HGB Ep. 581 - Haunted Akron

Moment in Oddity - African Jacana

Diane and I are avid bird enthusiasts. We spend a good bit of money feeding the wild birds that frequent our backyard because we enjoy observing them. Recently we came upon a very unique bird called the African Jacana. This species of bird is found in the sub-Saharan African freshwater wetlands. Swamps, marshes and sometimes slow moving rivers are their homes. Their species distribution spans from Senegal to Sudan and south to South Africa. Jacanas are also known as 'Jesus birds' due to their long toes and slender legs which allow them to walk on floating vegetation, giving the illusion that they are walking on water. The Jacanas are polyandry which means that the female mates with multiple males and the male alone incubates the eggs and cares for the chicks once they have hatched. What is so striking about the species however comes into play when there is a threat to the chicks by a predator. The male Jacana will squat low and open his wings. The chicks will then run underneath the wings of the male and press against his body. The male will then close his wings and carry the chicks to a safer location. This remarkable bird looks more like something born of a nuclear waste disaster. That or possibly one of Dr. Frankenstein's creations because while the male is carrying the chicks, the chick's legs sprawl out every which way from under the male's wings. The photographs that one can find online of male African Jacanas carrying their babies are bizarre, heartwarming and above all, certainly are odd.

This Month in History - The Gray Ghost Captures Union General E.H. Stoughton

In the month of March, on the 8th, in 1863, Confederate Colonel John Mosby and his Rangers captured Union General E.H. Stoughton. John Singleton Mosby's Rangers were well known for their guerilla style approach and raids behind Union lines in Northern Virginia during the Civil War. The Rangers were composed of 1,900 men between January 1863 and April of 1865. They were not a traditional army unit but were still able to enjoy the plunders of war. They also were not tasked with camp duties and the Rangers lived dispersed amongst civilian populations. Mosby's Rangers were quite successful, often being called on to strike specific targets. These were known as lightning raids in the countryside of Virginia. To this day, Mosby's 43rd Cavalry is still known in parts of Virginia's Piedmont region as "Mosby's Confederacy". The night of Stoughton's capture, a light rain was falling. A raid was ordered for Fairfax Virginia which was known as Fairfax Courthouse at the time. Stoughton was sleeping amongst several thousand Federal soldiers only a short 15 mile distance from the White House. Mosby was also known as the "Gray Ghost" due to his unit's ability to appear and quickly disappear, ostensibly without a trace. That night, the Gray Ghost entered the Union General's quarters after Mosby's rangers quickly overpowered a few drowsy guards. Next, the Rangers snuck into the stables to gather horses. What took place after that is somewhat amusing. The Gray Ghost stealthily lifted the General's nightshirt and slapped Stoughton's bare bum with a sword, shocking the General awake. The following conversation is said to have gone like this. The General asked, "What is the meaning of this?" Mosby, "General, did you ever hear of Mosby?" Stoughton replied, "Yes, have you caught him?" to which the Gray Ghost stated, "I AM Mosby and I have caught YOU. Stuart's cavalry has possession of the Courthouse; be quick and dress". Many Union soldiers escaped into the forest after realizing that Mosby's forces were of a small number. The total list of captured were as follows: a Union General, 2 Captains, 30 enlisted men and 58 horses, all without firing a shot. When President Lincoln was advised of the news, he bemoaned, "I can make another Brigadier in 5 minutes, but I can't replace those horses."

Haunted Akron

Akron is an industrial city with roots as a canal town that grew out of a swamp. It is the fifth largest city in Ohio and has a rich history connected to some of the most well known manufacturers in the world. There is a dark side with a history of violent riots and crimes committed by the Black Hand Gang. Like all historic cities, Akron has its legends and haunted locations. Join us for the history and hauntings of Akron, Ohio!

Akron, Ohio started as an inhospitable swamp that settlers to the area quickly abandoned. This was the Cuyahoga Valley that was referred to as the Western Reserve. The Ohio and Erie Canal was built between the 1820s and early 1830s and connected Lake Erie and the Ohio River. Workers drained the swampland of Akron. A man named Simon Perkins founded Akron in 1825 and since it was the highest point in the county, it was named Akron, which means "high" in Greek. The first canal boat would launch from Akron in 1827 and the town exploded with growth. Mills and factories would be attracted to Akron because of the canal and companies like Quaker Oats and General Mills would start here as would many tire companies like B.F. Goodrich Tire, Firestone Tire, General Tire, and Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. The rubber industry was so big that Akron was nicknamed the "Rubber Capitol of the World." The city would also be the center of airship development. So from canal town to industrial powerhouse. The city has many strange legends connected to it and haunted locations due to murders, riots, violence and tragic stories. Here are some of those haunted locations.

River Styx Bridge

River Styx is a pretty ominous name and it was inspired by the River Styx of Greek mythology. It's the name of an unincorporated community and nearby river. Over the River Styx is a seventy-five-foot-tall steel railroad trestle. On March 22, 1899, the Erie Limited No. 5 was heading west toward Chicago with Erie Railroad engineer Alexander Wallace Logan at the helm. Logan had worked for 30 years on the rails. A bolt snapped on the bridge and it cause the train to derail and plunge down an embankment. The train consisted of a baggage car, a day car, two sleeping cars and a dining car with 79 passengers on board. The fireman on board, Byron Ward, survived and said, "I kept my eyes on Logan after he had put on the emergency, thinking I would jump if he did. But he didn’t. He kept his hand on the throttle and the last I saw of him he was leaning out of the window, his teeth set with that grim determination so peculiar to him, his hand on the throttle, calm and determined to do all in his power to save the lives of those on the train." His efforts were not in vain. Logan was killed instantly, but the passenger cars remained upright and no one else died. 

One of the first witnesses to the ghost train when the Wayne County coroner, Dr. William Faber, told people in October of 1899 that he saw a train that "The train was enveloped in great clouds of dust and smoke and huge flames of fire shot up in every direction, and immense volumes of steam making a terrific noise shot up from the engine, and the noise of creaking timbers and breaking iron bars was plainly heard, but above all came the shrieks of those pinioned beneath the wreckage." He had a buddy in the car and they ran toward where they saw the wreckage go, but when they reached the bridge, they found nothing. It was eerily quiet. The following year, three men heard a train whistle and heard the sound of a train wreck and watched it plunge into the river. They ran over, but again, no train was found. For the past century, people have reported seeing the lights of a train and billowing smoke and hearing the screams of passengers as a ghost train plummets towards the river. The bridge runs parallel to East Ohio Avenue, just north of Morton Salt in Rittman.

Cry-Baby Bridge

There is another bridge with legends connected to it and it carries the familiar moniker of Cry-Baby Bridge. The story that goes with this one dates back to the 19th century. A couple were riding in a horse-drawn carriage with their baby near Silver Creek. They were making their way down a steep hill and lost control of the carriage and the baby was lost in the creek. Another story claims the mother committed infanticide, like in most Cry-Baby Bridge stories. It is said that when people stand on the bridge at midnight under a full moon, they will hear the wailing of a baby. The bridge is near the Chippewa-Rogues Hollow Historical Society at 17500 Galehouse Road. 

Hale Farm & Village

Spending time at the Hale Farm and Village is like stepping back into the 19th century. The village is located at 2686 Oak Hill Road, about 7 miles north of Akron. The farm is named for Jonathan Hale who homesteaded the property and built the house in 1825. He had come here from Connecticut in 1810 without his family, so that he could prepare a place for them. When he got to the land he purchased, he found a squatter had moved onto the land and built a log cabin. Now, one might think he would be angry about this development, but when he saw the work the man had done at clearing the fields, he told the man he was welcome to stay as long as he continued to care for the land. Hale's wife and three children arrived a few months later. The permanent house, that still stands today, was begun in 1824 and was fashioned from clay bricks formed from clay near the Cuyahoga River. The house was designed in the Federal style and stands three stories. The rear of the house is built into a slope, so the first floor has no windows in the rear. That first floor has an open concept like our modern homes with a great room that has a dining room, living room and kitchen. The second floor had another dining room that was more formal and a parlor. Eventually the dining room became a bedroom. The third floor had six small bedrooms with no fireplaces. Yikes, talk about freezing in the winter! Later years found those rooms being redesigned as larger bedrooms. The Hale family called their home "Old Brick."

The Hale's son Andrew stayed on the property after he married and he built a small house across from Old Brick. This home eventually was moved to become the South Wing of Old Brick. A North Wing was built later for storage. We're not sure when the wings were added, but probably after 1854 when Jonathan died and Andrew moved his family into Old Brick. Andrew ran the Hale Farm until his death in 1884. Andrew's son, Charles Oviatt, decided to turn the house into an inn for city dwellers to enjoy on the weekends and for summer tourists. Charles died in 1938 and his niece, Clara, inherited the house. When she died in 1953, she donated the property to the Western Reserve Historical Society, so they could open Old Brick as a museum. That house is the central focus of a property that now contains 34 historic structures, 8 of them built by three generations of the Hale family, and runs as an outdoor living history museum. In 2008, Sandvick Architects restored Old Brick. Visitors can learn about spinning and weaving and see demonstrations of glass blowing, pottery making and blacksmithing.

There is a one-room cabin in the village that had been built by Jonathan Fritch in 1805. When the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company moved onto the property that Fritch had owned, they used the cabin as a fishing and hunting cabin for clients. In 1995, they donated the cabin to the village and it is used as a representation of the cabin that the Hales lived in for their first 17 years on their farm.

Another house on the property is the 1832 Goldsmith House that was designed by architect Jonathan Goldsmith in the Greek Revival style for the William Peck Robinson family. The family of six arrived from New Haven, Connecticut to Willoughby, Ohio in 1820. They were a wealthy family as William had owned several mills. The house is the most luxurious one on the property and was donated and moved here from Willoughby in eight sections in 1973 and reopened in 1985. This is the most haunted building on the property. Staff claim to have seen a female apparition on the second floor whom they believe is Caroline Robinson, the wife of William Robinson. William, unfortunately, had died before the house was finished. A volunteer at the house claimed to see an impression on a bed as though someone unseen was lying on the bed. The indentation went away as they approached the bed. 

The Herrick House was brought over to the Hale Farm, stone by stone and reconstructed. The house is named for Jonathan E. Herrick who had it built in 1845 in Twinsburg. Herrick was an early settler to the town and he came to the Western Reserve after his brothers had success there. He married Phila Clark and they had five children. The house was designed in the Greek revival style and has a unique square cut stone structure. Phila died in 1889 and Jonathan died in 1898 and at that time, the house was willed to Anna Simmonds, who had been an employee of the family. The house passed down through the Simmonds family. It was decided to build an industrial park where the house sat and so it was slated for demolition in 1981. A grant and donation made it possible for the Hale Farm to acquire the house. It took 20 truckloads to move the stones. It took years before rebuilding, but the house was finished and opened in 1989. Since Jonathan Herrick had been a dairy farmer, the new site of the house has been interpreted as a working dairy farm with a barn, fenced animal paddocks and land for gardens and barnyard animals added to the house. Cheese was a big deal in the Western Reserve and it got the nickname "Cheesedom." Employees claim that objects move around the house when it is closed. People have seen a male apparition walking around inside the house and this is thought to be Jonathan.

The Jagger House was built in 1845 by Clement Jagger, who was a prosperous carriage-maker in Bath, Ohio. The house was designed in the Greek Revival style and the interior features hand carved paneling and stenciling. The house was relocated in 1962 and is presented as a part of the farm village that is named Wheatfield Township. The house is set up as the home and office of Dr. William Tibbals and his family. A former volunteer at the house reported this experience, "The most frightening house at Hale by far is the Jagger House. This house itself hates. You walk in and it feels like the house would just drop down on you if it could. I hated to work in that house, even during the day. And whoever worked there would become hateful the entire day. You just could not help it. If you stayed in the house for just a few minutes, you just hated everything and everyone. People that worked that house together would be arguing constantly."  

Stan Hywet Hall

One of the finest examples of Tudor Revival architecture in America is Stan Hywet Hall and it is one of the largest homes in America. This is a huge 65-room stone mansion that was built for Goodyear Tire & Rubber magnate F.A. Sieberling between 1911 and 1915. The property is on 70 acres with sprawling gardens designed by Warren H. Manning. The house cost $150,000 to build and architect Charles S. Schneider was tasked with designing it. A spur had to be added to the railroad to bring all the supplies out. The interior decorator was Hugo F. Huber of New York and he brought much of the furnishings from New York. Other pieces came from England. The inside of the mansion featured 23 fireplaces, hand-carved oak, sandalwood and black walnut paneling, Gothic Revival Conservatory and 21,455 panes of glass. The formal dining room could seat 40 people and there was an indoor pool. The Seiberlings named their home Stan Hywet, which means stone quarry in Old English, because of old quarries on the property. For 40 years, the Seiberlings lived in Stan Hywet Hall and many of their things remain, like the Aeolian Organ in the Music Room. This room featured entertainment from the likes of Will Rogers and Shirley Temple. The Sieberling children eventually donated the house to the Stan Hywet Hall Foundation and it is run as a museum today. One that occasionally hosts ghost tours. 

The ghost here is referred to as the "Lady in Grey." This could be either Gertrude Sieberling, F.A.'s wife, or possibly an attachment to some of the furnishings brought over from an English mansion. This spirit usually hangs out in the Master Bedroom or the Great Hall. A staff member claims that after a Christmas tour, he was locking down the mansion when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. When he looked, he saw the Grey Lady crossing the balcony overlooking the Great Hall. She was heading towards Gertrude's bedroom.

Wolf Creek Tavern

Wolf Creek Tavern serves up food, libations and live music. And there is a speakeasy here that is open on the weekends as a throwback to an era when the building had a speakeasy in the basement during Prohibition. The original carved chestnut 1840s bar is still here. This tavern is located 10 miles southwest of Akron in Norton at 3044 Wadsworth Road. Irishman Shane Moore and his wife Amy opened Wolf Creek in 2013. Amy had visited a previous tavern here when she was a child. The original building was built in 1840 and ran as possibly a blacksmith shop and then a tavern. In 1858, it became H. Bechtel's Cabinet Shop. By 1874, it was the Loyal Oak House that ran as a hotel with a bar. Jack Lozier and his mother bought the building in 1911 and continued to run the hotel. The name changed in the 1930s to Adam's Place in honor of the new owner, Adam Pinter. Other uses of the building were as a sheriff's office, jail and children's infirmary. Staff and patrons at the restaurant claim to see shadow figures and to have been touched by something they can't see. A female apparition in a long black dress has been seen. There is a male apparition as well that people believe belongs to a bartender from the late 1800s named Ray Wilhelm. Martini glasses go flying down in the speakeasy, all by themselves.

Perkins Stone Mansion

The Perkins Stone Mansion was built by Simon Perkins in 1835. His father, General Simon Perkins, was the founder of Akron. The house sat on 115 acres that has been whittled down to 2.5 acres today. The hill it sat upon was nicknamed "Mutton Hill" because it was used for sheep grazing. The house was designed by Isaac Ladd in the Greek Revival and Federal styles and features a two-story portico. Hand cut yellow sandstone was quarried from nearby as the building material, hence the word "stone" in the name. The house remained in the family until 1945 and is owned and operated by The Summit County Historical Society of Akron today. The site not only has the family home, but the original Wash House where linens and clothing were washed and dried and also the original well. The woodshed behind the house is the historical society's office. A reconstructed outhouse, gazebo and carriage house complete the property that runs as an historic house museum. People claim to have seen, felt and heard the spirits of cats and dogs. Ghost cats rub up against ankles. Full-bodied apparitions are seen in period clothing and these include both adults and children. The children are often seen running around the table. Floorboards are heard creaking under disembodied footsteps and chiming bells are heard. Mysterious lights have been seen and indentations are seen on beds and pillows. One woman claimed she felt something unseen touch her hair and another woman claimed to have something unseen breathe on her neck. 

Akron Civic Theatre

The Akron Civic Theater is located at 182 South Main Street and started out as the Loews Theatre, being a part of the Loews chain of theaters run by founder Marcus Loew. This was one of eleven and is the only one that still remains. It also is one of only five atmospheric theaters that were designed by John Eberson that still exists. Our listeners are more than familiar at this point with what atmospheric theaters were. They were meant to give patrons the feeling that they were outside with night sky murals painted on the ceilings and twinkling lights to symbolize stars. The theater is also one of a very few that have a rotating ceiling. The original plan for the theater though started with dance hall owner Oscar Beck. He planned a 3,000 seat theater that would anchor what he called "The Hippodrome." There would be thirty stores and restaurants along the arcade. Construction began in 1919, but the project went bankrupt in 1921 with only the lobby completed. 

Marcus Loew came through Akron in 1925 and decided to bring one of his theaters to the abandoned project. He hired John Eberson to design it and construction was completed in 1929. The exterior had a terra cotta facade and the interior was made to resemble a Moorish castle with Mediterranean decor made up of Italian alabaster sculptures and medieval carvings. The theater is home to a full-sized Wurlitzer Theater organ. The Kelly Operating Company leased the theater in 1964 and were later bought out by the Akron Jaycees in 1965 when it was proposed to turn the theater into a parking lot. Live theater came back to the theater at this time because The Women's Guild got involved with the operations of the theater and they not only ushers, but they invested in the building of a concession stand and brought in famous celebrities to act in the plays. A man named Clarence Randall satisfied a tax lien in 1985. The theater was renovated for $19 million from 2001 to 2002 and reopened with a performance by Tim Conway.

There are said to be three spirits at the theater. The first is the spirit of a girl who allegedly committed suicide by jumping into the canal behind the theater. People have heard her weeping uncontrollably and seen her ghost walking along the canal. There is also the ghost of Fred the janitor. He had worked at the theater for a very long time and is seen in all different places inside the theater. His spirit is very protective and has run off vandals in the past. According to Weird U.S., "Fred also apparently has no tolerance for people who disrespect his beloved theater, especially the bathrooms. In fact, Fred’s ghost is said to get so angry over people messing up his bathrooms that he will sometimes chase or attack you if he catches you doing anything other than answering the call of nature in the restrooms." The balcony has the spirit of an unknown man who is seen wearing a black tuxedo complete with coattails.

Hower House

The Hower House Museum is a glorious Victorian mansion that was built in 1871 by John Henry Hower. He had made his fortune in the milling, reaping and cereal industries. Hower was so involved in the economy of Akron that he was called the "Father of Akron Industry." He and his wife, Susan, had come to Akron from Doylestown in 1865 and started design and construction on their three-story Second Empire Italianate style mansion, almost immediately. The architect was Jacob Snyder and the finished product featured a tower topped by a distinctive mansard roof and 28-rooms. The first floor had two parlors, a library, Music Room, office, dining room and kitchen. The second floor had four bedrooms and two sitting rooms. The third floor had storage, a drawing room, picture gallery and large ballroom. The Howers collected furnishings and art from around the world and these are a part of the museum today.

In 1901, John moved to a smaller home near the mansion with his second wife and his son Milton moved into the mansion with his wife Blanche. Father and son both died in May of 1916 and Blanche remained in the mansion. Her daughter Grace came to live with her and she remained in the house until it was deeded to the University of Akron in 1970. In the mid-1980s, the mansion was opened as a museum. It is thought that the spirit here is John's first wife Susan and that she is angry. Apparently, as Susan was lying on her deathbed, she made John promise her that he wouldn't remarry. He held on for four years, but then he did remarry and Susan ain't having it. It is said that she glares out from a portrait on the wall. Heavy doors open and slam shut. A security guard once heard an audible voice yell out, "Get out of my house." Many people feel very uncomfortable in the house.

John Tedrow's Ghost

There is a legend about a grisly slaying that is connected to the Botzum Cemetery. Botzum Cemetery is located at the corner of Yellow Creek and W. Bath Roads. This is five miles north of Akron. A man named John A. Botzum is connected to this legend. Botzum was born in Germany in 1835 to a family that owned woolen mills along the Rhine River in Germany. His father decided to flee Germany with his five sons to prevent them from being drafted into the German Army during the Napoleonic Wars. The boat they took to America was boarded by pirates who robbed the passengers of everything, so when the Botzum family landed in New York City, they had nothing. Then a dishonest agent tried to sell the family into slavery in South America. A new friend made John aware of the danger and helped him to get his family to Ohio, where they arrived in 1836. The family took in boarders and John worked construction. In 1876, his son John A. bought a farmstead that he later transferred to his brother Conrad and this is today the Conrad Botzum Farmstead that is run by the National Park Service. A town named Botzum sprang up around the family and featured a store, blacksmith shop, warehouse, post office and hotel. The Botzum Depot opened in 1880. There was a large ballroom in the upper floor of the hotel that hosted dances and talent shows. In 1882, there was a dance being hosted at the hotel and a drunk farmhand from the Botzum farmstead named John Tedrow was being belligerent to guests. One of these guests was a man named John Brook and when the men tustled, Brook's jacket was torn. His way of handling the issue was to grab an axe and hit Tedrow in the head. This killed him instantly. Tedrow was buried at Botzum Cemetery, but he didn't stay there for long. Medical students grave robbed the body and this left his spirit at unrest. The legend claims that his lurching disembodied footsteps are heard after dark and people claim to see the full-bodied apparition of a man with a bleeding head, wandering about the woods. 

Wingfoot Lake Hangar

We love our airships and Akron is home to an airship hangar and more importantly, to the famous Goodyear Blimp. Suffield is 13 miles east of Akron and has The Wingfoot Lake Airship Hangar at 841 Wingfoot Lake Road. The hangar was built in 1917 and used by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. to construct and maintain their fleet of advertising blimps. The company also built blimps for the US Navy during World War I and II. The first class of Navy airship pilots were trained at the site. Today, the hangar is still the center of operations for the Goodyear Blimp. Lt. Ernest D. Cody and Ensign Charles E. Adams were piloting a Navy airship off the coast of San Francisco in 1942, when the men disappeared. The blimp drifted to shore where it was found without pilots. Police and military personnel investigated the crash site and found the gondola doors hanging open. The pilots would have walked away unscathed, but a search of the area didn't find them. A search was made on land, air and sea and was abandoned after a few days. Authorities at first surmised that the men had bailed out of the airship, but all three parachutes and a rubber life raft were found aboard the gondola and those most certainly would have been employed. No distress call had been made either. There was no damage that would have come from an attack like bullet holes or signs of fire. The theory that eventually landed for good was that the two men had discovered an oil slick on the water and stopped to investigate it and send up a smoke marker. To do that, the hatch had to be opened and then it was believed one of the men fell out and the other attempted a rescue and fell out as well. Some people believed the men had been captured by the Japanese and then, of course, there's always, aliens. Cody and Adams were declared legally dead in 1943. The gondola was stored for decades at Wingfoot Lake before being donated in 2003 to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. Where did the phantom crew go? The blimp was called The Ghost Blimp.

Oriana House

Oriana House is a residential correction center at 222 Power St. in Akron. From 1930 until 1960, it was run as the Summit County Detention Center. During that time a crime took place here that has led to paranormal activity. It was the weekend after Thanksgiving and the facility was understaffed with three adult attendants. Eula was a firm disciplinarian with a good heart and she brought ice cream for the girls in her dormitory on the second floor. She left and returned before bedtime to see if anyone needed anything. Five of the girls ranging in age from 14 to 17, jumped Eula, stole her keys, tied her with belts and stuffed an ammonia-soaked cloth in her mouth. They smashed a window with a shovel and crawled out into a snowstorm. The girls were clad in thin dresses and tried to hot wire a car, which didn't work. Eula was found suffocated and the girls were all caught later. They were charged with first degree murder, but the Grand Jury changed it to manslaughter and the girls plead guilty and were given from one to 20 years. All were out by 1960. For decades after the crime, staff in the building reported strange phenomena that included windows opening and closing on their own and televisions turning themselves on and off. Disembodied footsteps would follow people in the hallways and the sound of furniture scraping as it was being moved would be heard coming from empty rooms. One deputy in 1989 remarked that they weren't worried about the ghost because "she’s a good ghost. I feel good she’s here. She watches over us."

Akron has a long and successful industrial history. Much of the landscape here was built by members of industry and many of their spirits remain. And there are clearly some interesting legends connected to the Ohio city as well. Are these places in Akron, Ohio haunted? That is for you to decide!