Monday, October 1, 2012

A Haunting We Will Go

October . . . the month of ghosts, hauntings, spirits, spookiness, freaky movies. The greatest month of the year for believers and nonbelievers alike.   My blog this month will be devoted to all things Halloween.  Freaky stuff, haunted stuff, creepy stuff, real stuff, made up stuff, and perhaps even candy stuff.   So, here goes.

I don't have a bucket list, but if I did there would be haunted places to visit.   Some famous ones, like the Stanley Hotel and Eastern State Penitentiary.  And some not so famous.   Here are a few from my home state - Washington - that would be on that list.  


Northern State Mental Hospital (now the home to Cascade Job Corps.), Sedro Wooley, Washington.

In the 1900s it was the first mental institution to perform a transorbital lobotomy.   There are thousands of unmarked graves below and behind the gymnasium.  The spirit of a little girl can be seen playing with her red ball, along with the apparition of an old man who seems to be looking for her. Voices can be heard in the nurses' dorm (perhaps Nurse Ratched??), and it is reported that a body can be seen hanging in one of the windows.  

Manresa Castle
Manresa Castle, Port Townsend, Washington.    Since 1968, this hotel has gradually grown the reputation for its strange activity and pair of resident ghosts. The staff have reported doors opening by themselves, televisions and lights turning on and off by themselves, objects moving, and pictures suddenly falling off the wall.   In addition, odd lights have been spotted moving down the hallways and glasses mysteriously shatter in the bar (sometimes in the patron's hands). While activity has been reported all the way down to the lobby, most of the reports seem to be focused around the third floor. Not so coincidentally, this is also the area associated with two very specific ghosts.

A woman ("Kate") in the 1900s supposedly killed herself by jumping out of a third story window after finding out her fiance had been killed in the war.  Her singing can still be heard in the bathroom at night.   There is also a Jesuit monk who, after becoming disenchanted with "society and himself," hung himself in the attic.    And while Kate is friendly and cheerful, the monk appears to be not so much . . . he is very distraught and can be heard moaning. 


"Starvation Heights"
Starvation Heights, Olalla, Washington.   In the early 1900s Starvation Heights used to be a sanitarium run by Linda Burfield Hazzard.    Linda was a doctor and believed that all diseases could be cured by fasting.    She basically starved her patients for weeks, and even months, at a time. Many of them died. At first she buried the bodies on the grounds and planted a tree over the burial sites.    But she starved so many of them to death, that she ran out of room and started throwing their bodies over the ravine.    As if starving her patients and disposing of their bodies rather indiscriminately wasn't enough, she also had quite the side hobby . . . forging their wills and making sure she was heir to all their money. Apparently there is still an incinerator in the building where she burned a bunch of bodies, as well. So, we have bodies in the forest, bodies in the ravine, and burned bodies in the incinerator. The place is said to be haunted by many of her extremely unhappy, very hungry and very dead patients.  Probably all looking for a refund.  And maybe some cheesecake.

Can anyone say . . . HALLOWEEN PARTY?!!!





9 comments:

  1. Nothin' like a good ghost story. Had any experiences yourself?

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    1. My husband actually has, but me? I don't think so. My dog has :)

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  2. My grandma used to have 'visitors' quite often in her later years. I was always glad I wasn't around when they were!
    You're much braver than me. I like a good horror movie, but to actually go to a haunted house? NO way.

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    1. Oh Jewels, if we lived close I'd drag you and your sisters and we'd have a blast!!

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  3. YES I can say Halloween Party!!! I loooovvve Halloween!! oh and parties oh and candy and oh the places you choose to share !!!~

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  4. I have enough odd happenings in my house. Not all the time, but enough for me.

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  5. I've always wanted to go to the Winchester Mystery Mansion!

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  6. Love the posting. I just finished reading a book on local ghost stories in my town. I want to visit the places mentioned in the book. :)

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  7. I am fascinated by paranormal stuff--though I'm not sure where I stand on the concept of "ghosts" in the traditional sense. I would absolutely love to have the opportunity to explore more firsthand.

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