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."

Littleton's Quarry Ghost

Stone Quarry Near Littleton
Photo from the collection of Bill Cunningham
Source: WV GenWeb-Wetzel County

This vintage ghost story comes from Wetzel County, WV and was published in the October 27th, 1892 edition of the Wheeling Daily Intelligencer. You can read the tale as it originally appeared, for free, courtesy of the Chronicling America website! As of this writing the WV Culture website's database of death certificates isn't working, but from the master list, I'm hopeful that maybe I can find a name for the gentleman who was killed and offer some validation of this story from a historical viewpoint. So, check back later for updates...

A GENUINE GHOST

Causing Considerable Consternation out about Littleton

A gentleman who was out at Littleton recently tells a story of a ghost visitant, which is a little out of the usual run of ghost stories, and so far as has been heard has not yet been explained. Several weeks ago a man who was employed in the large stone quarries near that place was killed, being crushed under a mass of falling stone. His body was made as presentable as possible, and the other workmen quit work to attend the funeral.

When the burial was over the men returned to their labors in the quarries. A number of them had heard the crash of the falling stone which killed their fellow workman, and they had not been at work long until all were startled by the same splitting sound in the rock. They instantly ran away from the face of the stone, but though the warning sound was followed by a crash, as of a huge mass of rock falling, no rock did fall.

This peculiar phenomenon awed the men, but they returned to work. Soon the sound was repeated. Then the men, thoroughly mystified, worked on with a good deal of reluctance.

The climax was reached when after one of those crashing sounds shrieks of distress were heard. The men were now thoroughly dismayed. After that the cracking in the rocks above drove all the men away, for after the seeming fall of rocks the horrifying shrieks were always heard. 

Work was continued in a desultory fashion, however, until one night the shadowy form of the man who was killed beneath the rocks was seen by one of the men. He called the attention of others to this, and all saw the form plainly. Since that experience, up to the time the INTELLIGENCER'S informant visited the quarry, the night shift had been abandoned. Two or three times the men consented to return to work, but each time the cracking sound and the thunderous crash was followed by the shrieking, and then the form of the dead man was seen. At last nobody could be induced to go near the place at night, and only the boldest of the quarrymen would work there by day. 

The gentleman who tells the story is not superstitious, but when asked by the reporter how he explained the phenomenon, he said he gave it up. 

 

Harrison County Railroad Ghost

Railroad Through Wallace. Source

Happy Throw Back Thursday!  Today's vintage newspaper article is from the February 9, 1915 edition of the Clarksburg Daily Telegram.  The story takes place in the small oil boom town of Wallace, WV, located in Harrison County, about 18 miles northwest of Clarksburg, and close to the small town of Bristol, WV.

BRISTOL, Feb. 9--It has been authentically reported here that a real, sure-enough "ghost" has been seen at Wallace, a little town on the New Martinsville branch of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, 18 miles northwest of Clarksburg, during the last fortnight. The entire populace of the town is very much excited over the apparition. It has been declared by several who have seen the "ghost" that it resembles the wife of a resident of Wallace, who died two years ago.

The apparition, or whatever it is, appears along the railroad not far from the depot. A few of the most fearless men of the town--two of them armed with Winchesters--went one night to "see" the ghost and demand an explanation; thinking it to be a "ghost incarnate."  They saw it alright. It was coming toward them. They commanded it to halt, but it did not. They fired at random, several times, again commanding it to halt.  It did not halt, but kept coming. Seeing that it gave no sign of obeying their command, they fired point blank at the "thing", which was then quite near and still advancing despite the flying lead. Then the men showed their heels in fine style.

An engineer has stated firmly that he thought he ran over a woman at the same place one night.  He felt his engine strike something. He stopped and went back but could find nothing. An examination of the wheels and rails disclosed no sign that they had run over anything. The railroad crosses a creek near at hand and the engineer thought it might have been while crossing the bridge that he struck whatever it was---supposedly a woman---and he searched the creek but nothing could be found. A few nights ago, about fifty people congregated to see the apparition but nothing rewarded them for their trouble.

Notice the small railroad bridge in the background. Could this be the location? Source

The Witch of Wyoming County

Castle Rock 1916 Source

Shirley Donnelly was a native of Jackson County, WV.  A local historian, Donnelly spent 27 years writing a column for the Beckley Post-Herald, called Yesterday and Today. Each column featured tales of local folklore, mountain superstitions, and my favorite: West Virginia ghost stories!

For his December 21, 1964 column, Donnelly rehashes a ghost story from the Sizemore Gap area near Pineville, WV. The story comes from another West Virginia historian, Barty Wyatt.  Barty tells of a dark and rainy night in the 1870's when a man named Saul Clay encountered a phantom black dog!

Today, the area of Sizemore Gap (named for the George Sizemore family) is more commonly referred to as Jackson Hill, and is located near the small community of Rock View, named for its close proximity to Castle Rock. The area was first settled around 1840 and is known today for its natural beauty.  But, in the 1870's it was better known for being haunted by what some thought was a witch!

The ghost (or witch) was said to appear to travelers on the road through Sizemore Gap, and even those who WEREN'T necessarily believers still avoided the area at night...just in case.  Saul Clay was not one of these people.  Saul was a fearless man, standing close to 7 feet tall, and he wasn't going to let any phantom scare him off.  At least, that was his mindset when he set off through the gap one dark and rainy night. His confidence was further bolstered by the American Bulldog pistol and hunting knife he carried with him.

Somewhere between the old Missionary Baptist Church and the school house (Barty believes it was the vicinity in which the home of Rev. Harry S. Stevens would later be built) the ghostly apparition appeared.  This wasn't a normal apparition, however.  What Saul Clay saw was a giant black dog, the size of a calf! Startled by the creature, Saul yelled at it to leave, but when it refused and started coming towards it, Saul fired his gun.

Beckly Post-Herald, 21 December 1964

The shot either missed or went through the creature (it being a witch or a ghost, obviously), but Saul's braveness still prevailed.  He started up the hill towards the old Rock View post office with the phantom black dog trotting alongside him.  It didn't take long before Saul's courage returned, full-force, and he decided that he was done with this creature once and for all.  Again, he gave the dog a rather stern verbal warning to get lost.  When it failed to do so, Saul LUNGED at it, rammed his pistol into its side, and fired off five shots.

Once again, the shots had no affect and Saul resorted to trying to out-flee the creature. In his haste to get away, he abandoned his hat and his gun and literally ran for the hills towards Rock Castle Creek. All the while, the phantom black dog was still right on his heels. Luckily for Saul, as soon as he reached the creek and began to cross, the creature disappeared.  Local folklore tells us that a witch's power cannot cross running water, confirming the suspicion that the phantom black dog must surely be the product of witchcraft!

If you're interested in MORE phantom black dog stories from West Virginia, check out my blog post on the Phantom Black Dog of Point Pleasant!

Map of the Area Today

The Ghostly and the Ghastly: A Passel of WV Folk Tales

Like many paranormal enthusiasts in the Mountain State, part of my earliest exposure to West Virginia ghost stories came from the collected works of folklorist, Ruth Ann Musick!  I've read The Tell-Tale Lilac Bush and Coffin Hollow cover to cover multiple times, and both books are still a staple in my personal paranormal library.

Ruth Ann Musick taught mathematics and English at Fairmont State from 1946 until 1967 and during her time there, she started a folk literature class, helped revive the West Virginia Folklore Society, and founded the West Virginia Folklore Journal.  She also collected hundreds of ghost stories from around West Virginia, not all of which ever made it into publication!

Luckily, a handful of these forgotten tales has recently been brought to life by the students and staff of Fairmont State's theater department!  On Saturday, my husband and I attended a showing of The Ghostly and the Ghastly: A Passel of WV Folktales at Wallman Hall Theater.

The play takes a look at ten ghost stories through the eyes of a bored, chatty, and unprepared college folklore class. Their lecture on the preternatural takes on a spooky twist as their professor and fellow students share spooky stories such as Ida Crawford, The Witch and the Onion, and the Fate of Frank Collins.  Together, they learn the importance of folklore and oral tradition, and a little about the history of how their ancestors migrated to this area, bringing with them their own beliefs and culture, which helped to shape Appalachian culture (and ghost lore!) as a whole.

Overall, the play was really good.  Any date night with my hubby is special, but it is extra special when when I can share my love of West Virginia history and ghost stories with him!  The entire cast and crew did a wonderful job in recreating each story and although they were given a more modern context, you could absolutely still just FEEL that same vibe you get when reading one of Ruth Ann Musick's books.  Lighting and music combined with the acting to evoke a spooky Appalachian atmosphere---perfect for a 'passel of WV folktales!' It was apparent that the cast and crew really had fun with this project, and although the atmosphere was a ghostly one, there was plenty of humor thrown in to break up the tension.  I think Ms. Musick would have been pleased at how her (mostly) unpublished stories were portrayed.  According to a recent post by the theater department, over 677 people got to experience this portrayal for themselves through the public performances.

Unfortunately, Sunday was the last day of the play's four-day run, so if you missed it, you may be out of luck.  However, you can always follow me on Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State Facebook and Twitter---I try to share all the wonderful paranormal events held throughout the tri-state that I think my readers would have an interest in.  You can also follow the School of Fine Arts' Facebook page for articles, behind-the scenes photos, and more about this play and others!  Maybe if there is enough interest, we could see an encore of The Ghostly and the Ghastly or similar such works in the future!

Any chance you get, please come out and support events such as this that highlight West Virginia's paranormal history and heritage!

The 'Ghost' of McMillion Church

Photo by Find-a-Grave user, Old Hokie

This story was found in the Fall 1997 edition of Goldenseal. In a special Halloween article, author Ruth Zicafoose tells the tale of a long forgotten ghost encounter at McMillion Church on Friar's Hill.  The church was built around 1889 and is located in Greenbrier County, about 6 miles from the town of Renick/Falling Spring. 

Ghost in the Church

By Ruth Zicafoose

This is a true story of an event that happened long ago in our community.

Near Renick, there is an area known as Friar's Hill.  In this vicinity there was, and still is, a place of worship known as the McMillion Church.

The area around there was sparsely settled with several miles between families, although not considered far apart according to the way we think of distances today.  There was a family of Knights who lived not too far from the church and several families of McMillions, from whom the church got its name.

It was in the summer time when a young gentleman of the community was courting a girl who lived three or four miles away.  In those days folks either walked, rode horseback, or drove a horse and buggy.  This young fellow had a fine saddle horse which he used for transportation in all of his romantic endeavors.

On this particular Sunday he was spending the afternoon with the object of his affections when about 4 o'clock the sky suddenly turned dark, signifying that a severe thunderstorm with heavy rain was fast approaching.  Desiring to reach his home before the rain started, he bid his beloved adieu, hurriedly mounted his horse, and galloped away.

By the time he reached the McMillion Church, which was right beside the road to his home, the rain was increasing rapidly.  Rather than risk ruining his Sunday-best clothes he decided to dismount and seek shelter inside the church.

The church doors were never locked and it was only one step from the ground over the threshold of the church door and into the shelter of the building.  He stepped far enough inside to escape the rain, but not too far so that he could hold his horse's bridle reins, leaving the horse standing outside in the terrible storm.

It was really pouring rain by this time and the sky had turned so black that one would have needed a lantern to see his way around the inside of the dark church.  Occasionally, when the lightning flashed, the inside of the church would be bright as day, just for an instant, then even harder to see than it had been, or as we used to say, dark as pitch.

After standing there and listening to the rain for a bit, he happened to be looking toward the pulpit when the lightning flashed another time.  He saw something that made the hair on the back of his neck start to crawl!  He caught a glimpse of a figure, dressed in white, rising from behind the lectern.  Then it was all dark again.  His eyes were riveted in the direction of the front of the church and he could not move!  

At the next lightning flash he could see it had not been his imagination playing tricks on him---it really was a tall human-like figure with long black hair.  The apparition, if that is what it was, had moved over from behind the lectern and had taken a step down from the pulpit.

At the next flash the figure had taken a few steps down the aisle toward the front door--it was coming toward him! He was frozen to the spot and scared speechless.  In another minute there was a big clap of thunder followed by an unusually bright flash of lightning.  The tall white figure was moving slowly, but surely, in his direction.  Each time there was a flash of lightning the figure was a little nearer.  If ever a heart was tested for failure that was the time.

The tall white figure seemingly floated past the middle of the church, then an arm on the side of the figure started rising.  In one of the flashes the young man could see a hand outstretched as though it would grab him!  He tried too run but he could not move.  Then he felt the hand on his shoulder!  It is a wonder he didn't collapse in a dead faint.

Then he heard his name, "Willis!" His heart seemed to stop!  He thought his feet had been nailed to the floor.  Then he recognized the figure.  It was a lady in the community who had lost her mind.  In her long white nightgown she had slipped from her bed and out of the house the night before, without any of her family knowing about it.  Her folks had searched all day Sunday and had not found her.

Since there were worship services only once a month at the church in those days, the lady had had the church all to herself.  

I do not know if the young man married the girl he had been courting that day, but I do know that he never forgot the time when he thought a ghost had captured him for sure!  All the rest of his life he would repeat the story for anyone who would listen.

Happy Halloween from GOLDENSEAL!

Theresa's Note:  Some of the spookiest ghost stories aren't really ghost stories at all!  This tale is another example of how things aren't always what they seem...an important thing to keep in mind when researching and investigating hauntings for yourself.  Having said that, I think I would MUCH rather run into a real ghost than a mentally unstable woman hanging out in the local church during a thunderstorm!  The description of her in her white nightgown and long, black hair, moving slowly up the church aisle, closer with every flash, is straight up out of a modern day horror movie! I hope she was taken back to her family and compassionately cared for...and I hope Willis wasn't too emotionally scarred after the whole ordeal! 

Renick, WV ca 1910 from WV History on View

Point Pleasant's Phantom Black Dog

I love finding vintage ghost stories in old West Virginia newspapers! Today's discovery comes from the May 9th, 1883 edition of the Pt. Pleasant newspaper, The Weekly Register, which can be found online at Chronicling America.  I wasn't able to find a 'Clarksburg road' anywhere on modern maps, but I was able to find the small, unincorporated community of Hickory Chapel located near Pt. Pleasant in Mason County.

GHOST---The people living along the Clarksburg road, in the neighborhood of Hickory Chapel, are very much exercised by the re-appearance of a ghost in the shape of a big black dog.  They all assert that it is a veritable ghost, and it has been seen time and again by numbers of people.  Men have met it in the road, while riding home on horse-back, and have put spurs to their horses, and have tried to out-run it, but never could; it has been shot at time and again by good marksmen, but without effect.  Sometimes when people are walking along the road it follows along by the side of them, and neither clubs, stones, or scolding will drive it from its position. 

Theresa's Note:  Stories of phantom black dogs have always been fascinating to me and they are certainly an integral part of ghost lore.  Known by many names, including the Black Shuck, phantom black dogs are a popular motif in the ghost stories of England, and undoubtedly, settlers from the British Isles brought these legends and superstitions with them to America...and even to the small, rural community in Mason County.  Tales of black dogs, especially those with glowing red eyes and of enormous size, are generally associated with the demonic, but I've found another aspect of the phantom black dog mystery.  Here in America, especially in the rural south, these phantom black dogs have become associated with being cemetery guardians, especially in cemeteries where there are many slave/former slave burials. (See my blog on Graveyard Guardians for more info.)  These beliefs may stem from stories of the Church Grim, another English tale of a black dog who protects churches and church burial grounds. The whole Pt. Pleasant area has such a history of strange and unusual activity that it just seems natural to add a phantom black dog into the annals of its haunted history! 

Church Grim, by Ines Lee

On the Trail of a Ghost

I love a good West Virginia ghost story!  This vintage tale comes from the December 2, 1913 edition of the Fairmont West Virginian newspaper and is a good reminder that not everything is what it seems...

ON THE TRAIL OF A GHOST

Party of First Warders Make Search of White Rock

A real ghost is believed to exist by residents living in the vicinity of White Rock about four or five miles from this city.  Residents of that section report that frequently after the shadows of night fall, a ghost resembling a woman carrying an infant child and crying aloud, is seen in that vicinity and has caused a few of the fearful minded to stick close to their homes and firesides and has been the cause of careful investigation on the part of the less fearful. 

The fact that the ghost had been seen, was circulated in this city and caused a squad of brave minded parties, who had from infancy desired to see a real ghost, to band together last evening and explore that region in hopes of finding said ghost.

Consequently a band of 25 or 30 citizens of the First Ward, employees of the Monongah Glass plant and others started on the quest last night.  The trip was made overland through the mud and clay to the spot the ghost was said to frequent.

As the party neared the haunted spot, what appeared to be a ghost hove into view. Careful investigation disclosed and abandoned old white lime kiln near which a dummy had been strung across the road.

Sorely disappointed over the fact that the ghost had proved a fallacy, the party, tired, muddy, and foot sore limped back into town, with their desire to see a ghost unsatisfied and much the worse for their harrowing experience.

While the local party was thoroughly satisfied that no ghost exists a number of the citizens of that place still hail from Missouri and refuse to accept the theory and be comforted, but are still watching for the nightly appearance of the ghost. 

Theresa's Note:  This newspaper article can be found on the Library of Congress' Chronicling America site. I personally found it interesting that employees from the Monongah Glass plant in Fairmont, WV were cited as making up a portion of the search party!  From what sources I could find, it seems as if the Monongah Glass plant was only in operation from 1904 to 1933...and it was known for using child labor.  The photo below, from WV History on View, shows some of the child workers at the Fairmont plant.  Could some of these young boys have been hunting ghosts that night in 1913?

Child workers at Monongah Glass-WV History on View 

Weird Creature Haunts Bluefield, WV

Today's Throwback Thursday vintage news article comes from the Charleston Daily Mail.  It was published on 2 September 1923 and tells an interesting tale of something strange seen along Memorial Avenue in Bluefield, WV.  West Virginia certainly is no stranger to weird creatures and with the new Fallout 76 game featuring so many of them, I'm glad to have the opportunity to share a few of the lesser known.  But, what this some sort of monster or creature...or was it a ghost?  Perhaps it was all just a practical joke.  We may never know, but please enjoy this strange little article, transcribed below and if you're looking for MORE of West Virginia's strange creatures, check out these articles on the Bluefield Gargoyle and the Creature of  Milton's Kilgore Creek!  Stay spooky and stay away from those Petting Parties!

WEIRD CREATURE HAUNTING ROAD SOUTH OF BLUEFIELD
Old Ghost Story of Neighborhood Dug Up and Retold With Assertion That Present Apparition Is Same Old Spirit; Petting Parties Losing Popularity

BLUEFIELD--Sept. 1--A creature dressed in black, chalky white face, with large, shining eyes and long claws is reported to be haunting the south Bluefield roads.  For the last several nights motorists have reported the strange creature appearing in the most lonely spots as though rising from a bush or clump of high weeds. It walks on all fours and as a car passes it appears and raising to its hind feet, it claws at the air with its vicious loafing claw.  Some of the motorists have stopped and even gone back to investigate the proceedings, but found nothing.  A car of young Romeos, several nights ago, decided to capture it, staged a chase, but after running for several yards the ghost-like creature disappeared among some wild underbrush.  The young men were terrified and returned to the bright lights with wild stories.  Several times the police of the city have tried to make a capture but have never been able to see the object or so much speculation.  But it is there, and has been seen by numerous citizens of Bluefield.  Last night it was reported snooping around in the brush along Memorial Avenue and on the old Cumberland Turnpike.

In this day of reality, it is foolish to say there are any ghosts in the world, but there are many in this vicinity who swear the thing is a ghost.  A farmer from Bland County (Virginia side of Bluefield) by the name of Bailey, who was in the city yesterday selling produce in the city market, offered an old tale of the early days of this section as a solution for the mystery.  The story is too long to repeat, but it seems the residents of about fifty years ago can remember a crazy widow who lived along the old turnpike.  The boys in that day used to rock her house and the more timid people avoided passing after dark. One night her body was found in the road near her house.  For many years after, they claimed the section was haunted.

Whether it is a ghost or whether it is someone playing a prank, the effect is the same on joyriders.  Especially the ones who ride at a late hour hunting lonely spots to stage petting parties.  Of course the gentlemen connected with night riding are all brave men but they do not wish to take a chance.  And they do not wish anything to come sneaking around and hopping up on the running board when least wanted.  So again joyriders will have to keep a good lookout for it might not be a ghost and it might not stay in the same place every night.

The Stinky Streak

Don't let the silly title of today's blog post fool you! This vintage West Virginia ghost? creature? oddity? story was reported in Cooper's Clarksburg Register on Wednesday, August 8, 1853 and sounds pretty horrifying! It appears that the original tale appeared in the Buckhannon Observer, so I would imagine that the strange events took place in that area.  However, I'm not EXACTLY sure what those strange events were!

While out riding, a group of men noticed movement in the distance. It streaked past them at remarkable speed, sounding like a buggy. It was dark brown in color, and smelled strongly of tar. The horses were spooked and a couple of men were even knocked to the ground. Upon returning to town, the men found that the THING, whatever it was, had passed through there as well, much to the puzzlement of the local citizenry. It was headed west, leading the people to surmise that this thing would show up in Weston and Parkersburg as well.

This is definitely one of the weirder articles I've come across, and much like the citizens of Buckhannon back in 1853, I couldn't even fathom a guess as to what it was that was experienced by such a large number of people. It certainly doesn't sound like a classic ghost story. Could it have been a Bigfoot? Were the sable garments actually dark brown fur? Bigfoot experiences are often reported as being accompanied by a foul odor.  However, I've never known such a creature to move that fast, nor sound like buggy. Perhaps it was some sort of demonic or other non-human entity.

I hope you enjoyed today's Throwback Thursday post as much as I did!  Join me over on Theresa's Haunted History Facebook and let me know YOUR theories!

The Floating Coffin of Monongah, WV

The original purpose of Theresa's Haunted History was to provide factual documentation and resources for haunted locations throughout WV and the tri-state area. I wanted to focus on places that could be visited, but more so, I wanted to focus on places that were verifiable---places where you easily pinpoint, find documentation for details such as the people involved, and hopefully, could still experience something paranormal for yourself. Over the years, however, my focus has changed slightly, and I've realized the importance of sharing personal experiences, vintage stories, and events that are probably more folklore than fact.

This story probably falls into that last category. I found it in the West Virginia Folklore Journal, Volume 19, Number 1. It was published in July of 1977. Floating Coffin was included in a section of ghost stories, and it is noted that it was submitted by the late Thomas M. Leeper of Monongah, WV. I've copied the text below exactly how it appears in the journal, but  this tale can also be found in Ruth Ann Musick's The Telltale Lilac Bush, which was published in 1965. In fact, you can listen to an audio version presented by the WV Network on YouTube! Please enjoy this wonderful old tale and let me know if there are any other stories you'd like to see featured here!

WV Folklore Journal Illustration by Don Mangone. I love this picture.
While I mean no disrespect to the wonderful artist, I can't help but think that it looks like the ghost is flipping the bird to those ladies.

About the close of the Civil War, "Hatter" Sam Cooper lived at Monongah.  During the winter he set traps for small fur-bearing animals, such as fox, coon, skunk, mink, muskrat, and opposum.  One day while going over his trap line on Booth's Creek near the cornfield where Captain James Booth was killed by Shawnee Indians, he found a very fine fur hat sticking in the crack of some rocks.  It was new and had a small bullet-hole through the rim, through the side of the hat and sweat band, but there was no hole to show that it had come out on the other side.

He took the hat home and reported what he had found so the owner could come and get it, but one one ever claimed it. It was rumored around that a Pennsylvania drawer had been murdered there for his money.

A short time after Cooper found the hat, Mrs. Hess Bender, who lived near Bobtown, was going home and stopped for a drink of water at the Smiths, who lived about half a mile below where the hat was found.  Mrs. Smith met her and it was not until supper was about ready, and asked her to come in and have supper with them, which she did, and then started on home.

She was gone about half an hour when she came back to the Smiths.  Said she had forgotten her bonnet and could not do without it.  Then she told them that as she was going along, about the middle of the stretch of road that lays along the edge of the woods on top of the creek's bank, she saw a coffin with a man sitting on it, rise up from the upper side of the road. She could not see anything or anybody floating near it. She said that it came up about as high as her head, went quartering across the road and disappeared over the creek bank.  She said she was scared and had come  back to stay all night.

It was said that Isaac Koon, an old farmer living a short distance away saw the same thing, and he said it went over the creek bank, about where the hat had been found.  Then two women who lived near Bobtown saw the coffin and man.  Several others reported that they had seen it and it always came up from the same place on the upper side of the road, crossed the road, and went over the creek bank at the same place, and was always seen about the same time in the evening.

About 1874 or 1875 on a Saturday, several boys from Monongah and Rhea Chapel were at Boothsville playing baseball.  A new road had been made up the creek but the old road was still open.  In the evening Tom Rhea, Barney Whaling, and Will Barnes were coming from the ball game on horseback and took the old road for it was shorter to their homes.  Tom was a few steps in front of Barney and Will. 

Barney called to Tom and said, "Say, Tom, right along here some place is where that dead man lives."

"Yes," said Tom.  "I wish I could see him.  I would whistle for him to dance."

Just then the coffin and man came up from the side of the road.  Tom's horse saw it, reared, and whirled to run.  Tom was a good rider or he would have been thrown.  Barney and Will watched the coffin and man cross the road and disappear over the creek bank.  Whaling lived at Rhea's and Barnes went there to stay all night.  They got to talking about how far the horse Tom was riding jumped.

The next morning, being Sunday, they went back to see.  The horse tracks were plainly visible. They measured the tracks and all claimed that the horse had jumped 19 feet.  That was the only time that I ever heard of a horse seeing a ghost.

All of the old people living around there have passed on and I have not heard a word about the man and coffin for more than fifty years.

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!*

Theresa Takes On West Virginia's Most Haunted! (Part One)

I began writing this blog almost a year ago. The original idea was to build off a popular post where I came up with my OWN list of the most haunted locations in the country, state by state. I had high hopes that I could do the same on a state level---take each of West Virginia's 55 counties and narrow down one location per county that would be recognized as being the perfect representative of that county's haunted history.

As you can see, that idea has not come to fruition, lol.  It proved to be just a little too daunting for me.  I might revisit the idea in the future, but for now, I thought I would take on the more manageable task of just picking my TOP 5 FAVORITE HAUNTS in the state. The criteria for this post is a little different---I tried to pick locations whose haunted reputations are well known throughout the Mountain State and beyond. For example, each location listed here has been featured as part of at least one television show.  There are tons of great, underrated haunted locations and ghost stories throughout West Virginia, but I feel these ten are universally recognized.  Please let me know in the comments what YOUR top picks would be!

West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville

The West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville is one of MY personal favorites on this list and along with the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, seems to always find its way on those top 10 lists of most haunted places in the country!  Construction on the penitentiary began in 1866 and it continually housed inmates up until 1995. Over the course of its 130 years, the prison saw two major riots, numerous suicides, plenty of violence and murder, and more death from disease than you could ever imagine. With all that dark history, there's no wonder people think this location is haunted!

The most popular ghosts associated with the old prison include the infamous shadow man who has shown up in photographs, a presence in the indoor recreational area known as the Sugar Shack, and the spirits of infamous inmates Red Snyder and R.D. Wall. Ghost and history tours are available, as well as private and public investigation opportunities.

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum 

As mentioned above, Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum always seems to find its way onto most haunted lists, and for good reason.  This Kirkbride style mental health hospital traces its roots to before the Civil War! As with many state insane asylums of the 19th century and early 20th century, TALA was plagued with issues of overcrowding, treatments that we would today classify as inhumane, and allegations of abuse, neglect, and all sorts of unsavory behavior. The last patients were removed and relocated to other facilities throughout the state in 1994 and for years, the building sat empty, largely unused.  Today, a variety of ghost, history, and architectural tours are available, as well as public and private ghost hunts and even some fun stuff like concerts, paintball, and drag shows. With all the activities available, people still flock to the old asylum for its haunted history, most notably the spirit of a little girl named 'Lily.' 

Lake Shawnee

No list of famous West Virginia hauntings would be complete with a mention of Lake Shawnee, location in the southern part of the state, near Princeton.  I first became aware of Lake Shawnee when it was featured on Scariest Places on Earth, a television show that featured hauntings and showed everyday people being taken to these places and told about their history. While there is a lot of misinformation and a lot of information that cannot be validated nor denied regarding this location, it still is a spooky place! In recent years, it has been the subject of numerous national articles. 

The small amusement park opened in 1926 on land marred by an Indian massacre and some say its location doomed it to a cursed existence.  Numerous deaths are said to have occurred during the park's operation, including several drownings and a little girl killed when her swing struck a parked delivery vehicle. Today, visitors to the area report that the apparition of a man can be seen in one of the Ferris Wheel seats, and the little girl, wearing a pink dress, can be seen either in full apparitional form, or in the form of a cold spot or orb near or on the swing ride.

Dr. Grimes' Dental Office

Along with the West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville, Dr. Grimes' Dental Office is probably my favorite on this list.  It is located in Huntington and was the subject of a Dead Files episode a few years back.  Over the course of several years and several investigations, I've put a lot of personal research into this location and have a very fond attachment to it.  

The dental office is housed in a former duplex, built shortly after the turn of the last century. It was mostly used as housing for men working for the railroads, but in the 1920s, it was home to a young lady named Lavina and her family.  Lavina's apparition had been spotted numerous times, along with evidence that she might be accompanied by something a little darker. Lavina died under rather mysterious circumstances in the home and it is believed that those circumstances may have been sinister. Luckily, it now seems that Lavina's soul is at rest, yet this location is still one of my top favorite haunts of all time.

Riverview Cemetery

With a list including a prison, an insane asylum and a spooky amusement park, I felt obliged to include a cemetery...and Parkersburg's Riverview Cemetery is definitely an iconic West Virginia haunted burial ground. A staple on Susan Sheppherd's Parkersburg Ghost Tours, Riverview Cemetery is home to several different legends, including sightings of a hunched man wearing a black trench coat. The phantom, which has been spotted in broad daylight AND long after the gates lock for the evening is believed to be Captain George Deming, who once lived near the cemetery.  He is seen standing near his own grave and is believed to be mourning a lost child buried close by.  The most popular legend of the cemetery, though, is undoubtedly the Weeping Woman.  The Weeping Woman is a carved statue standing watch over the Jackson family plot and many believe that she walks the cemetery at night, weeping for lost family members. It is also said that those who come to the Weeping Woman with an unselfish wish will find that wish granted!  Many women who have come and touched the statue have found themselves to be pregnant shortly thereafter!

I know this list is a little light---I originally had intended this to be a Top 10 list, but decided that I'd break it up a little.  So...don't fret!  In the coming months, I'll be posting even more most haunted lists from right here in West Virginia, and probably Ohio and Kentucky as well! And as always, you can always check out my Haunted West Virginia Page for more great Mountain State locations! 

Camp Wheelgate

The Haid House

While scouring the internet for brand-new, little known ghost stories and haunted places in West Virginia, I stumbled upon a story about Camp Wheelgate.  Camp Wheelgate, which was once a Girl Scout camp, is located on Dutch Road, just outside of Quick, WV.  It's about 30 minutes from Charleston and as I hope you'll find, has quite the interesting history...with plenty of haunts to go along with it!

I encourage you to read the story in her own words, but a submitter named cndlou2 shared a disturbing tale to the Your Ghost Stories website concerning her first paranormal experience.  The setting was a girl scout camp named Camp Wheelgate that she attended when she was a pre-teen.  It was during a routine scouting weekend, when the group stayed at Camp Wheelgate.  Camp Wheelgate was actually a farm setting, and instead of staying in a tent or cabin, the girls actually stayed in the old farmhouse (more on this later).  The first day of camp was uneventful, and the group slept downstairs.  During their second day at the camp, the group visited a local church/cemetery, and being young girls, probably didn't conduct themselves with as much decorum as they could have.  cndlou2 notes that girls played on graves and the church altar, and rang the church bell.  

From the Vintage Girl Scout Online Museum

That night, the activity started.  The group had decided to sleep upstairs in the old house this second night after finally getting the fireplace to work, and its unknown as to whether this act, or the earlier visit to the cemetery was the catalyst, but something happened that night.  Some girls reported seeing a white mist on the stairs, even claiming that they had difficulty getting up that staircase.  Others claimed to see a face looking down on them from the window while they were outside.  The activity accumulated when EVERYONE witnessed a loud bang coming from inside the house...a noise so loud that scout leaders went on a search to find the source of the noise.  Oddly, nothing was out of place except for the fact that 10 heavy cots had simply disappeared!  The cots, which had been set up earlier in another room, were too heavy for pre-teen girls to even lift, let alone sneak out of only two exits, both which would have been noticed.  Therefore, according to cndlou2, the scout leaders made other sleeping arrangements...far away from Camp Wheelgate.

Benedict and Margaret Haid, Jef and Rob's Wedding Site

Camp Wheelgate wasn't always a Girl Scout camp.  The home where these events took place was built around 1872 by Benedict Haid and his wife, Margaret.  The Haids, who were German, had anywhere from 5-9 children. According to the map below, I believe the Catholic Church and Haid Cemetery, where Benedict and much of the family is laid to rest, is the location where the girl scouts visited earlier on that fateful day.  What's interesting is this map, which I found while just trying to FIND where Camp Wheelgate was located, contains no less than 6 cemeteries nearby!  But, I'm pretty sure that's the one they visited.

Anyway, the farm stayed in the Haid Family for some time before it was required by the Girl Scouts in 1954.  The camp officially opened for its first session on June 27, 1954 and was only used for the Brownies, the scouting class for girls aged 7-10 years old.  In 1959, the camp saw a sad event when a retired gentleman named Augusten Bouchard who was working as a janitor for the camp, passed away on the property from a heart attack.  In 1961, the camp was still used for just the Brownies, and was managed by scout leader, Miss Meg Bailey.  It wasn't until 1974 when the Black Diamond Girl Scouts took over, and the camp was finally used for the older girl scouts.  Based on the age given by cndlou2, I believe that she visited the camp sometime between 1974 when the camp opened for the older Girl Scouts, and when it closed in 1986.

Bill Pepper, from Jef and Rob's Wedding Site

In 1986, the property was put up for sale and purchased by a lawyer from Charleston, Bill Pepper and his wife, Sue.  It was Bill's original idea to create a private get-away for his family close, but still far away, from the hustle and bustle of the city.  However, the business opportunity was ideal, and Bill eventually would convert the old Haid home into a beautiful bed and breakfast, and the farm hosted many weddings, family reunions, and other events over the years.  The B&B is still open and operational, both for rented events, but also to stay for a night or two in an idyllic farm setting.  It is no longer known as Camp Wheelgate, reverting back to the name of Benedict Haid Farm, and there are no reports of further paranormal activity that I've uncovered.  

Was the incident witnessed by a group of girl scouts and their leaders simply the product of overstimulated pre-teen minds?  Was the ghost that of the former janitor, still on the job?  Or, was the ghost(s) that of a member of the Benedict Haid family, upset that not only these girls disrespected the family cemetery and church, but then were hanging out in the family homestead?  Perhaps you should book at night and find out for yourself!

Former Ravenswood Theater

This tale is summarized from two different books on WV ghost-lore, Ruth Ann Musick's Coffin Hollow, and A Guide to Haunted West Virginia by Walter Gavenda and Michael Shoemaker:

A young man who worked at the former Ravenswood Theater as a projectionist shared a very eerie tale which happened to him while working at the theater one night.  After the last movie had ended, and the last guest had left, the boy was sweeping up, and getting ready to lock up for the evening.  That's when he saw what he described as something passing behind the screen, carrying what appeared to be a lantern.  Knowing that no one else was in the theater, the boy panicked and called the police, who found the door locked and no evidence of anyone having been there.


The owner of the theater, an older lady, was also alerted, but told the boy he didn't need to worry about someone being there who shouldn't because for the past 30 years, this same person walked the theater on a regular basis...and he was not of this world.  She went on to explain that at one point, there was a lodge for a local fraternal organization located adjacent to the theater, and at one point, there were actually passages between the buildings.  The type of lodge this was has been lost to folklore, but many believe the second floor was used in questionable initiation rites, which were shrouded in secrecy.  One night, a fire broke out in the lodge, gutting the building.  There was allegedly one tragedy--a man believed to have been in the attic at the time was never found, and presumed dead.

The owner believed it was this man who haunted the theater, as she herself had seen the phantom many times.  The boy verified this story with his father, who provided one more fascinating detail:  the man who died in the fire was the HUSBAND of the theater owner.

During the 1960's the theater ceased operations, and would later house Almeda's Clothing Store.  Today, its home to a physical therapy office.  As an interesting side note:  As I was sitting here typing this entry, I had the Guide to Haunted West Virginia book sitting open beside me on the desk to refer to.  I checked a fact, looked away, then looked immediately back at the book to verify what I had just read.  In that split second I looked away, a ladybug took up residence right on the page.  Ladybugs are considered almost universally as a good luck sign!

*There's been a ton of visitors to this post today, and I want to thank you all for stopping by!  If you'd like to hear of another Ravenswood area haunt featured on Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State, please feel free to check out the Washington Motel! *