Is the Molly Stark Hospital in Ohio Truly Haunted?

Today’s guest author is Timothy Yohe, a ghost tracker who writes for The Paranormal Blog. He shares a fascinating ghost story and some creepy photos of a haunted hospital in Ohio.

Is the Molly Stark Hospital in Ohio Truly Haunted? 

                        

An Investigation and Conclusions:

                                 

Anyone travelling down Ravenna Road on the outskirts of East Canton, Ohio in Nimishillen Township will see a landscape that resembles many of the small towns which are interspersed throughout the state. A large percentage of these towns have stories about spirit activity and unexplained phenomena which occur within their rural boundaries. Limaville is no exception. It is an area filled with small rolling hills and houses built for practicality, many erected around the turn of the 20^th century. But through the skeletal trees and down a dusty road lies the questionably haunted grounds of the Molly Stark Sanatorium.

A Walk Down Memory Lane

The hospital received its name from Elizabeth “Molly” Page, the wife of a Revolutionary War soldier named John Stark. Stark was one of George Washington’s generals known for his incredible insight and mastery of the battlefield. Molly, born in 1737 in Haverhill, Massachusetts, married John in 1758, and together they had 11 children. In Dunbarton County, during John’s war years, Molly opened up her already crowded home to take care of soldiers suffering from small pox and other ailments. It was during this period that she became well-known for her nursing efforts whose noble efforts travelled by word of mouth with many of the troops she had cared for in her home. A group of these soldiers eventually migrated into the Ohio area. It is through them, in honor of the Stark family, where Stark County derives its name and where a tubercular hospital was built in her honor (womenhistoryblog.com). 

“On August 23, 1929, Molly Stark Sanatorium opened its doors to the public, providing care to residents…suffering from tuberculosis.” The hospital was designed with balconies, verandahs, and lots of windows to offer its patients plenty of fresh air and ample sunshine, the then believed treatment for their illness. The worse off patients were kept on the second floor with the more mobile ones on the first floor, allowing them access to the grounds filled with nature. “In 1938, the Works Progress Administration installed nearly 1,200 linear feet of tunnels at the sanatorium”, which were meant to house the utility infrastructure, but also became a means of travel underground between buildings. Also, in 1956 and until 1995, the Molly Stark became a hospital for other illnesses. The patients who were admitted here were the mentally ill, those with drug and alcohol abuse and the elderly. Our investigation was organized to focus on each of the three floors. 

Cruising out to Molly Stark with my brother-in-law stirred up conversation between us on the rumors of incidents which some folks have claimed occurred at the site. Although these incidents have not been documented or verified by experts, the stories range from the physical presence of former patients looking out of the windows, orbs of light appearing mostly on the second floor, and voices heard echoing down the hallways and utility shafts. The hospital has never had any formal tours conducted on its grounds throughout its entire history, so any investigators were folks simply showing up and performing their own public investigations. As we turned onto the loose gravel road leading to the Spanish-style architecture building, I loaded my digital camera with the plan to start shooting many photos of the outside perimeter in the hopes of capturing the faces of patients I had heard could be staring out at us.

Someone’s Watching Me

Since Molly Stark Sanatorium was built with many windows, there were lots of opportunities to capture possible apparitions. After reviewing the many photos taken we were able to set aside a few questionable ones, which appeared to reveal faces and upper bodies. Most of them we were able to debunk as either objects inside the room, smears or physical contamination on the window, or abstract lighting. The one we earmarked was done so because we were able to rule out these variables with this apparent apparition and still could not explain the figure to be anything other than someone peering out the window at us. It was indeed an exciting moment!

Photos of the balconies and verandahs generally revealed nothing except for one shot of the far left archway on the front of the hospital closer to the east wing. In our original photo an orb was revealed in the darker area at the top just to the left of the keystone (the photo below is a current picture used for comparison).

The darker photo shown above is from another photographer shooting the same area, and ironically you can see an area of the wall which appears to reveal an orb. There is no architectural structure in this spot – so draw your own conclusions. It does seem that Molly Stark is very consistent with light anomalies in its balconies and verandahs, just as we had heard rumored. It may very well be that these bursts of energy originate from patients who died at the hospital, as they would have been housed on the second floor.

What’s That Sound?

         

During our investigation of the end wall of the east wing we discovered a large hole which looked like a ventilation shaft, fitted with a domed cover. Two members of our team, one female and one male, took turns speaking loudly into the vent. After several attempts we were able to discern 2 responses coming from within the shaft. One response sounded like a “yes” when the question was asked, “Is there anyone there?” The other response sounded like an airy grunt when asked, “What is your name?” We did not carry any sound recording devices with us, so these voices are undocumented personal experiences. At this point we were convinced that Molly Stark Sanatorium is quite active and so I began a search for an entrance into the complex.

Who’s There???

After walking down the back side of the east wing, we came to a juncture where the west wing began. Here there was a window which appeared to have been completely removed and hadn’t been boarded up like all the other ground level entrances. I climbed into a very small room which looked more like it had been used for storage purposes when the hospital had been open. The single door out led me into a hallway filled with debris along with odds and ends furniture. Although the lighting was dimmer in the building, I could still clearly see the elevator doors off to the left, which made the hairs on my arms stand up. As I continued shooting photos while walking down the hallway, I began to hear faint movement on the steps just down near the end. The closer I got to those steps the more intense the alarms starting going off in my head that there was more than one entity approaching. I have always been sensitive to paranormal activity and so I used this as another tool of investigation. And at this point my instincts screamed at me to get out! And so I did very quickly.

Our Thoughts

The investigation of Molly Stark Sanatorium proved to be more active than we expected. All of the rumors I had heard throughout my childhood turned out to be generally true. We do not believe that any of the figures or entities seen or felt in this hospital are of a malevolent nature. After all, Molly herself was a wonderfully caring person and it would certainly seem that the sanatorium named after her followed suit in nature. “[In] April of 2009…the old Molly Stark property [was] [p]urchased from the Stark County Commissioners for the sum of one dollar” and has been made into a county park. The building is set for demolition sometime in the near future. I only wish that any souls trapped within this hospital could be freed to move on. But then again, what nicer place could one roam - filled with sunshine, fresh air, and a deep rooted history!

Works Cited

http://www.mollystarkbyway.org 

Raymond Pease Portrait (color) Copley Collection of Bennington Museum, Vermont.

 

http://www.starkparks.com/userfiles/MSP%20Short%20History.pdf

http://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2009/05/elizabeth-page-molly-stark.html

Timothy Yohe’s Bio:

Hello! I am an aspiring writer who is in the midst of making a mid-life career change. Although I love to express my culinary talents, I have an even greater passion to teach our youth. I have a deep fascination with the pioneering field of the paranormal and the influx of science to explain the visible and invisible worlds. When I’m not working or writing, I am an active family man, enjoy cycling and hiking through nature, and sipping a glass of cabernet with my wife. My future goals are writing blogs, short stories, books, and novels along with living a simple, non-materialistic life

For more true paranormal stories, check out Timothy Yohe’s Paranormal blog: ghosttracker423.blogspot.com

Strange Paranormal Activity at a Lunatic Asylum

Do you like to read about haunted buildings? Today, guest writer, Claire Fryer, shares some creepy unexplained stories about a mysterious asylum that you can visit, if you dare:

Unexplained Stories from Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

Volunteer tour guide Caroline Daniels was accustomed to the air of suspense that came with visits to the abandoned asylum. Although her presentations were limited to the historic nature of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, stories of the unexplained occurrences in the 500,000 square foot complex brought ever-more seekers of the paranormal to explore Weston, West Virginia’s national historic landmark.

Caroline was familiar with the stories. She had heard claims of seeing shadows and hearing doors slam, but these seemed simple enough to dismiss. She did have one colleague, Brenda Reed, whose on the job experience was a bit more unnerving. One day, Brenda chased after a tour group member who had wandered off only to discover that he had vanished. When asking the other group members if they knew him or where he might have gone, they claimed that no one was missing and that no one else had seen this wandering gentleman. 

A Sinister History 

Despite this, and the paranormal questions that sometimes arose, Caroline continued to lead groups while highlighting the extraordinary history of the site. Established in 1858 and built over 20 years, the asylum opened its doors in 1864. It was originally designed to be an entirely self-sufficient estate capable of housing 250 patients, many suffering from mental illnesses and addictions.

Groundbreaking at the time, and long before the days of modern dual diagnosis addiction treatment, Tran-Allegheny instigated new ways of treating the mentally challenged, drug-addicted and psychologically disturbed by providing them treatment that was separated from criminal incarceration. The idea was so inviting that the facility eventually housed more than 2,500 patients. Their treatments included mass lobotomies, performed by visiting physicians as leaders in psychological illness at the time.

The site was expanded, including a ward for the criminally insane that once housed Charles Manson. Throughout the 20th century, the hospital was sited numerous times for being overcrowded, unsanitary and inhumane. With little hope of rehabilitating the site, the asylum closed its doors in 1994. As during its tenure as a hospital, the site is still used for occasional community events but has had no new lease on life. The tours however have remained an active attraction. So much so that evening tours were added in 2007.

Unexplained phenomena

It seems logical enough that tourists and locals alike could enjoy the fun of getting spooked, roaming the dark halls of the abandoned asylum. The passing amusement of the asylum came to a screaming halt for Caroline, however, during one of her daytime tours. As she had done so many times before, the guide brought her group to what is known as the “Civil War” wing of the building. Here they stopped in front of “the stretcher room” where Caroline began to feel a tugging at her shirt. She turned to see nothing behind her and the now unexplained phenomena escalated. What began as pulling at her clothes became an all-out wrestling match dragging Caroline to the ground. Invisible forces dragged her into the stretcher room and across the floor. Caroline flailed her arms and legs in an attempt to counteract whatever had a hold of her but to no effect. Eyewitness Jeaneth Boyer described her attempts to cease the movement of her tour guide across the room, a feat only made possible by finally sitting on Caroline to break her free of the unseen hold on her body. Caroline darted from the building, visibly and palpably shaken.

With accounts of paranormal events on the premises mounting, the owners of the asylum sought evidence of just what may be causing such phenomena. They called in a professional paranormal investigative team that spent a night at the location with an array of surveillance equipment. Over the course of the evening, the team heard voices, shadows and sounds that they attempted to connect to some known source. Time and again, there was no explanation for events such as the sound of a child’s laughter or voices whispering “Go Home.”

Although Caroline's experience was never replicated, the investigative team encountered an entirely different disturbing scene while attempting to communicate with whatever may be lurking at the asylum. The team leader asked into the air, “help us understand…Let us into your world.” Almost immediately thereafter, he and his partner witnessed a figure dressed in a white robe, crouch into a corner before being sucked into a wall and out of existence.

What Every Aspiring Writer Needs to Know by Hunter Shea

Today, horror author Hunter Shea shares some great tips that every aspiring writer needs to know about what it takes to be a professional writer.

“You know, I should write a book about this.” --- phrase said every minute of every day.

There are a few things that separate the person who says they want to write a book from those who actually publish a book. They may sound simple but each actually requires passion, dedication and discipline – and maybe a little dash of insanity. How many other endeavors require you to lock yourself away for hundreds, maybe thousands of hours, with no guarantee of success after all that time missed with friends and family?

A friend of mine, who is also a writer, wrapped the mind of the writer up in one word : compulsion. Writers are compelled to tell stories. That compulsion is the driving force that keeps our butts in the chair, tapping away at our keyboard or scratching on legal pads.

So, what do you have to do to channel that compulsion and push through to publication? Be warned, this isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Read. If you don’t read, you can’t write. Do not pass Go. I don’t know a single successful writer that isn’t a voracious reader. Saying you want to be a writer without reading is like saying you want to be a mechanic but you never drive or tinker around with cars. If you’re a genre reader, gather up everything you can in your genre, but don’t forget to read other genres as well. You’ll pick up something from every book you read. Reading teaches you the craft, the cadence of writing. I’ve been reading 50-100 books a year since I was a teen. Reading is where it all starts.

Write.  This one seems self-explanatory, but it’s not always easy to do. Life is crazy and busy and demanding. It’s hard to establish a writing routine. (quick tip – turn off the TV. You’ll be amazed by how much time you have to write if you steer clear of the boob tube) You have to make a conscious effort to follow the AIS rule. That means Ass In Seat. While you’re there, get to writing. Fill those blank pages. Keep going until you type The End. Start something new. Then go back and revise. Odds are, your early efforts will be clunky, but don’t despair. When it comes to writing, practice does make perfect. When I look at the stories and books I wrote at the start of this 18-year journey, I cringe so hard, I’m afraid my face will freeze. You will get better if you stick to it and always, always finish what you start. When you finish, polish it like a diamond.

Study. Writing is more than an art. Writing to be published is a business. You have to learn the publishing business. What are the acceptable formats? What companies publish the kind of books you want to write? Who are the editors? The agents? What are the submission rules? How do you build a brand? Market your work? There are more books and websites and blogs out there to help the beginner writer than I can name. You can start with The Writer’s Marketplace – an invaluable tool for every writer. Subscribe to the Writer’s Digest. Look at the dedications in books, see which agents are representing the authors you hope to one day stand beside. Writing your book is just half the battle.

Submit. No one will know about the new light under the bushel if you don’t send your work out. I know, it’s scary. It’s kind of like walking naked down a busy street. Here you are, offering up your soul’s hard work to be evaluated by perfect strangers. Grit your teeth and send your work out. You studied your market, so you know exactly who to send it to in a professional manner.

Patience. The pace of publishing can be, well, glacial at best. Editors and agents aren’t always quick to get back to you. My first horror novel, Forest of Shadows, spent almost 4 years with an editor before it was accepted. Now, that’s an extreme example, but not unheard of. Patience pays off in the end. At least that’s what I tell my kids. I’ve published half a dozen books with that many more to come and this is still the most difficult part of the entire process for me.

Grow a thick skin. Rejection will be your constant companion. All published writers have drawers full of rejection letters. Most of them are form letters, some encouraging and helpful, and others downright mean. You can’t let it get you down. In fact, those rejection letters can be helpful. They may be telling you what you need to work on to improve. I once had a story that was soundly rejected by everyone because of the precarious situation I put a character in. They were very explicit about why it would never sell. What did I do? I changed the character, kept the situation, and sold that story half a dozen times over ten years.

Keep on truckin’. If you truly have the writer’s compulsion, keep working, keep learning, keep growing. It took me almost 15 years to get to where I wanted to be as a writer. Now that I’m here, I’m working even harder to improve and most of all, get the voices in my head onto the page. See, I told you there was some insanity in here.

Hunter Shea is the author of the novels Sinister Entity, Swamp Monster Massacre, Evil Eternal and Forest of Shadows. His first short story collection, Asylum Scrawls, recently terrorized the locals during its Halloween season release. He has three novels scheduled for publication in 2014.

When he’s not lamenting the state of the Mets, he’s working on his all horror podcast, Monster Men, a light hearted take on dark topics. He lives in New York with his family and rescue cat that won’t stop peeing in his tub.

You can follow Hunter's latest travails at www.huntershea.com. You can find the Monster Men at www.themonstermen.net

Haunted Attractions from Around the World

Over the years, I’ve celebrated Halloween in a myriad of ways, from trick-'r-treating as a child and sorting through all the candy (mini Reeses buttercups, Snickers bars, and candy corns) to attending local haunted houses and faraway castles as an adult. Having traveled all over Europe and the U.S., I consider myself a world traveler. And being a writer of the macabre, I love locations where there are scary historical attractions to explore. Here is an article originally published on Priority One Jets blog.

7 Terrifying Haunted Attractions from Around the World


The arrival of All Hallows Eve is lurking around the corner and haunted attractions housing zombies, vampires, and ghosts are popping up all over the world. While the staged acts use special effects and fog machines to conjure up a few screams, for some, the creepy history alone is enough to send chills down their spines. Whether you are looking to travel for some eerie entertainment or to hit up a historical haunt, this list has enough scary and scripted options to leave you shaking in your boots.

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Eastern State Penitentiary : This Philadelphia prison was the first to practice solitary confinement. The prisoners were kept isolated and did all activities alone, until overcrowding forced the institution to abandon inmate separation. Along with this treatment, the guards and facility counselors developed different physical and psychological torture techniques that ultimately caused mental illness in many of the inmates. Since closing in 1970, visitors have reported sightings of dark figures and sounds of lonely wails echoing through the halls. The prison is open for tours year-round, along with a haunted house attraction from September to November.

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13^th Gate : Feel like crawling through a crematory oven? How about wandering through dark, underground tunnels? This popular Baton Rouge Halloween hot spot has been consistently rated as one of the best-haunted attractions from several outlets over the past 7 years. From September to November, 100 professional actors and 12 special effects make-up artists come together to create grisly characters such as fiendish zombies and voodoo loving witches.

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Edinburgh Castle : With a history dating back to the 12^th century and hundreds of reported ghost interactions, it’s no wonder that Edinburgh Castle is one of Scotland’s most visited tourist attractions. The castle has stood through numerous executions and attacks, ultimately becoming one of largest sites of paranormal activity. Drops in temperature, shadowy figures, and the feeling of tugging on clothes and body parts are only a few of the many reported experiences of visitors.

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SCREAM! At Madam Tussauds London : Forget standing around like a statue! Visitors travel through the Chamber of Horrors with hair-raising surprises, such as crazed inmates, hidden in every corner. With live and on-the-loose actors running around, expect a sore neck from constantly checking over your shoulder for things that go bump in the night. From New York to Tokyo, haunted house enthusiasts from all over can stop in for a quick scare while visiting this infamous wax museum.

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The Winchester Mystery House : Once owned by Sarah Winchester, the widow of gun tycoon William Wirt Winchester, this property has become a haunted landmark in Northern California. A medium told Winchester in order to prevent the spirits of those killed by Winchester guns from harming her, she needed to continuously build a house for them. The house was under construction every hour of every day for 38 years, with the hopes that no spirit would settle there. With a total of 160 rooms, doors that open to brick walls and stairs that lead nowhere, this mansion has become a heavy influence in pop culture.

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The Darkness : Labeled as one of the premiere haunted houses in Missouri, this devilish dwelling has drawn attention from media giants such as the Travel Channel, The History Channel and USA Today. From flying zombies to a live reptile section featuring piranhas, pythons, and scorpions, the attractions are completely renovated every year with an annual budget of almost $1 million. With a monster museum, a 3D house tour and a two-story walk through exhibit, this is the trip of a lifetime for the ultimate horror fan!

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The Catacombs : Underneath the brightly lit streets of Paris, millions of human bones act as a type of structural support for parts of the city. This underground cemetery originally acted as a temporary solution to improper burials and strengthening the structure of the streets. In the 1860s, city workers dug up many of the surrounding graveyards for bones to be used as building materials. After opening a small portion of the underground catacombs to the public in the late 18^th century, there has been no shortage of reported ghost sightings throughout the years.

For private jet charters, sales and leasing, be sure to check out Priority One Jets.

Another Book Finished

It's time to celebrate. Today, I finished polishing the manuscript for my fifth book THE VAGRANTS. I just sent it to my editor. Right now it's scheduled to release May 2014.

Here's the premise: 

Beneath the city of Boston, evil is gathering.

Journalist Daniel Finley is determined to save the impoverished of the world. But the abandoned part of humanity has a dark side. While living under a bridge with the homeless for six months, Daniel witnesses something terrifying that nearly costs him his sanity.

Two years later, he’s published a book that exposes an underground cult and its charismatic leader. Now, as Daniel fears the vagrants are after him, a new problem threatens to destroy the lives of everyone he loves—his father is being terrorized by vicious mobsters of the Irish-American Mafia. As he desperately tries to help his father, Daniel gets caught up in the middle of a war between the mafia and a deadly cult of homeless people who are preparing to shed blood on the streets of Boston.