History of 10 Haunted Places In America - Part 2
The RMS Queen Mary has had many lives. The ship made its maiden voyage in 1936 and carried many a Hollywood celebrity, from Clark Gable to Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn, in years to come. Those on board got quite the experience: two bars and swimming pools, five dining areas and lounges, a grand ballroom, squash court, and a small hospital.
In 1939 the ocean liner was turned into a troopship for WWII and named "The Grey Ghost."
In 1947, the ship resumed its original role and hosted passengers for another 20 years, until docking in Long Beach, California, on Halloween in 1967. During its time, the Queen Mary saw numerous deaths. A young sailor was crushed by an engine room door, a crew member was murdered in cabin B340, and several children drowned in the ship's pools.
The Queen Mary is now a working hotel, one that guests continually say is home to the ghosts of those who died onboard. The engine room is a big tourist attraction, thanks to its designation of "hotbed of paranormal activity."
The Dock Street Theatre in downtown Charleston is one of the oldest theaters in America. After a brief stint as the Planters Inn when a fire burned down the original theater, it was restored to its true purpose in the 1930s.
One of its most famous ghostly inhabitants is Nettie Dickerson, a prostitute who was said to have been struck by lightning while standing on the balcony. Some visitors have reported seeing her running amok on the second floor in a red gown.
Flagstaff's Hotel Monte Vista, which opened in 1927, has a plethora of hotel guests who just never left.
Monte Vista's most well-known ghost story is that of room 305. This room is thought to have been occupied by an old woman who was a long-term renter and used to sit in a rocking chair near the window for hours. Today, guests, as well as staff, see the chair rocking on its own. Some have even seen the old lady sitting in it.
Other paranormal activity includes the sound of a screaming infant that comes from the hotel's basement and sends housekeepers running, a phantom bellboy who knocks on doors and announces "room service," and the ghosts of two prostitutes who in the early 1940s were killed in room 306 and then thrown from the window. The most bizarre is the meat man, a long-term guest who stayed in room 220 in the 1980s and hung raw meat from the chandelier in his room. His body was discovered in his room three days after he had been killed.
Besides bearing the distinction of South Carolina's oldest bridge, Poinsett is also believed by many to be a particularly spooky spot. The bridge, which was built completely out of stone in 1820, is rumored to be home to multiple ghosts.
There's the story of the mason who died while building the bridge; his body is allegedly entombed inside of it. Then there's the man who died here in a car accident in the 50s, and a slave who was lynched near the bridge.
The Lord Baltimore Hotel's long history in the city has earned it a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
Designed by William Lee Stoddard, it was the largest hotel in the state of Maryland when it opened its doors in 1928.
Guests have reported feeling invisible hands touch them in the elevators, but the 19th floor is said to be particularly haunted. The elevators go to the 19th floor when no one has pressed a button to send them there, and, according to some, the ghost of a little girl who is said to have committed suicide in the hotel frequents its halls.
Henry Pittock was the owner and publisher of "The Oregonian" newspaper, while his wife Georgiana was the founder and fundraiser of multiple charities. The couple built their stately mansion in 1914, and moved in that same year with eight other family members.
Henry and Georgiana didn't live in the house long, though; Georgiana died in 1918 and Henry died a year later. The family stayed in the mansion and continued to own it until 1958. The home is now owned by The City of Portland and is open to visitors.
Those who have stopped by the mansion have reported some puzzling occurrences. Some say they smell flowers — Georgiana was an avid gardener — in rooms that have none, and others say a childhood painting of Henry moves around in the house on its own.
Waverly Hills Sanatorium started off as a one-room schoolhouse in the late 1800s. The Board of Tuberculosis Hospital later purchased the land and built the sanatorium, which opened in 1910 as a small quarantine for tuberculosis patients. The large building that now sits abandoned was built in 1926 in response to the need for a larger facility; the sanatorium could house over 400 patients.
Waverly Hills was its own community complete with a zip code, post office, and water treatment facility. Everyone in the sanatorium — patients, nurses, doctors — were cut off from the outside world. It closed in 1961 after an antibiotic that cured tuberculosis was discovered.
However, it's believed that some patients never left and still haunt the grounds. Visitors can participate in ghost tours and visit haunted houses during the fall season on the hospital grounds.
The New London Ledge Lighthouse was built on top of a concrete pier in Connecticut's New London Harbor in 1909. Until the US Coast Guard took over the lighthouse in 1939, individual keepers kept the light on for passing ships.
The spirit of a former keeper named Ernie is said to haunt the building, with reports of doors opening and closing themselves, televisions and radios turning themselves on and off, and occasional sightings of a ghostly bearded man.
If you dare, tours are offered during the summer.
The Stanley Hotel served as the inspiration behind Stephen King's novel, "The Shining," which was later turned into a cult-favorite horror movie. According to paranormal experts, the Colorado hotel is said to be one of America's most active ghost sites.
F.O. and Flora Stanley, a couple from Massachusetts, opened the hotel in 1909, and it's believed that their ghosts still haunt the place. At night, Mrs. Stanley is said to play the piano in the music room. Other reports include lights turning on and off, sounds of laughter, and bags being mysteriously unpacked.
Guests can even book "spirited rooms" in the hotel, where there's high paranormal activity. Options include the Stephen King Suite or the Ghost Hunter's Favorite Room.
The Sloss Furnaces are now a historic national landmark, but in the late 19th century they produced iron, which was then turned into steel. James "Slag" Wormwood was the boss at the furnaces, and it's said that he put his employees through some pretty inhumane conditions.
Labor laws didn't exist at the time, and temperatures in the furnaces often reached above 100 degrees. A total of 47 men died with Wormwood as their boss, and even Wormwood himself lost his life in the furnaces when he slipped and fell into the iron ore, causing his body to melt.
Wormwood and his workers are believed to haunt the furnaces to this day.
Article By :- Thisisinsider.com
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