1.
That we have lived previous lives ourselves, and ghosts are
reincarnations - dressed in the garments of the period - of people half
consciously remembered from this prior existence.
2.
That they are the result of great mental conflict which has imprinted a
'photograph on the astral light' which anyone with the slightest
glimmer of psychic faculty can perceive.
3.
That they are hybrid beings created by the disembodied spirit of a dead
person combining with some substance to produce a temporary, though
very elementary, intelligence.
4.
That they are produced out of the universal fascination and fear of
ghosts by static memory and dynamic consciousness - that is, a layer of
consciousness superimposed upon a mechanism of memory.
5.
That we actually do see ghosts - dead people being able to build up
their bodily forms, somewhat unsubstantially of course, and thereby
revisit scenes in which they spent their lives.
It
is perhaps not surprising that even such wide ranging definitions as
these fail to satisfy all the "specifications" of the ghost, but
perhaps they underline the basic truth of the great psychic
researcher
G.N.M. Tyrrell's comment, 'Why are ghosts so fascinating? Because they
have always responded to some inate longing in human nature to pierce
the veil which hides the future after death.'
Haunted
Places
*ASHLEY
RESTAURANT
Rockledge,
Florida
Built
in the 1920's, this two-story restaurant houses an odd variety of
disembodied patrons. A woman murdered there in the 1930's haunts the
ladies room, making disturbing sounds when it is otherwise vacant.
Photographs reveal a specter wearing clothing from the late 1920's.
Elsewhere in the restaurant, manifestations usually occur at night, or
early in the morning. Glasses and dishes fly or break by themselves,
whispers and buzzing are heard, and local police report alarms going
off with no apparent cause.
*BECKETT'S
CASTLECAPE
Elizabeth,
Maine
Built
in 1871, this home was originally owned and occupied by Sylvester
Beckett, a noted publisher and avid Spiritualist. Most locals believe
Mr. Beckett haunts the house in order to prove Sipritualism's theory,
that life goes on after death. Mr. Beckett likes to force open doors
(even those that have been secured shut), and to rearrange artwork that
displeases him.
*BISHAM
ABBEY
Berkshire,
England
In
its glory days, this was the home of the Renaissance translator Thomas
Hoby, and his wife, Dame Elizabeth. Dame Elizabeth haunts the halls,
carrying a basin and washing her hands before disappearing. In life,
the dame had little patience for ignorance or slovenliness. When one of
her sons exhibited both, she beat him to death in a fit of rage, then
swore the family to silence. Local legend has it that the boy's school
supplies were later uncovered at the Abbey, bearing witness to
his
life and sad death.
*COUNTRY
HOUSE RESTAURANT
Clarendon
Hills, Illinois
The
shutters and door of this two-story structure open and close of their
own volition. the scent of lilacs fills the air, the jukebox goes on,
the sounds of a woman weeping continue through the night, and slow
footsteps often meticulously walk where no person stands. The story is
that a young woman committed suicide just outside the restaurant in
1957, due to a lover's quarrel with the bartender. Her spirit has
waited here for her love, ever since.
*DOSMARY
POOL
Corwall,
England
In
this location, the spirit of Tregeagle carries out it's bidden
assignment, Tregeagle was a terribly dishonest and tyrannical judge,
whose ghost haunted the general area until banished to the pool by a
local priest. The priest gave the ghost a task; Tregeagle must empty
the bottomless well, using nothing more than a limpet shell.
*EDGEHILL
Warwickshire,
England
Edgehill
was host to one of the main battles of the English Civil War. In 1642,
4,000 men died here. On the following Yule, and frequently thereafter,
local shepherds and other witnesses reported seeing a full repetition
of the battle - complete with drums, muskets, and standards. Even
Charles I bore witness to this manifestation. The frequency of
sightings has slowly decreased, indicating that this is an energy
imprint that will fade with time.
*FATA
MORGANA
Straits
of Messina, Sicily
The
mythical character of Morgana lends her name to a special type of
"haunt", believed by some to be nothing more than an optical illusion.
The Fata Morgana is a mirage like image that appears in various parts
of the world - including the Firth of Forth in Scotland and Mt.
Fairweather, Alaska. One of the more detailed accounts of the spectacle
came from a friar named Minasi, who lived in the late eighteenth
century. While sailing, the good friar noticed an odd fog hovering
above the waters. Suddenly all manner of arches, castles, columns, and
towers extended themselves 20-30 feet above the foggy waters; armies,
herds, and bountiful trees could be seen in this landscape. The images
disappeared as quickly and mysteriously as they came.
*FATIMA
APPARITION
Various
locations
The
first Fatima apparitions began in 1917 and were seen by thousands of
people over a six-month period. The vision was described by Lucia
Santos - the first person to see it - as an angel of peace; it remained
an unspoken secret until its reality was confirmed by repeated
visitation. One of the children involved in later encounters believed
this was actually the spirit of Mary. The child invited everyone to
return on the thirteenth of the month, when the spirit had promised to
return. Many people who came reported unusual events, including
glistening globules in the sky, a shining disk dancing overhead,
humming sounds like that of a loud bee (in some myths a diving
messenger), and a light-filled figure hovering over the ground. Some
researchers might consider these reports congruent with modern UFO
sightings.
*GILSLAND
CASTLE
Cumberland,
England
A
small child was locked away on the highest floor of this keep, as
punishment. When the temperature dropped, the boy froze to death. Since
then his spirit walks the hall checking on slumbering guests. If a
guest is gravely ill, the boy will touch the guest, saying "Forever
cold you shall be." Inevitably, the ailing person dies soon thereafter.
*HERMITAGE
CASTLE
Scotland
This
keep boasts of having the spirit of Lord Soulis as its eternal guest.
Lord Soulis made a pact with the devil in order to obtain power on this
earth. Accordingly, he lived in luxury and pleasure, but when death wa
imminent he confessed his sin to his servants. These good folk worried
for the Lords fate. When he died, they laid his body on a pyre to be
consumed by flames, hoping to save his soul from hell. Alas, the spirit
could not go to heaven either - so it remains in Hermitage, wandering
the halls.
*HOLY
TRINITY CHURCH
York,
England
This
sacred structure houses the spirit of a feisty, immutable nun. As local
legend has it, during the Civil War a band of soldiers were intent on
ransacking the holy structure. The abbess warned them they would be
damned for their sacrilege, and proceeded to take up a sword and kill
several of the invaders. Eventually, her valiant efforts failed - but
her spirit remains behind to safeguard the church forever.
*ISLAND
OF SAMSO
Scandinavia
A
famous burial ground for Vikings who explored the northern seas, this
island welcomes the restless dead as eternal guests. There are numerous
reports of fires over the tombs at night. Some of these fires are
spiritual guardians keeping robbers away from Viking treasures, others
are the spirits of the Vikings themselves. Those souls brave enough to
visit here say that the floating embers are not hot, but cold as death
itself.
*KILLICRANKI
PASS
Scotland
At
dawn, dusk, or midnight, come and stand at this pass; if there is fog
in the hills, all the better. From here you can see a spectral
reenactment of a battle from 1689, between Viscount Dundee and the
English. According to witnesses' reports, this is a bloody battle,
complete with hordes of Highlanders in kilts. The entire battle replays
itself.
After all the combatants have fallen, scavenger birds and treasure
gatherers appear.
*AUBURN,
ALABAMA
UNIVERSITY
CHAPEL - The oldest public building in Auburn is haunted by the ghost
of a Confederate soldier. Built in 1851 by the Presbyterian
congregation, this chapel was used as a hospital during the Civil War.
In 1864, a British volunteer fighting for the South was struck in the
leg by cannon shrapnel, and by the time he received aid his leg had
already turned gangrenous. He bled to death during an operation to
remove the leg. The Englishmen, Sydney Grimlett, was buried in a
graveyard not far from the chapel. Everything was quiet until a theater
group, the Auburn Players, look over the old chapel in the 1960s. Some
say the emotional energy expended on the premises brought back
Grimlett's ghost. In any case, his restless phantom was seen by several
members of the company who then used a Ouija board to discover his
identity. Sydney made his presence known by moving props, whistling in
the attic, tapping his one foot nervously, and producing startling,
floating lights.
*BLADON
SPRINGS, ALABAMA
BLADON
SPRINGS CEMETERY - The ghost of Captain Norman Staples has been
reported
hovering over the graves of his four children: James Alfred, Berth
Jaddetta, Mable Claire, and an unnamed baby. His ghost is said to have
fled his burning stern-wheeler Riverboat and taken refuge in the
cemetery here. Staples's apparition seems to be protecting the grave
although the captain is sometimes seen with his hands pressed against
his head, as if he is suffering from great anguish or regret.
*BRIDGEPORT,
ALABAMA
RUSSELL
CAVE NATIONAL PARK - Russell Cave is a sacred burial site that traces
ten thousand years of human history. There is evidence of prehistoric
burial customs which progressed from throwing bodies off cliffs, to
burial mounds, to elaborate entombment. People meditating in the cave
have reported an overwhelming appreciation for human struggle and
evolution.
(Bridgeport
is on U.S. Highway 72. The cave is eight miles west of Bridgeport on
the east side of Montague Mountain. Take County Road 91 west to County
Road 75 and follow the signs to Russell Cave. Phone: 205-495-2672.)
*ANCHORAGE,
ALASKA
EKLUTNA
VILLAGE NATIONAL PARK - The Native American Cemetery here is
haunted
by ghostly wanderers, the spirits of Eskimo ancestors searching for
their belongings. The Eklutna religion is a blend of Eskimo beliefs and
russian Orthodox teachings introduced by Russian settlers in 1741. It
holds that when a person dies, his spirits wanders the earth for forty
days and forty nights, searching for his earthly possessions. To keep
the spirits confined to the cemetery, the Eklutna build colorful
miniature
houses on top of the graves. Each structure is topped with the
distinctive cross of the Russian Orthodox Church. The minihouses are
painted with family colors and contain personal items of the deceased,
such as cups, plates, spoons, a comb, a pipe, or even a rifle or camera.
*NOTE:
Dear
web designers,
The
reason that we constructed the sprit house is so that are ancestors did
have a place to stay so that they wouldn't be haunting people. We
believe that these houses were for temporary use only, until we had our
judgement day. Also We are not Eskimos, We are Dena'ina
Athabascan
Indians, We came to Alaska Several thousand years before the group
known as Eskimos, we are geneticly different then them and are
languages have nothing in commom at all. In fact there are more
similarities between english and germans then there are between us and
them. If you have any other questions I would love to answer them.
Thank
you for your Time
Aaron
Legett, Dena'ina Athabascan
ALeggett@ciri.com
Thank
you Aaron Legett, Dena'ina Athabascan for the propper information!
*BISBEE,
ARIZONA
CLAWSON
HOUSE INN - Three murdered miners are said to haunt this quaint
three-room
inn. In the 1890's there was a bitter labor dispute at the Queen Mind
southwest of town. Large numbers of striking workers were rounded up by
authorities and shipped out of the area, and strikebreakers moved in to
claim their jobs. According to some accounts, three scabs staying at
the Clawson House were killed by strikers. Their spirits are said to be
trapped in the house where they died, along with the much kinder
presence of old Mrs. Clawson herself.
*ARKADELPHIA,
ARKANSAS
HENDERSON
STATE UNIVERSITY - When this was a Methodist college, a young
boy
fell in love with a girl from Ouachita Baptist University. The two
schools are just across the street from each other. Friends of the boy
convinced him that the relationship was fruitless because of the
differing schools and religions, so he stopped seeing her. When the
girl found out he was taking someone else to his homecoming dance she
committed suicide. Now, every year during the homecoming week, her
shadowy
form returns to the women's dorms at Henderson State, searching for the
girl who won her only love. Students here call her the "Black Lady".
*AETNA
SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA
AETNA
SPRINGS GOLF COURSE - The ghosts of eight monks dressed in white
robes
are seen walking somberly across the fairway of this tranquil golf
course. Witnesses say the monks heads are clean shaven and their faces
frozen in agonized expressions of pain. Some believe they are Dominican
friars tortured to death by rival Franciscans in the early 1500's. The
Spanish Franciscans were notorious for their cruel treatment of local
Indians, the Dominicans often hid the natives to protect them. In 1963
a doctor took two photographs which showed two rows of monks who had not
been
visible when he snapped the pictures.
*ALAMOSA,
COLORADO
LUTHER
BEAN MUSEUM - In one of the strangest cases of unexplainable animal
mutilation, Mr. and Mrs. Berle Lewis's three-year old gelding was found
on September 9, 1967, with all the flesh on its neck and shoulders
carefully removed. Nothing remained of the head but a glistening white
skull. All the internal organs were missing, yet the rest of the
carcass was intact. UFO sightings in the area led some to suggest
extraterrestrial
beings were responsible. Bushes near Snippy's body were flattened,
several unexplained dark spots stained the grass, and unusual holes
were found punched into the ground. The hoofprints of two other horses
turned away from Snippy's tracks and headed back toward the ranch
house, but no prints of any kind could be found in a hundred foot
radius from the body.
*BETHANY
BEACH, DELAWARE
ADDY-SEA
INN - A copper bathtub in Room 1 of this inn sometimes shakes
violently, so if it were a magnet for the ethereal energy in the
building. Ghostly organ music is hear in Room 6. Unexplainable
footsteps are heard on the roof and in the second floor hall. The
ghosts here date back to the John Addy family, who built the house
ninety years ago. The footsteps are thought to belong to Durtz Addy,
their rambunctious son, who fell to his death from the roof, Room 11 is
said to be haunted by Paul Dulaney, a famous swimmer who worked as a
handyman for the Addys.
*DISTRICT
OF COLUMBIA
HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES - The ghost of John Quincy Adams, who was elected to
nine terms as congressman after serving as president of the United
States, still returns to his old seat on the House floor to make
speeches. On February 23, 1848, at the age of eighty-one he suffered a
stroke at his chair and died two days later. He was delivering an
impassioned speech on what he considered to be the unjust war with
Mexico. The spectre of Civil War General John Alexander Logan has been
seen in the old Committee on Military Affairs room in the House
basement corridors, where his stuffed horse is stored. The ghosts of
President James Garfield and his assassin Charles Guiteau, were also
seen in the basement area. The ghost of Kentucky Congressman William
Taulbee haunts the stairs leading to the House gallery. The stains on
the white marble steps are said to be the Taulbee's blood, dating back
to a winter day in 1890 when he was shot and killed by newspaper
reporter Charles Kincaid. The spirits of the two former speakers of the
House, Champ Clark and Joe Cannon, still return late at night to
continue their emotional series of debates begun in 1910. The ghost of
Republican leader Boise Penrose has been spotted in his old office,
where he spent so many late hours in the 1920's.
*ARCHER,
FLORIDA
KOSICKI
HOUSE - When Linda and Bob Kosicki brought this old house in 1993, they
had no idea that it was haunted. That is, not until the apparition of a
woman in a white nightgown with a lacy hood started to appear. They
researched the history of the house and discovered that it was built in
1893 by Charles and Cora Wood. The Kosickis believe Cora, whose two
babies died in the house, has returned to search for their spirits.
(Archer
is twelve miles southwest of Gainesville on Highway 24. The house is a
private residence, at 300 West Main Street, Archer, FL 32618)
*AMERICUS,
GEORGIA
COLONEL
FISH'S HOUSE
The
ghost of Colonel George Fish moved with this quaint house when it was
transported in 1969 from Oglethorpe to Americus by Mr. and Mrs. Donald
Nelson. The colonel's ghost resisted the move. Strange occurrences and
unexpected setbacks plagues workers at the job site. Two crews of
carpenters walked off the job and refused to return. The ghost of the
colonel was even seen in the house on the day of the move, just hours
before the building slid off its carriage into a ditch. But once
the
house was set on its new foundation, the colonel appeared to Mr. Nelson
and apologized for the trouble he had caused. Mr. Nelson cordially
invited the displaced spirit to stay. After that, the colonel's
presence was often felt near one particular stuffed chair in the
parlour.
(The
white wooden house has a double stairway in front and a lowered bricked
level. It is a private residence, on Main Street, Americus, GA 31709)
*HAWAII
ISLAND, HAWAII
CITY
OF REFUGE NATIONAL PARK
Huna,
the old Hawaiian religion, was very hard on sinners. Anyone breaking
the laws, called kapu, was put to death. However, if the sinner could
reach a temple before being killed, he could work of his sins there.
This park is called Pu'uhonua O Honaunau or "City of Refuge," because
the largest of Huna temples was here. It is said that the ghosts of
some poor souls are still trying to reach the gates of the sanctuary.
The
kapu laws were abolished in 1819.
There
is also a heiau, a stone temple built to house the bones of deceased
leaders, at this site known as Hale O Keawe, which contains the bones
of at least twenty-three island chiefs. The Hawaiians believed the
mana, or life force, of a person remained in his bones after death, and
they built heiaus to house the bones, to save the mana. It was not
uncommon to try to steal the mana from heiaus, so the greatest rulers
had their bones hid in jungle caves so their power would not be
misused. Over the years, many ancient heiaus became known as haunted
sites.
*BAKER
CREEK, IDAHO
WOOD
RIVER CAMP - The ghost of a big immigrant miner, Russian John, started
haunting this creek bed in the 1920's. His apparition steps from behind
bushes and has frightened several campers.
(Baker
Creek is about six miles south of the Wood River in central Idaho.
There is a ranger station named after Russian John there. The primitive
campsite is just blow the ranger station on the banks of Wood River.)
*BARRINGTON,
ILLINOIS
WHITE
CEMETERY - Eerie glowing globes have been hovering in this 1820's
cemetery. The lights float near the fence and sometimes over the road
surface. A phantom black car has also been reported in the cemetery and
near the old house that stood a block away. Although the house burned
down years ago, it sometimes reappears, only to vanish from view within
a few seconds.
(Barrington
is a northwest suburb of Chicago at the intersection of U.S. Highway 14
59. The cemetery is on Cuba Road, just east of Old Barrington Road.)
*BELLEVILLE,
ILLINOIS
OLD
MEYER HOUSE - This old brick house was built nearly 150 years ago by a
German coal miner named Jakob Meyer. On June 26, 1923, in the parlor of
his beloved house, seventy-seven-year-old Jakob, despondent about his
deteriorating health, fired a 32 caliber bullet into his head. Forty
years later, he returned to haunt the house, in the company of another
ghost.
Judy
and Dollie Walta opened a music school in Meyer's house in 1956. No one
lived in the house, and it was deserted on evening and weekends. then,
on August 28, 1962, a sailor friend of the two sisters drowned in an
accident at sea. Within two days of his death they started feeling the
man's presence in the house. They heard the back door open and close by
itself, followed by the sailor's soft footsteps going down the hallway
to his favorite chair. The strange ritual continued for months, until
on day the footsteps were heavier and seemed to lead into the parlor,
where the faint outline of a large man dressed in gray clothes could be
seen standing in the middle of the room. Sometimes they detected the
distinct odor of cigar smoke. Next, objects such as chairs and
umbrellas started to move for no apparent reason. The Waltas' students
were terrified. The sisters researched the history of the hose and
discovered Meyer's suicide. The poltergeist activity halted for the
most part, but every once and a while, students at the music school
smell cigar smoke or hear the sound of a chair moving with no one
around, and at times a muffled gunshot is heard in the parlor.
*BERWYN,
ILLINOIS
MOLINE
HOUSE - This house is haunted by a shadowy figure who moved objects and
hides personal belongings. The ghost's identity is not known.
(Berwyn
is west of Cicero in the western suburbs of Chicago. The town is
located at Exit 21B of I-290. Moline HOuse is a private residence, at
3101 Wesley Avenue, Berwyn, IL 60402.)
*BETTENDORF,
IOWA
CENTRAL
AVENUE - The ghost of a chubby, middle aged washwoman walks into
house
here and starts doing the laundry. She has been reported since the late
1800's but has apparently kept ups with the times. She was first seen
with a wooden wash tub. Then, she started to appear with a
double-wringer machine.
*COLUMBUS,
KANSAS
SPOOKSVILLE
TRIANGLE - This twenty-mile-sided triangle of strange, multicolored
light phenomena borders Joplin, Missouri; Kansas; and Miami, Oklahoma.
The area is traversed by Highway 66 and the Spring River. The lights
have been observed regularly for over 110 years and are most often seen
hovering over deserted roads and fields.
[Columbus
is at the junction of U.S. Highways 69 and 96 in the southeast corner
of Kansas.]
*GLASGOW,
KENTUCKY
RIDGE
CEMETERY - The ghosts of two brothers who killed each other in an
argument that took place in the graveyard in the 1880's still haunt the
place. Locals say they make their presence known by a tinkling sound,
like a tiny bell ringing
*BARDSTOWN,
KENTUCKY
BARDSTOWN
CEMETERY - One of America's most prominent men expressly forbade that
any monument or stone he placed over his grave. John Bowan was a state
judge, served seven terms in the legislature, and was elected to the
United States Senate. He also became Kentucky's secretary of state and
chief justice of the court of appeals. His beautiful mansion was
visited by many dignitaries, and his cousin Stephen Collins Foster
wrote "My Old Kentucky Home" there. But when he died on July 13, 1843,
his relatives and friends decided to ignore his wishes and erected a
fitting monument over his final resting place. Within a few months, the
tall marker started tumbling from its base for no apparent reason. At
one point, frightened stonemasons repairing the marker refused to
return to the cemetery. Ever since, workmen have struggled to keep the
monument in place.
*APPLEDORE
ISLAND, MAINE
GOLDEN
GIRL POINT - The ghost of a beautiful young woman with waist length
golden hair haunts this rugged island. She appears to be looking out to
sea for someone. Sometimes she can be heard to murmur, "He will come
back again". She most often appears on a low-lying outcrop on the dawn
of a clear day. Locals say she is the ghost of one of Blackbeards
lovers, whom he put on shore to guard buried treasure. Before her
pirate lover could return, he was captured off the coast of North
Carolina and beheaded.
*BAXTER
STATE PARK, MAINE
MOUNT
KATAHDIN - The Abenaki Indians call this the Greatest Mountain, and
believe it to be haunted by a spirit name Pomola. The strange being has
the head of a bull moose, wings of an eagle, and the body of a human.
His spirit helpers are small birds, who can foretell the weather. The
5,268-foot-high peak is the highest point in the state.-
*ARCADIA,
CALIFORNIA
LOS
ANGELES COUNTY ARBORETUM - This ornate house was once home to Chief
Buffalo Child Long Lance, a Hollywood actor and writer. In 1932, after a
reporter
discovered that he was really a black man posing as an Indian, Long
Lance put a gun to his head and committed suicide in the parlor. His
ghost has been seen many times since. The ornate house wa used as Mr.
Roarke's House in Fantasy Island television series, and members of the
crew, actor John Anderson, and producer Aaron Spelling all reported
seeing the apparition.
*ARROYO
GRANDE, CALIFORNIA
ROSE
VICTORIAN INN - Built in 1885, this ornate Victorian building is
haunted by a nine year old girl named Alice. She has been seen at an
upper window, in the turret, and even on the roof, playing with a
little boy.
*ATWATER,
CALIFORNIA
CASTLE
AFB MUSEUM - One of the planes on display at this military museum is
thought to be possessed by spirits. Hatches open and close by
themselves on the Raisin' Hell, a World War II B-29 bomber. Several
guard and maintenance workers describe a "solid shadow" that moves
around in the cockpit, and two master sergeants observed the plane's
landing lights come on without power or bulbs in the sockets.
*BAKERSFIELD,
CALIFORNIA
BAKERSFIELD
CALIFORNIAN NEWSPAPER - The ghost of a German Shepherd dog sits
patiently outside this newspaper office as if waiting for someone to
claim it. Inside, the apparition of an elderly watchman is seen near
the first floor elevator or in the lunchroom. The ghost of former
Californian publisher Alfred Harrell has shown up in the building as
well.
*BAKERSFIELD,
CALIFORNIA
LA
LOMA - On December 24, 1984, dozens of people in this old Spanish
neighborhood started seeing the shimmering apparition of Our Lady of
Guadalupe at various location within the barrio. The numerous sightings
went on for about six weeks.
[La
Loma is a district in southeast Bakersfield]
*BAKERSFIELD,
CALIFORNIA
PIONEER
VILLAGE - Visitors and employees say this place is haunted. One witness
saw a children's birthday party replay itself in the Weill House;
others have seen ghostly children play at recess in front of the 1882
Norris School building. In 1992 an investigation by a local radio
station discovered a source of psychic energy in the basement storage
room where Indian artifacts are kept.
*BARSTOW,
CALIFORNIA
CALICO
GHOST TOWN - This restored 1880's sliver mining town features tours
through an underground mine and Iron Horse train rides to the Old
Workings in the north. A ghost named Esmerelda is said to haunt the
playhouse, and some residents say the ghost of Wyatt Earp, who lived
here for a short time, still strolls down the old wooden sidewalks.
*BERKELEY,
CALIFORNIA
FACULTY
CLUB - Guests in Room 219 have reported seeing the apparition of an
elderly gentleman who just sits quietly in a chair. Students who walk
by his window report hearing him recite poetry. The cultured ghost is
thought to be Professor Henry Stephen's, who died in 1919. He had lived
in the room for twenty years. In 1974, a visiting Japanese scholar,
Noriyuki Tokuda reported seeing Stephen's sitting in a chair in Room
219. Then, later that same evening, he saw "something like two heads
floating, flying high across the room."
*BERKELEY,
CALIFORNIA
SATHER
TOWER - Berkeley students consider this landmark to be haunted. A
student
leaped to his death from this bell tower in the 1960's. Four years
later, a student reported being followed by a ghost as she crossed the
lawn below the tower.
*BENTON,
CALIFORNIA
BENTON
HOT SPRINGS - An abandoned group of old wooden buildings here are home
to the ghosts of a man and woman wearing 1890's clothing. Sometimes,
towns people see the phantoms carrying a faint lantern at night.
*CRATERS
OF THE MOON, IDAHO
CRATERS
OF THE MOON NATIONAL MONUMENT - According to Shoshoni and Bannock
legends, a race of warrior Indians came into this valley from the
north. They lived in stone huts and pushed the native tribes from the
streams and hunting areas. A great Shoshoni medicine man is said to
have brought the fury of the earth upon the intruders and wiped them
from the face of the valley. Evidence has been discovered that an
ancient village here was destroyed by a volcanic eruption. Modern
Indians
considered the present Craters of the Moon area to be possessed by the
devil, and avoided it.
*LAKELAND,
FLORIDA
HIGHWAY
98 - A phantom semitrailer truck haunts a stretch of highway near
Lakeland. Since 1985, the ghost truck has followed drivers hauling
produce from the East Coast to Texas. The ghost truck has been
witnessed by at least two truckers.
*MIAMI,
FLORIDA
CLUB
ALHAMBRA APARTMENTS - Tenants of Apartment 5-110 of this modern
apartment
building were harassed by an unusual phantom in 1977 and 1978. A
disembodied arm jiggled doorknobs, waved a white cloth, and even
painted pictures on the living room wall.
[Miami
is on I-95 at the south-eastern tip of Florida. The apartments are in
south Miami on Alhambra Boulevard.)
*ROSWELL,
NEW MEXICO
INTERNATIONAL
UFO MUSEUM AND RESEARCH CENTER - The Roswell City Council officially
endorses this museum, which features a recreation of the
famous
saucer crash near Roswell, a display of UFO phenomena from the 1940's
to the present, and a research library. It also has an auditorium for
lectures, reading room, and a gift shop. Over 1,500 tourists a month
visit the center.
[Roswell
is in Chaves County in southeast New Mexico at the junction of U.S.
Highways 285 and 70/380. International UFO Museum, 400 North Main
Street, P.O. Box 2221, Roswell, NM 88202. Phone: 505-625-9495]
*SANTE
FE, NEW MEXICO
ALTO
STREET - The phantom of a headless caballero haunts this street. The
hapless cowboy brandishes a sword as he rides his horse down the road
to the Santa Fe river. It is said he lost his head to two Spanish
witches, after complaining about a love potion they gave him.
(Sante
Fe is an north central New Mexico, sixty-five miles northeast of
Albuquerque on I-25. The phantom has been sighted on Alto Street and
along the riverbank.)
*SANTA
FE, NEW MEXICO
CAMACHO
HOUSE - This house is haunted by a mischievous presence that like to
grab ankles and trip people. Tenant Patricia Camacho has see the
impression of an invisible person in the comforter on her bed and has
heard the voices of a group of people coming from an empty basement.
The unearthly voices have also been heard by visitors to the house,
which was used as a brothel and gambling hall in the 1920's.
(The
small adobe house is a private residence, at 507 Apodaca Hill Street,
Santa Fe, NM 87501]
*SANTA
FE, NEW MEXICO
CASA
REAL HEALTH CARE CENTER - This senior health-care facility was built in
1985 on top of an old penitentiary graveyard next to another haunted
building. Employees, patients, and visitors to the 112-bed convalescent
center have complained of an oppressive, uncomfortable feeling that
emanates from the place. Strange cold spots move through the rooms, and
unexplained moaning sounds have been heard in the north and south wings.
[Casa
Real Health Care Center, 501 Galisteo Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501.]
*SANTA
FE, NEW MEXICO
CHURCH
OF SAN MIGUEL - The old bell at this church was the source of a miracle
in the mid-1800's. A blind man attended the church at noontime every
day. His fervent prayers are said to have cause the bell to ring with
no one pulling the rope. During the ringing the man regained his sight.
He was later able to accurately describe statues and icons inside the
church, but he was blind again as soon as the ringing stopped. Catholic
officials described the miracle as a visitation of the Holy Ghost. The
bell was cast in Spain in 1356 and fell from the old spire in 1872. It
was left where it landed and is currently on display on the church
grounds.
[Church
of San Miguel, Old Santa Fe trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501]
SANTA
FE, NEW MEXICO
DEVIL
HOUSE - A young man who engaged in devil worship in this house got more
than he was bargaining for, Michael joined a gang of Satanist from
Cerrillos and was soon overcome by evil. He performed rituals in his
bedroom and once sacrificed a dog there. Then one evening, two figures,
like "huge, winged birds or bats" appeared in his room and beat him
unconscious. When he was released from the hospital, Michael tried to
quit the group, but never succeeded. In September 1988, the
twenty-three-year-old committed suicide by slitting his throat.
Prospective tenants inspecting the house reported feeling uneasy there,
and a few felt they were being slapped by an invisible hand. A priest
blessed the house, and current residents have reported no problems.
[The
house is a private residence, at 934 Lopez St., Santa Fe, NM
87501]SANTA FE,
*NEW
MEXICO
DEVIL
HOUSE - A young man who engaged in devil worship in this house got more
than he was bargaining for, Michael joined a gang of Satanist from
Cerrillos and was soon overcome by evil. He performed rituals in his
bedroom and once sacrificed a dog there. Then one evening, two figures,
like "huge, winged birds or bats" appeared in his room and beat him
unconscious. When he was released from the hospital, Michael tried to
quit the group, but never succeeded. In September 1988, the
twenty-three-year-old committed suicide by slitting his throat.
Prospective tenants inspecting the house reported feeling uneasy there,
and a few felt they were being slapped by an invisible hand. A priest
blessed the house, and current residents have reported no problems.
[The
house is a private residence, at 934 Lopez St., Santa Fe, NM 87501]
*SANTA
FE, NEW MEXICO
GRANT
CORNER INN - This three-story house ws built in 1905 and was home to
judge Arthur Robinson and his wife for many years. It was used as an
office building in the 1950s and became an inn in 1982. Custodians,
guests, and visitors have reported a number of ghostly encounters over
the years. Unexplainable sounds of heavy objects falling to the floor,
doors banging shut, and loud footsteps are heard throughout the
building. Police have been called on several occasions. The gray for of
a woman has been spotted in the second floor hall, and strange
happenings have been reported in Rooms 4 and 8 of the Inn.
[The
Grant Corner Inn is on the corner of Grant Avenue and Johnson Street,
Santa Fe, NM 87501]
*SANTA
FE, NEW MEXICO
LA
FONDA HOTEL - A dining room in this hotel is haunted by the ghost of a
salesman, who lost his company's money in a card game a hundred years
ago. The distraught man leaped to his death down a deep well. The well
was located just outside an old gambling hall known as the Exchange
House. Today, the La Plazuela dining room of the La Fonda Hotel is
situated directly over the old well. Guests and employees have reported
the strange sight of a ghostly figure that walks to the center of the
room and seems to jump into the floor and disappear.
[The
Hotel is located on the main plaza in Santa Fe. La Fonda Hotel, Santa
Fe, NM 87501]
*SANTA
FE, NEW MEXICO
LUGUNA
PUEBLO MISSION - The coffin of the murdered priest keeps popping up
through the church floor here. Father Juan Padilla was murdered by
Indians in 1733 and was buried beneath the floor at the Islata Pueblo
Church. Before long, his coffin, hollowed out of a cottonwood tree,
rose out of the earth in front of the altar. It rose again twenty years
later, and again in 1889. Then, on Christmas Even 1914, it poked
through the floor again. Two investigations were conducted by the
Bishop of
Santa
Fe, but no conclusion was reached as to the nature of the phenomenon.
[Luguna
Pueblo Mission, Santa Fe, NM 87501]
*SANTA
FE, NEW MEXICO
LA
POSADA HOTEL - The land on which this modern hotel stands was farmed by
Spanish settlers as far back as 1610. The land became the property of
the Baca family in the early 1800's. German merchant Abraham Staab
acquired the site in 1876 and built a house for his family. His wife
Julie died in 1896 at the age of fifty-two. Abraham died in 1913, but
the spirit of his wife never joined him. Her ghost is still seen on the
second floor of her former home.
[La
Posada Hotel, 330 East Palace Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501]
*SANTA
FE, NEW MEXICO
LA
RESIDENCIA - This nursing home originally housed the community hospital
. The muffled crying of a little boy who died in room 311 is still
heard by nurses. The child and his father both died of injuries
suffered in an automobile accident on Interstate 25. The eerie sounds
from Room 311 are so frequent that administrators try to keep the room
unoccupied. When the state museum began storing Indian artefacts in the
basement here, some nurses refused to enter the area. Strange sounds
emanate from the basement rooms, and two nurses once saw a wall there
ooze fresh blood.
[The
building is on the corner of Palace Ave., and Paseo de Peralia, Santa
Fe, NM 87501]
*SANTA
FE, NEW MEXICO
LEGAL
TENDER SALOON - This old saloon and vaudeville hall is haunted by
several ghosts. A lady in white, dressed in an elegant white gown, is
seen floating up the steps to the balcony in the Parlor Room. A little
girl ghost in a long dress sits alone on the stairs. A man in black,
killed by a stray bullet in the rowdy gambling hall, has been seen
helping himself to a drink at the bar. The building was constructed in
1881 and was called the Annex Saloon. In the 1950's it was known as the
Pink Garter. It became the Legal Tender in 1969.
(The
Legal Tender Restaurant and Saloon is located in central Santa Fe, just
off Paseo de Peralta)
*SANTA
FE, NEW MEXICO
NIGHT
SKY GALLERY - This one-story has been haunted by strange voices and
unexplainable sounds for many years. The gentle voices are heard only
during the winter months. According to director Kate Norton, there is
an uneasy feeling about the place after hours, and employees refuse to
spend the night in the building.
[Night
Sky Gallery, 826 Canyon Rd., Santa Fe, NM 87501]
*SANTA
FE, NEW MEXICO
ST.
VINCENT HOSPITAL - The ghost of a very short Hispanic man dressed in
old fashioned clothing, appeared several times to a nurse on the top
floor of this three-story modern hospital. The ghost of a woman wearing
a black mantilla was observed with the man. The ghostly couple seemed
confused and in need of some kind of help. The hospital was built in
1977 on top of an old penitentiary graveyard. A more recent hospital
operated on this same tract of land also reported paranormal activity.
[St.
Vincent Hospital, Galisteo St., Santa Fe, NM 87501]
*SANTA
FE, NEW MEXICO
STAAB
HOUSE - The ghost of a wealthy socialite still lingers near her
expensive crystal and gold knick knacks. although Ms. Staab died in the
1880s, it is believed that she could not leave her possessions behind,
so she stay with them. She roams the house as a moving cold spot, and
icy wind so cold it can extinguish candles. Her quiet sobbing is
sometimes heard as well.
[The
house is a private residence in the La Posada section, at 330 East
Palace Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501]
*SANTA
FE, NEW MEXICO
THREE
SISTERS BOUTIQUE - The ghost of a Catholic nun known as Sister George
haunts this modern Western-wear shop. Sister George, a member of the
Sisters of Loretto order, was known for her unselfish assistance to
those of need in the community. After she died in the early 1970's her
spirit started manifesting in the old Opportunity School building,
where she had spent many years. The old school was purchased by Best
Western Corporation and turned into shops, but several tenants
complained of hearing footsteps when no one was around, and of noticing
strange electrical problems such as lights going on and off for no
reason. Oddly, some shop owners reported than an extra ten-dollar bill
regularly appeared in their cash registers. Today, most of the ghostly
activity seems to be cantered around the Three Sisters Boutique. The
clothing shop was named for Sister George and two other nuns who ran
the original school.
[Three
Sisters Boutique, 211 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501.]
*TAOS,
NEW MEXICO
KIT
CARSON HOUSE MUSEUM - The friendly ghost of Kit Carson has been
detected in his former home. The three-room house was expanded to
accommodate his children, and Carson's domesticated ghost is said to be
very kind to women and children. The frontiersman moved to Taos in
1825. He died in 1868 at the age of fifty-nine.
[Carson
House is only two hundred yards from the Bend House Museum.]
*NEW
YORK CITY, NEW YORK
CLINTON
STREET BROWNSTONE - A one hundred year old building here is said to be
haunted by the ghost of a young girl who died while her father was
attempting to perform an abortion on her. Cesa Rist was the daughter of
a doctor who once owned the house. When she became pregnant by her
boyfriend, her father tried to abort the baby at home. Cesa died during
the operation. She was buried in the family plot in Denver, Colorado,
but her spirit was drawn back to New York.
[The
house is a private residence in the 300 block of Clinton St., Brooklyn,
NY 11200]
*NEW
YORK CITY, NEW YORK
ABIGAIL
ADAMS SMITH MUSEUM - Unexplainable footsteps and other strange sounds
here have led some to speculate that Abigail Adams Smith still walks
the halls of her former home.
[Abigail
Adams Smith Museum, 421 East 64th St., New York, NY 10021.]
*NEW
YORK CITY, NEW YORK
DEGELDERN
HOUSE - The ghost of a young girl haunted this old brownstone in the
1960's. The ghost was described as sixteen years old, with braided
blond hair and wearing an old-fashioned blue dress. The apparition was
most often seen on the heavy wooden staircase near the first floor. The
Worm family and the DeGeldern family both reported sensing the dead
girl's presence. The house was built in 1894, and no one was able to
identify the spirit.
[The
five-story brownstone is a private residence on West 87th St., in
Manhattan.]
*NEW
YORK CITY, NEW YORK
DAVINCI'S
RESTAURANT - The phantom of a Madison Ave. advertising executive whose
life was ruined by alcohol leaves empty martini glasses on the bar here
and scribbles ad slogans on the walls. The man committed suicide after
becoming an alcoholic, and his ghost still wants a drink every now and
then.
[The
posh restaurant and bar is on West 56th St., in Manhattan.]
*YORK
VILLAGE, MAINE
OLD
YORK CEMETERY - The grave of a witch in this cemetery is said to be
haunted by her spirit. Mary Miller Jason was a "white" witch, who never
meant to harm anyone. When alive, she prescribed herbs and exorcised
evil demons from her neighbor's homes. Locals have been encountering
her spirit since she died in 1774, and no one has ever gotten scared.
In fact, her unseen presence is said to have pushed children on swings
in a playground across the street from the cemetery.
(York
Village is in the extreme southwestern tip of Maine, just south of I-95
on Highway 9). The cemetery is east of town.)
*YORK
VILLAGE , MAINE
MUSICAL
WONDER HOUSE - The mechanical music box museum is said to be haunted by
the shadowy form of a young man in his early twenties. He has been seen
on
a couch in the sitting room, in the kitchen, and in the upstairs
hallway.
No
one has been able to identify the serene young man, but he is thought to
be
a former resident of the house, which was built by a sea captain in
1852.
[Musical
Wonder House, 18 High St., P.O. Box 804, Wiscasset, ME 04578]
*CROWN
CITY, OHIO
METHODIST
CHURCH - On a wide lawn next to this church, several witnesses saw a
house materialize in the summer of 1953. Sometimes, the single story
phantom building had a ten-foot bush in front of it. As witnesses
approaches it, the ghostly structure disappeared. Research revealed
that a house had never stood on the spot.
(Crown
City is a small town in south Ohio, south of Jackson. The church is
located in Crown City.)
*LINCOLN,
NEBRASKA
HOBBITSVILLE
HOUSE - The ghost of a little girl who drowned in a pool here is said
to haunt the backyard. There is now a concrete fence around the yard to
keep other children away from the pool, and some say it also keeps the
ghost from leaving.
[Lincoln
is in eastern Nebraska at the Intersection of I-80 and U.S. Highway 77.
The private house is near the corner of Sheridan Rd. and Park Ave. in
Lincoln]
*TACOMA,
WASHINGTON
LAKE
STEILACOOM - This placid lake is possessed by an evil female monster
known as Whe-atchee. Legends of the creature attacking people go back
over a hundred years. To this day, Nisqually Indians will not fish or
swim there.
(Tacoma
is south of Seattle on I-5. The lake is south of town.)
*BLOOMFIELD,
NEW JERSEY
BLOOMFIELD
POLICE BARRACKS - The spirit of a gambler haunts this area. He was
robbed and murdered by a riverboat captain on the Morris Canal. Seen
many times over the last century, the ghost is said to be still
searching for his lost money.
(Bloomfield
is off the Garden State Parkway north of Newark. The area is between
Exit 153 and Highway 3 on the Parkway.)
*ELIZABETH,
NEW JERSEY
UNION
COUNTY COURTHOUSE - The pathetic and confused apparition of Hannah
Caldwell has been seen in this old courthouse. Hannah was killed by a
stray musket ball during the Revolutionary War.
[The
town of Elizabeth is just south of Newark on I-95. The courthouse is
off U.S. Highway 1/9 Union County Courthouse, Elizabeth, NJ O7201]
*GRAFTON,
NORTH DAKOTA
NOCTURNAL
UFO - Police tracked a giant red UFO through this city on Sept. 25,
1961. The round object appeared from the east and traveled through town
in the early morning hours. It hovered as close as five hundred feet
above the ground, then disappeared over the Grafton Airport. Air Force
personnel at Grand Forks could not offer an explanation for the
sightings. The incident was part of a flap, or wave of sightings, that
occurred from North Dakota to Kansas in 1961.
(Grafton
is in Walsh County in the northeastern corner of the state, twenty-five
miles north of Grand Forks on U.S. Highway 81.)
*WISCONSIN
DELLS, WISCONSIN
DELL
HOUSE - This old tavern inn was built in 1837 and burned down in 1910.
But campers on the property still report the sound of laughter, cursing
and breaking glass coming from the site where it once stood.
[The
Wisconsin Dells are in central Wisconsin, fifty miles northwest of
Madison, on I-90/94. Dell House stood in a sandy glen at the Narrows.
Today, the rains are covered by forest. For info. contact the chamber
of commerce at 608-254-4636]
*DAYTON,
OHIO
UNIVERSITY
OF DAYTON - The apparitions of children and a priest have been seen
near the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception on this urban campus. In
the 1850's, the site was occupied by the St. Mary's School for Boys.
[University
of Dayton, 300 College Park Avenue, Dayton, OH 45409.]
*READING,
PENNSYLVANIA
CENTRAL
CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL - An unidentifiable shadowy presence has
been
reported by students and custodians at this high school. The ghost has
been seen lurking in the corridors, classrooms, and the outside garden
area.
[Reading
is in southeastern Pennsylvania, forty-five miles northwest of
Philadelphia on U.S. Highway 422 Central Catholic High School, Hill
Rd., Readind, PA 19602.]
*OLEY,
PENNSYLVANIA
SACRED
OAK - A powerful presence in the great oak tree was revered by Indians
and white settlers alike. Even today, people come to the base of the
two-hundred year old tree to perform rituals, meditate, and share in
its energy.
[The
huge chestnut oak is at the rear of a private farmyard on Friedensburg
Rd. in Oley Valley.]
*ELKADER,
IOWA
LOVER'S
LEAP - The spirit of a young Indian maiden named White Cloud is said to
haunt this clifftop. She leaped to her death from the spot when she was
told her tribe had murdered he white lover. But the man survived and
returned to bury her body at the top of the cliff.
[Elkader
is in Clayton County in northeast Iowa, at the junction of Highways 13
and 56. Lover's Leap is a cliff overlooking the Turkey River, behind
the County Office Building.]
We
are a nation of ghost boasters - every village, town and city can tell
tales of the supernatural and things that go bump in the night.
Sinclair McKay visits what is claimed to be the most haunted place in
Britain
YOU
can always judge a city by the quality of its ghosts. This is
especially the case in England, which takes an unusual and rather
endearing pride in the range of its spectres, wraiths, poltergeists and
other alleged manifestations from beyond the grave. And this is why a
local historian called Richard Felix proudly terms Derby "the dead
centre of England" in both the geographic and metaphysical sense.
Derby
is laying claim to being Britain's most haunted city, with a grand and
rather startling total of 159 ghosts. Obviously, there is some
competition. For some time, it has been locked in friendly rivalry with
York on this score, but York apparently can muster only 129. Of course,
with this sort of record, one would expect Derby to be a sort of
Victorian necropolis but this most unsung and little noticed of cities
is in fact a gentle, diverse and unjustly overlooked place, which has
often stood in the shadow of the more superficially glamorous
Nottingham.
The
centre rises and falls on a series of gentle hills, the architecture
ranging from sweet 18th-century streets near the cathedral to the
thumping 1960s bulk of the city's Assembly Rooms. There is a cheery,
bustling atmosphere in the city centre and for the younger folk, the
night life is renowned - the place is packed with bars and clubs that
attract people from miles away at the weekend.
And
those ghosts get everywhere, according to Felix. Debenhams department
store has one. O'Lafferty's pub (formerly The George) in Sadlergate has
a poltergeist that has played havoc with drinks (hardly the sort of
thing one wants in a pub, let alone anywhere else). It is also where a
marvellously macabre object was found beneath the cellar - a skull
thought to date back to 917AD.
The
old Lock-Up tunnels which run beneath the Guildhall have not one but
two ghosts - the wraith of a small boy which has been spotted by
builders carrying out work down there, and the spectre of Alice
Wheeldon, the Derby-based suffragette who in 1917 was accused of
plotting to poison David Lloyd George. Several churchyards have ghosts.
The Uttoxeter Road Cemetery is said to be unsettling even in bright
sunshine: indeed a number of people claim to have sensed a presence
there in daylight hours. There is also a ghost located in Miss
Selfridge, dressed in a long black coat (very hip), which makes its
stately way through the wall and rematerialises in McDonald's, for
reasons best known to itself.
Richard
Felix's ghost walks have acquired a cult reputation around the world,
thanks to the Internet and word of mouth. Kicking off at the town's
heritage museum, Felix takes visitors from all sorts of places on a
stroll packed with hundreds of juice-filled historical anecdotes and
three or four moments of genuine leap-out-of-your-skin horror. He
reckons that he has, over the past eight years, taken 95,000 people to
see the haunted sites.
One
tour in particular, the tunnels beneath the town's Guildhalls, has a
splendidly gothic and theatrical touch. Felix guides visitors through a
trap door in a pub floor down some steps into a small candlelit tunnel
which stretches further than anyone would think.
Inset
into this tunnel are a number of small cells, and the further one
progresses, the more nervous one becomes, no matter how sceptical about
sceptres one may be. Felix presides over several diabolical touches
which should, on grounds of fairness, remain cloaked in secrecy. But
after this particular section of the tour, visitors are more than ready
for a glass of wine.
So
why the saturation-point haunting? Felix, who keeps an open mind on
such matters, having seen a ghost himself one day some years ago,
attributes it to the sheer amount of history the town has seen. In some
ways, this is down to its location at the very heart of England -
Bonnie Prince Charlie "The Young Pretender" stayed here with his troops
in 1745, having marched south in his quest to claim the throne.
It
was also here that he made the fateful decision to retreat. Mary Queen
of Scots spent 14 of her 16 years of English imprisonment in the area,
watched over by Bess of Hardwick (whose tomb can be seen in Derby
cathedral). All this, of course, is the serious point behind Felix's
city walks: while telling a ghost story, you are also filling listeners
in with the most amazing amount of historical detail.
The
understated but lovely Derbyshire countryside is similarly atmospheric.
Just take the A6 north out of Derby, through Belper and towards
Bakewell, and one finds Chatsworth, home to the Duke and Duchess of
Devonshire and an increasingly thriving tourist attraction, which this
year has an extended winter opening time, until December 22. Even more
venerable and just as evocative is the nearby Haddon Hall, home to the
Manners family, which dates back 800 years.
In
terms of staying in the town, Derby's Midland Hotel, which offers
special family rates at weekends, is not short of history itself,
having put up Queen Victoria on occasion.
Completely
refurbished not long ago, the hotel is not only elegant but also rather
calming and absurdly accessible, being just across the road from the
railway station. Featured on the wall of the bar is the menu served up
when Victoria stayed: a mind-bogglingly vast dinner of the type and
scale that was in those days the norm.
When
nosing around the town, you will also find a very fine selection of
paintings by the great Joseph Wright ("of Derby"). His trademark eerie
lighting is displayed well in the Derby Museums and Galleries on
Sadlergate.
Here
also is a fine recreation, with original panelling, of the room in
Essex House in which Bonnie Prince Charlie agonised over the decision
to plunge further into England, or whether to retreat. An atmospheric
exhibition is nicely set off with creepy sound-effects and an actor's
voiceover.
The
main quality one notices about Derby and its beautiful countryside is a
very British sort of modesty - even the ghosts are not the showy kind
(unlike London's flamboyant Highgate Vampire or the fantasical Spring
Heeled Jack). But they do serve the purpose of introducing one to the
rich rural and industrial heritage of this little-explored part of
Britain.
