Do you believe in ghosts? Just in time for Halloween, St. George News asked readers from around the country to tell us their real-life ghost stories. Are they real? We’ll let you decide. Happy Halloween.
Nashville, Tenn.
During my sophomore year of college I lived in a two-bedroom townhome in the heart of Nashville. I moved in during the month of August and started noticing a few odd things –my keys would be moved from the kitchen counter to the living room couch, the TV channel would change, my dog would look around as if someone was speaking to him, the microwave would turn out, etc. I didn’t think too much of it, being a devout Catholic I really didn’t believe in ghosts … until Halloween.
My roommate, who had lived in the townhome for two years, decided it was time to share what was really going on with me. She told me an old married couple lived in the house before her parent’s bought it. The old husband, who was unable to walk upstairs, died leaving his widowed wife in the house. Worried about her, he came back as a ghost looking for her and trying to protect her.
The night my roommate, Katie, told me this story, our lives changed. I was in the downstairs in the bathroom doing my makeup before our Halloween party when I saw a white figure standing in the bathroom doorway. He said, “Sarah, are you okay?” so distinctively chills ran down my spine. Not knowing what to do or say, I just nodded yes. The next morning around 5 a.m. Katie was getting ready for her nursing clinical in the same downstairs bathroom. I was awakened by her screams. I came downstairs to find her head and neck strained backwards and her hair being pulled.
I truly believe he was just trying to protect his wife, because for the most part, he minded his own business and respected us if we respected him. But every now and then, you’d see his white figure float across the room or he’d ask you about your day. It sounds silly trying to explain, but go spend a couple of months in that townhome and you’ll get it! I am a firm believer in ghosts now!
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
The Carolina Inn invites guests to spend an evening with its longtime resident ghost, Dr. William Jacocks. A friendly spirit, he enjoys playing practical jokes on those who stay in what was once Dr. Jacocks’ permanent home, Room 256.
After retirement, Dr. Jacocks made the historic hotel his permanent home. He stayed in what is now room 256 for a total of 17 years before his passing. Jacocks is said to have been a kind, gentle man with a great sense of humor.
Guests that have stayed in his old room have claimed such oddities as the bath mat being rumpled, as if someone had gotten out of the shower recently, and the curtains being pulled wide open after having been closed the night before. The distinct aroma of flowers has been said to arise in the room, especially in the morning. A strange, loud “whizzing” sound was heard, not coming from anywhere near a ventilation shaft. Another guest reported his feet suddenly becoming enigmatically icy.
Guests, as well as the staff, have witnessed a finely attired, portly man walking the halls. He is said to be wearing a knit hat with a long blue coat over a black suit. He wanders the halls apparently seeking an unlocked door. He tries the knobs, rattles them to see if they are locked, then moves onto the next door. When guests from within the rooms open the door, he often gets scared and runs away.
Manitou springs, Colo.
Built in 1994, the Red Crags Inn was the residence of Dr. William Bell. He turned the home into a wellness clinic when he moved into what is now The Briarhurst Inn.
In 2000, the new owner, Brett Maddox, awoke to find a little girl peering at him from the side of his bed. The same little girl had been seen by his sister-in-law when she lived there from 1988 to 1994.
Another spirit known to visit the Red Crags is a young woman in early twentieth century dress seen standing by the garden pond.
Also on the estate, at the Onaledge Inn, built in 1912, is a ghost named Stew who leaves pennies for the Innkeeper to find. She would pick them up and place them in an old desk, just to find them moved the next day by Stew.
Stew is joined by an elderly lady who lived in one of the upstairs rooms. Many guests have said they have felt the elderly woman push them out of bed by someone who claims the room is hers.
But the most chilling encounter was on May 31, 2006. A couple from Oklahoma were staying at the Inn when they heard “trampling feet” above their room. After it continued, the husband hit the ceiling, which was returned with thumps from above. Brett Maddox says no one was staying above them that night.
The next night, the wife was woken by five spirits standing next to her. They began to speak to the wife, telling her they didn’t mind her being there. But then one of the spirits, a little boy, approaches the sleeping husband and reached out a hand to touch him. The couple heard someone say “Help me,” and the husband received a scratch on his arm. The couple immediately packed up and left.
Schuylerville, New York
My house was built in the mid 1800s and is located on Burgoyne Street, also known County Route 338, directly in front of the Saratoga Monument. Our historical home, which has accommodated two generations of the Liptaks, is also the home to a Revolutionary solider named James Williams.
When my brother (now 30 years old) was a child, he saw a man dressed in colonial attire walk throughout our house and exit towards the Monument, disappearing in the horizon. However, the most significant encounter occurred when I was twelve years old.
It was a Saturday morning and I awoke to a pounding headache. As I crawled in agony to my parent’s room, I could only stand up long enough to mention that my room smelled funny. Low and behold, our furnace had been leaking carbon monoxide poisoning and I had awoke just hours before death. When the firefighters examined our basement, they found something unbelievable. Not only was the furnace leaking with carbon monoxide (which you cannot smell) another pipe had blatantly been broken, leaking fumes that you could smell.
One year ago, my family had a psychic come to the house. Immediately, she felt the presence of a man, who she deemed James Williams (who we later confirmed with Saratoga County records). Without any previous discussion or knowledge of the situation, the psychic stated that the man was a Revolutionary War solider.
Therefore, the creaks in the stairs, that tingly feeling as if you’ve walked through cobwebs, wacky electricity, disappearing objects, and opening cupboards means nothing, when it comes to ghost who had saved my life to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Tell us your ghost story.
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