HGB Ep. 580 - Thackray Medical Museum

Moment in Oddity - Mark Twain and Nicoli Tesla Constipation (Suggested by: Michael Rogers)

Both Mark Twain (AKA Samuel Clemens) and Nikola Telsa are well known people historically for different reasons. The pair actually became good friends. During a time of severe illness in the 1870's, Telsa read many of Mark Twain's early literary works during his recuperation. Tesla once stated about Twain's stories that they were, "so captivating as to make me utterly forget my hopeless state." In addition to being an American writer, Mark Twain was also very interested in technology with an emphasis on electricity. Due to his imaginative mind and his enthusiasm for all the possibilities of electricity. Twain invested financially in an electrical motor in the 1880's. While Mark Twain was in New York in the 1890's he and Tesla became friends. Due to Twain's interest in electricity and inventions revolving around it, he visited Tesla's inventor's lab often. Many photographs are searchable today to substantiate their friendship and mutual interests. One story that revolves around their friendship however takes a side path. Samuel Clemens/Twain was known to suffer from continual bouts of constipation and Tesla was quite aware of his friend's distress. As the story goes, one of the inventions that Tesla had created was an electromechanical oscillator. It generated a high frequency current with a vibrating plate. It was also called the 'earthquake' machine due to its vibration level and noise. Telsa surmised that it could possibly alleviate Twain's constipation issues. It is said that Twain stood upon the vibrating plate of the earthquake machine for a couple of minutes upon which he hurriedly stepped off the machine and ran to the restroom to relieve himself. Apparently the vibrations had a laxative effect on Tesla's friend. The idea that causing a mini earthquake in the body could bring relief of constipation, certainly is odd! (Mort: Shimmy the shizzle out of a stopped up system.)

This Month in History - Boxer Jack Johnson Born

In the month of March, on the 31st, in 1878, boxer Jack Johnson was born in Galveston, Texas. Johnson was the third of nine children born to his freed parents who found work in the service industry. Although he grew up in the times of segregation, Johnson noted that where he lived, segregation was not an issue, everyone was poor and experienced similar struggles. He recalled growing up with a "gang" of white boys, where he never felt victimized or excluded. He played with them, had sleep-overs and ate meals in their homes. Jack's mother was influential in his life. When he was young he was known as a coward. After coming home crying about being beaten up at school, his mother told him that if he got beat up at school again she was going to whip him worse once he got home. Johnson learned that he needed to protect himself at that point. When Jack quit school he began working local jobs to help support his family, eventually traveling to Dallas to work at a racetrack exercising horses. His next job was as an apprentice to a carriage painter named Walter Lewis. After work, Lewis enjoyed watching his friends spar. This sparked Johnson's interest in boxing which he quickly excelled at. Jack would later state that his success in boxing was due to his friend Walter Lewis. Prizefighting was illegal in Texas, however Jack managed to win his first prize of a dollar fifty at the age of 19. Johnson made his professional debut on November 1, 1898, in Galveston. He knocked out Charley Brooks in the second round for "The Texas State Middleweight Title". In February, 1901, Johnson fought Joe Choynski in Galveston. Johnson was knocked out in the third round and due to prizefighting still being illegal in Texas, both men were arrested. Their bail was set at $5,000 which would be approximately $190,000 today in 2025 money. Neither of the boxers could afford the bail so the sheriff allowed both men to go home at night as long as they agreed to spar in the jail cell. Crowds gathered for 23 days to watch the fights. At that time their bail was reduced to a more affordable amount, however the jury refused to indict either of the men. Moving forward both Johnson and Choynski remained friends. In February, 1903 after winning more than 50 fights, Johnson won the World Colored Heavyweight Championship. Jack Johnson held that title for 2,151 days and is still considered one of the greatest defensive fighters of all time. 

Thackray (Thack Ree) Medical Museum (Suggested by: Rylee Burkman)

The Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds is the largest medical museum in the UK and takes guests on a journey through the history of medicine. There are exhibits about medical innovations and instruments, surgery in the 19th century, diseases and cures and the uniforms worn by medical personnel. Monthly lectures are hosted on topics ranging from "Questionable Quackery" to "Bloody Barbers and Splattered Surgeons." This had been a former workhouse and is considered Leeds' most haunted building. Join us for the history and hauntings of the Thackray Medical Museum!

Leeds started as an Anglo-Saxon township located on the north bank of the River Aire. It was incorporated in 1626 and wool manufacturing at the time really put this city on the map. This progressed through the Industrial Revolution and coal mining became a main industry and engineering blossomed as well. The railway came during the Victorian era and made this a center of locomotive engineering. Many buildings built at this time still stand today. And since we mentioned these beautiful Victorian buildings, we really must go down a haunted and mysterious rabbit hole before jumping into the medical museum. Three of these buildings were designed by architect Cuthbert Brodrick. We'll talk buildings and hauntings first, and then the man. The Leeds Corn Exchange is really something to see and is a round building with windows all around. The building housed exactly what it sounds like, a place to trade corn kernels. There were only three of them in Britain. The farming industry died out in the 1980s and the exchange closed, but today it is fully refurbished and hosts art shows, craft fairs, rum festivals and is filled with stores run by various artisans. And its haunted. An alley that leads to the rear of the exchange hosts the apparition of a woman wearing a shawl.

Brodrick also designed the building that is today the Leeds City Museum. It was built in 1862 as the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Scoiety Museum. This ran for 100 years and then was taken over by the city of Leeds. It suffered severe damage during World War II, but remained open, eventually closing in 1965. The building was renovated and reopened as the Leeds City Museum in 2005. This is also a haunted location with reports of people hearing disembodied footsteps and doors opening and closing on their own. Strange light anomalies have been captured and a ghostly figure has been seen on the balcony of Albert Hall. Ghost hunts are hosted by Paranormal Eye UK. 

The Leeds Town Hall was Brodrick's magnum opus that he designed when he was just 29 as part of a competition, which he won. The design was in the Neoclassical/Baroque Revival style and the town hall was completed in 1858. It was the tallest building in Leeds for over 100 years. The building features a baroque clock tower. Queen Victoria opened it herself during a lavish ceremony. This originally housed courts, a council chamber, public hall and offices. Today it serves as concert, conference and wedding venue. The Great Hall is now called the Victoria Hall and is extraordinary with large columns capped by gilt capitals, cut-glass chandeliers and the largest organ in Europe when opened. It's been described like being inside a wedding cake. A marble state of Queen Victoria stands in the vestibule. A woman did most of the carving work and sculpting on the building, Catherine Mawer, with help from her nephew. This building has a variety of hauntings going on. There are sculptures of lions outside that are pretty worn and perhaps that is because legends claim they come to life on occasion - when the clock strikes thirteen for some reason or if someone runs around the building in the time it takes for the clock to strike twelve times. The clock sometimes won't strike midnight and that is because the ghost of a woman named Mary Blythe who threw herself from the clock tower in 1876, haunts the clock. An executed criminal named Charlie Peace haunts the town hall too. 

What made Brodrick unusual was that he seemed to come out of nowhere at the age of 29 and before he was 45, he disappeared. He was one of the most celebrated architects of his time and he just disappeared. He would never design another building and some thought that he exited the scene because his designs were no longer popular because they were considered reckless extravagance with the town hall costing more than four times its original budget to build. He also loved France and incorporated many Franc elements in his designs and Britain was paranoid at the time about Napoleon III intentions, so they weren't keen on French designs. Brodrick apparently fled England for France and took along his lover of 15 years, Margaret Chatham, who was seven years older than him and married with four children. This affair might also be a reason why work dried up for him. Brodrick lived in obscurity after that, until his death at 83 in 1905.

The same year that the town hall was built, the building that houses the Thackray Medical Museum was built. This was The Leeds Union Workhouse, the largest workhouse in Britain. Workhouses were opened in Britain, starting back in the 1600s, to house the poor, infirm and mentally ill. These weren't a place of salvation. They were places of misery. Everything was taken from people and families were split up. Hard labor greeted them. To give the listeners an idea of how the poor were treated and thought of, there is this 1797 survey about the poor in a workhouse in Leeds. (Read article)

By the late 1840s, the workhouses in Leeds were overwhelmed, particularly with the Irish running from the Great Famine. It was decided to build a new workhouse and this was begun in 1858 and finished in 1861. The Leeds Union Workhouse was designed by William Perkin and Elisha Backhouse and located next to the Leeds Moral and Industrial Training School. The house had a main block with a dining hall and kitchen, infirmary, chapel and what they called "idiotic" wards. A bigger infirmary was added in 1872 and a nurses' home in 1893. 

And what kind of work was required in these workhouses? Reminds one of the Russian gulogs with rock breaking. (Article) 

A modern project called "More Than Oliver Twist" sought to bring to light that inmates at the Leeds Union Workhouse were much more than Oliver Twist dressed in rags asking for another bowl of gruel. One of the inmates they have researched was named Josiah Hardy. He spent a lot of time in actual prison for what were deemed "pauper-related offenses" Two of these included "disorderly pauper, refusing to work" and "disorderly pauper, destroying his own clothes." When he was at the Leeds workhouse, he was 30 years-old, had no education, and was 5’ 5½” tall with brown hair. Another inmate was Mary Piddlesden who was born in Ireland as Mary Ann McCan. She married a Grenadier Guard named John Piddlesden and they had one daughter. They traveled to Portugal and Canada and John retired in 1850 at the age of 57. Everything was fine until John died in 1873 and his pension stopped. Mary was left in poverty and she had to move to the Leeds Union Workhouse where she died in the Union Infirmary in 1886.

In 1915, the Leeds Union Workhouse was offered as a place for sick and wounded soldiers during World War I and renamed the East Leeds War Hospital. Most of the wounded came from the battle-front in France. Later, this would become St. James' Hospital, part of Europe’s largest teaching hospital, before the Thackray Museum of Medicine moved in and opened in 1997. The museum is named for medical supplies manufacturer Paul Thackray and this is his lasting legacy. The medical supply trade was a family business that was already successful when Paul was born in 1939. Paul's grandfather, Charles F. Thackray, started the business in 1902 as a corner pharmacy. Charles not only provided medicine, but he also had a forge in the back where he could make instruments and repair them. The shop sat across from Leeds General Infirmary making it all about location, location, location. Paul's dad, Noel, and uncle Tod, took over the business. The company continued to thrive until Paul sold it in 1990. He had been an avid collector of many things and much of that collection included medical products. Paul also loved the history of pharmacy and medicine. When St. James' Hospital Paul decided it would be perfect for a museum and the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded him a £3 million grant and as we said, the museum opened in 1997. Paul was very involved in the day-to-day running of the museum until his death in August 2023. He donated thousands of dollars and thousands of items. The Thackray Museum of Medicine welcomes more than 60,000 visitors a year with over 75,000 pieces in their collection.

Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris is someone I have been following for years. She is a medical historian and is full of great information when it comes to the medicine of the Victorian era. (drlindseyfitzharris.com)

The museum is known for its shocking and macabre displays. Disease Street introduces visitors to the slums of Leeds during the Victorian era with sights, sounds and smells. The Victorian Operating Theater and Mortuary shares what surgery would have been like in the pre-anaesthetic era and the surgery that is re-enacted is the amputation of a child's leg after an industrial accident. We hear the video is pretty graphic. There is an exhibit called Disease Detectives that shares the stories of discoveries about microbes and the cures for infections, like penicillin. And there are countless medical instruments. One of the items is a Vapo-Cresolene Vaporiser that used a by-product of coal tar that was mixed in a sticky liquid that was vapourised over a lamp lit by kerosene. There is no proof this ever worked, but the claim was that it helped with colds, coughs, bronchitis, pneumonia and whooping cough. This was used from the 1880s to the 1950s. 

Belladonna, or Deadly Nightshade, was used for colic, motion sickness, asthma, it was a painkiller and some women put drops of it in their eyes to dilate the pupils and make them look doe-eyed. That usually led to blindness. Most people know that syphilis was treated with mercury early on, which didn't do anything but harm the patient, but in the 1910s, Salvarsan was discovered and became a magic bullet for treating the sexually transmitted disease. There is a metal statue nicknamed Norman that was created in 1665 by Angelo Carlesco and represents all the supports and correctional devices used at the time to help the human body. It is basically a human body form of metal. How about a tobacco enema pipe? You could literally blow smoke up someone's derrier with this instrument made in the 1860s and this was a stimulant used to revive people who seemed to have died, like after someone drowned. It also treated hernias and constipation.

It is said that the museum is rife with paranormal activity. Some of the energy seems to be quite dark, while other experiences act like a poltergeist. Guests claim to get poked by someone they can't see and they have felt cold spots that are chilly enough to cause people to shiver. There are claims that a Gray Lady wanders the hallways in Victorian dress and that ghost doctor has been seen by other people, particularly in the display called Disease Street. A staff member heard something metal hitting the floor and when she investigated, she found a coin on the floor. The coin was found to have come from a display that was not open to the public and no one could explain how a locked cabinet hidden away in the back could have a coin removed from it.

An employee was supervising during a ghost hunt one evening and she set herself up in the gift shop after sending the ghost hunting group off on their own. A few minutes later, she heard footsteps coming up the corridor towards her and she assumed a participant was looking for the bathroom. She stuck her head out into the hall to provide guidance and saw that no one was there. She was stunned because the footsteps had been really loud and she was positive someone was coming towards her. A cleaning lady was cleaning one evening when she saw somebody up on the third floor and she went over to another employee and asked for help in rounding up the person who shouldn't be in the building. They searched everywhere and found no one. The cleaner thought about it later and was positive that the person had been wearing a long white coat. Did she see the ghost of a doctor?

Yvette Fielding and the Most Haunted team visited the museum during Season 13 in 2015. Paranormal investigator Jason Austerfield told Yvette that they got a lot of activity on Disease Street that included nose pictures like perfume and a bad stench, disembodied voices and strange noises. A male in 18th century dress has been seen walking through the area as well. Yvette was told that there is a dark entity in a certain area of Disease Street and that school children do not like going into that area. But also some staff don't like the area either. While doing an initial tour, Yvette and a couple other people heard a knock in a room that is set up like an apothecary with a bunch of small vases that medicines were stored in. They asked for whatever had just knocked to knock twice to acknowledge that they had done the knock and they got two knocks in response. Two of the guys were wandering an old part of the building in this underground area and you could clearly hear a metallic ping like something had been thrown that was metal. Yvette and a group heard an audible whisper. They caught an EVP where Yvette asks, "Can you hear my voice?" and there is an answer, "Yes...I am listening."

Mary Bateman's body was given to Leeds Infirmary for dissection after she died and this skeleton has been loaned to the museum. It seems that her spirit is connected to the skeleton still. Mary was born in Lazenby to a couple of farmers. She got a lot of exposure to traveling fortune tellers and such, so she learned a bit about that. When she was an adult, she moved to Leeds and worked as a dressmaker with a side hustle of telling fortunes. The fortune telling proved to be quite lucrative, so she focused on that full time. She married a man named John Bateman in 1793. Shortly after that, she started stealing from other tenants in their building and was eventually found out. Mary told John his dad was dying, so she could get him out of her hair and she sold all his stuff so she could pay back the people she stole from. She dove into a life of fraud after this begging for charity on the street for others and then she would keep the money. 

Mary claimed she could ward off evil spirits and would get people to pay her to do just that, but she had no powers whatsoever. But her chicken might have had some special powers or, at least, that is what Mary claimed. She told people that her chicken was a prophet and the eggs she laid contained predictions. And sure enough, the chicken would lay an egg that predicted Jesus was coming soon. Eventually, it was found out that Mary scratched the messages in the egg, shoved it back up into the chicken and waited for it to be laid again. Mary went on to start killing people and stealing all their stuff and was caught and put on trial in March of 1809 at York Castle. She was found guilty and sentenced to hang three days later, which did occur. And since the skeleton has ended up on display at the museum, people claim that the spirit of Bateman roams the halls, so hold onto your wallets. Apparently her skin was sold in pieces to help ward off evil spirits as well.

Life in the workhouses was pretty awful. Care in the hospital here was pretty awful too. It's not hard to believe that some energy that isn't exactly positive could have found a home year. Even the medical equipment could carry the emotional energy connected to its use. Is the Thackray Medical Museum haunted? That is for you to decide!

HGB Ep. 579 - 1890 House Museum

Moment in Oddity - Psycho Movie Door

We are fans of horror movies and one of the most iconic movies of the genre is 'Psycho'. The exterior of the Psycho house is still located on the back-lot of Universal Studios in California. However, in the early 2000's some of the sound stage movie set was dismantled. Who would have imagined that the city of Rib Lake, Wisconsin with a population of 1,000 people would somehow have a connection to this horror flick. Rib Lake, Wisconsin was home to the Dallmann-Kniewel Funeral Home until its sale in 2012 to another owner. After the partial dismantling of the Psycho movie set, the owner of the Rib Lake establishment saw that the ornate front door used for close up shots of the Bates Motel entryway was for sale. The funeral home owner was an avid fan of the iconic movie and jumped at the chance to purchase the infamous door. And what better location for installing the piece of cinema history, than as the front door of his business, the Dallmann-Kniewel Funeral Home. The Psycho door remained guarding the entryway for years until after the sale of the funeral home in 2012. The new owners desired a more energy efficient style of door and replaced it. The door was later listed on Craigslist in 2015. It was there that Dan Estep, a La Crosse resident stumbled upon it, later posting in an online forum that, "Searching for Old Doors on Craigslist can be CrAzY!". The post read, "I spend a fair amount of time searching Craigslist for antiques and old house parts, sometimes for toilets, butt that's another story. About a month ago I was looking around on Craigslist in the Antique section. While there I saw a very large Walnut Victorian door for sale. The ad title read, 'Own a piece of movie history'! As I read their ad further it said, 'The original door from the Alfred Hitchcock movie, 'Psycho'. This was the door used on the front of the Bates Motel." Dan scooped it up and headed to a Los Angeles auction house where the door fetched a nice sum of $22,500 in September of 2015. A movie prop door ending up as the entrance to a funeral home and then later on Craigslist, certainly is odd! But even odder is the fact that those new owners of the funeral home just carelessly got rid of it.

This Month in History - Lucy Hobbs Graduates Dental School

In the month of March, on the 14th, in 1833, Lucy Hobbs, the first woman to graduate from dental school, was born. Lucy was the seventh out of ten children born to Benjamin and Lucy Beaman Hobbs. With so many siblings, the young Lucy took a job as a seamstress to help contribute to the family at the age of 12. She later attended Franklin Academy in New York and graduated in 1849. Lucy was a teacher for about ten years in Michigan and during her tenure she began her study of medicine. In 1859 she moved to Cincinnati, Ohio and applied to the Eclectic College of Medicine. Her admission was denied due to being female. Lucy began studying privately under Professor Jonathan Taft who was the Dean of the Ohio College of Dental Surgery. Through this method of study, she managed to apprentice herself to a practicing graduate of the school. She practiced dentistry in Cincinnati until the spring of 1861. She went on to practice in Bellevue and McGregor, Iowa as well. By July of 1865, Lucy was awarded a membership in the Iowa State Dental Society and later was sent as a delegate to the American Dental Association convention in Chicago. By November 1865 after much determination and persistence pursuing her career of choice, Lucy Hobbs was granted admittance to the senior class of the Ohio College of Dental Surgery, later graduating in February of 1866.

1890 House Museum

Do you like having screens on your windows? How about the ability to sift flour or to strain things? You have the Wickwire family to thank for that. The Wickwire family had a big impact on Cortland, New York and the world. Their wire weaving factory would employ hundreds of people and make the family very wealthy. Chester Wickwire would build his grand mansion in Cortland that runs as a museum today. It would seem that his spirit remains in the house, as do the spirits of other family members. Join us for the history and hauntings of the 1890 House Museum.

Cortland was first settled in 1791 and was named for Pierre Van Cortlandt who was the first lieutenant governor of New York. In 1853, Cortland officially became a village and then was incorporated as a city in 1900. Cortland is surrounded by seven valleys, which led to it being nicknamed the "Crown City." There was a family that led to industry blossoming in Cortland and that was the Wickwire family. The Wickwire Brothers Company was started by Chester and Theodore Wickwire. Chester was born in 1843 and Theodore was born in 1851, both in McGraw, New York. The Wickwire family moved to Cortland when Chester was 19. Chester and his father Raymond opened a grocery store on Main Street. Raymond passed away and so Chester's brother Chauncey stepped into help, but he also died. By that time, Theodore was old enough to help Chester and so the two brothers ran the grocery store and then they changed it into a retail hardware store that they opened in 1866. They would shut this down in 1876 to follow another avenue, which was weaving wire. 

The brothers had received a carpet loom as payment for a debt and Chester experimented with changing out some parts, so that the loom would weave wire. We have no idea what made him even consider using a loom to weave wire. The experimentation worked and soon the brothers were using the machine to make fencing - particularly for chickens, screen cloths for windows, dish covers, netting, coal sieves and they became the largest manufacturer of flour sieves. The business expanded with more machines and was incredibly successful because there were very few factories doing this kind of production. The Wickwires patented everything as well. As a matter of fact, the brothers were the ones who supplied most of the machines to the factories in the United States. The brothers bought a 6 acre lot on South Main Street in 1881 and they built several buildings on that lot. The brothers finally incorporated in 1892 and a new wire mill was built in 1893. They employed immigrants from Germany, Italy, Russia, and Ireland. Working conditions were poor at first, but the brothers continued to innovate new safety protocols and implements and the factories became safer places to work. (Read article) Workers made around $1100 a month in today's money. There were a little over 200 employees and the Wickwire factory was the largest employer of women in town. (Mort: A little fun fact: products from the Wickwires were used in building the Panama Canal and the Manhattan Project. The family didn't know much about the latter since the building of the first atomic bomb was a top secret project.) The Wickwire Brothers would expand into flour mills and they built many other buildings that were known as the Grand Central Block. Chester would build the 1890 House Museum as well.

The 1890 House Museum is sometimes called the Cortland Castle because it kinda resembles a castle and it symbolized the grandeur of the Victorian and Gilded ages. This was constructed from limestone in the Chateauesque architectural style and designed by Samuel B. Reed. The mansion is a mirror image of circus manager James Bailey's house in Harlem, New York and indeed, based on pictures we've seen, if you put the houses facing each other, they match. The mansion has thirty rooms. The interior of the mansion features parquet flooring, oak and cherry wood that has been hand-carved and decorative stenciling. The real wow factor of the house though, are its windows. J.B. Tiffany & Co. designed the stenciling and much of the decor, but the stain-glass windows are definitely not Tiffany produced. The Belcher Glass Co. made these are they are truly unique. Henry Belcher headed the company and he was a stained glass artist that had patented a unique process he dubbed "mosaic." And they do indeed look like a bunch of mosaic tiles, only they are glass. Rather than using the traditional grout, he used a mold within which he assembled small pieces of glass and then sandwiched it between two pieces of asbestos before pouring liquid lead into the mold. These windows are incredibly complex and like nothing we have ever seen. It's like, Tiffany who? Guests were greeted at the east entrance door with these magnificent windows on the doors to prepare them for just how gorgeous the interior would be. You don't see much about Belcher or his windows because they fell out of favor because they were impossible to repair. 

The first floor of the house featured two parlors, the dining room, breakfast room, library and living room. One of the parlors was dubbed the Gold Parlor and features French Revival styling with silk wall coverings. The family bedrooms were on the second floor and the servant's quarters were on the third floor. There was also a recreation room on the third floor on the front part of the house with a billiards table and dance floor. A small playroom was just off this room. There is also a cupola at the top of the mansion that gave a great view of the Wickwire factory. One of the first things to greet visitors is the inglenook, which is a fireplace that has an archway in front of it with bench seats. It looks very cozy. Some of the woodwork features carvings that are supposed to look like wire mesh. The dining room furnishings were all hand carved and the original set in still in the house. Chester would fill the house with his family. He married Ardell Rouse on October 2nd, 1866 and they had three sons: Raymond, Charles and Frederic. Raymond would die when he was six-years-old from scarlet fever. This happened in 1878, so the family wasn't in the mansion yet.

The most well known servant at the 1890 mansion was Margaret Stack who was an Irish immigrant that cooked for the family. She came over in 1902 to join her aunt in Cortland and it is believed that her aunt had arranged for her employment at the Wickwire mansion. Maragret would have had Thursday afternoons off and every other Sunday off. During those times, she socialized with the large Irish population in Cortland, attending dances and actually performing as part of a four-person Irish reel doing traditional Irish step dancing. Riverdance! She wrote a recipe book as well. During a social event, she met John Lane and they became engaged. In 1910, Margaret was given the summer off with pay and she went back to Ireland and explored the British Isles with John. The couple married in her home town of Athea. They returned to Cortland in the autumn and continued to work for the Wickwires for another year. Then they returned to Ireland and ran a grocery store. There are rumors that Margaret left for a reason. That something bad had happened, possibly attempted rape or rape, but there is no evidence for anything. This was something that has come out of paranormal investigations and there are claims that her spirit haunts the house. We'll discuss that later.   

Ardell was active in social causes around Cortland. She would host teas at the mansion once a week for the women in town who worked on charitable causes. Ardell herself served on the Finance and Entertainment Committees for the Cortland Library Association and she was a member of the Social Committee and Women’s Auxiliary of the YMCA. She championed the building of a new hospital that eventually became the Guthrie Cortland Medical Center and the family donated $95,000 toward the hospital’s construction and expansion. Chester gave back to Cortland in many ways and supported his workers as much as he could. Charles and Frederic joined their father in the wire weaving business when they became adults.

Charles had been a gifted child, playing multiple instruments, and he was fluent in French. He earned a degree at Yale University and he married his childhood sweetheart, Mabel Fitzgerald, who was literally the "girl next door." The couple would build their red brick mansion that is today the Lynne Park's '68 SUNY Cortland Alumni House, right next to the family mansion. The State University of New York at Cortland or SUNY Cortland was founded in 1868 as the Cortland Normal School. It became a four-year college in 1941 and was renamed State University of New York College at Cortland in 1961. Its current name came in 2023. The campus covers 191 acres today. The original school almost completely burned to the ground in 1919. Old Main was finished in 1923 and the campus reopened. The four years it took to rebuild, classes were held in various buildings in town. The house was built in 1912 and covers 15,000 square feet and has beautiful gardens. It is rented as a wedding venue and for other events as well. Jean Miller Biddle was the granddaughter of Charles and she inherited the house. She  sold it to Charles A. Gibson in 1992. He lived in it as a private residence for 12 years and then he sold it in 2004 to the SUNY Cortland Alumni Association.

Charles became the Vice President of the Wickwire Brothers factory. When his father died in 1910, he became the President and the factory would have its peak production under his management from the 1920s to 1940s. Frederic Wickwire followed in his brothers footsteps with learning to play the banjo and excelling at school. He too graduated from Yale University. Frederic loved animals and had a menagerie of pets that included a Pionus parrot he named Jac, who had free reign in the house. He joined the factory as General Superintendent. He married Marian Goodrich in 1912 and they had four children. Ardell Wickwire passed away in 1915 and the mansion was left vacant until 1923 when Frederic moved into it with his family.

Frederic set about renovating the family home. He remodeled a new breakfast room in the Art Deco style that was so popular in the 1920s. Lincrusta wallpaper was added to the second and third floors. That term doesn't do it justice. This is more of a molded wallcovering and has these gorgeous textures and patterns. It is still very popular today. Marian and Frederic also added the Fernery, which has a glorious stained-glass ceiling. Marian had an affinity for cherubs, so they make their way into much of the decor. Frederic only lived in the house for six years as he died in 1929 from an undisclosed, long-term illness. Marian remarried to local judge C. Leonard O’Connor, two years after Frederic passed. Marian and Leonard modernized parts of the house through the years and the judge passed in 1971. Marian remained in the house until she passed in 1973 at the age of 85. She would be the last Wickwire to live in the house. The Wickwire Factory shut down in 1971. The building suffered a fire shortly after that and another one in 2005.

The house and contents were sold at auction and the Landmark Society joined Cortland County leaders in preserving the house and reopening it as a museum in 1975. Many of the belongings that had been sold at auction were brought back to the house and other antiques from the Gilded age were bought. In 1984, the 1890 House Museum received its official NYS Charter to operate as a 501(c)(3) historic house museum. The 1890 House Board maintains the property and they host historic, architectural and ghost tours. The house isn't shy about their spirits. The spirits in the 1890 House Museum are believed to belong to Wickwire family members and their servant Margaret. The main activity takes place on the third floor in the billiards room, but shadow figures and sounds have been heard everywhere. Frederic didn't appreciate the restoration efforts that have been done, including recently from February to April of 2025, so activity might be amped up after this. 

Margaret Stack is said to be seen as a full-bodied apparition and she seems to still be carrying on her chores. Her voice has been captured in EVPs and she likes to move objects around. Investigators claim to have picked up on sounds and felt the residual energy of some kind of attack, which is what led to rumors that Margaret had been attacked. Whoever attacked Margaret is also said to be here leaving the feeling of a dark energy in the cupola and crude comments have been caught as EVPs. Chester loved his mansion and is still seen looking out from the cupola as though still trying to survey his factory. His apparition has been seen sitting at the head of the dining table and often that chair is found pushed away from the table as though someone had been sitting there and just pushed back to get up. His shadow figure is seen going from room to room.

A docent in the house claimed he felt a cold hand on the back of his neck during a ghost hunt. He also felt as though someone was watching him. Even though Raymond didn't die in the house, there are claims that his spirit is there. He likes to play on the third floor and a docent once felt a small hand touch him up there. Harry Weston was interviewed by CNY Central around 12 years ago. He was a longtime board member and often ghost hunted in the house. This was a really old guy, so that was kinda cool. His favorite thing to use was a pendulum with a crystal on the end. As the reporter filmed, Weston demonstrated how Victoria would make the pendulum go in circles. He also told the reporter that fingerprints have been seen on the wall of a servant's bedroom. And during a ghost hunt, a recorder was left on the billiard table and when listened to later, there was the distinct sound of pool balls hitting each other. Only problem, there was only one ball on the table. 

Lee Benson has been a guide at the house and is the Vice President of the Board of Trustees. He shared with Cortland Curiosities (YouTube) that a couple had told him when they were in the basement, they heard a little girl say "hi" to them. Another group asked for a spirit to indicate that it was there when they were on the third floor and a flashlight rolled across the floor. He also said that he has heard stories of the pool sticks coming off the wall and that nobody leaves the house without feeling something.

Ghost Hunters visited during Season 9. Raylene Wheatley told the crew that she believed that Ardell haunts the house. She has seen shadow figures at the end of hallways. Board Member Susan Cummins believes that Chester if definitely in the house. Michelle Grimes was the caretaker of the house at the time. She was in her office one day when she heard a loud knock come from upstairs when no one else was in the house. She went upstairs and found that a binder fell into the middle of the floor. They have also heard an audible voice yell, "get outta here!" in the basement. Balls have been heard knocking about in the billiards room when none of the balls are out. Paranormal Investigator Scott Clark took pictures in the house and they captured a female figure with their night vision camera. Jason and Steve heard something shuffling across the floor in the attic. Britt and KJ were in the Billiards Room and their geophone, which detects vibrations, was going crazy on the pool table. They also could hear something that made them think someone was trying to grab one of the pool sticks. And then the REM Pod started going crazy. Adam and Tango were in the basement and they heard shuffling and then Adam felt his left calf get really warm and Tango could feel the difference from his other calf. A board member had been in the basement one time and felt like something rubbed on her calf, almost like a cat. Steve and Jason went down to the basement and set the geophone down on a display case and asked that if Chester or Ardell was will them that they knock on the glass as hard as they good on the count of three and when Jason got to the three, the geophone went off like crazy.

This group of investigators that calls themselves ALONE, investigated in 2022 and they do this really cool experiment we should try with the spirit box or a portal. They have large flash cards of items and ask what is on the card. It seemed to work pretty well for them. It said "Ball" for ball, "Goat" for goat, "Ring" for ring. They asked about playing the banjo and the portal said "harp." They also captured pool balls hitting each other when they weren't in the Billiards Room. Other equipment they had set up on the pool table went off. They asked Frederic if his parrot was with him and the portal said "He dropped dead." REM Pods went off repeatedly and one of the investigators named Rick had his name come over the Portal. This house seems to be very active.

SUNY Cortland's campus is said to have several haunted areas and a few ghosts. Brockway Hall has the ghost of a former cook that likes to stand at the top of a staircase. Clark Hall has a weird apparition that appears in Room 716 once every year and this is the ghost of a bleeding football player called "The Gridiron Ghost." We have no idea what that is about. Cheney Hall features the ghost of Elizabeth who was apparently pushed down the stairs from the fourth floor in the 1980s. She appears in a misty form in the building with her arms outstretched.

Cortland has an interesting history particularly when it comes to many of the weaved wire items we enjoy today. Of course, the production of such things has changed, but one thing that doesn't change is our appreciation for ingenuity and beauty, especially in the form of architecture. Is the 1890 House Museum haunted? That is for you to decide!

HGB Ep. 578 - The Life and Afterlife of Benjamin Franklin

Moment in Oddity - Pound Cake

One of the most basic cakes ever made is the pound cake. The oldest recorded recipe for pound cake was in Hannah Glasses' "The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy" in 1747. While most people might think the etymology of pound cake is due to the weight of the sweet treat, the name is actually related to the quantity of its ingredients: one pound of flour, one pound of eggs, one pound of sugar and one pound of butter and some salt. This staple of family gatherings and picnics would be quite dense using that recipe. The basic recipe has remained the same since 1747 and has endured probably because of the simplicity of the recipe. It was easy to remember for those who could not read or write. The pound cake originated in Britain and was so popular that the recipe quickly migrated to the colonies of America with the first recorded recipe in 1754 being attributed to Wicomico Church, Virginia. The original recipe started mutating in the 1800s, eventually adding ingredients to make it less dense and heavy. Ingredients like baking powder, milk, buttermilk, sour cream and vanilla have lightened the load of this dessert staple. Not only has the cake become lighter over the years, but the additional ingredients give the dessert a moist and tender texture. The fact that pound cake didn't acquire its name due to its weight or how much it cost, but rather to the uniform individual weight of nearly all the ingredients and that that formula actually worked, certainly is odd!

This Month in History - Robert Frost Poem Published

In the month of March, on the 7th, in 1923, Robert Frost's poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" was published. Frost had been born in California, but after his father died when he was eleven, his mother moved him with her to Massachusetts and thus he would always be associated with New England. He graduated valedictorian from his high school and went on to attend Dartmouth and Harvard, but didn't finish a degree. He married Elinor White and the couple decided to try their hand at running a New England farm. They added four children to the mix and struggled in poverty for nearly 20 years. Feeling utterly depressed, Frost moved the family to England in 1912 and he tried his hand at poetry. He published a collection of them as "A Boy's Will" in 1913. World War I brought the family back to America and they settled on a New Hampshire farm while Frost continued to write. The American public fell in love with his poetry and Frost went on to read some of it at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy. He lectured at universities and received 44 honorary degrees. This particular poem was very popular and the last stanza "The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep." has been interpreted by some to be representative of death, while others see it as an appreciation of nature. Robert Frost did finally sleep in 1963.

The Life and Afterlife of Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was a little bit of everything: inventor, diplomat, statesman, author, publisher, a Founding Father and a bad boy. He helped guide America through the growing pains of becoming a constitutional republic guiding its own destiny separate from Great Britain. Philadelphia became his home and the caretaker of the cemetery where he was buried in that city once said, "If Ben Franklin haunts the city and the streets of Philadelphia, he haunts it with his personality and his invention." And it might seem that he haunts a couple of places with his actual spirit as well. Join us for the history and hauntings of Benjamin Franklin. 

Benjamin Franklin ran away to Philadelphia when he was seventeen, seeking a new life. When Franklin arrived in Philly, the city was coming into its own as a force in learning and culture. One of the largest libraries in the colonies had just been created. The city declared itself a place of religious tolerance as well, which brought people from many religions. Immigrants from Ireland and Germany flooded into Philadelphia during the 1720s and 1730s. For his part, Franklin would be a gift for the growing city. His life began in Boston though. He was born on January 17, 1706 and while his father desired for him to get a good education, the family wasn't well off and didn't have the money, so Franklin only went to school until he was ten-years-old. There were 17 children in the Franklin household and Ben's dad worked as candle and soap maker. Benjamin supplemented his education with books. He was a voracious reader. James, his brother, worked as a printer and he had Franklin come work with him and he taught him about printing. James would found the third newspaper Boston would have. Franklin had a desire to be published and he asked James to print a letter he wrote. James refused and so Franklin came up with an idea very similar to Lady Whistledown of Bridgerton. His Lady Whistledown was a middle-aged widow named Silence Dogood. Many of "her" letters were published and captured the imagination of Boston. Everybody was talking about Silence Dogood's opinions. James was not happy when he discovered that Silence Dogood was actually his little brother Benjamin. Shortly after that, Franklin left for Philly, but because he was under an apprenticeship to James and didn't tell James he was living, he became a fugitive. 

Since Ben knew printing, he found work in several print shops. The Governor of Pennsylvania convinced Franklin to sail over to London to get some new print equipment to start a newspaper, but apparently the Governor was full of crap and Franklin found himself in London with no way to get home. With the help of an English merchant that he worked for, Franklin was able to return to Philadelphia four years later. He was 21 at the time and started his journey of enriching Philadelphia by forming the Leather Apron Club, which was also known as the Junto. This was a group of tradesmen and artisans and was meant to mimic the Enlightenment groups that met at coffeehouses in Britain. The Junto created a library by contributing their own books and then Franklin expanded on that by starting a subscription library, so that they could raise funds to buy more books. Franklin wrote of this endeavor, "I made a proposition that since our books were often referred to in our disquisitions upon the inquiries, it might be convenient for us to have them all together where we met, that upon occasion they might be consulted; and by thus clubbing our books to a common library, we should, while we liked to keep them together, have each of us the advantage of using the books of all the other members, which would be nearly as beneficial as if each owned the whole." In 1731, Franklin wrote the charter for the Library Company of Philadelphia. A couple years before that, Franklin became the owner and publisher the Pennsylvania Gazette. He continued his practice of writing under pseudonyms.

Franklin brought his Enlightment values and another pseudonym to his next big endeavor, which was Poor Richard's Almanack, a booklet of information about weather and household tips, with some proverbs thrown in for good measure. The most widely known was "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." He published that every year from 1733 to 1758. In 1753, there were fifteen English newspapers published in the colonies and Franklin published eight of them with a couple of his printing partners, one of whom was one of the first female printers, Elizabeth Timothy. Very early in his time in Philly, Benjamin joined the local Masonic lodge and he worked his way up to grand master by 1734. He remained a lifelong freemason.

The main woman in Franklin's life would be Deborah Read, the daughter of his landlady. He first met her when he was 17 and she was 15. He asked her mother if he could marry Deborah and she said, no. While he was in England, Deborah married another man who eventually abandoned her and his fate was unknown so she couldn't divorce him. When Franklin returned to Philly, he took up with Deborah again, but they couldn't marry due to bigamy laws, so they lived together in a type of common law marriage. They had two children, a son named Francis Folger Franklin - born in 1732 - and a daughter named Sarah Franklin - born in 1743. Francis died from small pox at the age of four because his mother wouldn't allow him to be vaccinated. At some point before the relationship with Deborah started, Franklin had a son out of wedlock named William. Franklin did claim him and never revealed who the mother of William was and he and Deborah raised him. Despite Franklin eventually becoming a Founding Father, his son William was loyal to Britain and served as colonial governor for New Jersey from 1763 to 1776. After the Revolutionary War, he ran to Britain and died in exile. 

Benjamin would travel to Britain and other parts of Europe through the years and Deborah never joined him because she was afraid of the water. This freed him up for frivolity in Britain at places like the Hellfire Club. Franklin was never a member, but his good friend Sir Francis Dashwood was and he would join him there for debauchery that included drinking, gambling and orgies. People also suggested that the club practiced occult rituals and they paid homage to the gods Bacchus and Venus. Members danced in fancy clothes and often dressed as Biblical characters. The club motto was Fais ce que tu voudras (Do what thou wilt), which probably sounds familiar as Aleister Crowley adopted the same motto. The Hellfire Club started in the former Medmenham Abbey, but eventually moved to the caves at West Wycombe starting in the 1750s. The club was no longer active by the mid 1760s and legends claim that the caves remain haunted to this day. One of the spirits here is said to belong to a young maid, named Sukie, who was accidentally killed in the caves.The former steward of the club, Paul Whitehead, is also said to haunt the caves.

Part of the reason why Franklin would go to Europe was due to politics. He became very active in civics and served as a representative of the Pennsylvania Assembly starting in 1751. He would be elected Speaker of the Pennsylvania House in 1764. Franklin also organized the Pennsylvania militia and helped to get a city hospital built. He also set his sights on education and helped create and open the Academy of Philadelphia in 1751, This eventually grew into the University of Pennsylvania, which changed its name in 1791. And he started the postal system in the colonies. The British appointed him postmaster of Philadelphia in 1737 and eventually he became joint postmaster general for all the American colonies in 1753. The British would fire him in 1774 because he seemed a bit too supportive of non-Tory interests.  

Benjamin was also an inventor and we have many modern day conveniences that got their start with him. He invented the lightning rod and said of it, "May not the knowledge of this power of points be of use to mankind, in preserving houses, churches, ships, etc., from the stroke of lightning, by directing us to fix, on the highest parts of those edifices, upright rods of iron made sharp as a needle...Would not these pointed rods probably draw the electrical fire silently out of a cloud before it came nigh enough to strike, and thereby secure us from that most sudden and terrible mischief!" There are some common misconceptions with his Kite Experiment. Some claim he discovered electricity. That was discovered long before this. The kite also wasn't struck by lightning or Franklin would've probably been electrocuted. Ben described his Kite Experiment in this way, "As soon as any of the Thunder Clouds come over the Kite, the pointed Wire will draw the Electric Fire from them, and the Kite, with all the Twine, will be electrified, and the loose Filaments of the Twine will stand out every Way, and be attracted by an approaching Finger. And when the Rain has wet the Kite and Twine, so that it can conduct the Electric Fire freely, you will find it stream out plentifully from the Key on the Approach of your Knuckle. At this Key the Phial may be charg’d; and from Electric Fire thus obtain’d, Spirits may be kindled, and all the other Electric Experiments be perform’d, which are usually done by the Help of a rubbed Glass Globe or Tube; and thereby the Sameness of the Electric Matter with that of Lightning compleatly demonstrated."

Franklin also invented bifocal glasses, the Franklin stove, which provided more heat with less fuel, the glass armonica, which was a musical instrument, and the urinary catheter. He never filed for any patents for any of his inventions saying that "we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, and we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and generously." But the man's greatest contributions to America, and eventually the world in general, would be his love of freedom and his support of the American effort to guide its own destiny. At least freedom for white men. Like all the Founders, Franklin was a slave owner. He owned at least seven people and their names were Joseph, Jemima, Peter, King, Othello, George and Bob. Peter and King would accompany him on his European trips and were given a small salary. King ran away in 1758 and was found two years later, having been taken in by a Christian woman who taught him to read and write. Late in his life, Franklin became a vocal abolitionist who urged Congress to do something about slavery.

In 1754, he proposed a plan to unite the colonies under a national congress named the Plan of Union and while none of the colonies agreed to the plan, elements of the Articles of Confederation would come from this. While in Europe in 1765, he rallied against passage of the Stamp Act of 1765. This law required that all legal documents, newspapers, books, playing cards and other printed materials in the American colonies carry a tax stamp. That failed and the act passed, igniting the timbers of revolution. The cries of taxation without representation would begin. The House of Commons conducted proceedings later and Franklin testified to have the Stamp Act repealed and it was. With this success, Franklin became the leading spokesman for American interests in England. The colonies of Georgia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts appointed him as their agent to the Crown.

Britain wasn't done with imposing regulations and bills to get more control of the colonies. Anti-British sentiments increased and then the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. Franklin was still in England at the time. His wife Deborah had begged him to come home for months. She was lonely and her health was failing. Deborah suffered several strokes and died in 1774, before the war started. It would be five months before Franklin returned to Philadelphia. Ben was selected to serve as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress. The Congress consisted of delegates from all thirteen colonies and they met in Philly to form the Continental Army and elect George Washington as Commander-in-Chief and create the Articles of Confederation. They also tried to prevent war with the Olive Branch Petition that they sent to King George III. This would be the American government from 1775 to 1783. The Declaration of Independence would be drafted and then ratified on July 4, 1776. Although Thomas Jefferson was given most of the credit for drafting the Declaration of Independence, there were four other men involved: John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston and Benjamin Franklin. This would be the first of four key documents that established the U.S. that Franklin would sign. The others were the Treaty of Alliance with France (1778), the Treaty of Paris establishing peace with Great Britain (1783) and the U.S. Constitution (1787). He was the only man to sign all four. 

In 1776, Franklin was sent to France to get their help with the war. He got the French to sign a military alliance with America and they sent money, soldiers and supplies. Benjamin would become the minister to France starting in 1778, and he helped to draft the document that brought the war to an end, the Treaty of Paris. This was signed in 1783. Two years later, Franklin returned from France and in 1787, he was a Pennsylvania delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He was the oldest delegate at 81. Fellow delegate William Pierce said of Franklin that he was "the greatest philosopher of the present age. He is 81-years-old and possesses an activity of mind equal to a youth of twenty-five." Since Philadelphia was hosting the convention, Franklin was the main host and he came into the meetings much like a king. He was in very poor health, suffering debilitating pain from gout and so he had to be carried into the meetings sitting in a French sedan chair chair carried by four convicts. When the convention ended in September 1787, he urged his fellow delegates to support the U.S. Constitution. It was ratified by the required nine states in June 1788, and George Washington was inaugurated as America’s first president in April 1789.

Franklin lived long enough to see this all come to fruition. It must have been a very gratifying end to a life spent in service. He was 84 when he passed away on April 17, 1790, in Philadelphia. There were 20,000 people at his funeral and he was buried in Philadelphia’s Christ Church cemetery. He left money to his passions of science and education in his two favorite cities: Boston and Philadelphia. Community projects were funded, a trade school was established, scholarships were funded and a science museum was founded. Franklin has been honored on stamps, schools and towns have been named for him and most importantly, his face is on the $100 bill. Franklin Court in Philadelphia is home base for everything about Ben Franklin in Philadelphia. The Franklin Museum is here and features exhibits based on his character traits rather than a time-line or major events layouts, which is kind of how we organized this episode. There is an actual working post office here, a recreated print shop with a working printing press, his toilet and what is referred to as a ghost house. His original home was torn down in 1812. When the Park Service acquired the property, they removed the row houses that had been built on the site and built an open-air structure that matches the dimensions of Franklin's house.  There are also 70’s style concrete bunkers housing archaeological remnants of the original house and letters describing the house.  

We also should mention that bones were found beneath the home that Franklin lived in on Craven Street in Britain. Twelve hundred bone fragments were recovered by archaeologists. It was determined that they probably were connected to an anatomy school run from the house by William Hewson, who was the son-in-law of the landlady, based on dissection marks on the bones. The bones are believed to be from 15 individuals. Hewson died after contracting sepsis during a dissection. He was only 34 at the time. His widow and their three children would move to America after the Revolutionary War to be near Franklin.

(Mort Fun Fact on Farts) Franklin wrote the book "Fart Proudly" and in there he said, "In digesting our common food, there is created or produced in the bowels of human creatures, a great quantity of wind."

Benjamin Franklin had a big spirit and perhaps that is why it is at unrest. His favorite haunt is Independence Hall and that's not surprising since this was the birthplace of the United States and stands proudly as the centerpiece of Independence National Historic Park. The building was constructed in 1732 as the Pennsylvania State House, but loaned its Assembly Room out for meetings of the Second Continental Congress and eventually the Constitutional Convention. George Washington sat in a chair here for three months during the latter convention and the chair was dubbed "The Rising Sun Armchair. James Madison wrote into the federal record the sentiments of Franklin about this chair, "Whilst the last members were signing it [i.e., the Constitution] Doct FRANKLIN looking towards the Presidents Chair, at the back of which a rising sun happened to be painted, observed to a few members near him, that Painters had found it difficult to distinguish in their art a rising from a setting sun. I have said he, often and often in the course of the Session, and the vicissitudes of my hopes and fears as to its issue, looked at that behind the President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting: But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting Sun." The full-bodied apparition of Franklin is most often seen in the Assembly Room. Franklin is often examining a copy of the Declaration of Independence when seen. He has been seen wandering other rooms as well. Many people describe his figure having a ghostly mist trailing behind it. 

Another favorite spot for the ghost of Ben is the American Philosophical Society that he founded in 1743. This is the oldest learned society in the United States and their collection of books, photographs, scientific instruments, paintings and other things is extensive. In 1789, the Society made Philosophical Hall its home. Beginning in the late 19th century, people began claiming to see the ghost of Franklin near the library of the Society. And some really crazy accounts claim that the statue of Franklin that stands in front of the Society has to life and danced in the streets. One person who had an experience in the Society was a cleaning lady. She was in the library in 1884 and she said a ghostly figure rushed at her and knocked her over as it made its way towards the stacks. The description she gave of the apparition, matched what Franklin looked like.

Spiritualists claimed to hear from Ben Franklin a lot during seances. An English medium named Mrs. Manley claimed to get a message from Franklin in 1872 and in it, he claimed to have invented the terrestrial telegraph. She wrote out the following message, "On arriving in spirit-life, having while on earth thought much upon the subject of electricity, I saw that the magnetic telegraph could be made a success to transmit news all over the earth and under the seas. At once I commenced looking for a human organism which I could impress to carry out what I so plainly saw could be done. … I watched my opportunity and when Prof. Morse’s father and mother came together in coition I was there and projected my thought into the brain of the embryo child, so S.F.B. Morse was really my son, more than the son of his earthly father." Samuel Morse would go on to invent the telegraph and he was born a year after Franklin died, so it was possible. 

Benjamin Franklin was many things during his lifetime. Is one of those things now a ghost haunting his favorite places? That is for you to decide!

HGB Ep. 577 - Fort McHenry

Moment in Oddity - Veronica Lake hairstyle war factory (Suggestedby: Jim Featherstone)

In the 1940's, during WWII women began working in factories to support the war efforts due to many men having been deployed overseas. With five million women entering the workforce between 1940 and 1945, the American labor force at the time was one third women. The types of jobs performed by these women varied from working in munitions factories, aircraft and tank factories, shipbuilding and many more. A good majority of these jobs involved working with heavy machinery. As one can imagine, a woman's long hair style could be quite dangerous while working around grinding gears. Then, in walks Veronica Lake. She was a popular American film actress who was well known for her luscious locks and peek-a-boo hairstyle having her hair partially covering one eye. Her hair style was iconic and replicated by many women. Problem was, loose hair around heavy machinery could result in not only severe injury, but even death. Miss Lake was asked to make a film for the government about "Safety Styles" for women working in factories. In one photo, she is shown with her long hair tangled around a drill press. In a scene from the film, Veronica receives an updo hairstyle with no stray strands swinging in sight. Soon after, female factory workers adopted an even safer option. Full head caps were distributed to the factory workers allowing the wearers to completely tuck their hair away. Actors and actresses have always influenced society, but a famous actress sporting a hairdo that shaped the war industry safety protocol, certainly is odd.

This Month in History - Baby Lindbergh's Kidnapping and Murder

In the month of March, on the 1st in 1932, Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. was kidnapped from his New Jersey home. The kidnapper entered the 20 month old's nursery at approximately 9pm. The intruder used a homemade ladder to enter the second story room. Muddy footprints were found as well as a poorly spelled ransom note which was left on the windowsill of the nursery. There was also a symbol on the note which consisted of two intersecting circles and three holes. The note demanded $50,000 and shortly thereafter, parcels were sent to the Lindberghs which included pieces of baby clothing. The ransom money was delivered to an unknown man at St. Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx. The kidnapping received national news coverage and was dubbed, "The Crime of the Century". Sadly, Charles Lingbergh Jr's body was found ten weeks later just a couple of miles from the Lindbergh home in a grove of trees in Hopewell, New Jersey on May 12th. He was identified by his homemade undershirt which had a missing piece that matched the remnant that was mailed to the Lindberghs in one of the parcels. The baby's father and nursemaid identified Charles Jr's body at the morgue. The kidnapping murderer was later identified as Bruno Richard Hauptmann. Hauptmann had used some of the ransom money to buy gas and most of the remaining money was found in his garage. Hauptmann was found guilty of the kidnapping and murder in February, 1935. He was later put to death in the electric chair for his crime.

Fort McHenry

Fort McHenry sits in Baltimore’s harbor and is probably best known as the site where America's National Anthem was penned during the War of 1812. The Battle of Baltimore was fought here with a relentless attack bearing down on the fort from the British. The assault was so harrowing, it's understandable how Francis Scott Key was inspired to write his poem. Today, spirits still linger from that era. Join us for the history and hauntings of Fort McHenry.

Whetstone Point in Baltimore was first home to Fort Whetstone, which was an earthen star-shaped fort. This served as a strategic defense of the harbor in Baltimore during the Revolutionary War and in 1777, the flag that flew above the fort featured seven red stripes, six white stripes and eight stars formed in a circle with a ninth in the middle of the circle and stars in each of the four corners of a square blue field in the upper left corner. This was a very early version of the American flag. The position was far enough from the heart of the city to give effective security without endangering the city. Any enemy ship coming into the harbor would have to face an attack from the fort. Surprisingly, the fort had no attack on it during the Revolutionary War. Since the fort was fairly primitive, it was decided to replace it with a better fortification and a French engineer named Jean Foncin was asked to do just that in 1798. This new fort would also take on the new name of Fort McHenry in honor of James McHenry who was the Secretary of War under President George Washington. He provided extensive support in the building of the fort.

Fort McHenry was designed as a bastioned pentagon surrounded by a dry moat and each bastion had a cannon. After the War of 1812 started, the fort was equipped with 18-, 24- and 32-pounder cannons. The Battle of Baltimore would be a defining moment in the War of 1812 and was fought on land and sea from September 12th to September 14th, 1814. Preparations for war began at Fort McHenry in August when British expeditionary forces landed at Benedict, Maryland. The man in charge of the fort at the time was Major George Armistead. Armistead had been born in Virginia and began his military career in 1799 and served as an artillery officer at Fort Niagara in May 1813. His success there brought him to the command of Fort McHenry in June 1813. His first order there was to make a flag "so large that the British will have no difficulty in seeing it from a distance." That's fitting as he would later be known as the “Guardian of the Star-Spangled Banner.” 

The British had just burned Washington D.C. in August of 1814. They had destroyed the U.S. Capitol, the White House and other government buildings, making this the only time after the Revolutionary War that the US Capitol was captured by a foreign force. The British were feeling confident and they set their eyes on Baltimore. They were not aware that American merchant ships had been sunk at the entrance to the Baltimore harbor to prevent entry of ships. The British Navy would have to fashion their attack as a bombardment from a distance. There were other British forces on land trying to make an assault on the interior of Baltimore, but the American militia forces surprised the British with their resilience. They did manage to outflank and overrun the American forces to the right, but the British knew that they couldn't endure a frontal assault, so they decided to put all their efforts into a naval fight. 

On the morning of September 13, 1814, at 6 am, British Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane ordered the bombardment of Fort McHenry to begin. And that bombardment would last for 25 hours, ending at 4:30 am on September 14, 1814. And then the National Anthem would be born. Francis Scott Key was a 38-year-old lawyer from Georgetown when he found himself aboard a truce vessel under the guard of the British ship HMS Surprise on September 14, 1814, writing a poem. Key had come to Baltimore from Washington, D.C. to procure the release of a doctor friend of his named William Beanes, who had been arrested by the British during the Burning of Washington. On September 7th, Key had earned the doctor's release by showing British Major-General Robert Ross letters written by wounded British soldiers who had been helped by American doctors, including Dr. Beanes. Key's rescue party was not allowed to leave the ship; however, because they had heard battle plans. They would have to wait until after the battle, but the British did let them reboard their truce vessel that was tethered to the HMS Surprise. Key spent the entire day of September 13th watching the bombardment of Fort McHenry and he observed that the fort's small storm flag continued to fly under the onslaught. When darkness came, he could no longer see the flag and thus he wouldn't know if the Americans still held the fort. 

On the morning of September 14th, the storm flag was lowered and replaced with a large garrison flag. This was a flag made by Mary Young Pickersgill and had 15 stars and 15 stripes. When Key looked out at the fort in the morning and saw this flag flying, he was elated and inspired. Included in his poem were the rocket's red glare from HMS Erebus and the bombs bursting in air from HMS Meteor, Terror, Devastation, Volcano and Aetna. Despite over 700 rockets and 1,800 bombs, only four men and one woman died with another 24 wounded. Key's poem "Defense of Fort M'Henry" would be printed as a broadside on September 17th. It later got national exposure through The Analectic Magazine. The poem was set to the tune of the British song "To Anacreon in Heaven" and retitled "The Star-Spangled Banner." There are four stanzas, but only the first one is sung and was first officially recognized by the Navy in 1889 as a national anthem. This would become official on March 3, 1931 when Congress passed a joint resolution that was signed by President Herbert Hoover.

Francis Scott Key visited his hometown of Frederick, Maryland in 1834 and gave a speech about what inspired him to write the poem that became our National Anthem. He said, "You have been pleased to declare your approbation of my song. Praise to a poet could not be otherwise than acceptable; but it is peculiarly gratifying to me, to know that, in obeying the impulse of my own feelings, I have awakened yours. The song, I know, came from the heart, and if it has made its way to the hearts of men, whose devotion to their country and the great cause of freedom I know so well, I could not pretend to be insensible to such a compliment. You have recalled to my recollection the circumstances under which I was impelled to this effort. I saw the flag of my country waving over a city – the strength and pride of my native State – a city devoted to plunder and dissolution by its assailants. I  witnessed the preparation for its assaults, and I saw the array of its enemies as they advanced to the attack. I heard the sound of battle; the noise of the conflict fell upon my listening ear, and told me that 'the brave and the free' had met the invaders. Then did I remember that Maryland had called her sons to the defense of that flag and that they were the sons of sires who had left their crimson footprints on the snows of the North and poured out of the blood of patriots like water on the sands of the South. Then did I remember that there were gathered around that banner, among its defenders, men who had heard and answered the call of their country – from these mountain sides, from this beautiful valley, and from this fair city of my native Country; and though I walked upon a deck surrounded by a  hostile fleet, detained as a prisoner, yet was my step firm, and my heart strong, as these recollections came upon me. Through the clouds of war, the stars of that banner still shone in my view, and I saw the discomforted host of its assailants driven back in ignominy to their ships. Then, in that hour of deliverance and joyful triumph, my heart spoke; and 'Does not such a country, and such defenders if their country, deserve a song?' was its question. With it came an inspiration not to be resisted; and even though it had been a hanging matter to make a song, I must have written it. Let the praise, then, if any be due, be given. not to me, who only did what I could not help doing; not to the writer, but to the inspirers of the song!...I again thank you for the honor you have done me; but I can only take the share of it. I was but the instrument in executing what you have been so pleased to praise; it was dictated and inspired by the gallantry and patriotism of the sons of Maryland. The honor is due, not to me who made the song, but to the heroism of those who made me make it."

After the battle, President James Madison promoted Major Armistead to the rank of lieutenant colonel and Armistead told his wife that “he hoped they would both live long to enjoy.” Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the case. Armistead would only live another four years, dying at the age of 38 from unknown causes. He was buried with full military honors. As for Fort McHenry, after the war, it was improved with expanded buildings and outer defenses were added. When the Civil War started, Baltimore was full of citizens who were pro-secession. The cannons at Fort McHenry were pointed in two different directions, one of which was toward the harbor in case of coastal attack and the other...well, that was toward the center of Baltimore itself to warn those pro-secessionists to get in line. The fort served as a prison for much of its time during the Civil War and many of the prisoners came from the battles at Antietam and Gettysburg. There were also pro-secessionists from Maryland who could be arrested after President Abraham Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus. This had people calling Fort McHenry "The American Bastille." 

It was decided during World War I to convert the fort into a large US Army hospital. Dozens of buildings were added to the property to facilitate this endeavor and then they were dismantled afterward. During World War II, the Coast Guard moved in and made the fort a base and they used it for training. The fort was restored to the way it looked during the War of 1812 and part of it was open at this time as a museum because in 1925, Fort McHenry was made a National Park. It became a double designee in 1939 when it was designated a National Monument and Historic Shrine. This is the only location in the United States to get this dual designation. Through the years, any new flag design has been flown above the fort first, before it becomes official. The 49-star flag and 50-star flag are still located at Fort McHenry. Today, Fort McHenry is a tourist destination and has an award wining living history volunteer unit. The flag that inspired Francis Scott Key still exists, but has deteriorated and is very fragile. For this reason, it has a special display case at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

Anybody who studies the history of forts knows that many of them have been star-shaped. For some, that star shape has an occult significance and perhaps leads to some of the reports of paranormal activity. The interesting thing about what is technically known as the pentagram is that it also has Jewish and Christian significance too. In early Christianity, the pentagram was used to mark the five wounds of Christ on the cross. The pentagram itself goes all the way to ancient Sumeria and was found on pottery discovered in Ur. They used it as a symbol for the gods Ishtar and Marduk. In Judaism, the star is is expanded into two full triangles with one inverted and was derived from the Seal of Solomon created in medieval mystical traditions. Occultists embraced the pentagram as a magical symbol, particularly to depict spirit presiding over the four elements. The inverted pentagram was eventually deemed an evil symbol because this symbolized matter conquering spirit. Wicca embraced the pentagram and encircled it creating the pentacle. While forts used the star-shape because it allowed maximum defense capabilities without any "dead zones," it is interesting to consider that the shape might inadvertently be powering some other kind of energy.

There are many stories about several entities haunting the grounds at Fort McHenry. Doors rattle and intense cold spots are felt. People have reported seeing spirits hanging from the former gallows. Many of the spirits seen are from the War of 1812 and they are seen walking the bricks. Soldiers from various eras are seen not only from the War of 1812, but also the Revolutionary War, Civil War and World War I. That woman who died during the Battle of Baltimore, had her body torn in half by a rocket. She is said to haunt the site and is seen as a woman missing half of her body. She wanders aimlessly as though looking for her other half. This could be the Woman in White that is seen as well, or this might be an entirely different ghost who was the wife of an officer whose children died in an epidemic here in the 1820s. She is said to push people down stairs and has even knocked a couple of people unconscious. One of those people was an artist who said that he came through a doorway and felt like a frying pan hit him in the face before he went out cold.

The cool thing about ghost sightings at the fort is that usually a group of people all see the same thing. For instance, a group of re-enactors all saw a female prisoner in a second floor window. She was described as wearing a Victorian-era dress. No one is sure who she was, but probably a pro-secessionist. The jail is said to be very creepy and it had a death row during the Civil War. There are claims that if you rub your hand along the wall, you will feel an abnormal warm spot. First Call Paranormal was visiting in March of 2023 and walking around with a Spirit Box that said "person" right before somebody else came walking into the room. It was a rainy day and there was hardly anyone at the fort. It may have been nothing, but the guy said he thought it was interesting and wondered if he was being warned that a person was coming. (Person Spirit Box)

One of the more well known spirits is said to belong to Private John Drew. He was a soldier who killed himself after being caught sleeping on duty. The shame seemed to be too much for him. Since he had been locked up for his infraction, he is often seen in the cell where he took his life. Sometimes he makes it out into the ramparts to the spot where he was on guard duty. 

Lt. Levi Clagett is another spirit here. This is his obituary notice from September 21, 1814, "This afternoon, at 4 o'clock, the Baltimore Artillery Company of Fencibles, under the command of Captain (Joseph Hooper) Nicholson, will parade for the purpose of rendering the last tribute of respect to Lieutenant Levi Clagett & Sergeant John Clemm, who fell in defense of this city and their country's rights, at Fort M'Henry, during the bombardment of that fortress by the enemy. To have fallen in such a cause, would have, of itself, entitled the memory of the dead to respect and sympathy. But they needed no such adventitious circumstances to excite the most poignant regret at their untimely departure. They formed a prominent part of the rich price, which was paid for victory and safety. In civil life, they were men of the most amiable manners, honorable principles, and respectable standing in society. In the hour of danger, they evinced ardent and collected courage. Their friends lament their loss, with sorrow not loud but deep. May the reflection, that they died in a cause and at a time, when every tongue was eloquent in their praise; that they departed in the path of honor; that the gratitude of their countrymen will embalm their names in every heart, afford to the bereaved of their connections and friends, the only alleviation for such a loss. Their brethren in arms will cherish their memory; with affectionate care. They sleep on the soldier's bed, the bed of honor; and while their loss may call forth the manly tear of fraternal regret, their example will animate to deeds, such as living, they would have approved and aided." People claim his apparition can be seen walking or floating around the fort. He has been seen as both a translucent figure and a regular looking uniformed man, often mistaken as a re-enactor. His favorite spot to haunt is "Clagett’s Bastion" where he died. Incredibly, the Secret Service has been sweeping the fort and preparing it for a visit from President Gerald Ford and they spotted a uniformed soldier walking the same bastion where Clagett and Clemm died. There was supposed to be no costumed people or visitors on the property during this preparation, so the agents were left to wonder if they had just seen a ghost.

Southern Spirit Guide website reports, "One of the more interesting experiences reported on the grounds of the fort comes from near a large statue of Orpheus honoring Francis Scott Key. The large statue stands on the grounds outside the fort and it was here that one visitor saw the figure of man in uniform seemingly floating in mid-air. It was discovered later that that particular area had been the scene of an execution in 1862. A young private had been found guilty of murdering another soldier and it was here that he made his 'air-dance,' in other words, he was hanged." 

America's Haunted Roadtrip website reports, "One ghosthunting group that recently visited the site is the Maryland Tri-State Paranormal. Founder Ana Bruder told me that while they were there, her friend Laura suddenly said, “I feel like I am being watched.” Ana, who is sensitive to the presence of spirits, turned and saw the ghost of a uniformed soldier staring at her friend, just one of several spirits she detected while at the site."

Fort McHenry is famously known as the birthplace of America's National Anthem. It's fitting that a place that revealed so much American spirit and fortitude should also have actual spirits walking around. Is Fort McHenry haunted? That is for you to decide!

HGB Ep. 576 - The U.S.S. Forrestal

Moment in Oddity - The Cursing Stone Lyn Beasley

In Glasgow, Scotland back in 1525, the Archbishop, Gavin Dunbar was frustrated about reivers on the Anglo-Scottish border. Reivers were raiders, and Dubar issued a 1,069 word curse which was delivered from every pulpit in the diocese. The ranting curse was part of an excommunication of the reiver families, although they were not said to be religious people nor did they respect sovereign law or moral authority. I won't read the whole curse, but here is just a portion. "I curse their head and all the hairs of their head; I curse their face, their brain, their mouth, their nose, their tongue, their teeth, their forehead, their shoulders, their breast, their heart, their stomach, their back, their womb, their arms, their legs, their hands, their feet, and every part of their body, from the top of their head to the soles of their feet, before and behind, within and without." That was only 79 of the 1,069 words written in the curse. The Archbishop goes on to curse every aspect of their lives. In 2001 there was a piece of artwork installed at the Millennium Gallery in Carlisle, England. It was created by Andy Altman and was designed by artist Gordon Young. The piece is a 7.5 tonne granite boulder that is engraved with approximately 383 words from that historic curse. Since the installation, the stone has been blamed for an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease, major Carlisle floods and several other local tragedies. For centuries, humans have put pen to paper to document their frustrations seeking solace. But penning a 1,069 word curse upon enemies and then having an art installation featuring that curse centuries later lead to tragedies, certainly is odd.

This Month in History - End of the Guadalcanal Campaign

In the month of February, on the 9th, in 1943, U.S. forces secured Guadalcanal, marking the end of the six month campaign. Guadalcanal is one of the southern Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. During WWII it was the site of clashes between Allied and Japanese forces both on land and at sea. The Battle of Guadalcanal was code named Operation Watchtower, and on August 7th 1942, Maj. Gen. Alexander Vandegrift, launched an amphibious assault with approximately 6,000 Marines. They surprised 2,000 Japanese defenders on Guadalcanal. While making land, the Marines were strongly supported by both the Navy and Air Force. Within 36 hours the U.S. had secured the airfield on Guadalcanal and the harbor on Florida Island.  Over the next several months, intense fighting ensued, including major naval battles like the Battle of Savo Island and the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. After enduring severe losses, the Japanese began evacuating in late January, 1943. During the spanse of the battle, the Allies lost 29 ships, and 615 aircraft vs  Japan's 38 ships and 683 aircraft. The Allied victory of the Guadalcanal campaign was a crucial turning point in the Pacific Theater demonstrating the strength of the U.S. military.

The U.S.S. Forrestal (For-uh-stahl) (Suggested by: Karen Miller)

The USS Forrestal was one of the largest aircraft carriers ever built. She served for nearly four decades before being decommissioned in 1993 and then she was scrapped in 2015. During the Vietnam War, the carrier experienced a devastating tragedy with bombs on board the ship that led to several fires and over a hundred men dead. And because of that, stories of ghosts on the ship have been told about her. One particular ghost was known as George. Join us for the history and hauntings of the USS Forrestal.

The first new design for an aircraft carrier in decades is currently being built in Newport News, Virginia. This is the Gerald R. Ford-class. Newport News was the birthplace of CVA-59, a member of the Forrestal class. She was ordered in 1951 and commissioned in 1955 and would be the United States' first supercarrier. The largest carrier in the world up until that time was the Japanese carrier Shinano and now the Forrestal would surpass it. Since this aircraft carrier was the first in the Forrestal class, the carrier took on that name, with its namesake being James Forrestal, the first Secretary of Defense in the United States. James Forrestal was sworn in under the Truman Administration on September 17, 1947. He served as Secretary of the Navy during World War II and guided it through the final year. The Cold War was a real test for the new position and President Truman and Secretary Forrestal had many differences over budget. He eventually left office in March of 1949 and tragically died less than two months later. Forrestal is often included as one of the most notable secretaries of defense and that is why this class of carriers was named for him. 

Many innovations were added to this new aircraft carrier: a steam catapult, and angled flight deck and an optical landing system. The carrier was 1,067 feet in length and was powered by 8 Babcock & Wilcox boilers and 4 Westinghouse geared Steam turbines. The Forrestal was followed by seven big-deck conventionally powered carriers that would serve the country for 54 years until the last one, the Kitty Hawk, was decommissioned in 2009. The aircraft carriers that followed these would be nuclear-powered. The Forrestal could carry nearly 5,000 enlisted men and 552 officers and 85 aircraft. She spent much of her initial training in the Caribbean under Captain Roy L. Johnson after launching on December 11, 1954. The Forrestal's first duty was to hang around the Mediterranean Sea during the Suez Crisis just in case she was needed. Her first NATO operation was Operation Strikeback, which took place in the North Sea. This took place over a ten day period and was a simulation of an attack by the Soviet Union on NATO members. This included Navy warships and aircraft from the countries of the Netherlands, Norway, Canada, Britain, France and the United States. The USS Forrestal was one of the 200 warships on site. 

King Hussein of Jordan was one of the first dignitaries to visit the carrier and this took place in 1959. The Forrestal and a C-130 would make history in November 1963 with 21 full-stop landings and takeoffs. This set a record for the largest and heaviest airplane to land on an aircraft carrier. In 1964, Operation Brother Sam was the United States helping with a military coup against the Brazilian president at the time. President Lyndon Johnson sent the Forrestal as support and the coup was successful and led to a 20-year-long military dictatorship in Brazil. In June of 1967, the USS Forrestal was sent for duty in the waters off of Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin. The next month, a tragic fire would kill many sailors.

Before we talk about the fire, we need to share a little background about the bombs that were on board on the Forrestal. The Forrestal had been stationed at Yankee Station in the South China Sea and was taking part in a bombing campaign against targets in North Vietnam. This was the longest and most intense bombing campaign in US Naval history at that time. The Forrestal was running out of bombs. The carrier met up with the ammunition ship Diamond Head. On board that ship were Fat Boys, which were Korean War-era surplus that had thinner skins and thus were more sensitive to heat and shock and their older Composition B explosive was more volatile because of its age. Nobody wanted to mess with these Fat Boys because they were too risky, but the USS Forrestal was desperate for ordnance, so they took on sixteen of these Fat Boys. They also had Zuni unguided rockets that had to have electrical pigtails connected at the catapult to prevent malfunctions and accidental firing. Ordnance officers didn't like how much time it took to launch, so they didn't hook up the pigtails. So what happens next was almost inevitable. 

The fire on board the U.S.S. Forrestal was devastating. It started with in the morning around 10:53 when a Zuni rocket shot across the flight deck from a plane parked on the starboard side of the carrier. The rocket struck  an A-4 on the port side. Four hundred gallons of jet fuel poured out of the A-4 and at least one of its bombs fell to the deck. Chief Aviation Boson's Mate Gerald Farrier, who was the head of the firefighting crew, got on scene within a minute and started fighting the fire with a hand-held extinguisher. The first of the hose crew arrived about 30 seconds after that and they got salt water pouring on the fire. Unfortunately, that bomb that dropped to the deck exploded 30 seconds later and decimated the fire crew. A few seconds later, a second bomb exploded. The aft end of the carrier would be rocked by seven more explosions in succession within the next five minutes. Forty thousand gallons of jet fuel fed the fire, so there was no stopping it. The two inch thick armored flight deck was no match for the explosions and holes were punched through it in several places and flaming bits of metal and fuel poured down into the compartments below, most of which were crew berthing areas. The fire on the deck was contained within an hour, but the fires below deck raged until the next day. When all was said and done, 134 sailors and airmen died and 161 others were seriously injured. Damage exceeded $72 million, which is $415 million in today's dollars.

(Mort - I have a fun fact about the fire. Us - Mort, we don't need any death statistics about fires right now. Mort - Ah shucks. Ok, how about this, John McCain was aboard the ship when the fire took place and this was shortly before he became a Prisoner of War. Us - we'll take that.)

Tragedy and fires would continue for the USS Forrestal thru the decades. In October of 1968, an aircraft went off the angled deck and hit the water nose first and then flipped onto its back with six crew on board. Three were recovered and three died. A catastrophic fire erupted while she was moored in Norfolk on July 10, 1972. Investigations found that a crewmember started the fire that forced firefighters to cut a hole in the flight deck and pour hundreds of gallons of water throughout the carrier, which caused her to list and some feared she might capsize. An A-7 Corsair II from VA-81 crashed on the flight deck on the evening of January 15, 1978, killing two deck crewmen. This was due to a miscommunication with the pilot thinking he was okay to land and he realized too late that he was mistaken and the flight deck was full of other aircraft. He ejected in time and lived with only minor injuries. On June 24, 1978, LCDR T. P. Anderson was killed when his A-7E Corsair II crashed into the sea during a practice bombing mission. There are plenty of reasons for this carrier to be haunted.

There were good times though too. A really cool thing earned the Forrestal the distinction of being the largest naval warship ever to come up the Mississippi River. During a mission dubbed Ocean Safari '87, the ship and crew performed so well that they were awarded a special liberty, which were ways that Navy personnel were rewarded with trips to other parts of the United States. The Captain at the time was a native of New Orleans, so he decided they would go there for Mardi Gras. The Forrestal was there for four days and conducted tours for over 40,000 visitors. People got to ride one of her four aircraft elevators. (Mort - Whee, Us - Mort, get off that thing!) In 1989, the Forrestal was sent on a secret mission off the North West coast of Puerto Rico. On her second evening there, SEAL Team Six arrived on the flight deck via two helicopters. The team and the crew of the Forrestal then cruised for 3 days to the South West Caribbean sea off the Panama and Colombian coasts. SEAL Team Six then left on their mission. This was so secret, we still don't know exactly the purpose, but it was probably one of two things: an attempt to capture Manuel Noriega or apprehend Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. 

The end of the USS Forrestal's Naval career would come in 1993 after more than 37 years of service. The Navy decided to decommission Forrestal and this happened on September 11, 1993 at Pier 6E in Philadelphia. In June of 1999, there were efforts to turn the carrier into a museum and Baltimore put in a bid to have it moved there, but these plans and the funds never came together. Next, there was an effort in 2007 to turn the ship into an artificial reef, but that plan also never came to fuition. In 2013, it was announced the Navy was taking bids from companies to scrap the carrier and All Star Metals in Brownsville, Texas won. The ship was towed from Philly to Texas by a team of tugboats and by December 2015, she was no more, save for her stern plate that was saved and restored and is on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. The ships anchors were given to the USS John C. Stennis during refueling and complex overhaul in July of 2023.

Shortly after the fire, crew members claimed that secured hatches would open and close on their own. Shadow figures and apparitions were reported. Sometimes, sailors would hear weird garbled voices on the intercom phones and disembodied moaning was heard. Public Relations Officer Lt. James Brooks sent out a news release in 1988 and he wrote, "Whatever, or whoever it is, crew members swear ghosts are responsible for the flickering lights, voices on disconnected phones, and all things that go bump in the night. Incredibly, when performing their duties below deck, men adamantly claim that they’ve seen ghosts." In that news release, Brooks also featured a photograph of a disembodied pair of khaki slacks entering a hatch. Brooks claimed that the photo featured George the Ghost, who had been haunting the carrier for at least three years. No one is sure who exactly George may be. Some claim he is a pilot who died in 1986. The name George is also said to have come from the ship's former food officer who died during the fire in 1967. He is seen as a full-bodied apparition in a khaki uniform, so people believe he had to have been an officer or chief petty officer. People have also claimed to be pushed, woken up from their sleep by something they couldn't see and things have been thrown around.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Gary Weiss saw a khaki-uniformed man passing through the holds and realized it was a ghost when it disappeared from area that had no exit. Weiss and another crew member were working in the freezer when they heard a disembodied voice say, "Hello, shipmates." They stopped what they were doing and looked at each other. They knew neither of them had said that and there was no one else around. Weiss had also heard unexplained footsteps and saw supplies and food go flying.

Petty Officer Dan Balboa was in charge of the Officer’s Mess and he said that crew members avoided the freezer storage lockers for years after the fire because they had been used as temporary morgues and they got weird feelings in there. Balboa said that one cook refused to go in the freezers and asked to be transferred off the ship because he saw the ghost of someone he knew. He also said, "I’ve sure heard some strange sounds when down there. One night, when I was below taking inventory, I heard the heavy steel deck grating being lifted and slammed back down several times. Yet, each time I turned around to investigate the sound, nothing was there. Another time I was checking the freezers’ temperatures and all the doors that I had just latched, reopened by themselves."

Stan Shimborski was a welder who was working to dismantle equipment in the freezer storage area in 1993. He told reporters, "I no sooner got down to work, when I hear this loud clanging noise. I think it’s another worker down there. I get out my wrench, and I clang back, ‘clang clang.’ A few seconds later, I hear this return clang, ‘clang, clang.’ For the heck of it, I clang again, ‘clang clang.’ Again a few seconds, ‘clang, clang.’ Finally, I decided to see who it was that was returning my clangs. Leaving my work, I go through the doors and at the end of the long room is the figure of a horribly burned chief petty officer  just staring at me. Then he slowly faded away. Needless to say, I got out of there fast!"

M.C. Farrington wrote on the Hampton Road Naval Museum blog about some experiences with George he had heard from fellow crew mates on the Forrestal. He wrote, "The Sailor working closest to me claimed that he had an experience with George. He had been working with one other man at the bottom of a vertical access trunk that terminated at two reefer spaces. They had just finished filling up one reefer and had just opened the hatch leading into another empty one. One new problem that developed was that they could not get the lights in the space to turn on, but a much worse problem quickly became apparent. Despite having to traverse a further 25 feet to place the boxes along the opposite bulkhead of the newly-opened space, the petty officer overseeing the work above had refused to send down any more men to bridge the gap. The man at the end of the chain would have to quickly run each new box across the reefer from the entrance after receiving it from the second-to-last man (the teller of the tale) at the bottom of the trunk. Meanwhile, a box continued to come down about every five seconds. Despite the new challenges they were facing, the Sailor at the doorway tried to keep up with the pace. After handing off the first box to the Sailor inside the darkened space, he pivoted upward to catch the next box being handed down from above, but he was shocked when a pair of hands emerged from the pitch-black doorway and grabbed it from his hands when he pivoted downward again. After the following box dropped into his hands, he pivoted back down to the Sailor who was again back in the doorway and asked him, 'How’d you do that?' as he handed over the box. 'How’d I do what?' the man replied breathlessly. 'How did you get back here so fast?' 'I got back just now.' 'No, you grabbed the last box just a few seconds ago and now you’re back again.' 'No I didn’t. I just got back.' Meanwhile, more boxes were coming down the access trunk unabated, so the two had to put their argument on hold, yet neither of them were able to keep the pace after that, nor were they ever able to sort out just what had happened. Neither could I, after hearing the tale that day down at the bottom of a similar trunk near a similarly dank, dark reefer space. But there’s one thing I did know. 'George is supposed to be an officer; a ‘khaki,’ right?' 'That’s what I heard,' replied the Sailor. 'Then it can’t be George,' I said, 'because no khaki, living or dead, would ever come pitch in all the way down here.'"

The YouTube channel Snarled shares a story from one of their followers. In the 1970s, a sailor had gone down below to an area where they stored tools and this was a dark and cluttered space. Most sailors didn't care to make supply runs here. He saw a man out of the corner of his eye watching him from across the room. When he turned to look at the man, there was no one there. The sailor quickly grabbed the tool he had come down for and hurried back up to where his mates were working. He didn't say anything to anybody. A little while later, this same sailor was making his way through one of the carrier's long corridors when he smelled smoke. He even started coughing. He then saw a man running towards him, wearing a sweaty and sooty white t-shirt. When the man looked up, the sailor could see that the man was toothless and his eyes were sunken. This thing then reached for the sailor and passed right through the sailor. The sailor again didn't tell anybody. For weeks after this, he kept experiencing strange things like that smell of smoke with no fire, disembodied laughter and boxes that would tip over by themselves. Just before his tour ended, he and his friend named Bruce were bringing an engine part up to the deck when they saw four men on the deck engulfed in flames and they watched as the men jumped into the water. The sailor and Bruce quickly put down the engine part and dived into the water to help the men. The sailor reached one of the men and when he grabbed his hand, it was ice cold. They noticed that none of the burn victims looked human. They had charred skin that was barely there. The sailor and Bruce were pulled up out of the water by the other sailors and there were no other men found in the water. The sailor and his friend Bruce then compared notes and realized that they both had been having paranormal experiences, but had been too scared to share them with each other. 

Tomcat Tweaker posted on Reddit, "Forrestal was super haunted. I knew the reputation and was pretty excited at the chance to see something when I saw I was going to spend some time on her. I was only on her for two weeks and, had 0-0400 hanger watch twice during that time, and saw stuff each time. Once I saw a pair of chocks get kicked out from a wheel. About pissed straight down my bell bottoms. I probably didn't move for 30 minutes, trying to justify what I saw. The other time (like 3 nights later) I saw a guy sitting on wing, swinging his legs for like 5 seconds. He wasn't there, then was, then wasn't."

There is nothing that demonstrates military power better than an aircraft carrier. If you have never been aboard one, we highly recommend the experience. The U.S.S. Forrestal suffered many tragedies, but she served our nation well through the decades. One is left to wonder what became of her ghosts. Was the U.S.S. Forrestal haunted? That is for you to decide!