersburg, we had to leave the interstate and travel the rest of the way on two-lane roads. However, it was a beautiful drive, and we passed through a ton of quaint little historic towns.

Since we arrived before set-up time, we wanted to explore the city a little. We knew that the prison was closed for the season, so unfortunately we couldn't take a guided tour, but we did drive around it a few times. I love visiting the penitentiary and I love investigating the penitentiary even more. We have plans on returning in the near future for another investigation of this wonderful location. But, since we couldn't actually get in, we decided to drive out to the prison cemetery.

Doug Waller

The cemetery was surprisingly easy to find, but we were disappointed that we couldn't actually get to it! Last week, West Virginia got hit hard with winter weather and despite this weekend warming up considerably, the parking area for the cemetery was completely covered in a thick layer of snow, and the path to it across the stream was fully washed out. I just have a little Nissan Sentra, so there was no way I was going to attempt to park and wade across the ice cold water, lol.  But, at least when we come back next time, we'll know exactly where to go. 

But back to the expo itself!  The weather had thwarted our plans of exploration, so we got to the Sanford Center a little earlier than expected and went ahead in. We first went upstairs to take a peek around the Archive of the Afterlife Museum, which had undergone a few display changes since I had been there last. We then got the go-ahead to start setting up downstairs in the gym for the event. There were plenty of other paranormal teams/investigators and even lots of tables selling non-paranormal related merchandise to browse through. After getting set up and waiting for the speakers to start, we got in a few excellent minutes to talk with some of the other vendors/presenters/guests. 

The guest speaker line-up started right on time, at 6pm, kicking off with a talk by investigator Dave Spinks. Dave was followed by Doug Waller, a Bigfoot researcher with the Southeastern Ohio Society for Bigfoot Investigation. Following Doug was Bill Baker of Mountain State Paranormal. A young man known only as The Mothman Historian then gave a talk on the history of Mothman and recent sightings before we broke for a brief intermission.

Bill Baker

During intermission, we had another chance to talk with so many wonderful people who were able to share their stories and experiences with us, learn a little about Theresa's Haunted History, and luckily, buy a little of our merch! Since this was a Haunted Relic expo, I brought two of my own haunted items for display, a Bible from 1816 and a locket of hair, sold to me as a memento mori. My mom is convinced the locket is haunted, and shortly after purchasing the Bible, we had a rash of unexplained occurrences in my home. No one picked up anything from the Bible, but several people who examined the locket were a little unnerved about its energy. 

The evening wrapped up with one last presentation. Steve and another member of his team gave a talk about their paranormal investigation experiences...but then also gave a really fascinating presentation on some of the museum's recent haunted acquisitions. By the time their talk had ended, it was 9pm and time to start packing up!

Overall, this was a great experience for me and a great way to start off a new year of paranormal fun. I enjoyed the speakers and their wide range of topics. I appreciated the fact that everything was right there in the same room---the vendors were set up around the perimeter of the gym, with chairs for guests in the middle, and a small stage upfront for speakers. One of the things I dislike about the Mothman Festival, is that if I'm there at my table, I cannot easily go down and watch the presentations. With this set-up, I could watch my booth AND watch the presentations. 

The Mothman Historian

Unfortunately, that did have a downside as well....you couldn't really hear the speakers if the vendors were trying to talk. And, with only 3 hours of expo time, most of which was filled with back-to-back speakers, we vendors really didn't get a lot of free time to interact with visitors to the expo. For the next event, I would love to see a little more downtime between presentations, or even a little more time before or after the event, but other than that, it went surprisingly well, especially for a first-year event. Everyone was very nice and professional. I love talking to other paranormal enthusiasts about my favorite topic, and was thrilled that some people there were familiar already with my work. I was even more thrilled that we sold enough to pay for our table fee AND gas money to the event!

I would definitely recommend checking out any further events hosted by Steve, and hopefully, I'll be able to attend additional events as well. To keep up-to-date on future events, or if you want more information on the museum, which is open year round, you can follow the Archive of the Afterlife on Facebook.   

Stay Spooky, ya'll...and I'll catch ya again real soon.

Paranormal Quest

Theresa's Travels: Archive of the Afterlife Museum

Archive of the Afterlife is located in the old Sanford School

West Virginia is an awesome place for the paranormal enthusiast---our Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum and WV State Penitentiary consistently show up on lists of "Most Haunted" locations throughout the country and even the world. Numerous television shows, including the Dead Files, Ghost Hunters, and Ghost Adventures, have filmed the spooky experiences of our residents. Our Greenbank Observatory is helping lead the way into potential extraterrestrial contact. We've got the first ghost to ever testify in a court of law, leading to a murder conviction. And...we've got some pretty awesome, yet spooky MUSEUMS!

Most paranormal enthusiasts are familiar with the world's only Mothman Museum, located in Pt. Pleasant, WV...but there's another wonderful paranormal-themed museum in the northern part of our state that is definitely worth checking out: The Archive of the Afterlife.

Located just down the road from the WV State Penitentiary in Moundsville, the Archive of the Afterlife Museum is a fascinating repository of history, culture, and all things spooky!  Since 2011, curator and owner, Steve Hummel, has worked tirelessly to amass and share a collection of haunted artifacts and pieces of paranormal history from throughout West Virginia and beyond.

The Archive of the Afterlife isn't huge---in fact, it's a little on the small side. However, it is absolutely PACKED to overflowing with items that would make Zak Bagans salivate, lol. You could spend hours in there and probably not get a good look at EVERY item that makes up the collection.

Can't make it to the Warren's Museum in Connecticut to see Annabelle, the haunted doll? No worries---the Archive of the Afterlife has MULTIPLE dolls that are not only creepy to look at, but who have shown definite signs of being haunted/possessed. Want to see the long-lost skull cap from the State Pen's Ol' Sparky? You can find that here as well! You can find haunted portraits, military memorabilia, death/life masks, and plenty more. I just think its awesome that we have this type of place right here in the Mountain State!

My family and I visited this wonderful attraction last summer during our weekend in Moundsville. Of course, I was in Heaven, and probably a little overwhelmed with all there was to see. I worried that my 7-year-old son would be bored stupid, but to my surprise, he enjoyed it as well. He had a weird fascination with this creepy 'Charlie' Doll, and requested I take his photo with it for posterity. He was also drawn to a haunted edition of Dr. Seuss' famous Foot Book that apparently carries the memory (and a blood stain) of a quadruple homicide. That was probably MY favorite artifact as well, but like I said, there was so much to look at and read about that it was really hard to choose just one top item.

In addition to the collection of artifacts, Steve and his museum also offer a variety of special events, including the 2018 Grave City Haunted Relic Expo January 20th! And....I'll be there! I have rented a vendor table to promote Theresa's Haunted History and will be selling some ghostly household items and other sundries. If you're going to be in the area, please stop in and say hi! Admission is only $5, which includes access to the vendor area, live music, and tons of AWESOME speakers and presenters. You can find the whole lineup and more information at the EVENT PAGE.

The museum is located on the second floor of  the Sanford Center (1600 3rd St., Moundsville, WV, at the corner of 3rd and Cedar). From April to November, the museum is open from 1pm to 6pm, Tuesday through Saturday. December through March, the museum is open from 1pm to 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays only. Admission is just $3/person or $5/couple. Please see official WEBSITE and Facebook page for more information. This location is a MUST-SEE, and is an easy stop for anyone coming in from out of town to investigate or take a tour of the penitentiary. Also, make plans to attend this year's Haunted Relic Expo, and make sure you stop by and say hi to me!

The Haunted Chair: A Friday Funny

What a steal! If you buy a haunted object on eBay or Craigslist, chances are, you're going to drop a pretty penny for it. But here we have a haunted object that isn't only spooky, but functional as well (not like those silly haunted dolls that do nothing but sit on a shelf and creep people out)!

Anyway, when I saw this photo on a couple of different Facebook pages, I was quite bemused. You see, my mom has her very own haunted chair. 

My mom is a fickle decorator when it comes to household furniture, and every few years, she likes to change things up a bit. So, when my boyfriend's uncle was selling a like-new couch, chair, and love seat set, complete with accent pillows, for next to nothing, she jumped at the opportunity. However, soon after the new furniture set was moved into the living room, we began seeing something strange. If you happened to walk quickly into the room and glance at the chair, it looked like there was an elderly man sitting in it with his legs crossed. From time to time, we'd even catch a glimpse of him holding onto the arm rest as he raised himself up out of the chair. 

When asked where the furniture came from, my boyfriend's uncle told us that he had bought it from a nursing home. His buddy at the nursing home was selling the set, which was used in a small TV room for the residents, because no one ever sat in it. I think we discovered WHY no one would sit in the chair!  The elderly ghost man, however, has made himself right at home in mom's house. He doesn't bother us, and seems to fit right in with the other resident ghosts. 

Aunt Pratt's Haunted Portrait--Shirley Plantation

Aunt 'Pratt'

Okay, so Haunted and Cursed Paintings Week on the blog hasn't gone as planned!  I've not felt well this week and with my boyfriend being out of town for work all week, I've been too busy with my son to really get much accomplished. But, here's another spooky painting to keep the ball rolling!

Shirley Plantation in Charles City, Virginia has a long, long history.  The plantation itself began in 1613 with Edward Hill I, and by 1638, it was a working farm with homestead.  However, in 1723, construction began on the Great House, a brick structure that would replace the old home and become the residence of Edward Hill I's great-granddaughter, Elizabeth.  Elizabeth married Robert Carter and the palatial home was completed by 1738.  Today, the home is still in the Hill-Carter family and is the oldest family owned business in the United States.  It was spared destruction during the Civil War by being turned into a field hospital for both Union and Confederate troops, and many of the deceased soldiers were buried in the plantation's cemetery.

With such a long history, especially one including involvement as a Civil War hospital, you'd expect the house and property to pick up a few ghost stories.  However, contrary to what one may think, the prevalent ghost tale of Shirley Plantation is NOT connected with the Civil War!  Rather, it has to do with a certain painting.

Elizabeth had a sister named Martha Hill (known to the family as Aunt Pratt) who left for England to study.  While there, she met and married a man named Hugh Gifford (also called Griffin or Griffith in various sources). She never came back to the United States to live, and died in England some years later.  Before she left, though, she left a signed portrait of herself in her second story bedroom.

By 1858, the current generation of Hill-Carters living in the home decided to remodel, and removed Aunt
Pratt's portrait to the attic.  Immediately, the family began to be plagued with horrible sounds coming from the attic each night.  The sound of shuffling and rummaging through boxes was overshadowed by severe knocking that progressively got worse. Whenever the family would investigate the source of the noises, they'd find nothing out of place in the attic.  They finally realized that Aunt Pratt, who was long deceased, was unhappy about being relegated to the attic space and wanted to return to her bedroom on the second floor.  There she remained happily until the outbreak of the Civil War, where once again she was sent to the attic.  With the home being used as a hospital and valuables being packed up out of sight, Aunt Pratt understandably kept pretty quiet and as a reward upon the end of the war, the family moved her portrait to a place of honor on the first floor.

Aunt Pratt was okay with that position for awhile, but soon longed for her own personal space and the knocking and rocking once again returned, only to stop when she was returned to her rightful spot on the second floor.  And, for over 100 years, there she stayed, with the family passing down the tales of Aunt Pratt's ghostly portrait to each new generation.

In 1974, the painting was taken to New York City for a special display in Rockefeller Center on haunted and cursed items.  Aunt Pratt made it quite clear that she was unhappy with the arrangement and her portrait began to rock and shake violently, being witnessed by many spectators.  One of those spectators was an NBC reporter on his way to lunch who happened to catch video footage of the painting rocking back and forth.  The painting would rock so violently that it was soon removed from the display and put into a locked box in storage.  Workers at the storage facility reported hearing banging and crying noises coming from the box and weren't really all that shocked to see that the painting had somehow escaped from the box and seemed to be trying to head for the door.

It was shipped back to Virginia, but before returning home to Shirley Plantation, the portrait was sent to Linden Galleries---Aunt Pratt had rocked herself so hard that she had damaged her own portrait's frame and it needed to be fixed.  She must have been pleased with the treatment received at Linden because workers there reported hearing the sounds of bells ringing in the vicinity of the painting.  Today, Aunt Pratt is right where she wants to be, and tours of Shirley Plantation are available to provide a glimpse of her.  Tour guides have been known to tell visitors not to block Aunt Pratt's view of the outdoors, and once or twice her spirit has been seen peering out the window.

Shirley Plantation Website

Article by Stacey Graham

Book Review: Haunted Stuff

Title--Haunted Stuff: Demonic Dolls, Screaming Skulls, & Other Creepy Collectibles

Author--Stacey Graham

Published--2014 by Llewellyn Publications

Amazon Order Info

Even with the series finale of Haunted Collector well past us, America still seems to have a passion for haunted, creepy, and cursed objects!  If you're one of those people, or simply love a collection of ghost stories, then this book is a great choice.

Starting out with a primer on the best places to obtain 'haunted' items, the author then goes into the collection of stories from haunted and cursed objects of every size and shape.  Obviously, there's a chapter on dolls and England's famed Screaming Skulls, but you'll also find tales of cursed boats, spooky snow globes, and photographs where the subjects' lips move as if in silent speech.

If you're looking for a hardcore scientific tome with groundbreaking theories as to how and why certain objects literally retain a piece of their former owners, this might not be the best choice.  However, if you're looking for a simple explanation of why we THINK objects may carry attachments, followed by plenty of awesome examples, then definitely check it out.  I am already familiar with many of the stories mentioned in here, but there were a couple that were completely new to me and all of them were concise and to the point, maintaining a pleasant balance between facts and entertainment.

I especially appreciated the Appendix, which was a collection of how are ancestors and those in other parts of the world dealt with their ghost problems through architecture, nature, and well...some pretty interesting improvisation!  The writing was decent enough, although it wasn't completely free of small editing errors.  The author seems adequately  knowledgeable on the subject, citing over 20 years of paranormal investigation experience, and was able to add her own voice to the writing style. Overall, a really fun and quick read to chase away the winter blues!