TNT Area Graves

If you're familiar with the Mothman legend of Point Pleasant, WV, then chances are you at least have some knowledge of his connection to the area commonly referred to as the TNT area. The TNT area, which is now mostly a maze of concrete igloos set within the McClintic Wildlife Area, began life in 1942 as the WV Ordnance Works at Pt. Pleasant. Until 1945, this sprawling complex employed thousands of people in the manufacture of TNT.

Construction began in March of 1942, several miles north of the city of Pt. Pleasant. Most of the land used for the plant consisted of land sold to the government by local farmers. By May of that year, that would pose a slight problem...

During the early 1800s, it was common for settlers in the area to bury their dead on their property in small family cemeteries. There were about seven of these small family burial plots that stood in way of various plant construction projects. Local papers ran announcements asking for any relatives of those buried within these small family cemeteries to contact a local office.

This is an on-going research project for me, but I wanted to go ahead and share one of those newspaper announcements that appeared in the Jackson Herald on Friday May 15, 1942. This is a very interesting topic for me because for some reason, it just never occurred to me that cemeteries would have to have been moved/disturbed during construction. It makes perfect sense, though. This type of thing happened ALL the time with new construction, especially for a project as large as the Ordnance Works! It makes me wonder, though. Many of the burials were unmarked. Many of the descendants of those buried had since long moved on and could not be located. Could this disruption of their original burial site upset the souls of Pt. Pleasant's earliest citizens? Could it account for some of the non-related Mothman 'ghost' stories, such as MY EXPERIENCE several years ago? Was Mothman, although he wasn't sighted until over 20 years after the plant closed its doors be somehow connected to those disturbed souls, watching over them? The concept of graveyard guardians, which stems largely from England, is a traditional belief that many of the early settlers may have carried over with them, and weirdly enough, Mothman could have fit the bill. Or was he maybe a thought-form manifestation of the pain, anger, and all the other emotions associated with having one's eternal slumber disrupted? I'm probably REALLY reaching here, but its kind of fun to think about!

*I'd love to hear from anyone who has had a spooky experience out in the TNT area, or anyone who has any knowledge about the re-burial process for the 200 souls who were moved. You can comment down below, or find me over at Theresa's Haunted History's Facebook. Thanks!*

(Jackson Herald, Friday, 15 May 1942)
"An estimated 200 hundred graves, many of them covered with tall grasses, and forgotten, will be moved at government expense to make way for the $55,000,000 TNT plant being constructed north of Point Pleasant. The graves lie in seven old cemeteries scattered over the 8,000 acre tract for the plant which will be known as the West Virginia Ordnance works, situated in the Robinson district. All will be moved to a single new burial ground on Lock Lane road, off West Virginia State Route 62.

The site includes the old BENNETT-KNOB cemetery, which is of historical interest by reason of the interment of Dr. Jesse BENNETT, a pioneer surgeon credited with performing the first cesarean operation in America.

The cemeteries include:

Eva RICE cemetery: A burial ground near the Oldtown-Dixie road. It holds three unmarked graves, and there may be others, as there is no known record of when it was established or when the last interment occurred.

The STEWART cemetery: Established about 1800, it contains approximately 75 graves of which only 17 have headstones. This cemetery is located on Musgrave road.

The SOMERVILLE cemetery: Located on the Oldtown road, on the Effie SOMERVILLE farm. Established in 1874, it holds 15 graves, 11 of them marked. The last interment occurred in 1913.

The VANMETER cemetery: Also situated on the Dixie road. Established in 1850, it is estimated to hold 20 graves, of which only seven have headstones.

The Cherry cemetery: Oldtown-Dixie road on the C. B. Thompson farm. This, apparently a family cemetery, was established in 1873 and contains only two graves, only one of them marked.

The Nanny B. HOGG cemetery: Oldtown-Dixie and Musgrave roads. Established in 1837, it holds approximately 75 graves. Among the headstones, six are very old but in unusually good condition and probably will be moved to the new burial ground.

The HAWKINS cemetery: On Morning Star road, on the E. J. and C. G. Somerville farm. Established about 1878, it contains 12 graves, 8 of which are marked, the last burial occurred in 1901.

Besides these, there are several cemeteries on the TNT plant site, but will not be in the way of buildings and will not be moved. All these will be fenced. The land acquisition section of the War department, which has charge of moving the graves, has requested that descendants or relatives of those buried in the seven cemeteries get in touch with the office."

The Hell Hound of Baker Hollow Road Cemetery

Baker Hollow Church, Source

It's getting closer and closer to my favorite holiday...HALLOWEEN!  To help celebrate the more fun, light-hearted side of Halloween spookiness, today's blog post is nothing but pure, unadulterated urban legend.  For the investigation and research process, we try to uncover the truth about haunted locations, supported with as much historical documentation as possible.  However, in the spirit of the season, sometimes its just as important to enjoy a good story for what its worth.  With that caveat, I bring you the tale of Baker Hollow Road Cemetery.

Baker Hollow Road Cemetery is located in Marion, Kentucky and there are so many aspects to this legend, that there's no way I could cover them all.  But before we get to all that, I can't resist throwing in a LITTLE bit of history!

The Baker Hollow Road Cemetery is actually two separate and distinct cemeteries known collectively as the Baker-Phillips Cemetery.  Baker Cemetery is the burial ground associated with the Baker Church, and can be found to the side of the building.  Phillips Cemetery is located towards the front of the church.  When the new road came through this area, it split the farm property of Edgar Ovel Phillips in two, leaving one section on the other side of the road in front of the church.  When a cousin's son passed away in 1949, Phillips gave permission for the boy, Major Samuel, to be buried on that strip of land for free.  As more and more family members passed away, they were also buried on that plot of land.  It wouldn't be until 2008, however, that an arch would be erected denoting the fact that this was a separate cemetery from Baker. (Source)

Courtesy, Find-a-Grave

Find-a-Grave, however, still has the both sections listed under the Baker name, and contributor, Jean, posted the photo of Major Samuel's grave.  The boy died of non-infectious encephalitis just shy of his 10th birthday.  He was the son of James and Marie Samuel.  The reason why its important to note who Major Samuel was is because his burial may or may not have a direct affect on at least one of the cemetery legends!  It is a belief, especially in the southern United States, that the first person to be buried in a new cemetery is destined to become the cemetery's guardian, protecting the grounds and manifesting in a variety of ways, including...in the shape of a black dog.

But, in order to experience the black dog, one must first FIND the cemetery in question, which is located off Baker Church Road.  Coming from Marion, the church and one section of cemetery will be on your left.  Pass the church until you come to the fork in the road and turn around at the fork.  Those who have experienced the Baker Hollow Road legend report that midnight is the best time to go and under the cover of this darkness, the section of cemetery in question will not be visible until one turns around at the fork.  But, as the cemetery suddenly pops into view, its not unusual to experience feelings of extreme sadness to the point of even crying.  Now is the time to keep your eyes open for the Hell Hound.

The rather large dog is described as being as black as night with glowing yellow eyes.  It may appear as limping, or otherwise injured, but DO NOT get out of the car and attempt to pick it up!  If you speed up the car in attempt to get away from this dog, it will keep time with your car, always watching you with its yellow eyes.  If you manage to follow it back to the triangle section of the fork in the road, watch its shadow---legend says that the shadow will turn into a large, demonic beast, before it and the dog disappear from view altogether.

Image by Abellia

As creepy as that sounds, encounters with the Hell Hound, or cemetery guardian, are tame in comparison to what others have experienced.  Just on the road alone, people have heard laughing, screaming, crying, and the voices of deceased loved ones calling out to them.  Strange weather phenomena, such as very centralized rains have been noted, as have thick pockets of fog and mist that appear and disappear out of thin air.  Along the sides of the roads, the spectral bodies of men, hanged years ago for crimes lost to history, can be seen swaying from the trees, and broken down cars will be parked, filled with the tormented screams of those crying for help.

If seeing and hearing all this still hasn't scared you off, feel free to drive into the cemetery itself---just be prepared to stay for awhile.  Those who have dared enter the sacred grounds after dark have found that their vehicles will mysteriously shut off and refuse to start back up.  Even if you wait it out until morning or gather the courage to get out and push the car out through the gates, your encounter has not yet ended.  Visitors often report being plagued by horrible nightmares and nocturnal visits by unclean spirits.

Obviously there is a lot of "information" out there on this location, and it seems like everyone has their own story to tell about what they or a friend of a friend experienced!  Strange USA has a wonderful collection of these experiences, but if you've had your own...I want to hear about it!

More photos and directions

Huntington's Spring Hill Cemetery

The year Huntington was established, the city set aside almost 30 acres for use as a public cemetery.  The land was purchased from Collis P. Huntington's Central Land Company and named after the Old Spring House nearby.

The first official burial was for Josephine Webb, which took place in 1873.  However, the 1838 grave of Elizabeth Prosser was already erected in a field included in the acreage, so its listed as the "unofficial" first burial for the cemetery. As a spooky side note---there is an old southern belief that the first person buried in a new cemetery is destined to become that cemetery's protector, or guardian. Their spirit is said to remain on earth, protecting the sacred site until called home. So, who would be the Graveyard Guardian in this case...Josephine or Elizabeth? Anyway....

Bias stone. Photo by Ernie Wright

The original cemetery included a potter's field, although today, all such burials are reserved for the Highland Cemetery.  Over the years, as the city grew, small family cemeteries were relocated to the grounds of Spring Hill. Gen. Albert Jenkins was moved here in the 1920s, and is buried among 300 civil war soldiers.  A brick chapel on the grounds now serves as a sales office, but originally held funeral services.  A yellow sexton's house was located near the side entrance, but has since been torn down.  The last sexton was Arden Ross, who retired in 1998.  The superintendent now looks over the cemetery, but does not live on the grounds.

During the 1903 smallpox and the 1918 flu epidemics, many victims were buried here, some in the potter's field section.  Rumor has it that some of these were buried in mass graves.  What is known is that many of these flu victims did not have any funeral service due to the widespread contagious nature of the illness.  One such family had a grandfather (William Alfred Bias) who passed away during the 1903 smallpox epidemic, and was buried one day along with dozens of others.  Several of his sons sneaked out and waited outside the fence near the family plot for his burial to take place.  When he was placed in the ground, the boys said a few prayers, but then noticed a ball of light hovering above the grandfather's grave, which slowly lifted up and floated away.  The boys followed it all the way home, where it went through the front door of the house with a thud. This story, as told by Betty Burns Lusher, can be found in The Greenbrier Ghost and Other Strange Stories, by Dennis Deitz.

Today, there are still rumors of the cemetery being haunted.  There is some belief that the hauntings are connected to the many flu/smallpox epidemic victims, or even with the old Huntington State Hospital across the street. Whomever the ghosts may be or wherever they may come from, its important to note that not ALL the perceived paranormal activity found in Spring Hill is what it seems! A local newspaper article from 1911 tells the story of the sexton for Spring Hill Cemetery deciding to play a little prank on some young lovers that were using the cemetery grounds as a rendezvous spot. He climbed into an empty coffin, made some spooky noises, and then jumped out at them. Needless to say, they never came back.

More information about the history of this cemetery can be found in Joseph Platania's Huntington Quarterly article, issue 49.

*Updated January 2018*