Back on the Ghost Hunt

This evening is the last ghost walk for this year. Showers in the forecast, but unless it's pouring, we'' be on the hunt for Ripley's spooks. Civil War, frontier times, murders, drownings, suicides, and strange events are all on the agenda for our hike.

7:00pm tonight, starting at the courthouse in downtown Ripley, WV!

We're also enjoying a visit from my youngest sister, who came all the way from Virginia to take the walk with me. I know some might think, well, Virginia borders West Virginia so how far could it be? About six hours, actually--because I live on the extreme western edge of our state. So we've had a fine time talking, enjoying the firepit and looking at my glass collection because this sister loves old glass almost as much as I do.

I'm off to make breakfast right now. Then we shall see what mischief Julie and I can get into.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Ghost Walk Tonight

The first ghost walk for this October in Ripley, WV is almost sold out!

The walk starts on the courthouse steps at 7:00pm. I am really excited about this year's walk as I have several new stories to add to the mix and new information on the old stories so it will be a different walk than in past years.

We also have more character appearances than in past years: a grieving mother, a woman who survived a murderous attack, a Confederate soldier, a graveyard ghost and a stern sheriff. Added to the mix will be more Civil War stories from our town, an area I've wanted to explore before--this year I dug into the research and turned up some interesting tales.

It will be a cool evening, with temperatures in the low 50's down to the 40's, so I'll be bundling up!

We will repeat the walk on Halloween, October 31, at 7:00pm so if you miss this one, there's one more chance this year.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

So Many Ghostly Irons in the Fire

And they're all hot!

It's been a busy time this last week and while I've certainly been at the computer and writing, I have not been blogging. Sometimes it seems like my brain is just too full--like a stove full of bubbling pans, all needing attention at the same time.

But I am working my way through it and pretty soon I will be actually out there doing what I've been planning for the last few weeks. Because it's October, you know, and for me that means ghost stories.

So, first up will be stories for a conference at the Greenbrier Resort. Now don't go getting jealous--I won't be staying, just having dinner and telling tales. This group wants ghost stories, so I am practicing the old ones and adding new ones to my set list for this event.

Ripley, back in the day. Notice the mud street. Some of these buildings
are still standing.

That will be followed by the first of two Ghost Walks in my town the following weekend. This has been where much of my time has been invested lately. This is the 5th year for the walk and every year I try to add something new. This year I'm changing it up significntly, adding lots of Civil War lore and new stories. The Civil War was not a big deal here, but even so there are some interesting tales to be told about what happened in our little town.

Downtown Ripley in its early days. Check out those boardwalks!

One of those stories is about a young man who was killed in the town. I found just a one line mention of this event in a document recording early history. I went looking and found more but still nothing concrete--his name was Willie, William, or Joe. He was on leave, he was a Confederate soldier, he wasn't a soldier, his father was this man, no it was this man...you know the kind of vague, passed-down stories that get fuzzy with the telling. But recently I found several more detailed, credible accounts that have finally answered my questions.

The Jackson County Courthouse. We start the ghost walk from those steps. There have been three courthouses
on this site, and each one had a case where a man was sentenced to be hanged.

Then there was a Dr. Chase who had the townspeople lock up all weapons in the jail, then he left with his new Union recruits for a nearby town--and after he left, Confederate marauders swept into town and took it over amidts much uproad and hijinks. I wanted to know more about this doctor--was he really Union, or an undercover Confederate agent? Why did he lock up all the guns and leave? And where did he go after the war? I've learned a great deal and will add this story to the walk, even though I still have a few unanswered questions about the good doctor's life after the war.

The old Maguire Hotel, no longer standing. This was the site of a gruesome murder. Murdered man and murderer both lie in the same cemetery.

Another tale of murder, another death at the railroad depot, more about a sad suicide...such has been my study and digging of the past few weeks. It's going to be a good walk this year for sure, if Mother Nature will just cooperate.

In two weeks I will be teaching a workshop at the Pearl S, Buck homeplace in Hillsboro WV, on telling ghost stories. So that has also been on my mind and my agenda as I put together notes and ideas and handouts.

There are also numerous ghost story programs to present at libraries across the state this month, so I will be completely spooked and spooky by the month's end.

I love October. I love the changing of the leaves, the ripening of apples and nuts, the putting up of fall decorations. But most of all, I love the stories that go with this haunted month.

If you want to catch one of my events, here's where I will be. I hope to see you at one of these places!

Oct 7: Greenbrier Resort, Ghost Stories, private event.

Oct 12: Ripley Middle School full day performances

Oct 13: Do You Believe? Ripley Ghost Walk, 7pm. Starts at the Ripley courthouse. $10 per person. Not recommended for young children.

Oct 20: Storytelling Workshop, Pearl S. Buck Birthplace, Hillsboro, WV. Details 10am-4pm. 
$10 per person. Telling Ghost Stories. Calvin Price Series, Pearl S. Buck Foundation.

Oct 22: Mannington Public Library, Ghost stories! 6:00pm

Oct 24: Petersburg WV Moomaw Mem Library, Ghost Stories! 7:00pm

Oct 25: Calhoun County LIbrary, Grantsville, WV, 6:00pm Ghost Stories!

Oct 31:Do You Believe? Ripley Ghost Walk, 7pm. Starts at the Ripley courthouse. $10 per person. Not recommended for young children.

Nov 1: Moorefield WV Library, 6pm: Ghost Stories!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

A Catch-Up Post: Storytelling, Ghosts, History

So, where to start? October was, as usual, a whirl of storytelling. We mixed in some family time too.

We had been home only a few days before my first storytelling performance of the month at Ripley Middle School. This was the 6th year I have been to the school to share West Virginia stories and ballads with the 8th grade class. It is always such a pleasure to see how interested the students are in the folklore, history, and traditions of our state.

A few days later I left for several days of storytelling in central West Virginia. I started with a ghost stories program in historic Philippi, WV, home of the first land battle of the Civil War (more of a skirmish, some claim), the two-lane covered bridge originally built by bridge builder Lemuel Chenoweth, and the Philippi Mummies.

What a great place for ghost stories. A gentleman who attended took me out to see some places that were supposedly haunted in the area, and he told me a good story from his family's history that he would like me to include in my repertoire. Working on it!

I left Philippi and headed to Jackson's Mill WVU Conference Center for the 20th annual West Virginia Storytelling Festival. This festival has had its ups and downs but seems to be on solid footing now with two days full of school children and an evening concert for the public. This year saw more schools than in the past, with well over 1000 attending both days.

As soon as I got home we were into making apple butter with our family. Two sons and some of their families came to help. We had a beautiful day for it!

Each year it seems to be easier, less work and more fun.

It was a good return for our time, and everyone had apple butter to take home.

I spent the following week preparing for the third annual Ripley Believe It or Not Lantern Walk. It was so good to have the luxury of a clear week to review, research and prepare the stories for this year. While some are repeats (and favorites of the listeners) I add new details each year as well as new stories and historical anecdotes to keep the walk fresh. 

This year I visited the two cemeteries in town, finding graves of the early settlers and other people who figure in my stories.

The Early Settlers Cemetery is filled with history, and there are many unmarked graves here.

 I liked the way my shadow played between these two matching stones.

The grave of Henry Progler, a Swiss immigrant who was
one of the early movers and shakers in Ripley.

I also visited the library to read old newspapers on microfilm and review some books and a unique scrapbook. This book has an interesting history--I'll write more about it in a later post. 


This old photo from the scrapbook shows the covered bridge (no longer in existence). I had not seen a photo this old of Ripley, and it has some fascinating details, like the paling fence around the courthouse.

The ghost walk was a blast, with very good attendance. The first night was cold and rainy, but 16 people came to take the walk and hear the stories anyway. I was soaked to the knees when we finished, and it took a while to warm up.

The second night was brisk and clear, and about 130 people came out. It was a huge crowd to shepherd through the streets and keep organized, as well as stay within a reasonable timeframe and keep all the stories and details straight in my head. The actors from the local acting group did a standout job portraying various historic figures. It was one more successful year for the walk, and I am already working on stories for next year.

More catch-up in my next post!

Ghost Walk

 The ghost walk was a blast. The weather was perfect fall weather, clear and just a little chilly. It was still light when we started the first walk, but darkness came quickly and made for a fine, spooky finish.

Lots and lots of stories...once again I dug into history to learn more about Ripley, the people, the places and the strange things that have happened here.

And each walk, I hear more stories from those attending.

We had visits from a sheriff, a Confederate soldier, a ghostly woman and a wandering preacher during the walk that took us from around the courthouse and up to an old cemetery,

then back to the center of town where there are lots of tales.

The first weekend walks are over, but we'll do it again next week.

Many thanks to the Ripley Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Jackson Players drama group for making this happen!

(And the scariest thing I saw all night... Larry clowning for the camera!)














Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Ghost Walk! Tomorrow Night!

Dead soldiers, haunted buildings, hangings and more--and all right here in Ripley, WV.

It's the Do You Believe? Ripley Ghost Walk. Spooks abound on our one-mile walk through our small but historic town and stories sleep beneath the stones in the Old Settlers Cemetery.

The walk begins on the Courthouse steps on Court Street. First walk is at 7:00 pm, the second, for those who prefer the cover of full darkness, is at 9:00 pm. And we repeat the walks next weekend too, same time, same place.

See you there!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

100 People in Search of Ghosts

It was probably more than 100 but who was counting? I sure wasn't--I was busy thinking how to shepherd all of them safely around our walk through town and graveyard.

We had a blast. Ages ranged from an infant in a stroller to people in their 70's. Lots of teens and young parents were in the group, and I was happy to see quite a few students from the middle school where I had told stories earlier in the week.

The walk went even smoother than anything I could have anticipated. We had to cross several streets; traffic waited patiently for our large crowd to cross and I am sure they must have been wondering what in the world was going on. I told the first story about a ghost in the recently renovated theater while our crowd was gathered in that very place.

That set a good tone; then we were off, across the street where I tried to get them imagining how Ripley was back in the days of early settlement, with mud streets, boardwalks, cattle drives right through town, hay growing around the courthouse, an icehouse where bodies were stored prior to burial in hot months, and more.

We walked across to the courthouse gazebo where I told the story of the last public hanging in West Virginia, and the sheriff who put the noose around the hanged man made an appearance and told us about how he felt about his role.

We moved on to the story about the ghost of a murdered Civil War soldier buried in an unmarked grave nearby, then to the story of another hanging, a suicide that happened in the county jail.

Next was the sad story of unrequited love and a lady who appears in a window above some stores, then a ghost girl who haunted a house just outside of town, and on to a ghost who didn't like Marshall University pictures in his office.

No good photos of the cemetery last night, sadly--it was pretty
eerie, especially when the ghost of Harry Ripley made his
appearance. This pic is from a few night's ago.

And then we were at the cemetery. There are many stories under the quiet earth in this place, stories of the movers and shakers of Ripley's early history, stories of untimely deaths, even murder. And yet one more hanging.

This home is currently for sale--needs some TLC but couldn't
it be a beauty? I'd almost move to town to live in such a place.

The last leg of our walk took us past some of the historic homes in town--no stories for them yet but I was able to provide some of the interesting history of a few of them.

Then we passed through a dark, narrow alley and back to the center of town, where I told stories of a bloody murder, haunted buildings, and a ghost with a peculiar smell.

We ended back at the theater for refreshments and informal feedback time. And of course I heard a few more stories that I will need to follow up on very soon.

It was one of the most fun things I've done as a storyteller. It took a lot of research and thought, and the help of many who sold tickets, served refreshments, did promotion, wrote the grant, and so much more. Larry was with me both nights, helping with crowd control, opening and closing the cemetery gates, and last night he tried getting a few photos; without flash he did the best he could. What would I do without him?

I can't wait to do it again. And I already have new stories in mind.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

So Far, So Good

The first-ever Ripley Do You Believe? Ghost Walk was last night, and was it ever fun! About 35 people showed up with umbrellas to walk with me in the light showers and hear stories of murders, lost love, suicide, early settlers, unknown graves and more. I'm getting ready to head out for the second night, this time minus the rain gear as it promises to be a fair night.

Hope you can join us! If not, come back here tomorrow and I'll tell you all about it.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

And I Think the Ghosts Will be Dragging Their Sheets in the Rain

It's a wet and rainy morning...and tonight is the first ghost walk. A check of the weather map doesn't look too hopeful for clearing before this evening either.

So, what will we do? First, I'm off to the store to buy rubber boots and a BIG umbrella! Because the ghost walk is on, weather or no. If it's raining too hard, we'll move into the Alpine Theater and tell the stories there. If it's showering, we'll do the close by walking area, then move to the theater to tell the rest. And if it's just lightly sprinkling, we'll do the whole walk.

That's plans A, B, and C. I am still looking forward to this and a little rain won't dampen my spirits. Tomorrow's weather will improve and we should have a good night for the walk, if a little squishy underfoot.

Fun times ahead! I'll be back to report on how it all goes. Tomorrow will be a busy day as I have to be in Morgantown to tell ghost stories in the morning and back home in time for the ghost walk.

Today, after a quick trip to town, I'll be continuing to work on the stories for the ghost walk. I've written ten new stories for this event, and want to be sure I've got them well into my head.

So stay dry today friends, then come out and get wet with me tonight as we explore Ripley's darker side!


Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

The Ripley Ghost Walk

Tonight was trial run time. Larry and I walked the route, pausing to time the stories, thinking about what there was to see and say along the way. I think it's going to be good. Very good.

 We started at the former Alpine Movie Theater that has become in recent years a small performance theater. Think there's a story there? You'd be right. It will give just the right touch to the rest of the evening, I think.

Then we moved on to the courthouse square. Donated by Jacob and Ann Starcher so that Ripley would become the county seat, there have actually been three courthouses here. Can you imagine the drama this place has seen over the years? Murderers, thieves, batterers, happy couples applying for marriage licenses, angry ones getting divorced, lawyers, public defenders, juries, defendants, prosecutors--all these and more have passed through the doors, leaving the echo of their voices, tears and laughter in the very ground on which the building rests. At least one unhappy soul ended his life here; others saw their lives forever changed by the banging of a gavel. Thousands gathered one December day to watch a condemned man ride to the gallows.

Just across the street, stories abound in the row of stores lining Court Street. I never heard about any ghosts here until I started this project but rest assured, there are stories! The lonely lady on the second floor, a bloody knife murder, an old man named Carl, an untimely death--Court Street keeps a bright face on a dark past.

The next phase of the walk took us past historic homes and the old clinic to the Old Settlers Cemetery. Here murderer and murdered rest in the same ground; just across the road, a small run bears the name of a vicious killer; in this quiet place, the earliest of settlers spend eternity along with the young minister for whom the town is named.

And there is more--Civil War stories of lost treasure, a daring raid, a dead soldier.

We finished our evening with dinner at a small restaurant on Court Street, and there is where we heard about Carl, the smelly ghost. We walked outside to find a full moon shedding her light on the dark streets. Perfect.

It's a small town big on stories. I can't wait to tell them.

Ripley Ghost Walk: Friday and Saturday, October 10 and 11, 7:30pm. $10 for adults, $5 for students. Meet in front of the Alpine Theater on Main Street, Ripley. Rain or Shine. Call 304-514-2609 for more information.


Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.