Kings Island’s Playful Ghost

Visitors go to Ohio’s Kings Island amusement park to eat funnel cake and enjoy the exciting rides.

Kings Island is located in Mason just outside Cincinnati. It opened in 1972 and has been this state’s favorite amusement park since.

The Beast

The most popular ride is called “The Beast.” When this wooden rollercoaster first opened in 1979, it was the tallest, fastest and longest coaster in the world.

Even today, forty years later, The Beast is still Kings Island's most popular ride.

But some visitors, while at the park, have gotten “ a thrill” of a very different kind.

Kings Island was built on land that was used for an ammunition factory (King’s Powder) from the late 1880s until the 1940s. During this time, there was a massive explosion that killed over one hundred people.

Dog Street Cemetery with
The Beast in background.

All that remains of this company is a small cemetery (Dog Street Cemetery)—that sits near the park’s exit, next to the parking lot.

This cemetery is one reason some feel the park is haunted.

One active spirit at Kings Island is a little girl. She is seen wearing a blue dress. Her ghost is spotted mostly in the park’s parking lot, skipping or playing “hide-and-seek” among the cars.

Park employees call her “Tram Girl” because of a game she likes to play with them.

As these drivers deliver their passengers at various points throughout the parking lot, this ghost likes to jump out in front of their vehicles—daring them to run over her.

One driver, in 2017, had just finished dropping off the last few passengers for the night and was headed for the main parking lot.

He was tired after a long day. So when his tram headlights illuminated a young girl, wearing a blue dress, run right in front of his vehicle, he was slow to react.

This driver did slam on his brakes, but he was sure he had hit her. But oddly he didn’t feel an impact or hear any screams.

He climbed out, but the parking lot was empty, and nothing was under the tram. After inspecting the front for damage, he was surprised there was none.

The little girl had disappeared as quickly, as she had appeared.

White Water Canyon at Kings Island.

This mischievous spirit is also seen at White Water Canyon in the park.

She is believed to be Jane Galeener, who lived with her mother, father, and younger brother on a section of the property that is now Kings Island.

Jane Galeener's gravestone in
Dog Street Cemetery.

She drowned in 1846, at the age of 5 in a lake, where White Water Canyon is located in the park today.

She is buried in Dog Street Cemetery.

Here is a video that shows how much fun The Beast is to ride.

Harvey House: Casa del Desierto

The Harvey House hotels and restaurants played a defining role in civilizing the West—by the 1880s there was a dining facility located every 100 miles along the AT&SF.

Casa del Desierto in 1946

In Barstow, California on North First Street sits one of the 84 Harvey Houses that were built in the Western United States by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad to provide quality food and service for its passengers.

After the turn of the 20^th century Harvey Houses were designed by professional architects to reflect the culture and natural terrain where they were built.

Casa del Desierto or House of the Desert was a train depot, hotel and restaurant designed by Los Angeles architect, Francis Wilson in 1911, after the wooden Harvey House hotel in Barstow, burnt down in 1908.

Wilson’s design reflects traditional Spanish and Native American themes with Moorish influences. The old depot is a California Historical Landmark today and is now used as a museum.

Renovated depot.

Ghost tours are given in this building because it has a lot of activity.

The waitresses tasked with serving excellent food * at Fred Harvey’s Houses ** were known as Harvey Girls. These young women—between the ages of 18 and 25 were selected carefully.

Harvey Girls at the Casa.

Many women who applied were turned down, so it was considered an honor to be picked as a Harvey Girl. These women were held to a strict set of rules.

They had a 10:00 p.m. curfew that they had to adhere to every day of the year so that they would be rested for the next day’s work. They wore a black and white uniform that had to be pressed before each shift.

A Harvey Girl by the name of Rachel worked at the Casa del Desierto in the 1920s. She haunts this old depot.

She is seen near where the formal dining room was located. Witnesses report seeing her take orders from customers that are not there. She is also seen walking from the kitchen area, holding an object in her hand.

A more recent story told, is she is seen on the balcony at the Casa –waiting for her fiancé to return from the war. It is believed she committed suicide when he did not return.

Casa lobby.

Another ghost seen at this depot is of a little girl named Emily. She is seen playing peek-a-boo with visitors near the staircase in the lobby. This spirit is known to follow people around when they are upstairs.

Yet another spirit is a man by the name of Buchanan. He announces his presence with a strong aroma of smoke. He was crushed to death between two railroad cars in the depot’s yard.

His last request before he died was to see his family and have one last cigarette.

Many witnesses have experienced rapid temperature changes at the Casa. These temperatures become warmer of colder between 20 to 70 degrees within minutes.

Voices of both children and adults are heard, and shadows or dark figures are seen.

More sensitive people have reported feeling chills on their neck and hands and a tingling sensation on their arms. Other reactions include a feeling of being uncomfortable, becoming dizzy, lightheaded, or even nauseated.

In my experience the above feelings are classic examples that a place is truly haunted.

*  Passengers heading west could order off this menu in the Harvey Houses:

Click to enlarge.

Blue Points on Shell, English Peas Au Gratin, Filets of Whitefish with Madeira Sauce, Potatoes Francaise, Roast Sirloin of Beef au jus, Salmon or Duck, Mashed potatoes, Boiled Sweet Potatoes, Turkey Stuffed, Cranberry Sauce, Baked Veal Pie English Style, Pork with Applesauce, Pickled Lamb Tongue.

French Slaw, Queen Olives, Elgin Sugar Corn, Charlotte of Peaches in Cognac Sauce, Prairie Chicken, Current Jelly, Lobster Salad au Mayonnaise, Sugar Cured Ham, Beets, Celery.

Apple Pie, Assorted Cakes, Bananas, Cold Custard la Chantilly, Catawaba Wine Jelly, Edam and Roquefort Cheese, New York Ice Cream, Grapes, Bent’s Water Crackers, French Coffee.

A meal cost 75 cents.

Fred Harvey

** Fred Harvey while working for the railroad in the late 1800s, noted “a decent lack of food for railroad travelers.” He then pitched his idea to the company to open fine dining restaurants.

His Harvey Houses were the first restaurant chain in America. They introduced the concept of Blue Plate Specials.

Sara Ann and Fort George, Part ll

In Part 1 of this post a brief description of one battle that occurred during the War of 1812 and the hauntings it caused are shared.

View of Fort George from Old
Fort Niagara on the American side
of the river.

Fort George is located near the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario, Canada. It was destroyed by the Americans during a battle in 1813 but was rebuilt as a National Historical site in more recent years.

This fort is considered one of Canada’s most haunted and several ghost soldiers have been seen at this location, but the most active ghost is a little girl by the name of Sara Ann. She is a very precocious spirit.

Sara Ann’s ghost has been seen so often over the years no one has kept count. Her youthful antics elicit smiles as opposed to fear.

Her ghost, when seen, is playful. She engages in games of peek-a-boo, hiding under beds and behind pillars. She is heard giggling quietly to herself.

She is known for tugging on visitors’ clothes. When they turn, they see her running away. She is described as bare-footed with shoulder-length curly blonde hair.

She wears a white dress and is often seen around the fort’s barracks. Three female visitors spotted just her hand resting on a staircase railing in this area.

At other times she appears as just a white cloud with a vague form.

Fort George today.

One summer night in August a group of tourists who were leaving spotted a little girl in the parking lot. She was skipping around a group of guides that worked at the fort.

She appeared to be wearing a white nightgown. Two women watched as she then faded from view. The men in this group did not see this little girl.

But these two women who did not know each other eerily told similar stories of what they saw. The guides despite being closer to this apparition reported they had seen nothing.

One well-documented encounter happened to a guide, storyteller, Kyle Upton who works at the fort. He had heard about Sara Ann's ghost but did not believe the stories.

The tunnel at the fort.

Upton led a group of tourists to the entrance of a subterranean tunnel at the back of the fort one night as storm clouds gathered, and lightning flashed.

When he reached the back of this tunnel, Upton waited for his group to gather around him. This is when he saw a form that was illuminated by a dim green-grey light.

He saw a small figure silhouetted in this light. It was a child standing just outside the tunnel looking in at him.

As he watched she playfully disappeared and then reappeared again. He saw her hop and skip around—then she stopped and looked to see if she was being watched.

At first, Upton thought she was a part of his group but after he took a head count, he realized she wasn’t.

It dawned on him that this must be the little ghost he had heard so many stories about.

Upton had trouble concentrating on his presentation for Sara Ann distracted him. Every time the lightning flashed at the entrance all he saw was the white wall of the nearby blockhouse, but when the lightning stopped, he would see her once more.

When the group exited the tunnel the little girl was gone.

St. Mark's Cemetery

It is believed that Sara Ann was the daughter of Hannah and Thomas Tracey. She died at age seven in 1840. Her grave and tombstone are located at St. Mark’s Cemetery.

Her father was a sergeant major with the King’s Dragoon Guards at Fort George. No one knows how she died or why her spirit lingers at this fort.

In Part l of Sara Ann and Fort George other ghosts seen at the fort are described.

1st Person Account: The Smoldering Girl

In the summer of 1981 I moved my wife and three daughters to the small town of Blythe, California eager to begin my role as the publisher of the town’s newspaper.

We quickly settled in to a new home that was in a modern development on the edge of town.

Two months later the youngest of my daughters--Amanda was sitting at our dinning room table doing her homework when she began to cry. I was nearby watching the news on our television.

I got up to ask her what was the matter and found her hysterical. She told me that a little girl covered in soot with smoke surrounding her was watching her do her homework.

I reassured her that no one was there but she was noticeably shaken-up.

The next morning I got up early to prepare for work. As I stood in the bathroom shaving I saw a little girl streak by the door.

Wondering why one of my daughters was up so early I checked their bedrooms only to find all three still in bed asleep.

The following weekend as my wife and I walked down our new street we stopped to chat with a neighbor.

To our surprise he asked how we liked living in a haunted house. Taken aback we didn’t reply.

Blythe, Califronia

He then went on to explain that before the homes were constructed in the area that our lot was where the original farmhouse stood. It had burned down several years before.

Tragically, a little girl had died in this fire.

He told me that several of the neighbors just before we moved in had seen a little girl, covered in soot, with smoke around her peering out of the dinning room’s picture window.

A year later I was offered an editorial position closer to my wife’s family. I must admit my family and I were relieved to move out of our haunted house.

But we still think about the small girl spirit that lingers behind.

Inez Clarke: A Real Haunting or Myth?

Stories about cemetery statues coming to life are a popular ghost sub-genre.

One of the most beloved of these tales involves a statue of a pretty six-year-old girl wearing a frilly dress and sitting in a rustic log chair. Her name was Inez Clarke, and the figure that marks her grave is enclosed in a glass box.

Inscribed below this case:

Click to enlarge

Daughter of

J.N. and M.C. Clarke

Born Sep. 20, 1873

Died Aug. 1, 1880

This impressive sculpture is located at Graceland Cemetery outside Chicago, Illinois.

Inez was buried at Graceland in 1880. According to one legend, she died when her parents forced her outdoors into a thunderstorm as punishment.

When she was struck by a thunderbolt and killed her parents now guilt-ridden told others that she died of tuberculosis.

A subtler story told is that Inez was on a picnic with her parents when a sudden storm moved in. She was hit by a thunderbolt and killed instantly. Her parents inconsolable had a lovely statue made and placed at her grave in remembrance of their daughter.

Shortly after her burial, it is said Inez was not able to rest in peace. Rumors began that she haunted her gravesite. Her ghost was seen near her statue and also seen meandering throughout the cemetery.

Credible witnesses state they saw a little girl dressed in an old-fashioned dress playing next to the glass-encased statue. Others report they heard crying or moaning coming from this plot.

Children most often see her ghost. They state they run and play with her.

One cemetery night watchman quit his job after spotting the case empty during a violent thunderstorm. He was scared the stories about Inez’ ghost were true.

After this, rumors spread that the statue would come to life during storms.

This entire story was supposedly debunked in 1910 when staff contacted the Clarke family which they thought was connected to Inez. This family knew about the old tales but denied the connection.

Soon after it was discovered that there was no one by the name of Inez Clarke in the local US Census in the late 19^th century.

It was also discovered that Inez’ grave was actually the burial plot for an eight-year-old boy named Amos Briggs.

Then an explanation was given as to why this statue was above his grave. It was stated a Scottish sculptor offered it to the cemetery. Graceland accepted it but did not put much thought into where they placed it.

Grandparents buried at left.

But this old explanation does not explain the inscription below Inez’s statue.

Recently, new research points to the fact Inez is buried here. She was the daughter of Mary Clarke who had her during her first marriage. So Inez’ real last name was “Briggs.”

Inez went to live with her grandparents after her parents divorced. The name “Inez Briggs”--seven years old--does appear in the 1880 Chicago Census report. Inez was living with her grandparents at the time of her death--the cause was diphtheria.

Her grandparents most likely had the statue made. More proof that this is the real story is her grandparents, David and Jenny Rothrock are buried right next to her grave at Graceland. 

Below is a copy of the 1880 Chicago Census that shows Inez living with her grandparents.

Click to enlarge

Gorman School: Harriet’s Ghost

This Spanish style stucco school sits at the base of the Tehachapi mountains 65 miles north of Los Angeles in the small community of Gorman, California. This school services students from the surrounding isolated ranches.

Where Gorman Elementary School sits used to be a family’s farm field in the early 1930s. This family experienced a tragedy when their young daughter Harriet was crushed accidentally by her fathers’ tractor. Her body was laid to rest on the property.

Most believe when the school was built its auditorium was placed over this grave. Ever since Harriet’s ghost has been manifesting and making appearances at the school.

One of the earliest witness accounts happened in the 1940s. An elderly lady, Marie Ralphs who had just attended a Women’s Club meeting was leaving the auditorium when a child’s apparition appeared before her. This child then warned her she must not exit through the front door.

Ralphs ignored her-- thinking she must be a hallucination--she walked out the front door and slipped on the newly fallen snow. She broke her hip in two places.

Many teachers, students, and custodians have encountered Harriet’s ghost at the school over the years. One new Kindergarten teacher, Joanne Yolton Pouder heard stories about the ghost but didn’t believe them until something quite unique happened.

She had 19 students in her class-- she had all of their names written on apples on a paper tree that stood in a corner of her classroom. One morning as she sat at her desk she glanced up and counted 20 apples, she walked over and found the extra apple had “Harriet” written on it.

Other teachers have returned to their classrooms to discover their doors are locked. What is unusual is these doors no longer lock in this 76-year-old building--the school does not even have keys for these old locks.

Students over the years besides reporting hearing knocks and seeing doors close also report seeing a young girl in a pale blue dress.

Two seventh graders, Lisa Graham and Stacey Hoosier spent an hour one afternoon at the school helping by stacking books neatly in a closet. When they returned shortly afterward they found all these books dumped and scattered across the ground. It was Stacey’s aunt who had fallen and broken her hip in the 1940s.

In the auditorium, Mary Jane Fuller the school's maintenance supervisor has heard footsteps and seen doors slam shut near the stage. Fuller states that she felt someone was behind her one afternoon only to discover when she turned around no one was there.

Despite its age, Gorman Elementary is one of "California's Distinguished Schools" it is ranked in the top 4 percent of all elementary schools in the state for student performance.

Gordon is also known for its spectacular wildflowers.

Here is a video with Gorman Elementary School employees who share stories about Harriet’s ghost.