Communication with the Dead: A Friday Funny

 

At this stage in the worldwide Coronavirus Pandemic, I think we're ALL ready to ditch the masks. Unfortunately, that's not possible if we want to continue to follow guidelines and protect ourselves and those around us.  However, there are exceptions to every rule! It seems that if you're communicating with SOMEONE WHO IS DEAD, it's perfectly acceptable to forgo the mask!

It makes sense---if they're already dead, it's not like they can catch anything from you. So, ghost hunters, Spiritualists, paranormal investigators, and psychic mediums---here's your free pass. 

Hehehe, this unfortunate typo (I assume that it should read 'someone who is DEAF') was found shared by Haunted Hills Paranormal Society and Newcastle Ghost Tours. It appears to be local to Australia, and has hopefully been corrected since publication, lol.  Stay safe, stay spooky, and wear your mask---unless of course you're communicating with the dead. 

Ghostly Goings-On at the Dude Rancher Lodge

From the Dude Rancher Lodge webpage

The Dude Rancher Lodge in Billings, Montana is a unique addition to this month's Haunted America collection---it's unique because it's a relatively 'new' haunted location!

A mix of a traditional dude ranch and modern hotel, the Dude Rancher Lodge was built between 1949 and 1950 by Annabel and Percival Goan. The couple ran the lodge together until 1962 when Percival was killed in a car crash. Annabel then took over operations, and ran the hotel alone for nearly two decades. She lived in an on-site apartment, being cared for by her staff, until her health declined to the point where she needed to be moved into a nursing home. Unfortunately, she passed on February 2, 1983.

And, according to the lodge's website, that was when the paranormal activity started!

It's not uncommon for an employee to be cleaning an empty guest room and the television come on all by itself. Lights are also known to turn themselves on and off without the help of any living person. Both guests and staff have reported knocks on guest room doors. When they go to answer the door, no one is there. Guests have even complained of children running up and down the halls, laughing, even when no children are booked for that evening. 

Montana Paranormal Research Society once caught an EVP of a woman's voice in the basement area, lending to the idea that Annabel is the resident ghost. However, it's possible that her passing was just a catalyst for latent paranormal activity.  When the lodge was built, it used bricks from the old St. Vincent's Hospital, the Russell Refinery, and the Washington School. Is it possible that those bricks, especially those from the old hospital, could have been holding onto energy that was later released after Annabel's passing?

If you'd like to experience the hauntings for yourself, staff recommends booking rooms 223, 224, or 226 (which was the room Annabel's grandson stayed in when he took over hotel operations after her death). But, if you want to visit during the Halloween season, make sure you book early, as these rooms fill up fast! 

Michigan's Haunted Bridge

Photo by Nathan Holth, via A Bewitching Guide to Halloween

I'm really on a haunted bridge kick this month! Today's blog post in my Haunted America series joins other bridges across the United States in Indiana and Minnesota. It is the short, and somewhat confusing tale of a haunted Crawford Road Bridge near Cass City, Michigan. 

Cass City, Michigan isn't really a city. It's actually a rather small (1.79 square miles) village in Elkland Township, Michigan. Found in the 'thumb' area of Michigan's mitten, the village was incorporated in 1883, with its first permanent settlers having been in the area since the 1850's. 

A local legend states that some time during the 1800's before a proper bridge was built, a woman was crossing the creek area alone by horse and buggy. At the time, the 'bridge' had no safety railing and when one of the wheels of the buggy left the roadway, the buggy tipped off the bridge, landing upside down. The lady was pinned underneath it, trapped in less than two feet of water. She frantically flailed her body, but she remained pinned and tragically, she drowned before help could arrive. 

Since that time, on foggy nights, legend seekers and ghost enthusiasts flock to the area to experience the ghost of the poor woman who drowned at Crawford Road Bridge. Faint cries for help have been reported, and some have even seen what appears to be a ghostly hand emerge from the side of the bridge, desperately trying to motion for help. Even more frightening, some people say that a woman wearing 1800's clothing will crawl up and over the side of the bridge, stand up, and walk towards them, soaking wet. 

As captivating as this story is, there really isn't much written about it online. The information above came from an article published on 21 January 2021 by John Robinson on the 99.1 WFMK website. Make sure to check it out for photos of and directions to get to the area! 

A Bewitching Guide to Halloween also features the Crawford Road Bridge story from an August 2020 blog post which states that the bridge in question was built in 1917 over Big Drain Creek, and that the decorative railing is all the remains today. 

Minneapolis' Haunted Washington Avenue Bridge

Source: Twin Cities Pioneer Press

Of all the haunted locations throughout Minneapolis, the one I find most interesting is the Washington Avenue Bridge. Built in 1965 to replace an older bridge from 1884, the Washington Avenue Bridge crosses the Mississippi River, connecting the east and the west sides of the University of Minnesota campus. The bridge is unique in that its a double-decker; the top deck is a pedestrian and cyclist pathway, while the bottom deck is reserved for cars and the METRO Green Line light rail system. 

Unfortunately, over the its years of operation, the Washington Avenue Bridge has become what locals call a suicide hot spot. On January 7, 1972, John Berryman, a poet and university professor, possibly became the first to take his own life on the bridge when he jumped to his death, landing on the west bank of the river. Berryman had suffered from years of depression and alcoholism. A recent religious conversion wasn't enough to stop him from taking the plunge off the bridge that winter morning.

Following Berryman were at least half a dozen more, including a young male university student who allegedly wrapped himself up in his comic book collection before taking the fatal jump. It seems that any place so entwined with emotional and tragic tales of death must naturally gain a haunted reputation, and that's true of the Washington Avenue Bridge.

Pedestrian Level Source: 123RF

Pedestrians traversing the top deck of the bridge have reported hearing phantom footsteps coming up behind them. A feeling of being watched by an unseen presence lurking in the shadows is also often reported. In one alleged encounter, a pedestrian claimed that the figure of a man was seen coming towards him, but the figure vanished before the startled witness' eyes. Cold spots are another ghostly phenomenon linked to the bridge, despite the fact that heaters (while often not working or not working properly) have been installed in the pedestrian walkway areas. 

The Washington Avenue Bridge is a unique pathway connecting the University of Minnesota campus, but it has seen more than it's fair share of tragedy over the nearly 50 years since it was built. If you find yourself walking, biking, or just simply driving across it one day, remember to keep those who lost their lives below you in your thoughts.  And keep your eyes and ears open---you might just meet a ghost! 

Sources:

Sparber, Max. "Haunted Twin Cities: The Washington Avenue Bridge." MinnPost 24 October 2011

Washington Avenue Bridge Wikipedia

John Berryman Wikipedia

Exorcism and Fried Chicken

 

Awhile back, this image was all over social media. A church near Bardstown, KY seemingly was advertising a public Satanic Exorcism, complete with all the fried chicken you can eat for 50 cents.  That sounds like a hell of a deal!  And let's be honest...at first glance, this image almost seems believable.  I can totally see this area hosting a large tent-revival type of church service, where faith healers smacked the demons out of the afflicted, and fried chicken was plentiful. 

But, sometimes things aren't as they seem. A quick reverse image search reveals the non-doctored, original version, which is from 1940 and can be found at the Library of Congress.

As you can see, the mundane phrase 'Church Picnic' was changed to the much more interesting 'Satanic Exorcism.' You can still get your unlimited fried chicken for 50 cents, though. The original photograph also gives us a slightly larger perspective. It appears that this advertisement for St. Thomas' church picnic was displayed at Hession Roofing Company, either on the actual store itself, or the owners' home.  In fact, in this ad from the early 1950's, the home featured looks almost exactly like the home in the photo!   One further thing to note, though.  St. Thomas in Bardstown, KY is a Catholic Church. I'm not a theologian, but I know enough about the Catholic religion to confidently say that church-sanctioned satanic exorcisms would not be a festive, public event. I can't, however, verify whether or not fried chicken would be an integral part of the process. 

I know it's been awhile since this photo originally started making its rounds, but I realized I never actually got around to blogging about it!  I still see it pop up every now and then, so it's a great reminder to not believe everything you see. There is a LOT of outright fakery, and a lot of misinformation being passed on as fact in the paranormal community. This photo probably started as a joke, without any malicious intent, but there are people who see this and automatically assume that it must be true. Always take a few minutes to verify information, especially if something seems too good to be true.  Happy Haunting! 

 

Concord's Colonial Inn

If you're looking for an elegant place to stay in the Concord, Massachusetts area, filled with history and GHOSTS, look no further than the Colonial Inn! Originally built in 1716, Concord's Colonial Inn has been a private residence, a boarding house, and even acted as a variety store before becoming Concord's Colonial Inn in 1900. Over the years it has gone through multiple expansions and renovations and has picked up quite the haunted reputation throughout New England. 

One of the first recorded experiences of ghosts at the hotel comes from 1966. Newlyweds M.P. and Judith Fellenz were visiting from New York and were given Room 24 on the second floor. The next morning, Loring Grimes, the innkeeper, noticed that the bride looked pale, but didn't think much of it.  However, two weeks later, a letter arrived from Mrs. Fellenz. In the letter, she states that during her stay on June 14, 1966 she had encountered what she believed was a ghost and wanted to know if anyone else had reported similar experiences.

She claims to have awakened sometime during the night, feeling like there was an unknown presence in the room. She saw what she described as a grayish, shadowy mass standing to the left of the bed, about 4 feet away. The vaguely human-shaped mass floated to the foot of the bed where it stayed a moment before melting away. 

Since that fateful encounter, the Colonial Inn has embraced its haunted history, and proudly shares information about the hotel's ghosts on its website. Room 24 is still considered the most haunted room in the hotel...and for good reason. It seems that during the Revolutionary War, the inn was actually a private residence owned by a local doctor. Room 24 became an operating room for wounded soldiers, and many passed away, in great pain, within its walls. Interestingly, it is noted that the ghosts that roam the Colonial Inn rarely include Revolutionary War era soldiers.  Rather, it is the CARETAKERS of these soldiers and the inn that are more likely to be seen, including a nurse named Rosemary.

Rosemary is seen as an older woman who roams throughout the halls. Disembodied voices have been heard, floating orbs have been seen on camera and with the naked eye, and it's not uncommon to experience flickering lights or lights/televisions that come on by themselves in the middle of the night. Room 27 on the first floor was used as a morgue during the Revolutionary War and is also a favorite haunted hot spot for those wanting to experience something paranormal during their stay.

The Colonial Inn's haunted reputation has attracted both curiosity seekers looking for a spooky night's stay, and also seasoned paranormal investigators. Over the years, several teams have come to the hotel looking to collect evidence of the afterlife, including the team from TAPS.  Ghost Hunters filmed an hour long episode (Season 6 Episode 14) at the hotel in 2010. 

*Information and Photos for this blog came directly from Concord's Colonial Inn's website.*

Hexenritt

 

Happy Tuesday! Today's blog is a quickie---I just wanted to share this beautiful piece of witchy art with everyone.  The title of this painting is Hexenritt, translated to Witches' Ride. It was completed around 1875 by German artist, Carl Spitzweg. 

I hope your week has started out strong and continues to get better and better. And don't forget to take a few minutes to appreciate the arts---the creepier the better!