Ghost Stories

Image from weirdus.com The Dark Watchers sounds like the title of some spirit-fueled horror movie. In reality, they are shadowy spirits seen on the Santa Lucia Mountains in California. Their exact origins are unknown. According to legend, the Chumash Indians were among the first to witness their presence and supposedly carried them in their legends and drew them on cave walls (all of which is up for debate). However, in 1937, John Steinbeck described them in his short story "Flight" and poet Robinson Jeffers mentioned the Dark Watchers in his poem "Such Counsels You Gave to Me". It's uncertain if either had a personal encounter with the phantom shadows or only heard about the tale. Their legend has been circulating for years but what are they? These spirits are described as being large in size, but human in shape. Some have reported seeing them in robes and hats and as their name suggest, they are pitch-black in color. Some believe they are only a form o...

This review will be short and sweet. It took all of ten minutes to develop a complete viewer evaluation. To sum it up, Deep South Paranormal is Duck Dynasty meets paranormal investigation. I don't think I need to elaborate any further on the subject.  As much as I am a proud Southerner, I was hoping from a new Southern paranormal show a little more science and logic and a little less "frog's breath wards off evil spirits". Maybe someday....

Truly Bizarre: Haunting at Minnesota State University By: Marlon Heimerl from HalloweenCostumes.com It’s not unheard of for college dorms and campuses to sometimes gain auspicious reputations for paranormal happenings. As so many young minds and imaginations filter through the same halls over decades, it’s reasonable to assume that each class may twist local tales to create deeply seeded urban legends. After all, who doesn't love a good ghost story – especially one that’s possibly fabricated to bamboozle genuinely curious investigators? At the crux of such cases, one must ask: How can we tell the difference between an urban legend and a true story? What lies at the root(s)? In the case of Minnesota State University (MNSU) in Mankato, MN, one ghostly legend has long-persisted to catch the attention of local media, ghost investigators and students alike. Could it be more than a tall tale, some ask? Only some digging might reveal the truth. McElroy Hall’s Most Unconv...

In the mid to late 1800s, Waverly, Ohio's way of life was heavily influenced by one man named James E. Emmitt. He was the town's main entrepreneur and self described first millionaire, earning his wealthy from hauling grain, operating a mill, making whiskey and "Emmitt's Discovery". He "discovered" his snake oil cure-all after a mule kicked a can of fuel in to a vat of spirits. Why he would want to drink it much less sell it is beyond anyone's understand. Using his influence, the county seat moved from Piketon to Waverly. The Ohio and Erie Canal route was changed as well. If he didn't already have his hands full, Emmitt decided to build a restaurant/hotel on the site of a former hotel owned by one of his former business partners. The original wooden hotel was built in 1850.  A fire killed 3 people and destroyed much of the structure. In 1861, Emmitt rebuilt the hotel using bricks, hiring a man named Madison Hemings to do the construction. Hemin...

via Pinterest This Jesse Lee Home for Children is the second of three locations with the same name. The first move was from Unalaska to Seward, Alaska for several reasons including, the Spanish Flu, overflowing and the building was in des perate need of repairs. In 1925, the Methodist Episcopal Church opened the second Jesse Lee orphanage/school which averaged 50 to 100 children (possibly more) and 10 employees. The Jesse Lee Home was not a victim of child neglect or abuse. As a matter of fact, one of the students Benny Benson won a contest to design the Alaskan state flag in 1927. However, it didn't escape a natural disaster. In 1964, it was hit by an unexpected earthquake, one of the worst in Alaska history. The home and school were hit hard. More than a dozen children were killed. Goode Hall, the largest Jesse Lee building, was heavily damaged and later demolished. With most of the buildings damaged beyond repair, the orphanage was moved again to Anchorage. ...

via Pinterest Beauregard Parish Jail also known as the Gothic Jail or Hanging Jail in DeRidder, Louisiana. The Beauregard Parish Police Jury purchased land for a new courthouse and jail. Stevens-Nelson designed the buildings while Falls City Construction Company was awarded the contract to build them in September 1913. Both were completed in 1915. The building did not only have an unique design but it also contains a toilet, shower, lavatory, window in each cell and a spiral staircase. The jail could hold over 50 prisoners at a time. There was a jailers' quarters on the bottom floor with a kitchen and a tunnel leading from the courthouse to the jail to transport prisoners for trial. The jail received it's nickname after a double execution by hanging in 1928. Joe Genna and Molton Brasseaux murdered a taxi cab driver named J. J. Brevelle while he was taking them to the John Miller place on August 28, 1926. They wanted money and had planned to hi-jack Brevelle. Genna...

I haven't written a TV review in a while but after watching the debut of Syfy's Stranded, perhaps I should have waited a little longer. It appears finding life on Mars may be an easier task to accomplish than finding a decent paranormal show with an original concept these days. Stranded promised to make even the most veteran ghost enthusiasts terrified. It didn't deliver. Some potential viewers, including myself, were hoping for something to rival that of Scariest Places on Earth and MTV's Fear. They may have been overly dramatic and possibly containing fake elements but at least they were entertaining. What makes Stranded different from other paranormal shows on TV? Nothing. It's amateurs wandering a possibly haunted location with cameras and the power of suggestion leading the way. I expected more from a project involving Josh Gates. If this show doesn't improve in episodes to come, I don't see it making a return trip to Syfy's lineup.