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| Something Is Out There EVP Is Proof Kim's Blog 2009 Entries
Wednesday, December 30, 2009 These are all images from 2009. It was a great year for Ghosting 12 Paranormal. We are sure that 2010 is going to be even better. Happy New Year to all! We will be looking for you at our 2010 events!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009I watched Paranormal Activity last night. Thankfully I was not alone. It was very scary, to be sure. But not how it really is. Movies and TV take things to the extreme. In this movie it was maximum overload!   Yes, ghosts can turn lights on and off and make them flicker. Yes they can open and close doors and cupboards. Yes, they mess with the TV from time to time. Electricity and water are easy for ghosts to manipulate, in theory. Footsteps are also common and often residual in nature. Having your hair touched or tugged is common also. But not usually all of this in the same place. TAPS would love finding a house like this! I can see Grant sticking his head up in the attic (as he has before! So has Jason.) though I have no clue what they would do if one of them got dragged down the hall by unseen hands. I have never heard of someone getting dragged from their bed and down the hall. It made me think of the movie "Poltergeist", when the ghost hunter talked about a match box car rolling across the floor and he got the whole event on film. The whole event takes like 7 hours he says. That is more like how it is. They seem to like to do things that you don't notice right away or even at all. I like to use the example on an episode of Paranormal State, where they were filming in a bathroom and you see the a glass on the left and handsoap on the right. When the camera pans back to the sink a few seconds later, the glass is on the right and soap on the left. No one noticed until later. That is often how ghosts work. Once she got dragged out of the bedroom, it wasn't as scary for me. I know things like that do not happen. It was a great movie and very exciting, but not real. Not factual. Not possible. As usual, this is only my opinion. What is yours?
It is from Radio Shack- a 12-587. We have been trying to learn as much as possible from YouTube videos that other ghost hunters have been posting. http://www.youtube.com/user/screamfreak79
Here is a link you can follow for Viper Paranormal. Their videos have been very helpful to us. The aluminum foil is their idea to help control the amount of radio signals you receive. However, even they make it seem easier than it really is. For one thing, if you have your ear trained to listen for regular EVP, throw that out. It will not help you with the Ghost Box. You have to listen for one word answers for the most part that sound like regular voices. You also have to take into consideration your location. We chose Gretchen's Lock because it is in a valley and radio signals would be minimal. Perhaps, not enough in fact. We are headed to The Diamond House in East Liverpool again soon and we will use it there to see if we can get anything. We will also have it at Thompson Park on January 9 for the next walk there. We tried in three places down at Gretchen's. First where we found the large stone with the carving on it, by the restroom. Then we went to where the house once was. Sitting at a Picnic table we tried to talk to the little boy who haunts that area. Then we went to the Grist Mill. The best we got so far is getting the color of our coats said at the site of the old house. Mine was red, Cheri's was blue, and Dave's was green. We heard the colors of Red and Blue said over the speaker. Another thing you have to consider is the questions you ask. For example, we asked for the colors of our coats that we had on. We asked for our names to be said. We asked if they knew what Holiday it was. We were looking for current information that was not just random, like yes or no. We recorded every session, but I was having the hardest time because I keep listening for regular EVP. I tune out anything louder than a whisper. It is frustrating and will take some practice. If you are working with the Ghost Box and have any tips, stories, or problems with it, please leave a comment or email me about it. I will be sure to post regularly about our progress with it also. Right now my crew and I are not real happy with it, but we are not giving up on it yet. There may be situations that is works better than others. We won't know until we try. You will see us with it a lot this year.
Saturday, December 26, 2009 I received an email from a nice lady named Angel a few days ago and she said the stone with what I thought might be a Rune (Ancient form of writing often used by Pagans) was not pushed into the well with the house. She said it was over by the rest rooms. And so it was. Dave, Cheri, and I went there today to see if we could find it. We did. I will be calling the Park Rangers on Monday to see what I can find out about this stone.
Saturday, December 26, 2009   Dave got a Ghost Box so we are going to Gretchens today to try it out. Also a nice lady named Vonnettia sent me a picture of the infamous slab of stone that might have a Rune carved on it. She says it is still down there. I am going to look. Look for a story later today about our adventure.
 There are a lot of spirits out there, but the most important one is The Christmas Spirit. It is that magical feeling you get at this time of year that fills you with Hope because there is something good and great and pure and wonderful out there. Many of us do not know what it is, but it is out there. You share it with every smile you give, every handshake, every hug. It is in every gift you give to others and every dollar you donate to those in need. It is not to be missed. Merry Christmas to every one. I hope all your Christmas Dreams come true!
 I am organizing a Ghost Hunters Show at Thompson Park on July 24. It will start at 4pm. I am looking for any ghost hunting groups out there who would like to attend. IT IS FREE. All you need to do is bring a table, and set up your pictures, EVP, equipment, what ever you want to show the public what you and your crew have done in the paranormal world. There will be three different tours of Thompson Park to go on and Ghost Hunting through out the night. If you and your group are interested in attending, please email me and let me know.
 Two of the best times I had this year were the Ghost Walks for Lisbon and East Liverpool. Lisbon was the first time we ever did anything for charity. It worked out very well and we hope to do it again. Lisbon is rich in old stories and has a past in the Underground Railroad. We charged $5 a person and all the proceeds went to Columbiana County Families Of Homicide Victims to help them toward getting their Non Profit Status. East Liverpool had theirs during the Pottery Festival. The Saturday walk was free and had over 60 people attend. East Liverpool is full of the coolest history. Everything from unsolved murders, to Pretty Boy Floyd, to lost cemeteries, to haunted mansions can be found there. If you are interested in having us do a ghost walk as a way to raise  money for your non profit organization, please let me know. We do not charge anything. All proceeds would go to your organization. There is little cost involved. Email me!
Monday, December 14, 2009   By far, one of the best adventures I had this year was finding Lock #39. We walked from Gretchen's lock, #41 and finally found (because that is one heck of a walk!) Lock #40, 39, 38(Vondegreens Lock) and 37(Grey's Lock). Little is known about them or the 5 foundations of homes or businesses that are back there as well. In the books, Lock 39 is referred to as Jake's Lock however. If the story is true that he protects his lock, then I believe #39 is his. It is in beautiful shape(on the left). On the right is Jake's Lock at the Gretchen's Lock section of Beaver Creek State Park.(Lock #42) Ghosting 12 will be doing another tour of the Lock #39 section on April 17, 2010(tentatively).
Sunday, December 13, 2009  The Family Repeat Building in East Liverpool was outstanding. Four floors of dust, shadows, and ghosts. The most interesting occupant of the building was this old piano. Rumor has it that late at night, this piano plays by itself. We did not hear it, but we did explore every inch of this old building.  The Diamond House in East Liverpool was another great adventure. Straight out of a scary movie complete with an old haunted mansion. This is one of the few places I have been actually touched by a ghost. Some one put their hand on my shoulder. It also has what I ended up calling the Pit of Doom. It is pictured at the bottom of the blog. I look forward to a chance to go back in this building in a future investigation.  And finally, the Fairview School investigation. We had more phenomenon happen to us in the three times we were here than at any other location. Knockings, voices, a falling bottle from the ceiling, and a great Halloween group to join us made it one of my most favorites. The Fairview School buildings and The Diamond House are both for sale by the way, in case either interested you.
 Nettie came to the Dec 5 Ghost Walk at Thompson's Park. She has been taking pictures for a little while and the Paranormal intrigues her greatly. A few days later, after visiting her parent's grave in a cemetery not far from her home, she turned and took this picture behind her. She thinks this might be her father following her home to ensure she got there safely. That is such a comforting thought to me. My father would do that for me. I am sure many fathers would if they could. There are a lot of theories about how ghosts can communicate with you. I investigated a house about three years ago in Salem. The lady that lived there bought it from the family of a man named Gerald. He died of cancer in one of the bedrooms in the house. Sandi had experienced several things in her home that made her wonder whether or not she had a ghost. Her husband would see a little old man out of the corner of his eye. She also had experiences with the borrowing phenomenon. One time she put her V8 juice in her fridge and when she went to get it later, it was gone. She asked everyone in the house if they drank and they all said no. Angry and thinking that some one lied about it, she returned to the fridge, only to find the can in there, upside down. We did an EVP session in the kitchen and didn't get anything. But in listening to the recording, I noticed something peculiar. One person asked "Why are you still here?". The very next person asked "Why do you choose to be here?" I think the second question answered the first. Because he chose to be there. So, what am I getting at after all of this? Possibly, a ghost can give you ideas or maybe put thoughts in your head. When I do EVP sessions, I always have every one ask what ever pops into their head for that reason. While the pic above that Nettie sent in might well be her breath, it might just as well be as she thought also. Her father following her home and letting her know it by being in the picture for her to see. We have no way of knowing for sure. Personally, I rather like her idea. What do you think?
 This is one of my most favorite pictures of East Liverpool. While it was taken of the fire that devastated the American Theater in 1950, it is also a record of the buildings that are long gone. You can see the old High School, The Ceramic Theater, the bus station, and many others. East Liverpool just does not look the same. Even the American Theater is long gone. Like the Ceramic Theater, there is a parking lot now where both theaters once stood. Don't get me started.
 Frigidly cold adequately describes the temperature at tonight's ghost tour of Thompson Park. EVP was good because there are no longer any bug noises to deal with. But the cold is not exactly a good trade off.  Sammi, in the red, is being dropped off by her mom after the East Liverpool Christmas Parade. That is my Ghost Hunting Cheerleader!   Above is Will, Jamie, Nettie, and Amy Hissom, Thompson Park Entertainment Coordinator and Web Site Designer. It was her idea for me to start the Ghost Walks at Thompson. Best piece if advice I ever accepted. Seven people braved the cold besides my crew.  In Pavilion #1 we stood in the little room off to the front and did an EVP. During the session, there was, first a tap and then a loud slam on the picnic tables. Then we got this really great picture of what may be an apparition of a young girl above us, to the right. She did talk to us tonight to let us know it was not her who made the loud bang sound. We are not sure what her name is, though she has said she is 7 years old. Who she is and why she would haunt the park is a mystery, but Amy and I are determined to track down some of the park history in the coming year. There just isn't much that was kept. This picture is not as good as the pic we got in June, but it isn't bad either. If you are a ghost hunter and want to investigate a new place, check out Thompson Park. Just go around the circle and see what you can find. Something is there, of that I am certain.
     For anyone who has any experience at Gretchen's Lock, you will recognize this as the old house that once graced the park. I would call your attention, however, to the slab of stone in the far right pic that lies closest to the road. On that slab of stone was the circle carving above. I often wondered what that might be. One possibility is called a Rune, an ancient symbol or form of writing. They first appeared some 1500 years ago in Europe. As Christianity took hold, the runic alphabet became reviled as a pagan practice, and eventually was little seen. The word "rune" comes from an Anglo Saxon word meaning secret or mystery. It was also used by the Vikings. As near as I can guess, this symbol on the stone above could mean comfort, joy, or glory on one hand (WUNJO, W). But if it is a different letter (URUZ, U), then it could mean strength, speed, or good health. All are positive things. I have also considered the possibility that it might be Native American, though from what I have seen, those symbols are far more complicated. Sadly, there is no way to study it. I think they pushed it into the well along with the rest of the house. I didn't know anything about Runes at the time, or maybe I could have told someone and it might have been saved. As it is, I at least have the pics I took of it. If you know what this might be, if anything, please email me or leave a comment!
 In getting ready for the Indiana trip, I found all these pics of me. I have been in a lot of places! I guess that would be true since I have been doing this now for 6 years.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009   The ghost of the Grey Lady was first seen in the late 1930's by a custodian. Since then she has been seen numerous times within Willard Library. It is believed by many to be haunted by this woman, Louise Carpenter. She is the daughter of Willard Carpenter, the man who built it. Willard Carpenter was a business man who originally wanted to start Willard College. The funds for such an enterprise were not available (to make a long story short) so he followed another suggestion and started Willard Library instead. The problem came when Mr. Carpenter left most of his estate to the library and not his daughter, Louise. She sued but lost. It is now believed that Louise holds a grudge against the library and haunts it to this day. Some of the haunting occurrences in the building include:
- Water turned on and off by itself
- Smell of perfume
- Feeling cold
- Strange Noises
- Books and furniture found moved
- The touching of hair and earrings
- Odd items found in the library that should not be there
TAPS investigated the building a few years ago, but did not find any evidence of her. Web cams have been put up in the library in various places for you to ghost hunt from home. Here is a link: http://willardghost.com/index.php?content=ghostcams I am greatly looking forward to going there next week. Look for an article about it all December 3 or 4. Article Comments From Kim's Blog: Post a Comment On: Something is out there........
The plot thickens in the Moundsville Prison Tour adventure. It would seem there is Night Tours of the institution, which is what I described, and then Ghost Hunts, which is more like what I thought it was, except the price. Hmm. So, if we want to have from 8pm to 6am to hunt ghosts, it is $60 a person. It does include the 90 minute tour, but that still gives several hours to look for ghosts in every nook and cranny. You also get pizza and drinks. The night tour is from 12am to 6am and costs $600 for up to 20 people. No refreshments unless you bring your own and you only get about 4 hours to poke around a little. I am so glad I started planning this now. I honestly didn't know they had the different packages. We will be doing one of the two of these. Here is a better description:
Package A: A Night Tour that costs $600 for up to 20 people. This breaks down to $30 per person. It starts at 12am and ends at 6am. After a 90 minute tour, you have the rest of the night to explore the prison. You have to bring your own food and drink.
Package B: A Ghost Hunt that costs a flat rate of $60 per person. You check in at 8pm, and stay until 6am. This includes Pizza and drinks. There is also a 90 minute tour but then you have the rest of the night to check the place out.
I need to know every one's interest by January because that is when you can start booking your time. If we want a good time, that is when I am doing it. I am going for May or June. Email me!
Oh, and whoever Anonymous is, once again, THANK YOU!!!
I have been trying to get all the details for the Moundsville Night Tours and to my horror they have changed it. It was $500 for a night from 11pm to 5am. Now it is $600 for up to 20 people only from midnight to 6am. 90 minutes of that time is a tour of the place first. So for $600 you get 4 1/2 hours to investigate. And with a limit of 20 people, the cost will be $30 per person. Also, they used to provide pizza and drinks, but you now have to bring your own food and drinks. I included the web site with all of this information. If you are still interested, let me know. I am wondering however if 4 1/2 hours is worth $6oo. Give me your thoughts. http://www.wvpentours.com/
Thursday, November 19, 2009   I do not know what happens when we die. No one really knows. The same goes for when our beloved pets leave us. I have lost some great friends over the years in the form of Dogs. In my opinion, there is no better friend in the world than a dog. I have heard stories of people who lost their pets and see them a week later, perhaps out of the corner of their eye, or hear them padding down the hallway, or just feel their precious presence around them. Back in May, I think it was, Dave was at Riverview Cemetery taking pictures and happened to get this one. If you look at the orb hovering near the grave stones in the middle, you might notice the face of a dog in it. A happy, panting dog that perhaps is either looking for his loved one or maybe found him and watches over him. I love this picture for that reason. It is reassuring to me to know that perhaps, somewhere out there is the loved and missed spirit of one of my dearest friends that I can't see any more. Maybe when I pass on they will be waiting for me. This picture gives me hope.
 We went to Jordanville Cemetery on Sunday because we had heard that they were working on it. This is what greeted us. This hill is something to climb, let me tell you!  Right away I noticed some missing trees and roads that weren't there before.  The grave stones are still piled up around the trees, though some of the trees they are piled around are cut down now.  They found several other grave stones up in the woods that no one knew about. I wish they were a little more respectful toward them though. I can't imagine how they are going to put it all back together. I am sure they know what they are doing but it seems like a huge task.  Here is the little bulldozer they have up there, dragging down trees from the woods that they cut down. It still seems so lonely up there.  Some of the stones are in amazing shape for being 200 years old. I am happy that they are fixing this historic old cemetery. Now, if I could just get them to look at the little German Cemetery right there in Lisbon on Chestnut Street.......
 Jordan Cemetery is about 200 years old. It sits on a hill overlooking Lisbon, Ohio from across the creek. It sat for many years is complete loss. As you can see, many of the cemetery stones are piled up around several trees, several layers thick.  As the renovations continue in an effort to recover this little cemetery, they are finding it isn't so little. This large table tomb or possibly chest tomb was recently discovered. Over half of it is broken beyond repair. It is in hundreds of pieces. The damage was done long ago, as the moss growing on whats left of it proves. But hidden in the underbrush for so many years, no one knew.  The grave site of John Watson is still piled high with other grave stones around it. He died in 1815 and the stone is as easy to read as when it was put there, nearly 200 years ago. Where are they all buried? Is there a record that still exists to say?  Worst of all, many of these stone are broken as well. This stone says "she was a wife, a mother, and a friend and a professer of religion" Who was she? The name is long gone. Perhaps the other pieces of this stone will be found piled around a tree.  Beautifully carved stones are also scattered about. A puzzle building master will have to be employed to put this little cemetery together properly.  The question is, do they plan on doing that? Are they going to keep the historical integrity of this little cemetery and at least try to fit some of the pieces together? It will be a challenge, to be sure.  This is a piece of a foot stone that might not be too hard to match up with the headstone if no one else has these initials.  I hope we get to see what they might have looked like all together. They lasted this long, this one being 201 years old.  If you click on this picture you will find the remnants of a poem. Where is the rest of it? I truly hope that we get to find out.
 This is a picture I took at Gretchen's Lock of Jake's Lock in 2007. There is a big splash of purple on the right side that is caused by the sunny day and the glare from the snow. The sun can cause a lot of anomalies in your pics.  This is Bowman's in early 2008. Here you see a wide spectrum of color. Makes for a beautiful picture.  These two pics were sent in by Cheri. She knows the green orb in the right is from the sun. What she questions is the purple spot in the center. (click on the pics to make them larger to see better.)Is this also generated by the sun? She changes her position slightly so the spot seems to move, but I don't think so. Is this a sun spot? My interest is peaked and we plan to go out there for an investigation soon. Hopefully Cheri can go with us and we can track down the reason for the purple spot. Thank you Cheri for sending in the pictures. Cheri is also Dave's daughter. She went with us to the Fairview School Investigation. She is very interested in the paranormal and has taken some great pics. I look forward to working with her more in the future.
Monday, November 16, 2009
 One of the most interesting cemeteries in Columbiana County is the Lisbon Cemetery. There are so many stories told by the stones there. If you have any  knowledge of Lisbon's history, you would recognize several of the names inscribed along the rows.  There are signs that indicate the  presence of the Masons. The grave site of George McCook, father of the Fighting McCooks (Dan and John) is located where the table top grave stones are in the picture above.  I went for only an hour and ended up staying nearly three. The cemetery is large, but I spent my time mainly in Section 2, the oldest part.  Many of the stones are so weathered you can't read the names inscribed on them.   And there is this beautiful old willow tree that looks like exactly the kind of tree you would find in a spooky old grave yard. I loved it. 
There were a lot of broken stones. This part of the cemetery was a little creepy. By the time I reached this part I was sad and kept getting the strong feeling to leave. Mike and I did in fact leave for a while to other parts, looking for Euastice Eells. Didn't find it. That is for another investigation. If cemeteries are some place you enjoy to take a walk through, then Lisbon Cemetery is one you will want to visit.
Friday, November 13, 2009   I have been loading my new computer with pics from my old computer. I discovered I have a lot pictures. I feel lucky to have so many of the old house at Gretchen's. I miss it. It added extra mystery to the area. The center window on the second floor was covered with plywood, but the face of a boy would sometimes appear in a pic, like the one above.  There was an old well right beside the front porch that was covered with a big rock. I stuck my camera in one day and took the well picture. When they tore down the house, a lot of it was put in the well and covered up, forever.    The hole in the window and side of the house has a lot of rumors to it about how it happened. Vandals are my guess, but some one also said the park service put the hole in the side of the building to see how strong it was.(though that sounds like a really stupid thing to do so I doubt it). It was one of the deciding factors of whether to restore it or not. One look inside the hole and you noticed the floor collapsed. Bummer. I would like to have gone in once.  The only thing remaining of it is that big slab of cement. It was part of the cooling system they had in the basement. Or so I am told. They apparently used running water through the basement to keep things cool. Another story I heard concerned a former owner in years gone by that used to catch fish in the creek and sell it on the big porch that once graced the house.
Either way, the house is greatly missed by any one who had the chance to experience it's awesome presence in the park. We can only guess what secrets were taken with it.
Thursday, November 12, 2009  At 12:30 last night, we were outside, walking up to my brothers and noticed a strange set of lights in the sky. It seemed to be hovering over the Shippingport area. We watched this light not move for more than two hours. It was not an airplane or a helicopter. It didn't move.  What is it? It had green, red, and blue blinking lights on it. In the top picture you can make out the lights. Have you seen anything like this in the sky at night? Are we looking at a star or a planet or something else? Give my your thoughts.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009  Here is Will's pic, as sent to me by another reader who tried to make it easier to see. John said he thinks this is a strange picture. I agree. Thanks John for the better view!
  One of the many people that I have met this year on all the tours we did was at the Thompson Park Ghost Walk on Saturday. His name is Will (pictured on the right). He took this picture. He said he initially ignored it as dust until he noticed the orb that is to the far left. A closer look reveals a possible apparition. This was taken at the Amphitheater on the circle. Is this the Blue Lady come to check us out? Have a closer look and let me know what you think. Will could be the first person to get a picture of the Blue Lady!
 I am glad it is over. I am all about research and discovery. The tours are fun, but the best part for me is finding out about all of it to begin with. Thank you to The Morning Journal and The East Liverpool Review for running the stories about Ghosting 12 Paranormal. We had the Lisbon Ghost Walk to benefit Columbiana County Families Of Homicide Victims on Sept 27. 100% of the proceeds went to this organization to help them get their non profit status. With out those articles, we would not have gotten the opportunities that have opened up for us. If you haven't seen the articles, they are listed on our new web site: http://www.ghosting12paranormal.com/Our new opportunities include another school to investigate in our future, at least three new areas to tour, an out of state adventure by invitation, and 9 private investigations. If you are interested in an investigation in your area or a possible tour of your hometown, please let me know. Especially if it is in Columbiana County!
P.S. If you haven't noticed, our shirts say Ghost 12 Paranormal. It was a printing error, but I think that everything happens for a reason, so we left our first shirt this way. We have been blessed in more ways than one because of this. Future shirts will say Ghosting 12, but that is the future.
 One of the older cemeteries in the area is the Jackman Cemetery, off of Rt 170 going toward Fredericktown. As I search for the history of Fredericktown, I stumbled across the story of this little graveyard and thought it interesting. It is only a little larger than Bowman's, though not as eerie.  This group of head stones are the oldest, easily found by the presence of foot stones. Set up like a bed almost, the head stone is where the head is and the foot stone is where the feet are. It was done for only a short period of time, in general around the mid 1800's. All four of these stones have one and look like something out of an old movie. The stone I was looking for was that of Joseph Stockdale, who died in 1847. He was the first person buried on this property.  It turned out to be the third one over. He died on March 17, 1847. The property was not bought until July 15, 1847 by John Jackman and two other trustees of the Fredericktown Christian Baptist Church. They paid only $25 for one acre of ground for the use of the cemetery. It is said that the first person buried in a graveyard is charged with watching over it. All was quiet and peaceful in this little cemetery, though there are questions that I ponder after my visit there. That is another story though because I have to research it first.  The cemetery was later named Jackman Cemetery after John Jackman, the founder of the Fredericktown church who was also the pastor for over 35 years. He died in 1866. His stone lies face up on the ground, slowly being covered by dirt.  There are fence posts that line the area, though there is no longer an actual fence any more. The stones are not organized in any sort of fashion. Some face one way while the very next row faces the opposite direction. There are very old stones and then some newer ones, too. As you can see by the picture on the right, it is overgrown in places, and some stones stand a lonely vigil in the woods.  There are also home made stones there like these two, made from what appear to be regular stones found by the family members and the names of their loved ones carved carefully into them.  It is these stones that I find the most interesting in this little graveyard. And it is not doubt these stones that will be here 100 years from now still telling the world who lies beneath them.
    We had a nice crowd this evening. There were a lot of cameras going, and a lot of recorders. I uploaded 844 pics tonight to my computer so I have a lot of things to look at. These pics are just some of what we got.  And as usual, Marie graced us with her presence, hovering above Alan in this picture.
We have one more walk at Thompson Park this year. December 5 at 7pm. The winter walks can often be the best. Hope to see you there. Look for a more in depth story about tonight coming soon.
We are just going around the circle tonight, which I haven't done since July, so bring your gear and come to the park tonight. I am sure the ghosts there have missed us.
  Pictures of Fairview from Dave's eye. He was with another group and these are the images he captured. Except for the one of Dave taking a picture, which was taken by Cheri.   I will not soon forget this night. It was full of adventure and mystery. But mostly fun. Every one there had a great time and all left with the belief that the Fairview school was haunted.   Many thanks goes to Nick and Mindy for allowing us to come there. Also to everyone who came and made it such a great evening. We have sifted through the over 1000 pics we took and are now starting on all the EVP. That will take some time. But a future story is on the way with news of what we find.  As you can see by these pics, there were a lot of EVP sessions. We had 4 teams that night and everyone covered all 4 sections.  From 11pm to 5am we worked the buildings. They skipped and played and wrote foul language on the board. Question after question was asked to not just the principle but the cooks, the janitor and the teacher with the high heels.  Every one there took the whole investigation very seriously and that is why I think we did so well. No one joked around all night. We had nothing but serious ghost hunters there and that makes all the difference.  I know my group got some great EVP and I am eager to find out what every one else got.
     Down beside Culbertson's Mill in Fredericktown, are some very large rocks along the creek. The rushing water has carved large holes all through them.   You will also find the names of people who have been here years ago. I do not know any stories to these names, though I would guess that most were done by men. Pam Green, Bert Wilson, J.J. Seldner, Bobbi, Henry, and H.C. Shaffer were here. When, I do not know. Did they know each other? Was Miss Green there in 1940 and Mr. Shaffer came this way in 1920? Couldn't tell ya. Did they live in town? Did they vacation here? I just don't know.   But you will find their names etched in stone, either by their own hand, or the hand of someone who loved them. If you know any of these people and their story, please send it along. Their names must have a story some where.
  The night was very active at the start of the investigation on Friday. We found we got a couple interesting pics that caught my attention. Jon took the one of the squiggly light, and Dave got the big red orb. The squiggly light is interesting because Jon was alone. I would say it was the camera on the wrong setting but there is no light source there. Also a cob web would be more of a straight line. The red orb is in the bar room area. There was a lot of activity in this room in the early evening. The search of the data is continuing. I should have a final story about the school on here by Friday. Any one taking pics that night, if you have any interesting ones, please send them to me and I will put them on the blog.
 Fredericktown has turned into several stories. I started last year looking into the area, though not as in depth as now. I got my hands on a book called THE ENCHANTED VILLAGE-The history of Fredericktown, Ohio by Regis Scharf and Gary Winterburn. Debbie Shivers loaned this book to me and I am scrambling to finish it so I can give it back to her.    The book give stories about many of the people who started, lived, built and loved in Fredericktown. It was just great to read the stories and then go to the area where these events occurred.   These pictures are just some of what this area has to offer.  Many of the homes here are original. All of them have a story to tell.   The next few weeks you will read some of what I have been able to discover about this area. I am in the process of trying to get the written permission necessary to venture into some of these areas. Remember that getting permission from the owners is one of the most important things in Ghost Hunting, thought this trip is not for ghost hunting. It is all about the great history that is hiding in Colombiana County.  Still, written permission is required before you can go nearly anywhere in this little town. I knew you had to have it to walk back to the tubs area, but not the other sections. There are NO PARKING signs everywhere and the citizens of the area keep a watchful eye on you, which is why the area is so beautiful. They take care of it. I had thought to organize a tour here but I don't know that I can get permission for something like that. I will let you know.
 I have spent some time examining this picture sent in by Cheri. On the floor it looks like a splash of electricity. I have not yet determined what it is caused from. If you click on the picture it will enlarge it. Please note that there is a reflection in the TV and the splash of whatever that is in not reflected in the anywhere on the screen. The can is, the flash from the camera, even the flashlight beam is there. But not that other thing. It was not anything on the floor that could be seen by the eye. That part of the room also set off a K2 meter and we got some great EVP. There was also tapping on the window or wall in that corner that followed our instructions. Tap once for yes and twice for no. The hair on every ones neck stood up during that session. Have a look at the picture more closely. I could sure use some fresh eyes. It was already suggested that it might be a reflection on the pop can, but if it is, wouldn't it be in the reflection on the TV? Let me know your thoughts.
 The weather is colder and while that is great for EVP (because there is no more bugs chirping away), it can cause other problems. The pic to the left is one I just took a few minutes ago. Looks like maybe a ghost and a mist beneath it. Cool pic. Unfortunately, it is just my breath as I exhaled, on purpose. It can look like a whole host of things when you do this. There is an experiment you can do in the winter where you purposefully take a picture like this and see if any ghosts use it somehow. Try it in a known haunted area like Gretchen's Lock for example and look for images or written words maybe to appear in the mist. I was not doing that for this picture. It still turned out cool and I will keep it, but to use to help you debunk your pics and video images. That makes a thermometer that much more important to use, by the way. Most images I see where it is claimed to be paranormal, the first thing I look for is if any one in the pic has a coat on. That is your first indication that you could possibly debunk it. Or, I ask when the pic was taken. If they say in the winter or early spring for example, it most likely isn't paranormal at all. Please just keep it in mind as you travel out into the night looking for ghosts. You want it to be real, not a logical explanation. But do keep the pic if looks way cool.
  These pictures were sent in by Cheri, who was at the Fairview event last night. The two hallway pics have excellent orbs in them.  The two pics of the Italian room have an interesting splash of electric light on the floor in front of the television. Interesting because there was no electric in the whole building. This is also the place where we got several hits on the K2. I was very pleased to see that my group was not the only one to have interesting occurrences in this room. Thank you so much Cheri for sending these in. Information like this helps to pull the pieces together on the investigation. 
    Here are just a few images of last night at Fairview School. It was a great time. There were about 26 people in attendance. Nick made a nice fire and we had our tent set up with our equipment set up under it. The first half of the night was great because the weather was the best! It was in the lower 60's and very comfortable. Inside the buildings was 5 to 15 degrees lower.  We were joined for the evening by Dan(in the brown), a YSU student doing a paper on ghost hunting groups and paranormal investigation.  Everyone got a tour of the buildings first with an explanation of where the activity was the best. Little did we know we were in for a few surprises.  There were a lot of great ghost hunters out last night as well as some beginners. I think everyone had a great time. We finally wrapped things up at 5 am. Some of the EVP's we heard included "Come Here!" and "He hurt me!"  It will be at least a week before we get through all the EVP sessions and pics we took. So far I have seen a few interesting anomalies. We met some new friends, did some interesting ghost hunting and managed to avoid the rain. All in all it was a great Halloween adventure.  On Sep 6, 2006, I was at Mr. Floyd's, taking pictures and have 3 EVP sessions. The first two sessions and all of the pics gave up nothing to explain the third EVP session that scared me worse than any other EVP I have ever gotten. I contacted several other ghost hunters at that time, and searched for an answer to the reason for a horrible sounding ghost that hissed he was going to get me and he couldn't wait. One of the stories I got was a theory about Mr. Floyd and his ghost. It would seem that as Oct 22 nears each year, Mr. Floyd becomes more and more insane. Finally, on Oct 22 he relives his death over and over, and he is at his most violent. Made perfect sense to hear it. I wanted to find out. After getting permission from the Park service, my crew and I set up for a 6 hour investigation. Under a Canopy, we put our equipment out, some snacks , and some general info about the area. I invited some people to come along with me as well as my team.  We divided the area into 5 sections and put 5 teams out there to search for any sign that Mr. Floyd was around. We searched the parking lot across the street, the woods, the site near the sign, the area of the barn, and the possible site that Mr. Floyd actually died. If you scroll to the bottom, there is a map of the area from a 1934 Review Newspaper that we based the locations on.  Our special guest ghost hunters for the evening were Steve and Tammy Smith. They could not stay for the entire event, but Tammy did bring out her laptop computer, showing us pictures and using it to play some great EVP they had gotten from some of their cases. Thanks Steve and Tammy for your help.  We took many pictures and had 17 EVP sessions. We were joined by some other special guests as well. In this photo is Will (in the black coat), a regular attender of the many tours and events Ghosting 12 has had this year. We hope to invite him to many more. He bought his own Olympus recorder and has a great camera. He has sent in pictures I have posted on the blog before from Thompson Park. The Lady In Red is Mary Ann, Dave's wife.  This is us up near the little air port. We did several EVP sessions sitting at this picnic table. The weather was so nice, I personally could have stayed out there all night. Everything was calm and comfortable.  This is Cindy and Becky at the site in the field we estimated that Mr. Floyd may have died. Like Will, Becky has come to nearly every event we have had since May.  We stood to do EVP, sat at the Picnic table and even sat on the ground. We were polite. We provoked. We even offered food in the form of a Pop Tart.  Here, Becky, Sammi, and Amber listen to an EVP session they did together. Nothing was on it. In fact, nothing was on anything. There was no outstanding pictures. Not a peep on the EVPs we did anywhere. If Mr. Floyd relives his death over and over, he did it very quietly. If he gets more violent, he did it somewhere else.  After nearly 6 hours of investigating, we got nothing. On the 75th anniversary of his death, he was actually pretty calm about it. In fact, I would say he wasn't even there. Does that mean the area is not haunted? No. It just means that the story I heard about his reaction to the anniversary of death is not true, or so I believe. I knew Mr. Floyd was not like that. Now, the crazy guy(a man who committed suicide up there around 2003) is another story, literally.
 October 30 is almost here and we are so ready for the all night investigation at the old Fairview School. Thanks to Nick Dalonzo, Mindy, Ricky, and Nick Jr. we hope to have an adventure filled night full of ghostly happenings. At these two schools, we are sure to get it.  After our first night, the examination of the data showed that the newer building was the more haunted. However the second visit on Oct. 19, shifted things to the older building. We did a daytime investigation because Mindy felt there was more activity during the school time hours. There was at least equally as much. We not only had some great EVP, but a plastic bottle came hurtling at us on the first floor, an area I have suspected of being physically active.
 And this strange room on the bottom floor of the older building could have been a band room or perhaps a science room maybe. Another pile of long empty desks lends an eerie tone to this room. As we sat in here doing an EVP session, Mindy noticed a dark shadow walk down the hall through the heating grate. We ran to the door to see who was out there, but it was deserted.  Who is in here? I left a recorder on the pool table for only thirty minutes on the 19th. I listened to it and while there are no EVP's to speak of, there is a lot of loud taps and what also sounds like chairs moving by themselves. Is it the ghost of Charles Wilfing, the former principle who died suddenly in November of 1979 while still the principle? Does he still walk the halls keeping an eye on this, his domain? We got a very nice EVP that says: " I'm telling you, this is my building. I want you out!" during a session here. This room will get a lot of attention tomorrow night.  This picture was taken on Oct 5. It is Gloria walking into a room and that is nothing paranormal. I was getting a closer look a the white swirl behind her down the hall and noticed something quite interesting.  This shadow on the back door is unexplained. The white swirl turned out to be the coke machine, but there is no one down there. It isn't my moms shadow because there is too much in the way and the shadow is facing the wrong direction. What is this? The possibilities are endless. And totally investigatable. Our investigation starts at 11pm and will go until at least 6 am. There will be 10 crew members on my side to handle both equipment and the 4 teams going in to the two schools all evening. Nick and Nick Jr have invited some family and friends to attend this Ghostly Halloween Adventure. I do not think they are going to be disappointed.
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