Harvey Fairman's Ghost Seeks Justice

One of my favorite themes in ghostlore is the idea of a spirit coming back to seek justice and/or revenge on the person who was responsible for their death. This is a trope that comes up time and time again, especially in some of West Virginia's older ghost stories, including this little gem from 1884. That year, the (Wheeling) Daily Register ran an article about a ghost sighting from Wayne County, WV that "silences the Wheeling [ghost] stories with its superior horrors." It is the tale of Harvey Fairman.

One summer evening, Alexander Moore was out hunting in an area near Bartrum Fork in the Big Lynn area of Wayne County (today, in the area of Genoa). Around dusk, he encountered a rather large, and rather strange goose-like creature, which was behaving oddly. He followed the goose, yet it disappeared into some bushes. Suddenly, Moore found himself face to face with a ghost...not a goose. 

He immediately recognized the ghost as Harvey Fairman, a farmer who had disappeared five years earlier. One winter night in 1879, he was out getting firewood but never returned home. Some thought he simply abandoned his family, while others claimed that the devoted husband and father would never do that. A search party was organized but was unsuccessful in locating Fairman. So, without any sort of evidence, it was largely concluded that he must have been murdered, and his body hidden. His family moved to another county and nothing more was ever said about ol' Harvey...until July of 1884.

Staring at this ghostly apparition, Moore was frozen in fear as Fairman gestured at his own neck. His throat had been slit ear to ear. Luckily, the paranormal doesn't follow our earthly laws of physics and despite such an injury, Fairman was able to speak to Moore. He told him that he had been murdered. For two days, his body had been hidden under his own granary but was later moved and hidden in a hollow tree nearby. Having given this statement, the ghost 'melted away,' leaving Moore to 'drag himself home.' 

Moore went before a Wayne County Justice of the Peace to give his version of events, and it was decided that an investigation should be opened to both look for the hollow tree presumably concealing Harvey's skeletal remains, as well as to inspect the granary for signs of a murder. 

Harvey failed to mention WHO killed him and WHY. And, unfortunately, the anticipated follow-up with a local correspondent either never came, was never published, or I simply haven't found it yet. In any event, it doesn't appear that Harvey Fairman ever truly received justice. Yet, no additional stories have surfaced of him reaching out from beyond the grave to anyone else unlucky enough to encounter a strange goose in the woods. 

The Daily Register
28 July 1884

Wheeling's Eighth Ward Weirdness

The Daily Register (Wheeling, WV)
30 July 1886

Happy Ghostober! Today's story is a vintage one from Wheeling, WV. In the summer of 1886, the Eighth Ward section of the city was being visited by a ghost in "rather abbreviated garb." Said to show itself in nothing more than a cap and a shirt, and being rather large in shape, it first showed itself to a police officer standing near the corner of Eoff and 33rd Streets. 

Not even gonna lie---the mental image of a ghost floating around with no pants on, chasing down police officers kinda cracks me up. I can't help but wonder if this is your classic sheeted, cartoony ghost wearing a hat...or a humanoid apparition, naked from the waist down. But, I'm sure the officer wasn't laughing as he witnessed this thing float over a fence and then vanish completely. It didn't help that when he told his story, instead of people being frightened, or even intrigued, they laughed at him.

Well, they laughed until the ghost was seen again several nights later by even more people. The women who witnessed this apparition nearly went into hysterics at the sight (again, was it because it was a ghost in general, or because it was a half-naked ghost?). One man saw the ghost walk right into a B&O train that was passing by. When all the railcars had passed, there it stood, still on the tracks, unscathed. 

To my knowledge, there have been no recent sightings of this Eighth Ward Specter. We can only hope that if this unfortunate soul has found a way to move on, somewhere along the way he managed to find his trousers. 

1916 Map of Wheeling's
Eighth Ward

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 Flat Mountain Beast

This vintage newspaper article comes from a November 26, 1920 edition of the Greenbrier Independent, a paper based in Lewisburg, WV.  It seems as if many believe the 'beast' is an escaped circus gorilla...but could it be something more?  The size and reddish coloring suggest that it could be a Bigfoot, and although I'm not a zoologist, I would think that even with our mountains, a journey from Wheeling to the Lewisburg area would result in a few more reported sightings.  I'll let you decide for yourself, though!  Here's the text as it appears in the original article:

SAW A 'WHAT IS IT.' 

A strange beast is said to have been seen roaming around on Flat Mountain within the past week.  It is said to stand about 6 feet high, apparently weighs 350 pounds, and is of a reddish and blackish color.  The beast, which resembles a gorilla, is said to have a broken chain around its neck.

It is reported that among those who have seen the beast are Opie Wikle and Wm. Hedrick, who live near Broad Run, and that the beast gave him a chase one night about a week ago.  The report of a strange beast of the description noted above has thrown a scare into some of the residents of Flat Mountain and 'Old Betsy' has been greased up in a number of homes and made ready for business.

Several weeks ago a strange beast whose description was not unlike that of the above animal was reported to be roaming one of the mountains of Pocahontas county was neither killed nor captured. The beast seen on Flat Mountain may be the same.  It is reported to have two long upper and and three long lower teeth.

Others are said to have seen the "critter," and have coupled it with a circus wreck said to have happened near Wheeling about three months ago, when a gorilla 5 1-2 feet tall is said to have escaped into Pennsylvania. The beast may have taken to the mountains and started South, which would account for its presence in Pocahontas county and later in this section.  Such explanation is better than none at least, for it is claimed firmly that the animal is not a product of either a vivid or a disordered imagination.---Alderson Advertiser

'Ghost' Haunts Grafton's Consolidated Manufacturing Company

It's time for another Throwback Thursday vintage newspaper article!  Today's selection comes from the February 22, 1916 edition of The Daily Telegram, a newspaper based in Clarksburg, WV.  The article mentions that for some time, the Consolidated Manufacturing Company in nearby Grafton had been the site of a haunting.  However, one brave watchman confronted the 'ghost' and found it was none other than a former employee of the plant who had been stealing items, including a typewriter, from his former place of employment.  The story has a happy ending, though, as the ghost wasn't prosecuted, but instead was simply allowed to return the stolen items!

I absolutely love these old ghost stories that remind us that not everything is what it seems!  I'm glad the company regained its stolen property and that the ghostly thief, probably someone fairly down on his luck, was spared a prison sentence in lieu of doing the right thing.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a whole lot about the Consolidated Manufacturing Company.  From a website devoted to Carr China, it appears that the Consolidated Manufacturing Company of Grafton was built along the Tygart River around 1913, but would go bankrupt in 1916. Later that year, it would become known as 'the pottery,' or the home for Carr China until its closure in 1952.  The building caught on fire in July of 1966, and its burned out remains quickly became a haven for vandals and vagrants.  It was eventually torn down, taking its 'haunted' past with it to the grave. 

Carr China 1934

Bellaire's Sheeted Apparition

It's time for a Throwback Thursday vintage newspaper article!  Today's historic ghost story comes from the December 7, 1892 edition of the Wheeling Register.  It seems that the town of Bellaire, Ohio, located right across the river from Wheeling, WV, was being haunted by your classic sheet-wearing ghost.  But, was it really the spirit of William Barnard...or someone playing a prank? This article can be found on the Chronicling America website.

Bellaire

A ghost had been bothering some of the people of the Fifth ward for some time. The white apparition would appear after nightfall and flit around frightening nervous people and creating great excitement in that usually quite neighborhood. Three or four young men who did not believe in ghosts thought they would run down the spook.  Hiding in the barn on the premises of the late Wm. Barnard, about eight o'clock p.m., they had not long to wait until his ghostship made his appearance.  The young men, now badly frightened themselves, waited until the spook got within easy reach of them and made a grab for it.  This frightened the ghost, and while the young men with hair on end stood holding the white sheet which they had torn from the ghost, the thing which had eluded their grasp bounded away at a 2:40 gait toward the Bellaire Nail Works, and has not been seen since.  The young men are positive, however, that the thing they failed to capture resembled a man. 

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 

Buried Alive in Hampshire County, WV

Before the practice of embalming was widespread, the fear of being buried alive was a very real one for many.  This story comes from a February 12, 1885 edition of a newspaper out of St. Louis, Missouri, although the event in question takes place in Hampshire County, West Virginia.  I found it shared on the West Virginia Heritage, History and Memories Facebook page and it appears to have been originally shared on the Hampshire History Facebook page.  It was noted there that the young woman did survive, but other newspaper articles stated that it was believed she'd be a 'lunatic' for life.  

ALIVE IN HER COFFIN
A Dreadful Occurrence in a West Virginia Village--Morphia
Special dispatch to the Globe-Democrat

SPRINGFIELD, W.Va., February 12--A terrible affair has just come to light on the levels near Okonoko.  Mary Cox, a well-known and popular young lady, residing near the mouth of the Little Capon River, was taken violently ill.  The physician diagnosed the case as one of neuralgia of the stomach and prescribed morphia. A dose was administered at once, and another was left, with instructions to give it in twenty-four hours.  For some as yet unexplained reason the second dose was given in a very short time. In an hour or two after, the death of Miss Cox was announced and neighbors prepared the body for burial, and two days later the deceased was interred.  At the funeral one lady insisted that Miss Cox was not dead and begged that a physician be sent for.  That night the dogs of a man living near the graveyard stationed themselves near the tomb and kept up a persistent howling.  The neighbors talked, and the next day the grave was opened, when to the horror of all, it was found that the girl had been buried alive.  The coffin presented a terrible sight.  The lining was torn from the sides of the casket, the pillow was in shreds, and the poor girl had literally stripped the clothing from her body.  Her hands and arms were torn and bloody, the lips were bitten through, and handfuls of hair lay about.  The girl had come to, and evidently a frightful struggle to escape followed.  The affair fills the community with horror.

Theresa's Note: I found this story, word for word, in several other publications, including this one from the Rock Island (Illinois) Argus. I also did a little searching to see if I could find any evidence that Mary did go insane (and who could blame her after that ordeal?), but didn't find anything substantial.  I did find several articles mentioning a Mary Cox from Harrison County who was deemed 'insane' and died at the Weston State Hospital, but the age range doesn't match up.  Either way, its a frightening story that I'm sure left an entire community, not to mention a young lady, shaken to the bone. 

The Martinsburg Beast

WILD BEAST SCARES PEOPLE
Martinsburg, W.Va., April 9.

---The vicinity of Hodgesville has been terrorized by a strange animal, which has chased many residents to their homes.  The fierce beast has been described as a wolf, panther, wildcat, hyena, and bear.

John Richard, mayor of Hodgesville, has measured the animal's tracks, which are 7 inches long and wolf-like in shape.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today's Throwback Thursday vintage newspaper article comes from the April 9th, 1914 edition of the Fairmont West Virginian newspaper, and tells of an interesting beast, sighted in the state's eastern panhandle. I assume that the 'Hodgesville' mentioned is actually Hedgesville, WV, which is located about 15 miles from Martinsburg.  

The description of the beast is interesting to me.  Different people described it quite differently, although all descriptions, save for the hyena, are of natural animals that any West Virginian would be familiar with.  It is also interesting to note the size of the animal's tracks.  They are described as being wolf-like in shape, but quite a bit larger than a normal adult wolf's paw.  What do YOU think the people of Hedgesville were seeing that spring, over 100 years ago?  Do you believe it was a shape-shifting beast, a series of different animals, or was the whole thing a hoax to sell newspapers?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! 

The Will-O' The-Wisp of Clarksburg's Quality Hill

WILL-O' THE WISP ON QUALITY HILL
Strange being Appears on Main Street and Maiden's Lane and Disturbs Society's Foundations

A will-o'-the-wisp, it is believed, haunts Quality Hill, and there is surmising and guessing galore in that neighborhood.  The residents are busy talking about it, and that is about the only topic of conversation these days.  Various stories are told about the discovery and more or less fright exists among the lady members of society.  That they beheld an apparition they are all firmly convinced and that there is a degree of dread they all confess.

Only a night or so ago they saw a tall person, dressed in female attire and wearing a man's hat.  The actions of the figure were strange and the figure itself just as strange. East Main street and Maiden's lane afforded the scene for the mysterious appearance and actions of the this strange being, mythical or real.  Gliding around in the neighborhood and standing silent as a ghost in the shadows of the darkness of night, the unknown figure aroused the suspicions of the citizens and shudders and chills crept over those who beheld it.

Some think it is a mythical being, others that it is a man dressed in woman's clothes, and still others have no definite idea.

It is surmised that it may be a society man, and yet it may be "Jack the Peeper."

It is needless to say that the appearance of the strange visitor has had a depressing effect along Maiden's lane, as well as the other street, and society is stirred to its foundations in that section.

Watches of the night will doubtless be established, as the strain is becoming intense and curiosity and fear have the upper hand.The mystery must be solved and that quickly, if the equilibrium of that community is to be restored.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This vintage article is from the July 22, 1903 edition of the Daily Telegram, a Clarksburg, WV based newspaper.  Apparently, either a ghost or a cross-dresser was haunting the rich, well-to-do neighborhood of Quality Hill in Clarksburg.  The largely residential neighborhood, with houses dating back to the mid-1800's, is now a recognized historic district and can be found on the WV's Register of Historic Places.   If you're looking for MORE historic haunts in Clarksburg, WV....please check out my blog on the Waldomore Mansion.  This historic mansion is not only haunted...but its home to the Gray Barker UFO files!

Ghostly Face Appears on Porch Column

This is such an interesting lil' historic article from the Charleston, WV area.  Back in 1945, a family noticed a strange image on the stucco of their porch column.  The image looked like the silhouette of a girl's face...but not just any face.  The family who owned the home claims the face resembled that of their daughter, Peggy Sue, who died two years previously on April 4, 1943.  I really wish the picture I found showed a clear image of the silhouette, but I'll keep looking!  Here's the text from the article:

'Face' Appears on Porch Column
The appearance of the profiled silhouette on a stucco porch post at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J.J. Weaver of Rand, said by the family and neighbors to resemble the Weavers' deceased daughter, has attracted widespread attention.

Late yesterday, Mrs. Weaver estimated that since Tuesday, several thousand persons have stopped to look at the framed silhouette, which she says started forming in the stucco last January.

According to Mrs. Weaver, she first noticed a light-colored ellipse over a foot in diameter.  Near the center was a dark spot about the size of a cup.  The dark surface grew larger, which she says she took notice of from time to time.  Last Saturday Mrs. Weaver says she asked her husband if he could make anything of it.  After examining the spot, he reluctantly agreed that it was the shape of a child's face.

Word spread that the silhouette resembled the Weavers' daughter, Peggy Sue, who died at the age of 12, April 4, 1943.  Since Tuesday afternoon the silhouette has been the talk of the nearby communities, and yesterday crowds grew to such proportions that Greyhound buses on U.S. Highway 60 running in front of the house were stopping briefly to permit passengers to look. Shown right is Robert Lee Weaver, student at DuPont High School, son of the Weavers. [Gazette photo].

It wasn't until the 1960's that the strange story was widely told. The Miracle of Peggy Sue appeared in the Charleston Gazette's State Magazine on March 17, 1968. This article provided much more information than did the original newspaper clipping (which unfortunately, I cannot find a source for). On April 1, 1945 (Easter Sunday), the pipefitter J.J. Weaver and his wife were at church, talking to friends and acquaintances after the Easter service and brought up a strange image that had appeared on one of their porch columns, about five feet up. It looked like the silhouette of a young girl. The family believed it was the likeness of their daughter, Peggy Sue, who had died two years previously of pneumonia, just shy of her twelfth birthday. 

Peggy Sue had been buried near the Elk River where the family lived at the time of her death, but after her mother had a dream in which Peggy was drowning, her body was exhumed and reburied at Witcher Creek, closer to the new house in Rand. It was shortly after she had been moved that the ghostly image had appeared. 

Curious, the church folk decided to follow the Weavers home to see for themselves. Indeed, there was a strange image that resembled the Weavers' deceased daughter. Word spread quickly, and looky-loos came by the literal busload. There were so many visitors that the Weaver's porch collapsed from the weight, and a fence was put up to keep people out. That wasn't much of a deterrent, though, so the column was removed altogether. When the family later moved to Texas, the column went with them.

A local insurance salesman by the name of Earle Stephens dabbled in photography, and took a picture of the strange image. He then sold prints for a quarter a piece, making over $500 when it was all over. Of course, there were plenty of skeptics out there with explanations as to why a stucco-covered column may have a dark patch on it, and even why it may RESEMBLE a silhouette, especially to a mourning family, but many in the Rand area still believe that they witnessed a miracle on that little front porch.

  

Beckley Post Herald
30 June 1945

The Groaning Ghost of Kingwood

It's time for another Throwback Thursday vintage newspaper article! In the late 1880s, the West Virginia town of Kingwood, located in Preston County, was under siege by a phantom!  It is rumored that several local citizens tried to engage this spirit, but refused to admit it...well, except for this local lawyer! The following piece is from the Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, and is dated 28 February 1884.  The digitized article is available online through one of MY favorite websites, Chronicling America.  Just a quick side note: The article references the idea that the original story was found in the Argus.  The West Virginia Argus was a weekly publication from Kingwood, WV that ran between 1877 and 1945. After 1908, its offices were located in the basement of the historic Martin Building. 


A Dizzy Ghost Story

For some weeks past Kingwood has been torn up over a spook, which it is alleged roams the streets at its own sweet will, during the witching hours when graves do yawn.

Several persons are reported as having spoken to it. But when approached on the subject they denied it.  Lately, however, a prominent lawyer has been holding interviews with the "goblin damned," and the Argus gives his story as follows:  For the past two or three weeks he has been employed at his office late at night. About a week ago he was seated at his table writing when all at once he heard a deep groan.  He listened and in about two minutes it was repeated more distinctly.  The noise seemed to emanate from something back of the office.  He went on the outside, but could see or hear nothing, nor was the noise repeated again that evening.  Since that time the same thing has been heard every evening about the same hour, 11 o'clock, and on one or two occasions, the gentleman freely acknowledged, his hair assumed a perpendicular position on his head. The most notable occasion of this kind was Friday evening.  He worked till 10:30 and then prepared himself to listen attentively, and  learn, if possible, the origin and cause of the strange and uncommon noise. Promptly at 11, the doleful, wierd, and melancholy groan was heard.  He walked to the window and looked out, but nothing was visible that could produce the noise.  He walked to his door and was just in the act of opening it, when the groan was repeated with such severity that the whole building seemed to tremble and his tables and chairs danced about the room like partners in a cotillion.  This maneuver only lasted a few seconds, and then everything was still as a graveyard.  The origin of this strange noise seems to be enveiled in an impenetrable mystery, as the gentleman is unable to give the remotest idea as to the cause.   

The photo below shows the scene from Kingwood's Main Street.  Is this the street the ghost was said to roam on its own sweet will?  And just what WAS this thing?  Was there a ghost...or was there a natural explanation for the nightly moans and groans heard by the local lawyer?  Let me know YOUR thoughts...and if you're looking for MORE spooky stories from Kingwood, check out my blog post on the haunted Kingwood Public Library.  Perhaps there is a connection to the noisy poltergeist who haunts the library and our noisy, groaning ghost of this vintage article! 

Kingwood Main Street ca. 1905 (Source: WV History on View)

How Far Chief Cornstalk's Curse REALLY Goes

When conducting some research for a blog on Chief Cornstalk's curse on Pt. Pleasant, WV and how that curse may tie in with Mothman and/or the fall of the Silver Bridge on December 15, 1967, I came across an interesting little article from the Weekly Register, dated December 4, 1873. 

"A singular fate, which is said to issue from "Cornstalk's Curse" of Point Pleasant! seems to hang over our fair daughters in the city.  No sooner is one engaged (and that is not often enough considering the great number of marriageable girls) to marry than something intervenes to break off the match.  An instance of this kind happened a few evenings since, when a young man was parting from his adored at the gate, slipped on the pavement, and cut himself quite badly on a tin-type of his love, on which he hit in a sitting posture.  When the "love" discovered where he carried her picture, she was so enraged that she spoke her mind and abruptly said she would not wed him.  They parted---she to her room to cry, and he to Dr. Barbee, to have the pieces picked out."

So yeah.  It appears that this dude cut his butt cheeks (at least I hope that's where the area of the body they were hinting at) and had to go to the doctor to get pieces of a tin-type photograph plucked out of him because he kept his love's visage in his pants pocket as opposed to the breast pocket of his coat.  I think that's what they're getting at, right?  I would think if the Curse of Chief Cornstalk was really affecting the ability of eligible young ladies to find a husband, this girl might want to go ahead and overlook where her beau carries her photo.  Although...I'm not sure if I could personally overlook this whole debacle being published in the local newspaper!  I guess that would be a fun story to tell the grandchildren one day!

Just a quick bit of background information---Chief Cornstalk was a Shawnee leader in the area around what is today the Kanawha and the Ohio River Valleys.  In the 1770s, white settlers began reaching the area, and area tribes formed a coalition to keep them out.  Unfortunately, a battle for the land that took place in 1774 led to a number of colonists being killed, but twice as many Native peoples being wiped out.  Those who were left moved westward into Ohio to avoid further confrontation, and a fort was built at Pt. Pleasant, near the confluence of the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers.  Eventually, however, Chief Cornstalk attempted to make peace with the white settlers in the area, and relations were going well until 1777.  Late that year, the British were coaxing Native Americans to side with them in the American Revolution, and local tribes began making plans to attack the American colonists in the area.  Chief Cornstalk went to the fort to warn the colonists that an attack was imminent and that he would not stop his own men from joining in.

Cornstalk, as well as two other Natives were 'taken hostage' and kept in the fort. It is believed that this arrangement was voluntary, at least at first, as Chief Cornstalk's presence at the fort might cause the other tribes not to attack.  And when Cornstalk's son, Ellinipisco came to visit, he was also detained.  Unfortunately, just a few days later, two soldiers stationed at the fort were ambushed by Indians while out hunting.  In retaliation for the deaths of these two soldiers, fellow colonists at the fort massacred Cornstalk and the others in a brutal attack.  It is legend that with his dying breath, Chief Cornstalk cursed the people who settled the area for 100 years.

Throughout the 1800s, many people in Pt. Pleasant DID believe in the curse, at least to some extent.  The curse was quoted multiple times in area newspapers any time something actually bad happened, but also in a more tongue-in-cheek manner, as you can see in the article, transcribed above! And although the curse was only supposed to last 100 years, there are some who tie in both the appearance of Mothman and the fall of the Silver Bridge with the curse...both far cries from slicing open a young man's cheeks with a metal photograph!

Stop Shooting at Spirits: A Vintage Ghost Story from Pt. Pleasant

Mr. Devaux-Source

Back on July 26, 2018 a young man from Connecticut named Christain Devaux was charged for firing his gun at what he told law enforcement officers was a ghost.  He claimed to be a paranormal investigator, and originally stated that he had fired the shots at what he thought was an intruder breaking into his home.  After he changed his story (and put two bullet holes through his own wall) he was charged with several infractions resulting from his 'lying' to the police.  When this news broke, we in the paranormal community had mixed emotions.  Some thought it was funny.  Others thought it was sad---this guy was obviously mentally ill.  ALL agreed, though, that it made the paranormal investigation community as a whole look bad.

However, Devaux was NOT the first person claiming to be a ghost hunter to actually fire a weapon at a ghost.  In fact, since the mid 1800's, that trope pops up quite a bit in ghost lore, including being a staple in plenty of stories from around the tri-state area.  I'm not sure why, but for nearly 200 years people have thought that a bullet could stop a ghost.  And so, they continuing firing at them...just like another young man from Point Pleasant, WV did back in 1886.

In an article from the Weekly Register, dated 24 November 1886, the story of Richard Edwards versus his neighbor and a bag of flour is told.

Apparently, Richard Edwards was living with his father David on what was then known as Front Street. (From census records, it appears Richard would have been in his early 20s at the time.) The family was living in the historic Roseberry Estate, a home built by Thomas Lewis, Jr. in 1815 and which is still standing today. Also living in another section of the home was a family by the name of Anguish.

Roseberry Plantation.  Source: Pt. Pleasant Register

As the story goes, Richard was out one Friday evening watching for ghosts.  It was said he believed that the nearby property of the late Dr. Samuel G. Shaw was haunted and apparently he needed his revolver to help prove it.  Unfortunately, as Richard was making his vigil, Old Man Anguish was coming home from town carrying a sack of flour.  As he crossed the street and approached the side gate to gain entry to his side of the home, Richard shot him in the abdomen.  The bullet didn't make direct contact, but instead left a painful, albeit non-deadly wound.  Richard claimed that the white flour sack resembled a ghost coming up the dark street, and that's why he fired.  Mr. Anguish claimed that when he realized the boy had a gun, he called out to him not to shoot him, and then actually grappled with him after he was shot.  When Mr. Anguish asked Richard why he had shot him, the boy stuck to his assertion that he was a ghost.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any follow-up articles for this story.  Was Richard ever arrested...or perhaps even committed?  He does show up in later genealogical records and appears he died fairly young, never having been married.  And what of Old Man Anguish?  Did he fully recover from his wounds?  But what I REALLY want to know is...why was the Dr. Shaw property thought to be haunted?  Was this a locally accepted fact, or simply all in the head of a mentally unstable young man?  Dr. Shaw, who had died the previous year, was a highly respected early citizen and medical doctor of the Pt. Pleasant area.  Did his ghost (or that of someone else) haunt the old property back in 1886, and if so, could the area still be haunted??

This article can be read in full from the free newspaper archive site, Chronicling America.

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 Fireco Varmint

It's been awhile since I shared a transcribed article about something weird and creepy that made local newspapers!  So, today's blog is an article from the Raleigh Register, a local newspaper out of Beckley, WV.  This particular article dates to 17 May 1934.  However, there are loads of articles about what people are calling either the Fireco Varmint, or the Fireco Monster, a really odd creature that haunted this small coal company town in rural Raleigh County, WV.  There was a rash of sightings in the spring of 1934, and then another bunch of sightings in the late summer/early fall of 1936.  After that, the tale was retold, time and time again up through recent history.  Theories abounded as to what this creature could be, but I don't think there was ever any definitive answer. 

Image from the John W. Barriger III Collection, from Coal Camp USA

VARMINT YET RUNS LOOSE
Head Snatching Fireco Creature Widens Field of Labor

The weird creature reported snatching heads from hogs and dogs in the vicinity of Fireco and terrorizing inhabitants has grown mightily, since first tales of him trickled into Beckley, and in his new-found size and strength widens the field of his depredations.

First described as "about two feet tall," wearing yellowish gray hair, swift as the wind and especially fond of the brains of hogs, he is now said to be four feet in height, six feet long, to leave a track as large as a man's hand, and to have developed an appetite for beef.

Moreover, he is immune to pistol and shotgun fire, according to reports of a sanguinary engagement in which he participated last night on the high grade north of Fireco.

Tomas Roark, 18, and his brother Lawrence, 23, sighting the monster on the grade about 9 o'clock, near their home, fired on him.  Despite the fact that the target had grown from "two feet high" to four feet, and from an indefinite length to "five or six feet," he lumbered away into the underbrush, either not hit or else not harmed by three .38 caliber pistol shots and two 12-gauge shotgun charges which the Roarks sent after him.

Sunday morning, Wallace Bowling, manager Lillybrook's Company Store, found his cow incised in the midriff and much of her internal arrangements outside; she had, obviously, been attacked by the Fireco Monster from over the mountain, and a veterinarian had to be summoned to patch the cow---now reported recovering nicely.

And Sunday morning, Willis Wooten, 15, found a dog dead, his head "knocked off," and nearby the tracks of some creature--tracks "about as big as your hand."

Berlin Shumate, of Lillybrook, also caught sight of the varmint last Wednesday night on the same high grade above Fireco.

But he has not yet been classified.

Coffin Napping Leads to Ghost Scare

Here's a humorous tale for you!  Although the story takes place in Philadelphia, PA, the article appeared in the September 6, 1907 edition of The Daily Telegram, a Clarksburg, WV based newspaper.  And, while this story IS pretty funny, I gotta say that its a bit sad that even 110+ years ago, people were stealing metal from cemeteries to make a quick buck. 

WENT TO SLEEP IN COFFIN
Wanderer's Nap Caused Ghost Scare in Quaker City Cemetery

When Policeman Barnes of the Twentieth and Berks streets station, Philadelphia, heard weird sounds in Glenwood cemetery very early in the morning, he crept stealthily along the fence and entered the graveyard in full expectation of a real adventure.  And he was not disappointed.  The adventure was so real that the doughty officer's hair stood on end, and he fingered his club in nervous fear of its futility in dealing with the supernatural.

First, the sounds, deep and regular, like the breath of troubled dreams, grew louder; then, as he approached a grave well in the center of the cemetery, he saw a faint, eerie light that flickered from a rough pine coffin case beside the grave.  The light trembled and flashed and faded and then brightened, though always vague and ghostly and unearthly.

To Policeman Barnes it seemed quite the most natural thing in the world that he should rap softly three times on the coffin case and that the lid of the box should suddenly fly open and reveal a human form, dimly visible by the light of a small lantern.

When the first shock of discovery was over, it took the policeman only a moment to see that this was no dead one, but a live creature, sound asleep and with a pile of metal coffin plates for a pilow in the overturned rough box.  The officer woke the intruder sharply enough and took him to Magistrate Rau.

The grave walker and would be grave robber gave his name as William Evert and his address as Glenwood cemetery.  He said he had just dropped into the coffin case for a nap.  He did not, however, explain his predilection for cemeteries nor the presence of the metal name plates, and the magistrate sent him to Holmesburg for three months. 

A Spooky Case of Mistaken Identity

I love today's Throwback Thursday vintage news article. It's a funny story about mistaken identity, and is even illustrated! The story was published in the September 6, 1907 edition of the Daily Telegram, a Clarksburg, WV newspaper. (The original is available on Chronicling America.) However, the incidents took place in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Since the text is a little hard to see, here's the full transcription:

GHOST ON A BICYCLE
Turns Out to Be a Girl Asleep in Her Nightgown

The ghostlike apparition of a girl astride a bicycle flitting about the streets after midnight will not startle residents in the east end of Fort Dodge, IA any longer.  For weeks pedestrians abroad late at night have been scared.

On a recent night a policeman, attracted by a crash and a scream, ran around a corner and solved the mystery.  He found a young and pretty girl clad in a thin nightdress, which had suffered severely when the wheel she riding struck a brick.  The girl was dazed, but told the policeman where she lived.  He escorted her home and startled her father, a well known merchant, who thought his daughter was safe in bed.

The girl said she had no recollection of her midnight rides.


*Theresa's Note:  I found this story especially interesting because my own mother is a huge sleepwalker, or somnambulist, if you want the fancy title. My biggest fear is that she will attempt to drive off somewhere while in her sleep, but luckily that hasn't happened. The worst she's done so far, to my knowledge, was sleep-order a bunch of crap off a home shopping channel. Usually she just walks around, mumbles about some weird stuff, and eats. Thank goodness she doesn't own a bicycle!

So tell me, are you a sleepwalker or is someone in your family prone to these nighttime escapades? What is the weirdest thing YOU'VE ever done while asleep? What's the weirdest thing you've ever seen a sleepwalker do? Let me know below!

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!