Ghosts of Mount Misery on Long Island near Huntington, New York

On Long Island, New York there is a place that has earned a reputation for being haunted or cursed since before the area was occupied by Native Americans.  Mount Misery it is called today and it as well as the surrounding area is one of the most haunted places on Long Island.

Mount Misery Road near Huntington, New York.  The area is thought to be a paranormal hotspot and is home to many ghosts.

Settlers on Long Island were warned by the Native Matnecock tribe to stay away from Mount Misery. The believed that the land was cursed.  It earned its name from the land itself. Very hard to navigate and no crops would ever grow on it and it has been the scene of many deaths over the years and very strange things have happened to many people here. Once in its history, a strange hermit like man was found wandering around Mount Misery with a basket full of human heads! Many ghosts haunt this place.

Mount Misery Road comes to a dead end and then there is nothing.

Lady in White 

A woman named Mary is said to haunt Sweet Hollow Road as well as a nearby cemetery where some say that she is buried.  It is thought that her name was Mary.  One night she had a fight with her boyfriend as they were driving down Sweet Hollow Road.  She jumped out of the car and was struck and killed by the car behind them. Now she is seen walking along the road at night wearing a white dress.

Men in Black 

Strange men in dressed in all black have been seen walking around the area.  It is unknown where they are from or what they want. They have been known to approach people and ask off the wall questions.

Hell Hound of Mount Misery 

A phantom dog has been spotted roaming these woods many times over the years.  It is said that the dog is black and has glowing red eyes and does not quite look the same as an ordinary dog. It is supposed to be an omen of death if you see it.

Phantom Policeman 

A phantom police officer is also said to haunt Sweet Hollow Road.  If you are pulled over by the police on this road, he may be a ghost.  If her turns to go back to his car and he has a hole in the back of his head, you've just had an encounter with a ghost!

Sweet Hollow Road 

Ghosts of kids who were killed there in the 1930s are said to linger near a bridge. A few boys were said to have been hung from the bridge that passes over Sweet Hollow Road.  Their shadowy forms can still be seen hanging occasionally.  Many strange occurrences have happened on Mount Misery Road as well.

Sweet Hollow Road is haunted by several spirits.  Photo by longislandpress.com

Mount Misery is near the section of Sweet Hollow Road between Jerico Pike and State Route 110 and is the highest point on Long Island.  Mount Misery Road, is the best way to get to the hill itself.

View the Index of Haunted Places 

Spirits of Point Lookout Lighthouse - Scotland, Maryland

Built in 1830, Point Lookout Lighthouse guides the water traffic entering into the Potomac River from the Chesapeake Bay.  It has stood the test of time, guarding these waters for over 180 years.  However, over part of the lighthouse's history it has been manned by those of the spirit world.  Some believe it is the most haunted lighthouse in North America.

Point Lookout Lighthouse near Scotland, Maryland is thought to be the most haunted lighthouse in North America

The Point Lookout Lighthouse saw a lot of activity over the period of the Civil War.  It is said that prisoners may have been held there on the grounds, over twenty thousand to be exact.  A few may have died there as well, about four thousand!  They were buried there on the grounds, but most of the graves were relocated.  Lighthouse occupants have reported strange smells in within the building like the smell of death.  There have been reports of disembodied snoring sounds as well and furniture being moved around on it's own.  Doors have been known to open and slam shut on their own accord.

It is thought that ghosts of Civil War soldiers may haunt the lighthouse and grounds. Thousands of Confederate prisoners were buried here.

During the lifetime of the lighthouse operation, many shipwrecks occurred in the bay.  The Express was a well known wreck that occurred just of the point.  It is thought that one of the surviving crew rowed ashore in an attempt to get help.  Some believe this because of a spirit that has been spotted outside of the lighthouse on dreary, stormy nights.  The actual figure of a man in old sailor type clothing having a ragged distressed appearance has been seen standing outside on the porch of the lighthouse.  When approached he seems to disappear, moving back toward the water from where he came.  Sometimes the keepers could hear phantom voices outside as well as if someone were calling.

Monument at Point Lookout State Park dedicated to the Confederate prisoners of war who died here during the Civil War.

Today the lighthouse is owned by the State of Maryland as well as the surrounding area and parking is located at 11175 Point Lookout Road Scotland, MD.  It is also the location of what is now Point Lookout State Park.  The area is great for fishing, hiking, biking, boating, and of course you may try to sneak in a peak of a ghost or two.

View the Index of Haunted Places

Spirits of Lake Shawnee - near Princeton, West Virginia

Lake Shawnee which is located in the southern tip of the state of West Virginia, was once a thriving place.  First a source of water for local farmers, and then an amusement park later in time.  However, there have been some gruesome events that have taken place on this ground that have made it one of the most haunted places in West Virginia.

The abandoned Ferris wheel at the site of a dilapidated amusement park along the shore of Lake Shawnee in West Virginia.  The park is believed to be one of the most haunted places in West Virginia.

Around 1783, Mitchell Clay who settled in the area with his wife Phoebe and family some eight years prior, went out hunting one day with some of his neighbors. When they returned two of his children were found slain by local Shawnee natives and another had been taken away. Mitchell and some other men gave pursuit, but the other child was not found and thought to be burned at the stake by the natives. This event became known as the Mitchell Clay Indian Massacre.  The children were buried nearby at the Mitchell homestead close the shores of what is now Lake Shawnee.

Historical marker commemorating the Mitchell Clay Indian Massacre

On the very same location of the massacre, an amusement park was built in 1926.  It was in operation for over 40 years.  However, some untoward things happened in the park that was the former killing ground and burial site.  A young girl was swinging on the swings at the park one day and a truck came too close to her and as she swung backwards, she slammed into the vehicle and died right there on the spot.  It is rumored that a man died in an accident on the Ferris wheel as well.  Lake Shawnee itself claimed a victim as well.  A young boy was swimming in the lake and he was later found floating.  He had drowned in the murky waters.

The abandoned rides at Shawnee Lake have become overgrown and create an eerie scene themselves.  Photo by Karen Stuebing

The amusement park still stands near Princeton, West Virginia on the shores of Lake Shawnee, although abandoned.  The ground is privately owned and is not open to the public. The dilapidated rides overgrown with weeds and plant life.  The hauntings continue however.  As it is reported that a man was mowing a field there on the grounds and was startled to find the ghostly image of a young girl sitting on the fender of his tractor.  He fled the scene never to return. The tractor, it is said, still sits in the spot where he left it and has become another feature of the overgrown landscape.  Also on certain nights, the sounds of children can be heard in the long abandoned park.

The abandoned swings at Shawnee Lake.  A scene where a little girl lost her life and is believed to haunt the grounds to this day. Photo by Karen Stuebing

References:

www.clayfamhist.org
www.paranormalknowledge.com
www.pbase.com/kstuebin/hauntedamusementpark

View the Index of Haunted Places