Happy 2023!

Who wouldn't want to spend
NYE with THIS guy?

I've always heard that how you spend your New Year's is how the rest of the year will go for you...and I hope that's true! Last night I rang in the New Year with my spooky family---the crew from Spectral Research and Investigations. We had a little end-of-the-year get together at our home base (the maybe haunted and definitely historic Museum of Radio and Technology in Huntington, WV). Unfortunately, not all our members could attend, but the evening was still filled with good food, new friends, ideas for the upcoming year, and of course a little ghost hunting. My husband and my son were able to attend, making the evening extra special.

Luke weirded out by the 
phantom sounds of an antique
crystal radio.

The paranormal fun continues today as I'll be busy reading, writing, and watching some spooky documentaries! Once again, I've decided to attempt the Ultimate Blog Challenge, which means that there will be a brand-new blog post EVERY day this month, and today will definitely be a research day. I actually did really well with this last year, completing the entire year with a whopping 108 new posts. Here's hoping I can surpass that in 2023. Here's hoping that in general, 2023 is a damn good year, for me and for all of us. 2022 was an especially difficult year for me, but despite the hard times, I am grateful for all the opportunities I was given. I spoke at several different events, attended quite a few conferences and workshops, and got to investigate lots of really interesting places. Most importantly, I met some really awesome people and got to work with some really awesome people in this field. 

The room full of military communication
equipment has always been a favorite.

Usually in these New Year's posts I like to throw in some resolutions for the year ahead, but for the most part I'll skip that. However, please keep following me and the team on social media as we do have a LOT planned for this year. There is one thing you can help us with now---we just recently hit 100 subscribers on YouTube. This year, we'd like to increase that to 300 subscribers. If you haven't yet, please go subscribe to the SRI YouTube channel, and if you can, share share share! 2023 will see a variety of different types of videos being posted, in addition to our full-length documentary-style investigation videos. And as always, feel free to shoot me over any comments, ideas or suggestions for what YOU'D like to see!

Thank you so much for sticking with me another year and your continued support of Theresa's Haunted History. I love learning new things about the paranormal field and discovering strange and fascinating pieces of local history...but what's really exciting is getting to share it with you! Have a great year and as always...

Stay spooky!

The Damron Family Tragedy: An Old Hospital on College Hill Story

Formerly known as Williamson Memorial, or simply Williamson Hospital, the Old Hospital on College Hill in Williamson, WV is one of Spectral Research and Investigation's favorite locations. It's still a fairly new venue on the haunted tourism circuit, but has quickly gained the reputation as a highly sought-after paranormal investigation destination!

Obviously, I LOVE to tell the ghost stories and explore the folkloric history of West Virginia's many spooky sites. However, as part of my on-going commitment to really, REALLY deep diving into some of these locations, I've wanted to share some of my 'behind-the-scenes' research publicly. I've already begun this with some of West Virginia's larger locations, such as my collection of tales from the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum and the West Virginia State Penitentiary, but now I think it's the OHOCH's turn!

These aren't the well-known ghost stories. These are just tales of the everyday people who passed through these halls...and unfortunately, the stories of some who never made it out alive. I think it's important that we take the time to document and remember these stories, as we never know if or when one of them will try to reach out. I think it's also important as researchers to just really get a feel for what life was like for the patients and the medical staff that took care of them during the hospital's many years of operation in a rather small, but violent area of southern West Virginia. 

Kicking this new 'series' off is a really sad tale that I ran across on Facebook recently. The Wayne Public Library has acquired bound copies of the Wayne County News on permanent loan, which can be accessed in person. But, they've created a Facebook page  called Wayne County News Archives at the Wayne Public Library and MORE where they are graciously uploading as much of the material as possible, and there are quite a few news articles dealing with the Williamson Hospital. 

In an article from September 1934, the tragic fate of the Damron family is shared. M.C. (McCloister) Damron was a 31 year old coal miner living in the Red Jacket area of Mingo County with his 33 year old wife, Hessie and their seven children---Mack, 11; Lloyd, 9; Atlas, 8; Wayne, 6; Billie Lee, 5; Dannie Rayburn, 2; and four month old Bobby Jean. 

On August 13, 1934, M.C. was admitted to the Williamson Hospital where he underwent an appendectomy. However, there were complications with the ether that was used as anesthesia. M.C. would survive the operation, but would pass on September 3rd. His official cause of death was lobar pneumonia, caused by the ether from the appendectomy on August 13th. 

While all this was going on, his wife, Hessie, was battling liver cancer. Between May 26, 1934 and her death on August 26, 1934, she had undergone at least four different operations in an attempt to save her life.

One week. This young couple died one week apart from each other in the same hospital. It isn't clear from this one newspaper article and the death certificates whether or not Mrs. Damron spent the entire time, or even the majority of those tragic three months admitted to the hospital, but if she underwent that many operations, she probably did. Again, there's no mention whether or not Mr. Damron was discharged after his initial operation and readmitted following complications, but there's a good chance that he also never went home after that initial surgery. Both of their death certificates state that the attending physicians attended them for the entire length of time listed, so I'm inclined to say that both were admitted for the long haul. And that is horribly, horribly tragic to me. 

At any given time between August 13th and August 26th, they were both lying in the same hospital, the hospital that they would both die in a week a part. And unfortunately, the tragedy does not end there. 

Mrs. Damron was laid to rest on August 28th, followed by her husband on September 4th. The children were staying with their maternal grandparents in Kentucky, no doubt reeling from the grief of losing both parents within a week's time, when tragedy would strike again. On September 9th, the youngest son, little 4 month old Bobby Jean (listed as Bobby G on Find-a-Grave), passed away from unknown causes. He was laid to rest the same day, alongside his parents in the Damron Family Cemetery near Glenhayes in Mingo County. 

Death Certificate for MC Damron

Death Certificate for Hessie Damron

Want MORE Old Hospital on College Hill Content? Check out my other blog posts!

The Nurse Who Never Clocked Out

The Haunting of Mose

Fundraising for Spectral Research and Investigation!

Hey everyone! If you didn't already know, in addition to writing Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State blog and maintaining Theresa's Haunted History social media outlets, I'm also a paranormal investigator! For the past year, I have been helping Spectral Research and Investigation, based in Huntington, WV, get off the ground. 

As you can imagine, paranormal research and investigation can get EXPENSIVE, especially for a new team just starting out. There are so many costs associated with the work we do that it can be a real financial burden for the average person. We have a great group of individuals working their asses off to help SRI bring scientific legitimization to the field of paranormal research, assist clients with a variety of resources, and of course, provide YOU with lots of educational and entertaining content! 

We don't want anyone interested in paranormal investigation to feel as if they can't afford to participate, and we don't want to put a strain on our members who are working, volunteering in their communities, studying, and raising families on top of their work in this field. But, we need your help in order to do this.  That's why we decided to kick off our fundraising efforts with a GoFundMe! Our founder, Brian Clary, does a wonderful job explaining why we've chosen to start with this route, so please stop by the link and read more about it. By no means should you feel obligated to donate, but if you've got a few extra bucks to throw our way, we'd greatly appreciate it! We're asking for a modest $500, which will go a long way towards things such as:

*Purchasing new and updated equipment, especially a good camera set-up and materials to build our own equipment (example, REM Pods)

*Helping ALL our members with the admission costs of pay-to-play locations

*Sharing our investigations and findings through live streaming, YouTube videos, etc. 

*Covering travel costs so we can reach a larger number of clients in need

*Promotional materials, such as business cards, flyers, t-shirts and vendor fees at festivals/fairs

*Assisting clients with practical and educational resources such as overnight accommodations, house inspections, carbon monoxide detectors, books, etc. 

Other Ways You Can Help

Like most groups, SRI covers the vast majority of costs out of members' own pockets, but if you enjoy our content and want to see more, please consider giving us a hand! We'd love for you to donate to our cause, but if you can't, we totally understand. And, if you'd like to help in other ways, here are some ideas:

*Like, comment, and more importantly SHARE SRI's content on social media!

*If you see us out and about at different festivals/events this year, stop by and say hi! Also, feel free to make a purchase of one our spooky, ghostly craft items!

*Let us know if you have gently used equipment/materials/books to donate or to sell, if you make equipment yourself, or if you have any suggestions for where to find these items affordably. 

*Also let us know if you own, manage, or otherwise have access to a haunted location and would be willing to let us come in at little to no cost! We'd love to help you promote your location if you want, or we can be confidential in the matter. 

*Are you interested in investigating with us or volunteering at one of our events? We'd love to talk with you! Contact us at one of the methods below! 

Contact Us:

GoFundMe Link

SRI Website

SRI Facebook

Email: srihuntingtonwv@gmail.com

Happy Thanksgiving from Theresa's Haunted History

It's pretty obvious that 2020 has been a year like no other in our lifetimes. The worldwide pandemic has obviously put a huge damper on the world of paranormal investigation and research, in addition to just being a general upheaval in every day life.  So many things have changed, and we've all had to adjust to new norms taking the place of our previous way of life. My son isn't able to partake in the martial arts training he loves, and has also switched to virtual school, which is a lot of work and worry on my part. In addition to that, my mother in law passed away in October, and we're now going through the process of moving my husband back home here. 

I'm beyond stressed. My anxiety and depression have come really close a couple of times to spiraling out of control.  But, I know that I am so, so lucky and therefore, am so, so thankful this year.  My family has remained relatively healthy. No one has experienced job loss or wages cut because of the pandemic. We've been able to spend more time together, and I've had more time to slowly get back to working on my paranormal interests.

Earlier in the year, I took advantage of the lock down to catch up on my paranormal non-fiction reading. I also binged watched a ton of documentaries and paranormal shows on YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. I took a few online courses through Coursera and FutureLearn. And, I've been taking advantage of many FREE online lecture programs from a variety of paranormal researchers, historical societies, and other organizations. I've been trying to find the light in the dark, and I think I've been doing okay. But, I couldn't do it alone, and I wanted to share some of the specific people and things that I'm especially grateful for this Thanksgiving season. 

I'm thankful for my family for always supporting my paranormal interests and making sure I have the funds and the childcare to make sure I can pursue them. My husband has been especially great in encouraging me and never saying no when I ask him to make a stop at a local haunted cemetery on our way home. I'm thankful that I have access to the internet and various platforms to help me stay connected with others in the field, and watch/read/listen to paranormal media. I'm thankful that my car has held up and has safely transported me to different investigations and events this year and for the past 11 years.  I could write a book talking about all the things I'm lucky to have in my life, but here's just a short list of specific people/organizations I really wanted to give credit to.  I know I'm leaving so many people off this list, but here's what came to mind, in no particular order:

*The Flatwoods Monster Museum and Andrew Smith for giving me the opportunity to help spread the word about all awesome paranormal tourism opportunities you can experience in Braxton County, WV!  Click the banner link at the top of this blog (best seen on desktop version) to learn more about The Flatwoods Monster, the Haunted Haymond House, the Bigfoot of Sutton Lake, and all sorts of other spooky and non-spooky things that you can see in do in Braxton County.

*Teresa Holcomb Frame for inviting me to experience the Haunted Haymond House in Sutton, WV for myself this October. The Haunted Haymond House has a really fascinating history and no shortage of paranormal activity to be experienced.  There are different paranormal and psychic-themed events throughout the year, and you can also rent the home for overnight ghost hunts.  Teresa has done a wonderful job preserving and sharing the history of the home, and bringing it back to its original splendor.  She's also done a wonderful job in advancing the paranormal study of the home, through allowing investigators to come in and share their evidence and experiences.  This was also my first REAL investigation in a very long time, and so it was especially meaningful to have such a wonderful place be my first dip back.

*David Scott Worley of Haunted Beckley.  Haunted Beckley has some great ghost tours and other events throughout the year and I've been fortunate enough to attend several.  This year, Scott invited me out to two awesome ghost story and ghost hunting events.  Not only did I get to participate, but I also got to help lead some group investigations.  It was so fun getting to meet new people, and also connecting with people in person who I only knew through Theresa's Haunted History. 

*Brian Clary of SRI.  This year, I took a plunging leap out of my comfort zone and joined a newly formed investigation group, Spectral Research and Investigation. Because of the current worldwide situation, we're taking things slow, but we've had a successful training investigation of the TNT area, outside of Pt. Pleasant, and of course, the overnight investigation of the Haunted Haymond House! I can't wait to see where the new year brings us, and I look forward to really getting out in the field once again with like-minded individuals. A special shout out goes to my friend, who'll I'll call T---she wasn't able to make it to our Haymond House investigation, but she loaned me some equipment, which came in super handy!

*FeedSpot. I'm thankful that FeedSpot ranked this blog, Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State number 17 on its list of the Top 90 Paranormal Blogs of 2020! I'm not sure how I pulled that off, but I'll take it! 

*Lewis O. Powell IV of the Southern Spirit Guide.  The Southern Spirit Guide is one of my favorite blogs, offering information on tons of haunted locations throughout the southern United States, and its author, Lewis, has always been a great supporter of my blog. I'm blessed to have his encouragement! 

*I'm thankful for YOU!  Seriously, I cannot thank everyone who reads and shares my blog and social media posts enough. I love being able to connect with people who love the paranormal as much as I do, and I hope that my posts entertain and even educate you on the haunted history of West Virginia and beyond. Thank you for giving me a reason to keep doing what I'm doing, and the encouragement to keep improving.  I hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and an amazing rest of 2020.  Here's to a better year in 2021---stay spooky, ya'll.