THE GHOST THAT MOVED
During the first half of the 20th century, it was abandoned, neglected, deserted. Uninhabited for four decades, the old scary-looking place picked up the reputation for being haunted. Locals knew to avoid it because ghosts dwelled inside. Perhaps Salmon Dutton himself walked the empty rooms and collapsing stairways. Or perhaps it was his wife Sarah, some family member, or one of the many people who stayed, or died, at the inn.
Idol & Window
Alas, the trail ends in the dooryard of the house. Peter and I visited, met with the owner, learned the house is in a branch of the same family, and saw where the window had been boarded up.
We also discovered there is a good deal more to the story that can only be revealed by talking to elderly historians. If I can gather all the details, this will make a fine expanded chapter for an upcoming book.
Phantom Trains
In the realm of unusual ghosts, I have often pondered the widely reported phenomenon of “Ghost Trains.” How exactly can something as big, heavy, smelly, and presumably soulless as a railroad train produce a ghost?
Mad Anthony’s Ghosts & Multiple Memphre
And more than one unbelieving observer has seen this strange ghostly sight become even stranger. Occasionally, when the moon is right and the shadows are long, the spectral Colonel will pause, turn, and face the water. Then, as if spotting something appealing on the far shore, the Colonel’s ghost will decide to cross the lake. He does so at any point simply by walking across the top of the water.