The First Time I accidently farted infront of my wife I was mortified, I was almost certain that this chick was going to drop me like a bad habit thinking I was a low class shlub but instead, to my elation, she broke out in peels of laughter and I knew that this chick was for me. Although my wife and I, and many of you I suspect think farts are funny there was nothing funny about the events that transpired in the small Illinois town of Mattoon in 1944 that involved an attack of bad gas.

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For the most part paranormal researchers and investigators agree that the haunting of a location is precipitated by many factors. For example a human’s spirit can be left behind to roam their former stomping grounds if they committed the final act of desperation, Suicide. I personally believe the haunting ocurrs because the person who offed themselves may have had certain religious beliefs that caused them to believe that such a desperate act would cause them to burn in eternal hellfire and this fear causes them to remain in the realm of the living. The other most common circumstance is murder. Down through the history of paranormal research there have been many reported cases of a spirit being trapped until the person who committed the ultimate crime is brought to justice. The records indicate that when and if the criminal is brought to justice the haunting subsequently comes to an end as well. But what if the murderer is never apprehended and punished for their crime does that mean that the spirit is trapped at a location forever forced to wander the home although the crime happened decades if not a century earlier? Research would suggest unfortunately yes and there is a home in Villisica, Iowa that would suggest this is a sad fact.

In 1912, Villisca, Iowa was just like any normal midwestern town of it’s time. Peaceful hardworking folks, the real salt of the earth type eeked out an existence loving God and country however on the morning of June 10 all that would drastically change. The brutal murder of a local family and two houseguests as they peacefully slept in their beds would not only shock and dismay the state of Iowa but the entire United States and many would think if it could happen in a small town like Villisca where folks still left their homes unlocked at night, then it could happen anywhere. No one was safe.

On the morning of June 10, a neighbor of the Josiah Moore family was awakened from a deep slumber by the sounds of the Moore family horses neighing and kicking the barn doors. The neighbor, an elderly woman, thought it strange that after listening to the ruckus for fifteen minutes that a member of the Moore family did not emerge from the house and either calm or scold the unruly equines. I’m sure the neighbor thought enough was enough as she threw on some clothes and rushed over to the Moore home to see if anyone, it didn’t matter who, was going to bring an end to the racket.

At first the neighbor stuck her head through the open door and called out for anyone who may hear her voice, certainly someone would at least answer her call although no one did nothing about the horses, that would just be plain rude. When no one answered she walked into the home and began to inspect the first floor for signs of life. Nothing not a soul the home was as quiet as a prayer service. However all that would change when she climbed the stairs and peeked into the rooms.

The neighbor in a fit of terror ran from the home and immeditaely called the Sheriff’s office to report what she had seen. The neighbor reported to the Sheriff that some unknown assailant had brutally hacked the Josiah Moore family to death as they slept in their beds. Josiah Moore, Mrs Moore, their four children and two houseguests lay forever still in their beds in a house that was a true house of horrors.

The Villisca Axe Murder Case as it has come to be known is truly a mystery of the worst kind. The murderer was never captured and forced to answer for his brutal crime. There were a few suspects, a business rival of Josiah Moore, an insane drifter with religious delusions even a few cops were rounded up for questioning but all were released all had iron clad alibis and could answer for their whereabouts on the night a homicidal madman grabbed an axe and methodically went from room to room killing the eight people who slept soundly believing that when the sun rose the next day they would continue their lives. Sadly that was not the case.

Although the murder of these eight folks is sad and tragic what we are concerned with on this stop of our road trip is what still might remain at the Villisca home and if the rumors are true that the house is perhaps one of the most haunted homes in the United States if not the world. The home sat empty for many years until 1930, when a young newly married couple bought the house believing this was the place where they would plant their roots and eventually raise a little family of their own. They were sadly mistaken.

A few weeks after they moved in the Mrs. began to hear strange noises that sounded like breathing and a heavy person walking up the stairs as she slept at night. She dismissed the noises believing that an old house such as this made noises, it was just part of the old house settling. That was until she was awakened one night to the sound of a gut wrenching scream and when her eyes popped open she could see the solid shape of a man standing at the end of her bed weilding an axe. As the woman let out a scream the image faded away back into the shadows. When she reported the sighting to her husband he at first did not believe her, in fact, he believed his new bride was going mad and needed help that was until he began to witness the strange activity his wife had witnessed. Needless to say they left and never returned.

Sometimes folks report that their home shows signs of paranormal activity after a remodel. The ghost, probably lays dormant for many years until he or she sees that their home is being changed in ways they do not like, this would appear to be the case with the Villisca Axe Murder House. In 1994, the owners of the home began a major renovation that would change many of the physical features of the home and it would seem that this remodel would stir an unexplained energy that would scare the pants off all those involved.

The activity in the home started innocently enough: Workers tools would be moved from one location to another, cold chills would be felt throughtout the house even on days when it was hot, and strange noises that sounded like someone walking around would be heard in the night. Then things began to be kicked up a notch. The residents would hear what sounded like anguished screams ring through the house in the middle of the night and the family began to witness wispy forms that oftentimes took on the form of a little girl, a woman and a grown man. Could these be the spirits of Josiah Moore, his wife and one of the children attempting to make contact with the living? Perhaps.

Over the last ten years, many paranormal groups have been given access to the home to determine whether or not there is any truth to the hauntings of the house in Villisca and many have come away with interesting results. Numerous EVPs have been recorded that sound as if a woman is screaming and several others sound as if children are whispering just under the voice of the investigator. Several photos showing orbs and other anomolies have been taken perhaps proving that this home where a brutal murder once took place almost a century ago still holds some memory of of the once happy Moore family that met with such an unhappy end.

Rick E. Hale

t_seeker@hotmail.com

I found a great article on http://www.examiner.com. Its a guide for gifts to give the ghost hunter in your life. Due to the many links and photo’s that are in the article, I decided just to post the line to it. Enjoy!

Link: http://www.paraurl.com/?fmTkq

Perhaps one of the most enduring legends of our strange world is the belief that at one time beyond the mists of time a continent known as Atlantis was destroyed by a great cataclysym almost ten thousand years ago. The knowledge of this lost civilization was brought to us by the great Greek philosopher, Plato who wrote of the doomed culture in his dialogues, “Timaeus and Critias.” Plato claimed to have received the story of the once great civilization from a family member, Solon, who learned of it from Egyptian priests while living in Egypt. For the most part the story of Atlantis and it’s fall from grace is regarded as nothing more than a story that imparts a moral message to the ancient Greeks warning them not to become to power hungry and live a modest life. However, many thousands of miles away in the Pacific ocean just off the California coast another continent, Lemuria or Mu was said to have met the same fate as their Atlantean brothers a couple millenia earlier. It would be easy to dismiss the story of Lemuria/Mu out of hand if it were not for the widely held belief that survivors of this doomed continent made their way to our shores and took up residence on and inside one of our most scenic mountains, Mount Shasta. are the strange stories that have filtered down from Mount Shasta over the last century nothing but pure bunk? Or are we to believe the tales of white garbed strangers and strange lights seen on the mountain? You be the judge.

Rising more than twelve thousand feet above sea level in Siskiyou county, California, Mount Shasta is considered to be the jewel of Northern California. Shasta, has long been held in awe by the Native American population who believe that the mountain is home to the Great Spirit and various other spirit entities. Shasta is also believed by many a New Age enthusist to be a place of great healing power and the home to one of the root races of immortals that are said to watch over the affairs of mankind and will one day descend from their mountain lair and usher mankind into an age of enlightment. Me personally, I really don’t know about that but hey that is what they believe.

Getting beyond the new age factor, folks from the surrounding towns and cities have reported strange things on the mountain such as mass sightings of UFOs, strange chanting in an unknown language and the occassional sighting of a group of hairy bi-peds believed to be associated with Sasquatch. However there have been reports of locals coming into contact with strange humans that come down from the mountain every once and a while dressed in long flowing white robes and attempting to buy and barter goods with the local merchants. Some believe these odd folks are nothing more than hippy cultists living out a wild SciFi fantasy, but many believe that they are the descendents of the survivors of the lost continent of Lemuria/Mu.

Those who believe in the Lemuria/Mu connection believe that many thousands of years ago the 25, 000 survivors of the doomed continent came to our shores and built a gigantic city of peace and prosperity deep within the rocky walls of Mount Shasta. The Lemurians are believed to be technologically advanced to the point have having intergalactic and interdimensional craft called the “Silver Fleet” that is said to make runs in and out of the mountains at all hours of the day and night which some people believe is responsible for the multitude of UFO sightings over the years. Can these stories be true? Are their any people who have had experiences with these alleged Lemurians and lived to tell the tale? Yes, if we are to believe them.

In 1896, a local man was climbing Mount Shasta when he became tired and took up shelter inside one of the many caves that dot the slopes of the mountain. Later the man told a strange tale of being awakened by a group of peaceful men and women dressed in long white robes and who appeared to be well over seven feet tall. The mountain climber would later tell his friends and family that the strange people took him down a long path that led deep into the mountain carrying strange glowing crystals that led the way through the darkness. When they came to the end of the path the man’s eyes were greeted with a gleaming white city that was lit by a gigantic ball of light that not only gave off heat and light but also gave off a sense of well being. The citizens greeted the awe struck man and took him on a breathtaking tour of their amazing city on an airship that did not need any balloon to keep it afloat and the ship made no noise. After the tour the citizens imparted wisdom to him and a stern warning that mankind must let go of their warfarring ways before it was too late. The man was then taken back to the cave where he climbed down the mountain and told all that he knew of the fantastic sights that his eyes feasted upon.

This sounds like a nice tale, however many researchers regard the story with a great deal of skepticism since the man in question had no name and it sounds as if he may have been a victim of alien abduction or a very vivid dream. However just a few years later in 1904 all that would change.
JC Brown a geologists for the Lord Cowdray Mining company of London England was sent to take surveys of the strange mountain for some business concerns. While surveying the surrounding area from a bluff on the mountain Brown literally stumbled upon a cave in the side of the mountain that was previously unknown to him. Always the adventurous sort, Brown entered the cave.

After many hours of traveling down a path that led deep into the mountain, Brown came upon an opening and was shocked by what he had seen. A vast city of abandened buildings and homes greeted his eyes. Brown, was incredulous by what he had found and decided to take a walk around this amazing city buried deep in this Northern California mountain. While exploring, Brown saw 13 statues cast in gold and copper around what he believed to be a park. He found other artifacts such as shields and swords and chalices made from gold. Brown was so ecstatic of this amazing archeological discovery he quickly made his way out of the chamber and hightailed it to Stockton California where he fell off the radar for thirty years.

In 1934, JC Brown resurfaced in Stockton California at the age of 79, claiming to have immersed himself in the hidden histories and the wisdom of Atlantis and Lemuria and felt that it was time to launch an expedition into the mountain to bring this alleged lost civilization to the light of day. And I’m sure the fact that many of the artifacts made of gold played a big role in Brown wanting to return.

Over the next several weeks Brown, convinced 80 citizens of Stockton to accompany him on this amazing journey. Among the citizens were newspaper reporters and scientists from various disciplines who believed the eccentric old gent and could not wait to be part of the find of this and any century. Leading up to the expedition, Brown warned his fellow adventurers that there were shadowy figures who wanted to keep his mouth shut of the lost civilization and the impact it could have on mankind. On the morning of June 19th, 1934 the 80 citizens gathered at the foot of the mountain and earnestly waited for their leader who never showed. Local police were contacted and an investigation was launched into the dissappearance of the eccentric old man and no trace of him was ever found. Did the shadowy figures that he believed were out to get him drag him away to cover up a great secret? Or was JC Brown just some crackpot who’s bluff was called when the citizens of Stockton came out to help him investigate the alleged lost city of the Lemurians burieds deep within Mount Shasta? The world will never know.

Today Mount Shasta is still believed to be a sacred place but the phenomenon that once ignited the fertile imaginations of the locals is all but quiet. Sure, locals still claim to see the ocassional strange light issuing from the mountain side and some folks have claimed to have witnessed Bigfoot like creatures, however as for the mysterious strangers that were once believed to be somehow related to the citizens of a lost continent, no such luck no one has seen hide nor hair of these white robed people of great beauty for many years.

Rick E. Hale

t_seeker@hotmail.com

When I first started writing for this esteemed website I took us on a breathtaking tour of some of the most haunted locations around the world. Recently we visited the shores of jolly olde England and explored the haunted reputation that Ol Blighty certainly deserves, so I thought it fitting to come full circle and bring us back to the good Old US of A to take a look at some of the strangest locations, myths and urban legends that call our great nation home.

Compared to the rest of the world the United States is just a mere child, despite our short but illustrious history America plays host to some of the most terrifying ghosts, monsters and strangest stories that seem to put the other nations to shame. When I first conceived of this project I was just going to deal with the many reports of the dearly departed that still walk among us, however I thought that was somewhat unfair to the other tales that enrich our American culture and keep mysteries hunters busy. I hope you enjoy Roadtrip Into the Unknown.

The Curse of Dudleytown

Well hidden by the years of growth in the back woods of Litchfield County, Connecticut along the ominously yet aptly named, “Dark Entry Road” sits an enigmatic ghost town that has gained quite a reputation over the years as one of the most haunted and terrifying locations upon the North American continent, Dudleytown. Dudleytown, is one of those locations that has such a terrible reputation over the years it is almost impossible to seperate fact from fiction, and truth from Urban Legend. Those who have visited this eerie ghost town, which is nothing more than a few foundations grown over with weeds and trees, all seem to come away with stories that would keep even the toughest guy awake at night with nightmares. If the stories concerning this lost gem of Americana is true, Dudleytown could only be described as a town cursed and set up for disaster from the very beginning.

Those who have made Dudleytown, the focus of their paranormal meanderings claim that the sad little town was cursed well before it’s first foundation was laid in the late 1700s. It is widely believed that the Curse of Dudleytown began across the pond in Great Britain when the Barons Dudley committed a horrible act of treason in the royal court of King George II. No one is really sure what that act was and why it offended the King, however the treason sent the Dudley clan fleeing into the night for their very lives to the colonies of America and Connecticut.

By 1800, Dudleytown was considered a small and struggling community in the backwoods of Connecticut. Unlike the other towns that thrived and prospered in the area, Dudleytown experienced so many problems that they appeared to go well beyond coincidence and hovered in the realm of the truly strange and unusual. No matter how hard the farmers tried proper crops would never grow on the land. Some feel that the soil may have been to acidic which would not allow anything to grow while others believed that the very ground was cursed by the local Native American tribes who held the place as being evil and the abode of wicked spirits and perhaps this is what contributed to the hysteria that soon overtake the small community and force many to either flee or committ suicide.

One of the strange experiences at Dudleytown was that the general population never grew past fifty people at the most. The town had such a reputation for being cursed new and interesting people did not want to even come near this town on the decline. Those who stuck it out in Dudleytown, reported strange lights and terrifying apparitions that flitted among the trees even during the light of day. It was reported that suicide became a huge problem in the struggling town with at least one citizen going mad a month and hanging himself in the haunted woods that surrounded Dudleytown. Reports of demonic possession were commonplace and strange sicknesses that did not touch the surrounding communities broke out in Dudleytown viritually wiping out the community overnight. By the second decade of the 1800s, Dudleytown was completely abandoned and never again would another human soul live upon it’s haunted land.

In an interview with Playboy Magazine, comic actor and serious researcher of the paranormal, Dan Aykroyd declared that Dudleytown, Connecticut was the most frightening place in the United States and rightly so. Although the land is private property owned by the “Dark Entry Forest Association” with warnings that trespassers will be prosecuted, this has not stopped the intrepid ghosthunter from ignoring the law and venturing into one of the most haunted locations in the United States if not the world.

Those who have paid this desolate area a visit have reported so many strange experiences one would have to think that someone is trying to pull the wool over our eyes. Many have reported strange voices crying out from among the trees and have witnessed dark entities flitting about the surrounding forest. Others have reported an intense feeling of dread and sadness as they walk among the remains of colonial village. Others have reported an intense desire to kill themselves and join the spectral citizenry of Dudleytown that seems to beckon them to their fate.

When one considers the strange tale of Dudleytown Connecticut we must consider the possibility that this little ghost town and the stories surrounding it are nothing more than Urban Legend, however if even 10% of the stories are true than the ruins of Dudleytown are not a place to be taken lightly and only those with many years in paranormal research and investigation and the local clergyman should pay this sad little cursed town a visit to determine what manner of evil called Dudleytown, Connecticut home.

I want to try something new with this series, if you are a reader and have had an experience with one of the locations that I will be writing about please let me know. You can either leave a comment here or contact me at t_seeker@hotmail.com. I and the editor of this website would love to hear from you and strange things you have come across. Thanks.

Rick E. Hale