Marilyn A. Hudson To Attend Chisholm Trail Book Festival

Author Marilyn A. Hudson will be attending the  Chisholm Trail Book Festival, Sept. 17, 2011 in Duncan, Oklahoma to promote her recent true history books, Tales of Hell's Half Acre and When Death Rode the Rails.  In addition, she will have copies of her chilling short fiction, The Bones of Summer and the novel she has co-written with Cullan Hudson, The Mound.   

Be sure to stop by and say hello, buy a book, and enjoy the event in the lovely convention center in Duncan, Oklahoma.

A ROAR IN THE NIGHT

Often on videos dealing with investigations on the elusive, and yet to be completely proved, Bigfoot, there is a scream in the night.  Knowing from walks through the Ozark woods with my father, other animals can often sound strange and exotic in the dark.  With the increase in sightings of alligators along interior rivers from Florida to Oklahoma, that becomes a possibility. Are the bellows heard in the night in these areas simply misidentified alligator cries?    Panthers, mountain lions, and cougars  are also sometimes suggested as a source. Take a listen...

TO SLEEP, PERCHANCE TO DREAM

Restless sleep and the paranormal seem to go hand-in-hand. 

Dreams- Sleep can be disturbed by dreams repetitive, vivid, and nightmarish. Dreams are theoretically the minds 'flush' of excess activities, thoughts, experiences, fears, and  memories.  They are the diagnostic the subconscious runs to allow analysis of choices, decisions, and motivations to come to light.  They are the psychic messages to the conscious mind addressing unresolved fears or desires.  They are connections to the other worlds and realms of this or another universe.  They are pure 'junk' with no meaning whatsoever instigated by, as Lewis Carroll observed in "A Christmas Carol" a bit of undigested beef.  As both mental and physical reality, the dream world can be felt in both mind and body.  A manifestation of this is the condition known as 'sleep paralysis' - which through the centuries has been interpreted as the work of a demon, a witch, a succubus or incubus, a vampire, or a ghost.  One feels as if something is sitting on top of them holding them down or sucking the life force from them.   

Responses to bad dreams over the eons of time have ranged from exotic concoctions, rituals, simple meditations, prayers, and icons.   

Responses:

Several actions which do play a role in resolving dream problems involve a) being checked over by your doctor for medical conditions which might cause the sleeping problems and getting medical suggestions for improving sleep (more activity, cutting out stimulants, improving diet, etc.).  The increase in sleep apnea (which untreated can be life threatening) make it imperative that sleeplessness be first addressed medically;  

b) Becoming more self-aware by identifying and recording the dreams over time to detect any patterns in symbols, actions, or messages so you can understand what your inner self is trying to tell you, and; 

c) Protecting your sleep space, and yourself, through a ritual or icon you believe will guard you in  your sleep from negative influences or forces.  This might involve nightly prayers (such as a psalm or The Prayer of St. Michael), readings from a sacred text, lighting of candles or the use of cleansing incense, the use of holy icons (statues, rosaries, crosses, etc.), a blessing over the sleep space, a 'command' for a peaceful night spoken by the one afflicted by sleep problems, and  the use of a "Dream Catcher" to capture negative dreams.

GENERATING BUZZ: HIGH POWER & PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

Recently a trip to the eastern part of Oklahoma allowed visiting a couple of sites previously investigated and to some location alleged to  have been the site of paranormal activity.   One of the benefits of going during the day was that certain things became apparent and would have been obscured arriving at night.

The car radio first alerted to the potential of their being environmental influences needing to be noted, i.e., in the form of huge electrical towers.    The towers went on for miles and criss-crossed areas where alleged events of paranormal activity have been reported (hauntings, negative spirits, etc.).  Could they have influenced these events? It was possible as other research over the years has indicated these can produce manifestations or create anxiety matching that reported in various accounts. The electromagnetic readings, in this instance, were higher under the towers and in conjunction with the radio static.  

More research is definitely needed. Such things as locating a map with greater detail of where these lines are, so a grid  could be created to see if activity and the high wires demonstrate or suggest the environmental activity can be triggered by such environmental influences ( such as high power lines, running water through granite substructure, and other theoretical influences). 

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL...

Since ancient times when shiny natural surfaces of water and stone were used, the reflective surface has been used as a focus for occult and/or paranormal activity. 

It serves as an important symbol in such literary classics as Dracula, Through the Looking Glass, The Picture of Dorian Gray (with the painting substituting for the mirror), and the fairy tale, 'Sleeping Beauty'.

Mirrors reflect an alternate reality because we do not see 'us' but the reverse of 'us' and this heightens the sense of unreality.  Infants think they are seeing another baby in early tests. Mirrors also allow for easy transit into a trance state and have been used to focus physic viewing.

As anyone who has ever gone the, "Bloody Mary" route in the dark in the middle of the night - well they can be down right scary too!   The mind is capable of creating anything it can imagine.    A child one time said he could roar like a dinosaur and preceded to illustrate the might of his roar, only to have his eyes grow wide,  his breathing start to pant, and his skin to pale; he literally frightened himself through the power of his own imagination!

Imagine someone who was intensely 'evil' (what happened to Nero's or Hitler's shaving mirrors as an example?), in great pain, under the influences of some drug, mentally ill or totally insane.  Couple this with the ability of the mirrored surface to allow for ease of transit into and through a trance state.  The result could be an object infused with an intense amount of energy.

Mirrors can be collectors of energy and doorways to other dimensions in some cultures. Breaking them shatters luck for seven years. Covering them after a death an act of respect but also a protection for the departed soul least it be sucked into another time and place and trapped or become lost.

Since the purpose of the mirror is basically narcissistic, it is easy to see how imbued with personal energy such an object might become.  A person would fill the mirror with the energy of their own super-ego and id.  Their vanity at their own looks, their fears of loosing it, their self-loathing, or their anxieties at approaching age all there in that surface....

Read more here.

Guthrie Group Ready to Hunt

Investigating the unknown all over but based in Guthrie is a group called the GUTHRIE PARANORMAL STUDIES CREW.  The leaders of the crew include Chris Biggs, Matt Cates, and Bryan Childers  all they take their investigations seriously.  

Utilizing a variety of state of the art technological tools, a good dose of common sense, and a determination to get to the truth, G.P.S.C. is currently looking for new venues to explore to learn more.  

If you have a problem area, know of a place with a 'past', or think you may be having problems of the paranormal variety, consider giving G.P.S.C. a call (or email).  They understand and want to help.

As G.P.S.C. says, "We offer  a group of paranormal investigators that shed some light on the dark."

Phone:14053714883
Fax:
Email:icecivic3815@yahoo.com

Chris' G.P.S.C. Facebook Page

Website

New Edition of 'Strange State' Coming

Long known as "the book" on all things strange, ghostly, paranormal and downright bizarre in Oklahoma, Strange State: Legends and Mysteries of Oklahoma, is being published in its third edition this summer.

Newly revised, with additional stories and follow-ups on others, the book will be a delight to any library collection, bookshelf, or as a gift for that person with an interest in the unusual.

It is an almost encyclopedic collection and many of the stories were personally investigated by the author. Some are tales that had remained hidden for nearly 100 years...

Hudson balances the zeal of a 'true believer' with the hard headed rationality of a skeptic providing a work that is encompassing, well rounded and vastly entertaining. 

As a freeland graphic artist Hudson leaves his imprint on intriguing cover designs and photos both evocative and lovely.   Catch up with Cullan Hudson on his popular blog of the unusual at STRANGE STATE BLOG.

The book will be available on Amazon.com later this summer.

Oklahoma Author Announces New Book

Developed from an intriguing monograph which excited interest among law enforcement and amateur sleuths alike, WHEN DEATH RODE THE RAILS questions if a serial killer may have worked the rail systems of early day Oklahoma. Her ongoing research has uncovered some very interesting additional finds and some possible out of state links to similar deaths. The manuscript explores early railroad history and chronicles intriguing deaths reported from 1900-1920 along Oklahoma rail roads. Along the way, other fascinating historical details emerge including a series of multi-state ax welding killings where the assailant also used the rails. Whorl Books, 'Haunted By History' series.

About the Author

Marilyn A. Hudson is the Director of Library Services at Southwestern Christian University in Bethany, Oklahoma. Prior, she served as public services librarian for the Metropolitan Library System and as a library media specialist for Norman Public Schools. Listed in the 1997 Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities, she was the 2002 recipient of the OLA Outstanding New Librarian Award, and member of the Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society, Golden Key, and Phi Kappa Phi. Her general research interests are in history, especially social, religious, and church history; women’s studies; mythology, folklore and storytelling. Hudson was lead writer and editor of the book, One Night Club and A Mule Barn: The First 60 Years of Southwestern Christian University and authored, Those Pesky Verses of Paul: Examining Women in the New Testament, The Bones of Summer, Tales of Hell's Half Acre, Elephant Hips are Expensive, and others. She received a B.A. in History and an M.L.I.S. from the University of Oklahoma.

Available at Amazon.com

HAUNTINGS AND MOTIVATIONS

What motivates a spirit to haunt a location?  The school that is haunted when class is out. The cemetery where spirits linger on. The jail where the prisoners stay in bondage. The room where they killed themselves. Some researchers will say these locations are all likely spots for haunting but are they really?

Considering how awful high school is for most students - why would someone want to haunt it? You were laid in the ground in that cemetery - you really want to hang out there? The prisoners who stay in the place where they were abused, imprisoned, and often died - really?  The room where they took their life in that hotel is the place they want to return to over and over again?

Are they a broken record, forever looping around and around in some fatal last moments? Is the energy of the event enough to imprint on the environment and set in perpetual motion some deathly sequence of events?

Are there spiritual pests?  Creepies and rodents of the mystical plane ( or just another dimensional life form) who burrow into our plane of existence, mimicking and pretending to be something else?  When we enter with the electronic equipment and UV goggles and enter a location is it the equivalent of entering the kitchen in a slum lord's house?;one movement, and millions of cockroaches scatter across floors, walls, and ceilings. 

What is the motivation?  What causes the need or desire to hang around in these strange areas? Random electronic impulses drawn by natural forces we do not yet understand?

EL RENO RECAPTURING ITS HISTORY

El Reno, Oklahoma is one of many cities rediscovering their history in order to claim their future.  Instead of tearing down grand old buildings, rich in history and with stories still untold, they are restoring, re-tasking, and reshaping the environment of their downtown area.  Communities across the country are finding that the sprawled, decentralization of much of urban life disconnected communities, fragmented development, and frayed citizen participation.  The post-modern  and so-called progressive mind-sent of the mid-20th century was high on destruction but low on preservation of what was truly important to a community.  Kudos to El Reno, Oklahoma for recognizing the value of its past as a crucial element to grasp their future. 

AUTHORS at GHOSTLAHOMA. EL RENO, OK 2011

Tammy Wilson & Tonya Hacker, "Ghostlahoma", the book

Teri French White, "Tulsa's Haunted History"

Marilyn A. Hudson, author of "The Bones of Summer", "The Year Without A Halloween: History of  an Oklahoma Holiday", and "Secrets of a Sometimes Psychic" (under pen name)

'GHOSTLAHOMA", El Reno, Ok 2011

KANSAS UFO ca 1960's

The following sighting comes from Wellington, Kansas in about the year 1965 (the respondent could not be certain). She believes it was in the summer or early fall. A noise drew the family's attention to the backdoor of their house on the northern part of the town. The back yard was awash in a red-orange glowfalling from the sky above. No details could be discerned - only this strange red-orange glow. The object creating the light made no sound. The respondent remembered hearing dogs barking and her family murmuring as they looked out into the back yard. Her brother opened the screen and went out on the small concrete porch and then.....nothing. The next thing remembered was the family back inside the house and no mention was made of anything happening. The respondent asked about the "light" and her family looked a little blank and said "The light? Oh, yes that was strange." It continued to be only vaguely recalled for many years for all but the respondent. Note: in August of 1965 there was a large UFO flap covering much of the mid-west. Could this be part of that flap?

Haunted Oklahoma

One the questions people have concerning alleged haunted houses is why the haunting? Usual explanations (a violent or tragic past) fail to measure up when the place is a brand new residence or shop or street. This has caused some to speculate that places are not haunted only people. 

Others express different explanations involving classifications of "ghosts", "residuals", "manifestations", 'dark or negative spirit/entity"and "spirit echo". Some - borrowing heavily from 'string theory' even suggest that such events we call haunting are really thin portals into another reality that, in some ways, mirrors our own. When reviewing the literature of the history of humanity, there is a frequent image of just such a situation. The ancients recognized the "thin veil" dividing the dead from the living, this world from the next, and one reality from another. The ancient Celts also referred to this shimmering walls, these thin spots, in time and space. 

Some people have found that there are certain places where the normal rules do not seem to function normally: Spook lights dancing through dark forests in eastern Oklahoma, gravity hills that challenge our ideas in Bartlesville, disappearing people in Bethany, and strange haunted houses that provide sounds hard to explain in Norman. Perhaps the ancients had a greater grasp on the mysterious than is often supposed. It may be that our understanding of the rules of operation need to be more fluid than current science allows. 

Haunted Oklahoma may be the new frontier, a nexus where time, space, and reality intersect to provide important information about the nature of the universe.

RUN FOR THE HILLS! BRAIN EATING ALIENS HIDING NEAR ADA

Or, at least, that is the rumor. According to some there is an alien underground base in or near Ada, Oklahoma. These are not the cute E.T.'s of Hollywood. No. these are the malicious, evil reptilian creatures whose goal seems to be world domination. These include the familiar "grays" but also more classic reptile looks hidden by various disguises. (And you wondered where the extras from "V" the Movie" went, didn't you?).  Originally, a tale told to Brad Steiger (apparently, never one to too closely check sources or facts) and reported in one of his books.

Another story has been uncovered that suggests that the "activity " going on in Ada, Oklahoma is not aliens - but the secret government of the Illuminati.  They are at work on cloning projects deep under ground. Anyone with a gamma detector should be able to locate the source - despite its being hidden some 7 levels down- as the "process" apparently uses large amounts of gamma radiation.

"Ada, Oklahoma’s underground facility is being used to clone humans. The other cloning facilities are turning out weird creatures. Due to the processes involved they give off lots of gamma radiation (Gamma is at the far end of the electromagnetic wave spectrum--it is even a longer wave than ultraviolet). Because they give off Gamma radiation, these facilities must bedcep (sic) underground. The cloning is done at level 7. The average depth (according to one of the men who built these Deep Underground Facilities - D.U.M.) is 5,600’.---- Source at http://www.davidicke.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3097&page=68

It becomes clear that no one in Ada need even see anything. They probably created a tunnel that takes them to the fast food spots in a nearby town.

These 'bases' are turning out clones of movie stars and political leaders - as if there were not enough of them already. The first run in the reserve parts business? A mad plan for world domination? The brain child of a high school student in Ada after a kegger?? Who knows.....who can be sure.....

I am, however, keeping my eyes open for increasing numbers of "twins".

[for those unaware, the tongue is firmly in the cheek]

Murdered By Human Wolves

The other day on a nature program was a fascinating first-person account of a 21st century wolf attack.  It was gripping, especially when one realized the wolves we know today in North America and in the few remaining pockets elsewhere around the globe are far smaller than those known in the middle ages or to the ancients who chose the suckling twins and the mother wolf as symbols of Rome.  Although abbreviated in size, they retain a strong determination and intent when stalking their prey - as the young man who was nearly carried off by the wolf could attest. Although nearly ten years later, his head and face still retained the scars of those fangs digging deep into his scalp and face.  Some say the menace of the wolf was the silence in which they hunt, often slipping in out of the shadows to clutch a morsel (small child, stock, or meat waiting to be cooked) and then are gone.

In that context, it is a little easier to understand the strange tombstone in a small Oklahoma cemetery.  Its bizarre inscription has stirred more than imagination "murdered by human wolves."   One blog detail this grave of Katherine Cross who died in 1899.

Most believe she died at the hands of a local doctor, who was probably responsible for at least one other death of a young women. He was said to have performed an unlawful operation.  Given the time period, the operation may have been an abortion, but could have been something else.   In the end, Katherine and and another young woman were dead.

Some say the menace of the wolf was the silence in which they hunt, often slipping in out of the shadows to clutch a morsel (small child, stock, or meat waiting to be cooked) and then are gone.  Sometimes, however, the only difference between a human two-legged wolf and a werewolf is only the amount of fur showing.

WHICH COMES FIRST?

 One theory of sightings related to paranormal or out of the ordinary events is that they are sparked  by media events.  A movie will create sightings of UFO's, Bigfoot, or Ghosts.  Researchers are quick to suggest that impressionable audiences then 'see' things in the sky, the woods, or in the dark.

It appears to be selective, if that is indeed what is happening, as was shown in a recent study conducted by myself.   I examined how often the term "werewolf" emerged in one  news source from 1910 to 1979.  As expected, in the 1930's and the release of "The Wolfman" there were increased instances of the word but not as sightings or related to unusual deaths or events.   In the late 1930's, the German war machines "Wolfman"  units were ruthless released on European populations.   In the 1960's, teen movies appear but no stories of sightings or death and costumes sells soared.  In the 1970's, the myth was being explained away by a strange skin condition that explained the ancient misunderstandings about people with the condition.

Yet, no legends came to light of strange howling at the moon, manlike beastial murders, strange large sized wolfen tracks, and no spikes in the making of silver bullets.  I could have missed something, but it does appear as if the movie in no way generated 'wolf sighting waves.'  

Which is something interesting to contemplate about those UFO, Bigfoot, and Ghost waves.  Interest may be peaked, people may be reminded to look up, look out, and look around more and they may take more notice - but apparently only when something is there do people remark about it.  

Anyone remember when the last great American "Werewolf" sighting was?   Anyone recall a time when local legends about fur-faced humans with long canines sent delighted shivers over youthful skin?  I will guess that any such stories are contained within very specific people groups or locations and have no connection to any outside influences.

Maybe - just maybe - a second look should be taken at the suggestion all outbreaks and phases of anomalous sightings are presaged by movies, television, or books.   

HAUNTED BY HISTORY

Haunted by History (c) - 

One of the real pleasures of urban exploration, investigations, and legend tripping is the chance to see real history still clinging to life.  Despite neglect and abandonment or simple age they remain to delight those observant enough to see and appreciate what is found.

Do all you can to help locales preserve their important history and make it survive for future generations.

Anyone can destroy, spray paint, or trash someplace - it takes special people to build or rebuild.

Hallway to Hades

It Was A Dark and Storied Night....

Using notebooks participants in a field trial explore a historic and empty building.

OKLAHOMA AUTHOR WITH SPECIAL FAN?

Cullan Hudson, author of the popular book Strange State: Mysteries and Legends of Oklahoma, was photographed during a conference in Oklahoma City's film district.  The fulsome orb in the upper corner: a fan from another dimension or just a particle of dust?

BLOOD SPOTS OR SOMETHING ELSE?

"The blood stains are still there. They get cleaned but come back." That was the story told while investigating this alleged haunted locale in eastern Oklahoma. Said to be the site of cruel and senseless violence decades earlier.

In the darkened site the spots were pointed out and a photo taken (with a camera strap in the image for some scale).

The color of the spots was a deep rust and could have been blood...or paint.  

The problem with these types of claims is the lack of any ability to verify - through testing using scientific means - if they are true blood stains forever stained into the wood or something more benign.

Photo Fake

A demon child with glowing eyes?  No, a product of bad Photoshop job.  Again, a lesson for any to accept at face value what might appear to be a really fascinating bit of evidence.

COME TO CHURCH

This image from a location in eastern Oklahoma, privately owned, was taken during a visit to what is believed to be an old haunted church. Stories of phantom church goers trudging into service in the midnight hours are numerous.  As we sat in the dark during the investigation, an imperceptible glow seemed to arise near the bench, appeared to be a figure just left of the window.  When the photo was later examined was nothing there.  An orb appears in the upper right but may be only a dust particle caught in the flash.

Seeing Things

In this photograph a face peers out from the middle of the wall,  Or does it?

In a location in eastern Oklahoma, privately owned, is this building. A lot of investigations have occurred there, many physic mediums, and a lot pictures taken.  

The story is that this face shows up in many images.  The question is: is it a face psychically burned into the wood  or just an irregularity in the old paneling?  Perhaps just a trick of light and shadow?

The image, taken by me, is an example of just how the eye can sometimes see what it wants to see and that may have no connection to reality at all.

A good lesson for anyone going into the field.

MARK IT ON YOUR CALENDARS

Some Reportedly Haunted Places in Oklahoma

The following are some of the most common spots listed as haunted in Oklahoma:

SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA:
Ft. Gibson
Ft. Washita
Dead Man's Gulch, Atoka area

CENTRAL/WESTERN OKLAHOMA:
Ft. El Reno
Black Jail - Guthrie
LaBady Mansion- Bartlesville
Kulli Tukilo Methodist Church - Idabel

OKC/METRO/CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AREA:
Carey Place - Oklahoma City [URBAN LEGEND]
Kitchen Lake - SE OKC/MWC area [URBAN LEGEND]
Old women's dorms/ AGR Frat House- OSU, Stillwater [URBAN LEGEND]
"Dead Woman's Crossing" - Weatherford
County Line Resturant - OKC [Now closed]
OKC Zoo - OKC
Walls Bargain Center- Shawnee
Music Store - Shawnee
Cate's Center - OU

TULSA AREA:
Cain's Ballroom
Brady Theater
Tulsa Little Theater
Tulsa Garden Center
Sparky's Cemetary
Riverside Park
The Cave House
The Gilcrease house
Labadie Mansion
The Brady Mansion
The Camelot Hotel
The Mayo Hotel
Peace of Mind Bookstore
Old Bellview School (Jason's Deli 15th & Peoria)
Empire Bar
Brady Mansion
Hex House Lot
Club Majestic
Lola's & Fox Hotel
Philbrook Mansion
The White House - Jenks, OK

'STAGE FRIGHT EVENT', Ponca City, Oklahoma

INSight Paranormal Investigations hosts a "STAGE FRIGHT EVENT" at the lovely and historic Poncan Theater in north central Oklahoma on Sat. Oct. 23, 2010.

"Spend an evening in one of Oklahoma’s most beautiful historic theatres, while being presented with informative and interesting sessions relating to the field of paranormal research.  After the informational sessions, it’s time to put your own investigative skills to the test!  Investigate the theatre alongside INsight investigators, for your chance to experience first-hand the mystery and beauty that make the Poncan Theatre a true Oklahoma gem!  (For more information about this beautiful 1927 Vaudeville and silent movie theatre, visit www.poncantheatre.org.)"

OKC'S 'GHOULS GONE WILD'

The annual OKC bacchanal, aka "GHOULS GONE WILD" will be Saturday Oct. 23, 2010. The Grand Marshall will be the well known personality, COUNT GREGORE.   Visit the webpage for more information.

COLD SPOTS: Research

Public Parapsychology has a scholarly report on the use of temperature readings in paranormal investigations. Cold spots, dips in temperature, and anomolous breezes are important in research because they are measurable and quantifiable.

It is important to establish a baseline temperature reading on an investigation.  This means mapping the space or structure, noting doors, windows, vents, traffic patterns (someone passing by can leave a space disturbed). 

NATS, Oklahoma Paracon, Oct.30th, 2010

Lovely southwest Oklahoma, historic Medicine Park,  is the location for the Native American Truth Seekers Paracon 2010. 

Special speakers:
Keith Age
Steven LaChange
Jacqui Carpenter
Arrian Scalf
Tonya Hacker

Read more about speakers, location, etc. here.

April 2011 "OK Ghost Convention"

According to the G.H.O.U.L.I. website. Mark your calendars.

'WHITE WOMAN' GHOST

Some tales are merely that - tales.  They have no true paranormal aspect to them, other than the ability to live forever as each new generation comes of age and the tale is retold.  One of the most prevalent themes in all of paranormal reseach is the 'lady in white', 'the woman in white', and other similar descriptors.

Wilkie Collins in 1859 published what is considered to the the first mystery novel, The Woman in White.  Other tales and reported sightings could fall into the category of the classic woman in white tale; a women wronged or harmed who restlessly wanders around in perpetual grief or remorse.

He no doubt drew inspiration from tales through out the British Isles of such women dating from medieval times.  The Irish Banshee may be a version that dates further back and reflect an older tradition still.

Hispanic cultures may reflect the motif in their weeping mother or similar tales associated with the violation of innocense.

The famed "resurrection Mary' version from Chicago, and its many locale variants, may be inspired by ancient tales, Collins ,or be a manifestation of some ofter process at work in society.  The resurrection Mary story emerged at a time when young ladies were first gaining freedom to go out without chaperones and in wild automobiles to dance to hot music and drink cold liquer.  There may be a tinge of a morality tale created to keep them 'down on the farm'.

One local version in Oklahoma is set near Conners College, near Warner, Oklahoma.    There is supposedly (I  have not verified any of this in the tradition of sharing a good story....) a College road that runs past the institution and passes a cemetery.  There, a 'white woman' has been seen by generations of people....

The informant told me the story "has been told for many years."

Marilyn A. Hudson, Historian and Storyteller....

IMPRECISION

It very important in any type of research to be as accurate as possible. For example, in an interview with a person from SE Oklahoma there was mention made of the 'Bug Tussle cemetery."  Yet, in reflection and researching most sources will say the nearest cemetery to that community, located on a spur into Lake Eufala, is really Oak Hill cemetery in nearby McAlester.  Someone trying to verify the location of such a spot would be greatly confused without specifics as to just where this location was to be found.

The person had a good story - said to be well known in the region - that a witch 'hag' comes out of one graves in that cemetery and then goes into another.   Without better location information it is impossible to verify the event or to debunk it as mere local legend.

IT LOOKS HAUNTED SO IT SHOULD BE!!

Scan the pages of any Internet site and you will find phrases such as "it looks haunted!" or "it is a creepy place - I bet there are ghosts there!" The truth of the matter is that a haunting can -and often do occur - in very prosaic places. Modern suburban houses filled with bric-a-brac and office buildings in strip malls. How something looks is no gauge of its value or merit or haunted-ness. There are, however, some places that sensitives can identify (and sometimes others) as having a "feel" or a "mood". Sometimes there is a sense that "something lingers on." There can also be places "tainted" by emotions, actions, or negative spirits. So - despite what all the horror novels and movies have enjoyed telling us for decades - if it looks spooky - it probably is not.

LEGENDS AND LOCALES

In northeast Oklahoma is the tale of the Labadie Mansion.  The legend goes (with some disputing them of course) that a man killed his wife and another man, Enos Parsons, in 1935. The facts are that the remains of stone house of some size is found outside of Copan. A gravestone for a Frank Labadie (1860-1935) and a Samantha Labadie (1857-1935) have been found. There is a Frank Labadie listed on the 1920 census as being 19 and born in Arkansas - but none are listed on Heritage Quest census database for 1930 and no Enos Parsons either!

In addition, the Oklahoma City papers did not carry any news of such a crime or event and it is supposed that as it is an unusually bad news it would have traveled. The facts are that numerous people have admitted to using the place as a spot to scare girls, party, or do other recreational activities. So - given the fact that older citizens have said that the couple died peacefully from smoke in a fire - this is probably another sample of what folklorist call "contemporary legends" (i.e., urban myths).

What is needed: Census or official records stating the people were alive in the area in the time period; some official record (newspaper, funeral records, etc.) of the cause of the death of the man and the woman, some record of the existance of Enos Parsons, and some type of proof of haunitng activity via photos, audio, or other evidence.

Here are some sites that repeat the "story":

http://www.angelfire.com/scary/labadie0/

Labadie – Copan, OK

http://spiritchat2217.proboards34.com/index.cgi?action=recent

http://spiritchat2217.proboards34.com/index.cgi?board=PENISE&action=print&thread=53

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-USz6DL87f7Qg6NmBd6gk5A--?cq=1&p=42

ANATOMY OF AN URBAN LEGEND

Sometimes local legends are merely that.  The product of fevered imaginations with too much time on their hands? In the early 1990's accounts of a "Hatchet House" with accompanying awful murder and porch painted red to hide "all the blood", began to appear in local OKC newspapers. Soon tales of swings moving in the moonlight.....and ghostly voices of children playing..... began to flesh out the vague and lurid premise. Now, every Halloween local haunters flock to the historic district of the Gatewood Neighborhood to find the notorious house with hatchet cutouts...or the red painted porch....or the driveway where 'they found the body.' This seemed like an easy find....track down the dastardly crime....solve the mystery...provide some background for this legend. So far...however, no such crime has come to light. The area only dates back to the 1920's when it boomed along with various other areas of the city. Its classic hometown feel and its historic homes kept it a special place for many decades. There was tragedy as children, go to and coming from the local elementary school (Gatewood Elementary) were struck by automobiles...a few random crimes....and some natural deaths. Findng a grim and ghastly crime worthy of such a horrific legend....has so far drawn a blank. It is similar to the tale in the Don Knotts comedy, "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" with its tale of murder, blood stained organ keys ("and they used Bon-Ami!"), and generally bad reputation. Unless, and until, something definite is discovered this is no doubt another OKC Urban Legend. So, drive through the area and enjoy the neighborhood that is on the national history registry.....but give the folks there a rest because there is really nothing else to see there.

IMPROVING YOUR RESEARCH

It is very important to learn as much as possible about the history of a location as it is to gather data of a scientific nature. It will be necessary to verify legends, rumors, and commonly held "truths" about a location and the reasons for a possible haunting. Remember, despite common mythology, not everything is on the Internet - some old school research is required to do top quality work.

Keep a notebook for your research trips, record where you found the information (name of the library and location) and the general bibliographic information (author, title, publisher, date, and call number - in case you need to re-check it). The notebook can be a simple spiral bound school notebook or a laptop.

Libraries will generally have information related to local history (old newspapers, local history books, etc.). Some libraries now offer, with a library card, access to genealogical databases to search census records, deeds, newspapers (to a limit). This link lists all Oklahoma Public Libraries. Library cards are usually free in the location to area residents since they are funded by tax dollars (property or other tax bases). Visitors from out of town or state may need to pay to access local databases, but use of other materials is usually free to visitors. Special collections (archives) may have limitations as to use or access. In Oklahoma, students and staff of universities can apply (via their school library) for the OKShareCard. This is honored by member libraries at other institutions. It allows limited checkout of books - but often does not allow access to databases.

Courthouses & City or County Clerks offices can provide information related to ownership of land, previous occupations of an area, and other pertinent information. The link lists state courthouses and their addresses.

Local museums can also sometimes provide some information about local legends or history. The lists all museums in Oklahoma. Some are staffed by volunteers and be prepared to leave bags or cases with an attendant, sign papers to use, etc. They may not be sympathetic with a paranormal investigation, but then sometimes the people staffing these places aren't sympathetic to any researcher! So be polite, friendly, and have a plan as to what you want to find out. You might discover they want to help.

ONLINE RESOURCES:

Census records (Free - not complete but a help) ; http://www.censusfinder.com/ ;

http://www.census-online.com/links/ ; a subscription service Ancestry.com allows access to census films and many other local history resources online ($100 to $300 a year) but many larger libraries offer access to this in their libraries via their computers.

County Clerk Public Records-OK

http://okcountyrecords.com/index.php

Good General Introduction to using Court House Records

http://www.arkansasresearch.com/g-court.html

 

Census Bureau Flyer on Availability of Census Records for an Individual / US Privacy Act,etc.

http://www.census.gov/prod/2/gen/cff/cff-9702.pdf

remember:

Expect misspelled names, hard to read writing, and changes in street names and housing developments.

Expect history books to cover only the well-known, wealthy, or notorious people or events of any community.

Think of alternative ways of learning information. If a book on the town makes no mention of the haunted house....look at biographies of local people....or family genealogies, etc. Somebody may mention legends or places in passing.

--MH Research, 2007