Oklahoma’s first documented ghost story
Upon doing research for a writing project, I stumbled upon a sequence of articles that I found to be entertaining, disturbing and fascinating all in one. As I read the articles, it was refreshing to me on how simple things were back in the early days. They are simple paragraphs that were hidden for over a hundred years, without anyone acknowledging the history, the folklore and the beliefs so long ago. I am choosing to share these findings as I continue to research for writing projects, and of course documenting Oklahoma’s real Haunted History.
What you are about to read is exactly how the Guthrie Daily Leader, was read over 100 years ago, back in 1896. Volunteers of the Guthrie historical museum and library have taken old newspapers and typed them into readable archives for future viewers. With this said, the content is rather broken at times, and some terminology is slightly hard to follow. But while reading this story it is history revealed and revived. Enjoy this series of newspaper articles, provided by the great town of Guthrie Oklahoma. –
–> Continue to read after the article for my personal research comments on this particular case and how it reflects on today’s paranormal investigative field.
The Guthrie Daily Leader -1896
Headline: NO INQUEST NEEDED. ELLA MYERS ASSOCIATES WERE THE CAUSE OF HER HASTY BURIAL!
Thursday, April 9, 1896
P-8
*Note: Cyprian is another word for prostitute*
Commissioner Stapleton says he is in no way responsible for the hasty burial of Ella Myers, the Cyprian who was found dead Sunday inside Ella Horton’s place on the Santa Fe Right of way. He says he issued an order for her burial as a pauper on authority of Coroner Barker, who, with Dr. Cotteral examined the remains.
The county undertaker, it seems, complied with the inmates of the Huston place and buried the body at once. Dr. Barker says he gave an order for the burial of the body, which was badly decomposed, but had no idea, the undertaker would act so hastily. Dr. Cotteral does not credit the story that the body was buried alive. He says he applied the galvanic battery, and like Dr. Barker thought an inquest was unnecessary; at it would simply heap expenses on the county. The deceased was a cocaine fiend and died from an overdose, so the doctors say.
Headline: RED HAND APPEARED. HOUSE IN, WHICH A CYPRIAN DIED, SAID TO BE HAUNTED!
April 15th, 1896
Pg.4
The shack on the Santa Fe right of way in which the Cyprian Lula Myers recently died is haunted. Horrible groans issue from the shack every night and passerby assert that weird and ghastly incantations take place within the building which was vacated shortly after the unfortunate girls death. Last night a well-known sport called at the house and tried the front door. It failed to give way. He tried the back door with the same result, and returning to the front door it suddenly flew open and a blood-red hand holding a vial appeared in the room. Much excitement prevails among the neighbors residing in the vicinity of the haunted house.
Headline: THE GHOST STILL WALKS! ELLA MYERS HAUNTS THOSE WHO INJURED HER. IS HER BODY UPSIDE DOWN?
Sunday April 19th, 1896
Judge Mccord believes that an investigation will reveal some starling things. George Hardies’s weird experience at the home of the deceased Cyprian.
A BLOOD READ HAND SEEN.
The ghost of Ella Myers continues to walk with uncanny tread at the errs-while dive at the Santa Fe Right of way. Last night at 12 o clock the doors of the house in which the girl is supposed to have died, suddenly flew open and a figure clad in white was seen at the window. It is alleged that the groans also issued from the hitherto locked house, and that three times a plaintive wail went up “Don’t give me any morphine I am sick!” for over a week super natural manifestations in the house have aroused the neighborhood, and the shacks vicinity of the haunted dwelling have been vacated.
On Friday night, George Hardie, thinking the story of the ghost was a prime josh, called at the house. He found the front door locked. Going to the back door he found it locked and bolted. Hardie went to the front door, and was preparing to return, disgusted, to town, when a low plaintive wail assailed his ears and almost simultaneously the front doors slowly swung open. Although, badly rattled, Hardie entered the house. In the room where the Myers girl died he was struck four sharp raps on the head, and at the same time a light, resembling a calcium ray flashed across the room, and within the ray appeared a blood-red hand clutching a bottle or a phial. Manifestations and ghostly séances similar to those seen and heard by Hardie, have been experienced by twenty-five or thirty persons who have visited the dwelling out of curiosity.
Kickapoo Charley visited the place Thursday and was badly frightened. In fact he fainted after seeing the apparition, and had been ill ever since.
P-2 (Continued)
Ex-Police Judge Mccord is considerably wrought up over the appearance of the astral body. He adheres to the belief that the Myers girl was buried alive, and that the body was chucked into a coarse box face downwards.
Policeman Potete avers that the exhuming of the body of the unfortunate Cyprian will show that the body is distorted and twisted, and that the girls ghost will haunt the colored undertaker, and her associates as long as they live. The brother of the dead girl is in the city, and will have the body disinterred and moved to Kansas for burial. It is thought he knows more about the strange case than he tells.
(End)
Also in the same paper: DIE A PAUPER- AND BE CHUCKED INTO A HOLE ON THE COTTONWOOD!
“If you have no money and wish a decent burial when you die, postpone dying until you get out of Logan County” remarked a prominent businessman yesterday. “I have just returned from a ride about town,” he continued, “and during my rounds I passed by what is supposed to be the burial ground for paupers. I must say such a graveyard is a burning disgrace to the county. A man who would place a dead body in that soggy plat of ground is devoid of all the merciful, humane feeling, which goes to make up a man. Surely the county has enough money to give its dead a respectful burial. This graveyard is a marsh on the Cottonwood. The county undertaker, after slapping a stiff into a box, hurries it to that wet marsh and deposits it about four feet under the ground. About twice a year the river rises and over=flows the graves, and we drink the water. Why can’t a plot of ground be staked off in Lynn’s cemetery for the indigent dead? The county owes that much to decency’s sake”
(End)
Headline : NO MORE GHOST!- THE REMAINS OF ELLA MYERS EXHUMED AND FOUND RIGHT SIDE UP!
April 23, 1896
P-4
The remains of Ella Myers whose ghost is said to have haunted the late home of the deceased on the Santa Fe right of way, were exhumed yesterday by H.M. Myers, half brother of the deceased, and taken to Rose hill township for interment. Mr. Myers was ignorant of the death of his sister until he read an account of the haunted house in the leader last week. The coffin was opened and the body was found in proper position. It is intimated that the girl was not only buried alive, but the body was placed in a rough box face downward, but since the recent comment regarding her burial, interested parties disinterred the remains and placed them in their natural position.
*Note: There were no more mentions about “ghosts” by the Santa Fe right of way after April 1896.*
Research Comments
Investigating ghost accounts for over 12 years now in Oklahoma, I have stumbled upon a few personal theories that seem to revolve around ghosts and haunting witness accounts.
What is Para-Hysteria? Well, basically it is a haunting created by a group of people who are convinced that a location is in fact haunted. What makes a location haunted? The most important and passé’ reasoning would to be a horrible death’s at a location, and maybe some local wives tales attached to it. The most common of hysteria is such as the above series of articles that were published over 100 years ago. Upon reading the articles, the average ghost hunters would be full of excitement and more than likely declare, “We got to find this place!” Well, that’s a great idea, if you are not paying attention of course. If you notice, within these articles, witness accounts grow larger, and more detailed with every mention. I would have loved to been a fly on the wall in mid- April 1896, the town was a buzz with the possibility of a real live ghost, haunting their railroad tracks; I can hear the towns people talking now. The media was very important, even back then, that is how people got their news, and they always understood that the news reported was in fact the “truth”. We are guilty of this today, society is greatly media influenced and it will never stop. Watching the reports grow into a simple “strange occurrence” into a full fledged ass kicking ghost with a vial of cocaine is simply amazing. Local law enforcement and important businessmen were even pulled into the ruckus. Bodies being exhumed, over old wives tale is prime example of how fast people are influenced. As a paranormal investigator it’s alarming to me that these types of things still happen, in and out of the field of paranormal investigating and or ghost hunting.
Researchers that scream “science!” are overlooking one thing, the basics of people and how easily hysteria can be created. Remember the Salem Witch Trials? People died horrible deaths over those types of accusations, and today very reputable teams and groups of paranormal investigators ignore the hysteria attached to those horrendous crimes. Today, paranormal investigators are in fact “investigating” something that is nothing but a vicious cycle of hysteria. With the Salem Witch Trials, the horrible deaths that occurred are today’s reasoning behind investigating the hauntings that these science-based teams are researching. Does that make any sense? To me it doesn’t. Creating a haunting, Para-hysteria however you want to word it, the truth is that it exists and is heavily covering up the paranormal investigative field. With today’s technology, it seems very easy to document a ghost. Cases where there are true paranormal anomalies are collected by accident, not an investigative team. So what is everyone looking for? Flashing lights, balls off energy, dust bunnies caught on tape? These anomalies are becoming so typical, that they are now unbelievable. High tech gadgets, physics, string theories, magic EMF readers and a million other run of the million other hypotheses will not convince me of the possibility of ghosts.
People create ghosts. That’s a bold statement yes, but I have reasoning behind my thoughts. Let’s take the infamous Myrtles Plantation for example. This home was built in 1796, a very long time ago. The plantation has a morbid past, and it’s documented historically. But as the years go by, the ghost reports seem to have lingered in only the halls. As time went by, I am sure that someone may have witnessed something unexplainable, and blamed it on a ghost. Getting people talking about the past and the history behind the plantation, minds begin to wander. Was the plantation just as haunted 200 years ago? Once the media got a hold of this story, just like the articles above, the strange and unusual happenings became more common. With each new owner, stories were passed on, giving the chance to grow and be exaggerated. People who witness these things are regular people, who in fact have fell for what we know as Para-hysteria. People are just people; we all want to believe that there is something more than what we can see with our own eyes. People want to believe in things that are not there, things that cannot be explained and of course, the possibility of ghosts roaming the earth, right along side of us. It’s exciting and since the beginning of time people have loved to be excited. So I will end this paragraph with the opening statement, people create ghosts.
I invite everyone to read these articles and study the Para-hysteria that is involved. The idea of a simple impression can make an entire town lose their minds for a few weeks; take a look at the above story, and of course, the Salem Witch Trails.
For all those teams out there who are still chasing the dream of “making contact”, all I can say is good luck and do whatever makes you happy in your personal search for the unknown. I personally will not waste anymore of my precious time away from my family and friends to investigate hauntings. Don’t get me wrong, I will still be investigating the unknown and the possibility of ghosts, but I am looking at things in a different light these days. Stop spending your hard earned money chasing a dream that will only happen if you believe a little harder than the next team. I ask that everyone takes a step back, and reflect on their rumored haunted locations… are you just creating those ghosts are you have you forgot entirely, that people will be people?
Old Hospital & EVP?
There was 1 unusual piece of audio that I will share at the bottom. Not sure about
what “she” is saying” what do you think?
Ghostlahoma offers up more than just paranormal talk!
7th ANNUAL OKLAHOMA PARANORMAL CONFERENCE MOVED TO ENID OKLAHOMA!
Enid, OK – GHOSTLAHOMA, Oklahoma’s 7th annual paranormal conference will be held in Enid for the first time on August 18, 2012 at the Cherokee Strip Conference Center from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This years event promises to offer much more than just paranormal talk and typical presentations!
Because this is Ghostlahoma, we want to showcase Oklahoma as much as possible. We love our great state and we want to share with you experiences that are not far removed from you. We do not aim to dazzle you with “as seen on TV” hype, though most of our speakers have been featured on TV at one time or another. We do, however, aim to dazzle you with intelligent, witty, and well researched evidence and tales of the paranormal and to provide you with an interesting, fun day of ghostly goodness. – Tammy Wilson Coordinator of Ghostlahoma
“You will see photos, hear “voices from the grave,” and get the goods on several haunts as well as learn about how evidence is analyzed. You’ll hear fascinating history and accounts of bizarre things. Then you will have the opportunity to talk to the speakers and ask questions about anything paranormal. We are excited about showcasing some of Ghostlahomas best and interesting artists and of course the Haunt Rod Car show! – Tonya Hacker- Coordinator of Ghostlahoma
Internationally recognized artist Josh Stebbins- will have his work available and on display at the conference along side with other Oklahoma artist with “ominous elements.” Some of the most unique art, photography and even crafts will be displayed and for sale at the first ever Ghostlahoma Art Gallery.
Downtown Enid will have parts of the Main Street closed off due to the first annual “Haunt Rod” car show. The streets will be lined with hearses and spooky cars, trucks and anything with wheels for patrons and curious minds. This is the very first “Haunt Rod” show in association with a conference and many cars from across the state are coming together to show off their spooky spokes!
Don’t forget your cameras!
After the Conference when the night starts to move in there will be several ghostly tours and hands on weirdness for your entertainment!
Tickets for the event are $25.00 and may be purchased online at www.iloveenid.com & GHOULI.ORG or by calling (580) 402-6732. Vendor tables & Sponsorships Available. Group Rates are available. Please call for details.
This event is sponsored by:
Mystical Illusions Tattoo & Body Piercing
Black Cat T-shirts
Artist Josh Stebbins
Revenant Limousines
& the City of Enid, Oklahoma
Haunted Skirvin Hotel fails to scare Miami Heat?
Well that’s a headline I thought I would never write!
First of all I want to let everyone know that I am not a big sports fan. I never have been one either. I’m not one to jump on the bandwagon because a team is doing very well in a season. But I do have respect for the Thunder. I did come across a headline on my phone where I get “paranormal news” and a very small blurb was posted in a Miami based newspaper. The Sun Sentential decided to take a poke that kind of got me a bit riled up. No, I am not running out to purchase an official Thunder-Up t-shirt but the short article did make me raise an eyebrow and be on the defensive end.
I’m not normally concerned with sports rivalry but I am getting rather annoyed with the national media making statements as to which they are so surprised that Oklahoma City is actually a real city! Why on earth would anyone in this day and age really assume we are sporting around covered wagons and living by lakes and rivers in tee-pee’s? Oklahoma City may not be the most progressive city around but really we are not waking up each day to hunt for our food!
Miami Heat player Udonis Haslem told media “I’m a pretty good guy, man. I respect everybody’s space,” “If that’s the ghost’s room and they come pop up on me like that and he says it’s his spot, he can have it. There’s plenty other rooms.”
Folks who have stayed at the Skirvin Hilton — you can check in any time you like but you can never leave — report all sorts of supernatural incidents. Boston Celtics forward Brandon Bass insists on a nightlight when he stays there and Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson said his bathroom door slammed in the middle of the night. – Source Washington Post
It’s nice to see the competition not be intimidated by a series of ghostly tales attached to the hotel like many others in the past.
OKC lacking the Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons level of accommodations the Heat are used to, these NBA Finals against the Thunder have delivered them to the century-old Skirvin Hilton. And that has delivered them to the gates of . . .
Seriously, the gates of … ? What exactly does dot dot dot mean? Delivering them into the gates of failure? Loserville? Victory? Hell? Over active imaginations?
What I particularly do not care for are the suggestions that OKC is not able to provide athletes and even celebrities first class accommodations. Perhaps those writing these tall tales should actually stay at the hotel and visit our city before assuming we are not up to celeb-standards. I am aware and often confused with the marketing strategy of the Skirvin concerning their haunting history. I do wish they would address the rumors as I can see they are creating a lot of negative publicity on the subject. There are strange things that could possibly happen at the hotel but some of the stories are getting fabricated beyond reality.
Don’t believe me? Take a peek here
I’m going to link the graphic this paper created just because I found it to be humorous.
It still makes me laugh when I read about grown men that put on mean faces for a living be afraid of the Skirvin Hotel. The hotel is nothing to be afraid of or lose a minute of sleep over. I’m sure if you dug deep enough there are ghost stories at even the most prestigious hotels in the nation.
I do want to say that I am very proud of the OKC Thunder and their accomplishments. They are representing our city very well. I am more than happy to see that the world will finally realize that the state of Oklahoma does in fact have electricity and we do not live in mud huts down by the river. I wish the Thunder the best of luck and I do hope they win just to shut people up!
Supermarket Ghost
I realize this piece of footage is does not have anything to do with the state of Oklahoma but it is has hit over a million views over the past few days on youtube. There is “ruckus” about this video and it has paranormal people talking. But why?
According to the shop owner of this IGA in Brompton, Australia he was told about the ghost that resides within the supermarket. They have pinpointed the ghost as well. Apparently a local boxer was gunned down outside while using the telephone. The bullet hole is still there and everything.
I do not see a lot of reports coming out of Australia when it comes to ghosts and claims of the unknown so I decided to take a better look and offer my two-cents on what could have possibly happened. Was it a ghost? If you want to believe that it is, that’s entirely up to you. But I personally think it was a lazy employee that didn’t want to take the time to return the haunted Fruit Roll-Ups to their rightful home.
Here is the first release of the story on a Good Morning Sunrise type of show.
You can hear some sarcasm (disbelief) by a couple of the hosts. I for one found it rather amusing that this clip made it as far as it did within the media.
Here is a more exclusive clip where it gives a bit more detail about the chewy event.
It seems the shop owner is pretty much convinced that a “ghost” did do this. What baffles my mind is the fact that he would rather admit he has a ghost compared to having imperfect stock clerks. When I was a teenager I worked at a local grocery store for a summer. I will admit that I did put items behind items that belong on other isles. I was too lazy to take them back to where they belonged. So, finding a box of haircolor behind the canned beets was not an uncommon thing. Oh, I wasn’t the only one that did things like this. We were all teens and we all wanted to have things done so we could get off work.
Notice in the video that the Fruit Roll-Ups belonged on the next isle over. Pay close attention as the store owner shows where the supernatural treats came flying from. It is a shelf full of what appears to me to be egg noodles/pasta of some sort? The noodles are lying there, all shiny, slick and plastic like. Is it possible that the roll-ups were tucked away behind the noodles? One swift movement of the air conditioning or even a loud non-paranormal noise could have made the roll ups finally slide from the noodle shelf? This may be a big giant theory/explanation but it’s better than a big bad boxer flicking Fruit Roll-Ups to get attention. I would hope that if he made a choice to use all that energy to make a paranormal statement that he would have at least used a more masculine product? Maybe not?
I personally do not think this story is paranormal at all. Closed Circuit Video that is motion detected can come on and record if there is a loud bang (from outside) or if an air-conditioning unit kicks on abruptly. There was no other movement recorded on the footage either. I would like to see this store produce more videos like this mainly because they are already convinced it’s haunted.
Have you ever been in a retail store and something just flew off the shelf? I have. It’s happened to me many times. I have even had strangers watch an item fall, we look at each other and telepathically acknowledge that “Yeah, it just flew off the shelf, glad you got to see it with me.” Was it a ghost? Probably not, but it was strange enough to instantly blow off for the sake of not being a bit paranoid. Over the years I have received a large number of emails about the retail area of where the old Belle Isle Power plant once was. Many people claim that some retail shops and restaurants are haunted. There are many reports on the internet about personal ghostly encounters taking place while people were getting great deals on a new pair of jeans or shopping for groceries.
How do you feel about the Supermarket Ghost footage that is getting nationwide attention? Ghost or lazy stocking skills? What do you think?
Haunted Travel with kids?
Planning a weekend vacation or road trip with your family is always hard to do. Making sure there is enough for everyone to do outside of riding in a car the whole time can be an adventure on its own. I do remember vacations as a
Random Family hitting the road!
child with my entire family. We would load up the powder blue station wagon (yes blue!) and hit the road. I remember trips where we got lost in the hills of Arkansas and stopping at cool Route 66 Places. As a child, I did not realize how “cool” those places really were. Now that I am older I have realized that family road trips were great for memories. I remember my parents yelling at us to stop smacking bubble gum. I remember my brothers picking on me and just being annoying, out of sheer boredom from riding in the car for what then seemed to be countless hours. I remember playing the “License plate game” and any other game we could create, just to kill the time. This was way before Ipods, games and DVD players. I remember eating with my family at “greasy spoons” and the joy of getting stacks of pancakes at dinner time. I remember driving down twisting and turning roads in the middle of the night and my dad making “spooky noises” because it was kind of scary for us kids. Instead of my parents non-sheltering tactics, or perhaps their little “pay back game” they played has now, been embedded in my mind forever, and I thank them.
I do not have memories of watching hours of TV, playing computer games or managing a social network page as a child. I actually got out and explored areas and had a great time doing it. As a parent, it’s my job to not only raise my children as independent, law abiding citizens, it’s my job to create memories for them as well and even scaring the snot out of them on occasion. Mean? I don’t think so.
The subject of this blog is sure to raise a few eyebrows for sure. Taking children into “haunted places” seems so taboo and irresponsible to some people. It’s a big “no-no” for a lot of people that are in the “Paranormal Field”, why, I have no clue. I have yet to read or hear a rational explanation for it, outside of paranoia.
Haunted places and children, sounds so scary doesn’t it? In reality, there is a good chance that the paranoid parents have already crossed that line. If your child has ever visited places such as Historic Museums, Battle grounds, Hotels, B&B’s, Zoo’s, restaurants and even cultural venue’s you have failed to protect your child from “ghosts”, If in fact you are one of the paranoid people in the world. Ghost stories are everywhere. They are a part of life and are nothing to be afraid of. What makes these places scary is the fear that parents put into their children’s minds. I take pride in the fact that I am raising rational thinking kids that are not afraid of historical locations. I wish more parents would jump on that band wagon with me.
This past year I was invited to join a private birthday slumber party at the Skirvin Hotel in Downtown Oklahoma City. I was asked to come share the haunting history of the hotel, teach the kids how to get “EVP’S” and take photos in haunted places. I brought my children along with me. Teaching children to not be afraid is not difficult at all. The kids learn about history and they remember it, because of the ghost stories attached. It makes great memories. The kids at this private party had a blast and explored the hotel in a quite and respectful manner. They did not go around screaming and yelling, taunting the ghosts and running amok in the hotel. They respected it for all it’s worth and embraced the history. All of the kids had a wonderful time and I had a blast scaring them with the stories. I do wish the hotel was a little more open minded about their haunting history, but then again. I enjoy helping people pick rooms in the hotel where they are more likely to witness something “paranormal.”
Those that are opposed to staying in haunted hotels with their children, honestly shows nothing but ignorance in my opinion. Not only are they robbing their children of great history they are pushing their fears into their children. There are even paranormal groups on the internet that preach about the dangers of ghost hunting and children. Kids stay at hotels all the time and they leave totally intact and without “demonic possession.” When I visited the very well known haunt, the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs Arkansas I was delighted to see even infants in the hotel. This is the same hotel where the big bad “Ghost Hunters” you see on TV acted like scaredy cats throughout the hotel. I remember late in the night I was walking around in my pajamas to sit on the patio for a while, I passed two little girls, probably around 8 or 9 years old in the hotel. I actually talked to these girls when we checked in and I asked them if they were afraid of the ghosts in the hotel. I told them to wait until real late and hang out on the stairwell so they could see the ghost of a woman. I totally made up the ghostly scenario, but late that night, the little girls were on the stairs. Waiting. I gave them the thumbs up and kept walking. I made it to the elevator and there was a group of “ghost hunters” hanging out by the elevator doors. They were armed with EMF meters, video cameras and were snapping photos left and right. I just walked right through the group in my fuzzy slippers. I do remember laughing at them once the elevator doors shut. If they only knew that two young kids were doing the same thing, but being more mature about it. Being innocent and just allowing things to happen instead of feeding off a group of adult idiots. I remember returning to my room and walking the halls alone. I did not have any ghostly encounters by myself, but all through the night the group of “ghost hunters” were taking photos of our rooms door. The infamous “Room 419″ (You can watch the show here 3 parts) is where I stayed and it was rather humorous to listen to how serious these “ghost hunters” were. They had no idea that someone was actually in the room, that was alive! The next day I did see the little girls and ask them if they met a ghost that night. They had all kinds of stories to share. Stories they will never forget.
This month my family will be hitting the road. Now that my kids are a bit older they will be staying in a room, in a haunted hotel all by themselves. Will they be scared? I doubt it, but if anything does happen, I know they will remember it for the rest of their lives. We are hitting the road to visit family in Missouri. I found a great hotel that has a lot of ghost stories and was even voted “best haunted hideaway” by Triple-A. The Bothwell hotel is a seven floor fully restored hotel in the small historic town of Sadalia, I hope to be able to share some stories once we return from this adventure. I hope my children do have a ghostly encounter, even if it is their imaginations getting the best of them.
In closing, staying where there are “ghosts” is not a bad thing. Parents need to allow their kids to have their own adventures and vacation time. Visit museums and maybe even take a ghost tour. Never fear that your child will be hurt or attacked by a ghost at these places. Keep in mind, ghosts have not officially been proven to exist! Remember, it’s only dangerous and scary if you, the parent make it that way.
Sincere Blogger,
Tonya Hacker aka “Paranormal Eyes”
El Reno offers up a paranormal bonanza!
Just this past month we had the privilege to host the 6th annual Oklahoma Paranormal Conference in El Reno. We had a brand new venue in the historically haunted and newly restored Old Center Theater.
Newly restored Center Theatre, El Reno, OK
The speaker line up was impressive this year and the turn out was more than what was expected with it being Easter Weekend. Everyone had a great time as they learned about everything from Oklahoma’s ghost towns to unexplained monsters and creatures. You can learn more about the line up if you CLICK HERE.
This was the first time in many years that I actually lectured at this event. Typically, when I am hosting there is too much going on to actually take the time to get up and speak. This year, thanks to the kind folks at the El Reno Convention Bureau and the wonderful volunteers and team members of GHOULI the event ran very smooth. It was a lot of fun this year, even the Mayor of El Reno, Matt White hit the stage thanking us all for attending and taking time out to learn about history and legends within the state of Oklahoma. He encouraged everyone to explore the city of El Reno. I feel that everyone was impressed with the fantastic welcome by this city and we hope that the rest of the state understands that even subjects of the unexplained are friendly, fun and positive towards small towns and historical cities. Tony Rivera, City Manager met with us before the event and he was so gracious and thankful that the Ghostlahoma event was help in his City. We want to thank El Reno for being so hospitable with us. We are looking forward to working with them more to help promote the fantastic history of the city.
Historic Fort Reno hosted a private Ghost Tour for guests of the Ghostlahoma event. That evening, around 40 participants headed out to the infamous fort for a guided tour. We were encouraged to take photos and explore approved areas. We learned all about the history of the fort and it’s haunting tales that have been witnessed over the years. One tour patron, Chris Harrington of northern Oklahoma participated in the tour. Skeptic by nature and himself a paranormal researcher, he was just enjoying the tour and not expecting to witness anything “unexplainable”. He snapped a lot of photos that night, but one set of photos seemed to stand out to him. He sent the photos to me and allowed me to post up for review on my teams FaceBook account. It was an interesting catch and knowing Chris personally, I do feel that he is being honest with his captures.
In the visitors center at the Fort he waited until everyone left the areas before he made a quick run through with his camera and audio recorder. He was mindful that others were in the building and made a the conscious choice to not record or shoot while other people were around him. This is a great strategy to have when taking any kind of “ghost tour”. I see a lot of photos of large groups of people and then all of a sudden the photographer claims to have captured a ghost. The odds of them remembering where everyone was at and what they were doing is impossible. With so many people buzzing around the unexplained phenomenon should be immediately dismissed. Chris did capture a set of photos that I did want to share and get feedback. I am aware that it is “his word against yours” but take the time to look at the photo sequence. The images were taken 3 in a row, with just a matter of seconds between them. The first image was with his Flash. The second was without and the third was instantly followed, both without a flash. The camera is unstable but the image is not distorted enough to blame movement and shutter speed. Please take a look and offer your opinion.
Did Chris capture the apparition or shadow of the General that committed suicide over 100 years ago? This image was captured in the Visitors Center which was formally living quarters for many military families? What do you think?
First of 3
2nd Shot
3rd Shot
What do you think? Do you see the image in the second shot?
I will stand behind Chris and against the argument that this was possibly manipulated with Photoshop or any other editing program. I analyzed the photos myself and there was no image manipulated involved whatsoever but as always, your opinion is welcome and anticipated.
Quick update!
Just wanted to do a very quick update! Life gets very hectic and then it makes sense. That’s the theory I live by, most of the time.
Abandoned Post Office
New and positive changes are in the works for myself, this blog and the G.H.O.U.L.I. team. No, we are not filming a TV pilot. I know, I know, every time a team says they have good news, it typically follows with something to do with reaching for reality TV stardom. Well, as much as some folks would love to see the GHOULI team on TV, it’s just not one of our goals. We have been working discretely at a few residential locations and soon to be researching and investigating a few historical locations in the state of Oklahoma. I have learned a lot in the past year in regards to local teams and what their intentions are. I have also rediscovered how many absolute crazy people there are in this so called paranormal community. It boggles my mind to think that people that claim to be rational or even “scientific” are the most outrageous middle school minded adults I have ever come across. The paranormal community is a horrific scene, it really is. I have witnessed liars, fakes, frauds and flat out utter stupidity take place with people and they still pretend to be some kind of scientist. It truly does blow my mind. But, I have made it a point to not be involved anymore with such vicious and conniving people anymore. I have been conducting paranormal research for over 12 years now in this state and if I am to be so bold to say, I am better than they are. Sure, hate me but I’m not wrong. I do not care at this point because the community has officially separated itself from real paranormal research and I am glad that the separation is blatant and obvious to the rest of the world. With that said, I am back on track. Adventuring out with my team or alone. The weather is warming up and do not forecast anymore harsh winter conditions. The GHOULI team and myself have teamed up with some great open minded individuals that do not have “paranormal reality tv” on the brain. We are getting back to the basics of documentation, history and supplying a valid non-hyped up opinion concerning subjects of the unexplained.
This blog: This year I will make this blog a bit more personal. You the reader will be able to tell the difference, I hope. I am excited to be able to visit some of Oklahoma’s best historically significant locations and talk about them, right here on this blog. I want to be able to offer readers a chance to visit the places I visit and enjoy Oklahoma history and culture as much as I do.
Conference time! Yes, it’s almost that time of year. Where people that enjoy a good o
ld fashioned ghost story, urban legend or anything strange concerning the state of Oklahoma. April 23rd is the 6th annual Oklahoma Paranormal Conference. We have given the event a new name as the original title of Para-Con has been used by hundreds of events across the nation. With pleasure, we have titled the event “Ghostlahoma!” We hope everyone that has an adventurist side to them will be able to make the event this year. So far we have a lot of people getting ready for the event and we have yet to do much advertising. This is a fun event for everyone and we encourage you to attend. We have moved to a new historically haunted location in downtown El Reno, OK. The old Centre Theater is being preserved and we are happy to have the conference in such a magnificent old theater. www.ghouli.org for details.
I am excited about 2011 and so far I have made so many positive cha
nges and I have a goal to have them reflect here on this blog. Just this week I will be dining at one of Oklahoma’s most secret haunted restaurants. I will not only review the food, I will share the ghost story.
As always… if you have a location you would like to see me review, please email me tonyahacker@gmail.com I will be happy to offer my unbiased opinion about your establishment. I review places to eat, sleep, tour and drink that have a great or unusual history.
Sincerely,
Tonya Hacker aka Paranormal Eyes
Strange humanoid creature caught on deer cam?
Just this week I received a message in my in-box stating a very alarming message.
“I have recently been given pictures that were taken on a family plot of land in Wister oklahoma on Nov 30 2010 at aprox 1 45 a.m by a camera trap that was in place to track deer movements what was captured on the other hand was no flippin deer and was nothing short of creepy as hell it was a bipedal humanoid type thing that apeared to be attemting to investigate the pile of corn left for the deer and was startled by the camera trap cause it looked right at it I’ve attached one photo and would really apreciate any insight on this matter because there are some freeked out people here you may also contact me by phone at….”
So, I look at the photo and I will admit it’s a very creepy image. The thought of something like “that” prancing around in the woods scares me a bit. I took a peek at the photo. First glance, photo shop job. Then I just started searching the net for unusual photos caught by a deer cam. Within seconds I find the same image, plastered all over the internet. This is a big deal on the internet right now. Some paranormal researchers are actually reporting it to be unexplained while others are realizing it’s not what it appears to be.
Even local media is jumping the bandwagon concerning this strange creature. It makes you wonder what ever happened to the concept of investigative reporting. Here is an example of one media source that is ready and willing to believe anything that’s posted on the internet.
Viral videos are everywhere on the internet. People fall for them all the time, even “professional paranormal experts”. Genius marketing or someone that has a lot of time on their hands, or both. No matter what, it totally works!
Here is the original story posted about the creature. Same story, different place.
“A deer hunter at Berwick, Louisiana, has captured a strange image of something wandering through the Louisiana woods at night. The hunter near Baton Rouge reported to the media that he found this bizarre image on his deer stand camera.”
The image was apparently a marketing gimmick created by a hunting company called Wildgame Innovations they posted the image on their Facebook page and created a small story to make it seem real. Then they changed the the source of the image to a production of a movie titled Super 8. But, the Super8 news website is denying the accusations of this viral video. I found it odd that Steven Spielberg would need assistance with promoting a film. It’s my two cents that the Wildgame Technology has sold a lot of deer cams. Not only hunters are using them but ghost hunters are jumping on the bandwagon without taking a few minutes out of their day to research the truth about the image.
This deer cam capture has been “debunked” by the many people that are not ready to jump to conclusions concerning creatures and paranormal phenomenon. Creepy image indeed. And I’m not too ashamed to say that the woods do freak me out. I would much rather spend the night in a rumored haunted building compared to camping in the deep woods. Perhaps images like this is what keeps me away. I am totally aware that creatures like this are not real but it would be my luck to be the first to come face to face with something this freakish. I will leave the crypto-hunters to do their job. I will stick with investigating rumors of ghosts .
Ghost kid caught on video?
Family catches ghost video in Savannah Georgia Cemetery aka public park.
Nice little video huh? Many people are ready to explore the idea that this guy actually collected proof of a ghost boy, but in the real world there are questions. Many questions.
No, we can’t go back in time and make the kid go search for the boy, interview people in the park and go use a little bit of critical thinking or a tad of common sense. The world will just go by what this family says and that’s about it.
We all want to believe that someone caught video evidence of the afterlife! Most of us have had experiences and would love to see film footage that is not produced by a TV network validate our personal claims. But, before we start to think this kid has something, there are a few key factors that we would like to discuss.
On the plus side, it’s nice to see something out there that’s not in IR video. In broad daylight. So, we give props to this kid for not taking a nighttime tour in night vision. That’s about it.
Here are some comments made about the video we wanted to share.
“I think it’s interesting that they had experts analyze it and couldn’t find any evidence of tampering, but also find it strange that the kid didn’t continue to film and go over and investigate! I would have if I saw something as weird as that! Maybe he didn’t really notice it until later?? I’m on the fence about it, but it is interesting!! My gut is telling me it’s fake, but I guess we’ll never know for sure either way. -Laurel Lee”
“its definatley creepy. Im gonna call bullshit though. The family was too redneck. Only an inbered kid can run & jump into a tree like that!
They prolly let him out of a cage & the kid went ape shit! - John Fletcher”“It’s too far away and there are people constantly moving along those paths. It’s hard to say we’re seeing what we think we’re seeing. What looks like someone or something climbing the tree happens milliseconds prior to a couple with a strol ler passes. They seem to be doing something and, in fact, for an instant, I had the impression of someone tossing a jacket. Bottom line: we simply don’t get a good clear shot of what’s going on. If the original could be examined…. But then, there’s a copyright on it now…. In my experience, a copyright is a big, fat red light flashing all over the place. - Cullan Hudson”
“Inconclusive; the object from the trees could as easily be a cloud of insects or ‘swamp gas’ (LOL) ;I would want to investigate it more before calling it proof.- Marilyn Hudson”
“They can neither deny nor confirm the footage.- Stu Zelman”
There were also a lot of comments like “IDK, Hummmm” and “Interesting” as well, so people will not think we are aiming for the throat with this one. But, nobody that we found, in our group of common sense people actually agreed that the video was “Proof of the Afterlife”.
Many make this claim each time they go out on a ghost hunt. They always seem to “get evidence” as most real researchers know, that is not the case. Sometimes a person can go to the most haunted place on earth and walk away with nothing. So the TV image of “we always get something” needs to be focused on within the paranormal community. We won’t say that these people are faking it, but we will say that they are very careless and are ready to say that anything that their feeble minds can’t explain at that moment as “Proof of the afterlife”. Right now, there is no proof. Just diluted versions of people imaginations and wishful thinking. There is a lot of cool and eyebrow raising moments captured but it is not proof. Just a story.
Who else finds it a bit odd that this family held on to this “proof” for over 2 years?
Who else finds it a bit odd that the father had the video affixed with the good old fashioned lets make it official copyright?
Who else finds it a bit odd that even Fox8 news stated “have an attorney ready for those that try to steal it”… (really?)
Who else finds it odd that the father is claiming it’s the “Greatest ghost video that I have ever seen” ??? (does he watch a lot of potential ghost footage or is he just partial because his boy caught this one?)
Who else was able to spot the “Shadowy woman”???
Do we get mad tree jumping ninja skills if and when we become a ghost?
No matter what you believe you are welcome to discuss this video here.
~ Tonya Hacker
