Our final stop on the Haunted America Tour:

Haunted America Day 5

It is difficult to define a haunted place as each has unique paranormal activity. Researchers can put in a ton of hours just to study one particular place before assigning it “Haunted”.  This final stop on our tour is one place considered to be the scariest!

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Haunted America #6: The Haunting of the West Virginia Penitentiary

Information found at http://www.hauntedplacesinamerica.com/the-haunting-of-the-west-virginia-state-penitentiary

West Virginia State Penitentiary is considered by many to be the scariest haunted prison in America and by the sounds of the ghost stories and history of the prison its obvious why. West Virginia State Penitentiary was opened in 1876 with 250 inmates going straight into the cells. If you look at any pictures of the prison you will see a very Gothic and spooky building, even if the prison wasn’t haunted it would still spook most people.

It was decided that the prison would be extended in 1929, the construction did was not completed until 1959. In these 20 years the prison was grossly overcrowded with some cells having 3 inmates each.

West Virginia State Penitentiary is the home of many executions over the years it was open either by hanging or electric chair, but executions were not the only deaths in the prison; Illness, Overcrowding and Riots killed many inmates.

How haunted is this place?

Over the years visitors and paranormal investigators have commented on being touched or feeling ’something’ close to them, many have said that feel that someone is watching them. Of course this prison will give most people the spooks because of the spooky building but 3 different ghosts that keep coming up when asking visitors for details on their experiences.

The Maintenance Man

This is the most popular of the 3 to come up. A maintenance man working at the prison when it was open used to spy on the inmates and reporting the inmates’ bad behavior. One day he was in the bathroom, he was attacked by several inmates and killed. He is said to be lurking in the bathroom where he was savagely murdered, but he makes no contact with the living.

Robert the inmate

Robert is said to be an inmate who was violently murdered by the prison guards who were known to be physically abusive towards the worse inmates. They would beat them to ‘near’ death, but this time ‘near’ was too far and they killed Robert. His remains are said to be buried behind one of the walls in the prison. Roberts’s spirit walks the prison to this day terrifying anyone he comes into contact.

Avril Adkins

Last but certainly not least is the story behind Avril Adkins, he was sentenced to hang by the neck until death. He was taken to the Gallows for hanging but something went wrong during the hanging and Avril fell through trap door and landed on his head, he had a very serious head injury. The guards picked him up, took him back up the stairs and hung him, this time he died. Many visitors to the prison have said they have seen him walking around the Gallows where he died.

West Virginia State Penitentiary is now closed to all inmates, but it is open to tourists and visitors.

Haunted America Day 5: The Stanley Hotel

Picture is courtesy of about.com

Haunted America Day 5

It is difficult to define a haunted place as each has unique paranormal activity. Researchers can put in a ton of hours just to study one particular place before assigning it “Haunted”.  Our next trip into Haunted America comes to a hotel that has ghosts who are residents and are non-violent.

Reminder-Anyone who comments this entire week up to Halloween day is entered to win a $10 gift card to ArE ebook store. Make sure to leave your email address inside comment to be entered.

Haunted America #5: The Stanley Hotel

Information found http://www.hauntedplacesinamerica.com/the-stanley-hotel

The Stanley Hotel is in Estes Park, Colorado it is a 138 room hotel which has amazing view of the Rocky Mountain National Park. The Hotel was opened in 1909 by American businessman, Freelan Oscar Stanley. Stanley suffered from Tuberculosis in 1903 and was asked to move west in order to help his recovery, while staying in a log cabin in Estes Park he instantly loved the area and he decided to build The Stanley Hotel there.

Hauntings of The Stanley Hotel……..

The Stanley Hotel has many stories but no of which have been violent, so it appears that the ghostly residents are just that, residents. Hotel workers and guests have commented on hearing the piano in the Ballroom being played, when it is investigated no one was found at the piano or even in the Ballroom. The employees of The Stanley Hotel believe that it is the wife of Mr Stanley that is the ghostly piano player.
Room 418 is said to have the most paranormal activity and the full 4th floor has the majority of the paranormal activity, the sound of children playing in the halls has been heard on a few occasions even though there have been no children around. There are reports of people seeing a man standing in their rooms and then running into the rooms closet, others have said they have seen someone standing in the middle of there room and then just disappearing.

The most prolific story to date is the one from GhostHunters TV show, while the camera crew was changing the tapes in their cameras a table had jumped two feet into the air! Now this would have been great evidence if caught on camera. Also, Ghost Hunter Jason stayed in the room of which a spirit stealing from guests is said to stay during the night he claims that the bed moved, closet doors locked and unlocked and his glass at the side of his bed cracked open from the inside.

A person was on a ghost tour of the hotel and happened to take this picture just out side the hotel. As you can see the window has a child at it, but the figure is very hazy when it shouldn’t be because that window is actually opened. The person that took the photo investigated into this photo and called the hotel. This is the response he got:

OK, the room number is 1211. Last Friday, there was a single man checked in that room who was part of a business conference. That doesn’t mean he DIDN’T have a child with him, but it is unlikely that he did. — Stanley Hotel

The paranormal activity present in The Stanley Hotel is a lot, I do have no reason to think that there are any violent or bad spirits present. So if you are ever near The Stanley Hotel and are need of a hotel for the night, you know where to go.

Haunted America Day 4: The Ghosts of Bowling Green State College

Haunted America Day 4

This college has the distinction as being one of the most haunted in America.

Reminder-Anyone who comments this entire week up to Halloween day is entered to win a $10 gift card to ArE ebook store. Make sure to leave your email address inside comment to be entered.

Haunted America #4: The Ghosts of Bowling Green State University

Information found at http://www.hauntedplacesinamerica.com/the-ghosts-of-bowling-green-state-university

The grounds and precincts of the Bowling Green State University has the distinction of playing host to a number of haunted events making it one of the most affected places in terms of haunting. The theater within the University has a ghost visitor named “Alice” and many have sighted a woman with flowing hair repeatedly making a visit since the 1920s. Though nobody is aware of the exact reason behind the name of Alice, there is a belief that before the screening or holding of any major film or drama, the manager must formally extend an invitation to grace the event, the absence of which will render the event a failure.

This might be superstition but going by what transpired when a Henry IV production was supposed to take place, this superstition seems to be well placed. Apparently there was some loose talk about Alice during the rehearsals and very surprisingly on the opening day of the show, the University computers just went offline without any reason and certain props that were part of the show also suddenly gave way injuring some actors severely. People then believed that this happened due to the loose talk and Alice was the person who caused this to happen.

The Sorority House within the campus also has had a ghost in the form of Amanda visiting it quite frequently. She is reported to have been killed in a train accident and this happened the same night she was supposed to have been inducted into the Sorority. A particular room in the Sorority constantly witnesses strange poltergeist similar happenings with picture frames falling off suddenly and even lights getting turned on and off on their own, besides noises coming out of nowhere and without any warning.

The girls at the Sorority still leave a vacant seat for Amanda respecting her wish to become part of the Sorority when they take out group photographs

Haunted America Day 3: Waverly Hills Sanatorium/CONTEST

Haunted America Day 3

Today we are talking about a freaky scary sanatorium that even I couldn’t believe all that was told about it. You be the judge!

Reminder-Anyone who comments this entire week up to Halloween day is entered to win a $10 gift card to ArE ebook store. Make sure to leave your email address inside comment to be entered.

Haunted America #3: Waverly Hills Sanatorium

Information found at http://www.hauntedplacesinamerica.com/waverly-hills-sanatorium

Waverly Hills Sanatorium is one of those stories you think just can not be true, it feels like it has been dreamt up by some big shot horror movie director or its a new haunted house attraction at a theme park… But Waverly Hills is a real place, the stories are real and this is certainly not a place you want to take the kids.
Waverly Hills Sanatorium like any other haunted hospital has a gruesome past and lots of horrifying stories. Waverly Hills is situated in south western Louisville-Jefferson County, Kentucky, it opened in 1910. The hospital was opened due to the outbreak of Tuberculosis in Jefferson County the hospital was just a small two story wooden building just enough to treat 50 patients. With increasing repairs needing to be done to the wooden buildings it’s was decided that a more durable and permanent building should be built. The new building was opened in March 1924.
The haunting of Waverly Hills Sanatorium are well known to the locals and the paranormal investigators that have visited the hospital but I will share with you some of the most horrific and terrifying stories to come out of the wards of Waverly Hills.
Room 502
The most known story about Waverly Hills is that of Room 502. A nurse, Mary Hillenburg, was found hanged in the door way of Room 502 in the year 1928; it is thought it was suicide as she had recently discovered she was pregnant out with wedlock. There is a story that Mary Hillenburg was impregnated by a doctor of Waverly Hills who was actually married. He tried an abortion which killed Mary Hillenburg in the process and to cover his back he made it look like a suicide.
Another nurse later took her own life in 1932 by throwing her self out of the window of the room that she worked in, Room 502. There are no reports of why she would have committed suicide but there was a rumor that someone did in fact push her. There are also reports that people have seen shadows move across the floor and walls in Room 502, so was this nurse pushed to her death by a ghostly spirit?…
Body Chute
The Body Chute was a tunnel which leads from the back of Waverly Hills to the train tracks at the bottom of the hill. This tunnel was built for supplies and deliveries and ease of access, but when the outbreak of Tuberculosis hit the tunnel was used to transport the dead bodies out of the hospital by a motorized trolley. This was used as the patients that were being treated would originally see all the bodies of the dead patients leave the hospital by the front, which depressed the patients and in turn would kill them.
The Tunnel now is said to be haunted by the spirits which traveled the length of that tunnel. Voices and unidentified noises have been heard in the tunnel, while cold shivers have been felt by paranormal investigators.
So as you can see Waverly Hills is not for the light hearted of us, but this is surely one of the most haunted places in America, especially when you take in to account the rumored number of deaths, 63,000.
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Haunted America Day 2: The Frankllin Castle in Cleavland

Haunted America Day 2

Next up is an eerie castle that sends shivers down my spine reading up on it.

Haunted America #2: The Franklin Castle in Cleavland

Information found at http://www.hauntedplacesinamerica.com/the-franklin-castle-at-cleveland

Located on the west side at Franklin Boulevard in Cleveland, Ohio, Franklin Castle is known to be one of the most haunted and eerie castles in the world.

This historical building comprises of four stories and twenty rooms and has been constructed in the gothic architectural style. Although this building is of historical significance its popularity is supplemented by the mystery and haunting that surrounds it.

Over the years reports about the castle being haunted have surfaced and made headlines, but the mystery of ghost sightings is shrouded within the walls of this magnificent castle. Witnesses mention the presence of poltergeists, and disturbed spirits lurking in corridors.

The unearthly voices of tormented individuals and wailing children among vivid reflections of translucent images are common occurrences that are said to emanate within the walls of this castle.

The mystery of Hannes Tiedemann

Cudell & Richardson were the architects responsible for this architectural wonder. They built this castle in 1865 for a German immigrant, Hannes Tiedemann who was known to be a strict disciplinarian. He was a well known grocer and investment banker who was reputed to have a harsh temperament. Although theories about Hannes Tiedemann being authoritative and physically abusive with his family have made tasty titbits for news channels, the truth remains a mystery.
Hannes Tiedemann had a large family and many servants at the castle and it is believed that he was sexually involved with many women in the castle which included mistresses and servants. He is believed to be responsible for a number of deaths that took place in the Franklin castle and is believed to have hung, strangulated and hacked his victims. The walls of Franklin Castle shroud the number of deaths that occurred within the castle. The diabolic scent of death is perpetuated by hidden facts in the form of trapdoors and hidden doorways that lead to suspicion of foul play.

Several mysterious deaths occur at Franklin Castle

Although there is no conclusive evidence on the number of deaths that occurred in Franklin castle, researchers believe that there have been several murders that didn’t see the light of day. The first death to have occurred in this castle was that of Emma, Hannes Tiedemann’s daughter, who at the age of 15 was believed to have succumbed to diabetes. Soon afterwards Hannes Tiedemann lost his ageing mother Wiebka. During the next few years three more of his children died which led to the belief that the hidden truth about these mysterious deaths was lurking within the castle.
Many researchers are convinced that the birth and death of a number of babies in the castle wasn’t revealed. It is also believed that Tiedemann hanged his niece with the help of an exposed rafter in one of the secret tunnels. Legend also has it that Hannes Tiedemann strangulated a lot of women in a fit of rage when they rejected his advances or caught them cheating on him. It is believed that the bodies were hidden in secret rooms and passages. Although Luise, Hannes Tiedemann’s wife died in 1895 of liver disease, many still believe it was murder, too.

There have been sightings at the Franklin Castle of a mysterious woman in black who is believed to be one of the many servants or mistresses of Hannes who died there. Witnesses also mention the voices of little children crying and a shapeless vision of a young girls face. People who have visited the castle also mention a feeling of disgust and guilt that seems to surround them. Strange noises and objects flying in the air are commonly experienced by people visiting Franklin Castle. Whatever lurks in the depth of this magnificent castle will remain a mystery, and I know the secrets…Got to go now…Luise is waiting.

Haunted America Day 1: Alcatraz Prison

Reminder-Anyone who comments this entire week up to Halloween day is entered to win a $10 gift card to ArE ebook store. Make sure to leave your email address inside comment to be entered

Haunted America Day 1

Halloween is upon us and I am counting down with a Haunted Place a day. Yes, I know that sounds lame but hey…I am still waking up here. *grins*

So be prepared to learn of a few haunted places in America and I apologize to those overseas. The world is so big that I would be here for days posting on different haunted places. Maybe next year I can do Haunted places in the world or something.

Haunted America #1: Alcatraz Island

Information found at http://www.hauntedplacesinamerica.com/alcatraz-prison

The notorious Alcatraz Prison is known for its infamous inmates and its strictness. Alcatraz is a small island located in San Francisco Bay, which is named Alcatraz Island. The environment which surrounds the prison made it near impossible to escape with the sea currents very strong and no chance of swimming across.
Alcatraz was originally a high security military prison, which opened in 1859. In 1933 it was then made a high security federal Prison for the most hardened and dangerous criminals. The conditions of the prison were terrible with a very strict management. If any inmate was to behave badly in anyway it would mean solitry confinement or even the stretch in the dreader steel box. Due to the building literally crumbling away the prison was closed in 1963 but was made a national park.

There have been reports that haunting have been witnessed by National Park staff that vary from voices to loud noises behind doors.

The most famous ghost is of course, Al Capone.

Al Capone’s ghost

Al Capone is one of the well known prisoners of Alcatraz. While he spent the last years of his life in the High Security Prison, he joined a band where he played the banjo. While he was at Alcatraz he feared that he would be killed by other inmates if he was to spend his recreation time in the yard – Al Capone was then allowed to spend time practicing his Banjo within the showers.

To this day National Park staff and members of the public taking the Alcatraz Tour have heard a noise which has been stated to be a Banjo, coming from the showers. This noise has never been explained and people are still reporting it.

Cell 14D – The Hole

Cell 14D is one the Hole cells where inmates were sent for bad behavior. When the prison was open there was an incident where an inmate was sent to cell 14D. The inmate screamed though the night telling the guards of monster with glowing eyes was going to kill him. The next morning the cell was opened and the inmate had been strangled.

That same morning when doing a head count, the guards counted one extra prisoner. The guards that counted claimed to have seen the prisoner that had been killed through the night.

The Lighthouse

The lighthouse which was original built and then removed in 1909 is a paranormal hotspot to this day. Many witnesses have reported that on foggy nights the lighthouse will appear with a light on and then disappear just as fast as it appeared.

The Utility Corridor

This is now known has the most haunted place in the prison. There was a night watchmen that heard noises from the corridor so opened the door to investigate, the noises instantly stopped so he flashed his light down the corridor and saw nothing that would cause the noise he then closed that door and the noises started again! He opened the door and again saw nothing.

The door to the utility door was once welded closed for an unknown reason, but it is believed that it was done for some paranormal reason.

There are many more haunting sightings told about this famous place. You can find out more all over the internet.

Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe time. i just tried this recipe out and they turned out so yummy. :) I got them from a Taste of Home email newsletter and though I added way more mini-chips than I like, I will make these again.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 4 dozen.