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Six Haunted Hotspots
Around The Mountain State
The Strange Light of Coal Mountain in Moorefield
Nobody is for certain when this area became haunted,
but many speculate it has been so for more than 100 years. Legend has it
that Cole Mountain, just outside Moorefield, is haunted by a strange
nighttime light. It started in the mid-1800s when plantation owner Charles
Jones and his servant were raccoon hunting at night. The servant also was
Jones’ close friend. The servant carried the lantern as they followed the
baying of the hunting dogs, and being much younger than Charles, was soon
running ahead. After finding the dogs, and discovering that Charles was
not behind him, the servant searched the mountainside for his friend, who
had vanished. The townspeople searched and searched, but to no avail. The
servant was heartbroken and refused to give up, so he continued looking
for a year after Charles disappeared. During one of his searches, the
servant disappeared as well and not a trace was found of either man. It is
said the strange orange/red light that can be seen weaving up and down the
mountainside is that of the lantern light, as the servant continues his
search for his friend even into the afterlife.
Curious? Why not drive to Moorefield at night, and see
for yourself?
Do you hear the scream at Darkish Knob in Parsons?
Near the town of Parsons is a steep hill known as
Darkish Knob. During the days of slavery, this hill was part of the
Underground Railroad. Although it was a steep, treacherous hill covered
with loose rock, it was a small obstacle on the path to freedom. During
one of these flights to freedom, a young girl was headed toward a house at
the base of Darkish Knob, where she could sleep for the night and continue
over the mountain early the next morning. The house was hard to find at
night and she passed it, only to find out several men who were hired to
bring her back were chasing her. She urged her horse up the mountain in
the pitch-black night, with no light to guide their way. They made it to
the top but as she turned around to see where the men were, her horse lost
its footing and they both plunged to their deaths down the other side of
the hill. It is said today, that on the eve of her fall, you can hear her
screaming as she plunges down the hill.
If you pass by Darkish Knob during the night and hear a
young girl screaming, you will know who it is.
Fence Row Stand-Up Man in Seebert
Visitors to nearby Watoga State Park report seeing an
exceptionally tall bald-headed man suddenly spring up along the fencerow
next to a cornfield. The tall, glowing figure appears on especially foggy
nights about midnight and stares intensely, moving only his head and not
his body as cars pass.
The man doesn’t stand up, as one would from a lying
position, but rather springs straight up, without bending his knees in a
perfect arch. The figure is at least 6-1/2 feet tall, bald and has an
eerie halo-like glow around his entire body that almost illuminates the
fog.
The Droop Mountain area near Seebert was home to the
state’s largest Civil War battle, so it is possible this ghost is related
to the violent events there. Or is it something else?
Morgantown: Rich in History and Hauntings
Morgantown is rich in history and Victorian Homes, as
well as the occasional haunting. Several areas in and around Morgantown
are allegedly haunted. Cheat Lake is home to ghosts of two headless
college-age women. The women were hitchhiking one night, picked up and
murdered. Their decapitated bodies were found near the lake, but to this
day, their heads remain missing. Some reports of car accidents near the
lake say the drivers were distracted by the sight of two women running
back and forth through the woods. Were they looking for their heads?
If you are at the public library late at night, you may
see the ghost many employees report seeing. Or stop by the Beta Theta Phi
fraternity house where residents report hearing clanging chains in the
lower part of the house.
Ghosts at Shepherd College in Shepherdstown
Shepherd College in Shepherdstown is the site of a
number of different hauntings. Ghosts at the small college range from a
young boy named George, who fell on a boulder and died while the college
was being built, to a homecoming queen who died from a fall in the shower.
Two of the most prominent haunted buildings are
Kenamond Hall, where George is seen, and Miller Hall, which served as a
hospital during the Civil War. In addition to its Civil War ghosts, the
attic of Miller Hall is supposedly haunted by a girl who died there. The
attic is now locked and purportedly “exorcism-like” markings can be seen
on the door across the hall.
Haunted Harpers Ferry
Many towns in West Virginia have strong ties to the
Civil War, but none so much as Harpers Ferry. Perhaps the most famous
figure associated with the picturesque town is John Brown, whose 1859 raid
on the federal arsenal here is referred to by many as the spark that
ignited the Civil War. Brown was an abolitionist who conspired to take
over the arsenal as part of his plan to end slavery. Thirty-six hours
after it started, it ended with most of his men killed and John Brown
captured. He was soon convicted of treason and hanged in nearby Charles
Town. Many townsfolk attest that he haunts the area and report seeing him
walking down the street with a black dog. Countless other ghosts, all
linked to the Civil War, have been reported in the area.
For more information about West Virginia visit
www.callwva.com or telephone
1-800-CALL-WVA.
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