Happy Anniversary HPIR!

Photo by Melissa Stanley

After taking the weekend off to share another haunted location (the surprisingly popular entry about the ghost of Anna Potts!), we're back to the August Blog Challenge. The challenge for Day 3 is to write about something I am proud of...and there's nothing in the paranormal world that I'm more proud of than being a part of Huntington Paranormal Investigations and Research.

This August, HPIR is celebrating its SEVENTH year together!

Over these past seven years, HPIR has truly grown into much more than a bunch of people with a common interest who get together once in awhile.  We've become friends, we've become family, and we've become a renowned organization known for providing professional paranormal investigations, awesome ghost tours, and community service.

I am proud to have been accepted as a member of HPIR in September 2006 and I am proud of what we've worked so hard to become.  I'm proud of my fellow teammates and their commitment to the field of paranormal research.  I'm even proud to have been given the opportunity to investigate so many interesting places and share their history.  We've got some great things coming up this year and I hope you'll continue to follow us on our journey.

So Happy Anniversary, HPIR!  Here's to the next 7 great years!

*Melissa also blogged about the HPIR anniversary, so go check out the official HPIR Para-Blog!* 

Blog Challenge Countdown:

Day 1-Someone I admire (Hans Holzer)

Day 2-The Goal of Theresa's Haunted History

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

I'm Thankful...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I hope you are not plagued with any "poultrygeists" this holiday season...get it?  Poultrygeists?  Hehehehe....anyway, I thought I'd try something new this year.  There are so many things I am thankful for in my life, especially my family and friends, but I wanted to share some of the things that I'm thankful for concerning the paranormal field!  Since Thanksgiving is on November 22nd this year, here's a list of 22 ghostly things I'm thankful for...in no particular order!  What are YOU thankful for this year? 

One thing I'm NOT thankful for is the lack of a good turkey ghost photo!

1. My extensive library of both paranormal books AND local history...has saved me so much time and money by being able to do a lot of preliminary research at home, on my own schedule.

2. My mom and my boyfriend, Aaron, who I can always count on to watch Luke when I have an investigation or event to attend.

3. Ancestry.com.  Again, a great resource that allows me to do so much preliminary research at home.  It is well worth the subscription price.

4. The opportunity to investigate the Whipple Company Store, a very historic and very haunted location that allows only a few select groups in each year.  The entire group walked away with and awe and reverence for the building, as well as some excellent evidence!

5. The James Casto Local History room at the Cabell County Library.  This is another great resource we have right in our community, and I've literally spent hours upon hours there this year.

6. The research staff at the above-mentioned library, lol.  They're always willing to lend a hand when the microfiche machine goes on the fritz!

7. My team, HPIR!  I honestly could not ask to investigate with a better group of people.  Everyone is dedicated, serious, and willing to work hard at everything we do.  We also have a blast together, and I count each and every member as some of my closest friends.

8. I especially am grateful for HPIR founder, Melissa, who took me on as a member over 6 years ago, and has allowed me to explore and hone my interests in history through my position as Historic Research Manager, and as a tour guide.

9. I'm grateful to everyone who comes out to our tours!  HPIR has established a hugely successful tour business and will continue to develop new and exciting opportunities for the community.  We couldn't have done it without all the support.

10.  Along those same lines, I want to thank our host of volunteers who help us portray characters, act as back guides and/or security, and who let us enter their homes and discuss their history.  I'd like to thank everyone who gives us stories and information, and allows us to come into their locations to investigate, continually giving us new material for our tours.  We love our volunteers!

11. I'm thankful that HPIR has been able to take on an active role in assisting with Team Toni events.  While the circumstances of the organization are tragic, this is an excellent cause to get behind, and I'm proud to support it in anyway I can.

12. I'm thankful to all the other teams out there who have supported us and stood by us.  There are some awesome teams out there, and their dedication and professionalism in this field makes all the not-so-good teams out there seem obsolete.  I'd like to especially make a shout out to Chandal and Nicky of NVSO who are there when we need them!

13. Our clients, each and every one of them.  These people let us into their homes and businesses, and give us a trust that cannot be bought.  We love you all and will always be there when you need us!

14. The opportunity to work for television, despite my fear of actually appearing on camera in person.  It was a wonderful experience, and pushed me to expand my own research techniques in ways that paid off immensely. I learned a lot about how certain types of shows are produced, and while its left me a tad jaded, its not an experience I'd trade in for anything.

15. Even though it sounds cheesy, I'm thankful that we live in an era where people interested in this field can share ideas and information without (a lot) of ridicule, lol.  This field is still a long way away from acceptance as a legitimate science, but there is a general acceptance from the public that cannot be beat.  Even if someone thinks its silly, 9 times out of 10 they've got a story about an experience they can't explain...and if you ask in the right way, they're more than happy to share it with you.

16. I'm thankful for the amount of information available for those interested in this field.  There are wonderful free resources for the Kindle, wonderful FREE documentaries found in many places, and many wonderful books and websites that are accessible to all.  This is one field where you can NEVER stop learning new things, no matter what.  Take advantage of the large network of resources available.

17. The area where I live.  It is filled with plenty of haunted history! 

18. All of my FaceBook page fans.  I love sharing little things that I don't necessarily want to blog about, but its also a great way to keep track of new entries for Theresa's Haunted History.

19. The fact that out of 100s of investigations, we've never really encountered anything that I'd personally classify as really negative or dangerous.

20. The WVGhosts website.  Although its gone pretty stagnant this year, its still one of my number one resources for local ghost-lore.

21. Not having to work at a job I hate from sun-up to sundown anymore!  This year has been excellent to my mental AND physical health, and has allowed me to take a more active role in my paranormal research.  Not to mention, I've had much more time with my son...who is also my future ghost hunter.

22.  Lastly, but certainly not least...I am so thankful to everyone reading this blog right now!  Fans of this blog are the reason why I keep doing what I'm doing, which is trying to provide the most accurate and complete resources for  alleged haunted locations in our area.  I've also tried to really expand the site to attract people from outside the area with book reviews, photo analysis, and articles.  I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.  This is for you guys!