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Consumption Vine, Dummerston
Tuberculosis has been known by various names throughout history, phthisis, scrofula, Pott's disease, white plague and of course, consumption. There are several cases throughout New England where a fear of the disease and the lack of medical knowledge to treat it, led to people seeking a supernatural explanation and a cure in old folklore. Read More »
El Pipila
A poor Nahuatl Indian boy was born in the countryside near the city of San Luis Potosi in Guanjuato state sometime around the year 1790. The unfortunate child was born with hideous deformities which gave him a peculiar walk and ensured he was picked on by others in the community. Read More »
Government House and the Apparition of Major Blomberg to the Governor of Dominica
Since 1978 Government House has been the home of the President of Dominica. It was commissioned by Sir William Young, 1st Baronet (Born 1724/5 – Died 1788), who was the first British Governor of Dominica, sworn in on 17 November 1770. There is a story about the Sir William Young being visited the ghost of Major Blomberg in his residence in Dominica. Read More »
Jewett City Vampires
The following article by Megan Baird entitled 'In 1854, vampire panic struck Connecticut town' was published in the Register Citizen on 2 November 2008.
GRISWOLD, Conn. (AP) — In May of 1854, the Ray family of Jewett City was frantic. Read More »
Mary Lena Brown, Chestnut Hill Baptist Church Cemetery
Rhode Island has a few cases that were by some considered to involve vampires. One of these suspected vampires was Mercy Lena Brown who died of consumption (tuberculosis) on 18 January 1892, aged 19. Read More »
Nancy Levi New England Vampire
The Foster town records dated 14 October 1892 give the following account of the case of Nancy Levi who was died of consumption on 6 April 1827 but was subsequently exhumed and burned in a belief that this could prevent further deaths of the disease in her family. Read More »
Rachel Burton (nee Harris), Vampire of Manchester
Captain Isaac Burton and Rachel Harris (stepdaughter of Esquire Powel) married on March 8, 1789. Unfortunately the marriage did not last long and she died of consumption (Tubercolosis) on 1 February 1790, after which she was considered by some to have become a vampire. Read More »
The Dancing Ghost of Grancer Harrison
William "Grancer" Harrison (1789-1860) was a successful plantation owner. He had the largest number of slaves in Coffee County. His nickname derives from "Grand-Sir" which he was called by the slaves. He was renowned as somewhat fun-loving man who loved dancing and feasting and would hold dances every Saturday. Read More »
The Lions
The two peaks known as The Lions are one of Vancouver's most recognizable landmarks measuring 5400ft (West Lion) and 5269ft (East Lion). Named Ch'ich'iyúy Elxwíkn (Twin Sisters) by the indigenous Squamish people, the peaks represent two Squamish sisters who marred Haida men and created a peace between the two nations. Read More »
William "Bill" Sketoe And The Hole That Won't Stay Filled
Lynchings were once unfortunately common throughout many parts of America. Although common perception associates lynchings with racist violence against black Americans, many other groups were also frequent targets of lynch mobs. These included criminals of any race, Hispanic people, Chinese people and Italians, as well as anyone who deviated from accepted social norms or expected behaviour. Read More »
Ambrose Bierce Disappearance
I love reading horror stories and one of my favourite writers was Ambrose Bierce. As a Mexican-American I've always been very intrigued by him because Bierce (an American writer) disappeared mysteriously in Mexico in 1913. I have written a little about his disappearance below. Read More »
East 9th Street, Gravesend
On 15 August 2012 the New York Daily News featured the following story by Mark Morales entitled ‘Gravesend woman’s sci-fi tale about living in a haunted house featured in SyFy reality show’. Read More »
Gadsden Hotel, Douglas
The following article entitled 'Ghosts said to mingle with guests at haunted Arizona hotel' by Tim Gaynor of Reuters appeared on the Canadian CNEWS website on 31 October 2012 Read More »
Gay Street, West Village
I came across the following short article by Victor Epstein and Christina Boyle entitled 'Gutted West Village building said to be haunted by restless ghost of Gay St. man is now up for sale'. It dates from 14 October 2009 and appeared in the New York Daily News. Read More »
La Llorona, The Weeping Woman
Stories of La Llorona, the weeping woman are told all over the Hispanic world, with versions coming from Venezuela to Spain and from California to Puerto Rico, but the legend is perhaps most associated with Mexico. The tales differ slightly from place to place but the basic elements are always the same. Read More »
La Planchada of Mexico City's Hospital Juarez
Beginning in the 1930s, many doctors at Mexico City's Hospital Juarez began reporting a mysterious improvement in the condition of some of their patients. When asked about these miraculous recoveries the patients all claimed to have been visited in the night by a nurse in an immaculately ironed but quite old fashioned uniform. Read More »
Lake Ronkonkoma
Legend has it that Ronkonkoma Lake on Long Island is haunted by a female ghost who takes a male life every year. Read More »
Our Lord of the Poison‏
There once lived a man named Don Fermin Azueta who was much admired and respected throughout Mexico City for his piety, kindly nature and gentle spirit. He was a wealthy man who used his money for helping the poor of the city and his philanthropy became legendary. Read More »
Pickens County Courthouse
A mysterious and ghostly tale is told about the Pickens County Courthouse in Carrollton, Alabama. It concerns a supposedly innocent man being lynched, the evidence of which is still there for all to see today. Read More »
The Great New England Vampire Panic
Over the last few weeks I have been adding articles about some of the vampires found throughout New England that were associated with tuberculosis deaths. Read More »
The Horror of Gyb Farm edited by Richard Holland
Within this book, The Horror of Gyb Farm, Richard Holland has collated and edited the works of a pioneering and yet relatively unknown paranormal researcher, Frederick George Lee (born 1832-1902). Between 1875 and 1894 F.G. Read More »
The Wynyard Ghost
In 1785 two junior officers serving with the 33rd Regiment of Foot in Nova Scotia had an interesting experience, witnessing the apparition of Lieutenant John Otway Wynyard, 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards. The following account of event was found in 'The Haunted Homes and Family Traditions of Great Britain' by John Ingram (1897). Read More »
Woodstock Vampire
Named after Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England, Woodstock was first settled in 1768. Six decades later, in 1829 a case of vampirism linked to consumption was suspected. Read More »
