A Few More Hauntings

Mount Misery Road, West Hills, New York - Not far from the populated built up areas of Long Island, the small hamlet of West Hills sits quietly in an amazing country setting surrounded by a nature preserve. The community is filled with very old well-to-do homes, hidden behind groves of trees, along with horse farms and paddocks. There are no street lights, telephone poles or cable lines; and roads are narrow, including that of Mount Misery Road. Though residents have long tried to change the name of the road, most likely to stop the late-night tourists, hey have been unsuccessful due to resistance by historical societies. There have long been paranormal legends along this historic and narrow path including ghostly faces seen in the trunks of trees, strange lights playing over the woods, and misty apparitions that appear to drivers. Reports of the "Lay in White" are often told, where visitors have seen her walking on the side of the road, but when they turn around, she is gone. There are other reports of a phantom hanging from a bridge, the result of a long ago suicide. Others report a phantom demonic-like dog that lurks in the wood a a group of men dressed in spotlessly clean black suits. A graveyard ghost named Mary allegedly haunts an old cemetery along the side of the road.
Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville, Louisiana	Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville, Louisiana - Built in 1796 by General David Bradford and first called Laurel Grove, the antebellum plantation near Baton Rouge operates as a bed and breakfast today and offers historical and mystery tours. Said to be one of the most haunted homes in America, an number of theories abound as to why it is so haunted. But, when one learns the history of this old building, it becomes more clear. First, it was allegedly built on the site of an ancient Indian burial ground and after the house was done, ten murders were committed within her walls. There are number of strange events that occur within the mansion including handprints in the mirrors, the sound of footsteps on the stairs when no one is their, strange smells and objects that move or disappear. there are allegedly a number of spirits that remain within the building including a French woman who wanders from room to room, a ghostwho sits at the grand piano playing the same chord over and over again, and a young girl who only appears just before thunderstorms.
But, the most famous apparition of the home is a woman named Cloe. A slave, she became her master's mistress, and when he tired of her, she began to eavesdrop on the family. When she was caught, she had her ear cut off and sent to the fields to work as punishment. As revenge, she poisoned a family birthday cake, which killed the family's two children and the mother. The other slaves, fearful of the plantation owner's wrath, dragged Cloe out of the house and hanged her. The spirit of Cloe, as well as the two children and the mother are said to remain within the house. THE QUEEN MARY Beach Harbor is the HMS Queen Mary, a colossal ship that was bigger, faster and more powerful than the Titanic. The 1,000-foot ship began her life when the first keel plate was laid in 1930 at the John Brown shipyard in Clyde, Scotland. The depression held up her construction between 1931 and 1934, but she was finally completed, making her maiden voyage on May 27, 1936. After 1,001 successful Atlantic crossings, she was permanently docked and soon became the luxury hotel that she is today. Today, the museum-hotel ocean liner is said to be called home to a number of ghosts including ghostlychildren playing by the pool and the spirit of a seventeen-year-old sailor killed while escaping a fire. More odd occurrences have been made in a number of first-class staterooms. Here, reports have been made of a tall dark haired man appearing in a 1930’s style suit, as well as water running and lights turning on in the middle of the night, and phones ringing in the early morning hours with no one on the other end of the line. In the third class children’s playroom, a baby’s cry has often been heard, which is thought to be the infant boy who died shortly after his birth. Other phenomenon occurring throughout the ship, are the sounds of distinct knocks, doors slamming and high pitched squeals, drastic temperature changes, and the aromas of smells long past. Saint Augustine Lighthouse, St. Augustine, Florida - First build by Spanish settlers during the 1600's, ghost stories about the lighthouse intrigued visitors for decades. The present lighthouse was built in 1874, replacing the first one, which was about 1/4 mile away, that was lost due to tidal erosion. In 1824, it became an official U.S. lighthouse. Today it serves as a museum preserving and interpreting Northeast Florida's rich maritime history. Several ghosts are said to haunt the historic lighthouse including three young girls who died while playing in a rail car used to bring supplies up the hillside during construction of the new lighthouse. While five children riding in the car, something happened and all of them fell into the water. Two were saved but three drowned. Visitors today often report hearing a female crying, "Help me!" Several other people died at the lighthouse over the years and a number of strange events occur today that suggests some of them might remain. These include mysterious light, footsteps from unseen people, the apparition of a man, and cigar smoke. Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado - This old hotel was built in the early 1900's by F.O. Stanley, who created the Stanley Steam Engine -- a steam powered horseless carriage. The majestic Georgian style hotel opened in 1909, catering to the rich and famous. In addition to its regular guests, the hotel is also said to play host to a number of other worldly visitors. The most notable is F.O. Stanley himself who is most often seen in the lobby and the Billiard Room, which was his favorite room when he was still alive. Not to be left out, his wife, Flora Stanley also haunts the hotel, continuing to entertain guests with her piano playing in the ballroom. Employees and guests have reported hearing music coming from the room, and when they take a peek in there, they can see the piano keys moving. However, as soon as someone walks across the thresh-hold to investigate further, the music stops and no more movement can be seen upon the keys of the piano. There are tales of other ghosts as well including that of a small child, who reportedly Stephen King saw when he stayed at the hotel and wrote The Shining. Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Louisville, Kentucky - The Waverly Hills Sanatorium opened in 1910 as a two-story hospital to accommodate 40 to 50 tuberculosis patients. Though considered the best site at the time for treating the disease, the procedures were primitive, doctors experimented, and used illegal drugs. Tuberculosis sometimes ravaged the mind, causing patients to go insane. More than 6,000 patients died during the time that the Sanatorium was open. It closed in 1962. Currently, there are plans to turn the historic building into a hotel even though it is said to be one of the most haunted hospitals in the United States. Visitors experience cold spots, disembodied voices, and ghosts roaming the halls. The spirit of a little girl has been seen on the third floor solarium playing hide and seek with visitors, a small boy has been spied playing with a ball, and an old woman has shown herself  running from the front door with her wrists bleeding screaming: “Help me. Somebody save me!”  Other phenomenon includes rooms lighting up when there is no power in the building, doors slamming of their own accord, cries and screams, and at least one report of a ghostly hearse driving up to drop off coffins. Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado - This old hotel was built in the early 1900's by F.O. Stanley, who created the Stanley Steam Engine -- a steam powered horseless carriage. The majestic Georgian style hotel opened in 1909, catering to the rich and famous. In addition to its regular guests, the hotel is also said to play host to a number of other worldly visitors. The most notable is F.O. Stanley himself who is most often seen in the lobby and the Billiard Room, which was his favorite room when he was still alive. Not to be left out, his wife, Flora Stanley also haunts the hotel, continuing to entertain guests with her piano playing in the ballroom. Employees and guests have reported hearing music coming from the room, and when they take a peek in there, they can see the piano keys moving. However, as soon as someone walks across the thresh-hold to investigate further, the music stops and no more movement can be seen upon the keys of the piano. There are tales of other ghosts as well including that of a small child, who reportedly Stephen King saw when he stayed at the hotel and wrote The Shining. Winchester Mansion, San Jose, California - The Winchester Mystery House is a well-known California mansion that was under construction continuously for 38 years, and is reported to be very haunted. It once was the personal residence of Sarah Winchester, the widow of gun magnate William Wirt Winchester, but is now a tourist attraction. An extravagant maze of Victorian craftsmanship, visitors can wander through 110 of the 160 rooms of this Victorian mansion, designed and built by the Winchester Rifle heiress Sarah Winchester. Under Winchester's day-to-day guidance, its "from-the-ground-up" construction proceeded around-the-clock, without interruption, from 1884 until her death on September 5, 1922, at which time work immediately ceased. Over the years numerous strange events have been reported such as ghostly footsteps, banging doors, mysterious voices, cold spots, and Sarah Winchester herself, has been spied many times.