Ohio's Human-Faced Horror

 

Village of College Corner
Source: FaceBook

Established in 1811, the village of College Corner straddles the Ohio and Indiana state line. Named for its proximity to the present-day Miami University, which was founded two years prior, College Corner has been a pretty sleepy little town, for the most part. However, in the summer of 1892, it would be home to one really weird cryptid. 

There was no official name ever given to the beast, most likely because those who were unfortunate enough to witness it were left flabbergasted. Some called it a devil, while others didn't even attempt to classify it. Those who managed to eke out some sort of description had this to say:

The creature was 4-5 feet tall, white and winged, with an estimated wingspan of 6 feet across. It had a HUMAN face, framed by long, white hair which covered its head. The strangest detail was the appearance of tusks protruding from the human face. 

Harpy Eagle
Source

One gentleman who saw the creature claimed that as he was walking one night, the beast seemed to appear up from the roadbed. He got a good look at its tusks, glimmering in the moonlight. As the man reached for the revolver in his pocket, intending on firing upon it, the creature grinned at him in such a way that the flight mechanism in fight or flight took over and he booked it down the road. Stopping to catch his breath, he turned and saw the creature had vanished. 

If we assume that there is more to this story than just a hoax, then I can't even begin to theorize what these people were seeing. The closest thing in nature I could find would be the harpy eagle. Harpy eagles are NOT native to southwestern Ohio but could have found itself there in a variety of ways. 

Harpy eagles are SPOOKY to look at because they do have very human-like faces. They're also pretty big birds. One could easily stand an estimated 4 feet tall with a 6 ft wingspan. And younger harpy eagles are mostly white in color. From the right angle, even the adults may appear mostly white, as their bellies and underside of their wings is white. They don't, however, have any features that resemble tusks, but this may be explained if the bird was carrying something in its beak that was mistaken for tusks. 

Re-creation of Piasa mural in Alton, Illinois
Source: Wikipedia (Burfalcy)

From a folkloric perspective, the most common human-faced bird in local mythology would be the Piasa Bird. The origin and etymology of the Piasa Bird is a whole other rabbit hole, which I won't include in this blog entry, but check out the image above. This is the recreation of a cliffside mural found in Alton, Illinois (just one state over). The Piasa absolutely has a head with a human face and what appear to be tusks!

Was the College Corner monster just a story inspired by the established folklore of the nearby Piasa Bird, or could there have actually been more than one of these creatures physically existing in the Midwest? Was it a misidentification of a known animal, or was the whole thing one big hoax? 

30 June 1892
The Journal News (Hamilton, OH)

The 'Ghost' of Walnut Hill Cemetery

 

Walnut Hill Cemetery
Photo by Find-a-Grave contributor Zelda

I love a good 'true' ghost story, but sometimes a spooky case of mistaken identity is just as strange, if not more! That's what happened to John Davis, caretaker of the Walnut Hill Cemetery, located just outside Columbus, Ohio in Hamilton Township. 

Strolling through the cemetery one evening, he noticed a spooky figure sitting atop a tombstone. As he approached the figure, he realized that it wasn't a ghost, but just some guy, wearing nothing but a blanket as almost a cape. The man's clothes were in a pile at his feet. When he noticed Davis' approach, the man inquired as to whether the referee was on his way.

Davis wisely told the man he didn't know, but he'd go check. The man then let Davis know that he was eager for a boxing match. Since he couldn't just leave a naked man sitting in his cemetery trying to fight people, Davis brought the stranger to the county jail. His clothing was searched for personal items and enlistment papers for the army were found. 

It was decided to hold him in the jail until a lunacy inquest could be completed, which begs the question as to whether or not he actually was mentally ill. Was this all staged as an attempt to avoid being sent into military service during World War One? Or, was the thought of going to war actually too much to bear, causing the man's mind to fracture. Perhaps he was already a little...off, or perhaps under the influence. Whatever the cause, it was clear he was NOT a spirit of the little cemetery and to me, that is truly disappointing.   Stay spooky, ya'll!

04 January 1918
The Big Sandy News (Louisa, KY)

Sleeping with the Spirits at the WV State Penitentiary

 

Convicts in the prison yard of the WV State Pen (1914)
Source: WV History on View

Over the course of its long history, the West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville has suffered from a multitude of logistical problems, the most common being overcrowding. In late 1922, the prison had once again exceeded its designed capacity and was now home to well over 1600 inmates. Warden Terrell was running out of sheer space to store all these men, so he came up with a brilliant plan!

The Death House, which was a small building annexed off the main prison, had four cells. As these cells were only used to house inmates who had an upcoming date with the gallows, they weren't in full operation. What if some of the overflow was housed there?

The decision was made to select 35 inmates, all African Americans, to bunk down in the Death House. I cannot come up with a reason other than sheer racism why the black prison population was chosen, but they were. However, this wasn't without problems.  

A trope that continually shows up in these old newspaper articles I share is the stereotype that African Americans are extremely superstitious and afraid of ghosts and spirits. Therefore, the article in question notes that it took a while, but 35 men were found who claimed, "no fear of spooks."  Warden Terrell managed to find almost three dozen men that had no qualms in sleeping in the area where a quoted two score of men had spent their last moments, waiting to die at the hands of the state for crimes accused.

I don't like to think of myself as a particularly superstitious person, but even I have to admit a certain ick factor when it comes to using such a dark place for regular inmates. But it worked out. After a thorough cleaning and disinfecting (which included the removal of anything that would remind the prisoners where they were), the men were ready. Each night, they'd move 35 cots into the area, which were set up in and around the annex and cells. It was said that the sleeping arrangements were just as comfortable as anywhere else in the prison, with an added bonus of increased security features, allowing one guard to manage all 35 inmates. It was even said that many of the inmates assigned to the Death House annex had a sense of pride concerning their new quarters.  I wonder, though....did anyone actually ever have a paranormal experience there? Did the spirits of the executed men ever make their presences known to the 35 inmates who temporarily got a taste of death row?

*MORE WV State Penitentiary Articles!*

03 December 1922
Charleston Daily Mail

A Devilish Divorce

Krampus Valentine Card
Not exactly the same, but I thought it was a
 fun visual for this post!

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I thought I'd share a story of love gone wrong...with an occult twist! The following story out of Illinois was found in the September 14, 1909 edition of the Bluefield Evening Reader. 

MAN MAKES WIFE WORSHIP HIM

Chicago, Sept. 14---Dressing in a robe of flaming red, with black trimmings, to represent himself as the Prince of the Region of Brimstone and Sulfur, burning incense and making weird noises to frighten his wife, were acts ascribed to Andrew Blaes in a bill for divorce filed by Mrs. Blaes. The husband owns $150,000 worth of property and lives at the Glenview Golf Club.

While Mrs. Blaes and her husband have lived in the same house nine years, it is asserted that they have occupied separate apartments.

"About eight or nine years ago," says Mrs. Blaes in her bill, "my husband took up the study of hypntism [sic] and occultism, and has conducted many experiments in our home. Frequently he has burned incense, and the odor has permeated my room and has sickened me. The more I complained the more was burned.

"On one occasion recently he dressed up in flaming red with some black trimmings to represent the devil. This was done late at night after we had all gone to bed.

"Then he made weird and uncanny noises in the kitchen. I was ill in bed, but got up to investigate. The sight of my husband dressed in this queer garb frightened me and I ran out of the house clad only in my night robe. He followed me making unearthly noises."

Bluefield (West Virginia) Evening Reader
14 September 1909

The Devil Comes to Clay County: A Demonic December Story

Image created in ChatGPT

*Updated May 2026*

Recently, researcher and author, Tony Breeden (you can find his work on multiple platforms including the websites Tony Breeden Books and Exotheology) shared a pretty interesting article with me. The article, which comes from The Martinsburg Weekly Independent dated 14 November 1874, tells the tale of a young pedagogue returning home from what I believe is implied to be the home of a girl he is courting, when he runs into a terrible creature. 

It was November 1st, and rather late at night when the young man was headed home in an area of Clay County near Oakton known as Back Creek. He was at a crossroads between the properties of Samuel Murphy and the widow Woods when an 8-10 foot creature suddenly appeared before him. 

The creature had large feet, and long arms that ended in huge, dreadful claws. A long, flaming tale whipped around the devilish form. A long, flickering tongue added to the fear the young man felt, as the creature stood in front of him, menacingly for approximately three minutes. Then, with a terrible sound, it ran off into the woods, leaving the terrified young man dumbfounded. The newspaper surmises that this was the devil himself, out looking for a victim to devour. 

But WHY would the devil, or one of his many minions, be out in rural Clay County, stalking young teachers out courting? Was this a liquor-fueled hallucination, or a young man's psychosis manifesting in a most demonic way? Does the proximity to Halloween play a part in the sighting...or is this just simply a fun story designed to pull in readership to a small West Virginian newspaper during the dark, cool days of late fall?

Martinsburg Weekly Independent
14 November 1874
Read online at Chronicling America

Since the publication of this article back in December of 2025, I've come across some conflicting information. While looking over some of my old newspaper clippings, I realized that I had also clipped this exact same story via Newspapers.com...with some minor differences. 

In the article I found in the 23 November 1874 edition of the Weston Democrat, there is NO mention of a location called Oakton. The two names of people involved are the same, but this article seems to imply that the events did not take place in Clay County, WV, but in BERKELEY COUNTY, WV! This article also throws in a personal jab at the former governor of West Virginia, William Erskine Stevenson. Stevenson had served as the third governor of West Virginia from 1869 to 1871 and was not well-liked by the Democrats of the day, due to his progressive stances on infrastructure and his anti-slavery viewpoints. 

Is there any kernel of truth to this devilish story, or is this simply another example of yellow journalism? I'll let you decide. Stay spooky, fam! 

23 November 1874
Weston Democrat

The Summit Snake

AI Image using ChatGPT

This strange story comes to us courtesy of one of my favorite Fortean Historians, Historian of the Strange. Back in July of 1914, Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Brooks of Summit (Wood County), WV were sitting on their porch. They had settled in to enjoy the evening air, when they heard a rustle in the nearby brush. Suddenly, a yellow hoop came shooting out of the brush and began rolling down the hill. Faster and faster it rolled, until it built up enough speed to straighten itself out and FLY through the air. It flew across the valley and landed in a tree about 400 feet away.

This strange creature was dark yellow. It was five inches across at the head, tapering to 1/2 an inch at the tail. Its length measured 30 inches. Instead of wings, it used its tail as a propeller. When questioned by skeptics, the Brooks swore that what they saw was NOT a bird carrying a snake. Others theorized that the creature may have been a dragon. Some rationalized it as a type of lizard with gliding abilities. The Brooks, however, were adamant that they had seen a flying snake and nothing more. 

Ophidiophobia is the official term for fear of snakes, and it's not an uncommon phobia for many. Luckily, that's not something I personally suffer from, but I will say that I'd absolutely be more than a little unnerved to see a yellow hoop roll down the hill, then spread its serpentine body and fly across the valley. The Brooks seemed rather unfazed by the whole incident, and it doesn't seem like the rest of the town cared much, either. As far as I can tell, this incident didn't make it into the local papers. The clipping below, provided by Historian of the Strange, comes from the Tampa Tribune in Florida! 

I can only imagine why a Florida newspaper would be interested in a weird, but not too weird story from a tiny town in West Virginia. It wouldn't have anything to do with the idea that it wasn't likely to be fact-checked would it?  Stay spooky, ya'll---and keep your eyes to the skies in search of flying snakes!

The Tampa Tribune
12 July 1914
Source: Historian of the Strange FB

Pocahontas Ghost Causes Man to Faint

 

Today, Appalachian Ghost Tours, aided by members of WV Unseen, will return to the Pocahontas Fuel Company's office building in downtown Pocahontas, Virginia for a public investigation. I'm going to wait until after that investigation to publish a blog post on that particular location, but while we're waiting, I thought I'd share one of the town's historic ghost stories I found in the newspaper archives.  The following tale, transcribed below, comes from the Clinch Valley News and Richlands Press out of Bristol, Virginia, and is dated February 8, 1901. I honestly have no idea what the heck is going on in this story. Is it a true account, and if so did the gentleman actually see a ghost, or just a misidentification of a lady in a giant hat? Is it a bit of fanciful fiction, or even some sort of social and/or political commentary? I'll let you decide...

A POCAHONTAS GHOST

On Saturday evening a friend came in about 10 o'clock, just as all were leaving for a stroll down town. "Don't let me detain you," was his remark, "as I will go up stairs and take a sleep." In a short time he heard some noise below, slipped down in his stocking feet to the bottom of the stairs, stopping concluded that he had been dreaming. Started back, when he heard another noise, pushed the room door and standing in the middle of the room was a ghost with a horse collar extending over the forehead, about the size of a small stove pipe. He fainted. Just at time a lady entered the front door, and finding him in this condition, gathered a pitcher of water, the only water on the place, it being a dry day in Pocahontas, dashed it in his face, which revived him. He thought he had fallen in Bluestone. When he revived he found a beautiful young lady dressed in a splendid dotted white dress, with a very fashionable pompadoure hat. Not being satisfied with her looking glass she had come over to consult her young friend as to her make up. My young friend is only seventy years old, and I doubt if he gets another horse collar scare whether he will ask any of the young ladies to marry him or not. The young lady being one of the most beautiful and popular in the town, and her magnificent appearance on this occasion would have made an older man than my young friend faint. 

Clinch Valley News and Richlands Press
08 February 1901

The Half-Haunted House of Marmet

Marmet is a small community, located along the Kanawha River, just past Kanawha City. It's a town that my husband and I often end up driving through when we're just out sight-seeing...and it's a town that is REALLY fun to hear non-locals try to pronounce. Although you might not be able to tell just from looking at it, there's a lot of history in that little town. It is the location where on August 23, 1921, miners flooded in from surrounding mining communities to start their march towards Mingo County, resulting in the largest labor dispute in history. (See: Marmet--The Beginning of the Most Significant Labor Rebellion in American History)

It's also the location (or was, at least) to HALF a haunted house. Yes, that's correct; only half of this house was said to be haunted.

The house in question was a two-story brick home, which at one time served as the Sandberg Coal Company's offices. But, by the 1950's, it had a reputation of being haunted. It was reported in the January 17, 1952 edition of the Charleston Daily Mail that several readers had claimed that the home, located on a hillside near the railroad tracks, had a ghostly past. One such claimant was a 60 year old man who said that the house was known to be haunted ever since he was a little boy, and that no one would stay on the bottom floor.

But, other locals would claim that there wasn't anything to the stories. William Coleman, a former tenant, along with Arlie Compton, who was living in the home at the time of the article, both agreed that there were no ghosts to be found, although William did say there were occasionally some strange noises. 

What's even more interesting is that the owner of the property, lawyer R.D. McCabe, claimed that the first floor fell in years prior, and the basement flooded with water. No one could live on that first floor, but not because it was haunted...but because the first floor technically didn't really even exist! But, it was assumed that if there WAS anyone occupying that space, it would HAVE to be ghost...

The Charleston Daily Mail
17 January 1952

Huntington's Most Reliable Spirit

Third Avenue, circa 1880
Source: WV History on View

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

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

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

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

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

Huntington Advertiser
4 March 1875

Charleston's Clicking Ghost

Charleston, WV ca 1920
Source: WV History on View

I love a good, local ghost story! Today's tale comes from the September 5, 1920 edition of the Charleston Daily Mail, and shares the experiences of one family living in a two-story home in the city. Unfortunately, there are no names, addresses, or any other clues to help figure out WHICH house is being discussed. All we know is that in addition to the family, the home contained a 'clicking' ghost.

The family had moved into the home several years prior, and weren't there very long before they noticed a strange phenomenon. Day or night, whatever the season, they'd hear strange noises coming from various points throughout the house, including the living room, dining room, upstairs and downstairs halls, and even the bedrooms. But, this noise was unlike the normal noises made by settling homes, experiencing shifts in temperature and humidity. This noise was a very distinct 'click,' not unlike someone snapping their fingers. 

While the family quietly engaged in reading or other activities, out of nowhere would come the clicking sound, arousing everyone's attention. However, this was always just one, lone, solitary click, and as much as the family strained to hear another, the next click never came sooner than 1-2 hours later, and always from a different part of the house. 

In terms of paranormal activity, these clicks were pretty mundane, and the family just accepted that they had a ghost, even commenting jovially on the subject. But, activity would take a slight upward turn during the summer of 1920. It was then that the family began using a previously unoccupied bedchamber. Apparently, this room wasn't exactly unoccupied, for it would seem that it was actually the personal space of the clicking ghost!

After moving into this room, the family noticed that while the clicks in the rest of the house were sometimes rather faint, the clicks coming from this room were consistently clear, sharp and crisp. They also tended to come more frequently, and occurred rather close to wherever the person was at in the room at the time. If they were in bed, the noise would come from around the headboard. If they were by the dresser, that's where the click was heard. 

The family insisted that these noises were not emanating from the walls, floors, or even ceiling. Rather, they seemed to be coming from right in the middle of the room, floating about 5 to 6 feet above the floor, further convincing them that the clicks were the work of a phantom guest snapping his fingers.

By the end of the newspaper column, the father of the family notes that the ghost, along as it keeps to just the snapping, is welcome to stay. However, if it starts pulling the bedclothes off, it better watch out!

My first thoughts in reading this were that the clicking noises sound a lot like poltergeist activity, but poltergeists tend to not stick around for very long and many times, the activity quickly intensifies until it reaches a head. This ghost just seemed most content to click or snap every now and again reside peacefully among this Charleston family, who fortunately, was more than willing to also coexist peacefully with their ghost! 

Charleston Daily Mail
5 September 1920

Ghost Is a Crazy Man

I don't often share too many old articles about ghost sightings outside of West Virginia, but I came across this interesting piece from Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania in the May 16, 1915 edition of the Sunday Telegram (Clarksburg, WV) and just had to share it. It is one of the most absurd things I've read in quite awhile...and I read some weird stuff.

So, apparently, a musician/hypnotist named Joseph Androlavage suffered some type of mental breakdown. As a result, he donned a white sheet and terrorized Georgetown citizens with a gun. Yeah. A GUN. This 'ghost' was armed with a pistol. 

In one incident, Androlavage stalked a man named John Daley, and gave him a letter about how his time was soon to come. The letter was signed 'Black Hand.' Four shots of a pistol into the ground were part of this exchange between Androlavage and Daley, and smartly, Daley got the heck out of there. Luckily, some young men from the area were able to safely apprehend Androlavage. 

But, was Androlavage really the "ghost??" 

Although it didn't make it into this West Virginia newspaper until May, the incident with Mr. John Daley actually occurred back in March of 1915 and was written about in the local papers. But, a follow-up story appeared in the March 31, 1915 edition of the Times Leader (Wilkesbarre, PA).  This article, found below, states that Mr. Androlavage claims that he was NOT the ghost, nor did he even own a gun. His friends attested to his character, and believe that the false claims against him were the work of practical jokers. The author of the article seemed to agree that Mr. Androlavage was too sensible for such behavior, and since no other follow-ups can be found at this time, I guess the mystery of Black Hand remains just that: a mystery. 

'Get Away' From This Haunted House!

The Baltimore Sun
12 September 1915

I applaud this un-named gentleman and his bravery! Back in September of 1915, there was an old house located in Lawrence County, Ohio that had developed a reputation for being haunted. Located just outside the small town of Getaway, the home was formerly owned by Reverend Elisha Thacker, a Baptist minister who had passed away back in 1910. 

In the five years since the Reverend's passing only one family had rented the vacant home, but was so spooked they had to leave after just one night. After that, no one dared set foot in the home, either in daylight nor at night. They did, however, find the courage to throw a countless number of rocks through the window at the alleged goblins. 

But that all changed that September when finally, one guy decided to enter the house. He reported that he found no signs of ghosts or goblins in the former Thacker residence...just lots and lots and lots of rocks. 

I'm pretty sure the old 'haunted' house is gone, but you can still visit the Thackers in their final resting place at the Harmony Baptist Cemetery. Reverend Thacker, who was born in 1828, served during the Civil War as a chaplain with the Union Army. He and his first wife, Melcina/Melceda lived in Wayne County, WV before settling in Lawrence County, Ohio and establishing a church there. When Melcina died, she became the first person buried in the Harmony Baptist Cemetery. Reverend Thacker would follow on August 20, 1910, and his 2nd wife, Josephine, would be laid to rest in 1931. 

There's a funny story related to Elisha Thacker and the naming of the town of Getaway. The little town was previously known as Unionville, or even Russell's Place until one day in 1870 when a surly stranger stopped by the Thacker property to chat with the reverend, who happened to be building a fence along the road. The stranger didn't seem too impressed with the area, and when he asked the name of the location, a frustrated Thacker replied with 'Get Away!' The stranger noted that it was a fitting name for such a town, and thus, the legend of how Getaway got its name was born!

It's too bad that this haunting was 'debunked'---I have my reservations based on lack of information in the article, lol. Just because one dude says it isn't haunted doesn't PROVE anything, just the same as you can't prove that it IS haunted. Anyway, I rather enjoy the possibility of a haunted house with the ghost of an old Reverend just yelling "Get Away!!!" at passersby!

Further Reading:

The Lawrence Register

Find-a-Grave

East Wheeling Babies Bewitched

East Wheeling
Source: WikiPedia

In October of 1874, tragedy struck the East Wheeling, WV neighborhood along Alley 16. Seven babies from seven different families took ill with an unknown malady, resulting in the death of one of them. It was feared that the remaining six would also not survive, but instead of calling in a medical doctor to treat the children, the superstitious families turned to a different route.

Believing the babies were bewitched, a woman "known to possess much influence with superstitious persons" was called in to drive out the evil spirits that were making the babies sick. Among the 'treatment' was turning the children's left stocking inside out, and advising the families to keep their doors locked, their keyholes blocked, and to avoid loaning anything to each other for fear that it could contain an attached evil spirit. 

The author of the article, which appeared in the 30 October 1874 edition of the Wheeling Daily Intelligencer  did not hold back, saying how absurd and humiliating this belief in witchcraft is, and that these poor babies are surely to suffer because of their parents' ignorance.  To add further insult to injury, in the month following, this story got picked up by newspapers around the country, all of which were eager to share how ignorant and superstitious those West Virginia mountain-folk are. 

30 October 1874
Wheeling Daily Intelligencer

The Brownstown Giant

 

05 April 1899
Wheeling Register
Source: Chronicling America

Happy Giant Skeleton Saturday! Today's tale of a giant skeleton unearthed in West Virginia is kind of a puzzler for me, so maybe there's someone out there much more knowledgeable than me who can clear things up!  Anyway...

I found this story about Harry Berry finding a 14 foot skeleton near Brownstown, West Virginia. He was near the wharf landing and recent flood damage had partially unearthed the skeletal remains of an 'evident Indian' with a pipe and a tomahawk by his side. Remarkably, the skeleton was well-preserved. Although I've posted a photo of the article, you can see the article for yourself in the April 5, 1899 edition of the Wheeling Register, available for FREE at Chronicling America. 

The mystery comes in as I was trying to do some additional research. I started by trying to confirm exactly where Brownstown is located. I found a Brownstown, which used to be located in Cabell County along the Ohio River. Today it is part of Huntington. I also found out that Marmet, located in Kanawha County and along the Kanawha River USED to go  by the name of Brownstown and was absolutely still known under that name the article above was published.

But...I found several  sources that REALLY threw me for a loop. Apparently, a near-identical article to this one was published in the April 5, 1933 edition of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette! Among the minor changes in the article's format, the name of the town changes from Brownstown to Browntown (No 'S'). And, several websites that shared this version have noted that Browntown is actually located in Barbour County, WV. There is a Brownton located in Barbour County, and it is located very close to the Tygart River. However, the fact that the article was post-dated 34 years later makes me really wonder if that information is inaccurate as well. 

Allegedly found in the
05 April 1933 edition of the
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
Source: Greater Ancestors

Okay, so things get even WEIRDER!!  I've also found several references, including a mention allegedly from the History of the Great Kanawha Valley that in Brownstown, WV, located ten miles from Charleston at Lens Creek (so the Marmet location would be correct) a GIANT skeleton as well as a  deformed DWARF skeleton were unearthed together! (Source: Opera News) However, another source (Anomaly Info) states that this information allegedly came from the book, A History of Fayette County, but was a 2014 hoax posted by the website, the Nephilim Chronicles. So yeah, maybe I should have just left this one alone, but I love a good mystery! 

If you have any information that can help clear up this mystery, I'd love for you to chime in. Let me know in the comments below, or find me over on Theresa's Haunted History Facebook. Thank you and as always, stay spooky! 

Wild Man in Fairmont

 

17 September 1903
Daily New Dominion (Morgantown, WV)
Source: Chronicling America

It's time for another Wild Men Wednesday feature! This story come from Fairmont, WV. A young couple were hanging out in a wooded area near Fairmont's East End one evening when a huge, dark object walked out of the foliage. It walked toward them, uttered a strange sound, then headed back into the brush. Another person reportedly saw the same creature just after daylight, and reported HIS experience to the police as well. 

Was this just a really tall, anti-social human, or was it a Bigfoot-type creature? Could it be some sort of other supernatural entity? As always lemme know what you think...and let me know if you're having fun with these Wild Men Wednesday articles! There, is, uh, absolutely NO shortage of these types of sightings reported in early newspapers, but I'll probably be taking a bit of a break before too long, so enjoy them while you can! 

WV Woman Imprisoned for Witchcraft

Ladies' Cell at the WV State Penitentiary
at Moundsville ca 1924
Source: WV History on View

Sure, it looks a little cramped, but overall, the women's cells at the WV State Penitentiary at Moundsville didn't look too shabby. Up until a new, all-female prison was established in 1947, the state's female offenders were housed at Moundsville. One such prisoner who called a cell like the one above home for four years was Mrs. Mary Loveall. She didn't She didn't murder her husband, rob a bank, or even write forged checks. She was imprisoned for the crime of witchcraft. 

In the summer of 1918, Mary Loveall of Bridgeport, WV was tried in a Wheeling criminal court and found guilty of witchcraft. The cause of all the trouble started when Mrs. Theresa Kullman of East Wheeling contacted Mrs. Loveall about her sick son. In exchange for $640, Mrs. Loveall was to remove the 'sick spell' that was making Kullman's son sick. However, the son passed away and Mrs. Loveall was consequently arrested and tried. 

There is frustratingly little information about this story, but the same several newspaper articles appeared all over West Virginia, making their way into newspapers across the country. Mrs. Loveall did not deny the charges of witchcraft. In fact, she openly admitted that she believed in witchery and that she learned it from her mother, who also practiced. Mrs. Loveall stated that she practiced in both Ohio and in West Virginia, but, this was the only incident that I could find where her success, or lack thereof, was news-worthy. Allegedly, she had no comment when the judge handed down her sentence of four years in the state penitentiary. 

I can only imagine what the other inmates thought of the Witch of the Women's Ward. I'm sure some thought the whole thing was a scam and that she was a fraud...but there were probably a few of the more superstitious of the lot who didn't dare look at her wrong. Also, can we just take a moment to take in the fact that a woman was sent to prison for WITCHCRAFT in the 20th century?? I'm sure fraud charges were more likely what she was actually prosecuted for, but I still find it interesting how witchcraft was so boldly emphasized by the papers, and possibly even the court. And, going off on another tangent...yeah, even if Mrs. Loveall truly believed that she had the power to remove the spell from the young man in question, and tried to do so in good faith, it probably wasn't the smartest idea for the mother, no matter how desperate, to resort to such measures. But, if she had paid a doctor $640 for treatment and the son still died, would she still have a case to pursue? 

In any event, its a sad case that resulted in the loss of a life and a woman sent to prison. But, it's an absolutely fascinating case that takes its rightful place among the strange and unusual history of West Virginia! 

Sources: 

Martinsburg, WVa Evening Journal. 17 July 1918. Page 3

The Independent Herald (Hinton, WV). 25 July 1918. Page 6

 

 

Ghosts and Goblins on Robinson's Run: A Friday Fright Bite

Stock Image, NOT Robinson's Run

Every once in awhile, I like to offer a little Friday Fright Bite. These are tales that don't have a lot of meat to them, but I find interesting enough to want to share, nevertheless. Today's story comes from the February 22, 1892 edition of the Wheeling Register, a local newspaper from Wheeling, WV in the state's northern panhandle. It goes as follows:

Some young men on Robinson's Run, in Monongalia county, hearing stories of ghosts and goblins which were said to have sprung from a certain Indian grave in the vicinity, visited the grave the other day and dug into the grave, and within eighteen inches of the top of the earth found the remains of a man. The bones were much decayed, many of them entirely gone, but enough remained to show that the skeleton was that of a man of very large stature. The skull was decayed and found in several pieces, but several teeth were found to be sound. We hope after this the children of that vicinity can sleep soundly. Tradition tells us that it was the grave of an old chief. The boys settled the mystery. 

Okay, maybe I'm missing something here, but WTaF? How will disturbing the grave of an alleged Indian chief going to lead to the children of the vicinity sleeping soundly? If folklore and pop culture have taught us anything it's that disturbing human remains, especially those of NATIVE humans, CAUSES activity, not lays it to rest. The ghosts and goblins springing from this grave aren't going to be laid to rest by digging the poor man up! And what mystery, pray tell, has been solved? I guess they confirmed there was body located in a rather shallow grave, but nothing of this article shows that it was proven to be an Indian chief, or that disturbing his final resting place put an end to the ghosts and goblins. The only scenario I can see where this could make sense would be if this original burial was the result someone murdering the chief and hastily disposing of him, or something similar, where the body was not buried according to the deceased person's traditions or final wishes, and as a result, the ghost of the deceased was trying to reach out and have his remains found and treated respectfully. Maybe he even wanted his killer brought to justice.

Was a cause of death established? Was law enforcement, or even scientists involved at any point to identify the remains? Were the remains reburied, or otherwise respectfully treated? If they were, this little newspaper blurb certainly doesn't mention it, and I'm probably waaay over thinking things, trying to make sense in my own mind. Anyway, I know it's cliche, but really...it's just bad form and disrespectful, no matter what your religious and cultural background is, to disturb the final resting place of a buried body without making an effort to properly handle it afterwards. Unfortunately, that was the case with so many American Indians during this period of time, and newspapers of the era have no shortage of stories about bones and other artifacts being dug up and kept in private collections, or worse, being dumped. No wonder we have so many ghost stories...

Note on Robinson's Run: I found this blurb about Robinson's Run on Trails Offroad: "Located in western Monongalia County, 40 minutes from Morgantown, Robinson Run is a fun trail nestled in the Appalachian Mountains. On the drive there, you'll instantly get a feeling for the area. The area is entirely rural, consisting of dispersed homes, farmland, and large tracts of vacant land. Like many trails in Monongalia county, this is an unmaintained public road built to connect communities that arose when the timber and coal industries brought people to the area."

Dead Soldiers Haunt Martinsburg Lumberyard

Example of WV Saw Mill, ca 1900
Source: WV History on View

Today's vintage ghost story comes from the June 30, 1900 edition of the Martinsburg Herald and, much like with the tale from the Littleton Quarry I posted about earlier this month, involves a work crew being haunted by phantom sounds. But, unlike the Littleton Quarry story, the cause of the ghostly disturbances aren't due to the violent, accidental death of a co-worker. Rather, it is believed the land that the men were clearing for the Bessimer/Bessemer Limestone Company was haunted by the spirits of Civil War era soldiers who were buried in a trench on the property. 

Ghosts in Lumber Camp

The lumbermen who have been encamped in the fields to the north of town, which are being cleared of the timber by the Bessimer Limestone Company for the purpose of making crossties for the new railroad switch to the limestone and iron ore fields, have become so alarmed at the uncanny surroundings and the ghostly noises that they have positively refused to remain at the place after dark.

When Mr. W.C. Leonard, the manager of the business for the company, went to the saw mill at ten o clock Saturday morning he found the half dozen lumbermen sitting around talking with frightened expressions upon their faces. Mr. Leonard was at first somewhat angry at seeing that no work had been done that morning, but when he learned the cause of the cessation of work he could not help but give way to his anger to other feelings.

The truth of the matter is the men were really scared. Among the crowd of lumbermen, is the well known sawyer, James Moran, were too scared to work, so frightened that they could do nothing but sit around and chat and wonder at what had taken place the night before.

It was in the J.V. Kearney field, now owned by Mrs. Brister, where the strange occurrences took place. The company has purchased the timber on it for the purpose of making crossties and lumber for the new buildings they are soon to erect. In the field near the place where the saw mill stands are several trenches in which dead soldiers are buried. This is what gave rise to the uncanny feelings in the breasts of the lumbermen in the camp.

Every night since they have been there they claim they have heard ghostly noises of every description, beginning at ten o'clock and ending at midnight. They said they were with difficulty able to stand it until Friday night, when the climax was reached. That night beginning at about ten o'clock they could hear axes chopping, trees falling, the saw mill going at full speed and the engine door opening and shutting at intervals. They looked outside the tent, but could see nothing, no ghosts nor falling trees nor the saw mill in operation. This noise continued, however.

The lumbermen said it was about all they could stand and they huddled about in the tent and prepared for the worst. Thoughts of the dead soldiers buried at their feet added to the uneasiness of the situation. At midnight the noise ceased and the men managed to hold out until morning. 

At daylight they went to investigate, but they could see no signs of fallen trees or where the mill had been in operation at night. Right there the men decided not to do another stroke of work in that field and it was in that mood they were in when Mr. Leonard found them. He finally prevailed upon them to finish out the few trees that were left and they are now working there during the day and spending the night somewhere else. 

Mr. Leonard and Mr. L.W. Robinson approached the men again about the ghosts and they still cling to their statement that the place is haunted and declare they will not go near it after dark. The men are all good, steady men, but they all told the same story in all seriousness.

Since this has come to light, other people living in that vicinity, who have held back for fear that their listeners would laugh at them, are coming forward and telling what strange things they have heard and the whole neighborhood is becoming alarmed.

Theresa's Note: The above article was posted on Page 2 of the June 30th edition. However, there would be some more information regarding this tale on Page 5. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any further updates as to how the ghost hunt went, which apparently had the potential for being pretty wild if real guns were planned: 

A Ghostly Expedition

Mr. Jas. Moran was in town Thursday morning and repeated the tales about the actions of the spooks at the saw mill north of town. He was confronted and questioned closely by a number of prominent men and he repeated the tales of his experiences many times this morning.

C.H. Sprinkle, the noted spiritualist, living about a mile from the spooks infested woods, called at The Evening World office Thursday morning to get the story of the strange occurrences. He said that the people in that neighborhood were becoming alarmed, but that he was at home with spirits.

Mr. Sprinkle said he would like to stop the young men who were going out on the ghost hunting expedition. He said it was a mistake to call them ghosts as they were the spirits of the departed returned earth. He said he held consultations with them every day and that if the young men went to shooting at them with guns they would disturb them and there would be trouble. The young men are determined to solve the mystery, however, and are going on the expedition prepared for the worst. 

West Virginia's Unluckiest Man

 

The Leader (Hinton, WV)
11 May 1933

It all started on a Friday. Friday the 13th, that is. On Friday, November 13th, 1931, Edward C. Kirk, a 57 year old resident of Charleston, West Virginia would kick off a series of mishaps that would shape the rest of his life for the worse. On that day, he fell beneath a train and lost his leg. A few months later, he lost an eye in an automobile accident. 

But, his streak of bad luck wasn't over; it merely just took a break for a year or so. On May 8, 1933, as he was groping for his artificial leg, he accidentally discharged a pistol, shattering the bone of his left arm, which had to be amputated the next day. 

This poor guy just couldn't catch a break, and that bad luck POSSIBLY rubbed off on his son, as well! While I was searching for some any updates (okay, I was morbidly looking to see if this guy had any further accidents) I came across a small blurb in the Charleston Daily Mail from September 12, 1933, stating the results of a court case. A Mr. Edward Kirk JUNIOR of Charleston had sued several men over being struck by a truck on Anaconda Avenue on May 16th, 1933, barely a week after Mr. Kirk, Sr. had his arm amputated. I can't prove that this was the same family, as when I looked at the death certificate index, there were actually several Edward Kirks in Kanawha County around this time, but it makes ya wonder....

In any event, I hope YOU have a much luckier and happier Friday the 13th! 

Ellis McDonald's Message

Rail Yard at Keyser
Source: WV History on View

The following 'remarkable ghost story' was published in the July 23, 1881 edition of the Martinsburg Independent, although as stated in the story, it originally came from the Keyser Tribune a week earlier. If true, it IS a remarkable tale of a young man who was killed in a train accident coming back two years later to pass on a message to someone living on this side. He didn't appear as a wispy, ethereal form, or communicate in moans and whispers; rather, he looked as solid as any living person, and spoke normally. The only problem was, he was recognized as being, well...dead. But, this story has an interesting post script, as you'll see below. 

A Remarkable Ghost Story

We take the following from the Keyser Tribune of last week. It reads a little like a Western story.

The following ghost story created a sensation among the superstitious, and from the straightforward story given by the party to whom it appeared and connections with it generally give a rather mysterious significance. The fireman on 434, a 2nd division engine, was sitting in the cab while the engine was standing in the round house in Keyser, one night last week, when he beheld a man approaching. The fireman took no particular notice of the approaching figure, as it was a common occurrence to see men in the round house after night, attending to their work. It came nearer and nearer, mounted the cab and spoke to the fireman. He looked up at the intruder, then turned pale as death, and trembled as though the ague had seized him in every limb. Oh! horrors! He tried to speak but his voice failed; he tried to move, but he was as if paralyzed, and the cold sweat stood in large drops on his forehead, as he recognized, standing before him as if alive, Ellis McDonald a man who was killed in a collision at Black Oak about two years since. The phantom spoke to him in a steady, natural voice, and requested that he deliver a message to a man in Martinsburg, whose name it gave, also giving him the message, and warned him to intimate it to no living soul except the one for whom it was intended. The fireman consented and the ghost vanished. At the disappearance of the visitor the fireman leaped from the cab and made his way to a caboose in the yard, in which some men were sitting, to whom he related his experience. Next day he went to Martinsburg, and went into a saloon where he found the man to whom the message was sent. Calling the man aside he delivered the message. "My God!" he exclaimed, and sank into a chair, quivering all over; "that affair was known to only one man on earth besides myself, and he has been dead two years!" "Where did you hear it?" "McDonald came and told me while I was sitting on my engine in Keyser," said the fireman. 

We failed to learn the names of the principals of this story, but it came from good authority, and no doubt has a good foundation.  

Theresa's Note: It's too bad that they failed to learn the names of the principals of the story. That omission really doesn't help to authenticate this case. There is one name that is given, however, and that is the name of our ghost--Ellis McDonald. I can confirm that an Ellis McDonald, aged 30, DID die in Martinsburg on 17 August 1879, two years before this story was published. His cause of death is listed as a railroad accident.

Could the writers simply have exploited a known death in the area to sensationalize into an entertaining ghost story to sell papers? That seems to be the opinion of one woman who wasn't shy about writing into the paper to share her disgust about what she felt was a false story being published.Spoiler alert--the woman was the deceased man's WIFE!!  I completely empathize with her and as someone who documents ghost stories, the reactions of living family members and friends is always something that I struggle with. I plan on blogging about it more thoroughly in the near future, but until then, let's just say that a little tact and empathy can go a long way. Anyway, here is Mrs. McDonald's response, as published in the July 30, 1881 edition of the Martinsburg Independent: 

That Ghost Story

Eds. Independent:

The pretended "Ghost Story" which appeared in the Keyser Tribune, and was copied into the INDEPENDENT, is a purely sensational fabrication, having no foundation in fact, else why did not the Tribune give the name of its informant, or the "fireman of 434" give the story over his own signature.

The publication in the Tribune, unbacked by any reliable evidence, was uncalled for, and could have no other effect than to wound the feelings of the relatives and friends of the deceased, whose name is mentioned in the article. 

The use of his name in that connection was entirely unwarranted, and in respect to his memory, and out of consideration for my own feelings and that of his other relatives and friends, I protest against it, and warn all persons against a like repetition of the matter complained of.  -MRS. ELLIS MCDONALD