Historic

A Lemp legacy

It’s no secret that St. Louis is one of my favorite cities, and it makes my heart incredibly happy any time I can spend an afternoon at Busch Stadium watching the Cards do what they do best. Any time I make it to STL, whether it be for a baseball game or not, I know I can count on a few things: good pizza, plenty of Cardinal red, and some fantastic haunted places in the heart of a vibrant city. Since the Lou is celebrating its 250th birthday, I thought it would be nice to take a closer look at one of the most well-known haunts: Lemp Mansion.

The Lemp family built its wealth as beer brewers in St. Louis in the mid-1800s. When patriarch Adam Lemp settled in the city, he became one of the first to brew German lager, and used a cave below the Lemp brewery as natural refrigeration. The family prospered as their Western Brewery became the largest in St. Louis, and ultimately became the William J. Lemp Brewing Company. Lemp Mansion was completed in 1868, and was (and still is) an impressive Victorian structure.

Lemp Brewery

Lemp Brewery

However, the family endured its share of tragedy within the mansion’s walls, as fortunes declined and Prohibition neared. Frederick Lemp, who was being primed to someday take over the business passed away from mysterious causes in 1901. This was emotionally devastating for his father, William J. Lemp. Unable to overcome his sorrow, William J. Lemp committed suicide three years later. William’s sister Elsa committed suicide in 1920, then William J. Lemp, Jr. did the same eighteen years after his father’s death in the same building. Charles Lemp, William J. Lemp, Jr.’s brother, remained reclusively residing in the home, but eventually shot himself in the head.

Lemp Mansion still stands in Benton Park, and operates as an inn and restaurant, and also hosts tours and special events regularly. To this day, employees, guests and visitors claim to experience paranormal phenomenon, especially in the William Lemp Suite. Apparitions have also been seen in the dining room where William J. Lemp shot himself, and unexplained aromas of men’s cologne are also experienced at times.

Lemp Mansion

Lemp Mansion

A few years ago, I got the chance to stay overnight in the Frederick Lemp suite, which is on the third floor and used to be servants’ quarters. While I didn’t personally experience anything I would classify as paranormal, I can say that the mansion is gorgeous and its history is palpable. If you get a chance to stay the night, eat in the restaurant, take a tour, or just swing by Demenil Place for some pictures, I highly recommend it!

Originally published here

Eureka Springs recap (and brief ghost tour review)

Last week, I got the chance to visit Eureka Springs again and take in the sights, sounds and flavors. Upon arriving and navigating the small streets nestled in the Ozark mountains, we made our way around a few shops and stopped by a wonderful Mexican restaurant for lunch (and birthday margaritas, of course!).

Deciding to walk off some of our lunch calories, we marveled at some of the city’s many gorgeous springs, scenic pathways, and Victorian architecture, while making sure not to trip on the mildly treacherous sidewalks. My favorite part was walking in a historic residential area where all the homes were painted candy-like colors and had tons of flowers around.

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Plants and flowers grow near one of the many springs in the town

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A colorful gazebo near a spring

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Lovely flowers near a limestone outcropping

We checked in at the Basin Park Hotel, which was built in 1905. It’s built on and out of limestone, and is rumored to have its share of paranormal activity. While its ghostly inhabitants may not be as widely known as those of the Crescent Hotel, it’s thought that some of the ghosts reported on the fourth floor, including a Victorian young girl, may have been residents of the Perry House, a wooden hotel that burned to the ground before the Basin Park Hotel was built.

After purchasing our tickets for the evening ghost tour at Basin Park, we headed over to a lovely Italian restaurant for ravioli and fettuccine. It was delicious! Afterward, we strolled through downtown a bit more, then made our way back to the hotel for the ghost tour.

We congregated in the lobby, then were led into a back room that used to be an alleyway between the hotel and some gift shops that the hotel once owned. You could see part of the limestone mountain the hotel is built on, which was neat to look at. We learned about the town’s long history and its lore, dating back to the period when Osage Indians inhabited the area and considered the springs, especially what is now called Basin Spring, to be sacred. Later, others began noticing the supposed healing powers of the mineral-rich water, including a man named Dr. Jackson, who bottled it and sold it as “Dr. Jackson’s Eye Water” and made quite a fortune.

We hoofed it up to the sixth floor to really begin the tour (There is a small elevator, but with twenty-plus people on our tour, we figured taking the stairs was the path of least resistance). That floor contains an event space/ballroom where visitors have reported seeing ghostly Victorian figures dancing there long after it’s been locked up for the night. Next, we made our way down to the third and fourth floors, where apparitions of a Victorian women and young girl, a cowboy, and even a lion have been reported.

A hallway in the Basin Park Hotel

A hallway in the Basin Park Hotel

Overall, the hour-and-a-half-ish tour seemed a bit lacking, at least compared to the one I went on last fall at the Crescent Hotel. While there was great historical information up front, there just wasn’t an overwhelming amount of ghost stories or any sort of potential evidence presented (barring one photo that could in all likelihood be dismissed as lens flare). At the Crescent, the tour guide took time to provide prints of photos at nearly every haunted room or location in which we stopped (although many of those could be explained by natural or technological phenomena as well). Or maybe my paranormal investigation experience has just made me a little bit of a tough customer for this kind of ghost tour.

While the Basin Park Hotel is beautiful, it just doesn’t have quite the same charm and character as the Crescent, in my opinion. Nevertheless, it’s worth a stop if you find yourself in Eureka Springs! And don’t be afraid to wander the quaint and charming city streets to see some gorgeous Victorian architecture amidst natural Ozarks beauty–just make sure you have on comfy shoes!

Almost time for a Eureka Springs stay-cation
View of the Crescent Hotel from my very first visit to Eureka Springs in 2013

View of the Crescent Hotel from my very first visit to Eureka Springs in 2013

In just a couple of weeks, I’m making my way back down to Eureka Springs, Ark. for a birthday full of good food, fun sightseeing–and, of course–a ghost tour. In this town of just over 2,000, there is an incredible amount of history, art, and shopping. Although I have to admit, I’m a little nervous about the semi-scarce parking and winding roads, I’m sure those nerves will be replaced by giddiness once we get settled in at the Basin Park Hotel and begin walking around the spring-filled and Ozark mountain-y landscape.

The first time I visited town, I went on the delightful Crescent Hotel ghost tour. I’m not sure we’ll make it up to the Crescent this time, but I’m so excited to experience the nightly ghost tour at Basin Park.

I’m sure I’ll have plenty of pictures and stories to share when I get back!

The Winter Solstice is Coming!

With a moonlit blanket of snow covering Springfield thanks to Winter Storm Cleon, some extra inches of snow a few days later and a solid week of temps barely rising above freezing, it sure feels like it’s officially winter. Wind chills are below freezing, and heck, even below zero. My street twinkles with Christmas lights on rooflines and wrapped around tree trunks and shrubs.

But it’s not technically winter just yet, at least until Dec. 21. At 6:12 a.m. on this day, winter will officially begin as the sun marks the winter solstice and once again starts moving higher in the sky at midday. The ancients who viewed the solar and lunar activities in attempt to better understand our universe recognized the winter solstice as an assurance that spring would return, and many cultures held celebrations.

For example, Ancient Romans commemorated Saturnalia around Dec. 25 with a nearly week-long lavish feast. It was a time for giving gifts, celebrating with friends, honoring the god Saturn and general merriment and a smidge of lawlessness. Slaves wore felt caps that symbolized their freedom during these days, as they were not required to work. Rather than togas, colorful celebratory clothing was common.

This time of year has no shortage of celebrations. It holds a sense of wonder and magic, and a sense of anticipation for a new year full of possibilities. If you’re like me and feeling a bit of cabin fever due to inches of ice and snow on the ground, take heart in knowing that the shortest day of the year brings us that much closer to springtime (and baseball!).

A Tavern Tale

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Photo via Talbott Tavern and Jennifer Singleton

Since 1779, Talbott Tavern (also known as The Old Talbott Tavern) has been serving up food, drink, and lodging to travelers making their way through Bardstown, Ky. With the distinction of being the oldest bourbon bar in the world, as well as continuously operating at the same location and in the same stone building, the tavern has a colorful past that has seen many historical figures pass through its doors. It was at one time owned by Jim Beam’s brother, T.R., and Abraham Lincoln and his family once stayed there. Murals pained on walls upstairs to this day have bullet holes from where Jesse James shot them.

The tales of ghostly paranormal activity in the tavern are likely as old as the building itself. Patrons are said to have seen apparitions of Jesse James walking the halls and a lady in white standing beside beds or looking out windows. Others have noted items being misplaced and found later in odd locations, sounds of unexplained music, moving dining tables, and more.

If you find yourself in Kentucky, perhaps a stay in Bardstown would be just the place to go for a glimpse of history, some good bourbon, and maybe even some paranormal phenomena.

A Few of My Faves

The Ozarks has no shortage of interesting places with legends of haunts. Below are some pics from a couple of my favorite legendary locales (plus a couple photos from my absolute favorite haunt, Lemp Mansion. Yeah, it’s not in the Ozarks, but well within the range of a quick roadtrip!) What are your favorite haunted hot spots? Let me know in the comments below or on Facebook!

Leave a Light On

Joplin, Missouri has some claims to fame. Other than the tragic and deadly EF-5 tornado that ripped through the town in May 2011, it has some more lighthearted notoriety, like being mentioned in the script of The Music Man, on The Beverly Hillbillies, and being the filming location for Trick My Truck once upon a time.

But it’s also been home to a unique and unsolved legend for more than a century.

The Spook Light

Now known as the Joplin Spook Light, a small “ball of fire” was first spotted by Indians traveling the Trail of Tears in 1836. In 1881, a publication titled The Ozark Spook Light made the first “official” report.

The Spook Light is still reportedly seen to this day, and is often described as an orange glowing ball ranging from the size of a baseball to the size of a basketball. It is said to spin or dance down the center of the road, hover above treetops, and then retreat. Others have said it appears to swing side to side, like a lantern being carried. Locals say that the time between 10 p.m. and midnight is prime Spook Light viewing time.

The light is said to be seen along a four-mile stretch of gravel road called Devil’s Promenade by many locals. Although it’s most widely known as the Joplin Spook Light, other nearby communities also lay claim to the enigma. Some in Quapaw, Oklahoma have claimed to have seen the light. The light is also known as the Hornet Spook Light; Hornet is a small community near Joplin.
For years, people have been trying to find out just what the Spook Light really is. Countless paranormal investigators, scientists, and even curious locals have gathered on the gravel road near Hornet to try to catch a glimpse. Even the Army Corps of Engineers has tried to find an explanation for the mysterious light.

Some theories have been presented to attempt to explain the light’s origin, such as escaping natural gas, reflections of car lights, and even rotting organic matter. Even atmospheric electrical charges have been offered as an explanation.

But local legends were used to explain the light years ago. One of the oldest legends tells of a Quapaw Indian woman who fell in love with a brave, but her father wouldn’t let her marry him. The two eloped, but were followed by warriors. They joined hands above the Spring River and leaped to their deaths. Legend has it that shortly after this event, the light began appearing, and was attributed to the lovers’ spirits.

My Journey to the Light

Needless to say, I find the Spook Light incredibly interesting, and about four years ago, I set out with a friend to try and catch a glimpse. We traveled all the way to Joplin, with directions we printed off the internet and a GPS device (I didn’t have a smartphone yet!).

We eventually were led past the tiny town of Hornet, and to the four-mile stretch of road where the light is usually seen. We parked at a dip in the road, because our directions told us that was the best kind of place to see the light.

We quickly realized that we weren’t the only ones looking for the light. I guess I expected a desolate gravel road, with only my car searching for the Spook Light. But that’s not what we got. There were cars parked along both sides of the road, people standing out in the October chill with binoculars, and little kids running around with flashlights. A couple of times, I thought for a moment I saw something, but it was just a car coming over a hill maybe a mile away.

Although I didn’t get to actually see the Spook Light, I don’t think I can count it out as swamp gas or something. And I really want to get back out to Joplin and try spotting the Spook Light again sometime soon. If you’re ever in the area, it could be a fun adventure, and you can decide for yourself what the Spook Light might be.

My First Investigation: A Night at Weaver House

In early June, 2010, I got up at 5:30 for a ten-hour workday, I headed over to Ozark, MO, for my first ghost hunt with Southwest Ghost Finders. The team and a couple of guests (myself included) met up for some Chinese food and to get acquainted with one another before heading just down the road to the historic Weaver House. Located near Jackson St. and N. 3rd St., the house was built in the mid-1800s and has definitely seen its share of Ozarks history. When the Baldknobbers (a group of vigilantes in the Ozarks around the 1880s, not the Branson performers) were creating some havoc in the area, they even held a meeting in one of the upstairs rooms of the house, and burnt their insignia into the floor. The original floor and insignia are still intact in the house, and I must say that the Baldknobber ‘logo’ looks kind of like a horse’s head turned sideways. The house was also at one time a stagecoach stop. It is said that a young girl who had been on the stagecoach developed a terrible disease and died in the other bedroom upstairs.

Preparing to Investigate

The seven of us there for the investigation were SWGF founder, Kim; longtime members Oscar and Sandy; relative newcomers Scott and Paula; and newbies Jerri and me. We set up stationary cameras in both of the upstairs bedrooms, in the living area/spiral staircase, and in the basement. We each carried digital voice recorders and some of us used infrared and regular digital cameras. We also set up a motion-sensitive infrared camera in the sunroom (which is a relatively modern addition to the house), although it really only captured us investigators as we headed toward the bathroom during the night.

Time to Investigate

We split up for the first part of the investigation, with Oscar, Sandy, and Paula in the living areas of the main floor, and Kim, Scott, Jerri, and me in the basement. While down there in the pitch dark, those of us in the basement kept seeing a small flash of light in one corner, even when there were no vehicles going by. We did an extensive EVP session, and Kim asked any spirits to play “Marco Polo” with us. During this, the gang upstairs heard a disembodied male voice say “Marco.”

Throughout the night, we heard several knocks, bangs, and whispers which didn’t come from any of us. When Jerri and I sat upstairs in the Baldknobber room, we both noticed a tension in the room, and had the feeling of a watchful presence in the closet. When we ended our EVP session in that room, we headed to the other upstairs bedroom, the one where a girl from the stagecoach died years ago. The feeling in that room was much more tranquil.

Kim performed a session with dowsing rods while Jerri and I were upstairs, and she seemed to get some responses from a male spirit. After a while, we all gathered in the living area near the spiral staircase, and many of us noted unexplained knocks, as well as catching glimpses of small traces of light or shadows on the staircase. As for EMF, the house really had no baseline, as certain areas of the house seemed to be at a constant spike, and not always near electric lines. On the staircase near the end of our investigation, we caught a free-floating spike on the staircase near where a team member had seen a shadow earlier, as well as a spike in the middle of the Baldknobber room.

Around 4 a.m., we called it a night and cleaned up the equipment, then we each made our way home.

Haunted Springfield: Part I

It’s really not all that surprising that a town that’s been around since 1838 may have a few haunted spots. Here is a quick rundown of some said-to-be-haunted Springfield, MO locales:

Landers Theater – Springfield Little Theater: Built in 1909 on Walnut Street, this historic theater is known as one of the most haunted spots in Springfield. Some say that there are over 100 spirits roaming about, including that of a janitor who died in an early twentieth-century fire. The janitor is often seen pacing on the balcony. Rumor has it that a baby was accidentally dropped from an upper balcony, and actors occasionally see the ghost of the baby.

Photo courtesy of Springfield Little Theatre

Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield: Some visitors say they’ve seen apparitions of Confederate soldiers while visiting the battlefield, which was the site of a bloody Civil War battle in 1861, Also, some claim to hear noises like cannons and guns, or what sounds like soldiers walking and talking in the woods.

University Plaza Hotel: The spot at 333 South John Q. Hammons Parkway where University Plaza now stands was once part of a large plantation owned by a decorated Civil War hero. University Plaza employees sometimes see an older man dressed in black roaming the hallways, and believe he may be the owner of the plantation. “The Colonel,” as the man in black is called, is often seen roaming the ballroom and back hallways in the hours between midnight and 4 a.m.

Phelps Grove Park bridge: Just off of National on Bennett, at the third bridge in the park, the apparition of a woman in a white wedding dress is sometimes seen. Called “the bride under the bridge,” she’s thought to be the ghost of a woman who was killed on her wedding day.

Have any local haunts you’d love to investigate or have investigated? Be sure to comment here, send an email, or let me know on Facebook and Twitter!