The Enigmas of Girard, Pennsylvania

N.A. Reiter and L.L. Schillig

24th November, 2002

Note:
The following report has been edited to preserve the anonymity of our hosts and their home. We courteously thank our hosts for allowing us to post this version of our research paper.

Introduction:

In late 2001, while attempting to track down information on a supposedly haunted location in Erie County Pennsylvania called The Devil's Backbone, we crossed paths serendipitously with our host. In a phone conversation with this gentleman, our original inquiry into The Devil's Backbone was clarified, however we were informed by him that a long tradition of ghostly activity had been acknowledged at a local museum. Since their assuming the tenancy of the museum, the family had come to grips with a wide variety of unexplainable events. It was also disclosed that a very peculiar ghost story was associated with a certain stream on the property, and a nearby covered bridge was also said to be haunted. We had stumbled across a veritable cornucopia of Keystone State mystery!

We expressed an interest in performing an investigation, however at the time assorted circumstances on the museum end forced the matter onto a back burner. In early fall of 2002, however, contact was re-established with our host and we were able to schedule a visit to Girard.

Because of the rich and historical nature of the museum's activity, extra care was taken to leave LS out of all information exchange leading up to our visit. As the reader will see, this was well worth the effort in light of her intuitive impressions and their correlation to actual phenomena.

Our host and his family related to NR the following phenomena as having happened in the three years of their tenancy:

1. An apparition of a woman in Victorian widow's black was seen, accompanied by an intense temperature drop.
2. Glimpses of a male apparition were reported.
3. Footsteps on upper story floors and stairways when no living person was around were commonplace.
4. Visitors had reported seeing two young girl ghosts on the second floor.
5. The faint sound of children singing has been heard on occasion in the ground floor dining room.
6. Household objects would be often found displaced.
7. Household cats would often be attracted to or perturbed by unseen presences.
8. A lamp glass from an antique oil lamp was thrown from its holder onto the floor in the presence of their younger daughter.

The tale of a nearby haunted stream, and the local haunted Gudgeonville Bridge will be related separately in this report.

On 16th of November, we embarked on our adventure and paid a late morning and afternoon visit to Girard.

Our Visit:

There is something about the Keystone State that invokes images completely unique in America. Close your eyes and let the imagination take control of your senses; you first of all feel a wet coolness and see the color of muted green pine boughs dappled with snow. There are the heavy gray skies and the scent of wood smoke from fireplaces in farmhouses that were old 200 years ago. There is the profile of hill and valley and timber and the feel of stone and the taste of coal and truck stop cuisine. Pure magic.

We pulled up to the house under a poetically tumbling sky that had been spitting wet snow all morning. The home, built in the late 1850s, sprawls like an ancient temple, and it assumes the mastery of the fields around it.

Despite the season, though a certain wistful cheer emanated from the house and beckoned us as we walked up the cobblestone path to the front door.

We were greeted by our hosts, and a happy army of well fed cats. After making acquaintances, we followed our hosts to the second floor of the house, where the family made their living quarters. Here we were charmed to meet their younger daughter, a high school senior.

Without divulging any paranormal particulars, our hosts allowed LS to begin her dowsing and intuitive rounds. I followed at a distance, using our standard "light array" of instrumentation: digital camera, SLR camera with 400 speed B&W film, Hall gaussmeter, ultrasonic detector, tape recorder, and digital thermometer / humidity gauge, and electroscope.

We surveyed the second floor thoroughly, then paid a visit to the upper roof cupola. Following this, our hosts took us on a tour of the first floor, used primarily as the museum. We spent considerable time in conversation following LS survey, and as the reader will see, found that her senses and accuracy was in high gear that day! Our host also related to us the ghostly tale about the property stream - a story the likes of which Charles Fort himself would have coveted!

The phenomena at the museum indeed appear to be frequent, strong, and appear to have occurred for many generations. Tentative plans were made for follow up visits in 2003, for more extensive research. LS and I have often desired a good solid haunt case that would allow for repeated visits to try out different equipment and techniques in a leisurely setting.

As early afternoon arrived, we bid our new friends adieu, and headed across country a short distance to the equally "Fortean" Gudgeonville Bridge and the spectacular and ominous cliffs of the Devil's Backbone.

Physical and Photographic Findings:

Second Floor:

Non-moving magnetic distortions that appeared to be unrelated to ferrous objects or power distribution were noted in two locations on the second floor. A slight distortion of about 20% Earth's field was read near a small bookshelf in the corner of the living room. This independently correlated to a strong dowsing reaction by LS. We were informed that the instance noted by our hosts where the oil lamp globe had been mysteriously tossed to the floor occurred in this same room.

A strong (>50% of ambient) magnetic distortion was found in the main bedroom, in a region near the foot of the bed, and between the bed and a nearby closet door. This also correlated to a location where LS had a strong dowsing reaction, as well as a very powerful intuitive impression of a female personality. Our hosts related to us after our observations that this was indeed the site where a fully visible female apparition in Widow's Black had paced through their bedroom. A double correlation, presumably!

No acoustic or electrostatic anomalies were noted. One digital photo of the main bedroom does show a prominent orb image.

Indoor temperature on the second floor was read at 67.7oF, with 38% relative humidity.

First Floor:

No appreciable magnetic, electrostatic, or acoustic anomalies were noted on the ground floor of the house. We also ran a short EVP segment of audio tape in the dining room; however, no anomalous sounds or voices were noted. This location was selected due to the fact that our hosts had heard on occasion the sounds of children singing in the room. (click pic to enlarge)

One digital photo taken in the dining room does show an interesting phenomenon. Between the Christmas tree and the dining room table appear to be two faint bluish hazy patches. We cannot say at this time whether these are truly anomalous or if they are a glare effect from the single window in that room.

Cupola and Stairway:

No anomalies of any sort noted.

LS Intuitive and Dowsing Results:

Transcribed from LS' notes:

Intuitive impressions were shared only after completing a scan of the premises. The owners were asked not to share knowledge of incidents until all intuitive impressions were complete.

First Floor

No strong impressions were sensed, however the occupants have heard voices on a limited basis. They later reported that the main activity occurs on the second floor.

Second Floor

Dining Room - On the western side of the room near the window, I sensed a woman viewing a deceased body that has been laid out on a bed in front of the window. (The placement of this body seemed awkward in keeping with the room's lay out, however the owners indicated that a wall used to be along the path where I indicated the bed's placement and this room was not originally a dining room.)

Living Room - No impressions, however the west wall did produce dowse-able energy. (The owners indicated that objects placed on a table along the Southwest wall had unexplainable moved.)

Bathroom - Very strong impression of an older female viewing something out the window and dropping to her knees from the sight of the incident occurring in the field outside. (The owners indicated that a hired hand had been injured in the field, and she may have witnessed it.)

Master Bedroom - Very strong impressions of a female near the closet door. Also, there is the impression of a young man in the northeastern corner of the room that appears to be in a crouched position and in a heightened state of anxiety. (The owners indicated that they have seen the apparition of a female enter the closet door. They are not sure whom the young man may portray, however in light of upcoming intuitive impressions, I believe his identity may be that of the injured farm hand.)

Back Stairs - I sense a young man being carried up the stairs. He is injured and needs care.

Back room currently used for crafts - I sense the male who was brought up the stairs in this room. He seems to have suffered a head injury. (The owners indicated that the farm hand that had been seriously injured had been kicked in the head by a horse.

General Conclusions:

From our evaluation and the anecdotes provided by our hosts, we would conclude that the house is most certainly home to a set of reasonably strong residual human energy patterns or personality patterns. It falls squarely into the realm of what we have come to refer to as a repeating pattern type haunt. The manifesting ability of these energetic forms, particularly the female apparition, seems to be above average. However, given the age of the residence, and the long history of human drama that has unfolded within its walls, we are not surprised. The particular set of patterns detected by LS correlates very strongly in all ways with the anecdotes from the family, as well as historical probability.

We also see yet another commonality, having to do with an upswing in paranormal activity during home restoration / re-modeling. We feel that the emotional commitment and trials of the early months of our hosts’ residence in the house may have added subtle energetic fuel to the latent patterns remaining in the house, increasing their manifesting potential. It is also worth considering that because the farmhouse is a museum, a continual wash-through of humanity is present - with each person visiting likely to drag in their own emotional energy / karmic baggage to contribute to the feeding of the resident ghosts!

There seemed to be little anecdotal evidence to suggest a poltergeist / PK explanation for the activity, although the lamp-glass incident may suggest an occasional isolated PK outburst stemming from some short lived emotional conflict in the house. The general impression is one of ghostly activity and manifestations occurring over many years of time, playing out for many diverse tenants and visitors.

LS did not detect the presence of any purposeful or sentient entity. Generally, on the few occasions this has been observed, the intuitive impressions created have been quite different and distinguishable. We cannot rule out the possibility of an earthbound spirit lurking in the home somewhere, but if so, it did not seem to be "within range" of LS' radar.

The Strange Tale of the Haunted Creek:

As mentioned earlier, the property is home to a most unique legend that could invoke the fantasies of any whom are obsessed with the strangest of the strange. It is a ghost story, but moreover it is a bizarre tale involving time itself!

The synopsis of this story was related first by our hosts over the phone in late 2000. At the completion of our house investigation, our hosts told us the story again for LS' benefit. One does not tire of it.

On a summer's day in 1861, a town celebration and picnic were being held on the Battles property, as was frequent in those days. To the south side of the property, a small creek runs through the woodlands. It was originally known as Battles Creek, but has since become known locally as Dead Man's Creek...

The story says that two fellows were taking a stroll after the picnic and ended up wandering near the creek. The men made a ghastly discovery when they found floating in the shallow water the body of a young man, appearing to be 20 or 21. The dead man had been apparently murdered in a very bad fashion - garroted from ear to ear.

The event became a darling mystery of the town. No identification could be found on the poor young chap, and no-one in the community recognized him. However, the most bizarre twist of all was the man's attire. When he was found, the deceased was dressed in a fresh, bright, undamaged - and perfectly fitting - military uniform from the War of 1812!

The final resting - place of the mysterious young man's body is unknown. However, the legend lives on that his shade walks Dead Man's Creek at night, searching for his murderer.

Pure myth? An 1860's murderer who concocted a clever method for perplexing the local authorities? Or a bizarre mystery invoking time travel or a parallel universe? No-one can say. Our host did relate that the stream itself is something of a mystery. It originates from an artesian spring underneath a small roadway, and flows forth abruptly from one side of the road, giving the illusion of originating out of thin air. Even the local geological survey maps do not show the creek anywhere...

A Song for Gudgeon:

From haunted creeks to haunted bridges...this is the tale of Gudgeon the Mule and his bridge of doom. Following our investigation at the farmhouse, LS and I made an excursion to this nearby paranormal landmark. No, we did not see the ghosts said to haunt the location. But the very setting itself is enough to haunt the soul. And the stories touch the heart.

Erie County, PA is home to three remaining beautiful covered bridges. One of these bridges lies south of Girard - The Gudgeonville Bridge. Gudgeonville is not a town, it never was. It is in actuality a memorial.

As we drove along the winding woods cloaked Gudgeonville Road, we caught glimpses of a curving stretch of high sheer cliffs through the trees. These high banks appeared almost unnaturally smooth, like they were made of a fine poured cement or dark ceramic of some sort. This is The Devil's Backbone, a stretch of alternating bank cliffs along Elk Creek - bare gouges where the native soft gray shale is exposed and becomes a featureless clay-like wall. Unearthly is the word... and it no doubt similarly impressed the first Red Men to encounter it.

We arrived at the Gudgeonville Bridge. There it sat, under the eaves of the Devil's Backbone, guarding Elk Creek like a wooden knight. Dollops of snow fell from the overhanging trees onto the slick black path of the road as I wandered the bridge and banks snapping pictures. There was a quiet wood-magic afoot, and the thought of dragging out the instruments suddenly became slightly obscene. No, best to just get some photos, and quietly remember the tales associated with this place...

Two ghosts are said to haunt the bridge. One is that of a little girl from a nearby family, who was playing too near the shale cliffs by the bridge, and fell to her death sometime back in the 1940s or 50s. She is said to walk the bridge on moonless nights. The other ghost that has been seen on rare occasions is not human. It is instead the ghost of a mule named Gudgeon. Maybe a legend, but based enough on fact to allow the local Erie County historians to take a certain amount of pride in its uniqueness.

Sometime around 1855, a man from Kentucky by the name of Obadiah Will was delivering a mule to a fellow in Meadville, PA. As fate would have it, Will and his mule had just reached the bridge over Elk Creek at the same time as a couple of barges were coming up the Beaver and Erie canal, which ran only a short distance from the creek. On board the barges was a circus - the Girard based "Dan Rice's Circus". On one of the barges, a calliope began playing. When the squawking roaring hooting of the calliope reached the ears of Gudgeon the mule, the animal supposedly dug its hooves into the bridge, and dropped dead from fright. A second (and less poetic) version says that the mule froze in fright, but that Mr. Will took a large stick to the beast to try to get it to move, but ended up hitting Gudgeon hard enough to kill him! In either case, the final irony of the situation was that the calliope had supposedly been playing "My Old Kentucky Home" at the time.

Obadiah Will was given permission to bury Gudgeon on the west bank of the creek. To further commemorate his poor Gudgeon, Will hired a local painter to paint the words "Gudgeonville Bridge" on either end of the bridge. One source claims that Will later attempted to pursue litigation against the circus, but the result of this is unknown. The circus owner, Dan Rice, did apparently feel bad enough about the whole matter that he wrote up the tale in a eulogy form.

And indeed, for whatever the truth of the matter, Gudgeon the Mule has at least been commemorated with a bridge and a road for all time!

As I walked back to the van, holding my breath as I crossed the dark cave of the bridge hoping to hear a snort and a whinny, I perused the array of graffiti on the inside walls. One saying, painted in small neat letters, caught my attention. I took a picture of it...

Maybe Gudgeon did make his presence known after all. After putting the cameras away, we drove across the bridge, turned around, and drove back over one last time before heading off the way we came. As we made our return pass over the bridge, a sharp loud "thump" was heard and felt. I feared I had driven of too far to one side and had clipped a mirror on a bridge member. But no. It was a mystery thump. Maybe the sound of an irate mule hoof...

Thanks to All:

In closing, LS and I would like to thank our host and his family for their hospitality and information. We plan to be back again, for there is much lurking yet on the old property. More ghosts, a haunted creek...and who knows - maybe a doorway in space-time. If nothing else, we will have to say hello to the spirit of Gudgeon at least.

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