The Gurgling Ghost of Pocahontas

 

When an article is entitled "A Genuine Ghost Story," you've got to believe it, right? 

The tiny, but historic town of Pocahontas, Virginia has its roots as a mining community, a fact that seems to lend itself naturally to a strong sense of superstition. Pocahontas ran rampant with ghosts in the early 1900's (see my blog about the Ghost That Caused a Man to Faint), which in some cases, led to a disruption in the mines. 

According to a newspaper article, around 1900, the West Mine in Pocahontas had a section it called 'Bluefield.' This particular section was abandoned due to a water seepage that resulted in a fairly sizeable lake---200 feet in length, apparently. However, by November of 1907, the mine operators wished to cash in on this lucrative coal vein, and re-open Bluefield. To do so, the lake had to be drained. Pipes were laid and pumps were installed, but there was a problem. Workmen kept experiencing "strange and unseemly noises emanating from the lake." These noises consisted mainly of a furious and violent churning of the water. Despite investigation, no satisfactory cause was ever found for the eerie lake noises, and the company couldn't find men willing to stay on the job. The article concludes with the idea that further investigation would be held into the cause of the noises. 

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any follow-up as to whether or not the mystery of the gurgling ghost of Pocahontas was ever solved. I will, say, though, that I've been to Pocahontas a few times for an investigation of the Pocahontas Fuel Company's office building (blog for that coming soon!) and I don't remember seeing any lake. So, hopefully, they got that all worked out!

Bluefield Evening Leader
05 November 1907

Kentucky Ghosts: The Ghosts of Portal 31

Coal mines. They've been a huge part of West Virginia and tri-state history since our earliest years...and have provided quite a few ghost stories and legends that persist well after the mines have shut down.  The Portal 31 Mine, located in Harlan County, Kentucky is one such mine where history and mystery intertwine.

Source

Lynch, Kentucky, where the mine is located, was built as a coal mining town. Owned by the U.S. Coal and Coke Company, this particular section of mine opened between 1917 and 1920. The coal that was pulled out of the mine was exclusively for use by U.S. Steel.  During the first half of the 20th century, the community of Lynch was considered a model coal camp town, complete with company health care, schools, churches, etc.  However, Lynch was not immune to the problems facing other coal communities.  Early coal mining practices were inherently dangerous and there were accidents, especially in the earliest mined areas of Portal 31.Of the approximate 250 coal related deaths in Lynch, it is estimated that 150 of those deaths happened at Portal 31. 

Also, the community was no stranger to violence as coal officials did everything in their power to prevent unionization.  Clashes between miners and mine officials earned the area the nickname of Bloody Harlan.  It's interesting to note that the mine history states that at least 38 nationalities were represented among the miners of Portal 31. While doing background research for my team's Whipple Company Store investigation (in Fayette County, WV) I came across information stating that mine owners encouraged great diversity among the miners, not for the noble reason of being all-inclusive of immigrants...but because of the fact that if you had a group of people who spoke different languages and had different backgrounds, religion, and culture, they were less likely to communicate and form bonds; thus, they were less likely to try to unionize.

Source

By 1963, the mine had ceased normal production, but did stay open for awhile in various capacities. Talk eventually turned to the idea of opening the mine to the public as an exhibition coal mine.  It took several years, but the mine opened around 2007-2008 as a tourist attraction.  Visitors to the mine can board a rail car and travel through the depths of Portal 31.  Animatronic miners tell the story of the mine and showcase a history of mining equipment and techniques.

Visitors and staff of Portal 31 aren't just treated to a fun and educational experience when they enter the mine---many are treated to a brush with the other side! 

I recently stumbled upon a great video on Amazon Prime called Ghosts of Portal 31.  The film documents the history of the mine, interviews with staff concerning paranormal experiences, and then features an actual investigation of the paranormal claims by The Crypto Crew.  Activity reported includes a sense of being watched or not being alone and movement in one's peripheral vision.  Moving lights have been reported that seem to evoke a feeling of a miner carrying a lantern or wearing a head lamp walking down the path.  Some of the most common activity, though, seems to be unexplained noises, notably the sounds of a group of men talking/working, machinery running, and a hammer ping on metal.  

I really enjoyed the film.  I think the crew did a good job at sharing the history of the mine and the stories of those who have experienced recent paranormal activity.  I also really enjoyed seeing the investigation portion of the film. The crew did a pretty thorough job, adequately explained the equipment they were using, and even had a few things happen to them that aren't easily explainable.  During the multi-day investigation, at least two investigators felt a tug on their camera straps, and many witnessed a small red light that had no apparent earthly origin. 

If you have an Amazon Prime membership, I'd definitely recommend checking Ghosts of Portal 31 out (it's also available on DVD)...but if you're in the Harlan County, Kentucky area or plan to be, I'd definitely recommend checking out the actual ghosts of Portal 31, lol.  Even if you don't have your own haunted encounter, you'll have hopefully learned some history and experienced a little of what a miner's life was like, deep underground.

Links:
The Crypto Crew
Portal 31 Homepage (Tour Information and History)

Aunt Kate and the Booger: Guest Blog #2

Nolan, WV

Theresa's Note: Today's blog post is another wonderful Guest Blogger submission, this time from local paranormal researcher, Chris May. Chris has shared this awesome story, passed down to him from his Grandmother, about a suspected witch living in the small coal town of Nolan, WV. Enjoy this fascinating tale of what happens when you don't give a witch what she wants...and make sure to share this post with anyone you'd think would also appreciate a little spookiness from West Virginia's southern coalfields! A HUGE THANK YOU goes to Chris for sharing this story; I personally love hearing these old tales passed down from generation to generation, and I'm a sucker for anything related to our state's coal history. 

My Grandmother told this story to me. According to her when she was a child, an old woman lived next door to her and her family in the small coal town of Nolan. My Grandmother stated that many strange things happened in and around the old woman’s home. On one occasion my Grandmother, who was scared to death of old Aunt Kate, witnessed the old woman stick her hand back into a coal burning stove and pull out hot coals and wiggle them in her hands without being burned. 

Grandmother also stated that Aunt Kate would openly admit to witchcraft and on one occasion claimed to have fought with the Devil himself, ripping his leg off and throwing it behind a bed. 

The most disturbing story about Aunt Kate pertained to the old woman not getting something that she wanted....

My Great Grandfather had produced a garden several miles from his home every year. This particular year was very dry; water had to be carried to the crops as well as extra care needed to be taken with ensuring the crops survival. My Grandmother helped her father throughout the growing season and when time came to harvest the crops my Grandmother worked with him to bring the crops the long distance back to the old home place. As my Grandmother and Great Grandfather were wheeling the crops past Aunt Kate’s, she stopped them and stated, “Harrison, give me some of them beans.” 

Now, my Great Grandfather was a very generous man, but felt that due to the hard work that they had put in, the family should get first choice on the crops. He replied, “Old woman we’ve worked hard for those beans and your not gonna get any”. Aunt Kate was very angry at this reply and stated, “Ok Harrison, you’ll be sorry”, and were they ever. 

That night after the family went to bed my Grandmother stated that she heard something walking in the house. According to her the “thing” walked into her room and stood at the head of where she was sleeping and then it would turn and walk out of the room. My Grandmother said she had never been so scared. Because of this walking, she did not sleep all night. The next morning my Grandmother came in for breakfast and was confronted by my Great Grandfather about the “thing” that walked the night before. My Grandmother stated that she and my Great Grandfather were the only two in a house of twelve to hear it walk. My Grandmother stated that her father took old Aunt Kate the beans without haste and as he gave them to her, he told her to “take your booger back!” She replied in an evil tone, “it won't bother you no more” and it didn’t.

Chris May is a 42 year old married father of two. He resides in Barboursville. He holds a master’s degree in leadership studies and a master’s degree in counseling. Chris has worked in the law enforcement field for nearly 13 years as a probation officer. When he is not reading or researching the paranormal and history, he enjoys bass fishing with his 10 year old.

Theresa Travels: Whipple Company Store

Whew! It's been a busy, busy Memorial Day Weekend! On Saturday, the family and I headed down to Fayette County, WV where we visited the Whipple Company Store, the ghost town of Thurmond, Hawks Nest State Park, The Mystery Hole, and the Glen Ferris Inn. Sunday, we attended the annual Vandalia Festival at the capital and explored the state museum. Monday, we took it fairly easy and took Luke to see the Angry Birds movie. And, on Tuesday, we watched my nephew walk across the stage and receive his high school diploma. So yeah, I'm ready for June....and a little rest and relaxation!

For the first blog of the new month, I wanted to share with you a little about our trip, starting with the always awesome Whipple Company Store. Our original itinerary only included the Mystery Hole and Hawks Nest, but since we were so close to Whipple, we decided we had to make a stop there, too. I am SO glad we did. The travel gods were really smiling down on us that day!

But before I get into that, a little about Whipple....The Whipple Company Store near Oak Hill was built around 1890 and used as a company store until the Whipple Mine shut down in the 1950s. After that, it was privately owned and operated as a general store for many, many years. Now, it is owned by a wonderful couple who work diligently to preserve not only the unique structure itself, but the fascinating history and the forgotten stories, both good and bad. And of course, the building is believed to be haunted!  One of the most haunted areas of the building is said to be the third floor ballroom. The ballroom was added for Lucy Collins, the wife of the mine owner, Justus Collins. It was a place where she could stay and entertain while accompanying her husband on trips to this particular mine town. After the Collins' home in Charleston was completed in 1907, Lucy's entertaining at the company store dwindled. Interestingly, in the 1950s when the first private owner took over, she completely boarded up that part of the building for fear of the spirits that resided there. HPIR was fortunate enough to have given the opportunity to privately investigate this location in 2012. If your own private investigation isn't feasible, you can still experience the darker history of Whipple; each fall, there are haunted history tours available for the public. You can read more about the ghosts of Whipple in my original blog, Coal Camp History Comes to Life at the Whipple Company Store.

Anyway, back to our trip. So we arrive at Whipple, and are pleasantly surprised to see that we arrived on a special day. There was an antique car show going on that day! Not only did we get to take a look at some really awesome vintage wheels, but Luke got to actively participate as a Youth Judge! He received an official hat, t-shirt, and lanyard. I have no idea why, but he picked the General Lee as his favorite car, lol. The owner of the car was really cool---he let Luke sit inside and get his picture taken.

When it was time for our tour to start, once again I was pleasantly surprised! Since the car show was going on that day, the owners of the store were offering complimentary tours! This was a somewhat more abbreviated tour than the normal, intended to be an introduction to the store to spark interest in it. However, it was still an excellent tour, full of information and even some hands-on activities for the kids. One interesting tidbit that I learned was that obviously poorly mannered children were not welcome during the reign of the coal company store. If a poorly mannered child were to approach the porch, the guards on duty did not say a word or touch the child. Instead, they would simply knock into the mother, causing her to fall down the narrow and cleverly designed front steps. Luke really took this info to heart; he was well-behaved as usual, but I did remind him that if he acted up, someone might push Mommy down the stairs, and he seemed to take that seriously, lol.

On a funner note, he got to operate the old elevator, explore how a scrip register and scrip worked, and sit in an old phone booth. I really enjoyed getting a refresher on some of the information I already knew about the store, learning a few more interesting tidbits, and just BEING there. Growing up in West Virginia and coming from a long family history of coal mining, the idea of the company store fascinates me. Joy and Chuck, the owners, have done such a wonderful job in keeping the history of this unique treasure alive. The Whipple Company store truly is one of a kind. It's like a time capsule and it is something that I would encourage EVERYONE to visit. You WILL learn something. You WILL be entertained. You WILL be touched by the overwhelming emotion that permeates throughout the walls of the Whipple Company Store. You might even be creeped out! During the autumn, special haunted history tours are available! Whether you're interested in coal mining history, women's history, West Virginia history, paranormal history, or history in general, Whipple is a treasure trove. Make it a must-see stop on your next trip through southern West Virginia. It's not a long drive from Charleston, and its a very short drive from Beckley. It's also located nearby a ton of other great tourist spots.

If you can't make it to southern West Virginia any time soon, you can still support this wonderful location. You can pick up a copy of one of their awesome books (I got Volume I), make a donation through their website, or follow them on Facebook and spread the word! Let friends and family know about this little gem of Appalachia.

Kentucky's Van Lear Coal Miner's Museum

Photo Courtesy of the Van Lear Historical Society

It all started when a teacher from Pike County Kentucky, John Caldwell Calhoun Mayo, purchased coal rights to several areas in Johnson County, including an area along Millers Creek.  He then sold these rights to Northern Coal and Coke, which would be absorbed by the Consolidated Coal Company.

When the Consolidated Coal Company decided to open several mines along Millers Creek, they needed a company headquarters...but first they needed a town!  The town of Van Lear was created in 1912 when a director for the coal company, Van Lear Black, gave the money to build 5 miles of railroad track into the new property.  The following year the office building for the Consolidated Coal Company was built.  Over the years, it would house the directors' offices, the post office, the company store, the company doctor's office, and many other town offices and small businesses.  For years, it was the official hub of the town.

But, like many coal towns, Van Lear was soon in decline.  Consolidated Coal operated the mine at Van Lear between 1910 and 1946 before absolving those assets, and giving the option for the residents to buy their own residences.  Unfortunately, many of the other buildings in the town were torn down.  Still, the old office building withstood the progress of time.  In 1984, Citizens National Bank gave it to the Van Lear Historical Society, who turned around and transformed the structure into the Van Lear Coal Miner's Museum, showcasing the town's history with a variety of displays.

As the long standing hub of life for the tiny community of Van Lear, it only makes sense that the 100 year old building has also become a hub for paranormal activity.  According to the official website, common activity involves apparitions, shadow people, unexplained noises including footsteps and the sounds of talking, and even direct communication.

People have felt as if unseen children are sitting on their laps and Tina Webb, museum volunteer, has felt what is perceived as a hand that grabs people by the arm.  She has also seen a gentleman in the kitchen wearing a ball cap.  There's even a story that a 2 year old little girl wandered off one day.  She was found in the library talking to someone that no one else could see.

These events prompted Webb to call in investigator Joe Clark, who claims to have a photo of a man's face and agrees that this location is one of the most haunted he's ever investigated.  There is also another incident where a paranormal investigator was told by a phantom female voice to be careful while climbing a ladder!

The museum does hold haunted tours during certain times of the year, and there is information on the website for how you can set up your own investigation for a nominal fee.  Please see the links below for more information!

Official Website
Mystery Monday Interview with Tina Webb and Joe Clark
Facebook

Fun Fact:  The museum's gift shop is named Icky's in honor of Richard "Icky" Wetzel who ran a restaurant/shop in the basement from the late 1940s up through the 1960s.  Apparently the name "Icky" was a moniker bestowed to Richard by his siblings after hearing a reading of the famous Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  The tale was said to have scared Richard literally to tears, and thus, he was dubbed "Icky" after Ichabod Crane and the name stuck his entire life.

Carolina Business Center

Photo by Tammy Shriver

Anyone can tell you that West Virginia is synonymous with the coal mining industry.  And, as anyone can also tell you, coal mining was (and still is) an inherently dangerous profession.  There are many ghost stories throughout the Mountain State directly related to our rich coal heritage and the accidents and even violence that undoubtedly accompany this vital but bloody field...but I just simply haven't gotten around to sharing most of them with you!   In order to remedy that, today's blog will be about one of my personal favorite mining ghost stories from Marion County, West Virginia.

The tale of the atheist miner first gained exposure in West Virginia Folklore magazine, Vol. 16, #1-2 (1965).  However, my introduction to this tale was the result of one of the best books on WV ghost-lore out there, A Guide to Haunted West Virginia by Walter Gavenda and Michael T. Shoemaker (2001).

In the book, the two authors relate the tale of the Atheist Miner.  According to the legend, a miner named Anderson worked at the mine in Carolina, a small town in Marion County, WV.  This mine was part of the "Big Vein" that ranged from Pennsylvania to Alabama.  Anderson, who was admittedly an atheist, was NOT liked by his Christian co-workers at the mine, and thus shunned by the rest of the miners.  When Anderson was killed in a gas explosion in the 1890s, not only did the other miners not shed a tear, but one particularly callous man gloated that "an atheist has met his retribution."

However, those that were down in the mine when these callous words were spoken over Anderson's still-warm body, heard something they would never forget.  As soon as the words were spoken, a terrible sound echoed throughout the mine passage, followed by the voice of Anderson vowing revenge.  Terrified, the men in charge of hauling the body out quickly loaded it onto a cart pulled by a mule, but the mule refused to budge so they fled on foot.

Additional mules were then sent down by the more skeptical men at the mine who did NOT witness the eerie curse.  These mules also refused to budge, prompting one of the old-timers to put forth a possible explanation and solution.  According to mining lore, mules could SEE ghosts.  A blind mule was brought in, and meshing with the legend, was able to pull the body out of the mine with no problems.

However, it wouldn't be long before Anderson's Curse would REALLY start affecting the mine and those who worked there.  The mine itself actually had to be closed down because of a fire caused by the explosion that killed the atheist miner.  It took 20 years before the mine was re-opened, but the local miners refused to work there due to the stories about the "curse."  Outsiders were brought in, but the mine continued to be plagued by fires, explosions, and even a flood.

This tale, as it stood, prompted Gavenda and Shoemaker to seek out the mine site and its legends...and apparently, they weren't disappointed!

The mine has since been filled in, but local residents Trudy and Terry Lemley bought the property, including several still-standing buildings built between 1919 and 1941, in 1993.  In an effort to bring businesses and industry to the small town, they opened the property as the Carolina Business Center, which rents space to various businesses.  Trudy also has her own wood-working shop on the site.  Before the Lemley's purchased the property, it was owned by Hamilton Electronics, who operated a glass cutting plant on the site...and apparently did not suffer any hauntings of note.  That would soon change...

Almost immediately, the ghost or ghosts of the Carolina Business Center made its/their presence known, especially in the Boiler Building and the Dynamite Storage Building.

When the Tremley's first took over, they already had a tenant.  Pioneer Hardwood had a workshop in the Boiler Building.  However, the employee working there starting complaining that when he came to work in the morning, his radio had changed stations, and accused the obvious suspects...the living.  However, it was an issue of a power saw that turned itself on that caused Pioneer Hardwood NOT to renew their lease.

In the Dynamite Storage Building, there was a former employee named Freda witnessed an interesting residual event.  On a regular basis, she would hear what sounded like footsteps going up and down the metal staircase.  When she investigated, an old oil cloth that was hung in a doorway would be swaying as if someone had just walked through...but no living soul was there.

It's unknown whether or not the menagerie of weird sounds, power outages, and other ghostly manifestations are the work of the Atheist Miner or not, and a small investigation by Gavenda and Shoemaker only resulted in several optical illusions.  Still, this is an interesting story that I thought needed a closer look.

According to different sources, the mine opened up around 1915 under the Consolidation Coal Company, Mine #86 at Carolina.  In 1941, the Bethlehem Mining Corporation took over operations, and operated the mine until 1949, when it was closed down to a high number of accidents.  I have yet to find any online information about an earlier mine, but I do believe that I have uncovered the identity of the Atheist Miner.

On January 21, 1901, Jessie Anderson, a 30 year old African-American miner was killed in a powder explosion.  He was single and was buried somewhere in Fairmont.

Trudy and her mother have collaborated on a book about the Carolina Mine, which I'm hoping will help shed additional light on the mystery and legends surrounding the mines and its "atheist miner."  The book, Carolina Mine: A Northern West Virginia Coal Camp, is available locally and through Amazon.

Interview with Trudy Lemley, TimesWV
Carolina Business Center Investigation Results, MSSSS