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[aidansanomalies]

Would you ever use/make a post about ouija boards?

Using and making a post about are very different.

Ouija boards on their own maybe not. Most of my posts are dedicated to certain events so if they were to come up I would address them in detail but not a post only for them.

As for using them, maybe? I have one instance of going on location to somewhere haunted but I did not have the bravery to actually buy and use one. Maybe in the future if I was to do one again.

Good ask!

[aidansanomalies]

Thomas Point Mines

The human mind and how it interacts with the unknown is an interesting topic to look into. Finding all the ways it tries to compensate for gaps in someone's understanding or perception of reality can dissolution others into believing they have witnessed something unnatural. 

While I am a paranormal blog I would like to preface this case in particular deals heavily in speculation and while this case is recent, I want to give it the care and consideration it deserves. I have reached out to the victim's family and they have given me the green light to air this story after what happened. Please note the first half of this report was written a month before the events of September. Without further warning, I will be getting into the case.

Thomas Point, Idaho one of the least talked about spots in the state. The town is fashioned to its antique roots, a quiet and mundane experience tailored for the conservative and silent. Long since forgotten in the eyes of the state, it lost all of its notoriety after its caves were deemed to be empty. Booming in 1923 for its crystals and mineral deposits, the town had a rushed population. People flocked for miles to try and find some of these gems just to be employed by a businessman by the name of Earl Quin, someone who had claimed ownership of about 80% of the caves including the largest spots for deposits. 

Work left as soon as it came. Within the first 30 years, the caves had been picked clean. They were overestimated in size and found to have more natural quartz than anything. Its materials weren't profitable, and with that sad realization, the lifeblood of the city was gone. The roads passing out of the town are the busiest by the end of it all. 

The first case of anything unnatural comes out of those very caves. A support beam that held up a large part of the main walkway into the caves collapsed in 1935, leading to the deaths of 8 people as they died from a mixture of dehydration and lack of oxygen. Their names were Sherman Allen, Guy Joseph. Ellias Crowe, Johnathan McLeary, Tucker Harley, Arlo Flannagan, Harold Fitz, and Jason Donald. The first four out of the eight had died on impact while the rest suffered two weeks of isolation before dying. Their bodies were buried so deeply an attempt to dig them out was abandoned. 

Once the rubble had been cleared and the tunnel repaired, workers found the three men killed directly by the collapse, but the other four were reported missing. What was later discovered, their bodies were found in a small alcove in the center of the mines. There were no entrances to this part of the mines. However they happened to get in was a total mystery. Their remains were partially skeletal, eaten away by insects that had burrowed into the area. They sat in a square, somehow still upright. 

A famous photographer was in the area when they discovered this alcove. Jeremy Crofton captured an image and titled it “The Five Person Match” after the way their hands sat, almost looking as if they were playing cards. The fifth person mentioned in the title and not the picture was death itself, who was interpreted to have won the game. 

After the mines were closed and quarantined away from the public, the incidents of the alcove were put on a plaque outside the entrance and abandoned. Years after the closure, (1976) five teens from the town ventured in illegally, finding that alcove and taking a picture of themselves in the places of the old miners, (whose remains had been brought out and buried in the local Saint Paul’s Church.) While the four assumed their places, the fifth took the image with a disposable polaroid camera, left away from the photo.

The next series of events get hazy. People have theorized the camera's reaction when taking the image ignited something like gunpowder in the air, but this has been disproved as the camera ad no function capable of igniting anything. The second theory was that there was some sort of gas in the air that poisoned them as they sat waiting for the image to develop, which was hesitantly disproved as no chemicals were found in the mines, though the tests were done years later. The last theory was the cameraman’s involvement. He was not found at the alcove, but yards away in a corridor lying dead. 

One thing was for sure. All of the teens in the photo died on that day in those exact positions. A near repeat of what had occurred before. The image was found on the ground still in the camera, which had been dropped and cracked. They were reported missing for almost two years but found by the next group of explorers and reported. 

Ever since explorers have chosen to ignore the signs of private property and new security measures around the mines put up by the Quin family. Most documentation of paranormal sightings come from this time. Most photos are grainy and hard to make anything out of, but accounts and personal tributes were given to the local newspaper give us a story. 

Ashley Geralt, a self-proclaimed daredevil went along with her friends on one such adventure into these mines in 1982. At the time she was 21 and joined a group of 3 others. They set off at around 12 in the morning and snuck past the fence placed by the front. As they entered, the group was reportedly more cautious and afraid the farther in they got. Groaning noises they had once attributed to the wind got louder and more lifelike. The wood above them keeping the tunnel in place would creak and snap as they progressed. Ashley said at the time;

“It's like the further we got the more the whole cavern wanted us out. It got smaller and more ragged. The smooth dirt path got grey and cracked. The oxygen in the air was stagnant and just reeked.” (Geralt, Ashley. Taken from QUIN MINES A FIRST PERSON ACCOUNT; published 1982)

Of course, her points were disproved as all of these key details are natural for a cave. One quote stood out, however.

“When we split up I remember Ben (a fellow explorer) telling me which direction the small pocket was at. Everyone was so terrified but I just wanted to see it. When I found that weird little room it was clear where everyone was supposed to sit in the photos. The four spots were harshly stained into the floor with a muddy brown that stunk… There was writing on the wall. It was a few letters long but it was so messy… I could make out a few letters.” (Geralt, Ashley. Taken from QUIN MINES A FIRST PERSON ACCOUNT; published 1982)

Those letters were identified as M, I, E, and L. Quickly reported, this word was clearly Michael. The name of the cameraman of the group from 1976. No other person in her group witnessed this report and could not corroborate it. People have since looked in the spot she described and have shown images giving a faint trace of something being scratched off of the walls. Whatever was written is long gone. 

Ashley was sued by the Quin family for slander and trespassing, the court ruled in favor of the trespassing charge and she was fined accordingly. 

The most notable story comes from Darrick Heidi. He is notable for going to supposed paranormal areas and recording them in great detail. His work is published in his 4 book series delving into these places and their validity. He had this to say about the Thomas Point Mines;

“These caves give you that feeling of nostalgia for your youth. That fear of a dark basement, or a particularly gloomy forest. Their rough interior sells that paranoia tenfold. Whipping around corners it feels like a maze that's on a constant decline. At one point I felt almost pushed into a wall as gravity took a hold of me on one slippery ninety-degree angle… And to that room. There is something in there. There is a pulling vortex of something I cannot comprehend beckoning me and I fear that if I stay too long it will swallow me whole.” (Heidi, Darrick. 65)

Most recently, on September 15, Joshua Folger went missing in these caves. Missing is a loose term and was dedicated kindly after news of his tragedy immersed. Folger went in as an art student attempting to paint the inside of the cave. He looked into the quartz found inside and set up his canvas a few yards away from the alcove. His family reports that as he was a local he knew of the rumors but chose not to believe in them. He died at 17. 

His body was propped up on a stool he had brought leaning over his canvas. His supposed cause of death was a heart attack, though he suffered from no cardiological issues. The most unsettling part of this tragic death was the state he was left in. 

Looking into the alcove from the entrance, he had painted four figures sitting in the infamous square. Their bodies were nothing but skeletons, but all were turned to look at the painter. When police looked inside, there were four skeletons sitting exactly where he had painted, exactly how he had painted him. All were identified as four adult male skeletons. Their bones were loosely propped up. Many were fractured and broken.

These skeletons were the first four initially buried by the rubble and left to decompose in the cave floor. 

My Theory

With respect to the victim's parents and extended family, I will keep my theories and ideas about this case to myself. All they asked was that any speculation about Joshua’s death is factual and kept brief. Please do not try to contact them other than to send your regards. This case is a week old so please handle this with care. 

Do not visit the Thomas Point Mines. They are private property and are extremely unstable and dangerous. Any contents of this article are not made to insight anything other than to record history.

[aidansanomalies]

The Baroness Museums Lucy Doll

The Baroness Museum is a collection of oddities located in Charlesville, Washington state. Self-proclaimed “House of Anything but Human” this location advertises many figures, statues, and mysteries for a wide audience to view. Opened in 1991, they have celebrated 31 years of operation. Their legitimacy had been called into question in multiple cases over the owners planting, making, and lying about artifacts in their collection. Despite these allegations, they have continued a stream of customers after their newfound success over social media. 

One specific artifact in their museum has genuine and verifiable instances of the paranormal. Bought in 1986 for 1,000 dollars by museum owner Jerry Newman, the Lucy doll has significant historical prevalence behind it. Made and manufactured along with a line of 14 dolls, Lucy was the brainchild of toymaker Geraldine Foster for her local toyshop in Arkney Washington. Her year of manufacture was 1924

The doll is porcelain with glass inlaid eyes. The hair was donated to Geraldine by her husband, dark brown and of medium length with bangs. The doll was made with blue eyes and slightly dusted freckles, painted on individually and by hand by Foster herself. The dress is made of pink satin with pearl buttons along the front. On top of her long dress, a layer of hand-knit lace sits. Since its conception, the doll's dress has darkened quite a bit and the lace has gone off white. 

Geraldine Foster sold this doll at the time for $20 as the most expensive of her line. The buyer has not been identified, but by the 1950s was placed in the Wagner household for their youngest daughter, Penelope Wagner (At the time aged 6.) The Wagner household was well off as the head, Donald Wagner, was an investor in nearby properties. His wife Audrey noted when they acquired the doll it was at a secondhand shop recommended to them by a neighbor. The doll caught the eye of the 6-year-old almost immediately for her aesthetic.

Years would go by with the doll in the house as she would grow up. At first, she played with it, before long after a while she moved on. The doll, after sitting on the shelf for 3 years, began to prop up in different parts of the house. It started slow with her appearing in the kitchen a few times, then around the whole house. The whole ordeal reached its peak when she was found over a pile of teeth in what was the basement at the time. The teeth were never identified, but were theorized to be various animals’.

 I reached out to Penelope Wagner and she recalled this during the time;

“Lucy was fine, completely fine at first. I thought I had found the prettiest doll out there, but after a lot of scolding I found out that this specific doll was made more for decoration than actual play so we retired her. She was on that shelf for a while before anything was wrong… When she started to move everyone thought it was a prank from dad. He was known to do things like this just to scare us– it wasn't anything malicious, he was just a bit eccentric. When we asked him he would always play coy… at least that's what it seemed like. He wasn't though and in the end, we never found who did it.”

When I asked her about her opinion regarding the doll’s location and paranormal status she said;

“... I was young, not much I can recall. I remember for years my parents would talk to people about this ghost story and the doll. They were convinced it was haunted, so that tale was spun… I'm not sure where I fall. Mom didn't do this, and while I'm not completely sure my father didn't, he wouldn't have gone to these lengths. It's not a subject I think on too much.”

She was not keen to talk long, our interview lasted around 15 minutes in total and I was only able to get through 1/4th of my questions. 

Penelope Wagner has not been the only one since that has seen this doll do unusual things. After buying her, Jerry Newman claims to have seen her eyes be replaced or turned completely white. That off-white yellowish hue still remains to be seen today, and her pupils gone. Many believe them to be replaced. To prove Newman had never tampered with the doll, he had an appraiser (Elan Oakes, a local appraiser working at Oakes Appraisal in Charleville)  give his take on the situation. The report given about this doll is framed beside its shelf in the museum to this day.

 His interview with Jerry Newman was posted to YouTube on February 17th, 2014. 

“With old dolls like these, an appraisal is usually easy. Is the porcelain in good shape? What is the condition of the clothes? When looking at any imperfections, are they easily fixed? The maker is local, I have looked into two works of hers in the past. All normal. She is infamous for her little touches of home, like in Lucy her hair belonging to the maker's late husband. The issue with this case is that while it is clearly her, it isn't typical. 

First of all, she smelled. Yea, of course old things are going to smell but she just… reeked. Her stitches are rough around the dress. The start of the upper torso area of the dress has her signature tight and equal running stitches, but when you get down to the final details such as hemming and the lace attachments the stitches are almost aggressive. They are placed haphazardly and almost rushed. The thread started white or pink, but when finishing it was a crusty black thing. A yarn dipped in sap of some kind. It's a wonder this thing hasn't cracked and broken, thrown about in a messy blanket stitch that stains the entry and exit holes. 

As for that filling… She-She isn't stuffed. When handling her where I had assumed she was stuffed with cotton, she was stiff and lumpy. Parts of her jutted out and seemed to be putting unnecessary stress on the already aging fabric. In an attempt to amend imperfections as was asked of me by Mr. Newman, it took one seam to be ripped before a sea of stones fell onto my desk. They were foul and off-color... That stench from earlier went from a small wave to an ocean of something reminiscent of a rotting bug carcass... Stinkbug maybe? It doesn't matter.

...But those stones weren't stones. I would have never believed it if I hadn't seen for myself the stitches were untouched. They were human teeth- actual genuine human teeth. I had to leave the office the smell was so bad. My studio still has a spot where its just... distantly there. Some had small spots on the roots, what I assume were dried and old parts of gum... A friend of mine works for the police to identify DNA, so thinking this had to be some sort of crime I sent them off. Every single tooth was human... Molars from just... so many people. Every single one was from an adult.” (Oakes, Elan. 2014)

The doll has since been re-stuffed, but the teeth taken out and placed into a small bag that sits beside her on the shelf she stays.

My Theory

It took everything out of me not to use the term, “Tooth Doll” in the title even though that's become a second name for her. When I first heard of this case I was sure it wasn't real, but when I got a response back from Penelope Wagner after I had asked to interview her things got interesting. She was slightly off-putting, but I wouldn't chalk that up to her more of my lack of social skills. Interviews aren't usually my thing. 

Elan Oakes's interview was the final straw that got me interested. In the video, he was genuinely shaken up when mentioning some details. I included all of it to just show how sporadic he got at the end. While yes, it's the longest interview I have pasted into one of these, I don't regret including it. 

This doll to me… Not sure if any of this is real but this is about as confirmed as anything from the Baroness Museum gets. Jerry Newman and his history have me on the cautious side, have to say not my favorite person out there. 

Ghost or demon? Leaning into the ladder. Does anyone know why this might be something a demon would collect? Are teeth important to demons? Let me know. 

As always please contact me if you find evidence of more reports or know someone close to the case, any extra information would be greatly appreciated!

[aidansanomalies]

The Columbus Road Incidents

Columbus road, New York. The grounds that gave answers to a little more than 70 missing persons cases from the city’s founding to the current day. Every victim found and reported had no motivations to go missing, scarily so. People with endeavors, families, significant others. To the exact day, each found in the alley. Today I will be looking into a few cases of people lost to these circumstances and propose a few reasons why these grizzly events happened to them.

The most common case looks something like this; the head of a respective household regardless of gender goes missing. After a week or less of searching, loved ones will report their cases to the greater New York city area and attempt to initiate a search. Thirty days to the exact hour, they are found in Columbus alley. 

The bodies cut open messily, torn open from the torso leaving their ribs cracked open and permanently on display. Left hollow, in almost every case they are missing almost all vital organs (With the exceptions of three victims with one intact kidney, one with part of their small intestines untouched, and one complete spleen.) 

The organs are never found in any case. No other part of the body is taken besides organs from the stomach area. Every face is left untouched, showing their chilling expressions locked into a state of disarray.

Metropolitan police have not yet taken the initiative to link these cases to the public. With the cases spanning decades or only years apart, things get messy. The residents surrounding the area have come to expect these reports. Three of the victims in the past were under the age of 20, so children are advised to stay at home or at school longer. Many think these people superstitious for believing this is nothing more than an organ harvester’s business going public. The rebuttal is of course the times spanning between these cases. Manhattan was initially settled in 1624, the first case being reported in 1743. It is safe to assume there have been more cases reported but lost to time as they have been spanning for over 200 years or more. 

The first victim went by the name Mary Prudence, a 27-year-old housemaid for the Anthony household. The Anthonys were known for their linen production and had a large customer base back in England. The brother of the CEO of that time, Roger Anthony, had moved to America seeking to expand their business to the new customer base. Mary Prudence oversaw the upkeep of the home’s records, the cleaning, and many business decisions regarding shipments from England. With Roger Anthony and his wife first settling into the area and home they had purchased, Prudence handled all if not most of the heavy lifting alongside a few groundskeepers. 

June 1743, she went missing. Her absence had been overlooked for a small sum of days before being reported to the locals. Many members of the attached household went looking but generally believed that she had run away because of poor working conditions. Roger and his wife Charlotte were verbally abusive to every worker on hand. They never took to physical abuse but kept the work environment rough and unbearable with continued degradation and emotional harm. If someone had a family, Rogers was said to evoke their names and threaten children. If someone had an injury, he would berate them and force them to work harder to “Overcome the obstacle.”

Her body was found in what was a side street, it was empty and in front of the most central locations at the time. Eight days since the initial search, when the household had begun to lose hope, her body was identified by a groundskeeper named Lawrence Williamson.

There are no records of direct quotes from any of the people close to her, but in the filed case at the time, Walter Hodgens (The lead investigator) said this about her remains;

“I believe a man of science has only the knowledge to evoke such an image. She was left bare, an image as haunting as one could get. Nothing but the skin on her back left open and drying like an old leather. Her chest left cracked and bruised open like a case, perhaps wings.” (Hodgens, Walter. 1743)

Since this occurred, many investigators have drawn a parallel between Prudence’s case and recent ones. Hodgens, 21 years after the investigation was assigned to David Gibson. Reported missing November 1763 and found within the same month. Gibson was a fisherman by trade. He was the main provider for his six-person family, selling his goods in the local marketplace. Same missing internal organs, Same location. 

At the time it was understood that whoever had caused the first tragedy had done it again. The crime scene produced only one suspect, (Isaac McLean) who was cleared two years later after finding records of his incarceration at the time of the incident. Most police records for this case have been reported missing except for the coroner's reports, who conclude whoever had harvested Gibson knew “Attaquite atomical knowledge” and to the extent of the cuts said; “They were clean and orderly done by a blade fashioned for this task.”

Since these two, the pattern of the alleyway has continued to be a source of horror. In 1979 it was fenced off to the public by the business owners on either side agreeing to the danger. One such attempt had been made in 1898, but when new owners renovated it was shut down. The current fence remains and has been built higher. The wooden barrier between the public and the terrifying route has laid thick with paint. People flocking to tag the location.

The most recent case was on August 25, 1976. Scarlett Fielding (53) was found dead inside the alley after being reported missing a week prior by her husband Darrow Fielding. She was the homemaker of the couple, raising her three children and keeping the cooking and cleaning in shape. She was a happy and active member of her community, though not wealthy she made do in rural New York. She was the president of the women's literary society of Porter. 

All of her belongings were left in her room, all of her projects were left unfinished. Her husband had been furious at the time, fearing she had been taken on the street by a third party.

“My sister was almost kidnapped as a child. New York isn't kind to women, especially in our area. This is why she (Scarlett Fielding) was home most of the time. I should have been home more… She told me it was fine but if someone had been there maybe she would still be with us. (Fielding, Darrow 1976. Taken from The Reporter; Columbus Strikes Again!)

To this day no solid conclusion for these incidents has been given.

My Theory

It is one of the most concerning details to note is the fact of the police. Today, they still have not officially linked these accounts since Hodgens had in the 1760s. It is clear these cases have slightly slown down in recent years, but even before this it was still an issue. If a new one happens and they fail to connect them at that point it will be clear there is some sort of involvement. 

This case leans more into true crime than I usually go so forgive me here as it may have nothing to do with the paranormal. It just caught my attention due to the spacings between the killings and the times they were found. People have come to expect this immovable force of nature to come and swiftly end their lives as if it's a completely normal fact. The apartment building not a street over has the lowest rates in Manhattan and yet it's considered normal. What about this whole cycle is normal? 

People think maybe a demon has infested the alley. Priests have given blessings, ceremonies done, and nothing. The local church (Saint Lillian's Baptist Church) has hailed themselves the victors over this insatiable power since no new cases have occurred since their last massive prayer group showed up at the fenced-off alley and blessed it, but to consider this whole situation is childish and dangerous. We still have not caught any suspects, no evidence, no data, nothing concrete on any of these cases besides the times and the methods. 

While I share in their belief that this is a supernatural entity keeping themselves to an area, it's something I know a 42 person prayer group would do nothing about. This is something in its 200s at this point, and if it isn't anything supernatural and it's a real group carrying these out it's dangerous to harbor this much assurance that they are gone because of a few words spilled over a prayer. 

If you live in the area surrounding, please do not seek this place out after reading this post. The alleyway is private property. This is not a joke. Not only this beautiful you take this case even the slightest bit seriously you'll know the weight of doing so. Stay as far from Columbus Alley as possible.

As always please contact me if you find evidence of more reports or know someone close to the case. Any extra information would be greatly appreciated!

[aidansanomalies]

Luis Pier Pub

On November 11th 1985, store owner Jackson Hargreeves reported a group of vandals to have trespassed on his bar. His neighbors say to have seen 3 men walk into the front door and smash its window in, allowing themselves into the property. This was believed to have happened at around 3 in the morning. 

Taken place in a rural port of Maryland, the initial news spread like wildfire. The concerned citizens took to the street and made an attempt to see what happened to the storefront. As the crowd of people grew, Hargreeves finally arrived to see the wreckage. The door had been smashed in as mentioned previously, but the inside of the bar was the most concerning content of it all.

The image attached above is footage of the bar in 1928 and was one of the only surviving footage of its existence. Inside, tables and chairs were flipped on their head, the white paint had been torn cleanly off in multiple places. Scuff and burn marks littered the once pristine walls. The infamous blood that had dripped from the ceiling left a pretty terrifying scene. One eye witness said at the time;

“...Everyone walked in and it was as if a rabid animal had destroyed everything. Maybe even a pack… At that moment we were more worried about how Jackson would cover the repairs lost than any money he may have lost at the till.” (Cara Genny, 1985. A neighboring business owner. Taken from WSD Newscast November 14; The Overview )

The police had arrived at the scene a few hours prior. To sum up their investigation, after they received a call about an alleged break-in they arrived at the wreckage too late. At first, they had suspected whoever had done this was under the influence of substances. Scouting and making their way up to the second-floor storage room. Amongst the broken and scattered cardboard lay three men later identified as Carlos Vasques, Kevin Sells, and Garrett Sells. The victims were identified later by the clothes they were wearing by a close family who had called them in as missing a month prior. 

Their deaths were caused by violent cuts and lacerations to their spines, heads, torsos, and more. Every single inch of their skin had been cut and peeled open as if someone had attempted to skin them and never finished the job. 

Carlos Vasques was a carpenter, aged 34 and unmarried. He had been living two towns over in Colter, Maryland. He had no previous criminal record and was described by his sister as;

“A live-in guy… An honest helper you’d know from church. Someone who cared and loved his community.” (Selena Vasques, 1985. Taken from the BayTimes November 14th Printing) 

Kevin and Garrett Sells were of a similar age to Vasques, both around their early to mid-thirties. Brothers also living in Colter but had no apparent connection to Vasques besides going to the same school though in different years. Only Keven Sells had a previous criminal record, stemming from outstanding traffic violations. Both lived and worked for Ruby Realtors as agents for the area. They were described by Garrett’s wife as;

“The happiest salesmen… Always a duo, always hanging out. They were inseparable, and with how well Amy (Kevin’s wife) and I got along we were all the best of friends. I can’t imagine a world where they would even think to rob anyone.” (Tiffany Sells, 1985. Taken from the WSD Newscast Interview “Tiffany Sells Speaks Out.”)

How the three came to break into Hargreeves’ bar that night continues to be a mystery, and their death has been ruled as accidental. The root was theorized to have been a wild animal who had taken up living in the storage area upstairs. Jackson Hargreeves has said to this point;

“There is no way some fox or rodent or– or anything could have been up there without me knowing. Just that night before closing I had done inventory up there, not a sight of anything ****ing out of place. We just don’t… get stuff like this here. We are a fine and upstanding establishment.” (Jackson Hargreeves, 1985. Taken from the BayTimes November 14th Printing.)

Since this incident, the bar has closed. At first, it closed for a year. Rebranding to Jackson’s Hideaway, before ultimately closing six months later. 

My Theory

This case being semi-recent in history, I had to take this more seriously than I normally would have to. It is important to take into account the fact that while this event has come to pass in the eyes of the media, there are still recent loved ones of the victims still out there and likely still grieving. Please keep this in mind before commenting on any theories you may have under this post. 

This being said, nobody had reported any animals in the area for years. This town is so populated for the area, (3,000 citizens plus) in a concentrated area it isn’t like any other animal besides some deer or mice to find their way into a place right on the bayside. Bears aren’t native to this area. Normally the concern would be on snakes or raccoons, but with the damage and the weight of items thrown it shows it to be something more. 

One plausible theory is the grounds that the bar had been built on were haunted. While Maryland had been colonized, a local tribe had been kicked from their main base camp in that very spot. Immediately after the bar had been torn down, human remains were found buried under many feet of dirt, along with 8 arrowheads, 3 animal pelts, and a few other miscellaneous items yet to be identified. This land has now been reclaimed and turned into a small museum dedicated to the tribe that once sat. 

The bar had never been advertised to be haunted, but as one past patron put it;

“Sometimes as I sat there eating, the paint on the walls would crack and peel up… I thought it was the drink talking until I saw two men at the bar watching the same wall tear itself to pieces… The bartender eventually came out and claimed faulty pipes… A day later the wall looked like it had never been red to start with. Someone had painted it blue. The walls never stayed the same color… but never closed for repair or to be painted. They just… never repainted them.” (Jeremy Hodge, 1985. Taken from WSD Newscast November 14; The Overview.)

Another such account from a separate woman reads,

“It was known for the wall thing. We called it the art studio– my friends and I. It was never creepy, just weird and funny. Stella (A friend) always said they must have an indecisive owner that just burned both ends of the candle after work. A masterpiece never finished.” (Vanessa Douglass, 1985. Taken from WSD Newscast November 14; The Overview.)

18 others have gone on record since corroborating this fact.

As always please contact me if you find evidence of more reports or know someone close to the case, any extra information would be greatly appreciated!

[aidansanomalies]

Merch?

I have a hoodie I printed with my logo on the front but its pretty plain. Would people be interested? Let me know!

[aidansanomalies]

Is there any gear you'd recommend for ghost hunting? I already have a flashlight and no ghosts to hunt because they aren't real lmaoooo

Ghost hunting? I've only been once before (More about that in a follow up update later this week.) but camcorders are good. Go-pros were super pricey and out of my range but most handheld cameras with night vision and good quality go for a little bit less.

Most ghost hunting supplies are pretty expensive so find yourself a good budget, that's a good first step.

[aidansanomalies]

ghosts aren’t real😒

Depends on who you're asking.

Ghosts have as much evidence for existing as they don't so its more a matter of opinion there. If you choose to be skeptical that's fine and understandable.

[aidansanomalies]

Haidentownes Asylum for the Clinically Insane

A mental hospital found in Oregon, Haidentownes Asylum for the Clinically Insane is noteworthy due to its repeated reports on paranormal activity. Many ghost hunters have visited and attempted to document the hospital to find any of the 3 popular ghosts. 

Many infamous shows such as Paranormal hunters, Ghoul, and Weeknights with Holly have all done episodes on this setting. In this summarization of the hospitals origins I will detail not only a few perspectives and accounts of the area, but the history and local significance.

The asylum found its feet around 1897 and closed in 1934. In its time of operation, it saw patients with a variety of disorders and despite its name harbored no positive change for its residents. 

It is reported that upon the hospitals shut down that the doctors had participated in a practice aptly named “Quiet time” where they would lock any and all residents in their rooms for extended periods of time without warning, food, or water for days at a time. More of the terrible practices center around its continued neglect, leading patients to become at odds with each other. The atmosphere was once described as;

“Dangerously potent. Walking into the doors of this place gave me a shiver. If my eyes don't deceive me not  a single resident blinks in this place. If Satan were to operate a bin, this would be prime pickings.” (Ryan Shaw, a former inspector for local government upon his review of the conditions as called for in the lawsuit Julians VS Haidentowne Asylum in 1932)

Because of the continued neglect it was often said the doctors and nurses would have to escort the remains of its residents into a storehouse in the back field. This storehouse was later destroyed in a boiler explosion, leaving only the concrete foundations as rubble in an otherwise unremarkable field. It is estimated that around 14 people had died in the building before its closure.

The Four Ghosts of Haidentowne

The first ghost widely reported is the most docile. The origins of his name remain lost to first hand accounts and word of mouth but to our knowledge the entity goes by John. He is believed to have been in his early 30s, standing at 6 foot even. He appears in overalls and fit with a gaunt and lifeless expression. John has only ever been seen in the east courtyard and the central entrance, sometimes humming to himself. There were 5 residents recorded to have gone by names that can/could be shortened to John, but none went by that nickname. The humming is the characteristic he is most known by. No solid evidence of his existence has been provided.

Nancy Penn was a genuine recorded resident of the hospital. Admitted by her parents for suspected possession, she spent her time outside in the courtyard playing. Most adult residents steered clear of her for her unruly language and fits of aggression. She had been brought up in 3 separate boarding schools and in each case being expelled due to bad behavior. Her spirit has been known to roam the halls and be found in every corner of the grounds, finding its hotspot in the courtyard below the main oak tree.

Smith (Bobby) Wilson was a 23 year old patient recorded to have suffered from epilepsy. He was admitted forcefully after an arrest stemming from a smuggling charge in the year 1899. Wilson was the most outwardly aggressive to staff. He was picked on and maimed by almost every doctor according to some nurses, and kept in “Quiet time” for a total of 112 days (not consecutively.) His death was the first of many, and was disposed of before the storage unit was put in use. His grave sits in the very edge of the north courtyard.

Reports

On the show Paranormal hunters, hosts Bryan Claire and Killian Dunsmith are believed to have caught on camera the apparition of Nancy Penn, the youngest resident killed on premisis back in 1911. In the footage the ghost is seen moving from a doorway out into the hall before it disappears from view entirely. A still from this video was put as the thumbnail.

I reached out to Killian Dunsmith for a quote and was given this short answer in response, “That video is the main reason I quit the show. Up until that point we weren't afraid to have faked or smudge a few details. It was fun facing the dark and making up stories. That weird hospital wasn't like that though. The camera crew fled after only an hour leaving Bryan and I to record from our bodycams. That's when we caught it, (The evidence footage) and I was out of there. For the next month my life was a living hell. I swear to god I was cursed and nobody believes me, even Lewis (Paranormal Hunter’s manager and producer) said it was just lack of sleep. It wasn't.”

My Theory

With this place being mostly comprised of verifiable account and reports, things are easy to make clear. So many eyes on a certain area makes it understandably documented to the point of oversaturation. Personally, the idea of vengeful spirits comes to mind. It makes sense anyone subjected to the cruel and grueling treatment the facility gave would suffer from some sort of psychotic break or death. Such a hotspot for negative energy and despair paints this picture clearly.

As someone who lives in the close area I can tell you local rumors are rampant. Anyone who goes there is interrogated by friends and family and their testimony is sent off to the rumor mill to be spun into this big horror story.

For as over represented as this place is, I think it may genuinely be haunted by at least one ghost. As for who that ghost is, you and I will probably never know.

Please contact me if you find evidence of more reports or know someone close to the case, any extra information would be greatly appreciated!

[aidansanomalies]

Will you ever make an in depth post about the boogie man?

Likely not.

The boogie man's origins are shaky at best because of its widespread popularity. Mainstream cryptids and ghosts are hard to pinpoint that way. Not my cup of tea ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[aidansanomalies]

The Californian Walker 

Nestled in the small province of Denny California, The Californian Walker is known currently for its niche internet rise to fame. Over the years 1849-2004 sightings had been recorded for this entity. I will be laying out the original report as a small summary and giving small quotes for context. 

Leslie Toole was a noblewoman in early settled America. Having married Henry Sherman Toole, a wealthy investor in technology, they moved to California in an attempt to participate in the gold rush. In August of 1849, the couple and their maidservant began a long night at what is now Denny. 

Recorded in the woman’s diary, she details the small campsite they built in an attempt to sleep. In the logs of her diaries she says, 

“As we settle here, thee and told to us (by Dr. Garner) I find myself a loss for words. The lodging built by Henry has allowed enough light to see this very page, but gave little else. The wind whistles and cracks with vigor but what it holds has me piqued. On this way, we came across a figure adorned in a dusted brown overcoat. It waxed and waned with the wind, but he says it is merely a trick of the light. Hunger must have gotten to me, I nearly swore it was looking at me.”

In the passage it is clear that Leslie Toole had encountered some sort of figure, or at least suffering from a bad case of dehydration. She goes on to explain her living conditions and the events in her social circle. It is two days later that the diary entries abruptly stop and give way to her most quoted line. 

“The figure appeared again today, this time closer than the last, The horses even spook as it groans out into the empty prairie. Henry still refuses it here, though Florence (The maidservant) believes it a native. We pray to the god whom has ordained our trip that we make it alive and in good spirits. I believe that is the only thing we have left now.”

With her lack of prior context in the diary, the entry proposes a few options. 

An entry is lost to time, presumed stolen or destroyed

There was never a note to begin with

The creature was later identified dozens of times through history with the same description. A few other accounts read as thus;

“It had an odd weird camel tone to it, the figure shifted and turned all inside itself, like something in the coat wouldn't rest. One might think it wasn't even a coat, almost like a sheet stuck tightly to someone's body.” (Mirrium Rynolds, 1956)

“It has no eyes. You know its watching you though, its that odd feeling on the back of your neck and when you turn it just stands there… and it keeps watching… keeps writhing in whatever skin its confined in.” ( Augustus Sharp 1978)

“My son saw it, he still sees it. He wont let us travel through (Denny) to visit my husbands parents because it cuts through there, an hour into the ride and he just… gets so quiet… Its so odd, he is the most lively of anyone in our family.” (Jessica Garett, 2003)

As for the nature of the creature, it doesn't seem hostile other than the original account. The main danger of this entity is the feeling that it watches you, or that you get the sense that its near. Attached above is the modern depiction of what the entity may be. As for theories, people often think of it as an entity. A cryptid devoted to an area and to ward anyone away from its land.

The land has no record of native involvement and no colonies during the 1840-50s. Denny is in the later outskirts of California and finds itself very barren and unremarkable from the surrounding wildlife and grounds. Most people who find this tale to be false rely on the narrative of hallucination given by lack of water, food, or a paranoia. While Leslie and any associated parties detailed have no history with mental health disorders, they had been traveling on the road for a few months until this point. 

My Theory

Demons often have territorial bouts, infesting land, homes, and building on a whim. It isn't incredibly unlikely that a demon unable to take a fully human form is staying put in an area located near a highway, scaring people over time and feeding on that horror it builds. Demons aren't all powerful on land, taking the forms of children or infesting items to give them form. Being under prepared and not powerful enough to fully form would explain the weird skin like sheen. 

In 1976 a priest named John Acres was recorded to have blessed the land in an attempt to cleanse it seemed unsuccessful. More reports later showed if anything, this stirred up activity even more as sightings became commonplace for the county police to file. Only 14 of these sightings have been confirmed and continue to stay a mystery. (Meaning the parties involved were proved to be in the places they claim when they claim them to happen)

Regardless, the Californian Walker continues to boggle the minds of locals, sleuths, and skeptics alike. 

Please contact me if you find evidence of more reports or know someone close to the case, any extra information would be greatly appreciated!

[aidansanomalies]

Welcome to Aidan’s Anomalies. A blog detailing the paranormal and unexplained, going categorically through some of histories most notorious cases of the unknown. 

I’m your host, Aidan Williams. I have been looking into ghosts, demons, the weird and anything of the like for almost my entire life. While this blog is an indulgence for me it also doubles as a project to categorize any and every case that piques my interest.

Let me know if you have any cases you all would like me to dive into in depth, in the meantime my messages and Q&A are always open.