The Ouija Board and the Frat Pin

 

During the autumn of 1920, Miss Fannie Levings was distraught. She had lost a valuable frat pin and after searching everywhere and asking all her friends if they had seen it, the pin seemed gone forever.  Life had to go on, and Miss Levings left her home in West Virginia's northern panhandle to travel to Parkersburg for a meeting of the State Educational Association. On the way there, she stopped in Clarksburg to visit with friends.

Fueled by a rise in Spiritualism following World War One, the Ouija Board dominated the 1920s as a fun parlor game, used to connect with the other side for the purpose of asking groundbreaking questions such as "who will I marry?"

Miss Levings and her friends decided to ask the board the whereabouts of the missing frat pin. The response was prompt and concise: "In Fannie's bed."  Miss Levings wrote a letter home to her mother, asking her to thoroughly inspect the bed for the missing pin. Much to everyone's surprise and delight, the pin WAS found in Fannie's bed! 

Perhaps the spirits were feeling especially helpful that fateful day and led Fannie in the right direction. Or, is there a more logical explanation? I'll let you decide. Stay spooky! 

18 November 1920
Shepherdstown Register

Ouija Board Weather

 

Brrrr....!

The tri-state is still largely buried under snow and suffering through below freezing temperatures. Winter Storm Blair really kicked our butt, but I'm lucky to say that I've been safe and warm at home, with plenty to eat and plenty to keep me occupied. 

More snow could be coming Monday, but the forecast keeps changing. As of right now, it doesn't look like it'll be much, but this weekend could be another story. Sometimes I think that the meteorologists trying to predict these snowstorms, as well as many other weather-related events, would be just as much, if not MORE accurate if they stopped using fancy DOPLER radar and other technology and just went back to basics (basics in this case meaning something a little different). 

In this photo, found on the Talking Board Historical Society website, two members of the United States Weather Bureau use a Magic 8 Ball and a Ouija Board. The photo is dated 1965. Maybe these two just got bored on the job and wanted to play a parlour game. Maybe they thought their station was haunted and wanted to connect with the spirits therein. Or, maybe...they were using these tools to predict what Mother Nature had in store for us all! 

Charleston's Very Own Spirit Board

Nirvana Board. Patented by Elijah Bond, 1907
Source

One of the most controversial subjects in the paranormal field is the Ouija Board. Some people believe that the Ouija and other 'talking boards' or 'spirit boards' are a hotline straight to Hell and should be avoided at all costs. Others believe that these devices are merely a game, influenced by small, involuntary and unconscious muscle movements called the ideomotor effect or simply just an outright hoax by users. Still, others believe that the boards are like any other communication tool---use with caution and a healthy dose of common sense. For me personally, I have a love-hate relationship with Ouija Boards. I do believe that you're more likely to get a response through your own unconscious muscle movements, as opposed to actually contacting some being on the spirit world, and therefore, Ouija Boards scientifically are not part of my ghost hunting toolkit. However, that doesn't mean they are safe. If you're getting responses based on your own unconscious movements, then that means you're tapping into what you already know...or ASSUME you know...and you might be wrong, or you might not be able to deal with that knowledge being brought to the surface in such a manner. I've seen people get obsessed with the board, using it as a crutch to make important life decisions, and taking everything it says as gospel. Plus, there are several historical cases where 'Ouija mania' has led to some not-so-positive outcomes for all involved. So, I don't typically USE Ouija Boards.  But...

...they are so freaking beautiful! I absolutely love the aesthetics of the Ouija Board, a passion that makes itself known through my apparel and house décor. I also love the idea of collecting vintage Ouija and other similar boards and I love learning their history and connection to the Spiritualist movement. It was while reading about such that I learned that my very own hometown had a fascinating connection to the history of modern talking boards!  That's right; Charleston, West Virginia has secured its spot in the annals of Ouija history.  It all starts with a man named Elijah Bond.

Okay, actually it doesn't. As early as 1100 A.D., a similar method of 'planchette writing' had been used in China. In the 1880's, spiritualists and mediums, especially in Ohio, had revived the idea of a talking board and its use became a common component of seances. But, it WAS Elijah who is credited as being the first to take out a patent/trademark on a talking board, thus becoming the father of the modern Ouija Board. 

Elijah J. Bond
Source

Elijah Jefferson Bond was born on January 23, 1847 in Maryland. As a young man, he served in the Confederate Army, and then went on to law school at the University of Maryland, graduating in 1872. He married Mary Peters, also a Maryland native, and had one son, a boy named William Brown Bond. Sometime in early 1890, Bond, who was already racking up patents for various other inventions in addition to his work as a lawyer, had an idea to patent an improved planchette to be sold with a wooden board imprinted with letters of the alphabet laid out in a semi-circle. Around the same time, businessman Charles Kennard saw the opportunity to start manufacturing and selling his own version of these 'spirit boards' that were so quickly growing in popularity around the country. 

On October 30, 1890 the Kennard Novelty Company was incorporated. The true story as to how the Kennard Novelty Company came to be, and who ACTUALLY invented the modern Ouija Board is almost as controversial as the Ouija Board's use today. Different sources tell slightly different stories, and even back in the early 1900's, there was a lot of in-fighting and claims being made and challenged. But, I think I've got enough details sorted out to give a fairly accurate picture. (Please be sure to see the additional reading and resources at the end of the blog for more info!) Anyway...

Harry Welles Rusk was named president of the company. He had graduated law school with Elijah Bond. William Maupin was also brought on board and just happened to be married to Bond's niece. So, Bond already had at least two fairly close connections to the company when he became involved. Although by most accounts he was never listed as a formal member of the Kennard Novelty Company, the patent for his talking board (no. 446,054),  filed for on May 28, 1890 and granted on February 10, 1891. Elijah was listed as the inventor, and the assignees were Maupin and Kennard. 

Page 1 of Nirvana Talking Board
Patent 63360

Page 2 of Nirvana Talking Board
Patent 63360

In addition to the patent, Elijah Bond is also responsible for giving the modern talking board the name of 'Ouija Board!' Elijah's sister in law, Helen Peters, was a medium, and during one of her sessions, asked what the board wanted to be called. She was given the answer of 'ouija.' When asked what the word meant, the board spelled out 'good luck,' which some interpret as the spirits/board wishing the Kennard Novelty Company good luck in its business endeavors! However, good luck was not in the plan. I won't get into in this blog, but the Kennard Novelty Company kinda fell apart, and different members split off, some opening up competing talking board companies. What was left of the original Kennard Novelty Company was changed to Ouija Novelty Company, with Kennard no longer a part of his own company. With all that drama, Elijah Bond seemingly slipped out of the talking board industry to continue his work as an attorney and inventor.

But then in the early 1900's, Elijah left Maryland and came to Charleston, West Virginia. For whatever reason, he was once again hit by the talking board bug, and decided to branch out on his own with a NEW trademarked board. On June 18th, 1907, he was granted a patent (63360) for the Nirvana Talking Board. 

By today's standards, the wooden board is fairly shocking to look at, as its emblazoned across the top with a large swastika and the word 'Nirvana.' But, being in a time before the Nazis perverted this ancient symbol, it was seen merely as a symbol of eastern mysticism. Elijah incorporated a new company, the Swastika Novelty Company, headquartered at his home/office at 146 Court Street in downtown Charleston. (This address no longer exists, but if we go off of modern numbering, it was probably right around where the Charleston Federal Center, on the corner of Quarrier, is located.) Unfortunately, the board was only manufactured for a few short years, making it a rare and very sought-after collectible today. 

Elijah would make his way back to Baltimore, Maryland some time later. In 1919, he suffered what was labeled as a 'stroke of paralysis.' His health further declined until his death on April 14, 1921. He was buried in and unmarked grave at Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore. Thanks to the efforts of Robert Murch, this burial plot was rediscovered in October of 2007. Murch worked with cemetery officials and eventually surviving family members to get permission to erect a fitting monument to Elijah and his contributions to history of the talking board. With the help of Tegeler Monuments and a host of donators, an awesome talking board tombstone was dedicated on July 12, 2008. 

Elijah J. Bond was only in Charleston, West Virginia for a few short years, but during his time here, he invented and manufactured a piece of talking board history. While he may have only intended his invention as a fun novelty, his contributions have had a significant impact on the Spiritualism movement, and have given Charleston another reason to celebrate its weird history. Stay spooky!

Elijah J. Bond's Tombstone
Source

Sources and Further Reading:

Museum of Talking Boards: History

Ouija Wikipedia

Elijah J. Bond Biography from WilliamFuld.com 

9 Oldest Ouija Boards in the World

Ouija Boards ARE Dangerous

The Bee Gee Board

A friend recently sent this to me and I thought it was perfect for today's Friday Funny! It reminded me of a recent incident with my son. He has his moments of fleeting interest, but for the most part he absolutely does not follow in my footsteps with a love of all things spooky.

After watching the paranormal episode of Brain Games on Disney+, which featured a segment on how the Ouija Board operates using the ideamotor principle (and is NOT controlled by spirits) I thought it would be funny to pull out our own Ouija Board for Family Game Night!  My child was NOT impressed and refused to play. I asked him what he was afraid of, given that we just watched an explanation on how it wasn't paranormal.  His reply was that the Brain Games show was only ONE opinion, and he had seen plenty of other videos that to him, proved Ouija Boards were portals to the spirit world, and he wasn't about to take any chances. I guess I should be happy that my son is overly cautious when it comes to things like that.

I hope you stay overly cautious this weekend as well!  Have a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend. Practice social distancing, don't drink and drive, watch your fingers around fireworks, and as always...

STAY SPOOKY!

For more Ouija Board information, including an explanation of the ideomotor principle, see my article, Ouija Boards ARE Dangerous.

Dying for Social Interaction?

Seriously, though...I hope everyone out there is staying safe and healthy during these trying times.  If you haven't already, please follow Theresa's Haunted History on Twitter or Facebook.  I'll be sharing tons of fun, spooky distractions to keep you informed and entertained throughout this period of social distancing.  I've got tons of stories, documentaries, books, podcasts, and articles to share with you, plus some upcoming ideas on how you can continue your own paranormal investigations and research from home until it becomes safer to get out in the field!  

Let's all do our part to help each other through the next couple of weeks and months. Stay positive, stay healthy, and stay spooky everyone! 

Cheap Ouija

This is another Friday Night Funny image that really speaks to me, lol.  I remember way back in middle school, making Ouija Boards with a pen and notebook paper, during math class.  To be honest, I'm pretty sure I've used a Dorito as a planchette at one point or another.  

I've come a long way since those days, lol.  I love the art and beauty of Ouija and similar talking boards and have amassed a small collection.  I still appreciate those quick, impromptu boards made in pre-Algebra, though!  

If you're a fan of Ouija history and art, check out the Talking Board Historical Society's website! 

Ancient Spirits

Ancient spirit, no...but I have a feeling that as society continues to evolve what we used to call 'text speak,' there's gonna be a lot of afterlife communications coming across in just this manner!  If you were on the other side and trying to contact the living, what would YOU say?  Let me know in the comments below, or join me over at Theresa's Haunted History Facebook page! 

The United States Marine Corps...and the Ouija Board

Happy Ouija Wednesday, everyone! If you've been on Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State Facebook for a few years, you might recognize this photo. It comes from the Talking Board Historical Society's Photo Gallery and shows a group of United States Marines playing with a talking board, circa 1944. I really love this photo and I cannot help but wonder what it is they are asking the spirits to tell them? Are they asking about their wives/girlfriends left at home...or is it something more serious? Given the date of 1944, perhaps they are wondering how and when the War will end. The man on the left seems to be rather jovial about the whole process, so I'm guessing the topic of conversation isn't too serious in nature. 

What is kind of serious is what happened 70 years after this photo was taken. In early 2014, the Marine Corps Engineer School outlawed the use of Ouija Boards and similar devices due to them "creating mystery and fear." I guess students at the school were scaring themselves silly, to the point where administration felt the need to take action.  Personally, I think the situation would have been better handled with a healthy dose of education concerning the ideomotor principle. You can read more about my thoughts on the Ouija Board at the link provided, but in short, the ideomotor principle means that the planchette is not being moved by spirit hands; instead, it is being moved by the sitters through very small, imperceptible, involuntary muscle movements.

Source

Happy Easter from Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State!

Happy Easter from Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State!  Also, Happy April Fool's Day!  It's not often that we get to celebrate two holidays in one day, so make the most of it...just keep your pranks funny (and even spooky!), but not too mean. If you need some inspiration, just check YouTube for a never-ending stream of ghost prank videos, many from Japan.

And, since its the first of the month, I wanted to share with you an exciting endeavor I'm taking on throughout April. I have joined the Ultimate Blog Challenge! The main 'challenge' component is 30 blog posts in 30 days.  That means that I will have to post a brand new blog EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Never in the history of Theresa's Haunted History have I been able to post a new blog 30 days straight. It's a daunting task, but I'm ready to take it on in order to bring you all a ton of new and interesting content!  And speaking of content...if you're jonesing for some more Easter goodies, check out my blog about Horrifying Easter Bunnies!  Stay spooky and have a great Easter/April Fool's Day!

More Ouija Demons

Ever since the movie, The Exorcist, came out, the Ouija Board has been synonymous with demons. Many believe that there are plenty of low-level, evil, demonic entities just sitting around waiting to be contacted through improper use of the board. This is the second Ouija-related Friday Funny of the month, and I cannot promise it will be the last! 

Oh, and if you want some tips and tricks on using the Ouija board for yourself, or are simply interested in hearing MY thoughts on the whole Ouija debate, please check out my article: Ouija Boards ARE Dangerous! Stay spooky ya'll! 

Friday Funny: The Ouija Demons

You can file this one under "things I laughed at harder than I should have"! Happy Friday Funny Day...and I promise, there will be more...educational...demon-related posts throughout the rest of the month, lol. 

Fact or Fake: Alice Cooper and the Ouija Board

Alice Cooper, formerly known as Vincent Furnier

I love Alice Cooper. I love his music. I love his shock rock/glam rock image. And...I love his love of the paranormal. I've mentioned Alice on my Facebook page a few times due to his social media activity. He often posts stuff you'd typically find in any paranormal themed Facebook group---pictures of creepy looking homes, freaky facts, and paranormal news stories.

It's no surprise that someone so interested in the strange and spooky side of life would be so heavily influenced by it, so much so that he'd actually change his name and become almost another person because of it!

There are different variations of the legend, but the basic story states that Vincent Furnier received a message via Ouija Board that he was the reincarnated soul of Alice Cooper, a young woman accused of being a witch in the 17th century. He quickly adopted that name for himself and his band, and the rest is history. Or is it?

This tale has been passed around for years in some form or another. In one version, young Vincent casually came up with the name at a party, while he and others were brainstorming what to call their band. He likened 'Alice Cooper' to 'Lizzie Borden,' a juxtaposition of sweet and deadly, and when several days later a Ouija board came up with the same name, he knew it was fate. (Source,) We'll save the discussion of the ideomotor principle for another blog.

In another variant, Alice wasn't looking for a name reminiscent of a little girl...but of an old woman, and 'Alice Cooper' seemed like a perfect example (Source). In  yet ANOTHER variant, Alice explains that he personally didn't have anything to do with the Ouija board aspect of the story...it was a guy named Dick Phillips and his mother who learned that Vince was Alice incarnate through their own use of the board (Source).

It seems like with every telling and even with every interview, the story changes slightly. At this point, I don't even think Alice really remembers how and why he became to be known as Alice. It definitely adds to the mystery and the mystique and in this case, I'm personally okay with it! Some things in life are just better left unknown...

Ouija Funnies

Friday Night Funny time! I've seen this and similar memes all over social media lately. True story: when I was about 7 or 8, I actually DID try to summon the devil, just to see if I could. My plans were to try to call him out, offer up my soul, and then back out at the last minute. I wanted to see if it would actually work and he'd show up. He didn't. That started a long, long process of realizing that the religious beliefs I had been taught at an early age were necessarily....accurate, lol. I was a really weird kid.

Anyway, I didn't use a Ouija Board to try to summon the devil that time...but I do have another hilarious Ouija story. When I was about 12, my 11 year old step-sister, her best friend, and I were sitting around her bedroom and decided to contact the spirit world. This was in the middle of the day in the heat of summer, but we turned off the lights, blocked out the windows with blankets, and lit a few candles. 

I was getting bored with the lack of movement from the board, and I apparently got a little distracted. I guess I was sitting there sort of glassy eyed, daydreaming, when I heard my step-sister start shrieking. She jumped up and ran out of the room, which of course caused me and her best friend to also start shrieking and run out after her. Somewhere along the line the candles got knocked over. Luckily, we didn't set the house on fire, but we did leave a HUGE red wax stain in the carpet that we got in big trouble over. 

But what caused all this? My step-sister mistook my glassy-eyed daydream look for one of a possessed individual. The reflection of the flames of the candle flickering in my eyes were the last straw and she freaked out. So yeah...I don't recommend children playing with these. But, if you'd like to hear more of my thoughts on the Ouija Board you can check out my article below:

*Ouija Boards ARE Dangerous*