WTOL Toledo 11 and TOGHS Investigate Wolfinger

Wednesday & Thursday October 28th & 29th 2009

TOGHS was contacted by WTOL Toledo 11 News morning show in regards to having us on live at a local Haunted location. We decided to accommodate them and visited two recently TOGHS investigated locations.

Photo Album after the fold.

On Wednesday morning we went on the air live at 9:00am from the Lady in the Attic home on Toledo’s Eastside.  Mike, John, Becky and I arrived early at 8:00am to set up equipment. Once on the air, I was interviewed by Chris Vickers while the team worked an EVP session from the Attic, We did not capture anything paranormal but had fun working with WTOL 11 news. After the live broadcast we received tons of emails and blogs to our web site as well as requests for investigations. We kind of knew doing this Halloween telecast would bring out opinions and personal beliefs from our local audience. We agreed to set up another live show for the following morning.  Mike and I met Chris Vickers at one of our favorite legendary Haunted cemeteries, Wolfinger. The morning was very foggy and seemed perfect for an investigation and broadcast. We set up our equipment at two locations within the cemetery, the first set of headstones belonged to the three children that had died within a week of each other in the late 1800’s. Thomas, Rebecca and Ernest have been known to run along the fence line and throughout the cemetery, now they were being video taped and recorded during the entire broadcast as well as our longtime friend Eliza Ford, You might remember her name from one of my earlier investigations to this legendary haunted hot spot.  We shared air time between both locations but neither Eliza nor the children felt like being seen live on television during the broadcast.  I’ve included several pictures from Wolfinger cemetery that were taken during the broadcast. TOGHS would like to thank Rebecca Gilles, Chris Vickers and the entire staff at WTOL Toledo 11 news.

Below is a little more information that I’ve found online on Wolfinger Cemetery

Jacob Wolfinger built the first log house in an area that is now known as Secor Metropark in 1834. Two of the Wolfinger children were the first white people to be born and die in Richfield Township. The children were buried on the Wolfinger farm, which was the beginning of today’s cemetery. Wolfinger Cemetery is a small cemetery and is surrounded by woods on three sides. The graves of thirty-six Civil War Veterans can be found here.

Wolfinger Cemetery is located within Secor Metropark in Berkey Ohio, Lucas County. Secor Park was dedicated in 1953 and currently encompasses over six hundred acres of land including four hundred wooded acres. The park includes a visitor center and several hiking trails throughout the woods. Secor Park is located in Northwest Ohio about fifty miles south of Ann Arbor Michigan. From the I475/US23 Exit 13, go west on Central Avenue for six miles to the Secor Park entrance and turn left.  Follow the signs in the park to Wolfinger Cemetery

Legend has it that along one of the three wooded edges of the cemetery there are the graves of two adults and their three children. The children’s marker had no last name visible but their first names as well as birth and death dates could be clearly seen. The names were “Thomas” (8), “Rebeca” (10) and “Ernest” (6). All members of the family are said to have died within weeks of one another. The children have been seen playing in the cemetery near their graves. A girl of 10 or 12 in a blue dress with a white pinafore has been seen the most. I invested the Ford family resting spots as well; I feel that Eliza Ford is the woman that supposing haunts the cemetery too.

Kelsey Avenue Investigation

Photo Album after the fold

Photo Album below the fold.

Photo Album after the fold.

Kevin also informed us that Pam had moved out of the home in early 2008 due to poltergeist activity. The home is now sitting empty and in foreclosure. Neither electricity nor water.

Once we sat down and interviewed Kevin further we documented in our notes several reports of paranormal activity. Feelings of uneasiness, feelings of being watched, strange noises throughout the home at night. Tiffany claimed that one night her bed began to shake while lying in it, at the same time her wall calendar had falling off the wall, Dishes being moved from one side of the kitchen counter to the other, Curtains shaking without reason, They both reported to Kevin that the home would never get warm despite the thermostat set at 80 degrees. The activity continued to escalate to the extent that at one time Tiffany was outside and had seen a man standing in the window staring out at her. Pam at one time swept the carpeting then left the house only to come back and find footsteps in the upstairs bedroom carpet. They both had heard the voice of a man telling them to get out; this voice came from within the upstairs bathroom. Kevin then told us that Pam reported to him that she had been pushed and her Daughter Tiffany had been punched. They decided to move out.

Image Gallery after the fold.

Kevin decided to investigate the home himself at first, but after a couple visits to the home he decided to contact us. Kevin shared a few of his personal experiences with us while he was investigating the home. Kevin reported that he felt dizzy and lightheaded most of the time while in the home, He felt the presence of an unseen visitor in the same rooms he was investigating, At one time he set a bible on the floor in the master bedroom turned to the page Romans VI only to return later to find that the page had been torn and the bible moved. Butch and I decided to do a walk through of the property, while continuing to interview Kevin further. We stayed for about an hour and a half interviewing Kevin and visiting each room. We took 2 digital audio recorders, 2 digital cameras and 1 super 8 video camera to the residence with us. Once inside we began to document the visit from beginning to end. We immediately lost power on the video camera and could not film the interview. We let one audio recorder run throughout the interview and I carried the other with me during the interview and listened to all Kevin’s reported paranormal stories.

Once I finished the interview process, I thought I would run an EVP session in the upstairs master bedroom where everything was reported centered around. We felt nothing, nor did we pick up anything on camera or recorder during this first visit except the sound of running water on one of the audio recorders. Although I told Butch I felt the garage might have a little strange feeling to it. Kevin felt as though this must have been a poltergeist type with the information that he had received from Pam. We felt that there very well could have been a poltergeist in the home a year ago when the activity was happening but we didn’t think poltergeist would stay in an empty house for over a year waiting for the next victim or victims. Either way we decided to set an investigation date giving Marie enough time to visit our local library and get as much information on the home and it’s previous owners as possible.

TOGHS members Butch, Mike, Marie, Becky, Chris and I along with our newest member Gina arrived at the home on Friday September 18, 2009 around 8:00 in the evening. The temperature was in the mid 70’s and overcast. Our client Kevin was present to assist in anyway necessary. Once inside the home we set up 3 DVR video cameras, one in the master bedroom upstairs, another in the main bathroom on the second floor and another in the downstairs living room. We then set up a fourth night vision video camera in the Daughter’s bedroom were the shaking bed incident occurred. Butch thought it would be a good idea to set up one extra cassette recorder in the upstairs bathroom as well. We finished our opening prayers and immediately began our investigation. Chris started by recording temperature readings throughout the home while Butch took EMF readings. During the investigation Chris and Mike ran the two hand held video cameras and would follow each investigator documenting the entire investigation. During the first hour I took as many digital still photos as possible while Becky and Marie took turns recording their EVP sessions, Butch worked with Gina also recording EVP sessions.

Team member Marie that at one time previously there was a gentleman named William who lived in the home with his Wife Betty informed us, William had died the same year he had purchased the home. The obituary claimed that William had died in a local hospital rather then in the home itself, His Wife Betty died in a local hospital as well. We decided that after Marie’s researched did not find anything leading us to believe the property was haunted William and Betty may have been the cause for the activity. Although we would try and communicate with each and every tenant that lived in the home at one time or another. We continued to work in-groups recording our EVP sessions over the next couple of hours. We didn’t seem to pick anything up that seemed paranormal during these sessions and decided to work the three reported haunted hot spots individually. Becky would sit in the master bedroom while Marie took the Daughter’s bedroom and Gina took the upstairs bathroom. All three would be under video surveillance while communicating with the reported ghost or ghosts. This seemed to be a good idea because the entity seemed to pick on women mostly. We watched for any paranormal activity at the tech table during their session but didn’t capture anything out of the ordinary paranormally speaking.

 Butch decided that after this session it would be a great idea to work the dowsing rods throughout the home, Becky and Gina accompanied Butch and worked the dowsing rods as well, Once returning to the tech table Becky claimed that she felt a little weird during her session but wasn’t sure if it was paranormal or just using the rods for the first time. Still nothing to report from the paranormal side. We then moved to Butch and Chris’s provoking sessions next. Mike would record the session on video while Becky and Gina would accompany them. They targeted William during this session but did not seem to provoke him into showing himself to them or the equipment. I think Butch ended the session as Gina was calling William a chicken Sh+t!. We were now into the early Saturday morning hours and would end the investigation with a group communication time in the upstairs spare bedroom. The whole group gathered around the room while we communicated with anybody that might be listening from the other side, With the knowledge that Kevin’s Bible page was torn days earlier we quoted from Romans VI. We did not seem to communicate with William or anyone that had lived or died in the home at any time during the investigation. Upon analyzing our recordings we have encountered several strange EVP’s and would like to share them with you.

The first EVP – Marie’s session in the spare bedroom, At the 12 second mark right after she says, Can you give us any kind of a sign? (Strange noise)

EVP 2- Cassette recorder that sat in the upstairs bathroom the entire night. 17 second mark (Buutchh!)

EVP 3 – Becky’s EVP recorder 2 second mark (Woman saying Woooo)

Digital Photos – Nothing Paranormal

DVR Video – Nothing Paranormal

EMF’s – Nothing Paranormal

Temperature Fluctuations – Nothing Paranormal

Dowsing Rod’s- Becky feeling a bit strange

Mini DVD Recorder- Nothing Paranormal

Panasonic Video Recorder- Nothing Paranormal

Photo Gallery below the fold.

Below is a story I found online written by the Colonel Charles Lewis Chapter House.

There is no denying that the southeastern corner of Ohio, and the surrounding area of West Virginia, is considered by many to be one of the most haunted areas of the country. West Virginia has long been thought of as one of the strangest parts of the country in regards to ghosts, legends and strange happenings. This part of the country, which was originally a part of Virginia, was regarded by the Native Americans as a “haunted” spot, plagued with ghost lights, phantoms and strange creatures. The town of Parkersburg, just north on the river from Point Pleasant, has more than its share of ghosts and nearby is Athens County, Ohio, home to the most haunted city in the entire state.

Photo Gallery after the fold.

But how did this region gain such a reputation? Why are many people not surprised to find stories of the Mothman, phantom inhabitants and mysterious creatures roaming this part of the country? There have been a number of theories to explain the large number of haunted happenings here, including that this area may be some sort of “window” between dimensions. This would, according to the theories, allow paranormal phenomenon to come and go and vanish at will, just as the Mothman did after 13 months of appearing around Point Pleasant.

Those researchers with a historical bent have offered their own solutions though. They have traced the supernatural roots of the region back to a bloody event from the days of the American Revolution. And a great curse.

As the American frontiersmen began to move west in the 1770’s, seven nations of Indians (the Shawnee, Delaware, Wyandot, Mingo, Miami, Ottawa and Illinois) formed a powerful confederacy to keep the white men from infringing on their territory. The Shawnee were the most powerful of the tribes and were led by a feared and respected chieftain called “Keigh-tugh-gua”, which translates to mean “Cornstalk”. In 1774, when the white settlers were moving down into the Kanawha and Ohio River valleys, the Indian Confederacy prepared to protect their lands by any means necessary. The nations began to mass in a rough line across the point from the Ohio River to the Kanawha River, numbering about 1200 warriors. They began to make preparations to attack the white settlers near an area called Point Pleasant on the Virginia side of the Ohio River. As word reached the colonial military leaders of the impending attack, troops were sent in and faced off against the Indians. While the numbers of fighters were fairly even on both sides, the Native Americans were no match for the muskets of the white soldiers. The battle ended with about 140 colonials killed and more than twice that number of Indians. The tribes retreated westward into the wilds of what is now Ohio and in order to keep them from returning, a fort was constructed at the junction of the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers.

As time passed, the Shawnee leader, Cornstalk made peace with the white men. He would carry word to his new friends in 1777 when the British began coaxing the Indians into attacking the rebellious colonies. Soon, the tribes again began massing along the Ohio River, intent on attacking the fort. Cornstalk and Red Hawk, a Delaware chief, had no taste for war with the Americans and they went to the fort on November 7 to try and negotiate a peace before fighting began. Cornstalk told Captain Arbuckle, who commanded the garrison, that he was opposed to war with the colonists but that only he and his tribe were holding back from joining on the side of the British. He was afraid that he would be forced to go along by the rest of the Confederacy.

When he admitted to Arbuckle that he would allow his men to fight if the other tribes did, Cornstalk, Red Hawk and another Indian were taken as hostages. The Americans believed that they could use him to keep the other tribes from attacking. They forced the Native Americans into a standoff for none of them wanted to risk the life of their leader. Cornstalk’s name not only stuck fear into hearts of the white settlers up and down the frontier, but it also garnered respect from the other Indian tribes. He was gifted with great oratory skills, fighting ability and military genius. In fact, it was said that when his fighting tactics were adopted by the Americans, they were able to defeat the British in a number of battles where they had been both outnumbered and outgunned.

Although taken as hostage, Cornstalk and the other Indians were treated well and were given comfortable quarters, leading many to wonder if the chief’s hostage status may have been voluntary in the beginning. Cornstalk even assisted his captors in plotting maps of the Ohio River Valley during his imprisonment. On November 9, Cornstalk’s son, Ellinipisco, came to the fort to see his father and he was also detained.

The following day, gunfire was heard from outside the walls of the fort, coming from the direction of the Kanawha River. When men went out to investigate, they discovered that two soldiers who had left the stockade to hunt deer had been ambushed by Indians. One of them had escaped but the other man had been killed.

When his bloody corpse was returned to the fort, the soldiers in the garrison were enraged. Acting against orders, they broke into the quarters were Cornstalk and the other Indians were being held. Even though the men had nothing to do with the crime, they decided to execute the prisoners as revenge. As the soldiers burst through the doorway, Cornstalk rose to meet them. It was said that he stood facing the soldiers with such bravery that they paused momentarily in their attack. It wasn’t enough though and the soldiers opened fire with their muskets. Red Hawk tried to escape up through the chimney but was pulled back down and slaughtered. Ellinipisico was shot where he had been sitting on a stool and the other unknown Indian was strangled to death. As for Cornstalk, he was shot eight times before he fell to the floor.

And as he lay there dying in the smoke-filled room, he was said to have pronounced his now legendary curse. The stories say that he looked upon his assassins and spoke to them: “I was the border man’s friend. Many times I have saved him and his people from harm. I never warred with you, but only to protect our wigwams and lands. I refused to join your paleface enemies with the red coats. I came to the fort as your friend and you murdered me. You have murdered by my side, my young son…. For this, may the curse of the Great Spirit rest upon this land. May it be blighted by nature. May it even be blighted in its hopes. May the strength of its peoples be paralyzed by the stain of our blood.”

He spoke these words, so says the legend, and then he died. The bodies of the other Indians were then taken and dumped into the Kanawha River but Cornstalk’s corpse was buried near the fort on Point Pleasant, overlooking the junction of the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers. Here he remained in many years, but he would not rest in peace.

In 1794, the town of Point Pleasant was established near the site of the old fort. For many years after, the Indian’s grave lay undisturbed but in 1840 his bones were removed to the grounds of the Mason County Court House where, in 1899, a monument was erected in Cornstalk’s memory. In the late 1950’s, a new court house was built in Point Pleasant and the chief’s remains (which now consisted of three teeth and about 15 pieces of bone) were placed in an aluminum box and reinterred in a corner of the town’s Tu-Endie-Wei Park, next to the grave of a Virginia frontiersman that Cornstalk once fought and later befriended. A twelve-foot monument was then erected in his honor.

And this is not the only monument dedicated to the period in Point Pleasant. Another stands 86-feet tall and was dedicated in August 1909, one month behind schedule. Originally, the dedication ceremony had been set for July 22 but on the night before the event, the clear overhead sky erupted with lightning and struck the upper part of a crane that was supposed to put the monument into place. The machine was badly damaged and it took nearly a month to repair it. The monument was finally dedicated and stood for years, until July 4, 1921. On that day, another bolt of lightning struck the monument, damaging the capstone and some granite blocks. They were replaced and the monument still stands today. But what is this bedeviled obelisk that seems to attract inexplicable lightning on otherwise clear evenings? It is a monument to the men who died in the 1774 Battle of Point Pleasant, when Cornstalk and his allies were defeated.

Could the freak lightning strikes have been acts of vengeance tied to Cornstalk’s fabled curse? Many believed so and for years, residents of the triangular area made up of western West Virginia, southwest Pennsylvania and southeastern Ohio spoke of strange happenings, river tragedies and fires as part of the curse. Of course, many laughed and said that the curse was nothing more than overactive imaginations, ignoring the death toll and eerie coincidences that seemed to plague the region for 200 years after the death of Chief Cornstalk.

Many tragedies and disasters were blamed on the curse:

1907: The worst coal mine disaster in American history took place in Monongah, West Virginia on December 6, when 310 miners were killed.

1944: In June of this year, 150 people were killed when a tornado ripped through the tri-state triangular area.

1967: The devastating Silver Bridge disaster sent 46 people hurtling to their death in the Ohio River on December 15. Many have also connected this tragedy to the eerie sightings of the Mothman, strange lights in the sky and odd paranormal happenings.

1968: A Piedmont Airlines plane crashed in August near the Kanawha Airport, killing 35 people on board.

1970: On November 14, a Southern Airways DC-10 crashed into a mountain near Huntington, West Virginia, killing 75 people on board.

1976: In March of that year, the town of Point Pleasant was rocked in the middle of the night be an explosion at the Mason County Jail. Housed in the jail was a woman named Harriet Sisk, who had been arrested, for the murder of her infant daughter. On March 2, her husband came to the jail with a suitcase full of explosives to kill himself and his wife and to destroy the building. Both of the Sisk’s were killed, along with three law enforcement officers.

1978: In January, a freight train derailed at Point Pleasant and dumped thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals. The chemicals contaminated the town’s water supply and the wells had to be abandoned.

1978: In April of that same year, the town of St. Mary’s (north of Point Pleasant) was struck with tragedy when 51 men who were working on the Willow Island power plant were killed when their construction scaffolding collapsed.

And there have been many other strange occurrences, fires and floods. Most would say however that floods are a natural part of living on the river, although Point Pleasant was almost obliterated in 1913 and 1937. It might be hard to tie such natural occurrences into a curse, but what about the barge explosion that killed six men from town just before Christmas 1953? Or the fire that destroyed an entire downtown city block in the late 1880’s? Some have even gone as far as to blame the curse for the death of Point Pleasant’s local economy, an event linked to the passing of river travel and commerce.

So how real is the “curse”? Is it simply a string of bloody and tragic coincidences, culled from two centuries of sadness in the region? Can it be used to explain why the area seems to attract strange happenings and eerie tales? Or is the area somehow “blighted”, separate from any curse, and attractive to the strangeness that seems to lurk in the shadowy corners of America?

The reader is asked to judge the validity of such curses for himself. For the most part, the deaths and tragedies seem to have waned over the years, perhaps dying out at the bicentennial of Chief Cornstalk’s death. Largely, the curse has been forgotten over time and today, Point Pleasant is better known for its connection to otherworldly visitors like Mothman than for Indian curses and bloody frontier battles.

Fact or coincidence? Who can say… but I know that I hope, for the sake of the people of the Ohio River valley, that Chief Cornstalk will finally rest in peace!

(C) Copyright 2002 by Troy Taylor. All Rights Reserved.

TOGHS arrived in Point Pleasant on Saturday morning August 8, 2009. The first thing we noticed was the town was jumping and busy getting ready for the Point Pleasant downtown annual parade. We first stopped in at The Point (Where the rivers meet) this is a little Souvenir/Coffee shop located at 330 Main Street. Once inside we met an incredibly friendly gentleman by the name Bob Landrum. Bob was working that morning and obviously very busy getting ready for the days festivities. Even though he was busy he took the time to share his knowledge of the town’s history, the legendary hauntings including the Silver Bridge tragedy, Chief Cornstalk, The 200 year curse as well as his personal experiences with the Mothman. Bob gave us directions to everything and anything we wanted to see while we were in town including the famous TNT bunkers.

Photo Gallery below the fold

Included in this story is another story and more information I received from our friends at Grave Addictions http://www.graveaddiction.com/tnt.html

Most of the Mothman sightings were near the TNT area. This area got its name because of the 100+ bunkers located there. During World War II ammunition and chemicals were stored in these bunkers. Today most of the bunkers are locked and welded shut. Bob gave us directions to the three open Bunkers

These sightings have been seen all over the world. The first known sightings of this bird-like or moth-like creature were reported back in ancient Babylon. These creatures are seen for a few months or weeks before a great tragedy. For example, the Mothman was sighted in Mexico City, 1985 right before the big earthquake. There were also sightings in Chernobyl in 1986, right before the big nuclear disaster. Some even claim that the Mothman was seen in Western Pennsylvania right before the plane crash in September, 2001.

On December 15, 1967 at 5:05PM the Silver Bridge that spanned over the Ohio River between Gallipolis, OH and Point Pleasant, WV collapsed. Forty six people were killed. After that disaster most of the Mothman sightings in this area stopped. Of course, not everyone believes that the Mothman sightings were true. One professor at a West Virginia University believed that the people who claimed to see this creature actually saw Sandhill cranes. However, these cranes are the wrong color (they’re white and Mothman was dark gray or black) and they’re also too skinny.

Another theory is that the Mothman sightings were really just a mass hallucination. However, not everyone saw the exact same thing, so this seems doubtful. There’s also the theory that the bridge collapsing, the Mothman sightings, and all of the UFO sightings that occurred during the thirteen months prior to the Silver Bridge disaster are a result of a curse placed on the town by Chief Cornstalk. Chief Cornstalk was defeated in Point Pleasant during the beginning of the Revolutionary War. They say that before he was killed he placed a 200 year curse on the town.

Another theory is that the Mothman is really an alien. There were several UFO sighting during this time. People kept seeing moving, multicolored lights in the sky. There were also these mysterious men in black that kept threatening people who claimed to see the Mothman or UFOs. They did NOT want these people to talk publicly about the things they had seen.

Quite a few people believe that the Mothman is some kind of mutation from all of the chemicals and pollution at the TNT area. This could be a valid explanation since the EPA had declared the area an environmental disaster! One thing is for sure…LOTS of strange things happened during this time! People were being chased by the Mothman or a Sandhill Crane and it scared them to death. The Mothman really seemed to be attracted to blood. One time he attacked a blood mobile, and most of the cars he chased were driven by women who were on their period. Also, there were several cases of missing animals that were found drained of blood. Investigators also noticed that on most of these animals the anus was removed and there were traces of radiation around the area.

Most people believe that Mothman did have something to do with the collapse of the Silver Bridge. Some even claim to have seen him standing on or under the bridge right before it fell. Even today there still isn’t a solid, clear reason as to why the bridge fell. The West Virginia Department of Transportation concluded that it was a badly manufactured pin. The pin that was supposedly bad was the thirteenth pin…and the Mothman sightings had been going on for thirteen months! Strange stuff, isn’t it?!

While visiting this legendary Haunted town we also met a friendly gentleman by the name Willie Call, He lived in Point Pleasant at the time of the Mothman sightings and the horrible Silver Bridge collapse. Willie believes that this has a lot more to do with Chief Cornstalk then The Mothman. He also shared an interesting story with us that you can read on our Web Site titled Chief Cornstalk.

I’ve included several pictures of Point Pleasants memorial land markers, points of interest, the site of the Silver Bridge collapse and inside three unlocked TNT Bunkers.

TOGHS would like to personally thank Bob Landrum and Willie Call for all there help with this investigation. We have never met more friendly people while visiting a town for the first time. Please visit The Point while visiting Point Pleasant. You can also find them on the Web at www.thepointwv.com or call the store at 304-674-4618.

Posted in Mothman ]]> http://toghs.org/2009/08/08/the-mothman/feed/ 1 toghs Mothman bunker 1 Butch http://toghs.org/2009/08/08/moonville-tunnel/ http://toghs.org/2009/08/08/moonville-tunnel/#comments Sat, 08 Aug 2009 16:44:13 +0000 toghs http://toghs.org/?p=619 ]]> TOGHS visited the legendary Moonville Tunnel on Saturday August 8, 2009. Butch, Jeff and I hiked through the woods of the Zaleski Forest. We arrived just before sunset. We also had another couple by the names of Nathan & Melissa Young who followed us up path leading to the tunnel. It was a relatively easy hike and our new friends made the hike seem even easier. We shared stories as we approached the tunnel and were there within 15 minutes of leaving our vehicles along side the path entrance on Shea Rd. Once we reached the top of the hill, I could see the massive tunnel to my left. I was really amazed how historical it looked and could hardly wait to enter the tunnel itself.

Photo Gallery after the fold.

Upon approaching the tunnel we notice we were not alone. We hadn’t seen any of the legendary ghosts yet but came upon another very much alive couple by the names Dan & Courtney Verhoff, They had also hiked up the path with their young Son Matt. We all visited for a few minutes and swapped more ghost stories. I realized by then that this massive tunnel was not a very well kept secret at all. Dan & Courtney came from Holgate, Ohio and Nathan and Melissa were from Ashland, Ohio. Combined we all came more then 500 miles to witness the Moonville Tunnel Hauntings. We began our investigation with weather recordings, The evening was warm 88 degrees, Sunny and clear, High humidity. The tunnel itself was 71 degrees at one entrance and 74 degrees at the other. I took pictures from both ends of the tunnel and down the paths leading to the tunnel itself.

Once our company had left to pursue their other adventures, We set up an EVP recorder along with an EMF machine in the middle of the tunnel. Jeff ran the Mini DVD recorder through out the investigation while Butch ran the Super 8 Night vision video recorder. I used the Olympus digital audio recorder while doing three separate EVP sessions. While I was in the middle of the tunnel along side Butch, We noticed that we could all see our breath while exhaling. We didn’t notice any temperature fluctuations though but that still seemed odd. Another odd thing happened while Butch was running video; someone or something unseen had activated The EMF machine sitting unmanned. This all happened at the same time Butch was capturing some kind of mist forming around him. Soon after Butch approached me and said he was not feeling well and was experiencing some kind of uneasy feeling. We decided to rap up this investigation a bit earlier then anticipated but will visit again soon and share any paranormal activity that we capture. I’ve added an EVP Clip as well as a short video clip at the end of the Moonville Tunnel Story. I’ve also shared several awesome ghostly stories along with some history of the Tunnel from our Friends at Grave Addiction.

Grave Addictions: http://www.graveaddiction.com/moontun.html

The Moonville Tunnel is located off Shea Road in the Zaleski Forest in Vinton County. If you’d like directions, click here.

The old railroad tunnel is located along Raccoon Creek in the one of Ohio’s densest wooded areas – the Zaleski Forest. The woods around it is so dense that you can’t even see the tunnel until you’re on the path right in front of it!   The small mining town of Moonville, which was founded in the 1850’s, was once located around the tunnel, which was, used by the Marietta-Cincinnati Railroad. The town really was tiny, during its peak in the 1870’s there were maybe 60-100 residents living there. The town totally disappeared sometime in the 1930s…now all that’s left is the tunnel, the cemetery, and a few old house foundations. The railroad stopped using the tracks in late 1986, and the tracks were torn out in 1988.

Many people consider the Moonville Tunnel one of Ohio’s most haunted locations. Here are the ghosts I have heard about:

Railroad worker: The ghost that is most often seen at the Moonville Tunnel is the ghost of a railroad worker. On March 29, 1859 a Marietta-Cincinnati railroad worker fell onto the tracks outside the tunnel and was hit by a train. Today people claim to see his ghost walking along the tracks with a lantern. He is always seen wearing his railroad uniform. One legend has it that his head was decapitated when the train killed him, so some claim the ghost is headless.

Young woman: In 1905 a young woman was walking home along the tracks when a passing train killed her. Today people see her ghost walking along the tracks just outside of the tunnel, carrying a lantern and dressed in a flowing white dress or robe.

Black miner: In 1920 a group of black miners were playing cards in a shack near the railroad. They were drinking very heavily. When it was time to go home, one of the workers was walking along the tracks. Since he was so drunk, he wasn’t paying too much attention to things going on around him. He heard a sound behind him, and when he turned around he saw a train heading towards him! He wasn’t alert enough to get off the tracks, so he started waving his lantern in an attempt to stop the train. Obviously, the conductors didn’t have enough time to stop the train and the miner was killed. Today people claim to see the ghost of a tall black man with a gray beard and miner’s hat waving a lantern in the tunnel.

Man murdered at the inn: In 1936 a man was murdered at the inn that sat to the right of the tunnel. Many people claim to see the murdered man standing near the top of the tunnel where the inn used to stand.

Young man: In 1954 a young man was waiting for a train to pass before crossing the tracks. The train passed, and he started to cross the tracks. However, one of the cars on the train had broken free and it ran over him. Today many people claim to see a red, glowing form near the tunnel, which they believe is this young man.

Ten-year-old girl: The last death at the tunnel was that of a ten-year-old girl in 1986. She was playing near the tracks when a train came through and killed her. Today people claim to hear a little girl laughing near the tunnel.

Penny Lott, a web site visitor, sent me a couple e-mails about her eerie encounters at the Moonville Tunnel:

It was cool. I did not have a camera so my boyfriend and I stopped at Wal-Mart on the way out and bought a Kodak Advantix 35mm. We stopped and took 2 pix of the sunset because it was really beautiful last evening, then when we got to the tunnel we took 1 pic of the entrance and 2 inside the tunnel and then the flash stopped working. We tried to finish up the roll of film by pointing our flashlights at the walls and taking pics but I figure they will turn out all black. Don’t know if the camera was defective or if something out there did not want to be photographed! Have never had a camera do that.

Penny’s second e-mail was also very interesting! More creepy happenings:

I have been back to Moonville 2 times since the incident with my camera. Another strange thing that happened after the night that my camera stopped working is, as we were taking the path back to the car I felt like I walked through some spider webs or something and it brushed against my face, the next morning I had a really awful nightmare about that side of my face being all burned and scared, and some how I had the name “Frank” pop into my head and well, I do not know anyone named frank! So I have been trying to do some research in hopes of maybe finding out some of the victim’s names that died out there.

A group of us went out to Moonville on Friday August the 13th, we found the cemetery and looked around took a few pics and then headed out to the tunnel. We looked around for a while. On the way out, my boyfriend and I were lagging back behind our friends, we were close to the end of tunnel and everyone else was near the entrance. My boyfriend kept looking behind him and shining his flashlight back behind him saying that he could hear something. I didn’t hear anything. Then all the sudden he just shuddered and gasp and said something had touched him, that it felt as if something ran its hands up both of sides of his waist (as if you would tickle someone). My boyfriend is not a small man nor is he easily scared he is about 5′11 and 220 pounds, and he was scared, had Goosebumps all over him! Well it was about that time that I grabbed him by his shirt and proceeded to try to drag him out of the tunnel, he was scaring me! LOL…I have some pictures from both of the previous visits, some appear to have obs in them, but I am not a professional and IM not sure if they are true orbs.

The last time we went to Moonville was uneventful, ran into some kids that were camping out inside the tunnel and they were drunk, so that kind of put a damper on the experience. Hope you enjoyed!

I also received an e-mail from Bruce P. in July 2008 regarding the Moonville Tunnel:

I just read that the Moonville Tunnel has been sealed off and is no longer accessible. I personally find this very hard to believe since there is no way to get heavy equipment to the tunnel short of dropping it from a helicopter. 2004 was when I was there, so I don’t know for sure. It was a difficult trek to reach the tunnel, lots of jungle-thick woods and a narrow river that must be waded through (it’s only about 2 feet deep during dry season). The main reason for this email is that I wanted to give you a warning. If you do decide to go and have a look, make sure that it is during a dry spell. The area is prone to flash flooding, and the only thing you can honestly call a road nearby is often underwater during rainy periods. Due to the long hike, it’s quite possible to get caught in a storm and find that you are unable to get back to civilization because the road has flooded. So be careful when you choose to go and take lots of bug spray and something to keep the ticks out of your hair. Also watch out for snakes, we saw several when we were there. I’m no expert on snakes, so I cannot say for sure, but I doubt they were poisonous. Can’t say the same for the spiders though, there are brown recluses in there (even though they say those spiders can’t be found in Ohio…I know, I have been bitten by one before). Take plenty of supplies, water, lights and batteries, etc because the place is rather isolated and do not go there alone. There are several sketchy points that must be climbed in order to reach the tunnel, and you could easily fall and get hurt.

I received an e-mail from Randy Brown in August 2008, with some information about the rumored closure of the Moonville Tunnel:

I visited Moonville today and it is not closed. In fact, it was kind of busy with two cars there on my first pass to the cemetery, and one getting there just as I was leaving. I took some pictures that I will post on timelessphotovideo.com soon.

I also received an e-mail about the Moonville Tunnel from Lisa B. in August 2008:

Three friends and myself visited Moonville last night (August 12, 2008), and I assure you it is not closed. We walked our normal path through the woods, no problem at all. When we got up to the tunnel, we took pics of the outside, all the way through, all of the walls…just about everything you can think of, only we didn’t have very good light so we did not go on top of the tunnel this time. Nothing really over the top happened, but a couple of things that we have not quite figured out yet: halfway through the tunnel, an almost ice cold “breeze” came through that we all felt. There were also unexplained sounds while we sat in the dark in the middle of the tunnel, almost like the sound the gravel makes when you walk through, but in single beats that kept getting closer (that’s when I turned my light back on and ran out). But other than that, nothing else inside. On the trip back to the car, which we made a quick one, we heard these creepy loud noises. One sounded something like a howl, another in a lighter voice like a scream, but both repeated. Since the sounds were coming from above us and to the left, we hurried to the car because of other noises behind us. We headed that way in search of an explanation. We drove for quite a few miles, and there was nothing but woods and a few horse paths, so that ruled out someone messing with us. We also went to the cemetery and took some pics. Nothing happened up there either, but every time I go there I get a sad feeling. We plan to go back sometime next week to see if we hear the same noises, and try to figure out what went on last night. On a different note, last night was the first time I had been there for about a year, and there was about three times more graffiti in the tunnel than before. There was also red paint, I guess to look like blood all over the plaque inside. It’s because of stupid people like that why we are not allowed inside more interesting places. I wish people would just be respectful. I will let you know how the trip next week goes…

To get to the tunnel:

Follow US Route 33 to Nelsonville.
Turn onto State Route 278 South.
Continue on OH-278 South until you see Lake Hope on the right.
After you pass the lake, turn left onto Wheelabout Road.
You’ll soon come to a fork in the road – take the left fork, which is Shea Road.
Follow Shea Road for a couple miles until you come to a steel truss bridge.
About 100 feet or so past the bridge you will see a gravel path to your left. This will be the first gravel path you come to…park here to access the tunnel.
To get to the tunnel, walk back to Shea Road and cross the bridge.
Right after you cross the bridge you’ll see a path to the right. Follow this path along the creek and up a hill. You’ll see the tunnel to your left at the top of the hill.

To get to the cemetery (some of this is repeated from the tunnel directions):

Follow US Route 33 to Nelsonville.
Turn onto State Route 278 South.
Continue on OH-278 South until you see Lake Hope on the right.
After you pass the lake, turn left onto Wheelabout Road.
You’ll soon come to a fork in the road – take the left fork, which is Shea Road.
Follow Shea Road for a couple miles until you come to a steel truss bridge.
About 200 feet or so past the bridge you will see a gravel path to your right. This path will take you up a hill and dead end into the cemetery.

Story below by Christopher D. Coleman 1990 Posted on Grave Addiction’s web site

http://www.spikesys.com/Trains/moonvill.html

I wanted to post a story of a railroad ghost known to many as the Moonville ghost. I’m also giving you information on Moonville and the railroad. For those who are interested, the town of Moonville was located in the southeastern part of Ohio, which is now part of the Zaleski State Park.

Before I get started, I want to point out that this is not a legend, but a true story. The difference being that one is based on hearsay and the other is based on actual events that happened. Whether you believe in ghost or not are your choice and I am not trying to change your views. What I am trying to say am that these people saw something. Whether was a ghost, a natural phenomenon, or some other kind of explanation is up to you to decide.

For the record, I believe in ghosts. I did see my father looking at me one night about one month after he had died. I have also put a great deal of time and effort sorting through all the stories on the Moonville ghost. Most of these stories are very similar and come from what I consider reliable witnesses. And yes, there have been some stories I would have to question. The story of the Moonville ghost has appeared in the paper many times in the past and I’m sure it will continue to do so in the future.

One other point I wish to bring up is that this is not the only ghost know in the area. There are at least 2 other know ghost in the Zaleski State Park. One watches over an old iron furnace where he met his death. The other is that of a prospector and his mule.

Also something to keep in mind, a few years ago Southeastern Ohio was ranked as one of the top five areas in the world for witchcraft activity. The reason behind this was that this area is a focal point for tapping into the earth’s natural powers and to communicating with the world beyond.

History of Moonville…..

In the late 1850’s the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad was pushing west to reach Cincinnati. The owner, William P. Cutler, was having deep financial problems and the railroad was looking for ways to save money. One of these ways came by the way of a gentleman named Samuel Coe. He persuades railroad officials to make a trade. Instead of building north around Hope Hollow he would let the M&C build through his property for free on one condition. That condition was that they would put the railroad where he wanted it to be. Samuel Coe had visions of using the M&C to haul out coal and clay that was on his property. When the railroad agreed, Coe began to open up some mines and Moonville came into existence.

Moonville was never a big town. At its height, there were probably never more then 50 or 60 people living there at one time. The map I have shows only the locations for 4 buildings. Reports show that the town had a schoolhouse, railroad depot, store, and a post office. The rest of the area was covered with various houses (Today, only foundations of the schoolhouse and the Moonville cemetery remain). There was also one saloon (possible two) in the area and people use to walk along the tracks to get there.

The buildings were located on both sides of the railroad tracks and just about 500 yards from the town was the Moonville tunnel. A picture of the tunnel can be found in Trains magazine (see May 1991, Rails to trails: history underfoot, pg 24). Between the town and the tunnel the railroad crossed a 50-ft. high trestle over Raccoon Creek.

An interesting note, Raccoon Creek is the longest creek in the world. A creek is defined as any channel of water being less then one hundred miles long. At the time, the Raccoon was determined to be only 99 miles long. Later it was discovered to be over that but there was too much red tape from the government (even in those days :^) to change its status to a river.

The Moonville tunnel is only about 50 yards long and has a slight curve to it. To save money, the tunnel was made very narrow and out of brick. The walls were only 3 1/2 yards on either side of the track and trains would go through that stretch at full speed. (Note: There is another tunnel between Moonville and Mineral that is bigger inside and made out of wood beams).

Also dangerous to the area were four trestles that were built to cross-Raccoon Creek Creek. They were built just wide enough for track to be laid on and most were quite long. Anyone caught in the middle of one had the choice of jumping to an almost certain death into the shallow Raccoon Creek or being hit by the oncoming train. Most froze and died. At least 5-6 people lost their lives between 1850 and 1920 to the trestles and the tunnel. In 1986, a ten-year-old girl was killed when a CSX train hit her on a trestle. She was the last person killed and ironically it happen about two months after CSX had abandoned the line.

In 1887, the M&C was brought out by the B&O. It became a vital part of the east/west line from Washington DC to St. Louis. While the traffic on the railroad increased, the town of Moonville went the opposite direction. By the turn of the century the coal and clay mines were closing and the town was dying. The last resident of the town was a family who left in 1947. By the beginning of the 1960’s, all of the buildings were gone. If you drive by Moonville today, you could never tell there was a town there.

The Moonville Ghost……

NOTE: At the request of the surviving relatives, all names have been left off

There have been many stories told about the ghost, or should I say ghosts. Many people are not aware of it but there are at least two ghost that haunt the Moonville area (along with a possible third ghost). One is a well-known ghost that appears inside the tunnel, swinging a lantern while trying to stop the train. The other is a ghost that walks the tracks near Moonville but on the other side of the tunnel. Here is the background on the little know, Moonville ghost.

She walks the tracks—–alone.

While this ghost is less well known then the one that haunts the tunnel, it has been seen quite a few times in recent years. There are two different descriptions of this ghost. One is a shapeless entity; the other is that of a woman. Are they the same ghost or different? One report I have goes like this.

One of the residents of Moonville was walking home along the tracks late one night. As he got close to Moonville, he noticed the ghost beside him. He describes the ghost as someone who may have had a sheet over him. If he ran, this thing would run and when he stops…. It would stop. After some time, the ghost took off over the bank and disappears.

Later versions told of an older lady who walked the tracks and then disappeared. She has been seen as recently as 2 months ago. Since the tracks were pulled (more on CSX in a later part), hikers have taken advantage of the roadbed and many have chosen to camp out on it. As a result, the sightings on this ghost(s) have increased.

One couple I talked to said they were camping about 1/2 mile from the tunnel on the roadbed. It was a cloudy night and the area was very dark. About 11pm they were in their tent when they saw something-white go by the front of the tent. At first they thought it was another camper but then they realize this person made no noise. They both scramble out of their tent to investigate. What they saw made them pack up and leave right away.

Walking on the side of the roadbed towards the tunnel was the white figure of a lady. She was in a turn of the century outfit and appeared to be in her 40’s. From her appearance, she was clearly not solid but she did not give off any light because they couldn’t see anything on the other side of her. When one of them yelled something at her, she turned and looked at them for a moment but never stop walking away. In a minute, she was around the bend and gone.

Two people who lived in the area could be this ghost. One was a man who was murdered one night as he walked home along the tracks. It began when he got into a barroom brawl with a couple of some other men. Eyewitnesses say that he was very drunk and had trouble walking as he headed back towards Moonville. It is believe that the men who he was fighting with bushwack him along the tracks and murder him, leaving his body on the tracks. Despite the fact he had been run over, the coroner said that he was dead before the train hit him. His murderers were never found.

The problem with this person being the ghost was the location. While I have not found out where the murder took place, there is a good chance that the murder took place on the wrong side of the tunnel. It would depend on where he lived and where the attack took place in accordance to the tunnel. The other problem is most some people have reported the ghost as being a woman, not just a shapeless spirit as in the first case.

The other possible person was a lady who was hit by a train near Moonville. She was walking home from the town of Mineral (about 10 miles away) when a train hit her. This would have put her in the right area, as she was only about 1 mile from the Moonville tunnel when she was killed. She is also the only woman in the area to have been killed by a train (except for the 10-year-old girl in 86), the rest were men. This occurred sometime around 1905.

One other possibility is that of the headless conductor (brakeman?). I am attending a class on ghost in the Athens area and will post more on him later.

He waits in the tunnel….

A fast-moving B&O freight train is heading west in the Moonville area. At the throttle is a rookie engineer, making only his third run on this line. It is around 11:30 on a July night, the year is 1977. Up to now, everything has been normal and dull. But this changes as they approach the Moonville tunnel. About 500 yards ahead the engineer sees the figure of a dark man with a lantern. He is swinging the lantern back and forth trying to get the train to stop.

As the rookie engineer prepares to put the train into emergency, the conductor in charge stops him. The conductor has seen this many, many times before. He tells him in about 15 seconds he will understand. The train approaches the tunnel at about 50-MPH. The lights from the engine can now make out the full figure of a man, but something is wrong. The light appears to be going right through him. In an instance the train is on him and then, the figure is gone. Right before their eyes the man vanishes. There is no scream tonight as there has been in the past. Sometimes there is, other times there is not. The train rolls over where the figure once stood and continues on. The rookie engineer is visibly shaken and later will ask his supervisor for a new route. It happens again and again. The Moonville ghost has taken its toll.

Just another ghost legend? A great script for a Halloween movie? Wrong on both counts. I got this story and others from B&O engineers as they waited for a meet on a siding that used to be east of Athens. And the Moonville ghost has been seen by more then just railroad workers. Other people have seen him too. Since the beginning of the century he has appeared in the tunnel swinging his lantern. On some nights, he lets out a bloodcurdling scream. But who is, or should I say, was he?

From the newspaper articles and eyewitnesses, the ghost is described as being black, about eight feet tall with a white beard. His eyes glisten like balls of fire and he appears to be wearing a miner’s hat. In one hand he holds a lantern and is dressed in dirty overalls. Sometimes he appears quite often. Then it may be years before he is reported again. Did such a man exist? Believe it or not, the answer is “Yes”. And here is the story.

One night (about 1920?) a group of men, some of them miners, others railroad workers were playing cards in a shack not too far from the tracks. There was plenty of Moonshine to drink and as the night wore on, some of the men got pretty plastered. One of the men, for whatever reason, decided to leave the game and started walking down the tracks. He was exceeding drunk, and as he got into the tunnel, a train approaches from the other side. Due to his condition, he wasn’t thinking clearly and didn’t try to run back out. Perhaps he was to drunk too. Instead the man started swinging his lantern, I guess hopping the train would stop for him (73 years later and people are still thinking that way :^(. As you may have guessed, he was hit and killed. Reportedly, he was buried in the Moonville graveyard. Since that time, people have seen this ghost.

When Moonville was first settled, there was a black family that moved into the area. They had come from Virginia as freed slaves and it is report that the wife was the daughter of a plantation owner. They had three children that grew up to work in the mines. One of them was killed in the 1920’s by a train. The location was, you guessed it, in the Moonville tunnel. Whether he worked for a mine or the railroad is unclear. The fact that he died in the Moonville tunnel is clear.

While writing this story, a co-worker told me she and a group of friends had seen the Moonville ghost. It was sometime around 1979 and they had just walked through the tunnel to get back to their car. As they were leaving, she spotted a dark figure on the other side of the tunnel with a light. None of them wanted to see what was going to happen next, they high-tailed it out of there.

Many people have had the same experience. There is an excellent waterhole on the other side of the tunnel, which I am told is bottomless. Apparently, a mineshaft near the creek collapses one day and filled up with water. The water is very cold, even on hot days, leading many people to believe the hole is also being fed by an underground spring. To get to the waterhole, most swimmers park at Moonville and walk a half a mile through the tunnel to get to the trestle crossing the creek. They would use the trestle as a diving board to jump into the waterhole below.

Coming back, some would see the ghost as they approached the tunnel, others after they through. In one case, the ghost saved a boy. As he approaches the tunnel, the ghost appeared and screamed. The boy got spooked (pardon the pun, I could not resist the opportunity) and turned to run. He had ran no more them a few feet when he saw the lights of the train coming around the bend ahead. If he had kept walking, he would have been in the tunnel. He stepped off the track and turned, but the ghost was gone. To this day, he has never gone back.

One more fact I wish to bring up before I end, most of the people who have seen the ghost had not heard about him before hand (or so I am told). Many of them were students, who had not lived in the area previously. Others just heard rumors of a ghost, but that was it. They never knew where the ghost was located. Keep is mind; there are plenty of ghost stories to keep me going to next Halloween. So it’s not hard to get confused or, not believe. But to those who see him, it leaves an impact.

Excuse me……have you seen my HEAD?

Throughout the years, there has been a legend about Moonville that will not die). This is the legend of the headless conductor. Sightings of this ghost conductor, who walks the track searching for his head, go back all the way to the 1890’s. It is rumored that more than a few trains have been stopped near the Moonville tunnel by this conductor. And yet, this is the one ghost I have very few facts on. The way he died is a matter of debate as well as if he was really was a conductor or a brakeman. Even his name is not known and his description is fuzzy at best.

There are at least three stories of his death and here they are. One is that he was having an affair with the wife of the engineer. When the engineer found out he decided to get even. One night as they were stopped on the tracks, the engineer asked the conductor to check something out between the wheels of the locomotive. When the conductor stuck his head between the wheels, the engineer moved the train forward cutting off his head.

Another story tells of a railroad worker who had been drinking heavily that night while the train sat on a siding. As the train pulled out, he decided to ride the train to the next meet by hanging on to the outside of a boxcar. He fell off in one of the two tunnels (there is the Moonville tunnel and another one in the area) and was decapitated.

I got another account of his death through the October 1990, vol. 24, no. 10 magazine called “Highways, The official publication of the good Sam club”. In this story, as the train left the station and gathered steam, the bloody head of the conductor rolled down from the roof and fell down across the engineer’s window. The train stopped immediately, and the crew was quickly dispatched to search for the body and head of the conductor. No body or head was ever found, nor was there any blood along the tracks to indicate that the conductor was killed. He seemed to have vanished in the night.

Since his death, there have been a few newspaper articles written about him. In one of the articles I read, a B&O engineer reported seeing a man who was swinging a lantern inside the tunnel (sound familiar). As the train came to a stop, the man, who was dressed as a conductor of the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad but with “No Head”, walked off the tracks and disappeared. This appearance was a few years “before” the man wearing a miner hat was killed in the tunnel.

Could this have happened? Did such a man die in this area? I know there have been railroad workers killed in the area. What job they held and how they died is unclear. I personally believe many people have confused this ghost with the Moonville ghost in Part 3. A number of times, he is describe as being a “dark” figure, dressed as a conductor who swings a lantern in the Moonville tunnel. And as mentioned in part 3, it is unclear if the ghost with the miner’s hat was a miner or a railroad worker.

On the other hand, this ghost has been reported as walking the tracks and waving a lantern in the tunnel before the other deaths I talked about earlier took place. Was this just popular folklore or stories based on true accounts? It’s impossible to be sure. But who is to say that you can’t have more then one ghost haunting a house or, railroad tunnel. And, of course, this is what makes ghost legends so great to hear. It’s always a mystery.

There may be one eyewitness to this ghost. While taking a class this month called “Haunted Athens”, I ran into someone who had seen one of the Moonville ghosts. Here is his account on what happened on a warm summer night in 1979.

The time was about 10pm and a group of six teenagers were walking back to the car from the waterhole. Some beer had been purchased that night and a few of the people who had drunk the beer were underage. As they got near the tunnel, one of them spotted a light following not far behind. The immediate concern was that this was the sheriff, holding a flashlight, who was trying to catch up to them. They had been making a lot of noise that night and so they figured someone from one of the houses close by had called the police. Two of them decided to walk back to talk to the sheriff while the rest continued to the car. Their goal was to clear everything up with the officer and then meet the others at the car.

The person who told me this story was the driver and he continued on with the rest of his friends. As they got about halfway through the tunnel, he saw his friends go running past him. This caused everyone to run to the car. When they got there, his friends told them that there was no one carrying that light. A friend and him decided to head back and see what their friends had seen. Since he was the driver, he had not been drinking and I don’t believe his friend had either.

As they got closer, he said it looked like someone walking down the tracks with a lantern. However, they noticed light was glowing, but not casting any real light. Once they got within twenty yards of the light, they could make out part of the outline of a lantern. It was also clear to see that no one was holding this light. At this point, the light stopped moving and started swinging back and forth.

They both turned and ran as fast as they could to the car. As he was leaving I asked if he saw the light and his reply was “Yes, it was in the tunnel just swinging away”. A few days after I had talked to him, the story of the Maco light was posted to the list. I was surprised at the similarities. Could it be they are related some how?

The B&O railroad

The line that ran through Moonville is rich in history. Indeed, one could make a good movie out of some of the true stories. The original Marietta and Cincinnati RR was suppose to run right through the middle of Athens, Ohio. The city is built on a hill and the plan was to build a 2 percent grade up near the center of town. At that point a tunnel would be built that would run right underneath the big West State Cemetery.

This cemetery is no longer used and is reported to be haunted! There is a statue of an angel guarding the entrance to the cemetery and people claim to have seen it move its head to look at them. If the railroad had completed the tunnel (it was started but never finished) one could only imagine the stories that would have come out of that.

While the tunnel was being built, a shoofly (temporary track) was laid around the hill that resembles a big “U”. This became the sharpest curve on the B&O line between Baltimore and St. Louis. After running into construction and financial problems, the B&O decided to abandon the grade through town and make the shoofly permanent. This started off a war with the Currier Sisters, who were just as determined to keep the railroad from staying on their land. This is a long but interesting story that I can post later if anyone is interested.

There was also the time the National Guard was called out to the scene of a derailment just east of Athens. Several boxcars carrying bottles of Jack Daniels had come off the track and the NG was ordered to watch over the cargo. People in the area were helping themselves to the “spirits” and the NG was told to stop them.

CHANGES…..

On June 15, 1973, the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) joined with the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) and Western Maryland to became subsidiaries of the Chessie system. While some of the lines were downgraded and later abandoned, the line through Moonville continued to be a big east/west connection for Chessie. Overnight the traffic doubled, and as many as 14 trains ran on this line per day.

This line was dark (unsignaled) between Parkersburg and Cincinnati and trains had to be governed by train orders. By the late 1970’s, the decision was made to CTC the rest of the line and B&O type signals where placed along the tracks in the spring of 1981. At the East Side of the Moonville tunnel, one signal was placed about 150 yards from the entrance. There was “NO” signal for eastbound trains, only westbound. The nearest sets of signals were miles away.

Since trains heading west reported the ghost, it occurred to me that maybe that was the reason for the signal. The Chessie system had still not equipped their engines with radios yet and more then a few trains had gone into emergency because of the ghost. One railroad worker finally told me that the signal was there in case any railroad worker needed to stop a train. Train engineers were told to no longer go into emergency unless the block signal was “RED”. Railroad track personnel were told to use the signal and not a flashlight or any other type of light to stop the train.

With the demise of Moonville and another town close by, this stretch of track became known as the most lonesome, desolate eight miles of track between St. Louis to Parkersburg. Most railroad workers hated this area because it was so isolated and trains seem to show up without warning.

In the late part of 1984, Chessie started laying down welded rail. The job took the better part of the year and I can still remember seeing the rail being worked into place. By May of 1985, the whole line had been relayed. Up to 10 trains still ran on the line, mostly piggyback trains but some regular freight trains. On average, the line saw 6 trains per day with more expected. The highpoint had been reached.

CSX and the dirt path…

It seems strange that 2 months after the line had been rebuilt, CSX threw it away. But that is just what they did! While the Chessie system had been a part of the CSX Corporation since November 1, 1980 (this was due to the merger of the Chessie system and Seaboard Coast Lines), it still operated as an independent railroad. By mid 1984, the consolidations to create CSX Transportation began.

In June of 1985, CSX announce that the Saint-Louis line between Cumberland and Cincinnati would lose its status as a main line. All scheduled trains were annulled between these points and rerouted to the Chicago line about 100 miles north of Athens (a 480-mile detour). This added 10-24 hours to there travel time. The last freight train ran through Moonville on August 31, 1985. Around June of 1988, 30 miles of track west of Athens and through Moonville were pulled up. Perhaps now, the ghost(s) could rest in peace.

Map of the Area

B&O signal Moonville tunnel

Tunnel       Igmond      |      |

Mineral  |          Station     s      |  Moonville            To

East<===T===] [===============T===========] [===T=============> Cincinnati

To Athens

Options…

Not much remains of Moonville today. The town is gone, the tracks are gone, and the area is being overtaken by the growth in the area. Is there a future for Moonville? The answer is “Yes”. Some of options are positive, others are not.

What has failed….

Shortly after the abandonment, there was a move to make part of the line through Moonville a Scenic Railroad. The plan was to buy part of the line from Hope to Mineral (about 20 miles) and run a steam engine on the line. Applications were sent to the state in hopes of getting the funds to buy part of the right of way. But the funding failed and the idea was dropped. If the group had more time, something may have come out of it. But CSX was in too much of a hurry to pull the tracks (as if they were going somewhere) and time ran out on the line.

One little known fact was that a major western railroad (Union Pacific or Southern Pacific) was interested in purchasing the line for their own use. CSX played the part of, “I don’t want it but you can’t have it” with the other railroad. Reports have it that they put an extremely high purchase price on the line (about 10 times what it was worth) and refused the new railroad trackage rights into Washington. In addition to this, CSX also demanded trackage rights on all of the Cumberland/Cincinnati line, including the parts they wanted to abandon.

When the other railroad refused, CSX try to cut another deal where they would retain trackage rights on the whole line and get paid a high percentage for every car that went on the line. The new railroad would have to pay for the maintenance cost. This would have made the line unprofitable for the new railroad and that deal also died.

Finally, the railroad threatened to go to the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to force CSX to make a fair deal. Overnight the track started to be pulled, even while the negotiations continued. Two sections of the line between Cumberland and Cincinnati were pulled up, one was a 30-mile stretch in West Virginia and the other was 30-mile stretch in the Moonville area.

It is believe that while CSX didn’t have anymore use for most of the line; they didn’t what anyone else to have use for it either. CSX has been known for not wanting other rail competition in areas they control. And of course having a true continental railroad would have caused other railroads to rethink their position.

What has failed but not died…

For a couple of years after the track had been pulled up, many of the trestles remain in place. There was talk of making a trail in Zaleski State Park that would run from Athens, Ohio (through Moonville) to Hope or Zaleski. Shortly after the tracks were pulled up private owners purchased several pieces of the roadbed between Mineral and Athens and the trail was shortened to Mineral. Later, the tunnel west of Mineral was purchased and the trail was shorten again.

A funding request was sent to the state as the park negotiated with CSX for purchase of the roadbed. Then CSX killed the deal by having the trestles pulled, despite knowing the fact that the State Park would need them if they wanted to make a trail. Rumor has it that the railroad that had wanted to buy the line in the first place was still interested and had planned to relay the rail if the ICC could help them negotiate a “FAIR” deal. CSX started pulling all the bridges to make this impractical along with 30 more miles of track from Athens to 10 miles west of Parkersburg. This section included some very long truss bridges. On my last visit to the tunnel, I talked with two of the rangers about the trail. Currently, the idea is dead. There is not enough money to rebuild the bridges in the park. But while the idea is dead, it is not forgotten. The idea of the trail is still a very popular one in the area.

What is still being worked on?

After the line was abandoned, the tunnel was listed as an Ohio historic landmark. It was the only brick tunnel in the Southeastern part of the state and of course, marked the place where Moonville once stood. Then a few months ago I heard a rumor that CSX had blasted the tunnel shut. I can’t describe the joy I felt when I went back to the tunnel and found it still standing.

On talking with a couple of park rangers, I found out that CSX had planned to dynamite the Moonville tunnel but then changed their minds (no profit in it?). While nothing has been said in the past year, there is still a real possibility that CSX may return to finish the job. But as of right now, no plans have been made to destroy the tunnel.

The decision not to destroy the tunnel came right after the other tunnel was purchased and the line through Athens was torn up. CSX must have figured the cost to rebuild the line was too great and blowing the tunnel up was unnecessary.

Another possibility for the tunnel is turning it into a business. A couple of years ago, the tunnel near Mineral was purchased by a couple of brothers (?). They found that the tunnel made a perfect place to grow mushrooms and the business grew. In fact, business is so good that the owners of the first tunnel have been eyeing the Moonville tunnel for possible expansion. But there is a problem. Since the trestle crossing was pulled up, the tunnel becomes impossible to reach when the creek rises. To rebuild the bridge would be an expensive undertaking.

Epilogue — October 93

On my last trip to the Moonville tunnel, I took my 11-month-old son and my video camera. After a long, exhausting trip down a steep bank, over a homemade bridge, and back up another steep bank, I stood in front of the tunnel entrance. It saddened me that once this was an important place, but was now left to the elements. Trees growing in front of it are slowly hiding the tunnel and already the entrance cannot be seen from the road or where the bridge once stood. I had to wonder; will this place one-day be totally forgotten?

I was taking some shots from the West Side of the tunnel when a strange thing occurred. In my viewfinder, I kept picking up a “distortion” near the roof at the East Side of the tunnel. It looked like ball of heat, about the size of a basketball. The best description would be that of looking down a long, straight railroad track on a hot day. In the distance you can see the heat rising from the rail and while you can see past the heat, everything behind it is distorted.

Anyway, I lowered the camera and started looking for it without the camera but I couldn’t see a thing. When I looked through the camera again, there it was. I took some shots of the object but alas, nothing positive showed up on the tape. I have never seen the ghost, I have only heard about him. I didn’t think much of it until after I viewed the tape. Perhaps this is something that can be easily explained. Or perhaps the ghost wanted me to see him just once, but like everyone before, he didn’t want me to photograph him.

The Hope Furnace was founded in 1854 and it remained in operation until 1875. It produced some of the best iron in the world. The iron made at these furnaces was used to make weaponry for the Civil War. The Hope Furnaces operated 24 hours a day and could produce up to fifteen tons of cast iron each day. However, shortly after the end of the Civil War the furnaces were no longer used.

Photo Gallery below the fold.

The Hope Furnace is supposedly haunted by one of the company’s watchmen. On a dark, stormy night in 1870 one of the watchmen was blinded by some lightning that struck close by. He couldn’t see where he was walking, and he fell into one of the large iron furnaces. The hot, molten iron ore burned through his body and he literally melted! Today people claim to see his ghost walking around the remaining furnace carrying a lantern on stormy nights. Although we didn’t see this reported ghost on this trip. It was worth our time to stop and take pictures along the way.

Thanks Grave Addiction for the added information and directions to the Hope Furnace.

Photo Gallery after the fold.

Photo Gallery after the fold.

We met TOGHS members Mike and Marie along with Daniel and Dawn in Nelsonville, Ohio and followed them up the long winding roads leading to the cabin. We arrived on the property on Friday August 7, 2009 at 3:00PM, The whether was warm at 88 degrees, Mostly sunny and the humidity was high.

We parked across the road from the cabin and sat in the vehicle for a moment staring at the reported Haunted Cabin. As soon as Butch, Jeff and I got out of the vehicle, I became really dizzy, I’ve heard of people that suffered from vertigo and this is all I could compare it to.  There was a small bridge that crossed a creek that we had to walk over in order to reach the property. While crossing the bridge, I felt even worse; I wasn’t sure if this dizziness was from driving up the winding roads leading to the cabin or if this could be something more paranormal.  The three of us had made arrangement to stay the weekend in the cabin while performing this investigation. I was already having second thoughts and I just stepped on the property. We followed Mike across the property stepped onto the porch. I was feeling even worse and trying to keep the feelings in check while watching Mike unlock the front door. I was told about all the wonderful family reunions that have been held every summer on the property over the past thirty something years.

I couldn’t get past the sick feeling in my stomach and the thoughts that were racing through my mind. It got much worse once I stepped inside the door. Mike was giving Butch and Jeff a tour of the cabin and I was trying like hell to breathe. At this point I couldn’t even concentrate on what Mike was telling us in regard to the history of the cabin, the surrounding hills and the mining company that kept most families employed while living in these hills. While standing in living room I began to feel the presence of a male entity.  He had been waiting for us to arrive and wasn’t happy that we were there. I’m not much of a psychic myself but have witnessed several that were very accurate while working in this field. This was going to be my turn to feel the presence of an unseen visitor. I immediately heard the name Al, Albert, Alfred or Alex in my mind. I could smell his presence, the smell of whiskey? Maybe not Whiskey but the smell of booze! As we toured the cabin I became even dizzier; I was finding it much harder to breathe as we moved from room to room. I was becoming more and more light headed as the minutes passed, How was I ever going to stay the weekend in this cabin when I couldn’t get pass the ten minute tour? As we walked into the kitchen area I felt so bad, I thought I might pass out. My head was spinning and I was becoming sick to my stomach. I then decided it was time to go outside for air and a chance to get myself together again. I turned to tell my fellow team members that I couldn’t finish the tour and realized that they were feeling somewhat the same as I was. I’m very used to working with Butch and Jeff; we can communicate to each other without words on most investigations.

I looked at both of them and decided we would all go outside for some fresh air and to re-evaluate the situation. We all decided that we would not be staying in the cabin that night or any night while the unseen owner was still staying in the cabin himself.  After taking a five-minute break we headed back into the cabin to set up our Digital video cameras and start our investigation. We were not in the cabin more then a minute before we all felt the same symptoms as the first time.  I realized this wasn’t going to get any better and explained to Mike that I was not feeling well and either was the group. I explained that we would like to start the investigation later in the day and that we would return after finding a local hotel to accommodate us. As Butch and I were walking back across the property to our vehicle, I felt like I was hallucinating, I could actually see this in my mind eye. There he is, The man haunting the cabin, He’s not a tall man but very tough, He was wearing a long sleeve shirt even though he looked

Soaked from sweat. It had to be 100 degrees in my mind, He was smoking a cigarette and reeked of Whiskey, He was most definitely a drinker, and He was dirty, Like he just came in from working the mines.

He may very well been a great guy most times, but I knew he was drinking and he didn’t like me being in his cabin trying to start trouble.  As I stood in the yard the visions or feelings kept coming, I could hear him cussing at me, I could see him in my mind, He was drinking again and I knew he was angry at me just like

He was with his family when he drank too much. They knew it meant to stay away from him, Hide if you had to. I tried several times to shake these visions while standing in the yard. My thoughts were racing, I knew I just made contact with the previous owner of the cabin.  I knew I had to reach the edge of the property to get clear of him and regain my emotions.  When I finally reached the little bridge that crosses the creek leading to the road I could finally begin to breathe easier and settle my mind.  Mike was waiting for us to reach the car in order hear what we had to share with him. I told him I wasn’t feeling well and that something or someone linked to the cabin was not friendly to me and that it wasn’t one of the many fond memories of family reunions and gatherings his family had shared many times over the years. I assured him it was not anything dark or evil but someone or something that didn’t like me and most definitely didn’t want us there. I asked Butch to drive back down the winding roads into town while I regrouped.

While we drove into Nelsonville to reserve a room in a local hotel, I wrote my feelings and thoughts down on paper, I continued to write once we arrived at the hotel. Butch sat in the vehicle with me, As I was writing I told Butch of the man I saw in my mind’s eye. Butch instantly asked? Did you see that he was wearing a hat and had a tooth missing? I was shocked; Butch saw the same thing! We both just looked at each other, and I asked why would he be wearing a long sleeve shirt when it was so hot? Butch answered, It was plaid and probably flannel, I never said it was plaid, Butch definitely saw the same guy as me. After winding down in the hotel for a couple hours we decided to head back to the cabin to set up our equipment, We decided that we would set up three DVR camera’s and let them run overnight by themselves and run a digital EVP session while taking as many photos as possible while there. Upon arriving for the second time, The same feelings came back as well, Only this time we were more prepared for our new acquaintance. Everything seemed to go well during the investigation while raping up we set up the camera’s to record while we were gone.  Butch decided to set up one of our Olympus digital audio recorders as well. Nothing paranormal to report during our first investigation. After leaving the cabin we decided to drive the twenty further up the hills to visit Mike and Marie.

I had wanted to share the notes I made earlier with them and tell them of the presence that Butch and I both felt earlier that day, As we explained to Mike and Marie what our encounter with this AL, Albert, Alfred or Alex guy was like and our description of him along with the smell of whiskey, cigarettes, long sleeve shirt, Missing tooth or tooth ache, short not tall and bit of a tough guy image, I told them he could be very mean once he drank to much and could cuss with the beat of them if he chose to. I even gave them the notes I wrote down earlier in the day while driving to the hotel. Neither person knew of the person Butch and I talked about, I assured them we were right and asked if they would contact some other family members in order to see if anyone knew of this man. We were called the very next morning and told that we had met Alex, He was the Great Grandfather of Mike. Mike was also told that very few people still alive knew this side of Alex. Mike family confirmed most everything we talked about.

The scary thing is, We still had cameras set up in the cabin and had a second investigation to do. We instantly set up this investigation for the same afternoon; Mike, Marie, Jeff, Butch and I were going to run the investigation together. We arrived mid afternoon, Sunny, Warm, 88 degrees, Humid quite normal weather for Southeastern Ohio in August. Even the investigation was going without a glitch. Mike, Marie and Butch ran EVP sessions while I took pictures of each room, Everything was going great! Then Alex decided to bang on closet door while I was standing just outside. I must have jumped three feet off the ground. Once I landed it occurred to me that Alex must also have had a sense of humor, I could almost hear him laughing at me. I assured him that I knew it was him trying like hell to scare me, I told him I was sorry if I offended him in any way by being in his home and thanked him for showing himself to us.  We finished the investigation without any other interruptions and as we were leaving I told Alex we would stop by and have a drink with him on our next trip through Southern Ohio.

Photo Album below the fold.

We were informed that many people past and present had at one time or another experienced something paranormal or has a ghostly story to tell in regards to the huge cellar. We documented the stories of Strange smells, Voices, Objects being thrown around, The feelings of being watched, Feelings of being followed, Doors being opened and closed, Sometimes doors were closed and locked while people were in the room. I was most intrigued by the reported sightings of the shadowy figure that had been witnessed by several different people over the past few years. I could hardly wait to visit the cellar! To get to the cellar we had to go down two short flights of stairs. The first set of stairs went straight down then turned to the right, the second set of stairs led us down to the cellar and ended once you stepped into a open lobby type area. The cellar was dark but I could see several huge rooms that branched off the lobby area in both directions. This place was much bigger then I expected and had the Erie feeling of a haunting. To the left I could see an old vault room where they must have kept the monies kept. To the left of that was another huge room that I will call the center room. To the left of the center room was a set of restrooms, one for male and the other for female. To the right of the restrooms was another room that was locked and boarded up. As I stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked to the right I could see a small hallway that led to a room on the left and another to the right.

Once I walked across the cellar a light came on and I was told that some of the rooms had motion lights installed. While doing our walk through of the cellar, Mike took as many digital pictures as he could capture, Joe was recording everything on his EVP recorder and Marie was documenting as much information as she could write down.  We continued to follow Dominic from room to room listening to his ghostly stories and gathering as much information as we could. I’m really into Toledo history and old buildings like the Feltman. Though the rooms were now dark and empty and filled with graffiti, I could see back in history to a time that this building was hoping with day to day activity and the thousands of people that occupied it at one time or another. We finished our tour and interview of the Feltman building and set up a date for it’s upcoming investigation.

The Feltman Building Investigation – Thursday August 6, 2009

TOGHS arrived at the Feltman building on Thursday August 6 at 7:30 PM. The weather was just about perfect for an early August evening. Temperature was in the low 80’s under sunny skies although it was somewhat humid. I was looking forward to this investigation for several reasons. The history of the building along with the added history and information Marie documented while visiting our local library history section previous to our investigation. We were working with one of our new TOGHS team members Investigator in training Dominic Hunt who we call Bamma. My cousin and old time séance partner Becky was accompanying me on this evening as well, I was excited to see her again and share some of our old ghost stories as well as our friendship we have shared for almost fifty years. I not only got a chance to spend time with her but was able to get to know her Daughter Jessica as well.  Butch and I decided to set up three DVR cameras. Camera 1 was set up in the lobby entrance at the bottom of the cellar stairs. It was to record the entire cellar lobby facing the rooms to the left, Camera 2 was set up in the vault room were the door was reportedly closed and locked while someone was occupying the room. Camera 3 was set up in the first room to the right off the hallway on the right side of the lobby. The monitor and tech table was set up on the first floor along with the equipment and battery charging station.

Once we set up our equipment we broke off into two groups, Group 1 was lead by Butch along with Marie and our host Dominic, Bamma was in charge of running the video cameras and documenting the entire investigation on video. Group 2 consisted of Becky, her Daughter Jessica, myself along with a fellow member of Dominic’s rock band; (In order to protect his privacy we will name him Bill). The cellar is plenty big enough for both groups to work independent of each other without crossed noise contamination. We would be lucky if we even crossed paths while investigating this cellar with its huge rooms branching off in all directions. It was a matter of keeping two walkies on during the investigation and letting one another know where we were within the bowels of this huge building. We decided to keep each session limited to 30 minutes or so. This way we could inform each other as to what rooms were investigated and what equipment was used during each session. During session one, Becky and I decided to investigate the first room off the hallway to the right. We already had a DVR camera set up in this room and it seemed like the perfect place to start. Jessica filmed our sessions using the Mini DVD recorder with night vision capability. While taking temperature readings in our first room, we noticed a door at the back of the room, once opening the door, we found that it was a tunnel that took you underground for a hundred feet or so. It seemed to house some of the mechanical aspects of the building. There was a ton of old disconnected phone line hanging on the wall with big heavy pipes hanging to the right. This must have been part of the old heating pipes that would lead throughout the tunnels and all the way up the six stories to the top of the building. It didn’t seem like any of it was still being used and hadn’t been used in years. As we continued down the long underground tunnels we found little rooms branching off in both directions, one room seemed like it may have been an old boiler room at one time, there were other doors that we opened that lead nowhere and were only a few feet wide. Another door we opened had steps leading to upper floors of the building. 

As we continued down the tunnels, I thought to myself this could explain some of the reported hauntings, Could someone be prowling deep in the bowel’s of this cellar and then coming up these hidden stairways unseen or unheard onto any floor they would chose to scare anyone they choose? As I tried to open each door that lead to it’s respectful floor, I found the doors to be either locked or boarded up. Once you were in stairway, the only way out was back down the stairs to the cellar. This would not be one of my debunking explanations. We continued to take temperature readings throughout the tunnels and found that they did not fluctuate much between temperatures of 74 and 78 degrees. Becky and Bill took turns communicating with the reported unseen ghosts while Jessica filmed and I took digital pictures. The other group worked the other side of the cellar along with the vault room. After this first session we all met upstairs and exchanged thoughts and experiences. Butch’s group reported hearing voices and the smell cigar smoke in the vault room. We had nothing paranormal to report except that Becky felt like she may have been touched, and we were excited after investigating the underground tunnels. During the second session our group investigated the vault room, Becky, Jessica and I all felt strange feelings in this room and took turns running EVP sessions while investigating, We then moved to the center room. This is where it turned a little stranger and even paranormal.

 As Jessica continued to video of Becky communicating with the EVP, We all heard footsteps on the ceiling coming from above, These were not heavy footsteps but lighter, shorter footsteps like that of a little child running in the room above us. Becky decided to leave the room and go upstairs to see if any of the guys working the tech table may have been walking around upstairs. She found that they had not left their seats, The strange thing was, Jessica and I continued to hear the footsteps running back and forth across the floor above the whole time Becky was gone. It also seemed as thought the little child was trying to communicate with us somehow. After leaving the center room with the knowledge that we were not alone we moved to the next room which was the men’s restroom. This room was set up with our night vision still camera that Butch had set up prior to the start of our investigation and had ton’s of reported paranormal activity as well. We spend several minutes running EVP’s while documenting the session with the mini DVD recorder. We then moved to the Ladies room next door. This room had a fowl odor to it and we didn’t spend more then 60 seconds investigating it. As we came out of the ladies room we noticed that the men’s restroom light was on even though we were just in their 60 seconds ago investigating. The room had motion lights connected to it but they were still in the shut off position and the controls were electrically taped in the off position. Becky, Jessica and I looked at each other kind of thinking well it’s starting, We just met someone unseen in the center room and now they must have had to either go to the bathroom or they were now following us from room to room.  We immediately went into debunking mode. We waited for the lights to go back off and entered and exited the men’s room several times hoping to get the lights to come back on. We could not recreate nor make the lights come back on no matter how many times or different ways we tried. We decided to share this phenomenon with the other group and had them try to recreate the activity as well. They could not recreate it either. Once we finished with session two both groups met outside the building. We once again shared some stories and experiences, We found out that both groups were experiencing some of the same paranormal activity coming from the same rooms.

We continued to run our investigation over the next couple hours documenting several hours of Audio recordings, Video recordings from the DVR cameras as well as our video cameras that were stationed in set places along with the video recordings that were filmed by our camera team members. We documented the temperature readings and any fluctuations in each room, EMF readings throughout the huge cellar and in each room, and decided that we would finish up by joining both groups and investigating together in what we all felt were the hot spots. We ended the investigation in the Center room with Butch leading the EVP session, Becky followed and then Marie; I ended EVP session with a little provoking and then raped the investigation up with a closing prayer. We were all tired at that point and several members had a long way to go home. As I talked with each member afterward, I think we all experienced something a little paranormal in way or another. Some had been touched, Others heard voices, Some smelled the odor of a cigar while others heard the footsteps of children that were not present at the time, DVR cameras were shaken at different times by unseen hands. I kind of like the rest room lights going on and the fact that I could not debunk it because I know they were shut off and taped down in the off position. After analyzing the evidence further, We found that we were never really alone in the cellar of this huge building with its underground tunnels and never ending rooms leading to nowhere. I’ve included several pictures from our investigation along with an EVP audio clip that Butch’s group captured in the vault room, You may hear this deep voice saying (NOBODY BREATH). I’ve also included a short video clip of an unknown light source that traveled the length of the cellar lobby and past the DVR Camera. Let me know what you think of these?

Leave a comment if you’d like.

Digital pictures: Nothing Paranormal

EMF readings: Nothing Paranormal

Temperature fluctuations: Nothing Paranormal

DVR video recordings: Yes

EVP audio recordings: Yes

Mini DVD video recordings: Nothing Paranormal

Super 8 video recordings: Nothing Paranormal

Dowsing Rods: Nothing Paranormal

VHS video recordings: Nothing Paranormal

Motion detectors: Nothing Paranormal

Personal experiences: Yes

Here is the video clip from the Attic story. It was captured in the Attic at 1:00am. It traveled 60 feet in one second, no Sound, no Wings, no Fluttering.

Photo Album after the fold

It didn’t take long before Butch and Dan were communicating with our friend from the other side.  While doing the first EVP session in one of the second floor back rooms they captured a continuous on and off again conversation with our little friend that lasted over twenty minutes.  We were also told about the woman that seemed to be in some sort of distress that would haunted the residence from time to time. She has been recorded moaning in pain or yelling in the past. Obviously we set out to find her somewhere in the home as well. Every member of team felt cold spots, chills or had a personal experience throughout the investigation.

It didn’t matter if you were running video, taking pictures or doing an EVP session. You just felt their presence. Other members of the team had got to see Butch working with the dowsing rods with great success during communication time as well. We switched up throughout the night in order to give everyone a chance to work the equipment but the night turned into the early morning hours before you knew it. Nobody wanted to rap this investigation up any earlier then we had to.  We eventually rapped things up and packed the equipment.

Our Tech Manger Joe who worked the Tech table all night and I were the last two members getting ready to leave when Joe wanted to do one last EVP session in the Attic. While he was working the Tech table the entire night, he felt as though he couldn’t leave without working the Attic himself too. Joe and I decided to set up 2 video recorders and 1 Mini DVD recorder to document his EVP session. Within 28 seconds of communication we recorder the women in distress. I’ve included this second EVP at the bottom this story. We can’t make out what she is saying but it sounds like she says Ouw, Oh my God) right after Joe says and a Walky Talkie.

Equipment used: 1 Digital Sprite DVR w/4 camera capability using 3 night vision camera’s, 3-Sony Super 8 video camera’s, 2 Magnavox VHS video recorders, 1-Sony HD digital 1080 camera, 1 Fugi Digital Camera, 1-RCA digital recorder, 1-Olympus digital recorder, 2 Laser room thermometers, 1 Cell Censor EMF machine, 4 Motion detectors, Dowsing Rods.

This was fun investigation, TOGHS team member Marie has a 10 year old Son Jacob who is really into the paranormal and has really wanted to go on an investigation, Marie agreed to let Jake go as long as we didn’t scare the heck out of him. While we where in the Sandusky Bay area on that Friday we decided this would be his first official investigation. We didn’t have much equipment with us but always have a few things on board.

Photo Gallery after the fold.

After having a big lunch at a local restaurant we headed for the Island. During our ride we discussed a few investigation rules and went over the proper use of the equipment and the importance of taking care of it, we also discussed the fact that the investigation part is most times the easiest part of an investigation, I asked Jake if he was willing to go through all the Pictures, Video and Audio that we might capture during this investigation and that it might take him several hours to analyze all findings. He agreed to all this and actually looked forward to it. We crossed the toll bridge and arrived at the Confederate cemetery at 3:30 PM. It was sunny and around 80 degrees, I didn’t have equipment to get proper temperature, humidity readings or any outside readings for that matter. Either way Jake worked with the video camera first filming every headstone, landmark and anything else that might be beneficial to our investigation.

While Jake was busy filming I took out both Digital Audio recorders replacing the batteries for our fresh investigation. I decided that I would set my Olympus recorder on top of my Blazer that was parked right outside the cemetery gates to record this session just in case Jake didn’t catch anything paranormal on the recorder his was going to use. After working with the video’s Jake began working with the RCA digital recorder taking his time and walking the cemetery talking to anyone from the other side that might be listening. After an hour or so we decided to rap up this session and drive to the Prison grounds on the other side of the Island. Jake and I walked through the woods and found what we believed to be the property that the prison once sat on. Jake continued to run video and then had a EVP session with any prisoners that might want to visit. After finishing his first investigation we packed up our equipment and left the island.

We had a 45 minute ride back the cottage and talked about our investigation the whole way. Jake looked forward to analyzing the hour of video and audio recordings that took. I told him I thought he had did a great job and that he had followed all TOGHS rules and that he also took good care of all equipment used. As we were about to get off the expressway I heard a funny sound on top of the Blazer, as I looked out the rearview mirror I saw my one hundred dollar Olympus Digital recorders fly off the top of my car at 65 miles an hour and land in the middle of the expressway. I went down a mile got off the exit, turned around, went back and picked up the several pieces while dodging traffic. Unfortunately we lost everything that might have been recorded on this piece of equipment. I hope Jake watched me close and learned some of the things that you don’t do while on an investigation. I’ve added a few of the 266 pictures Jake took while on his first investigation.

Equipment used: 2-Sony Super 8 video cameras, 1-Sony HD digital 1080 camera, 1-Fugi Digital Camera, 1-RCA digital recorder, 1-Olympus digital recorder, 1-CellSensor EMF detector, 1-Raytek St Pro series Laser point Infraro thermometer.   Butch, Dan and I arrived in the Goll’s woods at 6:30pm on this pleasant evening, The temperature was in the upper 70’s under sunny skies. We set up in the cemetery first. Butch worked the far end of the cemetery taking digital photo’s and working the EVP equipment. Dan and I worked the other end setting up our EMF equipment on Mr. Goll’s headstone along with our EVP equipment.

Photo Gallery after the fold.

Dan continued to take pictures and temperature readings while I communicated through the digital recorders that were set up. We didn’t seem to make contact with anyone and after 30 minutes we all decided to walk the 1/4 mile down the road to the Goll’s old homestead. We left one EVP recorder in place while we were gone. As we walked up the road to the home we stopped several times looking back for the source of the footsteps we all thought we had heard. I was kind of amazed how spooky the home looked as we approached and wondered to myself, If the young child’s voice that Butch captured during his first EVP session would join us again on this investigation. I continued to take as many photo’s as I could while entering the home. Butch, Dan and I walked through the home working with our EVP recorders and taking photos.

After investigating the first floor we madeour way to the second floor and then the attic. On our way back down from the attic, We did an EVP session in the upstairs bedroom where the we captured the first EVP’s. Once we completed the upstairs investigation and started down the staircase we all felt a tremendous temperature drop (-15 degree’s) and Dan’s leg was touched at the same time. There seemed to be a strange energy source in the home with us. I was the first one down the staircase and turned to take pictures of Butch and Dan as they came down hoping to capture whomever was with us on camera. After leaving the home we walked back down the road to the cemetery and investigated further using an old flashlight trick, We set up two flashlights on separate headstones and asked that someone other then us to shut them off. Apparently our friends didn’t feel like playing the flashlight game at the time since they remained on. We closed this investigation with a EVP, some great personal experiences and few mosquito bites.

Photo’s – Strange light abnormalities / Orb’s

EVP’s – Butch and a young child saying (yes)

Video – Nothing paranormal

EMF’s – Nothing paranormal

Temperature changes – Staircase in Goll’s Home (-15 degrees)

Personal Experiences – Dan’s leg being touched

Goll’s Woods is said to be haunted by Mr. Goll as well as several other spirits including a young child. It’s possible that some of these ghosts have wondered from the Goll cemetery which sits in the Goll’s woods.

Photo Album after the fold.

The Golls were one of the first families in Williams County; legend says that they were eventually banished into the woods. The father was the last to die, and he is said to haunt the woods. In addition to this, the cemetery is haunted by balls of light, and a big black tombstone near the center is always warm to the touch.

TOGHS lead investigator Butch went to visit the Goll’s woods one evening in May 2009. He was accompanied by Alan and Dan who help our group with investigations from time to time. Butch was not expecting to do a documented investigation but took EVP equipment as well as a digital camera. Butch visited the cemetery first. While audio recording his visit and taking digital pictures Butch found that his equipment began to malfunction. His recorder began to shut itself off several times despite being checked previously.   His digital camera also began to malfunction while in the cemetery. After realizing that this place had some type of paranormal activity to it Butch decided to investigate further and came upon an abandoned house and barn in the woods.

Once Butch, Alan and Dan went inside the old home the activity increased. Butch found the air heavy and very hard to breath. He never said anything to his group members at the time but was quickly told the same thing by them. Butch’s equipment began to malfunction again throughout his investigation of the home and wished he would have brought more equipment with him to document his findings. Although Butch had a hard time getting his camera and EVP equipment to function properly he was able to take several great photo’s as well as capture a voice of a young child saying (yes) to his question I think your in here with us aren’t you?  TOGHS will be investigating the Goll’s woods again this summer and will share our findings with you once we finish.

Photo Gallery after the fold.

TOGHS case manager Marie decided to interview Beth further in person, I was intrigued by this particular case and decided to go along with Marie during the face to face interview with our client.  During Marie’s interview we were informed that the family consisted of Beth who is the Grandmother, Her Daughter Tammy who is in her mid 30’s and Tammy’s 4 children, ages 14 and under.  Once Marie completed her interview and we left the home we discussed the reported activity. Water being thrown throughout the home, Televisions being thrown down flights of stairs, Household object’s of all kinds being thrown or moved from room to room, Full cans of paint being thrown in the kitchen, Expensive furniture being broke into pieces and more. To say the least we were worried about the safety of this family and the 4 children that lived in the home.

First Investigation – Butch, Joe, Mike, Marie and myself did the first investigation taking over two hundred digital pictures. We had four video camera’s running throughout the investigation, Two EVP recorder’s, 1 EMF machine taking readings in each room, 3 motion detectors, 1 Laser thermometer reading the temperature fluctuations from room to room and several other pieces of investigative equipment. We did not have any personal experiences during our first investigation but was called back into the home as we were leaving to witness water that had been thrown across the ceiling.

We spent the next couple days analyzing our findings to find that we did not capture anything paranormal to report. We were kind of stumped by this but before we could report our finding to our client she had called with reports of more activity and that it had escalated as well. Butch and I went to check out the situation and to make sure everyone in the home was safe. When we entered the front door we were greeted by water running throughout the home. Second floor running down the walls to the first floor and the first floor had water running to the basement. Once we made our way upstairs we found that the bathroom sink and tub facets were wide open and the drains had been plugged, Same thing in the downstairs kitchen sink. Butch ran down to the basement and shut off the main water supply. We actually duck taped the main off so that it could not be turned back on by anyone living or dead without a struggle.

Second Investigation: Same as the first, Four hours long using the same equipment but had a couple other TOGHS investigator helping out with the investigation. We also met Beth’s Daughter Jennifer and her four Grandchildren. The oldest grandchild we will name Bill who also helped out during this second investigation. After Analyzing our findings again we could not capture anything considered to be paranormal. Before we could meet with our clients to inform them of our lack of evidence we were called again with reports of escalated activity and that the family was staying next door at a relatives to escape the raft of the unwanted hauntings they were living with.

Third Investigation: Butch and I went alone on this investigation and as we entered through the front door with Beth and her Grandson Bill we realized that the couch had been turned on end and placed in the middle of the living room,  A television had been thrown down a flight of stairs, The kitchen ceiling had collapsed due the water that had been left running from our last visit, The refrigerator was moved across the kitchen with the door open and it’s contents thrown to the floor.  While Butch and I tried to stay calm and investigate we both wondered how we would explain all this as normal activity and not paranormal activity. The investigation got weirder as we went. While Beth and Bill were in the kitchen trying to clean up the mess that was made by their unwanted guest, Butch and I worked the upstairs and cellar area’s. While we were upstairs we heard a huge crashing sound downstairs, Running downstairs we found Beth and Bill standing in the middle room staring at the same thing Butch and I were, A huge object had been thrown across the living room and into a hanging picture on the wall, Both were broken during this activity. After we all calmed down Butch and I went back to our investigation and Beth and Bill went back to cleaning up the kitchen mess. This whole thing continued several times until I was almost hit in the head with a flying object as I came down the stairs and walked into the living room. As weird as this whole evening was Butch and I managed to capture as much possible evidence as we could during the three hours spent in the home that night.

After we went through several hours of analyzing and not capturing anything paranormal on any of or equipment besides a couple pictures with light abnormalities TOGHS deciding that this whole thing had to be coming from someone in the home. Someone very much alive. Butch and I noticed throughout all three investigations the oldest Grandson Bill was present during our experiences and during Beth’s reported experiences.  We decided to set a plan. If we were called again because of excalating activity we would set up hidden cameras after getting Beth’s permission. Not surprisingly we were called within a couple days.

Fourth Investigation: Butch, John, and I arrived and checked the home for any further damage, Did a quick walk through and set up three hidden camera’s. We told Beth that we wanted to leave the home for an hour so that it could sit empty in hopes of catching activity on camera while nobody was home. Beth knew of the hidden cameras and agreed.  After arriving back at the home we invited Bill to investigate with us. We weren’t really trying to capture anything paranormal but hoped we would catch Bill doing something that made everyone believe it was. Once again objects were being thrown throughout the home off and on during the investigation. After a couple hours we rapped up the investigation and ended the session. While analyzing the evidence Butch and I noticed that Bill was throwing objects and acting like it was something paranormal on several occasions. We then called Beth and explained that we did not feel she had neither a Poltergeist nor a home that was being haunted by unseen guest but we did capture Bill causing some of the things that were being reported by her. After reporting the findings and watching the video’s with Beth we explained how we felt about our suspicions and findings. We then told her we could not help her with this case any longer and that TOGHS had considered it a closed case.

A week or so went by and I received another called from Beth, She had told me that she confronted Bill in regards to his role in the alleged haunting and the destruction of their property. She was also very upset. Her ill Daughter had passed away and they continued to experience paranormal activity even though Bill was not present at the time of the activity. I had become friends with Beth and wanted to help her in anyway I could. I then decided that it would be a good time to get someone with a religious background involved with this particular case. It would be good for her and the children also. I told Beth that Butch and I would stop by with a friend of mine who happens to be a Catholic Nun (Pam) along with another friend of mine that works in the religious field (Renee). Butch and I along with Sister Pam and Renee stopped by to visit the home again. Butch, Renee and I walked the home from top to bottom taking pictures and working with EVP’s while Sister Pam interviewed Beth sitting at the kitchen table. When Sister Pam was finished interviewing our client I invited her to walk through the home as well. Afterwards we said our good byes and went outside to leave. Renee had told me Butch and I was right and it had to be the oldest Grandchild Bill doing all this and that he might even have a sibling involved. I was taken by surprise when Sister Pam said that an unseen spirit touched her arm while in the kitchen.  The good news was that Sister Pam believed that Bill was doing all the damage and most of alleged paranormal activity was coming from him. That the unseen spirit that she witnessed in the kitchen was that of a child and would not be capable of the things that have happened.  This changed the way I felt, I stopped being angry at Bill for putting Beth and our group through all this, and could believe her like I really wanted to in the first place. Beth is a wonderful person and not capable of misleading us let alone lying to us. To rap this story up, TOGHS eventually did a final investigation leaving nothing undone and using every piece of equipment that we own.  We also performed a house blessing at the end of the final investigation. After analyzing hours and hours of findings we have posted a few pictures with light abnormalities from the cellar and an upstairs bedroom where the television was thrown. We also added a short EVP session that was recorded by our new team member Cody Ramm. When Cody asked, Are you an Adult? The unseen voice responded (NO). The home is supposedly still being visited from unwanted quest from time to time.

Photo Gallery after the fold.

Here’s a link to the Newark Earth Works.  http://copperas.com/octagon/