A Ghost a Day

by Maureen Wood

  AUGUST 17, 1855 WICKEN FEN

  Wicken, Cambridgeshire, England

  Wicken Fen is a wetland reserve near the village of Wicken. Several battles were fought near here and visitors have seen the ghostly apparitions of Normans and Romans alike. But it isn't the long-lost soldiers that strike fear into the hearts of travelers. It's the phantoms of the “lantern men.” Strange lights among the tall reeds have been seen dancing and twisting in the pale moonlight. They are evil spirits intent on luring unsuspecting mortals to a hideous death and a watery grave deep within their swampy domain.

  Perhaps that's how police constable Richard Peake met his demise. In 1855, while investigating a disturbance near the ruins of a nearby abbey, he disappeared, never to be seen again. Was he a victim of foul play or just another victim of the lantern men of Wicken Fen?

  TERRIFYING TIDBIT

  The lantern men were believed to be shadowy spirits who used their light to lure travelers from the pathways into the marshes to drown.

  AUGUST 18, 2009 BROOKDALE LODGE

  Santa Cruz, California

  Brookdale Lodge, nestled within the Santa Cruz Mountains, is reportedly haunted by dozens of spectral visitors. The Brookdale Inn and Spa, as it's now named, has a natural brook running through the building. For its unique rustic appeal, the lodge was once featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not. The publicity attracted the rich and famous, bringing with it such notables as: Marilyn Monroe, Mae West, Joan Crawford, Rita Hayworth, and Herbert Hoover, to name a few.

  But it was during the gangster era of the 1940s that the Brookdale Lodge became home to many unsavory characters, with rumors of bodies buried beneath the floor, tunnels erected, and secret passageways built within its walls. It was also during this period that a six-year-old girl, Sarah Logan, the niece of owner H. J. Logan, drowned in the indoor creek. It's Sarah's spirit that guests still see running through the lodge in her Sunday best. Her ghostly apparition has also been seen sitting by the fireplace, her image so clear that guests have reported approaching the crying child to offer their assistance, only to have her vanish before their eyes.

  Sarah Logan is but one visitor to the lodge. The sound of big band music playing in the distance is often heard. And many visitors have reported the sighting of ethereal ballroom dancers twirling in midair, only to vanish moments later. The most active area of the lodge is said to be room 46. This room was built over a previous camping cabin. One woman while staying in the room spoke of objects flying of their own accord, followed by the ghastly image of floating spectral heads, one with a gash to his face, the other, with his eye hanging loose of its socket.

  With the plethora of paranormal activity, it appears that some of the Lodge's more interesting characters have checked in, but never checked out.

  AUGUST 19, 1998 THE DOPPELGANGER

  Quebec, Canada

  One night, a ten-year-old boy woke up to use the bathroom. He was a little scared to get up by himself in the middle of the night, but finally, gathering his courage, he left his bedroom and made his way to the bathroom. To do so, he had to walk the length of the hallway, which passed by a galley-style (long and thin) kitchen. As he did, he turned to see his mother, or so he thought, sitting at the end of the table, her back toward him as she smoked her cigarette, something she frequently did. He knew it was her by the way the moonlight filtered through the curtains, highlighting her body as the smoke curled up and over her head.

  On his way back from the bathroom, he stopped at the kitchen; he was going to ask his mother to tuck him back into bed. But although he could still see the curling wisps of smoke, his mother was nowhere to be found. Believing he would catch her before she went back to bed, he ran to her bedroom. She was asleep. Confused, he shook her awake and said, “Mom, how come you're asleep already. I just saw you in the kitchen.”

  Surprised by her son's words, the young boy and his mother went to the kitchen to investigate. And although the ashtray on the table was empty, both mother and son could still smell the scent of tobacco lingering in the air.

  TERRIFYING TIDBIT

  A doppelganger is a ghost that takes on the form of a living person.

  AUGUST 20, 1877 SHANGHAI TUNNELS

  Portland, Oregon

  Underground tunnels buried beneath the streets of Portland, Oregon, are believed to be one of the most haunted locations in America. Since it's well known that haunting and history go hand and hand, it's no surprise that these secret passageways and old holding cells would be overflowing with paranormal phenomena. According to A&E, a world of terror lay beneath the streets of Portland from the 1870s to the 1940s. The term “shanghaied” originated at this time when drunk or unsuspecting men and women fell through trap doors on the street. A crimmper (someone who abducts for profit) would then seize the victim and haul him or her away. More often than not, the prisoner was beaten, raped, and sold to the highest bidder. A special process to break the spirit of strong-willed women was created. The women were locked in a darkened four-by-four cell. Their shoes were removed and the floor of the cell was littered with crushed glass, a deterrent to escape. Once the women were made ready, they were sold as prostitutes to other countries. But that's not all. The numerous passageways and rooms in the tunnels were also opium dens, places where clients could escape the scrutinizing eye of the law.

  But are these tunnels haunted? Many say yes. Today, these underground dirt channels have become a paranormal enthusiast's playground. Many who have taken the tour have reported feeling ill. Others have said they've felt an uncomfortable feeling of adrenalin coursing through their system, as they have an inexplicable desire to escape something unseen. There have also been reports that a few of the tourist guides have experienced so frightful an ordeal with the otherworldly that they've quit on the spot, refusing to return. However, if you find yourself intrigued, and plan to visit this haunted location, do not venture off on your own. The ghost of the ever vigilant crimmper may claim you as his next victim.

  AUGUST 21, 1948 GOODLEBERG CEMETERY

  Wales, New York

  In an old house next to the cemetery lived a doctor who allegedly performed illegal abortions out of his home. According to the story, “Doctor Goodleberg,” as he was called, disposed of the fetuses and the occasional mother that didn't survive within the cemetery and the creek adjoining his home. In August 1948, Helen Lindeman, the wife of a dentist, disappeared. Over the next few weeks, parts of her dissected body began showing up in a creek near the cemetery. Goodleberg's house was searched, but the results were not revealed. Soon after, and under mysterious circumstances, the doctor was found dead. Some say he died of a heart attack, while others claim he hanged himself in the cemetery. Many agree that the evil doctor and other ghastly phantoms haunt Goodleberg Cemetery.

  Some have seen weeping mothers roaming the grassy knolls of the cemetery, looking for their lost children, while translucent forms of infants have been seen crawling between the gravestones, their sad cries echoing in the darkness. Even the doctor has been seen hanging there.

  Many paranormal investigators have come looking for the doctor. They hear voices and cries, and catch strange lights on their cameras. One investigator reported his horror at returning to his car to find it covered with tiny handprints from some unseen children. Sadly, the abhorrent acts of the doctor linger to this day.

  AUGUST 22, 1857 THE WHALEY HOUSE

  San Diego, California

  Entrepreneur Thomas Whaley built the Whaley House in 1857, but it was more than just the family home. At various times during its history, it has housed a granary, theater, ballroom, business parlor, courthouse, polling place, and general store. But as soon as the Whaley family moved into the home, they became haunted by a dark past. The land that the house stood on was formerly used for the town's gallows. It wasn't long before the family began hearing the sounds of disembodied footsteps. Thomas attributed them to the ghost of James “Jim Yankee” Robinson, who was hanged in 1852. But that should have come
as no surprise to him, since he was a spectator at the hanging. Jim Yankee began to be a regular guest at the house and was seen or felt by most of the family members. In 1960, the house became a museum and the paranormal activity continued.

  Lights flicker, sometimes turning on and off of their own accord. Faces appear in mirrors. The odor of cigar smoke and perfume permeates the air. And the cries of a baby and music can be heard. But the apparitions are what make the Whaley House truly haunted.

  A little girl, believed to be a childhood friend of the Whaley children, haunts the kitchen. Jim Yankee has been seen in the hall, and Thomas Whaley appears at the top of the stairs. It is even believed that their dog Dolly Varden can be seen scampering around the building. Although the Whaley family no longer lives in the house, to most visitors to the museum it seems that they have never left.

  AUGUST 23, 1976 BANFF SPRINGS HOTEL

  Calgary, Alberta, Canada

  Like many other Canadian hotels, the Banff Springs was constructed by the railroad, in this case the Canadian Pacific Railway. In the 1930s it became a popular destination for the rich and famous. But who haunts it now?

  The most helpful ghost is that of a bellman named Sam Macauley. Macauley died in 1976, but that doesn't stop him from helping guests with their bags, opening doors, or turning the lights on for them. Any time someone tries to tip him, he vanishes.

  And then there is the phantom bartender, who frequently informs customers that they've had too much to drink, and should go to bed. However, before having a chance to argue, he disappears.

  But it's the rumors about the dark spirits inhabiting room 873 that will make the little hairs on your neck stand to attention. The story goes that a family was murdered there. Bloody fingerprints appear on its mirrors, and no matter how hard the staff worked to remove them, they continually returned. Finally, no longer able to endure the paranormal phenomena, the management bricked up the door.

  The hotel has changed hands, and the new management doesn't like to talk about the ghosts, but of course, they cannot prevent the stories their guests carry out.

  AUGUST 24, A.D. 79 POMPEII

  Naples, Italy

  Pompeii was a cosmopolitan port city on the Gulf of Naples. It traded in olive oil, wine, and slaves, had a community of 20,000, and stood in the shadow of the volcano Mount Vesuvius. The Roman city was home of the oldest amphitheater in the empire, where gladiators and animals died for the amusement of its citizens.

  In A.D. 79, on a hot August day, a column of superheated steam and ash surged 9 miles into the sky. Ironically the city was celebrating the Festival of Vulcanalia, the Roman god of fire. The pumice from the angry volcano rained on the city like a light snowstorm. As the day grew longer the eruption grew more violent, until it was 100,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. It spewed tons of stone, magma, ash, and toxic gas on the frightened city. In twenty-four hours it was over. The city was destroyed and buried beneath ash. Ten thousand people died that day.

  In 1594, an engineer constructing an aqueduct discovered one of Pompeii's buildings, thus initiating one of the world's great archaeological finds. The ash and earth were carefully carted away, revealing the terror that overtook the city that day. Men, women, and children were discovered frozen in time, their bodies petrified in their final acts. Their outer flesh had been preserved by the ash, as their internal organs had liquefied.

  Today much of the city has been excavated. As you walk among the ruins, the ghosts of that day come to life. A faint wisp of sulfur, shadows darting in the corner of your eye, and the terrifying screams from disembodied victims fill the air. The dead of Pompeii are reborn.

  AUGUST 25, 1862 LEMP MANSION RESTAURANT AND INN

  St. Louis, Missouri

  If a recipe for hauntings includes suicides, then the Lemp Mansion in St. Louis is guaranteed to be a soufflé of the paranormal. The Lemps, who were the first Americans to brew a lager beer, have seen their share of pain and misery. The Lemp family lost four of its members to suicide, three of which took place within the mansion. Perhaps this could explain the plethora of paranormal activity that is witnessed by patrons of the restaurant and inn. Ragtime melodies play on an ethereal piano, drinks stir themselves, glasses are thrown through midair by some unseen force, and lights turn on and off by themselves.

  Are the bouts of paranormal activity associated with the tragic history, or, perhaps the oddities surrounding the design of the building? When venturing into the basement of the mansion, you will find not only a swimming pool, but also an auditorium and ballroom that have been built into the structure of a natural cavern. And, although now closed due to inherent danger, a tunnel once existed that led from the mansion directly to the brewery. Regardless of the reasons why, one thing is known for sure: the Lemp Mansion has been listed as “one of the most haunted places in America.”

  AUGUST 26, 2009 THE VENETIAN THEATRE

  Hillsboro, Oregon

  In 1888, the First National Bank of Hillsboro was built. When the bank moved to another location in 1911, the mayor, Orange Phelps, purchased the building. Phelps converted the structure into the Grand Theater. However, in 1925, fire destroyed the building. Undeterred, Phelps restored it to its original beauty and gave it a new name, The Venetian Theatre.

  According to an article published in the Hillsboro Argus, the Venetian is extremely haunted. Co-owner Saxony Peterson states when the theatre is closing down for the night, the staff is required to make rounds ensuring the building is empty. However, sometimes it's not. Sitting in the farthest back rows is the ghostly image of a gray-haired gentleman who disappears when approached. Often staff will shut off the lights and music on the upper floors for the evening, yet before they even have a chance to make it down the stairs, everything is on again. Once, workers reported that all the activity in the kitchen had to be halted due to water pouring from the ceiling. After the mess was cleaned up, they investigated further. Removing the ceiling tiles, they were astonished to find that not only were the tiles dry, but also no water pipes were in site. In fact, there was nothing that could logically explain the source of the flooding. Another employee spoke of her contact with the spirit in the auditorium. While she checked the exit doors, a blast of cold air swept past her. With it, she heard a distinct whisper in her left ear. But exactly who are the spirits that frequent the Venetian? With its lengthy history, we may never know for sure.

  AUGUST 27, 1963 SHEPPTON MINE DISASTER

  Hazleton, Pennsylvania

  A full recount of the Sheppton mine disaster was reported in the Hazleton Standard-Speaker on August 27, 2002. Thirty-nine years after the incredibly tragic, yet divinely spiritual rescue. Two men had been entombed within the Sheppton mine for fourteen days. David Fellin and Hank Throne, wearing football helmets and parachute harnesses, were guided through a borehole to safety on the morning of August 27, 1963. When their fourteen-day ordeal was revealed to the public, the strange revelations of their experiences surfaced.

  Fellin, who was fifty-eight at the time, recalled Throne, the twenty-four-year-old worker he'd been buried alive with, saying they ought not speak of their experiences, for fear of people thinking they were crazy. David Fellin, however, thought the world should know who had given them the strength to survive. Both men, interviewed separately, described with amazing accuracy their visitor, who had stayed with them during the last eight days of their ordeal when they'd all but given up. Who was the dedicated spirit that made its presence known? None other than Pope John XXIII, who had died just weeks before. David recalled a span of time when he left his body, saw a beautiful marble door, and witnessed scores of Egyptian men going about their work. He was in awe at the sight before him, as he studied the men building the pyramids. He went on to say that the Egyptians did not move the stones as many people over the centuries have surmised. Rather, twenty-five men carrying buckets of sand and water poured the mix into wooden forms and built each multiton block one at a time.

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p; There may be some that think Fellin and Throne were hallucinating. Fellin swore an oath on the Bible, that everything he experienced while trapped in the mine was true. He passed at least two polygraph tests. Recently, in 2002, a researcher studying the pyramids shared his revelation that, just as David Fellin had seen, each block was created from “cement” being poured into a form.

  AUGUST 28, 1837 LIBERTY HALL MUSEUM

  Frankfurt, Kentucky

  Senator John Brown built the hauntingly beautiful Liberty Hall in 1796. It remained in the Brown family for generations before being willed to the Colonial Dames of America in 1955. This home turned museum has since been a staple of Kentucky's history. But who is the illustrious “Lady in Gray” that so many visitors to Liberty Hall have witnessed seeing? Margaretta van Varrick, also known as Margaret, was the aunt of John Brown's wife, whose assistance was requested after a death in the family. Sadly, only days after her arrival, Margaretta died of a heart attack. Her remains were buried in a small family plot located on the property. But later when the plot was relocated, Margaretta's body was lost. Soon after, the first reports of a ghostly apparition referred to as “The Lady in Gray” began. The first to report the sighting was Rebecca, a visitor to Liberty Hall who stayed the night in Margaretta's old bedroom. She awoke with a start to find a woman standing next to the fireplace. She was so terrified she hid beneath her covers. When she regained her courage, she stole a peek, but the woman was gone. She'd vanished into thin air. Many visitors who have slept in the haunted bedroom have had similar experiences. Other visitors to the museum have reported seeing “The Lady in Gray” peering out of the upstairs windows. A skeptical college professor in search of an explanation for the odd occurrences stayed overnight. To his surprise he was awakened by a gentle touch upon his shoulder and confronted by the transparent image of a woman smiling down at him. The professor's perception of the paranormal was changed that night, by “The Lady in Gray.”