The Upper Ohio Valley is most popular with paranormal investigators for a plethora of reasons because of its long history that dates back all the way to the white man’s land war against Native Americans in the late 1700s.
Some of our graveyards supply proof of interments from more than two centuries ago, and old hospitals, prisons, homes, office buildings, and theatres are said to be where souls have stuck instead of crossing over. Tammy L. Gross, a resident of Bridgeport, is one of those enthusiasts, and she created the Facebook page, “Whispered Tales of the Ohio Valley” in August 2009. More than 9,000 Facebook users have “liked” the Timeline thus far.
“I think we do have a lot of the whispered tales, and I’m trying to find them all,” Gross said. “The haunting tales are usually from stories of sorrow, tragedy and violence, things like murders in our train tunnels, and the murder of young Louisa Fox in Egypt Valley. Just the haunting of Louisa no doubt has caused more stories to come about in that area. The area is so secluded and carries its own ghostly memory of a town that once was.
“The “White Lady” in Week’s Cemetery in Sunset Heights who died as a young mother with a broken heart,” she said. “We had many hospitals with so much suffering and sorrow in those places. No wonder things seem to happen.”
Gross also cited the fact that hundreds of dead have been uprooted from their rightful resting places to make way for alleged progress, including the Peninsula Cemetery that was split during the construction of Interstate 70 in Wheeling.
“And some of our local cemeteries have been relocated in disgraceful ways. If I were one of those spirits, I’d be unsettled, as well,” Gross said. “Other tales I believe are simply from creative imaginations, some as pranks, and some just a story that was carried on to others. Young people used to love to party in cemeteries. No doubt that helped fuel the stories.”
Graveyard Monuments
Many, many years ago it appears there was a practice of commissioning elaborate gravesite markers in cemeteries in the Northern Panhandle and in East Ohio for lost loved ones of all ages. Statues, sculptures, and religious monuments have become sightseeing attractions, and that includes one in the Scotch Ridge Cemetery outside of Martins Ferry.
Gross, in fact, featured “The Chair” her “Whispers” page this week.
“It is a monument for Thomas Mitchell and his wife, Jane Ann, and it seems there were other family members as well but I’m unsure. Thomas died in 1876,” she explained. “The monument has the look of a wooden chair with a cloak of sorts draped on the back of it. On the seat, which is worn from time and elements, is a scroll that had the Biblical scripture from I Samuel 20:18; ‘Thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.’ It took me years to find out what the inscription actually was.
“It was my understanding for a very long time that it was actually a curse. The way I heard it, if you sit upon the chair, you will die in 24 hours; if you survive that long, you will die in 24 days. If you make it that long, you will die in 24 weeks,” Gross said. “One of the oldest stories I heard was a farmer’s wife who sat in the chair and was found hanging in the barn the next day. Another, was a Vietnam solider who sat in the chair and died in battle 24 weeks later. I first heard about it in high school after a tragic car accident, and it claimed the lives of two young people.”
The legend of “The Chair” is one Gross and most young people in the valley heard about sooner than later, and the dare was challenged by the brave fairly frequently.
“Kids would say, ‘They sat in The Chair,’ and when life brought about unfortunate tragedies, ‘The Chair would be blamed,’” she said. “I’ve been to the cemetery and ‘The Chair’ many times, but I don’t dare touch it. Although I doubt the curse is true, why risk it? I want to mention that the cemetery is heavily watched and even has a camera. Always be respectful in any cemetery and please do not sit on that chair simply out of respect and risk of damaging the monument and perhaps yourself.”
The Stories to Tell
The goal when Gross created the “Whispers” Facebook page 11 years ago was to collect more than she knew about so she could compose a book on her research. The prevalence of paranormal activity also has attracted amateur and professional investigators to places like the former W.Va. Pen in Moundsville, the Capitol Theatre in downtown Wheeling, and to resident and commercial properties where brutal murders have taken place.
Gross wants to know about all of them, too.
“My first intention was to create a page where I could gather local experiences and stories. I hope to finish my book someday,” she said. “Unfortunately, life gets in the way, and that hasn’t become a reality. I do enjoy sharing what I’ve found and as a photographer, I love visiting these places and photographing them.
“I think the stories about deaths that happened suddenly and/or violently are more believable. The energy that is released is powerful and could be playing over and over like a recording. That’s what is known as a residual haunting,” Gross explained. “Also, it seems there would be much unfinished business for these spirits, or maybe they don’t even realize they’re dead because of how quickly it happened.”
She doesn’t believe every story, though, and that’s because some tales seem too tall, but also because of sheer science.
“I am a believer in the paranormal, but I’m very skeptical sometimes. I don’t think it’s always spirits but could be a residual energy,” Gross explained. “Even powerlines can cause what seem like paranormal energy. Over the years I’ve learned many things, mainly anomalies with photography. There are many reasonable explanations for what may seem paranormal.
“Many people dislike this about me because they don’t want to hear things like their ghost pic is nothing but lens flare and their spirit orbs are things like dust. It’s so important to rule out reasonable explanations because then you may actually have something,” she added. “If you want to be taken seriously, you have to think things out and not just take everything as paranormal. But I also believe, because of my own personal experiences, that there things that cannot be reasonably explained.”
(Photos by Tammy L. Gross)
