The Ghost of Alice Riley

Who was Alice Riley? She was an indentured servant who made the journey over to America in 1733 (Ghost City Tours). Alice Riley ventured to America with her husband, Richard White, along with 38 other servants from Ireland (Ghost City Tours). They made the move to America in the hopes of finding something better, but what they found wasn’t what they were looking for. Some could say they even regretted making the move over to America. 

According to Ghost City Tours, William Wise had a reputation for being untrustworthy and sketchy. This caused him to initially be declined permission to make the move to Savannah. However, this didn’t stop Wise from achieving what he wanted. He made the decision to sail from England to Savannah, and James Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia, didn’t want to punish England by sending him back, so they approved him to work on a cattle farm (Ghost City Tours). Alice Riley and her husband, Richard White were both placed with a man named William Wise who became their master.

Eventually, William Wise’s health started to deteriorate, and he needed to be taken care of, which became Alice Riley’s job. Wise took advantage of the situation and of Alice Riley. William Wise would beat Alice Riley physically as well as emotionally almost daily (Crabb). One night Richard White heard his wife’s screams and ran to her rescue. Alice could no longer handle the abuse she received from Wise. Therefore, together Richard and Alice murdered their master, William Wise on March 1, 1734 (Harris). The body of William Wise was found in his home on his bed (Harris). However, his head was detached from his body. The head of William Wise was later found in a pail of water (Harris). The cause of death for Wise was asphyxiation. The death of William Wise was the very first death in Savannah, Georgia (Harris). 

Richard White and Alice Riley ran away together, but were later found and the town of Savannah found them guilty for the murder of William Wise. The punishment for murder at the time was to be hung. Richard White was immediately hanged after he had been caught, however, before they could hang Alice Riley, they found out that she was pregnant. Of course, the people of Savannah weren’t going to hang a pregnant woman (Crabb). They allowed her enough time to give birth to her son, but right after she was hanged for the murder that she committed on January 19, 1735 (Crabb). Both of them were hung in Wright Square a located in Savannah, Georgia. This later became known as the “hanging square” (Harris). Riley became the first woman to be hung in the state of Georgia. The body of Alice Riley was left in Wright Square for a total of three days before it disappeared. Two weeks after the hanging of Alice Riley, her baby also passed. 

George R. Hicks “The Hanging of Alice Riley”

Many people believe that when Alice Riley’s body disappeared, she turned into a ghost. Her ghost appears in Wright Square wearing tattered 18th-century style clothing (Southern Gothic Media). The ghost of Alice Riley is attracted to pregnant women and women who have infants with them (Harris). It has been said that her ghost follows them to try and steal their babies to make up for what she lost (Harris). 

Works Cited:

George R. Hicks. “The Hanging of Alice Riley.” Murder & Lies: The Ghost of Savannah’s Wright Square, 30 October 2014, https://www.google.com/search?q=the+hanging+of+alice+riley&rlz=1CAVNCX_enUS1017&sxsrf=ALiCzsYM7sBnsxeM12YWZ-wvvgv4DkSG2w:1666487479217&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjOkeLRlfX6AhUgmYQIHW3xCvUQ_AUoAXoECAIQAw&biw=1366&bih=649&dpr=1#imgrc=G9z8jgGTf6uYaM. Accessed on 25 October 2022.

Harris, Michael. “Murder & Lies: The Ghost of Savannah’s Wright Square.” Savannah’s Morning News, 30 October 2014. https://www.savannahnow.com/story/news/2014/10/31/murder-lies-ghost-savannahs-wright-square/13526612007/ Accessed on 18 October 2022.

“Savannah’s Most Famous Ghost Story: The Ghost of Alice Riley.” Ghost City Tours, https://ghostcitytours.com/savannah/ghost-stories/alice-riley/ Accessed on 18 October 2022.

“The Ghost of Alice Riley.” Southern Gothic Media, 19 August 2022. https://www.southerngothicmedia.com/blog/sg088-ghost-of-alice-riley Accessed on 18 October 2022.

“The Hanging of Alice Riley.” YouTube, uploaded by Brittney Crabb, 19 September 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY1HGK9E9ho Accessed on 18 October 2022.

Links for Further Research:

“Ghost of Alice Riley.” YouTube, uploaded by Janie Mucciolo, 14 July 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KFViqfrw6E Accessed on 18 October 2022. This video is narrated by a woman named Joan who is a licensed tour guide in Savannah, Georgia. The video focuses more on the historical aspect of this story. Alice Riley was one of Savannah’s earliest colonists that came over to the United States when Savannah was in its’ infancy in 1734.

“Wright Square (Savannah, Georgia).” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_Square_(Savannah,_Georgia) Accessed on 22 October 2022. This article provides the history of Wright Square that is located in Savannah, Georgia. According to Wikipedia, Wright Square is named after the man James Wright who was the last British Royal Governor for the Province of Georgia. It also provides pictures that relate to the place.

“Ghost.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost Accessed on 22 October 2022. This article defines what a ghost is. Wikipedia defines ghosts as the soul/spirit of a dead person/animal that appears to the living.

Haunted Savannah

 Author: Diamond White 

Savannah was founded in 1733 and it is known as one of the most historic cities in the United States. Revolutionary and Civil Wars were fought here so it is no surprise they are called the most haunted city, which was called by the American Institute of Parapsychology, which investigated ghost claims. There are many people who have felt the spirit or even captured a spirit before via camera. Therefore, many people have become firm believers of so because of many told stories of experiences with ghost in their home or on a vacation.

Ghost Conspiracy

In November 1864, General William T. Sherman began his famous "March to the Sea" during the Civil War. After capturing Atlanta, Georgia, Sherman's Union troops marched for weeks--destroying everything in their path until they reached Savannah. There Sherman set up an army hospital at The Marshall House and now a hotel. Many guests believe that dead former soldiers haunt the hospitals. “Two men claimed that when their elevator door opened, they didn't see a hotel anymore," says Emily Kiernan of Ghost Talk Ghost Walk tours. "They saw a Civil War operating room, with wounded soldiers and frantic doctors trying to save them." Others have reported feeling cold areas said to be a sign of ghosts or hearing knocks at their doors when no one was there.

Everything Is Haunted in Savannah

Savannah's river port was an important stop for cotton, rice, and tobacco ships back in the 18th and 19th centuries. Sailors stayed at inns, and pirates often spent time together at The Pirates' House restaurant. A dark stairway led to secret underground tunnels, where crimes may have happened. People have spoken about how spirits of pirates still lurk in the restaurant. Workers have reported weird flashing lights and mysterious footsteps coming from upstairs, even though no one was there. Chef Harold Bryant even claims he saw a ghost walk right through a closed kitchen door. "He was dressed in a white ruffled shirt, with a sword at his waist and a gold ring in his nose," said Bryant. "Then he just disappeared upstairs." Mant stories have been told and proven by witnesses of the same events happening to them or even just experiencing weird chills. 

Works Cited:

 Buchholz, Rachel. “Ghosts of Savannah.” National Geographic Kids, no. 354, Oct. 2005, p. 36. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=sch&AN=18386181&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

“Savannah Ghosts.” Savannah Walks, http://www.savannahwalks.com/savannah-ghosts/.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert “Nick Swardson: Everything In Savannah Is Haunted.” YouTube, 26 May 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQNb__Ar7vQ

Ghost Lights: Real??

 Author: M. King

Ghost Lights are known throughout many cultures, telling the tale of “ghostly lights that hover above the ground deep in marshes, bogs, and wet, decaying places.” (McLeod) They’re known by many names such as the ghost lights, corpse candles, “will-o-the-wisps", Jack-o-the-lantern, fairy lights, spook lights, and many more. Since there are so many different things this phenomenon is called, there are also many different interpretations as to why this phenomenon takes place. The explanations are more widely known in myths, fairytales, or in some cultures. Some say that the eerie lights are the cause of fairies or even leprechauns, goblins, others have said they are the restless spirit of children who passed young or were miscarried. Despite all the differentiations and stories that have been made about these strange lights, they all circle back to one thing: “their cause is unearthly in nature and not to be trusted.” (McLeod)

Flivver 99 “Paulding Light – Wikipedia" Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, 9 October 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulding_Light

There are many stories, theories, and tales of ghost lights from around the world. Most are like each other, and some are exact opposites. An example of related stories is one from Wales and Ireland, they tell a tale of someone named Jack or Will. In the Ireland interpretation, he was doomed by their mischievous behavior to wonder the Earth till the end of time. These gentlemen were denied access to both heaven and hell, he was granted one gift: “an ember from fires of hell to light his way a warm him in his travels.” (McLeod) Then in the Irish version of the tale, it goes on to talk about a traveler named Jack, receiving the same ember, as the previous story, but he kept his ember in a carved turnip that he used to light his way on his everlasting journey. He was named, “Jack-o-the-lantern", because of the turnip lantern he carries. Furthermore, there are tales in the United States, specifically in Arkansas, where these have been seen. Their ghost light is called “the Gurdon ghost light.” In local legend, it says that in 1931 a man by the name, William McClain, a foreman that worked for the Missouri-Pacific railroad. He was involved in a disagreement with an employee, Louis McBride, talking about when he is allowed to work. To say the least, McBride was livid and ended up brutally killing McClain with a shovel to the head and continuously beating him with a railroad spike hammer. (Arkansas)

Even with all the tales and stories of this phenomenon, there has been some scientific research done on them. The hypothesis is that the decaying matter around the area, such as rotting animal corpses or bad vegetation, releasing gases such as methane and phosphine. These gases that are released from the dying creature or plant have been known to spontaneously ignite when encountering oxygen, which causes low temperature flares for a moment. But there is nothing truly deny the existence of these strange ghost lights.

Works Cited:

Paulding Light – Wikipedia" Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, 9 October 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulding_Light

“MARFA LIGHTS” Youtube, 5 June 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhRpMBAeVco. 

“The Spook Light” Joplin Missouri. Ex. 20 October 2022, joplinmo.org/575/The-Spook-Light

“Ball lightning” Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. 3 October 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_lightning

“Will-o’-the-Wisp: Monstrous Flame or Scientific Phenomenon?” Youtube, Ex. 25 October 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcNUxb_4qbo

 

Links for Further Research:

McLeod, Jamie. “Ghost Lights: A Weather Folklore.” Farmers’ Almanac – Plan Your Day. Grow Your Life. 21 June 2021, famersalmanac.com/weather-ology-special-ghost-lights-14442 This source gives information on the folklore and science behind the ghost light sightings. The purpose of this article is to explain and give information on possible origins and reasoning as to how/why these sightings happened. This source is unique because it gives a scientific hypothesis as to why these lights occur. This source is useful because of the cultural involvement as well as the many different stories explaining why these are occurring. As posted on Farmers’ Almanac this article is intended for people who have seen/heard of the strange phenomenon wanting to learn information on the ghost lights or will-o-the-wisps, as they say in the article, and seeing why they occur.

“Mysterious Lights”. Arkansas. The Natural State. Ex. 20 October 2022, arkansas.com/articles/mysterious-lights This sources gives information on the sightings and folklore in Arkansas. The purpose of this article is to give information on the sightings in the state and what the origin is. This source is unique because it gives detailed stories about the lights. This source is useful because of the stories it shares of the folklore in Arkansas surrounding the ghost lights. As posted on Arkansas: The Natural State this article is intended for tourist or natives in Arkansas to bring information on things they have possibly witnessed.

“Atmospheric ghost lights” Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. 5 April 2022, en.eikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_ghost_lights This source gives information on the phenomenon and gives many, world wide, examples of sightings as well as legends/folklore. The purpose of this article is to mostly allow access to more resources as well as provide information. This source is unique because it provides hyperlinks and gives resources for further information. This source us useful because of all the additional details. As posted on Wikipedia this is intended for someone wanting to find all possible knowledge.

The Most Haunted House in America

Author: Caitlyn Kennedy

In the mid-1800s, thousands of people travelled west for the California Gold Rush (nps.gov) . In 1852, at the heart of downtown San Diego, was a public execution site. Many people were hung for petty crimes including Jim Robinson (Yankee Jim). Despite the hangings, 4 years later, Thomas Whaley bought the property, designed, and built this two-story brick house. He moved in with his wife, Anna, and their three children. 

They soon opened a general store and commercial theater. Their youngest child, Thomas Jr. was just 18 months, contracted scarlet fever and passed away. This sad news followed by a fire in the general store area of their home, the family decided to move to San Francisco. They had 3 more children and Thomas invested in a stock, became financially stable, and moved back into their home to repair the damages. 

Violet Whaley, daughter of Thomas and Anna, got married in 1882. Her honeymoon was the worst time of her life when her husband abandoned her. “Reports say George was a con-artist and only married Violet for her money” (Terrell). Being severely depressed, Violet ended her own life in the home with her father’s gun. She left behind a very somber farewell letter and her grieving family moved out of the house. “People claim they have seen her crying in the outhouse, recreating the moment up until her death. Others have stated they have seen her on the second floor of the house where Violet would spend most of her time in solitude.” (Terrell)

The family moved out as Thomas’ health started to decline. They moved a couple blocks down the street. The house was empty for almost 2 decades. “It wasn't until 1909 that Thomas Whaley's son Francis took on the massive undertaking of restoring the Whaley homestead” (Bregara). The mother and her surviving children move back into the house, once more, to live out their lives. 

The house is now a museum operated by San Diego Save Our Heritage organization (SOHO). They offer day tours which are open to anyone. You can also reserve tickets for a Haunted Evening Tour and Whaley’s After-Hours Paranormal investigation. The tours consist of 40 minutes of walking through the house and possibly experience paranormal things. 

People on the evening  tour in the Whaley House

Many people who have gone on these tours have stories to tell about the haunted home. “Some visitors can hear the sound of a baby crying, little footfalls, and his innocent giggle” This is thought to be Thomas Jr. the baby that passed away. Reports also say that the mother’s lavender perfume can be smelt, and she has been seen in the parlor. A worker has said he smelt tobacco, as Thomas Sr. used to smoke. “We were looking over the bedrooms and trying to guess which family member slept there without looking at the pamphlet. Suddenly, I got hit with a massive wave of sadness and I just wanted to cry. It followed me around the second floor but stop once we went back downstairs. It was the strangest thing.” (Metreyeon) This is believed to be Violet Whaley. Many other accounts include seeing Thomas Sr. in a top hat at the head of the stairs, lights flickering and just feeling weird in general. A worker in the museum had a scary experience where he heard a woman whisper Why are you here? He was terrified so he ran out the house without setting the alarm. Even the family’s dog has been felt licking and brushing up on people’s legs. Some guest didn’t feel anything in the house but have checked the pictures that were taken and saw figures appear. 

It is no doubt that this house is terrifying with all the details of people experience. The Whaley house Museum is now a famous tourist attraction with history from almost 200 years ago. 

Works Cited

“Group of People at the Whaley House.” Photograph. “Whaley House Tour.”  Whaley House Museum, November 2021, https://www.whaleyhousesandiego.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/whaley-house-tour.jpg.

Katytayani, Josi “The Shocking Whaley House Mystery and Hauntings, Icy Tales, Updated 3 December 2020https://icytales.com/mystery-of-whaley-house/

Lollis, Sandra. “Whaley House Museum” SanDiego.org . 2012 https://www.sandiego.org/-/media/2573dd25c4ca473aa117cf89b4ca5e23.jpg

Metreyeon, Hedge. “The Whaley House Story – San Diego’s Scariest and Most Haunted Place” https://sandiegoexplorer.com/whaley-house-san-diego/, 26 August 2022.

Terrell, Kelly. “A Brief History of The Whaley House”, When You're Here (whenyourehere.com) , 8 Nov. 2020. https://whenyourehere.com/a-brief-history-of-the-whaley-house

US Ghost Adventures Contributor. “Haunted Whaley House” US Ghost Adventures. Accessed 17 October 2022. https://usghostadventures.com/haunted-stories/whaley-house/

Links for further research: 

“Whaley House: This San Diego Haunted House Museum Has a Dark Past” Velvet Tropes

https://www.velvetropes.com/backstage/whaley-house 

This website has information of the history and the tour dates and prices, in case you’re interested to see the famous Whaley House. 

“The Whaley House in Old Town San Diego” Whaley House San Diego

https://www.whaleyhousesandiego.com/

This is a direct link to the Whaley House Museum where you can find the phone number, updated tour events and everything to know about the Whaley House. 

“The Whaley House” San Diego History Center 

https://sandiegohistory.org/journal/1960/april/whaley/

This is a link to the San Diego History website that can tell you information about the history of San Diego and Thomas Whaley during this time. 

The Mystery of the Oviedo Lights

 By Diamond Stevens

The image that is shown above is located between Snow Hill and Chuluota. It is a bridge that crosses the Ekonlockhatchee River. The younger people would go to this bridge at midnight to see the Oviedo lights known as “Ghost Lights.” These lights only appeared late at night. People would come from all parts of Florida just to see them. It was rumored that cars that passed by would be chased by the Ghost Lights. There had been sightings of ghost lights for at least 50 years. What witnesses said they saw were two lights that were light green. The lights would hover in the woods and reflect on cars that passed by.

There was one incident where two teen boys had gotten into a bad car crash. It was mentioned that the Oviedo lights were the cause of the accident. The names of the boys remain unknown. For a while after that terrible incident the Oviedo Lights calmed down a bit up until the 1970’s and 80’s. It has been a big topic ever since.

 

 

 

The image seen above was taken on the bridge where a young man took his own life after losing a loved one. It is claimed that the ghost of this young man has been seen in the area below the bridge that he ended his life on. There was once a smaller bridge there, which was a popular place to park at midnight. If you turned your car lights off, you would see a blue like gas with a yellow glow as described. These Oviedo Lights were seen on the bridge and sometimes over the river.

Work cited:
Jacobs, Karen. “The Oviedo Lights.,” weirdus.com.www.weirdus.com/stories/Florida/.accessed
24 october.2021

“Ghost stories and Folklore of Florida the Oviedo Lights.” quotev.com, 2015,
www.quotev.com/story/ghost-stories/

Pankowski, Mark. “Ghostly lights still a mystery Oviedo apparition never been explained.”
Orlandosentinel.com, 2021, www.Orlandosentinel.com/news/

Tilford, Julia. "The Oviedo Lights: Scientific Phenomenon or inexplicable Sighting.” Riley's
Est,1918,2021, www.ripleys.com/weird-news/the-Oviedo-light/

“Is the bridge haunted?? Oviedo lights.” YouTube, 2 July 2019,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5JkpBXQPR/

Links for Further Research:

Oviedo Lights- Chuluota Lights
https://www.hauntedplaces.org/item/oviedo-lights-chuluota-lights/
This source has an overview of a brief summary of the Oviedo lights

Haunted or Haux: Seven Spooky Places in Orlando
https://www.hauntedplaces.org/item/oviedo-lights-chuluota-lights/
This article talks about several haunted places in Florida including information about the Oviedo
Lights.

10-Most Terrifying Roads in Florida
https://backpackerverse.com/10-most-terrifying-haunted-roads-in-florida/
This web source is showing you the top 10 terrifying roads in Florida and has some basic
information on the Ghost Light hauntings.

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel the Horrifying Truth

Author: Tianna Abney

All throughout the areas of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, guests have been noticing creepy hauntings from ghosts, most are famous. These figures often take over their old rooms that they stayed in before they died. Some of these ghosts are Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, Caroline and many more.

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

Most of the stories told about the ghosts show some common similarities regarding there interactions with the guests. Like the author NewsDesk from the Entertainment website, and how he describes in his article, explaining how the Roosevelt Hotel was this grand place that was home to the stars also, how it was one of the oldest hotels in Hollywood. Then, he continues by saying how the hotel is glamourous on the outside but has a more darker side to the story.

 “Exploring the Haunted Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel”

In the hotel one of the most seen ghosts is Marilyn Monroe. As Alex Matsuo says, she is mostly spotted in the room where she used to live before her death, room 1200 which was one of the largest suits in the hotel. It is said that in the room more specifically the mirror guests have said to have seen Marilyn Monroe instead of their own reflections. Because of these frightening disturbances the mirror was later removed from the room.

Marilyn Monroe

Another ghostly figure seen in the hotel isn’t famous, she is a little girl named Caroline. Caroline is mostly spotted by the pool area because the day that she died her, and her brother were playing in the pool while their father went to go run errands and the kids drowned. Now, the little girl Caroline often likes to make phone calls from the hotel lobby phone, play in the jacuzzi with her brother, and ask guests where her mother and father are.

Work Cited:

Matsuo, Alex. “5 Spooky Ghost Stories of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.” The Spooky Stuff. Sept. 2020. https://alexmatsuo.com/5-spooky-ghost-stories-of-the-hollywood-roosevelt-hotel/. Accessed 17 Oct. 2020.
NewsDesk. “The haunted story behind the Hollywood Roosevelt.” Entertainment. Oct. 2020. https://exbulletin.com/entertainment/485633/. Accessed 23 Oct. 2020.

Further References:

Gomes, Mayra Dias (October 11, 2013). "THR's Guide to L.A.'s Most Haunted Locations". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles, California: Eldridge Industries. Retrieved October 22, 2020.

Kern, Will (October 31, 2004). "Hotel has glut of ghosts". The Denver Post. Cited at wilkern.com. Retrieved 23 Oct. 2020.

Lovgren, Stefan (December 4, 2003). "Do Real Haunted Mansions Hold Sway in Hollywood?". National Geographic News. Retrieved 23 Oct. 2020.

"This old hotel is a Hollywood haunt, in every sense of the word". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 26, 2000. Retrieved Oct. 23, 2020.

Ghost Lights Phenomenon: Marfa Lights

Author: Naomi Owusu

In the growing world, of Marfa Texas comes the cultural phenomenon of Ghost Lights or people even call them Marfa Lights. Specific routes such as Route 90 and the Chinati Mountains are many of the famous places where you can find these mysterious orbs of lights. In this article Diana Brown shows the popularity of these ghost lights and how these are seen in many places such as Arkansas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and even in Michigan. The author states that tectonic plates underneath the Earth's surface that cause these ghostly apparitions. Others think that methane gas is the cause of these mysterious orbs of light.

Marfa

Many people have described these lights as just being cars headlights or even a mischievous spirit or ghost with s lantern since Halloween and jack-o-lanterns have been associated with the Marfa Lights. In the article called, “Scientists Can’t Fully Explain These Strange Floating Lights in Texas” by Kaleigh Rogers talks about how these mysterious orbs of light have invested over $720,000 for many tourists and even researchers of science to visit the Marfa Lights Viewing Center in Texas. To get a better view of these ghostly lights, it should be a clear, night sky to witness this phenomenon. These lights change many different many colors such as red, yellow, blue, white, and many more which makes this illusion even more mysterious than ever.

Marfa Lights Video Up Close

In the United States, there have been several more ghost lights that many people have encountered, and these are called the Brown Mountain Ghost Lights which are in North Carolina and have been observed for many centuries. Many Indians from the Cherokee tribe had been made aware of these orbs of light for a very long while which makes these lights still a baffling mystery. The Cherokee Indians have claimed that these Ghost Lights were the spirits of women searching for their husbands who have died fighting a great battle. Many other legends entail that these lights are echoes of a murdered woman in the 19^th century. There is even a song associated with the Brown Mountain Lights called, “The Brown Mountain Light” by Lulu Belle & Scotty. This very song tells about a man being accompanied by a slave was hiking on a mountain and how the man was never to be found and comes back and haunts him with a lantern in the dark, crispy shadows at night.

Works Cited:

Brown. Diana. “Are Ghost Lights, Apparitions of the Dead or Even Aliens” How Stuff Works. 30. Jan. 2018. https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/unexplained-phenomena/are-ghost-lights-apparitions-dead-or-even-aliens.htm Accessed 18 Oct. 2020

Brown Mountain Ghost Lights. NC Ghosts. https://northcarolinaghosts.com/mountains/brown-mountain-lights/ Accessed 22 Oct. 2020

Homeschool Honey. “Marfa Ghost Lights Video Up Close.” YouTube, 8 June 2019. MARFA LIGHTS | June 5, 2019 | Marfa Ghost Lights Video Up Close

Rogers, Kaleigh “Scientists Can’t Fully Explain These Strange Floating Lights in Texas” Vice. May. 2017. https://www.vice.com/en/article/9aeapv/scientists-cant-fully-explain-these-strange-floating-lights-in-texas Accessed 18 Oct. 2020

Texas Monthly. “The Truth Is Out There” https://img.texasmonthly.com/2006/05/TruthIsOutThere-0017.jpg?auto=compress&crop=faces&fit=scale&fm=pjpg&h=662&ixlib=php-1.2.1&q=45&w=1024&wpsize=large Accessed 21 Oct. 2020

For Further Reference:

Brown. Diana. “Are Ghost Lights, Apparitions of the Dead or Even Aliens” How Stuff Works. 30. Jan. 2018. https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/unexplained-phenomena/are-ghost-lights-apparitions-dead-or-even-aliens.htm Accessed 18 Oct. 2020

In this article Diana Brown shows the popularity of these ghost lights and how these are seen in many places such as Arkansas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and even in Michigan. The author states that tectonic plates underneath the Earth's surface that cause these ghostly apparitions. Others think that methane gas is the cause of these mysterious orbs of light.

Michael, D’esteries. “The Mystery of the Marfa Lights.” Treehugger. Jan. 2019.

https://www.treehugger.com/the-mystery-of-the-marfa-lights-4867866 Accessed 17 Oct. 2020.

The author of this article even emphasized specific routes such as U.S. Route 90 and towards the Chinati Mountains in Texas. The purpose of this article is that the author reveals these haunting, mysterious orbs of light which is still an unknowing tale till this day. Many groups who have come to witness this cultural phenomenon just think the Marfa Lights are just car headlights.

Rogers, Kaleigh “Scientists Can’t Fully Explain These Strange Floating Lights in Texas” Vice. May. 2017. https://www.vice.com/en/article/9aeapv/scientists-cant-fully-explain-these-strange-floating-lights-in-texas Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

The author of this article thoroughly explains on why scientists can’t explain these mysterious lights. These lights have been documented as far as the 1800s. The Marfa Lights has invested $720,000 into expanding this exclusive visiting center.

Alice Flagg of the Hermitage

Faith Cayruth

Alice’s Grave

Ghost stories can sometimes be grueling and creepy; they can give you nightmares even. Very rarely do you hear of any ghost stories that don’t have some horrifying story to go along with it. Alice of the Hermitage’s ghost is one of the exceptions. This story is about a sad, young teenaged girl who was in love with someone whose social class wouldn’t allow her to be with. She doesn’t haunt just because she wants to scare people, she haunts the earth in search of her beloved engagement ring.

Alice lived with her mother and brother in Murrells Inlet in South Carolina near the coast. She lived in a house that still stands today called The Hermitage  , which was built by her brother. Alice came from a family of wealthy doctors, so understandably when she fell for a lumberman who was beneath her wealth status, it was frowned upon. Alice paid it no mind, she loved him regardless of his economic status and ended up accepting an engagement ring from him. When her older brother and mother caught wind of this, they forbade it and told her to take off her ring. She did as they asked but in turn, she concealed the ring by tying it to a ribbon around her neck and hiding it underneath her shirt. Eventually, she had more disagreements with her mother and brother about her fiancé, which resulted in Alice agreeing to be sent off to boarding school in Charleston. While she was there she got “love-sick” and fell ill and weak to the point of borderline immobility. Her brother ended up having to take a 4-day carriage ride to go pick her up. The long ride didn’t help her already declining condition at all and it caused her to fall even more ill by the time they reached Murrell’s Inlet. While bed-ridden and weak, she had no energy to continue concealing her ribbon tied ring and it accidentally slipped out in her brother’s presence. He saw it and angrily threw her ring into a nearby marsh. After several attempts of asking guests to find her ring, no one ever attempted to search for it. About a week of being bedridden in her home in Murrells Inlet, she fell into a coma and she ended up passing away before she could search for her ring.

Now, she roams the earth in search of her ring because it was the only thing she had from her beloved since her family forbade their relationship. There are rituals performed by walking circles around her grave backwards thirteen times at night and then leaving a ring on her grave. Legend says that doing so will make Alice appear. There are other rituals performed, some that have reported granted your wishes or made a ring suddenly fly off of a visitor’s finger. People often visit her grave and leave different things from coins, jewelry, and flowers. Alice is just a mere, teenaged ghost who died of a broken heart and only longs for her dear ring.

Works Cited:

Segars, Bill. Sciway.net 2006. http://www.sciway.net/sc-photos/wp-content/uploads/alice-marker.jpg. Accessed 10 Oct. 2016.

“The Hermitage.” Sciway.net. Sciway LLC. http://www.sciway.net/sc-photos/georgetown-county/the-hermitage.html. Accessed 10 Oct. 2016.

“The Legend of Alice Flagg.” Angel Fire. http://www.angelfire.com/sc3/mytrip/alice.html. Accessed 10 Oct. 2016.

“Ghost of Alice Flagg.” Hauntedstories.net. https://hauntedstories.net/ghost-stories/south-carolina/ghost-alice-flagg. Accessed 10 Oct. 2016.

Links for even more leads than this article provides visit:

The Ghost of Alice Flagg, Scary EPVs and Videos and Pictures

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9qSY6ODMCs

In this video, YouTube user Joey Blackrose is at the cemetery where Alice is buried and is taking a video of what he is experiencing, as well as EVPs of him trying to communicate with her spirit.

Honeymoon from Hell

http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/honeymoon-from-hell?cdn_provider=auto

In this movie, a young couple honeymoons to low country South Carolina but they end up getting stuck due to a hurricane and get haunted by the alleged ghost of Alice Flagg.

Ghosts of South Carolina: Two Stories of Lost Love and Tragic Death

http://archive.independentmail.com/features/ghosts-of-south-carolina-two-stories-of-lost-love-and-tragic-death-ep-412898299-349166541.html

This webpage tells anyone who is interested how to find Alice’s gravesite, the Hermitage and other historical sites in the area.

The Queen Mary

Michael Dunbar

The Queen Mary 

TheQueen Mary  ship is a museum and also a hotel now is located in Long Beach, California known for its grand size along with its number of rumored hauntings on the ship. According to Chavdar Chanev of the online articles RMS Queen Mary the Queen Mary has a twin sister ship named Queen Elizabeth which both were commissioned by the Navy to oppose the ocean liners built in Germany and France during the World War II period. The ship which was built and sailing in the 1930s was known to be bigger than the great Titanic. In 1967 the ship was withdrawn from service with thousands of transatlantic voyages then turned to a maritime museum and hotel located in Long Beach, California. During the ships time under ceased service during World War II gave shelter too over 800,000 troops and was known for carrying the most people ever on a floating vessel which was 16,683 according to Kathy Weiser from Legends of America. Along history The Queen Mary’s hotel guests had bad life ending accidents while staying on board which made the ship their last living place on earth. This would create a great amount of reporting’s from residents on board the ship of unexpected interaction with spirits during their time spent there. Information from Planet Paranormal portrays that the rumors of ghost are true because this source provides evidence such as audio and visual evidence that has been captured on the ship by investigators. Background information from Kathy Weiser on some of the ghosts that are still haunting the vessel that have been encountered is a little girl named Jackie who drowned in one of the second level pools during the ships sailing days and to this day her spirit refuses to move on. Other sightings such as in the ship’s first-class lounge, a beautiful young woman in an elegant white evening gown has often been seen dancing alone in the shadows of the corner of the room. Also while researchers who would investigate the lower part of the ship heard horrid screams and sounds of colliding ships. Further research from Tom Crawford of Ghost Source and Portal to the Paranormal provides insight that Queen Mary collided with a smaller British ship, the H.M.S. Curacao, causing the ship and its three hundred passengers to sink. Some investigators would say that the screams and hauntings are being created by the three hundred men who were killed. Many more sightings, accidents, and activity has happened along Queen Mary voyages. This is why it’s one of the top tourist attractions known today.

EVP VIDEOS: 

Queen Mary pool Female voice say's "Mommy who ist it"? and then "mom or Bob."

Queen Mary First Class Pool - Female singing)

Works Cited

Bob Davis from Planet Paranormal, Nightwatchers . 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5iXfeDpZkdw

Chanev, Chavdar. RMS Queen Mary.  Queen Mary 2 Cruises 2016, written on November 29, 2015. http://www.queenmarycruises.net/rms-queen-mary/ 

Crawford, Tom. The RMS Queen Mary. Ghost Source and Portal to the Paranormal. 14 Nov.2009. http://www.ghostsource.com/hauntings/hauntings-the-queen-mary-ship.php

Hipmunk. The Queen Mary Ship. https://assets.hipmunk.com/assets/hotel_image/v1/563526d88f3484588f865ed9.jpg

Irsay, Steve.” Queen's Haunted History Highly Documented”. Grunion Gazette, The/The Downtown Gazette (Long Beach, CA) (Published as Downtown Gazette, Long Beach, CA. October 4, 2004 http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/105B054F90F5AF7A?p=NewsBank

Joe and Vici Ruffulo, Investigators. Nightwatchers .13 November 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fBzArvj8gBc

Planet Paranormal. Welcome to QueenMaryShadows.com. Planet Paranormal 2014. http://www.queenmaryshadows.com/history.html 

Peter James, Bob Davis and Brian Clune. Nightwatchers. 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GX1UtYA1_mE

Ramiro Ramirez, Producer. The Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA. Ramirez Films, 2010.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Gv3epRoxzkE

Sergio Ramirez, Editor. The Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA. Ramirez Films, 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Gv3epRoxzkE

Weiser, Kathy. Ghosts of the Queen Mary in Long Beach. Legends of America, March 2013. http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ca-queenmary.html.

Links for Further Research:

Queen Mary Talking Ghost Child Jackie Speaks to Bob Davis and Brian Clune of PLPI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GX1UtYA1_mE

The link above directs you to ghost investigations on board Queen Mary by Bob Davis and Brian Clune of PLPI.

The Queen Mary: Ghost Investigation (Part 1)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Gv3epRoxzkE

This link provides one of the first investigations of the Queen Mary accused hauntings.

History Behind the Queen Mary

http://www.queenmaryshadows.com/history.html

This link will allow you to receive further knowledge behind Queen Mary’s history throughout the world.

Cry Baby Bridge

Rylie Thurman

Throughout the United States there are lots of “Cry Baby Bridges” each one has their own legend behind it but they all relate to a incident with a mother and her baby.

In the article the, bridge in South Carolina just north of Pageland claims to have a Cry Baby Bridge. This tells a story about a women and her new born baby. The story is that the women and her baby were one the way back home one night and she was extremely tired and ready to get home because her husband was coming home the next day from fighting in a war and she was ready to see him. The next thing she knew she took the turn around the bridge to fast and she soon realized that her baby had been thrown from the car. She was looking and looking and couldn’t find her baby but could hear him. The baby’s cry got faint and she couldn’t find him. It is said that if you go to the bridge at night time and turn your car off, you will hear the cry of the baby.

In Wood Bridge, New Jersey there is a legend that goes along with there Cry Baby Bridge that there was a couple who just had a baby and the man got very jealous that his wife was showing the baby more attention and ended up throwing the baby off of the bridge and killing his wife. The legend says that if you go to the bridge in New Jersey you will hear the ghost of the baby cry and feel your car move like someone is pushing it.

In Saraland, Alabama the Cry Baby Bridge and is said to be one of the most haunted places in America. The story is that a plantation owner caught his wife in the arms of his biggest and strongest slaves. When the women found out that she was going to have the slaves child, she carried the baby until full term and then drowned the baby in the creek under the bridge. Its said that the ghost of the women and child are still heard.

In Millington, Maryland the legend goes there was a teenager girl who was about to become a mother and right when she had the baby, she found out that he had deformed legs. She took the baby to the bridge and tossed him over. It is said now that he is a ghost with very strong legs, knocking over trees with his crying fits. All of the trees that have fallen in the area are blamed on the ghost. There has been people with experiences with this bride, such as their car not wanting to start and hearing gurgling sounds in the water below.

This image was caught by a person who has visited this bridge in Maryland.

In Aiken, South Carolina where I attend college there is said to be a Cry Baby Bridge, the story is that the mother killed her baby because she thought the child was interfering with her and her husband. I think it would be cool to go visit to see if one of these bridges is really haunted. 

Works Cited:

Seegars. “The REAL Cry Baby Bridge.” 7 May. 2007, https://strangetalespodcast.wordpress.com/2007/05/28/the-real-crybaby-creek-bridge/

                                                                                                                            

Abbey. “Cry Baby Bridge Ghost Story.” http://www.angelsghosts.com/cry_baby_bridge_scary_ghost_story. Accessed 13 October. 2016

Herman, Amanda. “Cry Baby Bridge” http://www.serpentsofbienville.com/cry-baby-bridge/ Date accessed 17 October 2016.

“Cry Baby Bridge” http://www.hauntedplaces.org/item/cry-baby-bridge/ Date accessed 17 October 2016.

The Grey Lady in Willard Library

 Morgan Pierce

When looking at this picture of the Willard Library, many see the black ball on the ground. This black ball is believed to be the Grey Lady in Willard Library. This picture, along with many others,is backup to the speculations of a ghost being in the library. Not only does the library have pictures to prove that there is a ghost in the library, but the library also has employees that have experienced her presence.

When going to a library, most people think it's going to be a nice relaxing time, not a time to be scared that a ghost is near. In the Willard Library, many claim that there is a ghost that haunts the library. The ghost has been spotted by many different people that have been to the library. Those that have spotted the ghost include both employees and people on the internet watching the ghost cameras . This camera is on the internet 24 hours a day, so anymore who wants to try to find the ghost is able to. When looking at this ghost camera, there are questionable pictures that people think is the Grey Lady, but some think it's just the shadow of someone walking.

Back in 1937, in Evansville, IN, the lady in grey made herself known to the employees at the Willard Library (Willis). It was early in the morning when a custodian of the Willard Library went to light the furnace in the basement. When walking up the stairs, his flashlight spotted a lady dressed in all grey (Willis). After the first spotting of the Grey Lady, she has been seen by many other people. Another spotting was when the security alarm went off, and when the police arrived, they spotted two ghosts sitting near the upstairs window (Hall).
Many ask, "Why is there a ghost in the Willard Library?" Many different researchers have researched this question. The answer that most of them seem to come up with is the Grey Lady is Louise Carpenter. Louise Carpenter was the daughter of the library’s founder, who sued the Library’s board of trustees on her father's behalf (Harte, et al.). Louise believed that the money the library inherited from her father, who died, should have been her money. She lost the case, which makes the researchers think this is why she haunts the library. Another theory that some researchers have is the ghost is a lady who died on the land that the library sits on today (Willis). They believe that she is searching for her son who died with her that day.

Works Cited:
Blackwood, Margret. "The Willard Library: Most Haunted Library in the Us?" Photograph. The Ghost Diaries. 22 February 2004. Web. 16 October 2015.

ghostghoul. "Ghost Picture of the Day: Willard Library Ghost." Photograph. Ghost and Ghouls. 15 December 2012. Web. 16 October 2015.

Hall, Ashley. The Ghost of Willard Library. 29 December 2012. Web. 9 October 2015
Harte, Timothy M, et al. "Willard Investigation 2". Ghost Hunters Society. N.P. 9 September 2000. Web. 7 October 2015.

Willis, Wanda Lou. "Vanderburgh." More Haunted Hoosier Trails (2004): 200-208. Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Interlibrary Loan. Web. 9 October 2015

Links for further research:
Willard Library, Haunted Houses.comhttp://www.hauntedhouses.com/states/in/willard_library.htm
This website has more detail on the grey lady and the times she has been spotted.

Willard Libraryhttp://www.willard.lib.in.us/index.php
This website is the actual website for the Willard Library. There are directions on how to get there and information on what is needed to check out a book from the Willard Library.

Library offers more than periodicalshttp://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/134236208C2592C8?p=NewsBank
This website gives extra information on the Willard Library ghost, the Grey Lady. An interesting topic that it covers is the background information on Louise Carpenters father.

Alice of the Hermitage

Janee McCarthy

Among many other ghost legends in South Carolina, the legend of Alice of the Hermitage approaches a calmer, innocent ghost story, rather than a terrifying ghost story like we are used to hearing about. Alice was a young girl who lived on a rice plantation with her arrogant brother, whom she was not too happy with, and her mother.  The home was more of a beach home to them, surrounded by trees and marshes.



The Hermitage at Murrell’s Inlet


On the website The Moonlit Road, Cathy Kaemmerien and Craig Dominey wrote an article on the legend of Alice of the Hermitage, where they talked about her family’s traditions. Growing up, Alice Flagg’s family has always had strong beliefs of marrying the right person depending on the social class aspect. Living on the Hermitage, Alice met a young man that she fell in love with. Her family was not happy with this and her brother forbade Alice to see the boy. “The story goes on to say that in an effort to keep the two apart, Alice was sent away to boarding school in Charleston.” (The Hermitage- Murrell’s Inlet, SC). But that didn’t stop her, Alice decided that she could keep it a secret from her brother. One night, Alice’s beloved gave her a ring, which he engraved in the band, “love never fails.” Alice kept the ring on a ribbon around her neck, making sure to keep it from her brother.
 
Alice’s brother sent Alice off to school in Charleston, punishing her for going against her family’s beliefs and traditions. A couple weeks later, Alice was rushed home by her brother because of an unexpected sickness. She had high fever and laid in bed for weeks. While lying in bed, her brother snatched the ring from around her neck and threw it in the nearby marsh. Alice woke up frantically looking for the ring and died shortly after realizing it was gone.

It is believed that Alice Flagg still haunts the grounds of The Hermitage looking for her ring.“For I have never found my ring, though sometimes I still search the grounds at what is now called Wachesaw Plantation.”(Alice Flagg in her own words). Her grave is still at the Hermitage. People can go to the land and visit the grounds that Alice still walks around. Some people say they have seen her, and even talked to her. People lay flowers on her grave and pass on their stories about their visit to the Hermitage.



Alice Flagg’s Grave



Works Cited:
”Alice Flagg in Her Own Words; The Area’s Most Beloved Ghost Tells Her Story.” MyrtleBeach Online. N.d. Web. 13 Oct.

“The Hermitage-Murrell’s Inlet, South Carolina.” 2015 SCIWAY. Web. 12 Oct.
Kaemmerien, Cathy. “Alice.” The Moonlit Road. The Moonlit Road, 1997 LLC. Web. 12. Oct.
Roberts, Nancy. “South Carolina Ghosts; From the Coast to the Mountains.” Columbia. University of South Carolina, 1983. Print.
Ross, L. Woodrow. “Ghosts of South Carolina: Two stories of lost love and tragic death.” Independent Mail. Journal Media Group, 2015. Web. 13 Oct.
Links for further research:https://www.google.com/search?q=alice+of+the+hermitage