It is unknown how long human beings have inhabited the Northern Panhandle and East Ohio areas, but it is certain much death has taken place throughout the Upper Ohio Valley for centuries.
Entire plots of partial cemeteries have been gutted and moved through the years, and other resting places have become grown over and forgotten. Grave markers on both sides of the Ohio River reveal many years full of history, and some believe some of those souls have remained behind.
Wheeling resident Jordan Cline, host of the “Fireside Paranormal” podcast each Monday evening from 6-7 p.m., conducts interviews and entertains conversations concerning the hunt for paranormal activity in the region.
“The Ohio Valley is unique for sure. We have so much history,” he explained. “We have ancient Native American burial grounds, and right across the street from that we have one of the most haunted locations in the United States, the old West Virginia State Pen. It is also said that this area is on a Ley Lines, which are straight lines drawn between various historic structures and landmarks and are said to be supernatural lines that connect the universe.
“We have old theaters like the Capitol Theater and the Victoria Theater. We have hotels, ripe with history and spooky encounters. We have the Bellaire House, which has been seen all over tv and hosts celebrity investigations,” Cline continued. “We have areas like Egypt Valley that have countless supernatural stories surrounding that whole area. I’m really surprised that the Ohio Valley isn’t booming with paranormal tourism.”
Investigating Possibilities
Ghost stories are most popular in the area during the month of October because the temperatures cool, the length of daylight hours shrink, and haunted houses welcome visitors leading up to Halloween.
While Cline cannot claim a single paranormal experience, he has spoken to several who insist they have during their hunts for haunts.
“And it’s very personal to them. There is definitely a level of vulnerability that comes when you are afraid,” he said. “Especially if you are sharing that with someone else. Depending on what’s going on with them, they could be going days without sleep. There could even be children involved.
“Many stories involve seeing or hearing things that shouldn’t be there, and feelings that they get when they are in certain rooms,” Cline said. “Many of them have nightmares. “
If that is the case, then why not ignore the paranormal possibilities?
“Well, a real, professional investigator is doing it for a frightened family,” Cline reported. “The overall goal is to disprove the ‘haunt’ because it could be old pipes groaning, an old house settling, or it could be bad wiring giving off a little frequency that gives us that eerie feeling. But when they find something that can’t be explained away, that is exciting.
“That is the experience part that keeps them going back, but the main goal is to help people,” he said. “When folks go on an investigation of places like the Moundsville Pen, that isn’t about helping others. That is a good time to hone your skills and enjoy a part of history. It’s even better when it’s an active location.”
Allhallows Eve
Although the costumes worn by children in the Upper Ohio Valley have evolved from ghosts and goblins to princesses and superheroes over the last 40 years, most local residents believe the Wheeling area will be more haunted this weekend than it is any other time of the year.
Halloween, of course, is Sunday, and trick-or-treating will take place in the city of Wheeling from 6:30-7 p.m.
Cline, though, does not believe the stranded spirits carry calendars.
“There are many theories and stories about the ‘veil’ between the living and the dead being thinner than usual this time of year,” the podcast host said. “Yet, many times the thing going bump in the night could care less about what day it is. A ‘haunting’ really doesn’t care about what day of the year it is.
“If it’s what some refer to as ‘residual,’ it just plays out on a loop, and if it’s intelligent, it’s not going to sit around and wait for Halloween,” Cline added. “Another common misconception is that these things only happen at night. Nope, if something is there at night, it’s there during the day as well. Since these problems can occur day or night and at any time of the year, a good paranormal investigation team should be ready whenever there is a need.”
