When it comes to ghosts, Moundsville, West Virginia may be best known for the super haunted former West Virginia State Penitentiary. But, way back in 1867, the little town was known for another haunted location. This story comes from the August 16, 1867 edition of the Wheeling Daily Register, who got the story from The Moundsville National, dated August 15, 1867:
A Ghost Near Moundsville
The Moundsville National of yesterday has the following sensation item:
It is a fact not known to many of the citizens of Moundsville and surroundings, that there is, in the immediate vicinity of this place, a haunted house. The house is a new one, and, until recently, has not been occupied. The upper floor of the building has never been finished, and to this day remains unoccupied. For a considerable time past the denizens of this building have been in the habit of hearing strange, unusual and unnatural noises issuing from the aforesaid upper story, and a rumor had gone abroad that the place was haunted. Little, however, has been said about the matter, the majority of those living in the building being under the impression that the strange noises were occasioned by rats scampering about the premises. The noises, however, have continued, and seemed to increase in intensity, and becoming louder and louder as the midnight hour approaches, and then entirely ceased as day begins to break.
One of the inmates, more valorous than the others, determined to fathom the mystery, and a couple of days ago, when the sun was shining brightly, he ascended to the upper story. The stair was encumbered by pieces of timber, which he removed after considerable trouble, and on getting to the top of the stair he forced open the door and entered. His astonishment may be well imagined when by the glimmering light which penetrated the closed up apartment, he saw lying extended on the floor a full sized skeleton. He started back for an instant, being unprepared for such a surprise, but quickly rallying, he knelt down and examined the skeleton minutely. How it came to be in the place where it was found is a mystery and may never be cleared up, and whether murder or suicide had been committed may never be known. The skeleton, however, still lies in the upper story, and whether the poor, perturbed spirit of the deceased seeks the glimpses of the moon is left for the believers of ghost stories to determine. It is still reported that the unusual sounds are to be heard each night, but perhaps the removal of the skeleton and a decent interment might put a stop to the wanderings of the ghost.
We can't swallow that without more bait. Was "the skeleton" a hoop-skirt institution, or a "dorg" farce? Please particularize, Mr. National.
Although April is already more than halfway over, I wanted to take a step back and share with everyone all the paranormal non-fiction books I've read during the first quarter of 2024! I'm an avid reader, and a huge bibliophile, concentrating on the collection of paranormal non-fiction from all genres (as well as West Virginia/Appalachia History) for my personal library. Continued education and life-long learning as it pertains to the paranormal field is a passion of mine, and it's important to me that I read up on the subject from a variety of viewpoints. So...here's a look at what I've been reading so far this year. Out of 26 total books I read between January 1 and March 31, eleven were paranormal non-fiction titles.
1. They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers, by Gray Barker. Anything by West Virginia's most controversial Ufologist/Documenter of Fortean Events is a must-read for me. And although those featured in this book are pretty controversial themselves, and may or may not be full of it...it's an interesting look into civilian ufo researchers and research groups of the 1950's. I think the general idea you're suppose to take away is that the government already knows what UFOs are...and they aren't being piloted by extraterrestrial friends from outer space.
2. Ghosts in Solid Form, by Gambier Bolton. This book takes a look at a series of experiments and investigation into what ghosts are and whether they exist, spanning over a seven year period at the turn of the last century. As dated as this volume is, there are still some interesting concepts and even some investigation protocol that still seem relevant today.
3. Ghosts of Kent, by Peter Underwood. Peter Underwood is such a prolific writer and archivist of so, so many English ghosts and hauntings. This particular volume goes over haunted locations in Kent, some with personal stories attached, and others with just a re-telling of popular tale. You can't go wrong with a Peter Underwood book, and I've nearly crossed all of them off my list.
4. Edgar Cayce on Past Lives, by D.M. Hoover. Edgar Cayce, known as the Sleeping Prophet was known for two kinds of readings...one where he diagnosed illnesses and other current problems in his clients, and another where he took a look further back into the past lives. This book is a case study of some of those cases, including several of the select-few (18, I believe) of people he regressed whose souls had evolved to the point where they did not need to come back after this current lifetime.
5. The Most Terrifying Places on Earth, by Conrad Bauer. Bauer releases quite a few free and low cost ebooks about different paranormal topics. While short, these books are usually well-written and interesting. They're a great glimpse into the topic at hand, and I usually get a few ideas for blogs from them...they're just not super memorable when you read as much as I do, since they just go over a high number of cases with just snippets of information.
6. The Most Bizarre Paranormal and Ghost Stories, by Henry Bennett. Again, this was another free ebook, giving little doses of information on a variety of cases. I don't remember a ton, but it certainly wasn't a bad book.
7. Werewolf Stories, by Nick Redfern. This book is set up like an encyclopedia of all things werewolf, dogman, and shape-shifting in general. I purchased it as a research tool for my work last year with the Louisiana rougarou, but after picking out the relevant information for that case, I decided to go ahead and read it cover to cover. If this is a topic you're interested in, I definitely recommend!
8. Project Blue Book, by Charles River Editors. This publisher releases a lot of 'short histories' in ebook form. This one on Project Blue Book was a great introduction/summary of the former UFO investigation project.
9. Dark Folk Tales From the Philippine Countryside, by Louis Bulaong. This was another free ebook I picked up on Amazon. It was a delightful collection of Philippine ghosts, hauntings, and legends. Although fairly short, there were quite a few really interesting stories in here. It's a nice little introduction to the folklore of that country.
10. Spooky Science, by John Grant. I highly recommend this book! Written from a skeptical, but fair point of view, Spooky Science goes through the history of paranormal research, beginning with the investigations of mediums and psychics during the Spiritualist movement. Lots of good information and good advice for those studying parapsychology and/or the paranormal field.
11. Scotland UFO Disclosure Volume 8, by Brian Caldwell. I wrapped up the quarter with another free ebook on UFOs. This one only had a few different cases, but was pretty interesting and well-written, nonetheless. I didn't realize that there were enough UFO cases in Scotland to merit a multi-volume set, but I'll gladly download other editions if I come across them for free as well.
Since 1926, the Entler-Weltzheimer House has been a part of the Shepherd College (now University) campus. Better known as the 'Yellow House,' this structure is believed to be one of the oldest in the old city of Shepherdstown, being built as early as the mid to late 1700's, according to some sources. However, it's likely the house is slightly younger. The site of the home was once the location of an old fort, dating back to the French and Indian War. A man named Adam Myers built a home on the property around 1802, then sold the lot in 1815 to Frederick and Mary Catherine Weltzheimer, who operated the Weltzheimer Tavern on North Princess Street. It is believed that this is when the couple built what is today known as the Yellow House. When Mary Catherine passed away in 1823, she willed the home to her daughter, Elizabeth, who had married Daniel Entler of the Entler Hotel family.
The home stayed in possession of the Entler Family for many years. Some members of the family would call the house their home, but it was rented out to boarders as well.
After becoming a part of the college campus, the home was used for many things, including a stint as the Phi Sigma Chi Sorority house in the 1940's/1950's, a home economics cottage, a nursery, and even the residence of the head of maintenance. Today, it is being preserved as a piece of living history...and perhaps not-so-living history as well.
In 1910 a local cobbler named George Yontz was living alone in the home in which he rented...alone, save for a black cat named Ham. When George was found deceased that December, it was allegedly believed by the townspeople that George had likely been murdered for his money. The fact that his obituary, published in the Shepherdstown Register, doesn't mention murder, and his death certificate lists his cause of death as heart failure, is obviously not a good indicator of George's demise, but in any event, he was gone, leaving his cat, Ham, behind.
Shortly thereafter, a member of the Entler family moved into the home after her house had been destroyed by fire. Details differ between the two main tellings of the story, the first found in a school newspaper article from 1954, and the second in book, Haunted Valley, by James Gay Jones, as well as modern re-tellings. In some instances, Ham is the cat at the focal point of the story, while in others, another black cat, belonging to the new family living in the home is the one being tormented. Tormented? By what?
Many believe that visitors to the old Yellow House can still hear George's shoe-making tools tapping and clanking away, but the most frightening display of his ghost's existence happens every year on the anniversary of George's death. It is said that the cat, being lured up to the attic by mysterious sounds, will ferociously fight, scratch, and hiss at something behind the closed door. In one version, the family cat lasted only one encounter, running down the stairs and out the door, never to return. However, in versions where Ham is the star, each year until his passing he fought this invisible foe on the anniversary of George's death. But who was the cat fighting? Presumably, he had a good relationship with his master when he was alive; was it simply him being in spirit form that frightened the poor feline? And why was George coming back, anyway? Perhaps he was there to find vengeance for a murder that may or may not have happened...or perhaps he was trying to give a sign that he DID have money stashed away, hidden in the attic above. Another thing to think about is...was it George's ghost coming back? Perhaps Ham was protecting Miss Entler against some sort of malevolent force that took George, returning on the same night each year.
Whatever the details of the story, the fact remains that the Yellow House has had a long reputation of being haunted by an entity that cats apparently are not fond of! This makes it just one of MANY haunted locations throughout Shepherdstown and the whole eastern panhandle area.
Below, I've included a video narration of the James Gay Jones version of the tale as well as a transcription from the school newspaper article. You can compare the two tales and decide for yourself what, if anything, is haunting the Yellow House!
Video of My Narration of James Gay Jones' story, as told in Haunted Valley:
1954 Shepherd College Picket Article by Georgia Lee Engle:
RESTLESS SPIRIT ROAMS CAMPUS, HAUNTS OLD HIGH STREET COTTAGE
By Georgia Lee Engle
Everyone knows that there is no such thing as a ghost.
Still, Shepherd students shouldn't be surprised in the least to see a ghost wandering around a certain southeast corner of the campus near a certain building, some night this week. As a matter of fact, they should be especially watchful.
Already the leaves have turned black and brown, and are falling noiselessly on the ground, while a strange, eerie wind swirls through the atmosphere around the building. At night the moon draws weird figures through the trees and scatters them onto walls, for near this house there is no street light.
It is a plain yellow house with a green roof, and it sits high on a hill on east High Street next to Snyder Hall.
In the daytime it appears to be a normal house, but...
This house has become a legend in Shepherdstown. It is famous. For many years it has been the scene of a mystery never solved, where a ghostly creature roves to pit some evil revenge upon its enemies.
Many years ago, in fact back in 1910, a cobbler named George Yontz lived alone here, with only a black cat named Ham to keep him company. At that time, however, the cottage was a log cabin, and it is believed by many to have been the first log cabin built in Shepherdstown. It also occupied part of the site where the old Fort Shepherd stood during the French and Indian War.
It was a bleak, gray morning, December 4, when passing villagers found the body of the old cobbler lying a few feet from his cabin. Immediately, they felt that he had been slain, for it was common knowledge that he had amassed a great deal of money, and that it was hidden somewhere within the cabin. Despite the efforts of treasure-hunters, this money was never found.
It was only a few days after the cobbler's funeral that a family moved into the cabin. The family pet was a sleek black cat. And, it was only a few nights later, while the family sat quietly and unsuspectingly around the small fireplace, that a strange sound was heard coming from the empty, damp attic above.
It was a tap-tap-tap....
The children stopped playing, their laughter froze in their throats. The mother stopped sewing. They were electrified. It was the tapping of a cobbler working on a pair of shoes. Was it the departed one?
Over in the corner, the black cat unraveled himself from under a stool, arched its back, and with a snarl skittered up the steps to the eerie attic to sate its curiosity.
But a few seconds later, and what seemed like hours to the family, the cat bounded down the steps shrieking, and crashed through the nearest window. It disappeared into the black stillness outside. It was never seen again.
But this is only one version of the legend. Another is that shortly after the funeral of the old cobbler, a Miss Net Entler moved into the cottage. Not knowing what else to do, she decided to adopt the cat, along with the rest of the possessions the cobbler had left behind.
That year, on the first anniversary of the cobbler's death, the cat began to act strangely. Early in the morning he began to prowl restlessly about the small room downstairs, keeping his eyes glued on the attic door. By the time night came, the cat had begun scratching wildly and fiercely on the attic door.
Finally, Miss Entler opened the door to the attic. From the attic came horrible sounds, the sounds of a terrific battle, in fact. The cat disappeared into the attic.
Within an hour the sounds ceased. The cat slipped tirelessly down the steps and dropped silently onto the floor.
This was repeated every year on the anniversary of the death, up until the time of the cat's death. The yearly battled continued in full force, until the cottage became College property in 1917, according to legend.
Many families have since lived in the house. Of course it has been changed from a cabin to a clapboard cottage. Recently the Phi Sigma Chi sorority used the cottage as a sorority house. At present, it is the home of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Arnold. Mr. Arnold is supervisor of buildings and grounds at Shepherd.
Many years have passed since the first family moved from the cottage. But, the tap-tap has been heard many times in recent years, especially at the witching hour on Halloween.
Kayla Piechowiak on behalf of Historic Shepherdstown Commission , George McKinney, and Teresa McLauglin. "Yellow House aka the Entler-Weltzheimer House." Clio: Your Guide to History. June 9, 2017. Accessed April 3, 2024. https://theclio.com/entry/22003
Engle, Georgia Lee. “Restless spirit roams campus, haunts High Street Cottage.” Shepherd College Picket. 28 October 1954. Internet Archive Link
Tiny frogs are easier to be transported by air currents and deposited during rainstorms! Photo Source
In a normal world, the old saying goes as follows: "April showers bring May flowers!" But, Theresa's Haunted History is NOT a place for the normal. Here, we cover all things ranging from the paranormal to the more mundane abnormal, and today, we're covering some abnormal weather.
Usually when it rains, the only thing falling from the sky is, well...water. But, in rare cases, other strange things may descend from the clouds, including but not limited to fish, frogs, and even indistinguishable MEAT. Called 'Fortean Falls,' these strange weather phenomena were a favorite of Charles Fort, the king of documenting weird stuff. (Article on Fortean Falls by David Darling)
Over the years, West Virginia has experienced quite a few instances where FROGS fell from the sky. Through a quick search, I was able to document five separate incidents between 1871 and 1964. Three of these Fortean Falls occurred in the month of June, with one happening in May and the other happening in July. Let's take a look...
Huntington Area (1898): A Guyan citizen reported to the Huntington Advertiser that there was a frog fall, resulting in so many frogs that it was impossible to walk without stepping on one.
The Weekly Register (Pt. Pleasant, WV) 22 June 1898
Hancock County (1964): Dwarf frogs, believed to have been swept up by air currents, rained down during a rain storm in the Weirton area, with many citizens experiencing the strange phenomenon.
The Weirton Daily Times 15 June 1964
Moundsville (1871): Tiny frogs, again so thick that you couldn't walk, fell during a rain storm in Moundsville.
The Wheeling Daily Register 22 June 1871
Fairmont/Morgantown (1906): The local citizenry was discussing a recent frog fall...but apparently the Parkersburg Sentinel had a snarky explanation for them!
The Fairmont West Virginian 9 July 1906
Lake Shawnee Area (1926): Lake Shawnee may be known for its haunted reputation and being the site of a tragic massacre of early settlers...and now its known for a rain of frogs!
I have always wanted to attend Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Heck, I just always wanted to visit New Orleans at any time of the year, as it was a Bucket List item for me. I was able to finally cross that one off late last year. And, while we do plan on returning to the Crescent City at some point, it was a little too soon to go back for Mardi Gras. So, I compromised...and managed to knock ANOTHER Bucket List item off in the process: Fasnacht in Helvetia, WV!
Helvetia is a really unique little community nestled in the mountains of Randolph County. It was founded in 1869 by a group of Swiss/German immigrants. These immigrants, part of a society called the Grütliverein, were living in Brooklyn, NY after the Civil War and had made a decision to move together to a new part of the country when the time was right.
When a newspaper notice advertising cheap plots of land in the newly formed state of West Virginia popped up on their radar, a committee of men boarded a train and headed down south to explore. The train could only take them as far as Clarksburg. However, the extremely cheap price of the land won over the extreme ruggedness and isolation of the plot, and by 1871, 32 people called Helvetia home.
While the town was a busy and fairly prosperous little hamlet, it never reached a population of much over 300 people. And, well into the 21st century, it remains an extremely isolated community. That isolation has had some interesting advantages, however. It has allowed the community to largely preserve much of its Swiss and German heritage. One such tradition it has managed to keep alive is a pre-Lenten celebration, similar to Mardi Gras, called Fasnacht!
Fasnacht is quite the fun and unique little festival. It is a both a celebration with fatty foods, lively music, and good-old fashioned partying (with lots of alcohol, we observed, lol) before Lent begins, as well as a farewell to Old Man Winter, as participants don homemade masks to scare him away, and then burn his effigy in a massive bonfire.
Old Man Winter awaits his fate.
That's a pretty wild ride, especially for such a small, isolated mountain community. But, for at least one day...the Saturday before Ash Wednesday...that little town isn't so isolated. In fact, the number of people descending upon Helvetia to help celebrate Fasnacht is well over the town's peak population of 300+. The push to bring in outside tourism to Fasnacht dates back to the 1960's, but definitely had a surge when Fallout 76 came out, actually featuring the festival in the game.
For Fasnacht 2024, we managed to buy our tickets online just hours before the pre-sale tickets sold out. A set number of pre-sale tickets are sold online, followed by a limited amount of tickets that are sold day-of. However, what is important to note, is that buying a ticket/wristband only means that you get a free little baked good, and entry to certain buildings. Most activities and even entry to different buildings were free and open to the public.
Mari Llywd!
The festival officially began at 3:00pm, but my husband wanted to sleep in, so we didn't arrive in town until about 2 pm. That was a big mistake, as everyone else wanted to get their early, and with good reason. We had to park about 3/4 of mile outside of town on the side of the road. By the time we walked into town, I was in so much pain that I really couldn't do much more that day. It didn't help that it was SOOO crowded. Don't get me wrong, I am so happy that people from all over the United States and beyond appreciate our West Virginia history and culture. I'm sure it's a great economic boom to the people in the area, and overall, it is just a really fun time. But, we couldn't really do much. We couldn't get a good look at the museum, store, or archives because it was just shoulder to shoulder people, many of whom were really invested in getting their own pictures and video. I wanted to take the historic walking tour, but again, I was in so much pain by that point, I couldn't.
I held out, though, because I really wanted to see the masks and the Lampion Parade, and the Burning of Old Man Winter. When it was time for the mask judging, everyone was supposed to circle out, but people jumped directly in front of us, so I couldn't see anything. We did get a nice view of part of the Lampion Parade, but again, someone jumped directly in front of me, blocking my view. So, we decided to just hop on into the parade and head down to the community center where the bonfire was set up. We didn't make it halfway there before we heard the cheering and yelling, denoting that they had already thrown Old Man Winter onto the fire. As we arrived, people were shoulder to shoulder all across the roadway. I could see the top of the fire, but that was it. Since it was so crowded, and I was tired, we just went home without staying for the dance.
I can't say I had a bad time, but I just didn't have a GOOD time, either. We should have gotten there earlier, and it was no one's fault but my own that I was in so much pain that day. I will say, however, that one could easily tell who was a local and who was not. I won't go as far as to say that anyone was maliciously rude, but there certainly were more than a few young out-of-staters who had too much to drink and thought it would be cool to pretend to be a hillbilly for a day.
It was fun, however, seeing all the artistry involved. There were some fantastic homemade masks and costumes. Lots of West Virginia monsters were represented, as well as plenty of Fallout 76 inspired masks. There was even a guy dressed up as the Welsh Mari Llywd. The music was fun to listen to, and it was just really awesome to see the town itself, much of it unchanged in over 100 years. When it comes down to it, I'm glad I checked this celebration off the Bucket List...but it will probably be the last Fasnacht that I celebrate in Helvetia. I would, however, like to visit the town during any other time of year, so that I can get a good look at everything, explore at my own pace, and have dinner at the Hutte House restaurant! However, if I would go back....
Lampion Parade
Things I'd Do Differently:
1. I'd absolutely take the time to create a mask. I just didn't have the energy this year, but it was so fun seeing everyone else's creation that I'll definitely make it a priority next time to join in.
2. Get there EARLY...like super early. I cannot physically go through that parking situation again, plus, I'd like to get a chance to eat at the Hutte House.
3. NOT buy a wristband, especially in advance. The wristband was required to enter certain buildings, but during the day, no one was checking, and we didn't stay around for the dance at the community center, so it really didn't do us any good.
4. Run down to the community center BEFORE the parade. We totally missed the burning of Old Man Winter because we were in the back of the parade. When we did arrive, we couldn't get anywhere near the fire pit anyway.
The St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group kicked off its third year of spooky fellowship on Wednesday, January 31st at the St. Albans Historical Society. We had a very special presenter that evening: Barry Miller! Along with Angie Breeden, Barry Miller was instrumental in the creation of the Paranormal Discussion Group, and is super-knowledgeable about a variety of paranormal topics. For his talk, he chose the topic of the Rake.
So what is the Rake? Although largely accepted as being a Creepy Pasta creation, with popular 'photos' of the creature taken straight from pop culture, the Rake is a well-known and well-feared entity for many people out there who have claimed to actually have experienced one. Pale crawler, hairless man-dog, tall and thin like Slenderman without the tentacles: these descriptions and others make up the horrifying visuals of these odd beings.
Barry went over many famous sightings and stories, complete with handouts which was a really cool touch. With mediation by Tony Breeden, Barry's talk was followed-up with additional information and more discussion on just why people may be seeing these strange creatures that were admittedly a work of fiction. Sleep paralysis, ghouls, alien abduction, tulpas/thought forms...all these topics merged to create a lively discussion about the Rake.
This first meeting of the Paranormal Discussion Group was PACKED, and everyone had a wonderful time learning about and discussing this unique topic. Seasoned members, along with a few new faces were in attendance, and it was just really cool to see so many people from so many viewpoints respectfully come together over a shared interest and discuss it in a safe, supportive environment. At the beginning of the meeting, there was also time for members to share any upcoming projects or announcements, which is another really cool aspect of the group---it really is for everyone. There is no charge to attend, there's a wide variety of paranormal topics spread out over the year with a wide variety of presenters, and everyone is welcome. I really look forward to these monthly meetings, and am eagerly awaiting February's presentation of meditation by Adam Good!
If you'd like to attend a meeting of the St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group, we'd love to have you join us! We meet on the last Wednesday of each month at the St. Albans Historical Society Building (404 Fourth Avenue, St. Albans, WV). Meetings start at 6pm and tend to run between one and two hours long on average. Please follow the group on Facebook for more updates and the 2024 schedule of speakers. Stay spooky!
As a paranormal investigator, I follow the creed that 'if you're a jerk in life, you're going to be a jerk in death.' More succinctly put, one's personality follows them in death. Dying doesn't automatically make you a good person, nor does it necessarily give you a measurable uptick in wisdom.
Hudson Tuttle, a 19th century Spiritualist from Ohio, had this to say: "As the spirit enters the spirit world just as it leaves this [world], there must be an innumerable host of low, undeveloped, uneducated, or in other words, evil spirits."
While I don't agree that these spirits are 'evil,' I do agree that they often get that reputation. There are many locations where we investigate that have garnered a reputation of being home to a malevolent, or in some cases, demonic haunting. Sometimes these entities come across as malevolent and/or demonic, not because they actually ARE some type of evil non-human entity, but because they just aren't very nice. They may curse and growl at us, both through disembodied voice and through spirit boxes. They may tell us to leave, or even try to interactive physically through scratches or shoves.
Aside from the mean spirits of those who were mean in life, occasionally, you'll have a spirit that acts out in an improper way, much like a frustrated child throwing a temper tantrum. I believe that these spirits are desperately trying whatever works to communicate with us, and thus, they too fall under this category of low, undeveloped, and uneducated spirits.
Andrew Jackson Davis, another 19th century Spiritualist known as the Poughkeepsie Seer, had a name for these entities. He called them 'Diakka,' and blamed them for the fraud and trickery often witnessed during seances. In modern times, could these Diakka still be practicing their trickery on paranormal investigators? We often get alleged communication with entities that just doesn't make sense, or have other experiences that just seem like someone is messing with us.
These Spiritualists of the late 1800s/early 1900s believed that the Diakka resided on their own plane or sphere, much like being on probation and that the best way to avoid their influence is to live a pure life...since they liked to seek out those they felt were weak or had minds that most resembled their own.
You can read Davis' book, The Diakka, for FREE via the Internet Archive! LINK HERE
