Octagon Hall Investigation

VSPR (Volunteer State Paranormal Research) vsparanormal.com, was kind enough to invite me out to Octagon Hall on August 26, 2009. The place has a ton of history and numerous reports of being haunted. In all cases I like to go in expecting nothing, but fully knowing the history and reports. If you dont know much about Octagon Hall, I suggest you watch the video below to catch up.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=24285327

Joining me during this investigation was Mike and Monique Sears from VSPR. A member from Nashville Paranormal Research and a science teacher from New York. Im terrible with names but will have them up in my next post. It was the perfect size and variation for a promising investigation.

We started in the main house working our way to the graveyard, the slave quarters, barn and back inside. The whole night, for me, was extremely comfortable. I never really felt "freaked out" or uncomfortable. Almost to a point where I felt it could possibly not be haunted. I felt a few cold spots and at a point my whole arm just felt really cold for a good 3 or 4 minutes, but being outside, I had ignore it as possibly being a breeze. I heard what could have been footsteps but being in an old house, it is hard to say. The motion detector went off a few times in the slave house, but after remembering that it may have been pointed at the door, it could have been a breeze. I have yet to go over my evidence(which will be posted in a later blog this week) but I have to say that I left Octagon Hall in a cheerful mood and feeling like it was a quiet night for the residents who may still call Octagon Hall their home.




History:

In 1847, Andrew Jackson Caldwell laid out the foundation for his new family home. With a desire for distinction, his home would not be a simple structure with four walls like so many others, but an eight sided edifice unique to the region.Completed in 1859, it would soon become a landmark in the south-central Kentucky area.Built for his growing family and as a headquarters for the plantation, it was occupied by the Caldwell family even after Andrew's death in 1866. His widow, Harriet, lived in the Octagon Hall until selling the house in 1918 to Doctor Miles Williams, an osteopath from Nashville, Tennessee.Dr. Williams moved from Nashville and made the Octagon Hall his residence until his death in 1954. At that time, the Octagon Hall was made rental property by his heirs.The Octagon Hall remained rental property until The Octagon Hall Foundation was formed and obtained the building in 2001. Dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the only eight-sided house in Kentucky, The Octagon Hall Foundation is furthering the efforts to save the past for the future. This history was brought to you by http://www.octagonhall.com/

Tulip Staircase

Rev. Ralph Hardy, a retired clergyman from White Rock, British Columbia, took this now-famous photograph in 1966. He intended merely to photograph the elegant spiral staircase (known as the "Tulip Staircase") in the Queen's House section of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England. Upon development, however, the photo revealed a shrouded figure climbing the stairs, seeming to hold the railing with both hands. Experts, including some from Kodak, who examined the original negative concluded that it had not been tampered with. It's been said that unexplained figures have been seen on occasion in the vicinity of the staircase, and unexplained footsteps have also been heard.
Interesting side note: This photo isn't the only evidence of ghostly activity at the Queen's House. The 400-year-old building is credited with several other apparitions and phantom footsteps even today. Recently, a Gallery Assistant was discussing a tea break with two colleagues when he saw one of the doors to the Bridge Room close by itself. At first he thought it was one of the lecturers. "Then I saw a woman glide across the balcony, and pass through the wall on the west balcony," he said. "I couldn't believe what I saw. I went very cold and the hair on my arms and my neck stood on end. We all dashed through to the Queen's Presents Room and looked down towards the Queen's Bedroom. Something passed through the ante-room and out through the wall. Then my colleagues all froze too. The lady was dressed in a white-grey colour crinoline type dress."

Other ghostly goings-on include the unexplained choral chanting of children, the figure of a pale woman frantically mopping blood at the bottom of the Tulip Staircase (it's said that 300 years ago a maid was thrown from the highest banister, plunging 50 feet to her death), slamming doors, and even tourists being pinched by unseen fingers.

From Stephen Wagner, About.com

Freddy Jackson

This intriguing photo, taken in 1919, was first published in 1975 by Sir Victor Goddard, a retired R.A.F. officer. The photo is a group portrait of Goddard's squadron, which had served in World War I aboard the HMS Daedalus. An extra ghostly face appears in the photo. In back of the airman positioned on the top row, fourth from the left, can clearly be seen the face of another man. It is said to be the face of Freddy Jackson, an air mechanic who had been accidentally killed by an airplane propeller two days earlier. His funeral had taken place on the day this photograph was snapped. Members of the squadron easily recognized the face as Jackson's. It has been suggested that Jackson, unaware of his death, decided to show up for the group photo.


Interesting side note: In 1935, Sir Victor Goddard, now a Wing Commander, had another brush with the unexplained. While on a flight from Edinburgh, Scotland to his home base in Andover, England, he encountered a strange storm that seemed to transport him through time into the future. You can read more about his experience in the article "Time Travelers" under the section "Flight Into the Future."

From Stephen Wagner, About.com

Lord Combermere

This photograph of the Combermere Abbey library was taken in 1891 by Sybell Corbet. The figure of a man can faintly be seen sitting in the chair to the left. His head, collar and right arm on the armrest are clearly discernable. It is believed to be the ghost of Lord Combermere.
Lord Combermere was a British cavalry commander in the early 1800s, who distinguished himself in several military campaigns. Combermere Abbey, located in Cheshire, England, was founded by Benedictine monks in 1133. In 1540, King Henry VII kicked out the Benedictines, and the Abbey later became the Seat of Sir George Cotton KT, Vice Chamberlain to the household of Prince Edward, son of Henry VIII. In 1814, Sir Stapleton Cotton, a descendent of Sir George, took the title "Lord Combermere" and in 1817 became became the Governor of Barbados. Today the Abbey is a tourist attraction and hotel.

Lord Combermere died in 1891, having been struck and killed by a horse-drawn carriage. At the time Sybell Corbet took the above photo, Combermere's funeral was taking place some four miles away. The photographic exposure, Corbet recorded, took about an hour. It is thought by some that during that time a servant might have come into the room and sat briefly in the chair, creating the transparent image. This idea was refuted by members of the household, however, testifying that all were attending Lord Combermere's funeral.

Interesting side note: Lord Combermere is connected to another well-known paranormal story: the famous "Moving Coffins" of Barbados. The coffins inside the sealed vault of the Chase family are said to have been moved about by unnatural forces. The heavy coffins were repeatedly put in proper order, but often when a new coffin was added to the vault, the coffins were found strewn about. Lord Combermere, while governor of Barbados, had ordered a professional investigation of the mystery.

From Stephen Wagner, About.com

The Brown Lady

This portrait of "The Brown Lady" ghost is arguably the most famous and well-regarded ghost photograph ever taken. The ghost is thought to be that of Lady Dorothy Townshend, wife of Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount of Raynham, residents of Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England in the early 1700s. It was rumored that Dorothy, before her marriage to Charles, had been the mistress of Lord Wharton. Charles suspected Dorothy of infidelity. Although according to legal records she died and was buried in 1726, it was suspected that the funeral was a sham and that Charles had locked his wife away in a remote corner of the house until her death many years later. Dorothy's ghost is said to haunt the oak staircase and other areas of Raynham Hall. In the early 1800s, King George IV, while staying at Raynham, saw the figure of a woman in a brown dress standing beside his bed. She was seen again standing in the hall in 1835 by Colonel Loftus, who was visiting for the Christmas holidays. He saw her again a week later and described her as wearing a brown satin dress, her skin glowing with a pale luminescence. It also seemed to him that her eyes had been gouged out. A few years later, Captain Frederick Marryat and two friends saw "the Brown Lady" gliding along an upstairs hallway, carrying a lantern. As she passed, Marryat said, she grinned at the men in a "diabolical manner." Marryat fired a pistol at the apparition, but the bullet simply passed through.
This famous photo was taken in September, 1936 by Captain Provand and Indre Shira, two photographers who were assigned to photograph Raynham Hall for Country Life magazine. This is what happened, according to Shira:
"Captain Provand took one photograph while I flashed the light. He was focusing for another exposure; I was standing by his side just behind the camera with the flashlight pistol in my hand, looking directly up the staircase. All at once I detected an ethereal veiled form coming slowly down the stairs. Rather excitedly, I called out sharply: 'Quick, quick, there's something.' I pressed the trigger of the flashlight pistol. After the flash and on closing the shutter, Captain Provand removed the focusing cloth from his head and turning to me said: 'What's all the excitement about?'"
Upon developing the film, the image of The Brown Lady ghost was seen for the first time. It was published in the December 16, 1936 issue of Country Life. The ghost has been seen occasionally since.
From Stephen Wagner, About.com

Carnton Plantation & McGavock Cemetary, Franklin TN

HISTORY OF CARNTON

Carnton was built in 1826 by former Nashville mayor Randal McGavock (1768-1843). Throughout the nineteenth century it was frequently visited by those shaping Tennessee and American history, including President Andrew Jackson. Carnton grew to become one of the premier farms in Williamson County, Tennessee. Randal McGavock’s son John (1815-1893) inherited the farm upon his father’s death. John McGavock married Carrie Elizabeth Winder (1829-1905) in December 1848 and they had five children during the subsequent years, three of whom died at young ages - Martha (1849-1862); Mary Elizabeth (1851-1858); and John Randal (1854). The surviving children, Winder (1857-1907) and Hattie (1855-1932), are pictured (left) circa 1865.

Beginning at 4 p.m. on November 30, 1864, Carnton was witness to one of the bloodiest battles of the entire Civil War. Everything the McGavock family ever knew was forever changed. The Confederate Army of Tennessee furiously assaulted the Federal army entrenched along the southern edge of Franklin. The resulting battle, believed to be the bloodiest five hours of the Civil War, involved a massive frontal assault larger than Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg. The majority of the combat occurred in the dark and at close quarters. The Battle of Franklin lasted barely five hours and led to some 9,500 soldiers being killed, wounded, captured, or counted as missing. Nearly 7,000 of that number were Confederate troops. Carnton served as the largest field hospital in the area for hundreds of wounded and dying Confederate soldiers

A staff officer later wrote that "the wounded, in hundreds, were brought to [the house] during the battle, and all the night after. And when the noble old house could hold no more, the yard was appropriated until the wounded and dead filled that...."

On the morning of December 1, 1864 the bodies of four Confederate generals killed during the fighting, Patrick R. Cleburne, Hiram B. Granbury, John Adams, and Otho F. Strahl, lay on Carnton’s back porch. The floors of the restored home are still stained with the blood of the men who were treated here.

In early 1866, John and Carrie McGavock designated two acres of land adjacent to their family cemetery as a final burial place for nearly 1,500 Confederate soldiers killed during the Battle of Franklin. The McGavocks maintained the cemetery until their respective deaths.

Today, the McGavock Confederate Cemetery is a lasting memorial honoring those fallen soldiers and the Battle of Franklin. It is the largest privately owned military cemetery in the nation.

The McGavock family owned Carnton until 1911 when Susie Lee McGavock, widow of Winder McGavock, sold it. In 1973 Carnton was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 1977 the house and ten acres were donated to the Carnton Association, Inc. by Dr. W. D. Sugg. By that time the house had suffered from years of neglect and disrepair and since then the Association has been vital in restoring and maintaining the plantation through tours, gift shop sales, membership, special events, and generous donations.

History provided by http://www.carnton.org/


The author of Widow of the South takes you on a tour of the estate in Franklin, Tennessee where the bloodiest battle of the Civil War took place and the mistress of the house who started and maintained the largest private Civil War cemetery.



HAUNTS

HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS:

1) A graveyard where 1700 Confederate soldiers, who had died in the fields near this mansion were hastily buried after this bloody conflict, is located close to Carnton Mansion. After the horrible battle was over, Carnton Mansion became a hospital, where 4 generals died of their wounds, and their bodies s laid in state so the men who were lucky enough to survive could show their respect.

2) A young house servant girl was murdered in the kitchen by a jealous field hand in the 1840's, because she rejected him as a suitor.

3) Out of their five offspring, only 2 of the Cantron children made it into adulthood.

INSIDE MANIFESTATIONS

1) Two spirits haunt the kitchen area of the mansion, and sometimes move to other parts of the house.

A) A mischievous spirit likes to play tricks on the living, when not doing chores like washing the dishes in the kitchen. Hearing some noises from the small, enclosed porch off the back of the house, the curator went to investigate. She found two old panes of glass, on either side of the back door, which had been taken down from a box of panes, located on a shelf. It is thought that this spirit was the girl who had been murdered.

B) The head of a cook who worked for the family during the Civil War years was seen floating in the hallway, near the kitchen.

C) The cook is often also heard bustling around in the kitchen, doing her various duties, going about her business, letting the living know that she is still there.

2) A beautiful young girl, with long brown hair appeared to a workman on the second floor hall way, inspiring his hasty retreat down the stairs. Workmen now go upstairs in pairs.

3) A soldier's spirit has moved into one of the bedrooms. Perhaps he died there, or close by outside, and decided to move into the mansion and stay there, perhaps not quite ready to leave. A picture of the mansion mysteriously crashed to the floor in this bedroom, and was found on top of the floor heater, a place that it couldn't get to by itself.

4) A ghost of a lady dressed in white haunts the back porch area, sometimes floating into the backyard.

5) Spirits of the fallen are especially active in the Autumn months, at dusk. One general isn't able to rest, because he knew that his men wouldn't hold up too well and is still fretting about the coming battle he knew would be a bloodbath . This spirit, General Pat Cleburne, a man with a mustache, a short beard and piercing eyes, paces the back porch, walks around the outside parameter of the mansion, and on occasion talks to lone persons.

A) A man, Mr. P, who had an ancestor fight in the Franklin battle came at just after 5:00 PM to see Carnton Mansion, but it was closed, so he walked around the place, on a path that led to the back of the mansion, trying to soak up the atmosphere, and thinking about his relative who fought here and survived.

Near the porch, he saw the silhouette of a man that he thought was about to get on a horse, but the horse vanished. Noticing another man on the porch, Mr. P asked him what had happened to the horse. The man explained that the horse was shot from under the other soldier, like his horse had been earlier.

This mysterious man, standing on the porch, dressed like a Civil War Confederate Officer, went on to explain that whether on horse or on foot, they would be at the mercy of the enemy tonight.

Furthermore, if Mr. P was coming with him, P had better have a pistol, or he wouldn't last long. This Civil War officer further predicts in an angry voice that not many men were going to make it through the night, and it was the fault of that fool, Hood, who had ordered his men into this soon to be slaughter. He then hums a line or two of a rallying song.

Mr. P was thinking that this officer must of been part of a Civil War enactment, and must have thought that Mr. P was part of it. Mr. P asks this officer what kind of carbine he was carrying. "It's an Enfield .577. What do you have?"

Mr. P confesses that he doesn't have any, and wouldn't know how to use it. His comment astonished and alarmed the officer, who urgently told him to quickly leave and go to either the Carter house or to town, out of harm's way.

The officer then talks to another spirit by his side. "Well, Govan, if we are to die, let us die like men." The officer then throws his hat up in the air, in an angry, forceful way, and melts into the air.

Mr. P then heard the sequence of the sounds of battle. The officer's voice, yelling "Charge men! Charge." Then a swell of the sound of shots, shells, muskets and cannons fill the air. He heard the music of a regiment band, playing "Annie Laurie." Then he heard a whole army of rebel yells, which were fierce, nerve-jolting cries. Terrified, Mr. P tried to run toward his car, surrounded by the unearthly din of battle, as he felt the cold, creepy feeling of death surrounding him. He found himself stumbling around in the graveyard near the mansion.

The next day, Mr. P went back to Carnton Mansion when it was open, and found out that the officer he had talked to was indeed the much loved Irishman, General Pat Cleburne .

B) Still another officer paces back and forth in heavy boots on the front porch.

The spirits are especially restless at dusk, during the Fall months, when the Battle at Franklin took place.

The Cook is usually heard in the kitchen around meal times. Perhaps she doesn't know that she is dead, or feels she has unfinished business in the kitchen. The other spirits let the living know that they are still around, sharing the mansion.

Article of Haunts thanks to http://www.hauntedhouses.com/states/tn/carnton_mansion.cfm


I know a lot of our members have had personal experiences and I would love for you all to share them here. I have never an actual ghost there, however I have heard whispers and when I went on the tour 2 years ago when I was pregnant, I got really sick and had to leave early. I only felt sick when I went to the second floor. After I left the house and went outside, I was fine. Hopefully soon I will have more to tell, but for now I would love to hear your stories!

1345 Carnton Lane, Franklin, TN, 37064
615-794-0903

Monday thru Saturday - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday – 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission Prices:

Adults: $12.00
Seniors (over 65): $10.00
Children 6 – 12: $5.00
Children under 5: free
Grounds tour only: $5.00

Carter House, Franklin TN

HISTORY OF CARTER HOUSE

Few homes in Tennessee have as much reason to be haunted as the Carter House in Franklin. The house was built in 1830 by Fountain Branch Carter, never realizing that it would be in the center of one of the most terrifying battles in the Civil War, a battle in which nearly the entire Army of Tennessee was destroyed.
After the Fall of Atlanta, General Hood's Confederate troops marched northward to Columbia, Tennessee (about 25 miles from Franklin), flanking around General Schofield's Union troops.

Hood continued north to Spring Hill, which he reached on the night of November 29, 1864. Schofield desperately needed to join ranks with General Thomas at Nashville but to do this, he had to get past Hood. Somehow, under the cover of darkness, Schofield was able to slip past Hood and move further north. When Hood found out that he had been outmaneuvered, he marched his men in pursuit of the Federal troops. He then made one of the worst mistakes of his career.... he chose to take the fight to Schofield.

In the late afternoon of November 30, Hood's men charged the entrenched Federal troops. A few hours later, he had lost 6200 men. By dawn the next day, Schofield himself had lost over 2300 of his own men. He withdrew his remaining troops and started for Nashville, leaving the Confederates in chaos behind him.

In the midst of all of this carnage stood the Carter house.

When the Union troops had arrived in Franklin, General Cox had commandeered the house as a command post. The Carter family had been roused from their beds in the middle of the night, only to watch helplessly as the Federal troops moved in.

During the fighting the next day, the Carter's took refuge in the basement. Fountain Branch Carter was the head of the family but he was elderly and a widower, so his oldest son, Lt. Colonel Moscow Branch Carter, took charge of the family. Carter, having been taken prisoner in an earlier battle, was home on parole. He rounded the family into the cellar beneath the house. Besides the two Carter men were three daughters, a daughter-in-law, children, a few neighbors, and servants, making twenty-two people to huddle in the darkness.

The Carters were cut off from the battle, except for what they could hear taking place. They heard gunfire, bullets striking the house, screams of dying men and even a cannonball crashing into the side of the building. Soldiers fought hand-to-hand on the porch and in the rooms. The Confederates charged the Union position a dozen times, but each time they were beaten back.

The Carter family somehow survived the battle. Late that night, after it was all over, they left the basement and got some terrible news. Another son, Tod Carter, had been with the Confederate troops in the assault. He was lying somewhere on the battlefield with the thousands of other soldiers who were wounded, dead or dying. Moscow Carter went in search of his brother with only a lantern to guide the way. He wandered aimlessly for hours, searching everywhere. While he was gone, General Smith arrived at the Carter house. Tod had been on Smith's staff, serving under General Hood, and Smith knew how close the boy had been to home. He rallied all efforts to find the lost soldier. Smith took another lantern and started his own search, finding Tod Carter some time later. The boy had only been about one hundred yards away from the house when he had been hit.

Smith and the Carter's carried Tod into the house and placed him in a first floor bedroom. He was tended for two days before he died.

The Carter House was opened to the public in 1953 and in 1961 was listed as a Registered National Historic Landmark. It operates today as a historic museum to the Battle of Franklin.

by Troy Taylor
http://www.blogger.com/www.prairieghosts.com/carter.html

Former Director of the Carter house museum, Thomas Cartwright, details the action and fighting around the Carter house on the evening of the battle of Franklin, during its fiercest hand-to-hand fighting. Warning. It does involve graphic battle detail.






Former Director of the Carter house museum, Thomas Cartwright, discusses the action in and around the Carter house farm the night of the battle of Franklin.





CARTER HAUNTS

Despite heavy tourist traffic, the staff members and visitors are not the only ones who walk in this house. Most agree, given the history of the place, that it is not surprising that it is haunted. Poltergeist-like pranks often occur in the house and have been attributed to the ghost of Annie Carter, one of Tod's sisters. During a tour one afternoon, one of the staff members was interrupted during a talk by a visitor who pointed out that the statue behind her was jumping up and down. Other events also point to a playful ghost like objects that appear and disappear and the sensation of a child tugging at staff member's sleeves when they believe they are the only ones in the house.

One staff member even claimed to have seen the apparition of a little girl disappear down an upstairs hallway and down the steps. Others have spoken of hearing the friendly and welcoming voice of a woman in the house.

Not surprisingly, Tod Carter has also made an appearance in the house. The young man has been seen several times and recently, a visitor was looking into the bedroom where he died and saw his apparition sitting on the side of the bed. He was visible for only a few moments before he vanished.

by Troy Taylor
http://www.blogger.com/www.prairieghosts.com/carter.html

Given that the property saw the violent deaths of so many, it isn't much of a surprise that there are reports of paranormal activity. The ghost of a small girl, believed to be Annie Carter, has been seen running down the stairs, through the upstairs hallway, or tugging on people's sleeves. Theodrick's apparition has also reportedly been seen in the bedroom he died in. Still further reports of activity include things moving on their own, objects disappearing and re-appearing somewhere else, and voices seemingly coming from nowhere.

Last paragraph sited from here

Story of Tod's Carter's ghost based on the story from the book - Skeletons of the Civil War - True Ghost Stories of the Army of Tennessee by Debra Glass and Heath Mathews.




CARTER HOUSE INFORMATION

1140 Columbia Ave, Franklin, TN 37064, USA
615-791-1861
http://www.carterhouse1864.com/

Hours of Operation:
Monday through Saturday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

*NOTE: during late Fall and Winter months
(Daylight Standard Time) site closes early at 4:00 pm

Closed Sundays during the month of January.
Closed major holidays. Please call to verify hours.

Admission:

Adults $10.00

Seniors (65 and older) $9.00
Military (with ID) $9.00

Children ages 7 to 14 $6.00
Children ages 6 and under Free
Adults Groups of 20 or more $8.00 per person

Bijou Theatre, Knoxville TN

History of the Bijou

Located in the historic section of town, the Bijou Theater in Knoxville has a history that is about as long and colorful as the
city itself. Serving first as a dwelling and then later as a hotel/theater, the building has continuously been in use since 1819
and is the fourth oldest building in Knoxville. The saga of the Bijou Theater began just after the American Revolution when
General James White received a grant of 110 acres for his services in the American military. The lot where the present-day
Bijou Theater now stands was included in the parcel as lot number 38; it was 47.8 square feet. Later General White sold the
lot to Thomas Humes and James Pardis for $8.

In 1801 Thomas Humes purchased a 1,200 foot lot in downtown Knoxville; lot number 38 was included in this parcel. Humes
built a general store on the property and soon became a very wealthy as well as a highly respected leader in the community.
Over the years Humes increased his holdings until he owned the entire block.

In 1813 he began constructing a hotel/tavern which was to be named the Thomas Hume's House. Humes died on September
23, 1816, shortly before the construction was completed. The building was completed in 1817 and its first occupant was a
man named Archibald Rhea. Rhea rented the building from Thomas Hume's' widow and re-named it Archie Ray's Tavern;
later it became Knoxville House. With its 13 guest rooms, bar, ballroom, and dining room, the hotel became a place for many
social gatherings. In 1819, President Andrew Jackson came to Knoxville and was a guest of Knoxville House. In 1821, Rhea
gave up his lease and the building was up for rent.

Little is known about the property until 1823 when General Joseph Jackson moved his Jackson's Hotel from the corner of
Main and Gay Streets to the old Hume's' property. Once again the hotel became the most popular social gathering spots in
Knoxville. Joseph was proprietor for 13 years then the hotel was sold in 1836 to James Pickett who wanted to open his own
hotel.

Pickett remodeled the hotel and renamed it Pickett's Hotel; later it was re-named City Hotel. Unfortunately, by 1842, Pickett
found himself deeply in debt; consequently, the hotel was sold at public auction. Two banks, also owned by Pickett, bought
the hotel to help defray expenses. Joseph Jackson returned as proprietor for a short time then retired. In 1846, David S.
Danner took over as proprietor. In 1852 the banks sold the hotel to a New York businessman whose last name was
Coleman. The new owner renovated it so that it more than doubled its previous size. An elevator was added to the
northwest corner and a smaller one to the southwest corner. Also added were a new kitchen, parlors, dining room, a
courtyard and a ladies' entrance. It was re-named Coleman house and opened for business in October 1854; later during
the year, Coleman added a ballroom to the rear of the house. That same year, the hotel gained an extra floor when Gay
street was graded for resurfacing.

In 1857, the building was purchased by William H. Sneed. A New York banker named Gazaway Bugg Lamar invested a huge
sum of money in a residential area in north Knoxville and Sneed renamed the hotel, The Lamar House, in his honor. The
building remained Lamar House for the next 40 years; again Knoxville social life centered around the building. In 1861, U.S.
Senator John C. Breckinridge stood on the balcony of Lamar House and announced to the crowd below that he would rather
exchange his seat in the senate for the musket of a soldier.

PERSONAL STORIES

01.10.03: Thanks to Laura who wrote, "First off, I'm an actress, and I was on my second show at this theatre when I started to learn about all of this. 1. During rehearsals for a play I was in, I often saw figures out of the corners of my eyes in the balconies at the theatre. One always seemed to be standing at the front of the first balcony, all the way to the right; more in the center seats in the same balcony; and the third, all the way to the left and at the very back of the second balcony, which is only used for lighting purposes nowadays. The Bijou Theatre was a hotel turned Civil War hospital turned hotel turned...well, you name it. But one day, it is said that a young couple checked in on their wedding night...and never checked out. They were both found dead and mutilated the next day, assailant unknown. They are said to be seen sometimes in the first balcony, sitting right in the center, holding hands. Many people also claim to see figures in the two other places that I often thought I saw people standing. 2. A ghost of a little girl haunts the theatre. Nobody knows who she is or why she's there, but she is nonetheless. She's been heard singing on the stage when only one or two people were around. Once, a box office worker was locking up at the end of the day and found a girl standing inside the theatre. She asked the girl who she was and why she was there, not getting an answer, and told her to come with her out into the lobby. She walked out, but turned around to find the girl -- or not. She was gone, and no matter howw long the box office worker looked, she never saw her again. 3. A former director was standing in the lobby when he heard someone walking down the stairs to the right that come down from the balcony. He looked up to see who it was, but just as the footsteps reached the point where he should have been able to see the person, the steps continued -- but no person appeared. This same fellow has seen\heard various other little things around the building as well. 4. I was sitting with a friend of mine in the lobby after a rehearsal of the first show I was in at the theatre, waiting for my ride, when suddenly I realized I'd left my watch on the counter in my dressing room. I ran back into the theatre to get it, and as I laid my hands on it, I heard footsteps on the stairs that I had just come up. Not having turned on the lights in the dressing room (and being a confirmed coward), I cowered back in the corner and peeked out the door -- only to see my friend coming up to check on me. Just shows you how much being lilly-livered can get you in trouble. There are plenty of other tales about this theatre, and several people died there while it was a hospital. Frankly, I have to screw up my courage and turn on every possible light just to have the courage to step into the place alone anymore."
Found at: http://www.geocities.com/wkghs1/haunted_tennessee.htm


WBIR channel 10 did a 2 part series on the investigation that the East Tennessee Paranormal Research Society did at the Bijou Theatre. Be sure to check out this video of the investigation and the reveal! WBIR coverage (Aired on October 30th and 31st, 2006.) Link to this coverage at bottom of http://www.friendly-ghosts.com/ .

Mike Case of the East Tennessee Paranormal Research Society was on 93.1 The Point radio station in Knoxville, TN on October, 31st, 2006. He was talking about the investigations the ETPRS (of which I am an investigator) have gone on. Several of the EVPs on this site were played over the air and discussed. The Bijou ghost video was also discussed. If you would like to listen to this interview, click here http://www.friendly-ghosts.com/931interview.mp3


VIDEOS AND EVPS

Please note that these are not my videos or evps, they have been done by Mike Case of the East Tennessee Paranormal Research Society. I only posted a few evps and videos, but they had a ton!
Bijou Investigation by the ETPRS on July 22, 2006
http://www.friendly-ghosts.com/bijou/

Ghost video was recorded in the 2nd floor ladies restroom at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, TN. This ghost can be seen at the bottom of the frame as a bright flash. The ghost hunter was on an investigation with the East Tennessee Paranormal Research Society. This video was shot in infrared with a high definition camera.





Recorded on the 4th floor of the Bijou theater. Visit them at http://www.friendly-ghosts.com fpr more evps.








This spirit communication was recorded on the 4th floor of the Bijou theater in Knoxville, TN. It seems to say, "This time lets take a quick shower", and then, "The showers cold". There was about 15 seconds of dead time between the first voice and the 2nd voice that has been removed. (We think this may actually be a residual haunting. There hasn't been any working plumbing on the floor for years, but there did used to be showers when this floor used to be used as a bordello.)





I said, "Hey" to get an investigators attention that was looking for the restroom so that I could tell her it was next to where I was standing. Aparently when I looked in her direction and said, "Hey" I was looking in the direction of a spirit but didn't know it, and the spirit thought I was saying, "Hey" as in "Hello" and responded "Hello". No time has been removed. The "Hello" response came this quickly after I said, "Hey". This was recorded in the lobby of the Bijou theater in Knoxville, TN.





Recorded on the 4th floor of the Bijou Theater in Knoxville, TN. Shortly after I went up there, I got this very clear female voice EVP that says, "I wish we could do that". I have no idea what she wishes she could do.




To see MORE photos, evps and more visit:
http://www.tnseeparanormal.com/Knoxvillebijou.html

Bijou Theatre Information:
http://www.knoxbijou.com/
803 S. Gay Street
Knoxville, TN 37902
865-522-0832

Chickamauga

HISTORY OF CHICKAMAUGA
In the early to mid-1800’s, the present town of Chickamauga was just a large plantation in the North Georgia rolling hills. The name of the post office was Crawfish Springs-named for Indian Chief Crayfish, of the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokee Indians had settled the area, farming and enjoying the natural beauty of the land. Chickamauga is derived from an ancient Cherokee word meaning "River of Death".
Considered a Confederate victory for halting the Union advance, the Battle of Chickamauga was a costly one. It claimed an estimated 34,624 casualties (16,170 for the Union; 18,454 for the Confederates).
"Wherever there has been great suffering, people are always seeing strange things."
These are the words of Edward Tinney, former historian and chief ranger at Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park. Tinney, who worked at the park from 1969 to 1986 and also spent time working at the battlegrounds at Shiloh, Tenn., said ghostly sightings at the Chickamauga Battlefield or any Civil War site are not uncommon.
Tinney said the legend of Old Green Eyes, the ghost who is said to haunt the battlefield in various forms ranging from a Confederate soldier to a green-eyed panther, has been a part of Chickamauga Battlefield lore since the last shot was fired at the bloody battle that claimed 34,000 casualties Sept. 19-20, 1863. The tales of Green Eyes and other phantom sightings stem from the soldiers, who lived through the War Between the States, Tinney said.
"Green Eyes is rumored to be a man who lost his head to a cannonball, frantically searching the battlefield at night for his dislocated body," Tinney said. "History says ghosts in the bat-tlefield such as the Green Eyes tale began happening soon after the war in 1863.
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, located in northern Georgia and eastern Tennessee, preserves the sites of two major battles of the American Civil War.
One of the earliest ghost sightings shortly after the Civil War ended is documented in Susie Blaylock McDaniel's book "The Official History of Catoosa County."
Jim Carlock, an early resident of the Post Oak Community, writes in McDaniel's book about returning home from a centennial celebration on Market Street in Chattanooga in 1876, a mere 13 years after the bloody battle. Carlock writes: "Did you ever see a ghost? They used to see them on the Chickamauga Battlefields just after the war."
Carlock goes on to write that, while passing through the battlefield (or near it, the exact location is unclear), it was dark and there were no houses nearby when he and his friends spotted something 10 feet high with a "big white head." He said he and his companions were in a wagon and a Mr. Shields was riding horseback. Carlock said Shields road up and hit the ghost and a baby cried out and the ghost said, "Let me alone." He said the entity appeared to be a ghostly apparition of a Negro woman with a bundle of clothes on her head.
During the War of 1812, five hundred Cherokee soldiers from the area fought with General Andrew Jackson at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend against the Creek Indians, who were aligned with England. Their valor helped assure victory for the Americans. The Cherokee nation was divided into districts and courts with Crawfish Springs the county site of one of the districts. A courthouse was built in the town in 1820 and the first court in Walker County was held here. The Cherokees called this area their home until their forced exodus in 1838, leading to the Trail of Tears.
But the Civil War is not the only source of death that may have imprisoned lost spirits at the battlefield. The hill behind Wilder Tower saw the deaths of many soldiers, mainly from ty-phoid fever, during their training and encampment on the battlefield in preparation for the Spanish-American War, he said.
According to various sources, other tales claim Green Eyes existed before the Civil War and circulated among the soldiers during the fighting, or that the spirit existed as early as the Native American occupation of the land where the battlefield is now located.
Tinney said that during his tenure at the park, he saw something one night that he could not explain, and believes he came face-to-face with the undead inside the battlefield.
The historian said that one day in 1976, about 4 a.m., he went to check on some battle re-enactors who were camping out in the park. He said that while walking near Glen Kelly Road, he encountered a man over 6 feet tall, wearing a long black duster, with shaggy, stringy, black, waist-length hair, walking toward him. From the man's body language, Tinney feared he was about to be attacked, so he crossed to the other side of the road, he said. When the man became parallel with Tinney he turned and smiled a devilish grin, and his dark eyes glistened. Tinney said he turned to face the man and began to back-pedal, as his companion did as well. At that moment, a car came down a straightaway in the road, and when its headlights hit the apparition it vanished, he said.
Between 1890 and 1899 the Congress of the United States authorized the establishment of the first four national military parks: Chickamauga and Chattanooga, Shiloh, Gettysburg, and Vicksburg. The first and largest of these, and the one upon which the establishment and development of most other national military and historical parks was based, was Chickamauga and Chattanooga. It owes its existence largely to the efforts of General H.V. Boynton and Ferdinand Van Derveer, both veterans of the Army of the Cumberland, who saw the need for a national park to preserve and commemorate these battlefields during a visit to the area in 1888.
Site of a major Confederate victory, it was nonetheless hard earned: All told 34,624 died in the battle that raged from September 18 – 20, 1863. Chickamauga is a Cherokee word meaning “River of Blood” and for the dead of both sides this is just what it became.
The specter, in the form of a lady in a white wedding dress, known as the "Lady in White," is searching for her lover, Tinney said.
Other stories of hauntings on the battlefield include visitors' accounts of hearing gunshots, hoof beats, or smelling the strong scent of alcohol.
Sam Weddle, chief ranger at the park for 11 years, said the National Park Service has no official opinion about the legend of Green Eyes or any of the other ghostly tales that float from the confines of the park.
Still, there have been hundreds of reports of paranormal events and ghostly encounters with the remnant spirits of the souls who once fought and died here.
David Lester, Civil War enthusiast and re-enactor, said about five years ago, he and some of his fellow re-enactors were camping out at the battlefield as part of "Living History Days," an event that gives park visitors a first-hand look at how soldiers lived during the war.
Lester said several of his comrades wandered to a neighboring camp to say hello to their fellow soldiers. The men talked with the neighboring campers for several hours before re-turning to their own camp to sleep for the night.
When day broke, the men went back to the camp to wish them a good morning and see how they were getting along, but they were gone, Lester said. There was no sign of their campfire from the night before, not one trace of any human occupation at the site — only undisturbed land.

Operating Hours & Seasons The Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. The Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center is open 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Both Visitor Centers are closed on December 25. It is advisable to call the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center, 423-821-7786, for current Cravens House tour schedule. Visitor Center hours of operation will change effective November 28, 2004 to: 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. The Chickamauga Campaign Official Records and Battle Description Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park You can find all of this information and more at:http://www.blogger.com/%3E%3Cbr%3Ehttp://www.hauntedamericatours.com/toptenhaunted/toptenhauntedbattlefields/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Ca%20href=

Old Hag Syndrome

An apparition reported to resemble an ugly woman with tangled hair, rotting teeth, a hooked nose, mad eyes and claw-like fingers. The Hag is also related to the mara (from which the word 'nightmare' is derived), a demon that likes to attack humans at night and abuse them.
Victims of hag attacks (known as Old Hag Syndrome) claim that they awake abruptly to find that they cannot move, even though they can see, hear, feel and smell. There is sometimes the felling of a great weight on the chest and the sense that there is a sinister or evil presence in the room. Old Hag Syndrome has been documented since ancient times and modern research suggests that around 15 percent of people experience at least one Old Hag attack in their lives. The name of the phenomenon comes from the superstitious belief that a witch - i.e. an old hag - sits or 'rides' the chest of the victims, rendering them immobile.
Sceptics argue that rather than witches or demons there is probably a medical or scientific explanation for Old Hag Syndrome, such as indigestion, sleep disorders or repressed tension. Some researchers believe that takes and encounters with the hag might be attached to the phenomenon known as sleep paralysis. Medical explanations, emotional tension and sleep paralysis can explain the great majority of cases, but not all.
Have any of you ever experienced this?
I have a couple of times in my life, but every time I have, I felt like I was in a state in between being asleep and being awake. I would try my hardest to move and wake up, but I couldnt. So I would try to talk and wake myself up, and still couldnt do that. You feel trapped inside you own body. Its actually quite frightening, but I have never thought it to be paranormal.

Buruburu

Buruburu, meaning the sound of shivering, is a terrible ghost from Japanese folklore that for reasons unknown is said to lurk in forests and graveyards in the form of an old person, who is sometimes one-eyed. According to legend is attaches itself to its victims spine and causes a chill to run down them, or in the worst case causes them to die of fright.

Bhut

In Hindu mythology a bhut is believed to be the restless ghost of someone who has died a violent death or committed suicide. According to legend, the bhut has no shawdow and can be detected by the smell of burning turmeric. It is thought that lying on the ground offers protection against it, as the bhut never rests on earth.
Bhuts haunt trees, deserts, abandoned houses, the hearths and roofs of homes, crossroads, and boundaries but never rest on the ground. Rudimentary shrines are sometimes established for bhuts, and when in fear of them a believer will invoke Siva, as he is considered to be their lord.

THESE PHOTOS ARENT PARANORMAL: Can you tell me why?

Ive decided to do an experiment. After seeing a gazillion so called paranormal pictures on the internet, I thought I would try to recreate a bunch of them. I will label them, give them rediculous names as many people would have, and have you guess why they arent paranormal. Ill send you the answers after you post your answers in the comments section. Have fun and good luck!! It looks like half of the photos are cut off, please click to view full photo! You may be missing something.


PICTURE 1: GHOSTLY MIST



PICTURE 2: ORB EXPLOSION



PICTURE 3: ECTOPLASM



PICTURE 4: FAST MOVING ORB



PICTURE 5: STRANGE LIGHTS IN THE FOREST



PICTURE 6: ENERGY BEING DRAWN OUT OF THE HOUSE



PICTURE 7: EVIL SPIRIT COMING OUT OF MY HUSBAND



PICTURE 8: UNEXPLAINED LIGHTS



PICTURE 9: REFLECTION GHOST



PICTURE 10: ENERGY BEING DRAWN OUT OF THE TV



PICTURE 11: GHOST BABY



PICTURE 10: STRANGE MIST



PICTURE 11: ORBS GANG BANGING THE ROOM



PICTURE 12: ORBS IN GRAVEYARD



PICTURE 13: GHOSTS DRAWING ENERGY TO KILL SQUIRRELS



PICTURE 14: MY SON TALKING TO THE DEAD GUY



PICTURE 15: ORBS MOVING TO CANADA



Yes, I realize there are many repeats, but this does happen all too often in many different ways and people call it paranormal. The more we know what to look for the better investigators we will all become! So how do you think you did?? Be sure to include your email for answers.

nat

Afrit

The Afrit comes from Arabian and Muslim folklore and is alleged to be a spirit demon who rises up like smoke from the spilt blood of murder victims. They are said to inspire unspeakable terror and, because of the unjust, brutal nature of their demise, they are ruthless towards their victims. Sometimes they are said to appear in the form of desert whirlwinds, and it has also been said that they can take on a form similar to the Christian Devil, with hooves for feet and horns on their head. Driving a new nail into the bloodstained ground is thought to prevent their formation.

Acheri

In Native American folklore Acheri is thought to be the ghost of a little girl who died of disease. Legend has it that Acheri is a frail and pale looking female spirit who lives on mountaintops and hills. At night she travels into valleys and spreads infection, disease and pain, usually to children, by casting her invisible shawdow over innocent sleeping victims.
It is thought that the colour red affords protection against this entity and amulets of red thread worn as necklaces will protect children from disease Acheri brings. Similarly, in European folklore, red charms are used to protect agains harm from evil spirits.