Ghost Stories

Where does one come up with a name like Poogan's Porch for a restaurant? This one went above and beyond to show their appreciation of beloved canine friend. That's right. Poogan's Porch Restaurant was named after a neighborhood dog called Poogan who acted as their guardian in 1976. Poogan died in 1979 from natural causes but his memory will live on through this eatery. However, a touching dog tale is not why you read this blog. Poogan's Porch is a hot spot for celebrities such as Jody Foster, Jim Carrey, James Brolin and the late Paul Newman. It was also used as a filming location for the 1989 Hugh Grant move "Champagne Charlie". As for the paranormal world, the restaurant was named "Third Haunted Place in America" by the Travel Channel in 2003. Zoe St. Amand, a former resident of the Charleston House, is often seen throughout the building. Pots and pans crash in the kitchen. The police have been notified but they always turn up nothing upon inve

Tomorrow is the last day to submit to the Ghost Stories Carnival June edition. Your submission must be in by 11 pm Central. Pick your best post between May 6th and June 1st and submit it. No registration required.

For years, people have flocked to the grave marker of Lily E. Gray. "Victim of the Beast 666"....what could it mean? Some researchers took it upon themselves to solve the mystery once and for all. One person may have found the answer. Richelle Hawks dedicated the last few years to solving the riddle. She even set up a website, displaying her findings as her search progressed. Several tips Richelle had received suggested she view Elmer Gray's, Lilly's husband, Criminal Pardons Application. While before she had trouble viewing the document, it is now available online. It is this document which has led her to a simple conclusion. It was Elmer's rants about the government and their so-called "involvement" with his first wife's death which may have led to the phrase "Victim of the Beast 666" being placed on Lilly's tombstone. He was her only surviving family member at the time of her death. Therefore, the responsibility was left up to him. C

Blue Bell Hill is a chalk hill located between Maidstone and Rochester in Kent. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, much of it was quarried for chalk and was also the site of several villages including Walderslade and Kit's Coty. The hill also has a few other famous features. It contains one of the many prehistoric neolithic chamber tombs in England known as the Medway Megaliths, including Kit's Coty House and Countless Stones. Blue Bell Hill Dolmen is, unfortunately, now a lost member of this group. A Roman temple was also located on the hill for a period of time. It is believed now a ghost girl walks the A229. In 1992 alone, three motorcists claimed to have ran over this girl. Some speculate this girl to be that of a bride-to-be who died as a result of a two-car collison in 1965. She was taken to a nearby hospital but her injuries were too severe. The young woman died five days later. Could she be the same girl motorists have been encountering?

A group of Japanese wild boar hunters searched for their prey but instead came across an unknown species of cat on Japan's Iriomote Island. The Yamapikarya is described as being 3 to 4 feet long and twice the size of the known Irimote wildcat. It's reported to have a yellow, dark yellow, or orange coat with large, black spots and a long tail. Since the first sighting, there have been at least 47 eyewitness reports, hitting its peak in the 50s and 60s. Wildcats moved deeper in to the uninhabited areas of the island. Thus, reports decreased. There are only two known species of cats on the island. Could these sightings mean there is another wandering the area?

What are your feelings on turning human bones in to art?

Where do you go to see a magnificent display of funerary art? If you're ever in Rome, the Capuchini Bone Chapel is the site to see. All furnishings in the church are made from the donated bones of 4,000 Capuchin monks and several poor Romans. There are many theories as to the identity of the artist. Some believed he was a French Capuchin. The Marquis de Sade visited the crypt in 1775 stating the artist was a German priest. The Capuchins broke from the Franciscans in 1525, returning to a more genuine interpretation of St. Franci's edict. They wore a pair of sandals with no socks, and a tunic with a hood to cover their head if the weather was bad. The name of the Capuchin friars actually dervies from this hood, or capuce. And Capuchins have traditionally worn a beard. They left the friary of St. Bonaventure in 1631 to the priest one, transporting the remains of deceased friars. The crypt contains six rooms: Crypt of Resurrection, The Mass Chapel, Crypt of the Skulls, Crypt of the

You have 9 days to submit to the Ghost Stories Carnival June edition. Your submission must be in by 11 pm Central. Pick your best post between May 6th and June 1st and submit it. No registration required. Your submissions must be paranormal related.

You know something is up when a mayor calls for your help. Mayor Sue Lawson from Newtown, UK called up the Newtown Paranormal group when she sensed a presence at the Newtown’s Mayor’s Chambers and the Robert Owen Museum. They were more than happy to lend a helping hand. The Mayor's Chambers was built in 1902 originally as a meeting room and library. Robert Owen was a social reformer who founded the Co-operative movement. He was born in Newtown in 1771 and is chiefly associated with New Lanark, A New View of Society , New Harmony and The New Moral World. He urged universal primary education and public works to solve unemployment. He bought New Harmony in Indiana as an experiment in co-operative which ended in failure. A man who dedicated so much to change deserves a little something to remember him by. The result is the Robert Owen Museum located in the former library. Newtown Paranormal experienced cold spots. A man in a black waistcoat, black striped trousers and a tophat has

Red Onion Saloon was Skagway's most exclusive bordello. Built in 1897 with planks cut by Captain William Moore, founder of Skagway (Alaska), the brothel provided alcohol on the first floor and "other" entertainment performed on the second. The bartender kept ten dolls on the back bar for every room and girl. Whenever a girl was with a customer, he would lay the doll on its back until money was sent down copper tubes attached to each room. Some of the girls who worked at Red Onion Saloon were Popcorn Lil, Big Dessie, and Kitty Faith. Ten years after its opening, business began to fall. Most of the girls moved northern to be closer to the goldfields, casinos and dance halls. As with numerous buildings, the saloon moved closer to the railroad depot in 1914. During World War II, the building was used as army barracks. Then, it went on to a laundry, bakery, television station, gift shop and union until finally turning back in to a saloon in 1980. Today, it operates as a bar

Do you think the corpse of the second alleged "Montauk Monster" proves it's real and not a hoax?

In the 1860s, Charlie and Jenny Papworth with their infant son Temple made a treacherous journey to what is now known as Alexandra, Texas. Purchasing a spread next to Charlie's cousin Jim McDow's, they built a cabin 200 yards from Green Creek a.k.a. McDow's Hole and got settled. About five years later, Charlie and Jenny welcomed their second son. Unfortunately, not long after the blessed event, Charlie received word his parents had died. In their will, he received all of their furniture. The only way it could be transported was by train and Texarkana was the end of the line out west, 200 miles away. Charlie made arrangements for the furniture to be shipped and set off with his wagon to pick it up. A decision he would come to regret. Increasing danger of cattle rustlers, worried him. He insisted Jenny and the kids not sleep at home; therefore, a routine was established. Jenny stayed in their cabin by day, preparing for winter and caring for their children. At night, she wo

In July 2008, an unidentifiable creature washed up on the beach in Montauk, New York. Some believed it was a bloated raccoon. Others, thought it might have been all a publicity stunt. I don't think it's true origins was ever revealed. However, another such creature has been found on the beach in Southold, NY on May 6th, 2009. Who broke the story? Why the very person running the creatures official website, Nicky Papers at Montauk-Monster.com . Papers stated the "animal" smelled of "rotten garbage" and therefore, had to take photos and video. Yes, a rotting corpse always makes me want to whip out my camera. Then said it may be the "result of biological warfare and carries the H1N1 swine-flu virus". Gotta love the media. Interesting thing is every attempt I've made to access the Montauk site has gone unsuccessful. He has a new site called Reality in 500 words or less . Wasn't able to access it either. Either he is experiencing technical di

An Elm tree once stood along the Cimarron River in Payne County, Oklahoma. In the 1800s, this tree served as the ideal spot for hangings. Legend goes in 1887 an innocent man was strung up on that Elm. The next day, all the bark mysteriously fell off of it. When the light of the moon shined on this bare tree, it glowed an eerie white color. Some say you could even see a body hanging from it. The Elm remained standing for many years but has since been chapped down. We'll never know if it's alleged "glowing" was due to the natural occurrence of the moonlight hitting a bare tree or something more paranormal. However, visitors still claim to get a "creepy" feeling at Ghost Hollow.

What is a Spirit Mimic?

Mother's Day celebrations date back to a Greek spring festival dedicated to the goddess Rhea, the mother of many deities. In ancient Rome, offerings were made to the Great Mother of Gods, Cybele. Celtic Pagans celebrated the mother goddess Brigid. Here in the United States, we have Anna Jarvis and her daughter Anna for our celebrations. The first celebration of Mother's Day here in the United States took place in 1858. Of course, it wasn't exactly called "Mother's Day". Jarvis organized Mother's Work Day to raise awareness of the poor health conditions in her community. Jarvis died in 1905. Her daughter, also named Anna, began campaigning to memorialize her mother's life work. She lobbied for a special day just for mothers. In 1908, a service was held at her West Virginia church in honor of Anna's mother. White Carnations, Jarvis' favorite flower, were handed out to those that attended. Five years later, the House of Representatives adopted a r

There are a series of rail tunnels in western Pennsylvania. Only one, Green Man Tunnel is said to be haunted. The legend begins with a man who supposedly worked for an electric company. He was electrocuted by a down power line or struck by lightning. Some variations claim he died and now haunts the tunnel. Another states he was horribly disfigured and became a recluse. Others claimed his face glowed or was tinted green. It's believed that if you drive or go in the tunnel and call out his name, the green man will appear. Like some, there may be a degree of truth to this legend. There was a man named Ray Robinson. On June 18, 1919 at the age of eight, he accidentally touched a high-voltage electrical trolley line which left his face disfigured. Locals called him "Charlie no face". He lived his life as a recluse and only came out at night. Teenagers would stop and talk to him along Route 351. They brought him beer and cigarettes. Some say his second nickname "The Green

Welcome to the May 2009 edition of Ghost Stories Carnival. The purpose of this carnival is to gather articles about the paranormal from around the blog-o-sphere. If you would like to submit an article for the next Ghost Stories Carnival, please read the guidelines . So, without further ado, sit back and start clicking away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Article NAOMI presents SPOOKY CASTLE GHOST CAUSES STIR posted at Diary From England . floslib presents The Paranormal, Belief, and Skepticism posted at Spirited Script . Ghost Stories presents The Seven Sisters Inn posted at Ghost Stories . Silicon Valley Blogger presents 10 Facts About Buying and Selling A House of Horrors posted at The Digerati Life Essay Vanessa Wolf presents Save me from myself posted at Wide Awake in Wonderland , saying, "This is largely humorous (as is my blog), but it does cover my (former) very real fear of aliens + some related stuff. No hard feelings if it's not appropriate! Thank

Do you think seismographs are effect tools in investigating the paranormal?

Tomorrow is the last day to submit to the Ghost Stories Carnival May edition. Your submission must be in by 11 pm Central. Pick your best post between April 12th and May 4 and submit it. No registration required.

On many occasions I have warned readers to not trespass on private property. If you want to investigate a haunted location, go through the right channels. The experience of ghost-hunting teenagers visiting Ladd School in Exeter, Rhode Island is an excellent example as to why you should listen to such warnings. In the last three months, five men allegedly armed with knives, clubs, BB guns and axes held up a total of 12 teenagers. They allegedly stole money, credit cards and cell phones. They were held without bail pending a a hearing on May 6. The Ladd School opened in 1907 as a mental rehabilitation hospital. Much like Essex, it saw it share of overcrowding. At one point, the population reached 1,000 patients. Ladd School was ill-equipped to handle such conditions. Dr. Joseph H. Ladd was the only certified doctor on staff. The remaining staff had little training to care for patients. There were no dental care, morgue, recreational facilities, chapel or "functional" hospit