St. Albans Lady in Black

 

Bridge over the Coal River
St. Albans, WV 1870

During the summer of 1871, the little river town recently renamed 'St. Albans,' located in what is now Kanawha County, WV was plagued by a ghost. This wasn't just any ghost; it was an infamous Lady in Black. An anonymous correspondent was quoted in a Wheeling Daily Intelligencer column from July 7th that a mysteriously lady in black had been spotted around town beginning in late June.

The first witness was a St. Albans resident named Mr. S-----. Mr. S----- was returning home late one evening from 'business' when he encountered the apparition. However, it didn't occur to him that she was anything other than a flesh and blood woman, except for maybe the fact that when he approached her, she disappeared into the bushes. 

He saw her several times over the next week, always between the hours of 11pm and midnight. He mentioned the weird behavior of this strange woman and shortly after a group of gentlemen out for a nightly stroll encountered her for themselves. One of the men was determined to discover who the mysterious woman was and began to go after her. However, the faster he went, she went, until both were at a run. He never did catch up with her. 

Others came forward and claimed that they, too, had seen the mysterious woman between 11pm and 12am, always on the same path. She was seen as if coming from the home of Colonel Cunningham and heading towards the old bridge. No one ever claimed to have known her true identity. 

Theresa's Note: Over the years, I've come across quite a few 'woman in black' tales from various towns across West Virginia and beyond. These tales all seem to have very similar elements; an unknown woman in black is seen very late at night by gentleman out doing, well, whatever. When she is approached, she speeds up and cannot be caught. These tales tend to be morality tales, or warnings to the men of town that they shouldn't be out and about so late at night. But I wonder if this ghostly woman was in fact, a real woman who perhaps was up to no good herself. It's odd that the correspondent made sure to note that she was seen coming from the area of Colonel Cunningham's residence (a Union soldier who had acquired much of Philip Thompson's land after the Civil War) but failed to give the full name of the main witness. Personally, I'd like to believe that the mysterious woman was simply a ghost, perhaps mourning the loss of a lover or son lost in the War, making her evening stroll down to the Coal River. If you're in the area, keep your eyes open. Even if you don't see the Woman in Black, chances are that in THAT area, you're bound to see something strange and unusual!

Guyandotte's Lady in Black

The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer
07 July 1871

The Horse with a Halo

This spooky and strange tale can be found in Appalachian Ghost Stories and Other Tales, by James Gay Jones, originally published around 1975. If you'd like to hear me read the story in it's entirety, as written in the book, head on over to my TikTok account. But, read on for a more summarized version of this fascinating tale from the Leatherwood Creek area of Clay County, West Virginia. 

It seems that many years before the tale was collected, a family was being plagued by an odd apparition: a white horse with its head surrounded in a halo of ethereal light. One evening, this family was sitting on their front porch after dinner, enjoying each other's company and conversation. After awhile, they noticed the spooky horse trotting up the highway in front of their house. When it turned off the main road onto their lane, the family, understandably spooked, ran inside and took their positions at the windows to see what the horse would do next.

 As the horse reached the gate, it paused, snorted, then leaped over into their yard and on towards the house. By this point, the family was already getting pretty anxious. Some tried to get a better view out the windows, while others abandoned their post and started trying to find a place to hide! Meanwhile, the horse continued to approach the house, and within seconds had leaped up onto the porch. From this close-up view, the family could see that the horse was 'monstrously large,' had 'eyes shining like coals of fire,' and of course, the halo. 

The horse started stomping through the front door, sending the family fleeing out the back door and up the hill behind their house, where they hid behind the trees, waiting to see what else this fallen angel of a horse would do next. Fortunately, the horse did not pursue the family. Instead, it backed out of the house through the front door and into the yard. But, it didn't turn around and continue on down the road. Instead, it began to ASCEND into the sky, up and up until it had disappeared. However, it did leave a clue to it's existence. For some time after, a halo of light was observed around the moon. No one ever did figure out what this strange phenomenon meant, where it had come from, or where it went. 

Theresa's Note: This is an absolutely wild story to me, and I couldn't even begin to fathom what it all means, especially since we aren't given any more details about who the family was or what happened to them afterwards. Depending on your culture and interpretation, a white horse can symbolize death, but it can also symbolize purity and good fortune. The addition of a halo further denotes that this horse was a symbol of something divine, not evil, and some native tribes believe that a halo around the moon was either a sign of good luck or of change. Was it an omen foretelling the imminent death of a young and innocent family member? Was it a guide of sorts, guiding that soul to Heaven? Or did the family prosper following the sighting? Maybe it was just one of those weird things that aren't meant to be understood. 

Spook Hollow Farm

West Virginia folklore is FULL of ghost stories involving murdered peddlers, killed for the money they carried on them as they traveled the state, selling their wares to every holler and village they came across. Ruth Ann Musick, popular folklorist and author, collected tons of these tales, which she published in books such as The Tale-Tell Lilac Bush and Coffin Hollow. But, in most cases the hauntings associated with these violent crimes involves people seeing the ghost of the murdered peddler himself. I recently came across a story where the peddler surprisingly seems to be resting in peace---and those accused of the murder are the ones haunting the area!

On February 11, 1975, The Charleston Daily Mail ran an interesting piece by columnist, Adrian Gwin. The title of the piece was "Farming's Good, But...It's SPOOOOOKY at Spook Hollow!"

That winter, Mr. Gwin visited the W.D. Brannan family at their farm, located on Pigeon Run in Amma, WV. Mr. Brannan, along with his wife Deloris and 13 year old son, Jerry, welcomed Mr. Gwin to the modern, working farm known as Spook Hollow Farm. According to the article, W.D. Brannan spent 35 years working at Columbia Gas in Charleston, WV. Around 1955, he bought the farm in Amma and when he retired, made it his family's home base. While traveling extensively in their RV, the Brannans always returned to Spook Hollow where they worked diligently, growing and canning produce and raising Angus cattle. 

The family claims that they've had no run-ins with ghosts, spooks, or haints at the farm, so just how exactly did Spook Hollow become Spook Hollow??

According to legend, back in the days of the early pioneers to the area, a French peddler was robbed and murdered. Although it was later revealed that two white guys were the culprits, that didn't stop the residents from accusing two young Native Americans. They caught the two, and brought them to an old white oak tree to be hanged.  As the ghost story goes, when the rain falls gently, and the wind blows through the trees, you can stand beside the stump of that former grand oak tree and hear the two hanged Native Americas moaning, "Don't doooo it!"

Interestingly, although the family has never encountered the ghosts of the murdered Indians, upon leaving the family for the evening and stopping to get a closer look at the stump in the gentle rain, got quite the shock! Feeling a noose slide around his neck, he panicked...but only for a moment. It was then he realized it was nothing more than an errant tree branch that had gotten caught under his chin. A simple enough explanation...but perhaps a friendly little reminder from the spirits to remember their story. 

Local Haunts with the St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group

L to R: Barry, Theresa, Kaysee and Dan

Next month will be the one-year anniversary of the St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group! This awesome collection of paranormal enthusiasts was brought together by Angie Breeden and a young man named Barry who had a passion for the paranormal. Meeting every month on the last Wednesday of the month, it's been nearly a year of awesome speakers covering a variety of paranormal topics, from ghosts to Bigfoot, to UFOlogy, and everything in between. I was extremely fortunate to be the first speaker last March, covering the topic of WV Cemetery Legends and Hauntings. Brian joined me and we were able to also discuss a little about Spectral Research and Investigations (SRI) and some of our experiences.

It was an awesome time, and I continued to go to the monthly meetings as often as my schedule allowed me to! After taking a brief hiatus for the holiday season, the group started back up in January with an awesome discussion on Fairies, led by Krista Antis. It continued this month, and once again, I was fortunate enough to get to lead the discussion!

The topic of the talk this month was Local Hauntings, and you all know that I LOVE talking about the haunted hot spots throughout West Virginia and beyond, as well as all the ghost stories and historical research that go with them. I've collected quite a few haunted locations for my Haunted WV page here on the blog, but there are so, so many more places that I haven't yet found the time to add. I picked a handful of these locations close to the St. Albans area that I thought were both interesting, but also accessible to people to visit. A few of the spots mentioned were the Scary Creek Battlefield in Scott Depot, the Dunbar Wine Cellars, and Fairview Grade School in St. Albans. 

I also tried to give a brief overview of what actually constitutes a 'haunting' and the different types of hauntings one may encounter. But, the fun part was when the group started sharing THEIR favorite haunted locations, and their experiences at the places I brought up and elsewhere. It was a great discussion, and we didn't wrap it up until about 8pm! 

As always, it's so much fun getting together with others who share my passion for all things spooky! AS a special treat, Kaysee and Dan from SRI came out to support me and attend their first meeting with the St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group! Also, in addition to some of our regulars, including the WV Unseen investigation group, we had some new people from Charleston join us, which was awesome. The St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group is a safe place where everyone is welcome to come and share their own stories and experiences, and ask questions without fear of being judged. I can't say enough how happy I am to have this resource so close to home. I encourage everyone in the area to come check it out if they can. Again, we meet  at 6pm on the last Wednesday of the month in the St. Albans Historical Society building. Please follow the St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group's Facebook Page for info on upcoming meetings and speakers. Hope to see ya there! 

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 

Shepherdstown Sweet Shop

Source

Located in the eastern panhandle, Shepherdstown has often been called West Virginia's most haunted town. Among the many locations plagued with paranormal activity is the quaint little bakery known as the Shepherdstown Sweet Shop. Visitors to this favorite local business are treated to a wide selection of artisan breads, cakes, sandwiches, gourmet coffees...and a ghost named The Colonel. 

The Sweet Shop was opened in 1982 by Howard Butcher and is located at 100 West German Street in downtown Shepherdstown. The building is about 200 years old and like many old buildings in the area comes with a past. During the Civil War, it was used as a Confederate field hospital, most notably being the site of countless amputations following the September 17th, 1862 Battle of Antietam. These amputations were conducted on the second floor and discarded limbs were thrown out the windows onto flatbed carts, where they were taken to the Potomac River and dumped. 

Back then, medicine obviously wasn't what it is today. Little to no anesthesia was available during the grisly assembly line of amputations, and the screams of men in agony as the pile of severed limbs and blood piled up must have been horrific. Sanitation, especially between patients was also pretty much nonexistent, and there weren't any antibiotics to help stave off infection. Therefore, even if you survived the amputation, you were still at risk of dying of infection and disease. 

No wonder this place is said to be haunted, and no wonder the second floor, which now serves as apartments, is the most active. 

Strange noises, including the low murmur of conversation have been heard. However, the main entity who makes himself known is a man who has become known as 'The Colonel.' The apparition of an elderly man with white hair and mustache, dressed in a gray military uniform has been observed, mostly at night, but during the day as well. Once, a person being interviewed for a job interview at the bakery saw The Colonel walk through a wall! Other people have felt him brush up against them, but luckily, none of the activity at the Sweet Shop seems malevolent. 

The Sweet Shop was featured on Season 1, episode 1 of Destination America's Ghosts of Shepherdstown, and investigators thoroughly examined the history and the reports of paranormal activity at this little local bakery. They had several strange EMF hits, collected some EVPs, and even had some personal experiences. It was determined that The Colonel was actually the spirit of Major Alexander Tinsley, who was Chief of Surgery. Tinsley was sticking around the shop, wanting forgiveness for not being able to save the soldiers under his care. 

The Civil War was an ugly time in America's history and here in West Virginia, it seems particularly brutal as it literally tore our state apart. There's a good chunk of our ghost stories and hauntings that are directly related to that conflict and the Sweet Shop is just one example. So, the next time you're in the eastern panhandle and craving a yummy pastry, stop in for a treat...you might just get a glimpse into the past as well. 

Sources:

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Big Book of West Virginia Ghost Stories. Published 2014 by Visionary Living.

Thompson, David W. Haunted Potomac River Valley. Published 2021 by Haunted America. 

Shepherdstown Sweet Shop Bakery Website

When Acting is Not Enough. "Ghosts of Shepherdstown Season 1 All Six Episodes Review." Blog 

*Want MORE Shepherdstown ghost stories? Check out my blog post on The Ghosts of Shepherd University's Gardiner Hall!*

Ghostly Image Appears on Window Pane in Fayette County

1880 Victorian Woman By Fresh Grave
Source: GettyImages

One night in December of 1904, Mrs. C.T. Rodgers, who lived at the head of Keeney's Creek in Fayette County, WV had a dream. She dreamed that her deceased sister came to her, asking for help. This sister had a daughter (Mrs. Rodgers' niece) who apparently had been led astray, and was not living a very moral life, according to the deceased. She begged Mrs. Rodgers to speak with the girl, and convince her to change her ways. To this, Mrs. Rodgers replied that it would be useless; the girl would not listen to her. So, the deceased then asked Mrs. Rodgers to simply pray for the misguided youth instead. 

The next morning, Mrs. Rodgers was mulling over the dream in her head as she prepared breakfast. But as the smoke from the stove began to curl oddly about, she felt something weird was definitely going on. As the smoke drifted toward the window, an image began to take form on the glass pane. At first, Mrs. Rodgers just thought it was the cold, morning frost, but the image soon took on the unmistakable likeness of a blonde haired woman in a blue dress, standing aside an open grave. Different accounts of the tale claim that the image was like that of a photograph, while others say it was more like the artwork of French artist, Gustave Dore, who specialized in woodcuts. Either way, it was a clear image of a woman beside a grave, just standing there.  However, despite the implied link between this ghostly image and the previous night's dream, the woman did not appear to be either the sister OR the wayward niece.

Mrs. Rodgers, not wanting to bother her husband with such matters, tried to quickly scrub the image off the pane, but it wouldn't budge. It was there to stay. Mr. Rodgers must not have been a particularly observant husband, because Mrs. Rodgers didn't say a word, and he never noticed the freaky image that was now permanently part of his kitchen window. That lasted all of two weeks before Mrs. Rodgers finally said something to him. After that, things kind of got out of control. Neighbor by neighbor learned of the eerie image and before long, the whole county knew. By the time different newspapers throughout the state had picked up the story in March of 1905, it was estimated that at least 2000 people had traipsed to the small Fayette County community to see the woman in blue. Among the sightseers was the Hon. J. Alfred Taylor, a politician who would later serve in Congress. A glass worker with years of experience who claimed to have never seen anything like this before, was also in attendance, along with some scientists who brought a microscope. But, just like trying to wipe the image away produced no effect, oddly, neither did the microscope. It was reported that for whatever reason, the image of the woman by the grave refused to get any bigger under the lens. 

No one ever did discover the identity of the mysterious woman in the image, nor whose grave she stood watching. And, I never did find out exactly what became of the image---whether it ever faded away, or even if the house still stands. But, one thing I DID learn was that the wayward niece whose deceased mother was so concerned about....well, after seeing the image in the window pane for herself, she vowed to change her ways and live a moral life once and for all. So, whether or not the image actually WAS linked to Mrs. Rodgers' dream doesn't really matter; the deceased woman's plea was answered. 

Sources:

The Weekly Register (Point Pleasant, WV). 8 March 1905. Page 3

The Independent-Herald (Hinton, WV). 16 March 1905. Page 2

School Spirit at Shady Spring

Back in December of 1953, the Beckley Post-Herald ran a rather interesting article, written by Bill Childress of the Shady Spring High School newspaper, the Panorama. In what they called a 'publicity stunt,' Bill, accompanied by two other members of the school newspaper (editor Jack Wills and sports editor Robert Cole) spent an entire night, locked in the dark and empty school. Their mission---to record evidence of the Shady Spring school spirit.

Built in 1924, the original Shady Spring High School was referred to as 'the Shoe Box on the Hill.' Over the years, the school would go through various enlargement and improvement projects. It would also pick up a reputation for being haunted. It was noted that visitors to the school after dark would hear strange noises. 'Several reputable persons,' as quoted in the article, reported hearing both phantom whistling and footsteps within the hallowed halls. 

On a windy, rainy night in December, the three young men went spook-hunting, armed with nothing more than a tape cassette recorder, intent on capturing these ghostly sounds. After several unsuccessful attempts at capturing anything paranormal on tape, by midnight, the three decided to go ahead and make their efforts thrilling to their fellow students by creating some ghostly sounds of their own to be played back later. Interestingly enough, shortly after they faked their own phantom sounds, the boys DID experience a tapping sound that they could not debunk. 

A full night's effort was put into the investigation, lasting until classes began the next morning. Unfortunately, aside from the unexplained tapping sound, no other ghostly experiences were reported or recorded. The article doesn't state the opinion of the school principal, John Saunders, concerning this little foray into ghost hunting, but he must have been an awfully cool guy. I can't think of too many school principals who would approve of such an adventure! As a side note, I found an article from March 1953 stating that money would no longer be kept overnight in the school safe, as the school had been robbed 5 times in the last three years, the safe being targeted each time! I wonder if that had anything to do with the phantom noises heard at night...or the decision to let these boys come in and investigate.  Anyway....

School of Harmony

The Shoe Box on the Hill would serve as Shady Spring High until the 1966-67 school year, when a new school would be built. The Shoe Box would serve as an area junior high for several decades, before finally becoming home to The School of Harmony, teaching music to young children. No word on whether or not those ghostly footsteps and whistling are still heard to this day...but at least a whistling ghost would fit right in at a music school, right?  

Information for today's blog came from the 17 December 1953 Beckley Post-Herald article, written by Bill Childress. Additional information and photos came from the wonderful Facebook group, Our Southern WV Roots, posted by Joe Green. Stay spooky, y'all! 

Strange Noises in Benwood

I've stumbled across another great vintage newspaper article featuring a West Virginia haunting!  The following article can be found in the 27 September 1893 edition of the Wheeling Register (view original article at Chronicling America). It tells of a large frame building owned by Wheeling Steel and Iron, formerly used by a furniture and casket making company to lay out bodies of accident victims. Strange noises could be heard coming from the second story of the building, and one group of young men even claim to have seen an apparition in white robes dart by on the staircase! The building was at the corner of 8th and McMechen Streets in Benwood, WV, and as far as I can tell, the picture below is of the interior.

 NOW IT'S GHOSTS

WHICH THE PEOPLE ARE SEEING DOWN AT BENWOOD

A Weird, Gloomy and Creepy Yarn About a Haunted House, With All the Usual Accessories

Benwood has a sensation.

It is a reported haunted house.

This house is near the center of the city, and the authority furnishing the story is unquestionable.  Citizens, generally are taking an interest in it, so much that a party of persons, composed of two doctors, a member of Council and a minister of the town, and a REGISTER man, will go in a few evenings to make an investigation of it. In fact, Benwood is all worked up over it.

At Eighth and McMechen streets stands the large frame building formerly occupied by Becker & Zimmerman as their furniture and undertaking rooms. This building, probably the oldest in all that locality, is owned by the Wheeling Steel and Iron Company. Numerous stories have been afloat that strange noises proceeded from the second story of the building. Many a man has been scared out of it by weird noises. Many dead, killed by accidents, have been laid out in the rooms, from which now comes the stories so hard to believe but for the high authority.

Last Monday night a dozen young men, in an unguarded moment, entered the building and sat down. It wasn't long before their hair was standing on end, for from the rooms above came strange noises. The young men who were so scared are reliable, and would be willing to take oath as to their sincerity in the matter. The noise sounded like bricks were being thrown on the floor, and occasionally, the young men say, they could hear cries and groans not like anything earthly. They say, too, a peculiar sound attracted attention, and there was an echo like a stifled cry. One of the boys, William Rutman, had $5 in his pocket. He offered to give the money to anyone who would ascend the stairs. The boys cowered in a corner furthest away from the sounds, but one of the men started to ascend the stairs, for he wanted the $5. He says a peculiar feeling came over him as he ascended the stairs. The groans increased, and something darted past him, he states, clad evidently in white flowing robes. After that the men made a retreat. They hastened to town and told what they had seen. Though many were incredulous, yet none volunteered to investigate. 

If there be such a thing as "ghosts" this seems to fill the bill, and the crowd which will go to investigate propose to investigate fully.

It is improbable that it could be any person playing a trick, as persons say who have examined the building thoroughly before dark and locked it up, but have heard the strange sounds in the night time. 

Book Review: West Virginia Ghost Stories, Legends, Haunts, and Folklore

Title: West Virginia Ghost Stories, Legends, Haunts, and Folklore
Author: Janette Quackenbush
Published: 2018 by 21 Crows Dusk to Dawn Publishing, 21 Crows, LLC
Amazon Purchase Information
Author's Website

I don't mean to go all fan-girl, but I've been following Jannette Quackenbush's awesome Facebook page, Haunted West Virginia for quite some time and I try to share her wonderfully researched stories of West Virginia ghosts and haunted locations whenever I can. 

Therefore, I was ecstatic when I finally got to meet her in person during the Beckley Oddities Fair last October!  In addition to having a wonderful chat where she deeply inspired me to get off my butt and finish up my own book, I was able to purchase a signed copy of West Virginia Ghost Stories, Legends, Haunts, and Folklore, which includes the Legend of Seneca Rocks.  Jannette had several books for sale (which can also be purchased through Amazon and through her website), and I kind of chose this particular title somewhat at random.  I chose wisely!

Ya'll know I LOVE collecting books on West Virginia hauntings, ghost stories, cryptozoology, UFOlogy, and just anything weird pertaining to the Mountain State, and so I've amassed quite a few volumes over the years.  And I have to say, this one is definitely one of my favorites!  What really stands out to me is that not only are each of the stories that perfect mix of history and legend, but that Jannette and her family actually VISITED each and every location listed!

By actually visiting the locations discussed in the book, the author is able to share updated photographs of the area, personal paranormal experiences, interviews and information from locals, and first-hand knowledge (complete with GPS coordinates) of where exactly to find these places so you can visit for yourself.  The stories are arranged according to geographical location, making it even easier to find specific stories for a specific area.

There's also a great mix of classic, well-known stories from West Virginia ghost lore that most people will be familiar with AND stuff that is a little more obscure.  Historic haunts are plucked from newspaper archives and more recent hauntings are told by those who have experienced them. West Virginia's strong connections with both the Civil War and the history of the railroad industry are prominently featured and explored through their ghostly heritage, making this an especially interesting read for me personally from a historic viewpoint. Overall, it's just a really well-written, super entertaining read.  It's packed FULL of stories coming in at 300+ pages, but its a quick read as each location ranges from a few sentences to a few pages in length, and generally comes with lots of historical and current photos.

Obviously, I highly recommend making West Virginia Ghost Stories, Legends, Haunts, and Folklore (and the author's other books) a part of your own paranormal library!  You can purchase them online, or meet Jannette at upcoming events, including the Morgantown ParaCon on March 14th 2020  and at Wild and Weird Con on April 4th 2020!

Want MORE Book Reviews? 

Chasing Ghosts at the St. Albans History and Mystery Tour 2019!

C&O Depot

I was pretty bummed about not being able to attend the WV CASE Paranormal Expo this year...but since I was in (my) town for the weekend, I decided to go and do something fun and spooky, anyway.  So, I went to the St. Albans History and Mystery Tour, hosted by the St. Albans Historical Society!

Adult tickets were $10 each, and while they were sold at the door, we ordered ours in advance through EventBrite, just so we'd have them ready!  We checked in, ran into some old friends, and got ready to tour through the city of St. Albans, WV to hear its history...and maybe a few ghost stories to go with it.  The way the tour was set up was similar to what Ironton, OH does with its cemetery ghost walk, although on a much grander scale.  Upon checking in, you're given a sheet of paper with the addresses and a brief description of each spot on the tour.  A presentation was given at each spot every 15 minutes starting at 5 pm and running until 8:45 pm.  It was up to you go at your own pace and either walk or drive to each destination.  

Since we got there before 5 pm, we had PLENTY of time to get through each stop without feeling rushed, which I could really appreciate it.  In theory, I love the idea of running it this way, but we found out along the way that presentations didn't always start on their given times.  This led to a few times where I think we missed some information.  But, since we had plenty of time, we could stay through another presentation and there were even a couple of stops that we just revisited completely at the end of the evening. 

Overall, I had an excellent time!  I know a little about the basic history of St. Albans, so it was cool to hear some additional stories told through re-enactors portraying historical figures from the area's past.  Here are the locations featured on this tour, and a little about each one!

1. St. Albans Historical Society--At this stop we saw an awesome lil' skit about who exactly were the first settlers and who technically 'founded' the city known today as St. Albans.  It was really cute, and the re-enactors did a wonderful job.  There was also cider and snacks available for FREE at this location!

Lantz Lumber

2. C&O Depot--Right next door to the Historical Society building is the old C&O Depot where we learned a little about the railway industry in St. Albans, and Collis P. Huntington's role in its development.  This is also where we heard our first spooky ghost story.  Years ago when the station was in operation, a passenger missed his train and had to sleep overnight at the station.  He awoke sometime later with the sounds of what he assumed was a train coming...not just through the station, but THROUGH the building at him!  He then heard the sounds of people talking, and hustling about, almost as if he was witnessing the phantom procession of passengers disembarking through a big-city depot.

3. Lantz Lumber Company--At the Lantz Lumber Company, we met the Weimer family and learned of their role in the lumber industry and in St. Albans' overall history.  We had another spooky tale as we learned that footsteps could be heard in this large, brick building used for storage---but when investigated, no REAL footsteps can be found in the dust.

4. Johnson/Smith House--The Johnson/Smith House was one of my favorite stops on the tour.  We got to go inside this beautiful, early 20th century home to 'have tea' with Mrs. Johnson and other local society women.  Mrs. Johnson would tell us about herself, stopping only to listen in to the 'gossip' of the society ladies, who had their own spin on these stories.  The house was beautifully decorated, both inside and out, for Halloween and refreshments were available.

Johnson/Smith House

5. Flowers on Olde Main--This gorgeous flower shop has been in business for 50+ years, but the building in which its located has an absolutely wild history.  Here we met African-American architect, John C. Norman, who told us how he built the building. Upstairs was used a one of the few pool halls that allowed African-Americans, and during Prohibition, the building was home to a speakeasy, complete with 'hidden' elevator that ran bootleg whisky up from the lower floors.  The ladies who worked and lived in the building were present to share their experiences with hearing phantom footsteps on the main floor of the shop when no one else is around.

6. Angela's On the River--Now a popular restaurant, this former home to the Chilton family was almost razed when the Loop was being built in St. Albans.  Luckily, the pre-Civil War era home was saved, moved a short distance away.  Although the flyer for the tour states that we'd be hearing about 'the spooky things that have happened here,' when asked, we only received a short quip about a demon in a mirror.  Luckily, I found someone who had a little more information to give on that story....so look for THAT in another blog!

7. Bangor Cemetery--I have driven by this cemetery hundreds of times and never once noticed it.  It is a small burial ground dating back to the early 1800s and unfortunately many of the tombstones have been knocked over.  It's a neat little location with ties to George Washington's family and I hope to see a group come in one day and help restore the damaged stones.  As a further interesting side note...this cemetery does contain a 'slave section.'  But, apparently the slave section of the cemetery has houses built over it now!  I wonder if any of those homes are experiencing paranormal activity?

Angela's on the River

8. Morgan's Kitchen--Morgan's Kitchen was another great lil' stop on our tour.  Roasted marshmallows over the fire, live music, and a dedicated re-enactor talking about early pioneer life in the St. Albans area made for an awesome presentation.  At this stop we learned quite a bit about the old Fort Tackett, including a more mysterious side to its history.  The fort had been attacked by natives at one point and continuing YEARS after the event, people living in the area of where the fort once stood would report hearing the residual sounds of that attack, including yelling and whooping, and women screaming.  

I had a really fun time seeing this side of St. Albans under a bright and beautiful (almost) full moon. I thought the re-enactors did a wonderful job telling the history of the town and it was nice to see so many people interested. I would have loved to have a little more of the 'mystery' side thrown in, but I'm a weirdo, lol.  Overall, it was a great night and I'm so glad that we got to experience this tour.  I look forward to future events put on by the historical society, and if I get the chance to attend, I'll be sure to share my experiences with you!  Happy Haunting!

Looking for MORE ghostly goodness from St. Albans?  Check out these articles:

Haunted Hereford House

Fire Under the Bridge

Pink Lady of Shelton College

Flowers on Main

Morgan's Kitchen

Bangor Cemetery

Personal Experience at Cabell Huntington Hospital

If you follow me on Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State Facebook page, you may remember seeing a post from way back on July 28, 2018 asking for any information on potential hauntings or personal experiences from the Cabell Huntington Hospital in Huntington, WV.

Cabell Huntington (Source)

In the comment section, I did share WHY I was asking, but I wanted to go ahead and share it again here, just so that hopefully my story will reach more people and hopefully someone else will come forward with more information!  Anyway, here's what happened to me...

I'm pretty sure it was Thursday evening.  My son, Luke (8 years old at the time) had gone to the local library earlier that day to watch a program about wolves.  We were now sitting around the house waiting to go to a birthday party for a family friend when Luke started complaining that he was having some pain in the boy parts.  It wasn't real bad, so I suggested he take a nice warm bath before the party to see if that helped.  By the time he got out, the pain was worse and he decided he felt too bad to go to the party.  Luke has a pretty high tolerance for pain, so I knew if he was willing to miss a party, he was feeling bad.  And, even though I still didn't think there was anything really wrong, I decided to throw him in the car and run him down to the local MedExpress before they closed...just to be sure.  We were leaving on Saturday for the beach, and if he needed any prescriptions or anything I wanted to have plenty of time to fill them.

As we pull up to the MedExpress, Luke is now in so much pain that he can't sit down.  They take him right back, and at this point, I'm still thinking its nothing too bad.  My first thought was that he had a UTI, and that the doctor was going to tell Luke to stop using bubble bath. However, the doctor pushed on his left testicle and this kid let out a yelp of pain that I had never heard before.  THAT is when things got serious.  Luke was tentatively diagnosed with testicular torsion, but needed an ultrasound to confirm it.  The doctor told us we had a choice of hospitals:  Women's and Children's in Charleston, or Cabell Huntington in Huntington.  These were the only two options because she said if he needed emergency surgery, these would be the best two places to be.  We thought we could make it to CHH quicker, so we were sent on our way, with instructions to go straight there, without stopping.

Our doctor had called ahead, so when we checked into the emergency room at Cabell Huntington, we didn't have to wait too long until we were called back into the ultrasound waiting room.  And, this is where my experience happened!

There were a group of us who were called back to the ultrasound waiting room together.  There was a middle aged man by himself, a man in his 50s or 60s there with his wife, and Luke, along with my mom and I.  The six of us were shown into a fairly good sized waiting room to await our individual turns back to the ultrasound room.  This room was rectangular, running parallel to the hallway.  The side of the waiting room against the hallway was all glass.  The younger man sat near the door on the short wall; the older couple sat under the windows about 3/4 of the way from the waiting room door, and Luke, my mom and I sat in the corner furthest from the door.  Luke and I sat in the last two chairs facing the windows, and my mom sat in the adjoining chair on the short wall.

The only other person we saw the whole time in that area of the hospital was the nurse who came to take us from the waiting room to the ultrasound room.  It was shortly after the younger man had been taken back, that I noticed movement coming down the hall.  I looked up briefly and saw a young boy.  I couldn't get a great look at him, but he had dark hair, not quite a bowl cut, but similar.  From his height and size, I would guess him to be anywhere from 6-10 years old. I can't recall what he was wearing, but it wasn't a hospital gown.  It wasn't anything that would stand out, like old-fashioned clothing, either.  He just looked like a normal kid...mostly.

I have no idea what it was about him, but something just FELT off. I thought it was weird that this kid was being allowed to walk in this section of the hospital by himself, so I was focusing less on HIM, and watching the hallway behind him to see if he was accompanied by anyone.  No one else ever came down the hall.  While all this was going on, the kid was still walking down the hall, and he was passing behind where the older couple was sitting.  These people weren't huge, but they were bigger people.  They were tall and broad shouldered, so they took up quite a bit of viewing area.  However, I could still see the top of the kid's head moving behind them.  But, what was weird...he never passed by them.  There was still a good bit of unblocked window space between the couple and the wall and this kid just never showed up in that space.  I even got up out of my seat to look for a door or hall he could have gone through, but there was nothing but blank wall there.  It left me feeling a little eerie, but I kind of just chalked up the whole thing to the stress of the situation.

Luckily, whatever was wrong with my son corrected itself.  His ultrasound came back clear and he felt fine the next day. He has since had no more problems.  Although the ultrasound didn't indicate it, his doctor felt that perhaps he DID have a slight case of testicular torsion, but that the twisty bits had un-twisted themselves so quickly after that it didn't do any damage.  That still leaves the question of what I saw that evening in the ultrasound waiting room, around 9 p.m.  When I asked on my Facebook page, no one came forth with any similar experiences...but that's where things took an even weirder turn, lol.

So, last month I saw a new story pop up on one of my favorite websites, WV Ghosts.  It was from Cabell Huntington Hospital!  I'm reading this story, and with a few altered details, it is the same story that I had told back in July!  I thought that it was really, really weird...but hey, maybe someone had an eerily similar experience as me and this would be a great confirmation!  I contacted the owner of the site, and found out the story was submitted the same day that I made my post.  When we looked at it, there were even some of the same words used that I had used in my post...That post is still available, and can be found HERE.

I'm still curious, though.  If you have a similar experience, or ANY experience from Cabell Huntington please let me know!  You can drop me a comment here, or catch me over at Theresa's Haunted History Facebook page.  Stay spooky, ya'll!

The Shrouded Lady of Rippon, West Virginia

It's time for another Throwback Thursday vintage newspaper article!  The clipping above comes from the 8 August 1912 edition of the Shepherdstown Register. Rippon is a small community located in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle county of Jefferson.

I was drawn to this short little blurb of a story, not only because its a West Virginia ghost story being reported and documented in a local paper...but also because of how the family chose to rid the home of this ghostly shrouded woman. It is stated that the head of the household flipped all the doors in the home upside down!

Throughout my years of study into folklore and ghost lore, I've come across a ton of strange ways to prevent ghosts or keep them away, and there does seem to be an underlying theme to most of the strategies:  keep the ghost confused.  While I've never come across the idea of flipping the doors to a home upside down, I'm going to guess that such an act is based on the theory that a confused ghost is a ghost that won't bother you. I mean, renovating a building is a great way to stir up latent energies and kickstart a haunting....I guess if you already HAVE the haunting, structural changes such as flipping doors could have the opposite effect?

Theresa Takes On West Virginia's TOP 10 Most Haunted Roads

Country roads, take me home....

From dirt lanes to interstate highways, West Virginia is known for her roads.  Sometimes hilly and mostly curvy, these travel routes are often beautiful....and often dangerous. Danger will lead to tragedy and tragedy sometimes leads to a ghostly reputation. Below I've compiled a list of my favorite haunted roads throughout the Mountain State, known for phantom hitchhikers, gravity hills, and  much more. In no particular order:

1. National Road---The National Road was the country's first federally funded interstate highway, with construction beginning in Maryland in 1811. By 1818, the road had come through what is now Wheeling, West Virginia. The section of road near the Pennsylvania border is said to be haunted by phantom sounds of cannon fire, left over from several Civil War era skirmishes which took place along the route.

2. Fifth Street Hill---Huntington's Fifth Street Hill is home to the state's best urban legend: a phantom hitchhiker. Depending on who is telling the story, since 1942 drivers along this road have spotted a young woman in white.  She is always seen on rainy, dreary nights after midnight and anyone daring to give her a lift will find that she has vanished before reaching the bottom of the hill. Legend states the woman was on her way to be married in Wayne County when she was killed in a car accident.

3. Route 50---On Route 50 near Salem, motorists have claimed that when the moon is full and bright, they have seen an apparition of a woman in red, walking alongside the road. If the motorist stops and offers assistance, they quickly discover that the woman has no face!

4. Route 901---Do you want to get face to face with a Civil War soldier? On Route 901 near Spring Mill, drivers have reported that while stopped at a crossroads on foggy nights, they are visited by just such a thing.  They will see movement coming from the side of the road, and see a soldier emerge wearing a Confederate uniform and clutching his back in pain. He then flings himself across the hood of the car, but if you jump out to offer him help, he disappears.

5. WV Turnpike---The WV Turnpike is probably the most haunted road in the state, especially in an area between Beckley and Mossy. UFOs, phantom hitchhikers, and all sorts of other paranormal shenanigans have been observed by travelers, state workers, and even state troopers! Construction began on the route in 1952 and before its completion, at least five workers had been killed. Further, many family cemeteries were moved or otherwise disturbed during the construction, leading many to believe that those lost souls are the ones haunting the road today.

6. Childers Road---This residential street in Barboursville is known for the apparition of a pre-teen boy seen riding his bike. Allegedly, the child drowned in the area, but is still out being a kid. There are also reports that one of the homes on this road has quite a bit of activity in it!

7. Grasslick Road---Grasslick Road in Ripley was the site of a horrific murder in 1897, in which John Morgan slaughtered members of the Pfost-Greene family. The house is gone, but the site off Grasslick Road is still said to contain the residual memory of one young girl of the family fleeing, screaming for help.

8. Hog Alley---This alley in Harpers Ferry is the nightly route of a terribly solid apparition of a black man with a large, bloody scar across his neck. The man is Dangerfield Newby, the first fatality in John Brown's 1859 raid. After his death, Newby's body was thrown into the alley to be consumed by pigs.

9. Reese's Run Road---In the not too distant past, a local girl was brutally murdered on this road in Harrison County. Those visiting near the site have heard her screams and sobs and reported the eerie feelings of being watched.

10. 22 Mine Road---Logan County's 22 Mine Road has been a source of entertainment for legend trippers for years! Many stop their cars, rucks, and even skateboards on a designated spot on this road to see if the ghost of Mamie Thurman, whose body was found along the road in the 1930s, will cause their vehicle to roll UPHILL. This gravity hill feature isn't the only thing spooky---for years, truckers have claimed to have picked up a hitchhiking woman matching Mamie's description!

*Do you know of a haunted road in West Virginia not on the list? Please share it below in the comments or head on over to Theresa's Haunted History Facebook page!*

A Phantom Procession in Marion County

Samuel Linn's Cabin, from Pleasant Valley website

There are a LOT of ghost stories from the Marion County area around Vinegar Hill!

It was a tough decision to pick which one to focus on for today's blog, but I was particularly struck with an old tale that was first recorded around 1959 and then made its print debut within the pages of Ruth Ann Musick's The Telltale Lilac Bush.  The tale was re-hashed in A Guide to Haunted West Virginia, with some added details, yet unfortunately, this is one story that is still largely unverified.  I've taken this wonderful piece of local folklore and tried to add as much historical documentation as possible to bring it to life.

This is the tale of how Kettle's Run got its name.

Around the time of the Civil War, a log cabin in Benton's Ferry was used as a stop on the Underground Railroad.  The home, known as "The Log", was said to be about a half a mile up from where the old Benton's Ferry Bridge crossed the river, right near the base of Vinegar Hill.  Abolitionists brought escaping slaves to the cabin to await safe passage across the river and onward north to freedom.  However, one evening, raiders were waiting.

A dozen slaves were murdered and their decapitated heads were thrown into a large kettle, which was then placed by the river's edge as a warning to the family who owned The Log.  The family, however, refused to let the threat scare them into submission, and in an act of defiance, took the kettle containing the grisly remains across the river and gave them a Christian burial in the Linn Cemetery.

According to the folklore, the slaves never found rest.  Twelve pairs of glowing lights, said to be the eyes of the slaves searching for freedom...and their heads...were observed by the people of Benton's Ferry leaving Linn Cemetery in a row.  The lights were seen crossing the river, then proceeding up the road toward Vinegar Hill.  A mournful chant was said to accompany the phantom procession.

Linn Cemetery by Gia Hays

What is interesting is that the lights, although described as very bright, could only been seen from a certain window in The Log.  At the original time of the story's publication, it was noted that this house WAS still standing, yet certain renovations had changed the placement of the window, thus putting a halt to anymore sightings of the ghostly lights.

So, is there any truth to this story?

I haven't been able to verify a ton, but I did find some interesting details.  Although the names Kettle Run and Copper Hollow (the road past Linn Cemetery) are no longer in use, there's definitely some historical precedence that lends at least a little to the folklore.

Samuel Linn was born in Hampshire County in 1789.  It 1835, he and his wife Anza moved to the area around Benton's Ferry.  Before the Benton's Ferry bridge was built, a man named Asa Bee established a ferry across the river at this location, linking to the community of Kingmont.  It went through a number of operators before the Benton family took over, so when the post office was established in 1836, the area was called Benton's Ferry.

That same year, Samuel Linn finished building his log cabin, and he and his wife settled in and raised their nine children in the new home.  Samuel Linn unfortunately passed away in 1852 and was buried on a section of the family's land.  Anza had specifically picked out a nice location by a pine tree to lay her husband to rest.  Samuel is considered the first burial in the newly established Linn Cemetery, which is still a thriving burial ground today, yet that might not be entirely accurate.  Samuel was buried in August--but Thomas Westley was buried the same year in MAY.

Samuel Linn tombstone by Jeff Custer

In any event, the cemetery and former homestead of the Linn family are now incorporated into the city of Pleasant Valley.  In 1995, the smaller communities of Benton's Ferry, Kingmont, Millersville and Pleasant Valley incorporated into one larger municipality.  And, according to that municipality's website, Samuel Linn's cabin is still standing and is owned by Robert Ice.

I can't guarantee that Samuel's cabin is the same cabin known in the story as The Log, nor can I verify that the family in the story is the Linns, and not another local family. Luckily, one of the owners of Samuel Linn's cabin contacted me in July 2014 to clear up the confusion.  Although some believe that Samuel Linn's cabin IS the same as The Log mentioned in the story, evidence would suggest otherwise!  Samuel Linn's cabin is located on the same side of the river as the cemetery that bears his name and his body. In fact, only about 300 feet separate the home from the burial ground.  In the story, the heads were found at a cabin near the base of Vinegar Hill and taken ACROSS THE RIVER to be buried at the Linn Cemetery.  Apparently, this other cabin also still stands today, and thus according to the folklore, would have been the cabin where the slaves' heads were left.  I haven't yet found out who the other family was...perhaps it was even the family of one of Samuel's children...but if I do, I'll be sure to update!

Links and Sources
Linn Cemetery on Find-a-Grave
Pleasant Valley History
Linn Genealogy
A Guide to Haunted West Virginia by Walter Gavenda and Michael Shoemaker
The Telltale Lilac Bush by Ruth Ann Musick