Ghost Stories

Over 70 years ago, Oliver Springs, TN was faced with the murder of two sisters and their 16 year old errand boy. Margaret Richards was a secretary for the Oliver Springs Brick Yard. Her sister Ann was a bank teller at Oliver Springs Bank. The two lived with their other sister Mary. On February 5, 1940, Mary, teacher and librarian at Oliver Springs High School, wrote a note to her sisters. She sent a couple of students to deliver the note, but they returned saying no one answered the door. After a second failed attempt to deliver the note and learning her sisters didn't show up to a scheduled meeting, Mary went to the house. Upon arrival, she witnessed a brutal scene. She found her sister Margaret,46, dead on the stairwell. She had been shot twice, once in the head and once in the throat. Her sister Ann, 48, was dead on the kitchen floor from being shot in the head. Their errand boy Leonard "Powder" Brown was discovered near the second floor banister with a .38 pisto

The Ghost Hunters crew are returning to the Mark Twain House and Museum for tonight's episode. A couple of years after marrying Olivia Langdon in 1870, Samuel Langhorne Clemens a.k.a Mark Twain decided to move to Hartford, Connecticut. He had visited years prior to meet with his publisher Elisha Bliss Jr from American Publishing Company. During this visit, he became attracted to the town and wanted to be closer to his publishers. The Clemens Family rented a house in the Nook Farm neighborhood in 1871. Then, bought land and began construction on a new home. Designed by a New York City architect named Edward Tuckman Potter, the 19-room Victorian Gothic structure contained bay windows, fireplaces from India, hand-stenciled paneling and an enormous hand-carved mantel purchased in Scotland. The top floor was the billiards room and study where Twain wrote some of his notable works including The Gilded Age , The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , Huckleberry Finn and The Prince and the Paup

The following story was submitted by Julie: I spent 38 days in pure mental hell in a haunted house! When I was twenty one years old, my new husband's family offered to sell us a house that had been in his family for generations at an incredibly cheap price. They had a difficult time keeping it rented and did not want to hassle with it anymore. We jumped at the opportunity and moved in almost immediately. It was only a matter of hours before strange things began to happen. It did not take me long to decide there was something or someone else other than us in that house. Almost every night we would hear something coming up the staircase. The steps were old so you could hear every creak. Nick, my husband would jump up out of bed whenever he heard it to go make sure that someone hadn't broken in. It would always end the same, no one was there. The ghost appeared to get braver as time went on. We could hear the steps eventually come down the hall; they were getting a little cl

There he was, still sitting on the floor with his back towards me. It was very dark in the room but he had a small pocket flashlight which he had switched on and had laid on the floor between his legs. It formed a small circle of light around him. I could tell he was not aware of my presence; he was too lost in what he was doing. Plunk. Plunk. I could see his shoulders moving as though he were tapping on something. It took a bit of focusing, but eventually I could make out the object from the dim light cast by the tiny flashlight, exactly what it was he had in his hand. He was holding his hunting knife. It had an eight inch blade with a very heavy brass handle. He was grasping it by the tip of the blade with his fingertips and was tapping with the handle on something on the floor in front of him. I slowly raised myself up from my crouching position just far enough so I could see what it was that had him so involved. I clamped my hand over my mouth as I watched so my gasps could not

My eyes consumed only empty darkness. I exhaled a long deep sigh of relief; he was not in the room with me. I was alone, at least for the moment. I turned and dangled my feet over the edge of my bed while drawing in long deep breaths and making a weak attempt to get a grasp on myself and calm my heart back down to a somewhat normal pace. I was not absolutely convinced as of yet whether or not I had just seen a ghost. I was still quite shaken, but shit, even if it was my mother, it was still a ghost. My mind was trying to make some sense of the ordeal. Logic took over consoling me that perhaps I had simply been dreaming. It was quite possible that in those first waking moments when your brain is not quite yet functioning to its full capacity, I had simply imagined the whole episode. I was suddenly pulled back to reality as I heard something from somewhere in the house. There was a strange tapping sound. It would tap continuously, and then suddenly stop again. I waited a few moments

The following story is from Julie: I was living with a man that was suddenly acting strangely, just barely hanging on to the edge of sanity. It was to the point I could no longer trust him…I was not sure what he may do next. I was desperate for answers, afraid, and alone. Then something strange happened, so strange that even now I cannot even believe it myself, but it was real. I have an extreme need to share this incredible story to all of you out there that feels no hope, miracles happen trust me! So many people do not understand how you can find yourself in a position where you know there is no escape. Unless people have experienced it, they will never understand. So many of us that have been through such suppression know the real truth on how it happens. If you stay you could die, if you go you know in your heart you WILL die. My heart goes out to you all, my dear sisters and brothers; know that I have a hug for each of you, because I truly know where you’re at! I woke w

Guest Hunter Josh Gates joins the TAPS team as they investigate an Hammond Castle in Gloucester, Massachusetts, minutes away from Josh's childhood home. Hammondcastle.org The castle was constructed between 1926 and 1929 for inventor John Hays Hammond Jr as a wedding present for his new bride Irene. The two secretly married in 1926. Hammond is known as the "Father of Remote Control". He held over 400 patents, more than anyone other than Thomas Edison. His home and laboratory contains his 15th, 16th and 18th Century collection of Roman, Medieval and Renaissance artifacts including the skull of one of Christopher Columbus' crewman, an eighty-five foot tall pipe organ, and the tomb of a child from Ancient Rome. Irene died in 1959 and Hammond's death came years later in 1965. Irene was buried in her family's plot in the Gloucester's Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Hammond was buried in the sepulcher until his body was moved in to the bronze vault inside the C

Photo by: Kevin Brady Built in 1915, The James McCabe Theater is located in the booming town of Valrico, Florida. The Valrico Improvement Association raised $3,500 to build a structure for the group and as a focal point for the community and named it the Valrico Civic Center. By like the 1950s, it was home to a Woman's Club and in the late 1970s, Hillsborough County repossessed the building. The Village Players obtained permission to use the structure for theatrical productions until 1994 when the property was deeded to them. It achieved historical landmark status and received a name change. James McCabe was one of The Village Players founds as well as their former president. After he suddenly passed away, the building became known as The James McCabe Theater. For the past few years, the theater has been experiencing continuous renovations. They rely on donations from generous people to keep this project going. This theater may be the only commercial property from Valrico&#

Photo By: Lamar Jones Prior to the American Civil War, Tupelo, Mississippi was known as Gum Pond due to the numerous black gum trees in the area. It was later renamed in honor of the Battle of Tupelo. You may recognize the name thanks to a little singer named Elvis Presley who was born in East Tupelo in 1935. While several notable names can be linked to the city, there are just as many legends. Paranormal investigators believe much of the city is haunted. One particular location may have a 1930s tornado to thank for their alleged haunted status. Mr. R. F. Goodlett secured enough funds and The Comos was built in 1912. The Comos, as the Lyric Theatre was originally named, was designed as a vaudeville theater and included space for several commercial offices. The Lyric remained a home for live productions until the 1930's, when it became a part of the M.A. Lightman Company (Malco) chain of movie houses, acquiring its now-familiar marquee and Art Deco appearance. A persistent ru

The team travels to Hampton Falls, New Hampshire to investigate the Governor's Mansion where a young boy once lived and died in the late 1800s. Tune in Wednesday at 9/8c to see what they find.

Be Safe and Have Fun!!

This story was submitted by Sean Robinson: Over twenty five years ago a friend of my Grandmother gave her an old oil painting called "The Anguished Man". She told my Grandmother that the artist used his own blood mixed in with the oils and committed suicide shortly after finishing the painting. I have no way of confirming if this story is true or not but my Grandmother passed the story down to me when she gave me the painting. I really liked the painting but because my wife didn’t like it, I kept it in the cellar. After our cellar was flooded during a prolonged period of heavy rain I moved the contents of the cellar to my parent’s garage while the cellar dried out. When I got the painting back, I decided to keep it in our spare bedroom on the third floor of our house. Shortly after getting the painting back, we started to hear strange noises, loud unexplainable bangs and an odd scraping noise like someone scratching their nails on fabric. When the painting was in th

Aokigahara Forest At the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan sits a dense forest. To those who are unfamiliar with it's reputation, Aokigahara would appear like a run-of-the-mill forest. However, venturing inside would reveal the weight it bares. Any unexpected hiker will likely find more than trees, caverns and the lack of wild animals in this forest. Personal items, such as credit cards, wallets and rail passes are often found as well as a decomposing body hanging from a tree limb. Aokigahara is the second most popular suicide location, ranking under the Golden Gate Bridge. There is an average of 50 to 100 suicides bodies found each year. Signs posted throughout the forest telling people to seek professional has saved a few lives but still lack the power to deter all suicides. Why would so many choose this forest as a place to take their own lives? There area a couple of possible reasons for the high number of suicides. Seichō Matsumoto wrote a book in 1960 called Kuroi Kaiju (Black

TAPS investigates a local factory turned bar in Claremont, New Hampshire that serves patrons from the other side. Ghost Hunters Wednesday at 9/8c. The season finale of Paranormal Witness reexamines the story of Chicagoans Ed and Marsha Becker whose haunted Northwest Side home led to the first nationally televised exorcism in the US broadcasted by NBC in April 1971. The exorcism was conducted by nationally known psychic Joseph DeLouise and Rev. William Derl-Davis.Watch Wednesday at 10/9c to see what happened.

Ghost Hunters next stop is the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Illinois. After two years, it opened on May 24, 1926 as a vaudeville movie palace costing nearly $2 million to build. The first talking picture show premiered on October 9, 1928. Despite being one of the finest theaters in the United States, time and the weather took a toll on the building and in the 1970s, it came close to be demolished. After the Rialto Square Arts Association launched a campaign to save it, the theatre went through extensive restoration in the 1980s. It has seen it's share of notable performers over the years including B. B. King, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, The Three Stooges, and Taylor Swift. It is believed a few former visitors may have never left. There are many stories about a couple of ghosts often seen in the theatre. One talks of a little boy named "Colin". He is known to be a bit of a prankster. Another common ghost is a young woman in her 20s seen dressed in white. Her true ident

In the French Quarter, you'll find a four story Greek Revival house unlike any other. It's not the architecture or wrought-iron laced balcony that sets it apart from the rest. Gruesome murders turned a wealthy vacation home in to legend. Gardette-LePrete House in 1937 The house was built in 1836 for a dentist from Philadelphia named Joseph Coulton Gardette who later sold it to Jean Baptiste LaPrete, a Creole and wealthy plantation owner, who bought the pink house as a vacation home. LaPrete invested a lot of time and money, transforming the residence in to a suitable place for his family. LaPrete decided to rent it for extra money when he began to fall on hard times after the Civil War. LaPrete would later lose the house to the bank. A mysterious young man allegedly from Turkey approached LaPrete inquiring about renting his residence. An agreement was made and the man moved in with his treasure, harem of women and eunuchs. No one knows for sure who the man was, but he c

Mount Misery is a vast 854 acre wooded area in Huntington, NY. It's name doesn't derive from the many legends attached to the property. In 1653, local Indians sold the land to the settlers. The Indians sold them what they believed to be cursed land. They claimed evil spirits roamed the land. There were rumors of strange lights and sightings of a "man beast" or hell hound like creature with glowing red eyes. The settlers soon realized the land was no good for growing crops. It was used mainly as a trade route. The rough terrain and steep hill made it difficult for wagons to pass. Thus, it became known as Mount Misery. In 1840, a hospital was built for the insane, but not long after, a fire burned it down to the foundation, killing many of the patients. The hospital was rebuilt about 15 years later. New patients and staff began reporting the smell of something burning and unexplained screams heard during the night. The new hospital burned down 5 months after being bu

The following photo was sent in by Elizabeth. Do you think it's a Banshee? This is a photo snapped of what I believe to be a Banshee? It was taken, via cell-phone camera approximately 1 week before my step-father’s cousin died. His mother was on her way up to his room to check on him, as she turned the corner, only to see this! Having her cell-phone in hand she quickly snapped the shot, interestingly enough the cell-phone would no longer work after taken the photo, she could not shut it off or move the pic in any way? I recently decided to do some research on the subject and came upon your web-site, any feedback you can provide would be interesting to our family.

The White Eagle Saloon was considered the place to be for men from all over the world who worked on the docks. It wasn't just the thirst of alcohol that kept them coming back. The White Eagle Saloon depicted much of the seedier side of frontier life in the 1900s. Two Polish immigrants, Barney Soboleski and William Hryszko, opened the White Eagle in 1905 to offer other Polish immigrants a place of after-work recreation: pool, cigars, poker, liquor, beer and for the right price patrons could indulge in a brothel upstairs or an opium den downstairs. It earned the nickname "Bucket of Blood" from frequent brawls that erupted in and around the saloon. However, it didn't stop the trolley from dumping men at its doorstep until 1916 when Prohibition put a stop to legal drinking. Then, The White Eagle became the "it" place to get ice cream cones and those wanting a good stiff pop could still get the goods down in the basement, below the "soda shop." Once

Watch a sneak peek of the next all-new episode of Ghost Hunters, Wednesday at 9/8c. Watch a sneak peek of the next all-new episode of Paranormal Witness, Wednesday at 10/9c.

Tonight is the premiere of Ghost Hunters 2nd half of Season 8. Their first investigation without co-founder Grant Wilson will take place in the Old Charleston Jail located in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1680, the city of Charleston set aside four square acres of land for public use. Over the years it was a hospital, poor house, and workhouse for runaway slaves before being turned in to a jail in 1802. The original building consisted of four stories with a two-story octagonal tower. Robert Mills, America's first native-born architect, designed a fireproof wing with individual cells in 1822 which was replaced in 1855 by a rear octagonal wing by Charleston architects Barbot & Seyle. The 1886 earthquake damaged the tower and top story of the main building so severely they had to be removed. The gallows remained in the courtyard until being destroyed by Hurricane Hugo. The jail never received indoor plumbing, electricity, running water, or glass in the windows (the guards quart

The following story was sent in by Jennifer Estes: I work on what’s called The North Slope, an arctic oilfield at the very Northern tip of Alaska. There are a couple thousand workers here, all from different major oil companies and we all work remotely, and rotationally- meaning we usually are here 3 weeks or so, and then fly to our homes throughout the U.S. for a break, or RnR. While we are here working, we live in "camps". Basically like modular homes on stilts that can be moved. Each room is tiny, with only a single bed and a closet and a small window. Think of a mini Motel 6 without all of the amenities. Last winter, when temperatures had reached around 65 below zero I started doing some research on a project. I have always been a fan of the "Wild West", and in particular Wyatt Earp. I decided in my down time to pick something out that jumped out at me about that era, and write a story about it. While doing my research, I happened upon information about Ma

The following story was sent in by Jules V Ness: When I was twenty one years old, my new husband's family offered to sell us a house that had been in his family for generations at an incredibly cheap price. They had a difficult time keeping it rented and did not want to hassle with it anymore. We jumped at the opportunity and moved in almost immediately. It was only a matter of hours before strange things began to happen. It did not take me long to decide there was something or someone else other than us in that house. Almost every night we would hear something coming up the staircase. The steps were old so you could hear every creak. Nick, my husband would jump up out of bed whenever he heard it to go make sure that someone hadn't broken in. It would always end the same, no one was there. The ghost appeared to get braver as time went on. We could hear the steps eventually come down the hall; they were getting a little closer to our bedroom door with each visit. Finally, th

Below is information on the history of the lighthouse. It was provided by Kathleen who may or may not still work in the lighthouse's archives (It's been about four years since I received her email). This is part of a post I published here in 2008. I'm reposting it in honor of National Lighthouse Day. Enjoy! A Tour of the Lighthouse Before the lighthouse we have now there was another one just to the east. We're not sure when it was built (this was a Spanish colony then (1600s). When the British took over in 1763 they made improvements and when St. Augustine became a US territory and later, a state, the US government made more improvements. Eventually the beach eroded so much that it was necessary to built a new tower 1/4 mile inland. The land was bought from locals who owned it . Ballard never owned the lighthouse. It was built by the U Lighthouse Service, which was later absorbed into the US Coast Guard. He was one of the people who owned the land (2 separate p

The White Lady legend has stories sprinkled in various countries. They supposedly died or suffered trauma in life and are associated with losing or being betrayed by a husband or fiancé. They have white cloudy eyes with short white hair and milky white skin, each of her physical features are very distinguished. She often appears not to be fearful in nature, more like sad. One such variation of this legend is located on a road in Leroy, North Dakota. Legend states on a stretch of road, now known as White Lady Road, a traveling salesman became attracted to a farmer's daughter. He took her for a walk on this remote road for a more intimate encounter. When they came to a bridge over a swampy area, he made his move. Her response to his gesture was anything but what he desired. Instead of walking away, he flew in to a rage and killed her. Today, when people travel on White Lady Road, it is sometimes met with a surprise. During no specific time at night, witnesses have been known to c

John and the team investigate an 8-sided plantation/Civil War hospital-turned-museum in Kentucky. Watch this all new episode on Wednesday 9/8c. It's the season finale already. Did you like the new series? Think it'll be picked up for a second season? On Wednesday, fraternity brothers at Slippery Rock University share their house with the unsettling spirit of a local Native American. School Spirits Season Finale at 10/9c.

The team comes face to face with ghosts in one of the world’s most spectacular ruins. Watch an all new episode tonight at 9/8c. Hit the road with Jael, Devin, Jack and Dana as they investigate a Louisiana swamp legend and more. Will they find the Swamp Woman? Check out an all new episode tonight at 10/9c.

The following is the third and final installment of this story from Lori Zaremba: Cleaning A Haunted House... Wayne's Turn Part 3 This story is for all the gentle people who are more attuned to the spirit world, who have seen, felt and reveled in the knowledge that there is life after death and we are privileged to have had these wonderful if not sometime frightening experiences. This story is for the same people who live among mortals who just don't get us at all. I am married to Wayne, a wonderful man who at times has looked at me as if I had taken a liking to drinking out of strange toilets. I would tell him about my experiences at the haunted house and he would laugh and say "that's nice dear" like I was telling him about what's for dinner. I would always say to him "next time I am taking you with me" and he would say "never!" Well as fate would have it "never" came about a month later with a big change in our financia

Watch a sneak peek of the next all-new episode of Haunted Collector, Wednesday at 9/8c. A ghostly visitor sends an urgent warning to a pair of best friends at Eastern Kentucky University.

The team traverses across Kazakhstan to investigate sightings of a crashed alien spacecraft, tonight at 9/8c. Hellish hounds and a southern skin stealer are in the teams sights. Watch a sneak peek of the next all-new episode of Haunted Highway, airing tonight at 10/9c.

The following article was submitted by Amy: What is an out of body experience is the one question that has most drastically changed my life! Let me start by saying that I am not that person that goes out and must ride every new roller coaster or takes backpacking trips across contents or engages in any type of sport with the word ‘extreme’ in it. So when a friend told be about her out of body experience it really did not sound like anything I would ever want to do. In fact I secretly thought she was crazy, especially when she told me she was going to actually try, give concerted time and effort to the act of creating that experience again. It is not that I am a control freak, but the thought of my spirit leaving my body basically terrified me. Why would I want to go floating around in the ether when I have a perfectly safe, comfy, warm bed right here at home!? Also, I had no interest in coming back to my body after a nice little spiritual journey, only to find that some other