The Hanging Of John Morgan

Grasslick Road is the site of the 1897 Pfost-Greene murders.

On the night of November 4th, a man named John Morgan stopped by to visit the Pfost-Greene family.  Mrs. Chloe Pfost Greene, then 70 years old, was at home with her daughters Alice and Matilda from her first marriage, and son James Greene from her second marriage.

John Morgan was a local boy who Mrs. Pfost-Greene took into her home and treated like a son.  He had moved out  three years prior, but remained friends with the family, doing odd jobs and farm work for them.  Therefore, John knew that Mrs. Pfost-Greene had a promissory note due to her for the sum of $100 for selling a horse.

On the night in question, John Morgan stopped by, and was invited to spend the night.  Around 4am, he and James went out to feed the hogs, and John Morgan brained James with an axe he had secured there. He went into the house, where the women were getting breakfast ready, and struck Matilda twice, killing her.  He then struck Alice, and thinking he killed her, went after Mrs. Pfost-Greene.  In the meantime, Alice had managed to run out, half-conscious and sounded the alarm.  John Morgan was arrested and confessed the next day, and was hung on December 16, 1897 (See photo above).  His hanging, which took place on the present day Ripley High School football field, was the last public hanging in West Virginia due to the large spectacle it became.  What is interesting about the death records for the family is that like on all death records, there is a place to record the informant...the person who provided the information of the death to the authorities.  In the case of Mrs. Greene, James, and Matilda, the informant section is filled out with the words "Morgan's Confession."

Today, the house where the murders took place is gone, but before it was demolished, it was said there was a blood stain on the floor that could not be removed.  The field surrounding the property is also rumored to be haunted.  Witnesses say they see a young woman running and can hear her screaming.  It is also said that if you listen closely, you can hear the sound of an axe.  This apparition is said to be that of Alice, who did survive the attack, but left a residual imprint on the environment due to the tragic and emotional event she was caught in.

Due to some questions I received in the comments for this blog, I was able to track down what happened to Alice.  Nancy Alice Pfost passed away in Jackson County, WV on November 30, 1944.  She is buried in the Fairplane Cemetery.  It doesn't appear as if she ever married or had any children.

Also due to an email I received, I was able to find out a little bit more about the sheriff who was in charge of the hanging.  It seems there was some family tales about exactly how he and his wife died, and hopefully, I was able to help that family out a little bit.  According to records on file at the WV State Archives, James Owen Shinn passed away due to complications from prostrate cancer in Mason County, WV in 1947.  His wife, Mary, died in 1953 from pneumonia.

September 2012:  Another update!  I've been asked where exactly the farm and the house were located, and while I can't give an exact answer, I did do a little bit of additional research to those interested:

The property where the murders happened was the Francis Marion Pfost farm.  Francis was Chloe/Cloah's first husband, and he inherited the property from his father Abraham, who in turn, inherited it from his father Isaac.  There isn't any specific location for that farm that I could find, but at one time it was around 1000 acres and it could be found in the Grass Lick Creek Community, located on Grasslick Rd (now Rt. 21), about 8-10 miles from Ripley.  There is later reference to the farm being owned by Sheriff J.O. Shinn, the sheriff responsible for hanging Morgan.

On this road, there is the Pfost/Greene Cemetery, and according to its website, the cemetery is actually located on the site of the former Francis Marion Pfost farm.  Since this cemetery is on the original farm property and is home to the tombstones of those who died during the murders, that might be a good place to start an investigation.  However, I have another unconfirmed report that the Laurel Commons Apartment Complex may also be on the site of the murders.

There is a member on Ancestry.com who has all his/her information set to private, but it does list that he/she has a photograph of not only the Pfost HOUSE, but several photos of the family as well.  Again, since this information is set to private, I haven't seen it, but may consider contacting this person in the near future for more information!

Info:  WV State Archives

The photo to the right is from THIS SITE

Lake Shawnee, Princeton Area

Photo by Theresa Racer

The Lake Shawnee Amusement Park gained notoriety after being featured on a 2005 episode of Scariest Places on Earth.

The amusement park opened in 1926 by C.T. Snidow, who ran the park until its closing in1966.  The site of the park is located atop of the Mitchell Clay family massacre, which occurred around 1783.  There are several different stories as to what happened that fateful day, but we do know that two of the Clay children, Tabitha and Bartley, were killed by a local Indian tribe.  Today, a memorial for the massacre stands on the park property.

In 1985, a man by the name of Gaylord White bought the property, and reopened the park.  White had worked at the park as a young man in the 1950s.  Unfortunately, due to insurance concerns, the park was closed three years later, and now only operates as a fishing lake and campground.
In 1988, a team of archaeologists from Marshall University excavated the area, and found evidence of two different Native American settlements.  They uncovered several tools, artifacts, and at least two bodies, those of an infant and an adult male.

Aside from the Clay massacre, there have been several deaths associated with the park.  When the park first opened, the property contained a saloon, complete with prostitution, illegal gambling, and a speak-easy.  A man was allegedly murdered over a large sum of money.

By Melissa Stanley, HPIR Founder

In the 1950s, a little girl is said to have died on the swing ride when a soft drink truck accidentally parked too close to the ride, causing her to slam into the side of it.  Mr. White has personally witnessed the apparition of this little girl, who he describes as wearing a pink dress with ruffled sleeves.  People also say that you can witness a cold spot and see orbs floating above the swing seats.  Unfortunately, another excellent group that researched this location talked to locals and law enforcement personnel, and could not verify this story.

The third death was that of a little boy who drowned in the lake.  The lake has now been largely drained for "mud bogging," and what  remains is a small pond that hosts catfish tournaments every Saturday night.  A later witness once claimed that she almost drowned in the lake as well.  She said she was swimming, and it felt as if something was trying to pull her under and hold her down.

Another possible death is from a man falling from the Ferris Wheel.  While this may or may not be just legend, people have reported seeing a man in car #10, which usually sits at the 9 o' clock position. The apparitions of Indians have also been seen, especially in the area of the former concession stand.

Karen Stuebing--Visit for more photographs and information!

Keep up to date on this location on Theresa's Haunted History FaceBook!

Additional Lake Shawnee Blog Posts/Articles:

Elephant Blocks Traffic Near Lake Shawnee

A Rain of Frogs at Lake Shawnee

Lake Shawnee Swimming Pool Deaths

No Cottage #13 for Lake Shawnee Guests 

Independence Day Celebrations at Lake Shawnee *NEW*

Vandergrift (Vancroft) Mansion, Wellsburg

In 1901, plans were drawn up for a lavish vacation home for Joseph B. Vandergrift, a wealthy steel heir from Pittsburg.  The home, known as Vancroft, was designed by Alden and Harlow architects, and was built atop the William Miller and Saunders' farms.

The home was called the playground for the rich.  It offered swimming pools, hunting, horse racing, gambling, prostitution, alcohol, and all sorts of entertainment activities.  Each room has an international theme, decorated with pieces from all over the world.  After Vandergrift, the home  was  purchased by the Brinker family, who allowed a silent film to be shot on the property.  The Knights of St. George, followed by the William Penn Society both owned the home, before the present owners, the Catholic Knights, took over in 1991. At one point, they operated an assisted living nursing home on the property.

The house also has a ghost.  A young lady is rumored to have hung herself out in the stables after her husband discovered that she was having an affair.  She has been seen wandering about the property, doomed to forever roam the place where she took her own life.

Today, the house is known as Aspen Manor and serves as a Bed and Breakfast.  In November of 2009, the mansion made headlines when a paranormal investigation group located bones, believed to be human remains, behind a wall.  Unfortunately for the paranormal community (but much to the relief of many others, I imagine) the bones did not turn out to be of human origin.

Charleston's Woolworth Building Fire

In the early morning hours of March 4, 1949 patrolman Wayne Casdorph was on duty near the Woolworth's Department Store on Capitol Street when he smelled smoke and noticed a milky color coming from one of the store windows.  He called in the report and shortly thereafter, the old Elizabeth Street Fire Department was the first to arrive on the scene.

The fire, having started in the department store's basement, was deceivingly small at first.  One squad was sent into the first floor with hoses, while another squad was making their way down a back staircase to battle the blaze at the source. Unfortunately, no one could predict just HOW badly the fire had already gotten out of control.  The first floor gave way, sending firemen crashing down into the burning debris of the basement.  Witnesses say men were buried up to their armpits in fiery merchandise, stock, and building debris. Two men, Roy C. Hill and Shawkey Jones, managed to escape out of the basement.  In interviews after the fire, Jones relates the sad tale of desperately trying to pull a fellow firefighter from the rubble onto what was left of the first floor, but the man slipping from his grasp and plunging back down into the inferno.

In total, seven firefighters lost their lives in the blaze.  Those men are:
Frank Miller
Freddie Summers
James Paul (Jiggs) Little
T. Frank Sharp
Richard McCormick
George Coates
Emory Pauley

15 additional firemen were injured, including two who were critically injured: Captain Charles Clendenin, who was overcome by smoke inhalation, and Carl Wiblin, who suffered severe burns.

Of those who passed away, many were WWII veterans who had returned to the Charleston area to work for the fire department.  Two of these men who made this ultimate sacrifice were African American.  According to an invocation at a memorial years later, it was stressed how at the time, these two men, Richard McCormick and George Coates, were not allowed to even SIT at the Woolworth lunch counter.  George Coates is further singled out for honors in this horrific incident.  After the floor collapsed, Coates was able to save one man's life by grabbing him and flinging him out to the alley to safety.  Noticing his partner was missing, Coates went back in after him, never to leave the building alive.  Unfortunately, in the chaos, Coates was unaware that his injured partner had made it safely out of the building and was in an ambulance en route to the hospital.

By noon, the fire was finally under control, and exhausted firemen were said to have wept as the bodies of fallen comrades were removed from the rubble.  In addition to the damage suffered by Woolworth's, the roof of the adjoining Kresge store burned and partially collapsed.  The Fleetwood Hotel, located next to the Kresge, and the Charleston National Bank Building, suffered water and smoke damage.  Total damages were estimated at close to $1 million.

Of course, property damage wasn't the biggest tragedy in this fire.  At the time of the incident, this was known as the nation's worst fire disaster, losing the most firemen in one single blaze.  An impromptu collection was set in place for the victims' families, spurred by an anonymous $200 donation made that same day.  Seven trees were planted along nearby Kanawha Blvd. for the seven fallen firefighters and today, a plaque hangs on the original renovated Woolworth building commemorating the sacrifice these men made.  In addition, a Fallen Firefighters Memorial was erected in 1994 at the Cultural Center on State Capitol Grounds that prominently features the list of these seven men along with all those other heroes who gave their lives in the line of duty.

Woolworth Building Today

Whenever there is a tragedy of this magnitude, there is usually a ghost story that goes along with it.  In this case, it is reported that many people working in the newly renovated Woolworth building have had sightings of firemen in 1940s era garb roaming the halls. The buildings fire alarms constantly go off, despite there being no fire. When examined for defects, inspectors can never find any reason why the alarms went off. And weirdly, some people have reported feeling an overwhelming sensation of heat while in the building. Ice water, fans, and even strong A/C cannot cool these people down. Their only relief is exiting the building.

Were the emotions of this tragic event so strong as to leave a psychic residue or imprint on the environment available to be picked up by those more in tune to such things?  Or, are the lost souls of this tragedy still roaming the halls, trying to find a way out? 

This location is currently a stop on the Charleston Ghost Tour Company tours for September 2021! Make sure you check the link for ticket information on upcoming tours and other events! 

Video taken by the owner of the nearby S. Spencer Moore store
Article from FireFighting News
Article from Kingsport (TN) News

Jefferson's Ground Sloth

The year was 1796.  Thomas Jefferson had not yet been elected as Vice President of the new country...but he did receive an interesting package from (then) Greenbrier County, Virginia.  The package, sent from Colonel John Stuart, contained the fossilized bone fragments of a femur, ulna, radius, and several large claws, that were allegedly found in a Greenbrier County cave.

The following year, Jefferson, now America's Vice President, theorized in a paper that the bones came from a giant lion that he named Megalonyx (giant claw).  He believed that the creature in question WAS still alive and well, and could be found in the western Virginia wilderness.

Today, we know the creature as Megalonyx jeffersoni...or giant ground sloth.  This beast was 8-10 feet long, weighed up to 800lbs, and lived during the Illinoian Period.  Also, up until recently, it was believed that the fossilized bones came from a cave in Greenbrier County known as Organ Cave.  However, in 1993, pieces of a Megalonyx jeffersoni scapula were found in nearby Haynes Cave, in neighboring Monroe County.  At the time of the discovery, the cave WOULD have been in Greenbrier County, as Monroe wasn't formed until later. Further, documentation shows that the bones were found by saltpeter workers on land owned by a Frederic Crower.  The Haynes cave WAS used in saltpeter work, while the owner was named Frederic Gromer, theorized to be a misspelling.

In 2008 the Megalonyx jeffersoni bones that were discovered were designated as WV's Official State Fossil and are part of the collection owned by Prehistoric West Virginia.

More info

Billy Ray Cyrus Meets a Ghost...at the Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, KY!

The Paramount Theatre's opening night was September 5, 1931.  It was originally intended to show silent films made exclusively by Paramount Studios, but early during the planning stages, "talkies" replaced the silent films.  As a result, plans changed, and the Paramount was slated to be a model transitional theater, again showing exclusively Paramount's films.

The Great Depression set construction back, and Paramount wanted to scrap the project.  An Ashland based company picked up the project, and used Paramount craftsmen to provide the interior furnishings.  The original plans called for the building to be at least one-third larger, but again, the Great Depression caused plans to change.  The building was then leased to the Paramount Publix Corporation. 

The original contractor of the building was Ashland citizen, Wade Gates.  The designers were Rapp and Rapp, who utilized the popular Art Deco style.  Seating was for 1309 people, and for a time, the Paramount was the only theater in the area that showed talking movies.

The theater was closed in 1971, and was picked up a year later by  the Greater Ashland Foundation for use as a community theater.  It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. 

The following story is from the History section of the Paramount Arts Center homepage:

It is said that during work on the Paramount Theatre, in its early stages, a death occurred there and the man's ghost has forever since haunted the Paramount. A group of construction workers who were working inside the auditorium had gone to lunch except one man, a guy named Joe. When the others returned they found Joe hanging from the stage rafters, dead. It is not known whether his death was an accident or suicide. But since then, sounds have been heard, things have gone missing, cold drafts have been felt, and some folks even claim to have seen the image of a man appear on occasion.

However, it is by all means a "good ghost" - one who seems to look out for the benefit of the theatre and its occupants. When Billy Ray Cyrus was here filming his video for "Achy Breaky Heart", he was told about the legend of Paramount Joe. Between breaks, Billy Ray would talk to Joe, laughing and joking with him, sometimes even asking for his help.

It is customary to get 8 x 10 photographs signed by each performer that appears at the Paramount and then hang the photo on our 'Wall of Fame' in the box office. Well Billy Ray personally autographed large color posters to each of the female employees working here at the time - and one to Paramount Joe, whom he now had a fondness for. Each lady put her poster near her desk and Joe's was hung in the box office, near all the other performers.

As time passed and the walls in the box office became too full of 8x10's signed by other performers here, the executive director felt that some of the pictures and posters needed to come down. Since there were so many of Billy Ray, she asked the women to remove their posters since they were all so similar. Nobody wanted to take their personally autographed picture of Billy Ray down so they took down the one he had signed to Paramount Joe.

The next day, when the ladies came to work, every single 8x10 and poster that had been hanging neatly on the walls the night before was now lined up against the wall on the floor, their glass frames still intact! It was as if someone had carefully removed each one. To this day, Paramount Joe's poster still hangs in the Paramount, in a very special part of The Marquee Room.

There is another story about the time two new employees wanted to investigate the basement in the Paramount and some old items that had been stored there. To reach the basement, you must go through a door that is located just inside the lounge outside the ladies restroom. This brings you to the top of the stairs. At the top of the stairs is a lightswitch which will light the first section of the stairwell for you. As you progress, there is a switch that will light each area in front of you. And, there is no partner switch. In other words, you must turn the light off at the same place you turned it on.

The marketing director had offered to take the two new female employees into the basement and turned on the lights at the top of the stairs. The ladies hurried down the steps. At that moment the marketing director was called to the phone by someone inside the office. He told the other two employees to hold on, he would be right back. In their excitement however, they did not hear him and they continued on. Recounting the story later, it was at this point they called up to him to turn on the next light for them.

As it turned out, he was on the phone longer than expected and met the ladies as they were coming back up the steps. "Thanks for turning on the light for us," one of them said, "but we can't get it to turn off." Puzzled, he explained that he had not turned on the light for them. The expression on their faces revealed that they were not kidding with him.

They lead him back into the basement, only to met by darkness. 'Someone' had turned the light off again as well. "Well, thanks Joe," called out one of the ladies, as she shivered.

Sue Bennett College, London, KY

Isabel (Belle) Harris Bennett (b.1852) founded the college for minorities in 1897 and named it the Sue Bennett Memorial School (later Sue Bennett College) in honor of her deceased older sister, Sue Bennett.

Belle was big in the woman's suffrage movement, and also in Methodist education. She also helped found the Scarritt Bible and Training School in Missouri, which later relocated to Tennessee. She also helped found a few more schools, and even had one in Rio de Jinero named after her. She died in 1922 in Richmond, KY.

The school closed in 1997 after it lost accreditation and funding due to financial and administrative problems (despite a fundraiser by Oprah Winfrey, hehe). Part of it is now the Bennett Center, which houses a branch of the local YMCA among other things. Its also been added to the National Register of Historical Places.

Shadowlands Description of Hauntings:
London - Sue Bennett College - they say the dorms and the theater are haunted and that Belle Bennett roams the halls all night playing the piano’s turning off and on lights and watching people sleep that still stay there if you go in your sure to find something. 

Theresa's Note:  In the comment section of another haunted locations listing, a former student also shared information on a suicide that ocurred on the 2nd floor of Helm Hall.  The apparition of the young lady who hung herself in that dorm is reported to have been seen more often than Belle.