The Goatman’s Bridge

 Author: Sonya Villarreal

In 1887, Old Alton’s Bridge was built in the city of Denton, Texas. Shortly after, there were strange encounters within the bridge that raised the question of Old Alton’s Bridge being haunted. Since then, there have been exchanges of different versions of how the paranormal activity came to be. Shaun Jex, frequent guest author of The Moonlit Road, depicts the life of Oscar Washburn, the suspected ghost. Jex claims that Washburn, an African American farmer, was attacked by Klu Klux Klan members because they were jealous of a black man maintaining a successful farming business. The Klansman began their scheme by aggressively beating Washburn’s goats, knowing that he would immediately react by coming out of his home in an attempt to save his animals. With a successful distraction, the Klansman attacked the farmer and hung him over the side of Old Alton’s Bridge. Since then, Old Alton’s Bridge was newly introduced as The Goatman’s Bridge because of the possible ghost encounters. As said by Caroline Thrift of Atlas Obscura, “Some locals have claimed to see glowing eyes staring at them on the bridge, while others have claimed to hear splashing in the creek directly below, followed by unsettling laughter.” 

Goatman’s Bridge - Denton, TX 
(Angelo State University Advance Video Production class 2013)

Becky Vickers, a respected paranormal investigator, had a fond interest in traveling to the Goatman’s Bridge. She shares her experience through her written novel, “The Secret’s of Goatman’s Bridge”, where Vickers states Goatman’s Bridge to be “one of the most haunted places I have ever investigated.” Additionally, on the website, Vickers shares a trailer in the name of  “The Secrets of Goatman’s Bridge - The Trailer '' where she showcases her real life encounters. She provides many intriguing photos that leave ghost enthusiasts wondering what they can discover themselves at the Goatman’s Bridge. 

The story behind the background of Goatman’s Bridge still remains a mystery. Darcie Nadel writes  “The Goatman: Maryland’s Axe-Wielding Monster” on Exemplore where she expresses her input on the different origins of the Goatman. Nadel’s article states “the experimental myth is the most persuasive of them all” and “resembling a Bigfoot creature.” In other words, it still remains in question how the Goatman’s Bridge came to be. 

Works Cited:

  “Goatman’s Bridge - Denton, TX.” YouTube, uploaded by Advance Video Production class at Angelo State University, 5 Dec 2013,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwMTGmZTIfA&t=288s. Accessed on 25 Oct. 2022.

 Vickers, Becky. “The Secrets of Goatman's Bridge: True Tales of Chilling Paranormal Encounters at One of the Most Haunted Bridges in America.” Bowker, 12 Dec. 2018. https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Goatmans-Bridge-Paranormal-Encounters/dp/0692185216#detailBullets_feature_div

 “Old Alton Bridge.” Wikipedia, 24 Sep 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Alton_Bridge#/media/File:Altonbridge3.JPG. Accessed on 25 Oct. 2022.

 Thrift, Caroline. “Goatman’s Bridge.” Atlas Obscura, 11 June 2018. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/goatmans-bridge

Jex, Shaun. “The Goatman’s Bridge of Denton, Texas.” The Moonlit Road, 2017. https://www.themoonlitroad.com/goatmans-bridge-denton-texas-ghost-story/

Nadel, Darcie. “The Goatman: Maryland's Axe-Wielding Monster.” Exemplore, 31 July 2022. https://exemplore.com/cryptids/The-Goatman-Marylands-Axe-Wielding-Monster

 

Links for Further Research:

●       “Alton, Texas and the Haunted Goatman’s Bridge.” Legends of America, June 2021. https://www.legendsofamerica.com/tx-alton/

This article written by Kathy Weiser-Alexander, a lover of creativity, serves as an in depth glance at the background of the haunted Goatman’s bridge. In addition, being that the last edit of the article was June of 2021, it has very recent details of how the bridge has developed overtime.

●      Thrift, Caroline. “Goatman’s Bridge.” Atlas Obscura, 11 June 2018. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/goatmans-bridge

This article is written by Caroline Thrift who appears to be deeply involved in  traveling the world to find unique experiences she can write about on the popular website Atlas Obscura. In this article, Thrift summarizes basic information on the historic landmark of Goatman’s Bridge in Alton, Texas.

●      Jex, Shaun. “The Goatman’s Bridge of Denton, Texas.” The Moonlit Road, 2017. https://www.themoonlitroad.com/goatmans-bridge-denton-texas-ghost-story/ This short story written by Shaun Jex, frequent guest author for The Moonlit Road, digs deep into the background of the death of the Goatman and its significance in 1930’s racial violence. Jex depicts the life of Oscar Washburn, an African American farmer, and how his success through a small farming business threatened the ego of the Klu Klux Klan society.

The Origins of Death Alley

Author: Kei

Death Alley, an ominous name of an alleyway in Chicago where many bodies were laid to be identified. The Alley is rested behind a Theatre that was called the Iroquois theatre in 1903 and is currently called the Oriental Theatre. The Iroquois Theatre is located at 24-28 west Randolph Street, between State Street and Dearborn Street, in Chicago Illinois. The Alley is located at he couch place or 24 Randolph Street.   

The Theater was said to be fireproof like how the Titanic was boasted to be unsinkable. The Theater was unfit for fires and had many problems. Inside the theatre there were no sprinklers, alarms, telephones, water connections and not many easily accessible exits. The building was fit with asbestos curtains and the fire man of the building discussed the Deficiencies of the building with the fire chief. The fire chief and fire man of the building did nothing out of fear of the syndicate who owned the building would dismiss their fears, they were also told they could do nothing as the theatre had its own fireman. 

On the day of said fire the theater was filled with about 2,100-2200 people in attendance to the theater (most of those being children watching the matinee performance). During the beginning of the second act of a musical called “In the Pale Moonlight” an arc light ignited a curtain, and the fire began to spread, many tried to dose and stop the fire to no avail. As the fire spread many people in the crowd were in unrest and a man named foy attempted to calm the crowd, as he was, he saw just how many people were in the Theater. The audience began to try to flee out of the doors but couldn’t get past bascule locks on the doors. The performers on stage were able to escape out bigger doors that were used to transport props to the Theater but while doing so made the fire bigger as the cold air rushed in.

The fire killed about 300 people and in those were only five actors that were present. The victims of the fire were killed by being trampled by scared people looking to flee, asphyxiated by fire, smoke, and gasses. This event has led to an impact on the change of theater safety laws and all theaters in the country were closed for retrofitting (some in Europe too). The alley that lay behind this ill-fated theater became itself after the fir as many of the dead bodies were laid there to be identified after the fire. The Alley is now a place where many who walk past say they feel phantom hands and whispers of your own name in the alley. Tales of ghouls who stole from the victims of the fire are told also. This Alley is used by commuters of Chicago and stage performers today.

Works Cited:

 Added by Leylairoyale, Edited by beingabear, Collector of Experiences, erjeffrey, and Mat Everywhere, “Couch Place [The Alley of Death].” Atlas Obscura, 25 Jan 2018. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/couch-place-the-alley-of-death

 Crozier, Elizabeth. “The History Behind Illinois’ Alley of Death Is Absolutely Heartbreaking.”

ONLY IN YOUR STATE, 27 Dec 2021. https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/illinois/creepy-alley-il/

Links for further research:

 Living Landmarks of Chicago. https://livinglandmarksofchicago.com/oriental-theatre-james-m-nederlander-theatre/ Does as the title says giving you a brief description of the events of the theater fire and a little building description.

 Chicago Tribune. https://www.chicagotribune.com/visuals/vintage/ct-oriental-theatre-chicago-historic-photos-20181113-photogallery.html This site provides pictures of the theater and description of where it’s located.

Windy City Ghosts. https://windycityghosts.com/death-alley-near-nederlander-theatre/ This site gives a good history of the events of the theater fire and the paranormal activity that happens in the alley.

The Mysterious Ship: The Mary Celeste

 Author: Caroline G

Mary Celeste in Storm

The Mary Celeste was a merchant brigantine ship sailing out of the harbor in New York to Italy. The ship was run by Captain Benjamin Briggs. He brought aboard the ship with him his wife, his two-year old daughter, and his eight crew members. This ship was carrying 1,701 barrels of alcohol along with the six-month food supply that the crew had (Blumburg). 

The ship didn’t make it to a month because it was discovered sailing alone without its crew aboard. The ship that found the Mary Celeste was called the Dei Gratia. The Mary Celeste had sailed from the harbor eight days before the Dei Gratia did. The Dei Grata found the Mary Celeste off the coast of the Azores. According to the article “The legend of the Mary Celeste explained” the Mary Celeste was moving very erotically. The captain knew that there was something wrong because no ship moves like that. The captain ordered his crew to go aboard the ship to check out what was wrong. According to the article “Abandoned ship: The Mary Celeste” by Jess Blumburg, she says that below the ship deck they found “ship charts tossed around, and crewman’s belongings were still in their quarters.” They also found that the only lifeboat on board the ship was missing.

There are many theories that go along with this ship. Each are different because no ones for sure what happened to the crew and how the ship continued to sail. According to the article “The Mary Celeste” on the website paranormalcatalog.net says that the Mary Celeste could have been involved in foul play that happened by the crew of the Dei Gratia killing the crew of the Mary Celeste. Another is that the crew fled the ship because the alcohol that they were carrying exploded so that they had to flee the ship. One final one that something paranormal happened on the ship, but this one Is very unlikely because sea monsters don’t exist. Giant squids do exist, but they are not that big enough to pluck crew members right off their ship.

One thing cool about this ship is that there was a documentary created about it. The documentary is called The True Story of the Mary Celeste. There is also a book on the Mary Celeste and that book is called The Haunting of the Mary Celeste.

Works Cited:

Benjamin, Kathy. “The legend of the Mary Celeste explained.” Grunge.com, 2020,https://maryceleste.net/index.htm 

Blumburg, Jess. “Abandoned Ship: The Mary Celeste.” Smithsonianmag.com, 2007, https://maryceleste.net/index.htm 

“The Mystery of the Mary Celeste: Crew Vanishes from Seaworthy Ship.” ancient-origns.net,  https://www.ancient-origins.net/sites/default/files/field/image/Mary-Celeste-in-storm.jpg 

“The Mary Celeste.” Paranormalcatalog.nethttps://www.paranormalcatalog.net/unexplained-phenomena/the-mary-celeste

Links for Further Research: 

“Mysterious Disappearances: Crew of the Mary Celeste.” mysteriousdisappearances.com. This 

website talks about the crew onboard the Mary Celeste

“The Mary Celeste Fact or Fiction.” MaryCeleste.net. This website gives an insight on whether 

the Mary Celeste was a real thing or if it was fake.

“Mary Celeste: Whatever Happened to the Notorious Ghost Ship”. allthingsinterersting.com. 

This website talks about what happened to the Mary Celeste and the theories that go 

along with what happened, and what happened after the Mary Celeste was found

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. 

Horror at the Stanley Hotel

 By Stephen Blystone

 

 

The Stanley Hotel is not only a beautiful vacation spot to just get away, it is also one ofthe most well-known hotels in America, but not for the reasons you may expect. As soon as thehotel opened in early July 1909, it was well known for being a nice and beautiful place to staymainly because explained on eptrail.com by Buck, Barb. March 10, 2014, “It was one of the firsthotels west of the Mississippi to have electricity.” But the main reason for its fame today is thecountless cases of paranormal activity encountered while staying at the hotel. 

 

The most famous story about the Stanley Hotel Takes place in room 217, not long after the hotel was built there was an explosion as the head housekeeper was lighting candles during a storm, the explosion in room 217 destroyed the floor beneath her but she miraculously survived. This was stated on “Nightlyspirits.com” but the author was not posted. In an interview with my uncle (who would like to stay anonymous), he stated that “while at the checkout desk he felt a child run up and grab his shirt and yank on it, but when he turned around no one was there”. 

 

If you have ever seen the movie “The Shining” by Stephen King, you may know more about the Stanley Hotel than you even realize. While writing “The Shining” Mr. King stayed at the Stanley Hotel, but not just in any room, he stayed in room 217. That’s right the same room that has such a horrific story behind it is the same room where one of the most well-known books and horror movies of all time was conceived. Some of the events in “The Shining” were based on actual events that occurred during Stephen King, and his wife Tabitha were occupants. Some people even speculate that the main character Jack is supposed to be Mr. King. 

 

While the most famous part of the hotel is all of the paranormal activity that occurs within the four walls, as seen on multiple ghost hunting tv-shows, beauty is one of the things that keep people coming back. Located in Colorado near a beautiful hillside, this haunted hotel is one of the places that any paranormal junkie or movie buff must visit. Countless years of paranormal activity, celebrity visits, and stories that get passed around ever since that one stormy night when the housekeeper almost lost her life. This is what gives the Stanley Hotel its spooky reputation. 

Work Cited Reference:
“The Stanley Hotel to House Horror-Themed Film Center.” Entertainment Close-Up, Close-Up Media, Inc, 2015. This article talks a great deal about the horrors that have occurred over the many years that the Stanley Hotel has been open. This article also talks about how this may be one of the first horror-themed museums http://closeupmedia.com/search.html Accessed on October 25, 2021. 

 

“A Night at The Stanley Hotel.” The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Tribune Content Agency, 2016. This article is about what you may encounter while staying the night inside of the Stanley Hotel. It goes in-depth about all of the supernatural encounters people have encountered and what you may encounter as well.https://gazette.com/life/colorados-stanley-hotel-offers-plenty-of-haunted-tales/article_608df8f4-5c12-57c0-a362-e3dc70103bfa.html Accessed on October 25, 2021
 

Anonymous Uncle. “My ghostly experience” 2021. My uncle  has stayed inside of this hotel before and he believes he came in contact with a spirit. He believes that a child’s spirit ran up behind him and tugged on his shirt because when he turned and looked around no one was there but his shirt had just been pulled.

 

If you would like to look more into the Stanley Hotel, here are some links to get you started.
● https://www.stanleyhotel.com/hotel.html
● https://www.thetravel.com/stanley-hotel-facts-ghost-creepy/
● https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20140306-stephen-kings-hotel-of-horrors

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.

The Hauntings of St. Augustine Lighthouse, Florida

 Author: Solace Steele

 

Imagine catching what appears to be a silhouette of
someone peering down from two staircases above. 

This sighting has become more common than
others when touring the lighthouse.

Spooky Season has arrived at long last, and Halloween is just around the corner. It’s the perfect
time to indulge in candy and other traditions that accompany this holiday, and those who are
interested in everything paranormal are in for a treat if they’re willing to take their chance and
explore. The St. Augustine Lighthouse in Florida is one of the oldest points of navigation in U.S.
history. The lighthouse that stands today is the second one and was constructed in the late 1700s when the first collapsed due to erosion. It has also stood tall and proud through many battles during its time. Still, there is more to this lighthouse than what initially meets the eye. Its history is tainted with death, and to this day spirits remain tethered to it, having been unable to move on for centuries. One of St. Augustine’s most famous ghost stories begins with Hezekiah Pittee, who was the superintendent of the second lighthouse construction. Kelcie Lloyd, the Special Programs Manager at St. Augustine Lighthouse, explains this tragic tale in her article titled Ghost Stories: The Pittee Girls. He had four children named Mary, Eliza, Edward, and Carrie. They utilized the construction site as one giant playground and favored a supply cart that ran from the site to the dock where supply ships would wait. Little did they know that supply cart would carry them to a watery grave. The only thing preventing them from tumbling into the water at the time was a wooden board. On the day of July 28, 1873, the Pittee siblings and an unidentified African American girl were on their makeshift rollercoaster, and as it turns out, that wooden board was no longer secured in place to stop the cart. So, it tipped over and into the water. The girls were trapped beneath it, and by the time a worker raced to remove it, three of the four girls had drowned. Carrie, the youngest, was the only survivor. 

The Pittee family, originally from Maine, moved back to their home to bury their loved ones there,
and the resting place of the unidentified African American girl has yet to be discovered. 

 

 This video follows Buzzfeed Unsolved co-hosts 

Shane Madej and Ryan Bergara as they visit

 the St. Augustine Lighthouse after hours to 

provide viewers a ghostly experience

Many years have passed since this tragic incident, but that was not the last the world would ever
see of these children. Not to mention, there were more who had died here. Some of these
individuals include William Harn, Peter Rasmussen, and Joseph Andreu, who have supposedly
been sighted around the lighthouse and the keeper’s house below it. Rasmussen’s spirit is easily
identified through reports of the scent of cigar smoke. Andreu met his end after falling off the
lighthouse when painting it during its construction. Harn was one of the first keepers of the
lighthouse, and unfortunately the first to die in it after a long battle with malaria and tuberculosis.
Many strange occurrences have happened since then, with staff members and tourists reporting
ghostly encounters. There have been reports of footsteps being heard upstairs, with no one present upon investigation, as well as sightings of little girls standing and disappearing not a second later. Staff and tourists have also noted the smell of cigar smoke, doors being left wide open despite having been locked the night before, EMF readings, the sound of music boxes playing, and more. The St. Augustine Lighthouse is a favorite among tourists intrigued by the unexplainable and has even been featured on an episode of SyFy’s own Ghost Hunters. It seems safe to say that human beings absolutely must have an explanation for things, and the paranormal refuses to provide one, which surely contributes to the lack of belief in them. However, some answers must be sought after, and perhaps a ghost tour of the lighthouse would be a good place to start. 

Works Cited
A&E. “Ghost Hunters: Return to Haunted St. Augustine.” YouTube, 13 May 2020,
https://youtu.be/Pa5-O0nnshU

Anya016. “St. Augustine Lighthouse – Florida.” Random Times, 21 April 2020, https://random-
times.com/2020/04/21/st-agustine-lighthouse-florida/

Buzzfeed Unsolved Network. “The Haunted Shadows Of The St. Augustine Lighthouse.”
YouTube, 27 Sept. 2019, https://youtu.be/fU-8Rg4CgeI.

Ghostsandgravestones.com. “Haunted Guide to the St. Augustine Lighthouse.”
https://www.ghostsandgravestones.com/st-augustine/lighthouse-haunted

Lemmon, Kathryn. “The Haunted Side of St. Augustine, Fla.” Nexis Uni, 5 October 2012,
https://advance-lexis-com.eu1.proxy.openathens.net/document/?
pdmfid=1516831&crid=5cda0547-d12b-425a-9140-557a795b8445&pddocfullpath=
%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fnews%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A56RN-KHT1-JC8H-
N2CD-00000-
00&pdcontentcomponentid=157000&pdteaserkey=sr0&pditab=allpods&ecomp=xzvnk&e
arg=sr0&prid=b5d2c776-f0df-4118-84b1-55a172717caa

Lloyd, Kelcie. “Ghost Stories: The Pittee Girls.” St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum.
2 March 2020,
https://www.staugustinelighthouse.org/2020/03/02/ghost-stories-the-pittee-girls/

Links for further research
1. The Ghosts of the St. Augustine Lighthouse
https://ghostcitytours.com/st-augustine/haunted-places/st-augustine-lighthouse/
An article providing an overview of the ghosts that inhabit the St. Augustine Lgihthouse
2. The St. Augustine Light
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Augustine_Light
A Wikipedia article that provides the history of the entire lighthouse as well as more
resources for further research.
3. staugustinelighthouse.org home page
https://www.staugustinelighthouse.org/
The official lighthouse webpage itself. It offers information on the lighthouse and its
history, as well as how to set up tours.

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel Ghosts...Haunting

Author:Mychaela Gilbert

The 131-year-old hotel has more than a few residents who’ve checked in the hotel but have never checked out. Some hotels make you want to extend residents stay, while some, like the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel  takes a further step into the afterlife. Having been around since June 1st,1888, the 764-room luxury hotel, hasa Scottish Baronial architecture set in the Canadian Rocky Mountains in Banff, Alberta(Keraghosian). The hotel isn’t shy about celebrating its famous ghost residents. William Cornelius Van Horne, appointing general manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), has been given recognition of the tourism potential of the Canadian West and his philosophy reflecting this awareness(Then and Now). Van Horne envisioned a lavish hotel resort along the railway through Rocky and Selkirk Mountains(Then and Now). One of the most famous of all hauntings occurring at the hotel is the story of “The Bride”(Guilbert).The story dates back to the late 1920s. On one young couples wedding day, the bride, decked out in her wedding gown, began to walk down the hotels marble staircase. Something startled her causing her to slip and fall. Some have said she caught her heel in the hem of her dress. Others have said her dress brushed up against a candles flame. Whether of which is true the bride died on those very steps. Since then the hotel staff and guests have reported seeing a veiled figure moving up and down the stairs in a wedding stress.The young bride still waiting on her first dance with her husband she never had. Luckily if you’re planning a visit to the hotel, you can get the pleasure of staying in Room 873(Guilbert). Unfortunately, this disturbed and haunted room isn’t a room anymore due to it being fully boarded up and made to look apart of the highway. The story goes about a family staying in the room when the father decided to cold blood kill his wife and daughter before committing suicide. Their souls remained, but the bodies were removed. Guests that have stayed in the room have claimed that the room didn’t remain peaceful for very long. Guests have claimed to be woken in the dead of night by harrowing screams, petrified, around turning on the lights there was nothing there except bloody handprints over the walls. Sometimes the handprints would disappear on their own, but other times the cleaning staff would spend hours trying to scrub the prints, but they would remain there for days before vanishing. Although the room is no longer available for guests, there have been incidents where screams are heard when they pass the spot where Room 873 would have been. Although seeing is believing, if one visits the hotel a skeptic the odds are,they will leave the hotel a believer (Real Stories of the Paranormal).

Works Cited:

Hotel Services and Activities -Fairmont Banff Springs. n.d,“Activities and Services”, Fairmont, https://www.fairmont.com/banff-springs/activities-services/. 25 Oct 2019.

Guilbert, Andrew. “The Ghosts of Fairmont Banff Springs.” Avenue Calgary, 8 Feb. 2019, https://www.avenuecalgary.com/city-life/the-ghosts-of-fairmont-banff-springs/.

Keraghosian, Greg. “Hotel Insider: A Haunted Stay at the Fairmont Banff Springs.” Yahoo!, Yahoo!, 14 Oct. 2015, https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/hotel-insider-a-haunted-stay-at-the-fairmont-073010720.html

“Then and Now -Banff Springs History.” Fairmont Banff Springs History -Promotions -Fairmont Banff Springs, https://www.fairmont.com/banff-springs/promotions/fairmont-banff-springs-history/?utm_referrer=direct/not%20provided.

“Real Stories of the Paranormal: Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel,Canada.” Creepy Ghost Stories, https://www.creepyghoststories.com/real-ghost-stories/fairmont-banff-springs-hotelcanada.

For even more leads than this article provides visit:

Guest Post: Haunting Legends of Fairmont's Banff Springs Hotel In Canada
https://spookythingsonline.wordpress.com/2018/10/20/guest-post-haunting-legends-of-fairmonts-banff-springs-hotel-in-canada/.
Author, Michael Mink, discusses a post that was posted back in October 2017. Fast forward to October 2018, one person answered the blog sharing a story regarding the hotel. His name was Joseph Kubal. He then writes about one famous story, Room 873. The purpose is to showcase the different haunting that Michael experienced during his time at the hotel. He then goes on to tell more stories about, “The Secret Room”, “The Helpful Bellman”, “The Phantom Bride” and many others.

Real Stories of the Paranormal: Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Canada https://www.creepyghoststories.com/real-ghost-stories/fairmont-banff-springs.
In the article Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Canada, written on the Creepy Ghosts Stories website, it discusses the luxury four-star hotel that sits upon lush green pine trees and has of eye-catching mountains for over 130 years.

Banff Springs.
https://books.google.com/books?id=6s9xdriff2UC&lpg=PR4&dq=Fairmont%20Banff%20Springs%20Hotel&lr&pg=PR4#v=onepage&q=Fairmont%20Banff%20Springs%20Hotel&f=false
In the book Banff Springs, Bart Robinson analyzes the entire history regarding the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. He acknowledges Morley Robert's first discovery of Banff. There was a castle rising above the banks of the Bow River where Morley found a rock palace in the wilderness. It was indeed for the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. It was like a dream in a dream itself.

Charleston’s Paranormal Theater

Author: Sara Nichols

     
 Two hundred seventy-eight years ago Charleston, South Carolina became the home to America’s first theatrical-only-performance theater.  On February 12, 1735, The Dock Street Theater was opened on the corner of Dock Street (currently Church Street).  The first play performed in the theater was The Recruiting Officer by George Farquhar. (Brown) For the next few years, many different operas and plays were performed in this new American theater.

        Five years after its opening, in the Great Fire of 1740, the theater was destroyed, along with many other buildings in Charleston.  Nothing was done with demolished building until 1809, when the Calder’s bought the property and built Planter’s Inn or Planter’s Hotel in place of the theater. According to two articles, Brown and Wordpress, Planter’s Hotel was a place for wealthy men to gamble, drink, and encounter prostitutes. (Brown) (Wordpress)  Planter’s Hotel was owned by the Calder’s until 1852, when John C. O'Hanlon  took over management and renovated the hotel and advertised a new wine room.  In 1855, it was renovated, as a hotel, for the last time, adding a recessed porch, carved wooden brackets, banded brownstone columns, and an iron balcony (Preservation Society).  

        During the Civil War the purpose of the hotel was mute, due to the enlistment of many of the men who previously stayed at the hotel, and it was shut down.  Following the Civil War, the hotel reopened in 1884 mainly as apartments for tenements.  (Preservation Society)

        The Works Progress Administration (WPA) recreated the Dock Street Theater in 1935. On November 26, 1937, Farquhar’s The Recruiting Officer opened the rebuilt theater.  The theater was now accompanied by a performing company, the Footlight Players, who performed regularly in the Dock Street Theater.
In 2007, the theater begun a third renovation and was made more luxurious and handicap accessible. This renovation was completed in 2010. Currently about 600 shows are performed each year at the Dock Street Theater (Hollings).
        Junius Brutus Booth was a known traveling actor who stayed in Planter’s Hotel often and partook in drinking, gambling, and rendezvousing with prostitutes. Nettie Dickerson was a prostitute who worked in the Planter’s Hotel in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Over the past one hundred years, locals have told the mysterious tales of these two lingering residents said to have been spotted at the Dock Street Theater.

        Many spectators and actors have expressed seeing Booth on the balcony level of the theater.  However, no one really knows who lurks in the balcony people just assume it is Booth because he was a regular guest at the hotel.
        It is said that Nettie was stationed out on the second floor balcony of the hotel every night, after the wealthy men started avoiding her and she stopped making money. One night she was ridiculing someone over the edge of the balcony and the balcony rod was struck by lightning and she was killed instantly. Legend says that her ghost still haunts men at night, and even chases them down hallways.
        Junius Booth and Nettie Dickerson’s spirits still lurk the property of the Dock Street Theater, however don’t be afraid, they probably won’t bother you.  Unless you’re a wealthy white man, resembling those that started avoiding Nettie as a prostitute.


Works cited:
Brown, Alan. Haunted South Carolina: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Palmetto State. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole, 2010. Print.
Hollings, Ernest F. “The Dock Street Theater.” The Library of Congress. The American Folklore Center. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.
The Dock Street Theater. Wordpress.com. N.p., 13 Mar. 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.
“30. Dock Street Theater, 1736.” Preservation Society of Charleston. Preservation Society of  Charleston. n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2013.


Links for further research:
1740 (November 18) Fire
http://www.preservationsociety.org/halseymap/flash/window.asp?HMID=37
A brief summary of the Great Fire of 1740, which destroyed the Dock Street Theater.
The Dock Street Theater
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/legacies/SC/200003498.html
A history of the Dock Street Theater without any paranormal information involved.
A guide to three of Charleston's haunted places
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/a-guide-to-three-of-charlestons-haunted-places/Content?oid=3632921
A guide to several places in Charleston, SC where a tourist could go to be spooked and potentially sight ghosts.

Marfa Lights

Author: Shelby Tasker

Weird Nature Phenomenon: Marfa’s Mystery Lights, Chinati Mountains, West Texas

This paranormal phenomenon we call “Marfa Lights” has been reported as glowing orbs across the Mitchell Flat, an area near Marfa where they’ve mostly been observed. Many witnesses have said the lights are all different colors such as white, blue, green, yellow and red. They have been reported to be as big as a basketball, and come in unpredictable directions, and distances. They can appear at any point of time throughout the year, on any day of the week, and in any weather condition for seconds at a time, or even hours. These puzzling lights are shoulder height, float above ground, or high in the air. They can split into two, dart across the sky, or melt into just one light.  They are usually reported ten to twenty times a year, and have yet to be seen during the day. In recent years the lights have become a tourist attraction. The Texas State Highway Department has constructed a viewing area a few miles away from Marfa for anyone to stop and enjoy the lights. The biggest mystery of all: we have no idea what causes the Marfa Lights.

There are thousands of explanations of the strangeness making the lights extremely controversial. Many researchers have tried coming up with a scientific reason for the lights, but have not had any luck. Therefore, many imaginers have come up with their own theory. Onlookers have described them as ghosts, and even UFOs. One explanation for these lights is the wandering ghosts from Spanish conquistadors who were looking for gold but were left behind, and will forever be around (Smith). Another theory is when World War I soldiers witnessed the lights; they feared the lights were an invasion (Smith).  Pilots of the war looked for the source from the helicopters, but had no luck.

The most logical theory found was researched by the Society of Physics Students at the University of Texas at Dallas to determine an origin of the Marfa lights. They set up video cameras and traffic monitoring boxes for their experiment. The purpose was to find if there was a correlation between the numbers of lights being observed and the number of cars of the nearest highway (Stolyarrow). When the videos were played at real-time, all the lights seemed to jump, float, and change colors. However, when the videos were played at high speeds the lights moved from left to right along a path, just like cars would (Stolyarrow). The experimenters concluded all the suspicious lights observed by this group and anyone else could be identified as car headlights traveling on US 67 through Texas.

According to Julia Smith, publisher of the Texas State Historical Association, the first historical record of the lights was in 1883. Robert Ellison saw a flickering light while driving some cattle. When he told others what he saw, they often saw the lights also while driving their cattle through Marfa. When they went to investigate, they found no ashes or any other evidence from campfires (Smith).  This theory makes it hard to believe the reasoning behind the lights are cars, because cars were not around that long ago. 

Marfa Lights Up Close

Although some of the ideas seem very logical, others seem quite far-fetched. No matter what the idea is, there isn’t enough research to support any of the theories. In all, every theory proposed is simply a speculation at this point with none of them having any proven facts.

Work Cited:

Darack, Ed. "Unlocking the atmospheric secrets of the Marfa mystery lights." Weatherwise. 61.3 (May-June 2008): p36. Academic OneFile. Article. 9 October 2013.

Hall, Michael. “The Truth is Out There.” Texas Monthly. June 2006. Web. 9 October 2013.

James, Peter. “Marfa Lights Up Close.” YouTube. Google. MP3 file. 18 February 2007. Web. 10 October 2013.

Lallanilla, Marc. “What are the Marfa Lights?” Livescience. Life’s Little Mysteries. 19 June 2013. Web. October 10, 2013.

Smith, Julia. “Marfa Lights.” Texas State Historical Association. n.d. Web. 13 October 2013.

Stolyarrow, Alexander. “An Experimental Analysis of the Marfa Lights.” University of Texas. 10 December 2005. Document. 10 October 2013.

“Weird Nature Phenomenon: Marfa’s Mystery Lights, Chinati Mountains, West Texas.” Photograph. Strange Sounds. 16 February 2013. Web. October 15, 2013.

Links for Further Research:

Marfa Lights Research. NightsOrbs. 2013. This website gives you a slide show of all the different images of the Marfa Lights.

The Marfa Lights. YouTube. Google 5 April 2011. Web. October 15, 2013. This video has interviews from the mayor of Marfa, Texas and other old-timers who have witnessed the lights first hand.

Hunting Marfa Lights. Amazon. n.d. Web. October 15, 2013. This website gives you a short summary of the book written by James Bunnel, “Hunting Marfa Lights,” and gives you the option to buy it. 

Mysteries of the Devil’s Gate Dam

Author: Leigh Anne Bloomer

In 1920, a new dam was built in Pasadena, California. The dam was built to control the Arroyo Seco, a seasonal river that often led to serious floods around the area. The Arroyo Seco is a very powerful river when the season is right, but when it’s not, the area seems to be very dried out. During the dry season, as people view the dam and the surrounding area, they start to notice a mysteriously shaped rock formation. Next to the gate that leads to the dam itself, there is what appears to be a devil’s face with horns coming out of the canyon. This is the reason the dam is named the Devil’s Gate Dam. 

Soon after the dam was completed, there started to be a lot of talk about the reasons why the dam was given such a profound name. Many people believed various situations that could have led to the naming of the dam, but one sticks out from all the rest. 

“The rock formation in the shape of a devil’s face located next the dam’s gate.”

In the days of the Native Americans, the area surrounding the dam was considered an evil or haunted place, and was banned from any visitors. The reason as to why the Native Americans believed that there was something going on around the dam is still unclear. Around the 1940s, though, many people came up with a conclusion to the madness of the dam’s mysterious vibe; Devil’s Gate Dam was one of seven portals to Hell on Earth.

 There is one main reason why the dam was considered to be a portal to Hell. That biggest reason being the rituals that occurred at the gate in the 1940s. Jack Parsons and L. Ron Hubbard are two very different, yet alike in thought, men that performed spiritual rituals in the presence of evil.

The men believed that the dam was hiding a magical power that no one else could explain. Parsons and Hubbard continued to perform these rituals and as time went on, their needs began to grow. The two men decided to perform a special ritual that would change their lives completely. This ritual was intended to create a moonchild, a sort of anti-Christ that would overthrow modern society and demolish all religion. No one knows for sure if the ritual ever really turned out to have created such a thing. Soon after the rituals were performed, Parsons died from an experiment he was conducting in his home. The talk of the rituals came to a close after this incident.

It wasn’t long until the mysterious incidents started occurring. In 1956, two young children went missing in the area of the dam. Police were sent out to look for the kids, countless search parties roamed the area for days, and even helicopters were used to find and rescue the children. No hope was found. One year later, a six year old boy was hiking with his family along the paths around the dam. As the family was walking together, the little boy decided he wanted to get ahead of the rest and sprinted in front of them. As he rounded a corner, he was never seen again. Again, search parties were sent out, police were contacted, and even the helicopters, but there was still no luck in finding the little boy. Shortly after, another missing child case appeared, seeming to be just as unusual as the last. A six year old boy was attending camp at a local YMCA. As the little boy was hiking with his group, he told his leader that he wasn’t feeling well and wanted to go back. Since the camp site was less than three hundred yards away, the group leader told the boy to walk back as she watched him. This was the last time anyone saw that little boy.

Coming back to present day, only one of these stories has been figured out. The very first incident with the two kids riding their bicycles turned out to have been a kidnapping. A man confessed to burying the bodies and ended up committing suicide in prison many years later. Other than that, all the missing children have never been accounted for. Many people believe that these incidents were all because of the previous activity performed there. The real reason though, which would contain proof, is still a mystery.  

Works Cited:

Antabanez, Wheeler. “Strange Disappearances at the Cursed Devil’s Gate Reservoir.” Weird U.S. Web. 13 October 2013.

Kimbrough, David. “Oak Grove Drive over the Arroyo Seco – Devil’s Gate Dam.” Historic and Notable Bridges of the U.S. Bridge Hunter. Web. 15 October 2013.

Marie, Kelly. “The Story of Devil’s Gate Dam.” The Quest to Find the Land of Normal Define Normal. Web. 9 October 2013.

Media, Magi. “Devil’s Gate.” Photograph. Student Reader. 11 May 2006. Web. 17 October 2013.

Mystery, Man. “Haunted Places: Devil’s Gate Dam.” Religion and Philosophy HubPages. Web. 9 October 2013.

Patrol, LA Ghost. “Devil’s Gate: A Portal to Hell?” Los Angeles Ghost Patrol laghostpatrol. Web. 7 October 2013.

Links for Further Research:

Patrol, LA Ghost. “Haunted Devil’s Gate Dam.” Youtube. 18 May 2011. Web. 17 October 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1V-BA8s9wU

This link takes you to a video that shows the overview of the Devil’s Gate Dam.

Investigation, Supernatural. “Devil’s Gate Dam Pasadena, CA S.I.U.” Youtube. 22 January 2013. Web. 16 October 2013.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PoguMmNPqk

The above link shows a visitor’s reactions from visiting the dam.

“Pasadena’s Suicide Bridge.” Weird California. 9 November 2005. Web. 17 October 2013.

http://www.weirdca.com/location.php?location=57

This link takes you to a website informing you of the opinions and information about the dam and the bridge it is located by.

San Antonio “Haunted” Railroad Crossings

Author: Kanesha Brantley

Ghost lingering near the haunted railroad tracks of San Antonio

Back in the 1940s, in San Antonio, a school bus full of children was making its way down the road and toward the intersection when it stalled on the railroad tracks. A speeding train smashed into the bus killing 10 of the children and the bus driver. Since that dreadful accident many years ago, the legend has said any car that stops near the tracks will be pushed by unseen hands across the tracks to safety. They have said that the hands pushing the cars over the tracks are the spirits of children that died in the accident (Ghost Tracks). This myth is to help prevent another fatal accident. As the story progresses through the years, people all around the world will come to Texas just to experience the spirits push their vehicles over the tracks. In order for you to experience the spirits you will have to put your car in neutral when near the tracks and then you’ll feel the ghost children push your car uphill. Some have even covered their rear end with baby powder or flour, to see if any tiny handprints will appear. Many have reported that several handprints have appeared on their car. Others have heard the voices and laughter of the children while at the site. 

The allege fingerprints from the San Antonio ghost children
from Atimeforlove

However, there are no records of any such accident having ever occurred in the newspaper articles in Texas. In fact the San Antonio road is on a slight incline which could explain the cars moving by themselves (Ghost Tracks). In December 1938, in Salt Lake City, Utah, a similar accident to the San Antonio tracks happened. It involved twenty-six children, ages 12 to 18. They lost their lives when the school bus stalled on the tracks and was hit by a freight train (Mikkelson, San Antonio Ghost Children).

Fact or Fake Paranormal of the San Antonio tracks

Work Cited

“Ghost Tracks.” Scaryforkids.com. Scary Website, 2013. Web. 16 October 2013.

Mikkelson, Barbara and David P. “San Antonio Ghost Children.” Snopes.com. Urban Legends Reference Pages, 1995-2013. Web. 18 October 2013.

Links for Further Research:

San Antonio Ghost Children

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/ghosts/handprint.asp.

This gives a small summary about how people would put powder on the rear end of their car to see if they spot any fingerprints from the children pushing them over the tracks.

San Antonio haunted railroad tracks

www.examiner.com/article/san-antonio-s-haunted-railroad-tracks

Speaks on the legend of the school bus incident and states facts about how the car actually moves over the tracks.