When you begin looking at the sources for Halloween, you’re inevitably drawn to Samhain. But the waters of history are truly murky here. I set out to track down whether Halloween is indeed descended from Samhain, what connection with the two actually reflects ancient practices, and what when in the year did it occur? The […]
A Tale Told By A Tombstone: A real life Poison Ivy appears while searching for a ghost in a Carmi cemetery
Red Skelton, a comedian of the mid twentieth century was once asked, “what was the best thing about growing up in a small town?” Skelton grew up in the small town of Vincennes, Indiana, and he spoke for many of us when he replied “leaving.” For some it’s for opportunity, or to see the world. […]
Monster hunting in southern Illinois at Alton, the Murphysboro Mud Monster, Harrisburg, Enfield, Mt. Vernon and more … and why not Bigfoot while we’re at it?
Southern Illinois is a strange place. Those of us descended from the early settlers come from an anti-social stock. They were those who pushed into the Appalachians from the early colonies, only to find those remote regions too crowded. The pushed on through the passes and gaps, settled for a few years then noticed there […]
Winfield Hall: What are the mysterious secrets of F.W. Woolworth’s haunted Long Island home?
Author’s Note: As I was editing my writings on Long Island recently I made a discovery. I’d never written about Winfield Hall. It was one of the first haunted houses I went searching for, and had wandered around it a few times. It was one of the stories that captivated me, and I’d forgotten all […]
The Legends and Myths of Sweet Hollow and Mount Misery … a Long Island mystery
AUTHOR’S NOTE: This website started from wandering the hills known as Mount Misery and of course, Sweet Hollow below. Over time my thoughts changed on the subject, and I went from believer to hard core skeptic. Something happened there, absolutely, but I’ll be damned if anyone can figure out what. Having been gone from there […]
The Legends and Myths of Sweet Hollow and Mount Misery: Part II, The Mothman and the Thunderbird of native American myths
Where you stand on mysteries such as the the Mount Misery Mothman comes down to belief. Are you a skeptic? Most people are, and the trend is growing with each passing year. As religion, and particularly the mysteries associated with religion fade into the past, superstition fades along with it. And yet interest in the […]
