The Sexton's House of Russellville, KY

This story is sometimes referred to as the Russellville Girl.

In Kentucky and throughout the south, a sexton is the outdated term for the caretaker of a cemetery. This particular home, belonging to a local sexton, located at the edge of Maple Grove Cemetery, was built in 1870.

Around the turn of the century, the caretaker's daughter was preparing to go to a dance. While she was in the tub, she was struck by lightning, which in turn, etched her portrait into the glass of a second story window.

There is speculation about those exact events...some believe that the girl was forbidden to go to the dance because of the storm, or that her date was late or stood her up...all resulting in her cursing God, and thus being struck down.

In any event, by the 1920s, the window was drawing in so many visitors, that the owners decided to paint over the window...and then to board it up.

Photo property of Roadside America

Jailer's Inn, Bardstown, KY

The Jailer's Inn in Bardstown, KY, is located at 111 W. Stephen Foster Avenue, and has been listed by the Travel Channel as being one of the top 10 most haunted sites in America.  The property this limestone structure sits upon has been used as the Nelson County Jail since 1797, and saw its last inmates in 1987.

The original jail, which sat in front of the current structure, was torn down in 1819 when the new jail was built, with the aid of architect John Rogers.  New is a relative word, as this part of the structure is now known as the "Old Jail."  It contained two cells, and an upstairs "Dungeon", where the most violent and dangerous criminals were shackled to the floor. 

In 1874, a back addition was made, and the front part of the jail became the jailer's residence until 1987. A wall was also added around the property.  The 30 inch thick limestone walls were meant to keep prisoners in...perhaps even in death.   In 1988, the McCoy family purchased the building at a public auction, restored it, and converted it into a bed and breakfast, opening up in 1989.

According to co-owner Paul McCoy, the inn earned its reputation as one of the most haunted places in Bardstown and the country honestly.  A host of paranormal activity has been reported over the years, from guests and staff alike.  Whispering and people talking throughout the inn is common, as are disembodied footsteps walking up and down the stairs, the cries of a baby, and a few piano notes scattered while no one is around.

The Colonial Room is said to be haunted by a red globe light that mysteriously turns itself on.  While it may simply be a short in the wiring, that does not explain why the light only comes on between the hours of 3 and 4am.  One guest staying in the room had awakened in the night to use the restroom, when the friendly light came on by itself, lighting his way through the dark room.

Perhaps the most haunted part of the building is the old dungeon room.  Several tour guides have had experiences there,  including seeing an apparition in a mirror, and hearing a woman screaming.  Research has shown that a man was once hung from the hanging tree out front.  This man was described as having a high-pitched scream, identical to that of a woman's.

While the dungeon may be the most haunted room, the most famous resident ghost is said to be that of Martin Hill.  Hill was convicted of murdering his wife in 1885.  He shot her while she was at a neighbor's house, and was subsequently sentenced to hang from the gallows.  Before his execution date, however, Martin Hill became very ill and passed away.  In his pain and fever delirium, it is said he cried out in agonizing pain, but also constantly spewed a string of vile, obscene blasphemies.  After his death, many prisoners over the years, and later guests and staff claim to have heard his cries and pleadings for mercy.  He is also blamed for many of the nondescript paranormal occurrences throughout the building, and one guest even claims to have possibly seen and actually spoke with the apparition of Hill for over 15 minutes!  The ghost of Martin Hill has been around for many years, and was even featured in a 1909 article about hauntings at the jail.  This article, as well as a set of original shackles, is on display at the inn.

Jailer's Inn homepage

John Rowan Monument, Federal Hill Cemetery (Bardstown, KY)

John Rowan is one of Kentucky's most prominent politicians.  His impressive resume includes such positions as: State Judge, 7 terms in legislature, US Senator, Kentucky Secretary of State, Chief Justice for the Court of Appeals...and cousin to Stephen Foster.  Foster is most famous for penning the popular song, "My Old Kentucky Home," after his stay at Rowan's stately mansion, Federal Hill.

However, such greatness grew out of humble beginnings.  Rowan was a sickly child, not expected to live through childhood.  As a desperate attempt, Rowan's father moved the family west to Kentucky for the dry country air, and the boy thrived, physically, and intellectually.  He studied law in Lexington, becoming a lawyer by 1795, and married Ann Lytle.  Lytle's father deeded the couple the land on which was built the famous mansion.

Rowan died on July 13, 1843 and was interred in the Bardstown Cemetery.  Before his death, he made it clear that he did not want any stone marker or monument erected over his grave site.  Both of his parents had never received any grave marker, and he felt that it would disrespect their honor to have one himself, especially since his beautiful and famous mansion was monument enough.

However, friends and family did not feel these final wishes were fitting to a man of his prominence.  Shortly after internment, he was relocated to the Rowan Family Cemetery, otherwise known as Federal Hill Cemetery, closer to his home, and a tall, obelisk monument was erected in his honor.

Within days, the monument mysteriously tumbled and fell over.  Stonemasons were called in immediately, and skeptically and dubiously blamed the collapse on tree roots or settling ground, and fixed the monument.  Less than two months later, stonemasons were again called in; the gravestone had toppled once more.  By this time, rumors were being spread, and several workmen refused to work on the project.  Nevertheless, the stone was once again repaired...only to topple over again shortly afterward, landing directly on the grave.

By this time, stonemasons were sure that the spirit of John Rowan was responsible for knocking over the monument he never wanted, and refused to do any further work on the stone.  Cemetery caretakers took over the responsibility of repairing and righting the stone, an issue that allegedly, they still are plagued with today.

Photos from Find-a-Grave Contributors Tim Crutchfield and RosalieAnn
More information from Troy Taylor's website
John Rowan Biography

King's Island Kookiness?

Kings Island is located in Mason, Ohio, about 24 miles NE of Cincinnati.  Up until 1997, the park was a part of the Deerfield Township, which was annexed in that year into Mason.

The park broke ground on June 15, 1970, and officially opened to the public on April 29, 1972.  It was named for the Kings Powder Company, which created the town of Kings Mill for its employees.  The park sits on property formerly owned by the company.

Kings Island covers over 700 acres of land, and was built to replace the defunct Coney Island Amusement Park, located 10 miles east of Cincinnati.  Coney Island was shut down due to frequent flooding, and several of the rides and attractions were moved to the Kings Island location.

Deaths at the Park 
There are tons of rumors of deaths and accidents being covered up, but there are several verifiable deaths relating to accidents and natural causes at the park.

1. An employee of the Lion Country Safari Ride was killed in either 1975 or 1976.  Jack, or Johnny by some accounts, was a 20 year old employee who had asked the previous year to be transferred from grounds crew to ranger for the ride.  Rangers rode around the attraction in armored cars with tranquilizers.  Jack made the mistake of leaving his vehicle without his tranquilizer gun in order to use the restroom. 

Reports indicate that Jack was suffering from diarrhea, and was attacked with his pants down.  That rumor is false.  However, Jack did exit the vehicle to  make a pit stop, and was thus attacked.  The Safari ride operated from 1974 to 1993, and the location is now home to the Son of Beast coaster and a storage/junk yard.

2. A little girl allegedly drowned prior to the park's opening in a lake located on the property. The lake is now supposedly used as a reserve for the White Water Canyon attraction.

3. In May of 1983, the park hosted a Grad night for local high schools.  A boy by the name of Johnny, was apparently inebriated and climbing around restricted areas of the Eiffel Tower.  By  different reports, Johnny was either hit by the counterweight of one of the elevators, or was decapitated and mutilated by cable wires...or a combination of the two.

4. June 9, 1991 is a day known in park history as Black Sunday.  The day started off in good spirits, as the park hosted one of its last public Gay Pride events at the park.  However, things would not stay so carefree.  A man by the name of Tim Brenning was with friends in Oktoberfest, near the Viking attraction.  Since it was a hot day, he playfully dipped his hand into the pond to splash his friends.  Due to a short in the electrical and light component, Tim was shocked, and fell into the water.  His friend, William "Eddie" Haithcoat went in after him, but was also shocked.  A security guard nearby got reports that someone had been "shocked" in the area, but misheard it as someone being "shot."  Thus, he jumped in to pull the men out, and was also shocked.  Another guest, probably after someone had gotten the information to cut the electricity, reached in and pulled the men out and CPR was started.  Unfortunately, both the security guard and William died, and Tim suffered severe nerve damage in his arm.

The park was overrun with helicopters and emergency personnel, which seemed to have distracted a reportedly highly intoxicated woman who was riding the Flight Commander ride.  Candy Taylor had been belligerent  with ride operators, but was allowed to ride alone in the two-person pod anyway.  From eyewitness reports, it seems as if the woman, who was also quite small, was wriggling around in the harness, trying to wave at her friends below and point out the helicopters, when she managed to wriggle between the restraints and fell out.  Subsequently, the ride was shut down, and modifications were made so that it would be impossible to slide over into the other seat and out of one's harness.

5. A thirty-four year old woman suffered a heart attack while riding the Top Gun ride in 2003.  She died in the hospital the next day.

Ghosts at the Park
1. Not  many people are aware of the fact that there is a cemetery on Kings Island property.  The cemetery is located between the campground and the parking area, and has graves dating back to the 1840s. 

Allegedly, a little blond girl wearing a blue dress is said to be buried there, and who haunts the park.  She is under 4 feet tall, and is estimated to be about 5-8 years old.  She is most often seen along the tram route, and in the WaterWorks area.

2. Tower Johnny: Tower Johnny is the ghost of the teen who passed away on the Eiffel Tower on Grad Night  in 1983.  Tower Johnny is often seen at the tower, and is blamed for many of the electrical malfunctions for that attraction, and many others in the park.  In fact, tripped sensors with no apparent cause are dubbed "Johnnies."  Johnny isn't limited to just the tower, though.  He is seen throughout the park as a young, bloodied looking man.  He is rumored to be seen at the Beast, either on the tracks, in the tunnel, or in the woods.  A legend states that the bloody cables that were instrumental in Johnny's death were stored/hidden in the woods behind the Beast.  Actually, there were cables stored there, but the rusty cables actually were parts from the ride itself.

3.  Some people say that the Beast has its own ghost...and its not Johnny.  Glowing red eyes are routinely reported by riders during the part of the ride through the woods.  There is also supposedly a photo taken by a ride cam that shows the ghost, but no one can produce a copy, or has personally seen it.

4. Similar to Tower Johnny is Racer Boy.  Racer boy is supposedly a young boy, often seen wearing all white, who frequents the area around the Racer.  The Racer is a coaster that has two of its four trains originally coming from the Coney Island park's Shooting Star.  Many years ago, a young teen boy sitting in the back of that coaster was noticed as missing when the ride pulled in.  A search ended with his body being found in the bottom of a dip in the track.  Whether or not this is the same boy or not, we do know that Racer Boy is only seen during the dark, most often right as the park is closing.  Visitors report him along the sides of the tracks, and in the tunnels, and like Tower Johnny, there is supposedly a picture of him out there.  What is interesting is that while the Racer is one of the oldest rides in the park, Racer Boy reports didn't start coming in until the early 1990s.

5. The White Water Canyon rafting ride also has its own ghost.  Countless employees have encountered the sounds of a child's giggle and the pelting of rocks against their observational towers after the last visitors have exited the ride.  The poltergeist is dubbed "Woody" and is most often experienced at Observational Tower 2, which is deep in the woods, and is only accessible by a small footpath.  Occasionally Tower Johnny is blamed for the activity, but other times activity is blamed on the little girl who drowned in the nearby lake.

King's Island History Pages, from King's Island Central

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Curt Strutz of Paranormal Generation

Curt Strutz isn't a paranormal investigator, or even a ghost hunter.  He's a Paranormal Explorer!  I met Curt at a presentation Monday evening at the Kanawha County library, and it was quite an enjoyable experience!  Curt, star of the TV show Paranormal Generation (which oddly enough, has more investigation than exploring?), has traveled the country, amassing quite the collection of humorous, and sometimes spooky, anecdotes.

Showing slides from various haunted locales and fielding an array of questions and opinions from a diverse audience, Curt was hilarious to listen to, yet also very informative.  While theories were skimmed over, the history and the folklore of various haunted places, from the more famous such as the Villisca Axe Murder House, to the lesser known, such as the Story Inn, were abundant, and always entertaining.

Although Paranormal Generation only shows in 10 states right now, the tri-state area NOT being included, I'd highly recommend checking them out online.  I watched a few episodes Monday night after the presentation, and wasn't disappointed.  The format was a little, um, well...it wasn't super original...but I'll leave it at that.  It was fun, and I'll let you all decide for yourselves.  Also, apparently, if you're in need of a giant fox suit or a kid's fishing comedian, Curt can hook you up with that, too!

Anyway, check out Paranormal Generation HERE!
(Photo of Curt from the Paranormal Generation website...since I forgot my camera)

The Anchorage (Putnam House)

This entry on the previous site actually got me linked up and quoted on Wiki!  Woot!

The Anchorage is located just outside of Marietta.  It was built in 1859 by a local businessman, Douglas Putnam, for his second wife, Eliza.  This beautiful Tuscan inspired mansion was modeled after a similar home in New Jersey that Eliza fell in love with after visiting friends there.  The 22 room home cost approximately $60,000, and boasts a tower with a widow's walk.

The home was known as the Putnam House, and was a hub of social activity in the region.  Unfortunately, Eliza didn't get to enjoy her beloved home for very long--she died in 1862 of heart disease.  Allegedly, David Putnam, brother to Douglas, at one time either lived in the home, or was a constant figure there.  David was a staunch abolitionist, and rumors abound that the home contains secret tunnels that were used in the Underground Railroad.  No tunnels have thus been found, and the family vehemently denies their existence.

In 1896, the house left the Putnam family, and was purchased by the Knox family.  The Knox's were involved in boat manufacture and transportation, and thus the home was named "The Anchorage."

In 1960, the home was converted into a nursing home, and remained open until 1986.  Today it is located on the old Arbors Nursing home property, and is owned by the Washington County Historical Society.

The first reports of this home being haunted began to surface during its time as a nursing home.  Patients, visitors and staff all have reported a young African American boy, around the age of nine, roaming through the building. His presence may  have helped spur the legends of an Underground Railroad.

 However, the most prominent spirit is definitely that of Eliza Putnam, who continues to frequent the home she so adored.  She has been seen on the stairs wearing a long dress and looking melancholy.  She is also often reported looking out the front bedroom window.  She seems to be seen most on the anniversary of her death, which was on September 9th.

I had the opportunity to attend a ghost hunt at the home a few years back, but unfortunately, there were so many people, we really couldn't obtain any good evidence.  However, there have been several groups that have gotten pretty decent EVPs from the home, and some unexplainable photographs.

Information and photos from the Washington County Historical Society

A Milton UFO Sighting

I've never been that interested in UFOs or aliens--I prefer to concentrate on the ghostly side of paranormal research. However, its not like I didn't believe they existed...I just paid them no mind.

That changed about eight years ago.  I'm not sure of the exact date, but it was in February of '03. I was heading east towards Charleston from Huntington on I-64. Somewhere before I got to the Milton exit, I could see a weird shape hovering to the right side of the highway. It was about 1:30 am I believe, so traffic wasn't heavy. I pulled over to get a better look at this thing.

It appeared to be almost in the shape of a firework exploding in the night sky. However, it remained in one spot, but seemed to be pulsating. Its tentacles would draw upwards and it would turn a sparkly pink. It would splay them back out and turn a sparkly green. I sat and watched it for about three minutes, then decided I should be on my way.

I have no clue what this could have been. I've never seen a UFO described like this before.  I couldn't describe it as a craft per se...it looked almost organic instead.  I've passed that immediate area almost on a nightly basis and have never found anything it could be...not even the spotlights from the strip club.  Of further interest, there have been several similar sightings in the Milton area, some of which were described on the WVGhosts message board.  MUFON had some sightings listed for that area as well.