Photo: Frank Searle

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PARANORMAL NEWS: Nessie Photos, Haunted Bar, Bigfoot and UFOs originally appeared on About.com Paranormal Phenomena on Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at 21:32:01.

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Since becoming a permanent settlement back in 1876, Flagstaff has evolved into a town rich with history and paranormal activity.

Originally a trading location, Flagstaff slowly grew into an urban center over time. Within thirty years of being established, the city was home to many hotels and schools, including NAU, which are still in existence. Over time, supernatural manifestations started contributing to the town’s rich history.

Kristen Kuykendall, a desk clerk at the Hotel Monte Vista, said the majority of ghosts are just desperate for attention.

“Whatever is here is trapped and bored,” Kuykendall said. “They just want to be acknowledged.”

Established in 1927, the Monte Vista is well-known not only for the many celebrities who have stayed there over the years, but for its ghost tales.

In room 306, for example, two prostitutes were murdered back when San Francisco St. was the red-light district of Flagstaff. Since then, men claim to wake up in the middle of the night frozen in place by spirits from the beyond.

Kuykendall herself has experienced weird happenings in the hotel.

“It was about 3:45 in the morning and I was making rounds upstairs when I was walking down the hall of the third floor and heard live piano music,” Kuykendall said. “There are no pianos in this building. I stopped and listened, and then it stopped playing.”

A few blocks west, another hotel is filled with the supernatural.

The Weatherford hotel, built in 1897, accommodated a honeymoon couple. The tale goes that the husband, having left the hotel during a blizzard, died on the streets. Thinking her new spouse had abandoned her, the wife hung herself in the room.

Matt Bial, the general manager of the Weatherford, said the couple has frightened patrons out of room 54.

“The guests came back and told me they did not get much sleep the night before,” Bial said. “They said they woke up and there was a couple having a conversation at the end of their bed. They went and slept in their car that night.”

Downtown Flagstaff is not the only area home to these spirits.

Surrounded by three graveyards, NAU provides many different cases of paranormal activity, primarily throughout the dormitories.

Jeanine Rashbaum, a junior microbiology major and orientation leader, said the most well loved legend involves Morton Hall.

“During World War II, there was a girl staying in Morton named Kathy,” Rashbaum said. “She fell in like with a sailor, but he died at war. When winter break started, everyone went home, but she stayed and hung herself.”

Morton was closed temporarily following the incident. When it reopened, weird events started taking place. Girls found themselves locked in the bathroom, which continues to this day.

“Kathy likes to play tricks,” Rashbaum said. “If you say, ‘Kathy, can you please let me out?’ she will let you out.”

On the opposite end of campus is McConnell Hall, originally crafted by an insane architect. Supposedly built so each room receives approximately six minutes of sunlight throughout the day, McConnell is shaped like a biohazard sign from an aerial view.

“He just wanted a building with that much light,” Rashbaum said. “There is a rumor that one room does not get the six minutes [the architect] wanted, so he went in there and killed himself.”

Though he lives in a town harboring these horrifying tales, Bial said the majority of ghouls are merely seeking their place in history.

“It is like their small space in time,” Bial said. “They have been able to seal that moment in the timeline of life.”
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HOTEL MONTE VISTA HISTORY

When tourism was on the rise during mid 1920’s local residents agreed that Flagstaff needed first-class accommodations. Existing hotels were ancient and outmoded. Fundraising started in April of 1926, and within one month investments of prominent citizens and funds donated by the novelist Zane Grey, totaled approximately $200,000. Ground was broken on June 8.

Construction plans tied the 1917-1927 Post Office and incorporated the existing structure that housed The Coconino Sun, which is now the Monte Vista Cocktail Lounge, together with the hotel. The tallest building in Flagstaff, the 73 room hotel, originally named the Community Hotel opened on New Years Day, January 1, 1927. The hotel was then renamed by a contest winner, a 12 year ancient school-girl, who entered The Monte Vista Hotel. The Monte Vista continued on to be the longest publicly held commercial property in America until it was sold to a private individual in the early 1960’s, and continues to be the longest lived operational hotel in Flagstaff. Listed on the U.S. Registrar of Historic Places.
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HOTEL WEATHERFORD HISTORY

The first mention of Texas-born John W. Weatherford in Flagstaff’s newspaper of the time, The Coconino Sun, describes the young deputy riding into town. He was coming here to dispel rumors of killing among the posse that had been trying to settle the Tonto Basin Graham-Tewkesbury feud, which was later immortalized in Zane Grey’s To the Last Man. Arizona is a territory in the Wild West. The Aztec Cattle Company, the Hashknife outfit, has just about finished moving 33,000 longhorn into the region, with cattle rustlers in their dust. Denis Mathew Riordan — Indian agent, lumberman, railroader, and philanthropist — has just bought the Ayer Lumber Company. Timber, cattle, and the railroad rule the economic landscape. It is 1887 and Flagstaff is an island of commerce and culture in this changing land. The AT&SF railroad workers had already brought the rail to Flagstaff on on their way to California and San Diego.

In 1896 and 1897, fires plagued the city. Ordinances were enacted requiring any new construction to be of brick or stone. In 1898, Weatherford is granted permission to “construct a brick or stone business block on the southwest corner of Leroux Street and Aspen Avenue and … a sidewalk along the south side of Aspen Avenue from Leroux to Beaver Street.” In the late 1890s, Flagstaff streets were unpaved. They were dusty in the summer and muddy in the spring. Constructing sidewalks — a community upgrade — helped grease the wheels of city paperwork.

By April, they dug out the basement. Construction for the main dining room of Charly’s restaurant broke ground in February 1899. On January 1, 1900, the $10,000 Hotel Weatherford opened its doors to the public. It was the largest and best; according to The Coconino Sun, “There is no finer hotel in the whole southwest.” Of Weatherford they say, “He is careful of the interests of his guests and every comfort obtainable is afforded them.”

Sources:
www.hotelmontevista.com/
www.weatherfordhotel.com/

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Video image © 2009 by Alison Kruse

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PARANORMAL NEWS: Jackson’s Ghost, Mystery Lightbeams, Haunted Theater originally appeared on About.com Paranormal Phenomena on Saturday, November 28th, 2009 at 16:39:16.

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11alive – The Marietta History Museum sits off the square along a set of railroad tracks, during the civil war the building was used as a hospital and morgue for Confederate and Union armies. It’s where The Fantastic Locomotive Chase started and now has exhibits from many eras of history. Some of the artifacts date back to the 1700s.

A team from Paranormal Georgia was brought in to investigate what other parts of history may still be around. “I’ve seen someone standing next to me, I’ve smelled cigar smoke, I’ve heard footsteps when no one else was in the building,” says museum founder Dan Cox.

Paranormal Georgia wanted to see if they could document any of those claims. “We always go into an a place cold,” says investigator Bob Sturgess, “and with an opened mind.”

The team set up cameras, recorders and special devices that pick up electromagnetic fields. It’s believed when a spirit is present, it disrupts the electromagnetic field.

The group walked through the building for several hours asking sometimes, “Is anyone here with us.” One investigator questioned “are you a Union sympathizer?” No answer, but the group recorded several hours of audio and video that they’re stilling going through. We’ll let you know what they find.

Whatever spirits still reside at the museum “don’t feel evil or cold,” said Cox. “I’ve never been slimed like you see in Hollywood.”
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THE KENNESAW HOUSE GHOSTS

Marietta, a town steeped in Civil War history, with several ancient buildings still intact and occupied, its not hard to find ghost tales. Joni Goodin, founder of Ghosts of Marietta, a walking ghost tour, collected the tales and now takes people on a 90-minute jaunt through the haunted places in town. She tells tales of a ghost dog in a local cemetery, a grieving sister and a mysterious fireman.

“The Kennesaw House is pretty fascinating. Some claim there are 700 ghosts there since it was once a Confederate hospital and morgue,” said Goodin.

The house was built in 1844, and in 1855, the Fletcher family added on a bed and breakfast. They had three daughters, and it’s believed that one of the daughters could still be there, according to Goodin.

“I’m not sure why. But they did live through the Civil War, a terrible time of tension and death. The Fletchers were Unionists, and it was really a period when families were being ripped apart and women were being left alone,” she said.

Dan Cox, founder of the Marietta History Museum in the Kennesaw House, said he has many pictures of ghosts. “I’ve heard and seen all types of stuff. When I get here at 6 a.m., I hear footsteps. But I don’t really believe in that stuff; it’s just the imagination,” he said with a laugh.

HISTORY AND RENOVATION

Built as a cotton warehouse by John Glover in 1845, the Kennesaw House is one of Marietta’s oldest buildings. Dix Fletcher bought the warehouse in 1855, and after remodeling it, opened the Fletcher House Hotel in its place. During the early years of the Civil War, the hotel was used as a Confederate hospital and a morgue. In addition, Andrews’ Raiders stayed in a second floor room on the evening prior to their theft of the steam engine, “The General.”

As the war was nearing its end in July of 1864, the Union Army took over the building, and when General Sherman came through town on his “March to the Sea,” he did not burn the Fletcher House. Sherman spared the hotel because Dix Fletcher was a Mason and because his son-in-law, Henry Cole, was a Yankee spy. But, the fourth floor did catch fire as ashes from other burning buildings blew onto the roof, and the fourth floor was not rebuilt.

After repairs to the Fletcher House were completed in 1867, Dix Fletcher reopened the hotel, and renamed it the Kennesaw House. The Kennesaw House remained a hotel until the 1920s, when the first floor was converted to retail shops, leaving the hotel on the second and third floors.

In 1979, the building was gutted, and converted into an office complex. Various businesses and restaurants occupied the building for the next 14 years, until the Downtown Marietta Development Authority bought the building. Then, under the direction of Marietta City Councilman Dan Cox, the second and third floors were completely renovated to house the Marietta Museum of History on the second floor and offices on the third.

The Marietta Museum of History officially opened to the public on January 13, 1996, with two galleries, an Executive Director, and volunteer staff. Today, the museum occupies the second and third floors of the Kennesaw House. The museum has expanded to four galleries and has a full time staff, a Board of Directors and a large number of volunteers.

Source:
http://www.mariettahistory.org
http://www.ghosttocoast.us

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Photo: NASA

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PARANORMAL NEWS: Michael Jackson’s Ghost, Moon Tunnel, Haunted Jail originally appeared on About.com Paranormal Phenomena on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 09:12:06.

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stamfordadvocate.com – On a cold, drizzly evening last Sunday, in the upstairs dining room of Naugatuck’s Milestone Inn, a group of ghost hunters gathered in hopes of channeling the spirits of the historic restaurant, a centuries-ancient building reputed for its mysterious hauntings.

“Our focus tonight is to see if there are any spirits who want to communicate with us or give us a nonharmful sign,” said Donna Kent, seated at the head of a candlelit table. “We want to open a doorway to the spirits that may be residents of the Milestone Inn.”

With video cameras and audio recorders rolling, members of the group went around the table, asking questions of the purported presence. What year is it for you? Do you need help moving on? Do you have any connections to the Revolutionary War?

“Can you let us know if you are here?” questioned Brendan Logan, an Orange resident. “We would appreciate any sign of your presence.”

The Cosmic Society of Paranormal Investigation, as the group calls itself, has been tracking ghosts for nearly 16 years. And though it may sound like a fringe community, the CSPI isn’t alone. Since the establishment of the New England Society for Psychic Research by Ed and Lorraine Warren in 1952, several groups have cropped up in southwestern Connecticut, signaling a ballooning interest in the realm of the paranormal.

Armed with night-shot cameras, electromagnetic field detectors, voice recorders and infrared thermometers, they scour public places and private residences, listening for voices and footsteps and looking for orbs and apparitions — all signs of spirits that have yet to depart our world.

Kent, founder of the CSPI and author of “Ghost Tales and Legends of Southwestern Connecticut,” claims to have helped dozens of families purge their homes of ghosts ranging from the pesky to the demonic.

“It’s been a lifelong fascination,” said Kent, Norwalk native now residing in Norwalk. “We help spirits cross over to the other side and find their rightful place … I reckon it works out for everybody. And it’s pretty damn exciting.”

John Nowinski, who launched the Smoking Guns Research Agency as a student at Staples High School in Westport, has always been fascinated by the region’s “historical hauntings” — Native Americans, colonial soldiers and “ghost ships” sighted off the coast of Long Island Sound.

“We have such a rich and varied history here,” said Nowinski. “So much has happened and things have changed so rapidly. There are a lot of lingering presences.”

On their last visit to the Milestone, the CSPI had collected anecdotes from restaurant staff who had seen and heard unusual phenomena — lights flicking on and off by themselves, sounds of chopping from an empty kitchen. Then there was the tree limb that fell unexpectedly on the building after their August visit. But the group has yet to obtain first-hand evidence and like any seasoned paranormal investigator, Kent remained cautious.

“I have heard tales, but we can’t say if (the Milestone) is validly haunted,” she said. “I’m not disputing the evidence, but we need to do a more thorough investigation first.”
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Published 8/19/09

Some Question If Ghosts Toppled Tree

wfsb.com – A Naugatuck restaurant reopened Friday, a day after a tree came crashing down onto the historic building.

Milestone Inn bartender Wendy Fayre said she was getting ready for the lunch rush on Wednesday afternoon when a 40-foot-long, 3-foot-thick tree limb smashed into the side of the restaurant, damaging the roof and pulling the building’s porch off.

“It was sunny, it wasn’t raining or anything, it came without warning,” said Fayre.

The Milestone Inn is one of the oldest buildings in the town and according to some residents, it’s haunted.

“Through the years, we’ve had psychics tell us there are two ghosts – a man and a woman,” said Richard Mavericz, the inn’s owner.

Mavericz has owned the inn for the past 26 years. He said the building was constructed in 1870 and during the Revolutionary War, pro-British supporters were hidden on the top floor to avoid being lynched.

“You can question the employees. At least once a week things got went around, we don’t even know how. Some of the stuff you can’t reach,” he said.

The building did sustain significant hurt on the upper level, but no one was hurt.

Mavericz is questioning what would cause a perfectly healthy tree to topple on the historic inn.

“They just go stuff around, maybe it was the tree branch. I don’t know, maybe they’re really mad. It could be the economy,” Mavericz said.

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