Sign Up  /  Login

Who's Afraid of Ghosts... LbNA #18856 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:bibliophile
Plant date:Oct 8, 2005
Location:
City:Bay Village
County:Cuyahoga
State:Ohio
Boxes:12
Found by: GeminiGirl (9)
Last found:Aug 5, 2015
Status:FFFFFaFFaFFFFFFFFFFr
Last edited:Oct 8, 2005
Cleveland Metropark Huntington Reservation
between Lake Road and Wolf Road in Bay Village, OH
(perhaps a mile west of Dover Center Road)
This series was planted for the Lake Eerie Gathering 2005.
Boxes were created by bibliophile, cinnaboxer, phattlarry, quiltsnbees, WitchyOne, and SafariMan.

Bring your own ink. Logbooks will only be in the last box to save you time :)
Level: Easy
Time: 2 hours

These boxes were checked and many relocated on November 14, 2010. About half of the stamps are now in camo duct tape baggies - please be sure to carefully close each container and conceal them well. Now...

Who’s afraid of ghosts...

Begin your haunted journey at the SE corner of the Wolf Shelter. At 145 degrees you will see a trail entering the woods. Head in that direction. 45 paces (1 pace = 2 steps) will get you to the edge of the woods.

___________________________________________________________
Erie Street Cemetery (by bibliophile)

This historic graveyard is located across the street from Jacobs Field in downtown Cleveland. The most notorious
ghost in the cemetery is Indian Chief Joc-O-Sot.

Joc-O-Sot (1810-1844) was a tribe leader of the Fox or Mesquakie Tribe, who fought in the Black Hawk War
against the United States in 1830. He suffered a gunshot wound at the time, but survived.

In an effort to earn money for his tribe, Joc-O-Sot joined a vaudeville troupe in Cleveland. The troupe toured
England, where Joc-O-Sot fell ill to complications from his gunshot wound from over 10 years before. His illness
forced him to return to Cleveland, He died in the warehouse district and is buried in the Erie Street Cemetery.

Joc-O-Sot’s spirit never rested. He still wanders the cemetery, bitter over having been buried here instead of his
native land. In anger, Joc-O-Sot’s spirit shattered his original tombstone. If he’s having a very bad day, Joc-O-Sot
also haunts the nearby Cleveland Indians Baseball Stadium and affects games. Fans leave trinkets like feathers and
shotglasses on the fragmented stone of his tombstone to appease him.
___________________________________________________________

Walk 21 paces into the woods. You will see a large tree lying on the ground in an east to west direction just to the right of the trail. The tree forms a 'Y'. On the southern side of the southern branch of the 'Y', under a broken off branch protruding from from that southern branch find Chief Joc-O-Sot.

Return to trail and keep going. At 29 paces, a trail from Wolf Road comes in from the right - keep going straight. 70 paces more and the trail deadends into a trail which runs north and south. Take a left.
___________________________________________________________
GARFIELD'S MONUMENT (by Cinnaboxer)

Lakeview Cemetery is home to the busiest ghost in Ohio - that of the 20th US President, James A. Garfield.
Garfield was in office for only a few months before he was shot by Charles Guiteau at a Washington Train Station.
Garfield died from an infection as a result of his wounds several months later.

Garfield's Monument is considered to be the country's first true mausoleum. It serves as both a crypt and memorial.
Beneath the main hall is Garfield's tomb which is allegedly haunted by Garfield's ghost. People have reported seeing
"strange lights" inside the monument.
___________________________________________________________

Step over those trees that fell across the path. You will know it when you arrive at a LARGE slightly reddish tree trunk on the west side of the path - it's a huge mound of crumbly tree - just a few feet off of the trail. With your back to the west side of the tree stump, look 280 degrees. 18 paces will bring you to another stump where you meet President Garfield.
___________________________________________________________
COLLINWOOD SCHOOL (by Cinnaboxer)

On Ash Wednesday, March 4, 1908, Collinwood's Lake View Elementary School became the site of the country's
worst school tragedy. Shortly after 9:00 a.m., and while school was in session, overheated steam pipes ignited
nearby wood joists. The fire spread quickly, and roughly half of the students were unable to escape. In the end,
172 children, 2 teachers and 1 rescuer perished in the fire.

Collinwood at that time was a small community of roughly 8,000 citizens, and many families lived near the school.
When word of the fire spread through the neighborhood, hysterical parents rushed to the scene to find and rescue
their children. Some tried to pull the children out of the doorways, or stood below the upper windows in an attempt
to catch the jumpers. Sadly, most of their efforts proved futile, and they were left to watch helplessly as the fire
consumed the entire building.

During the 20+ years that the school has stood vacant, it has acquired quite a reputation for hauntings and other
weird activity. Some neighbors say that they have seen a light that will first appear in a second floor window, and
then travel along the halls of the school before disappearing. One reader reports that those brave enough to venture inside the old building at night will experience sudden chills and hear the faint screams of children.
___________________________________________________________

Return once again to the trail. Following it, you’ll come to a paved all purpose trail. Take a right, heading east. Take the third dirt trail on the left (39 paces) into the woods. Just as you enter the woods you’ll see a large three sister tree to your right. The children of Collinwood
School have been known to hide behind this tree, low and slightly to the right. ___________________________________________________________
SQUIRE'S CASTLE (by Cinnaboxer)

In the late 1890's, Standard Oil co-founder Feargus B. Squire constructed this carriage house what is now the North
Chagrin Reservation on River Road. The carriage house was part of a larger estate he had planned to build for
himself, his wife and daughter. He was never to complete the project.

It is rumored that Mr. Squire moved his wife into the carriage house after it was built. Not sharing his love of the country, Mrs. Squire soon grew restless. She would often roam the floors of the house at night, carrying a red
lantern.

During one of her nightly wanderings, Mrs. Squire became startled and, in her fright, tripped on some stairs and
broke her neck. Her ghost is believed to still wander the carriage house at night, where her red lantern can be seen
glowing from the windows.
___________________________________________________________

10 paces from the three sister tree, you’ll come to a 3 directional intersection - take the middle path. Continue ‘straight’, do not vere off. After about 66 paces, in approximately 1 minute of walking, you’ll see 2 medium sized limbs lying to the right hand side, cut edges facing the trail. Looking thru ‘victory’ sign see a larger standing tree. Between this tree and the end of the log lurks the ghost of Squire’s Castle.
___________________________________________________________
Johnson’s Island
Confederate Stockade Cemetery (by Cinnaboxer)

This cemetery is located near the Marblehead Peninsula on Lake Erie near Sandusky. This entire island served as a
prison camp for Civil War Confederate soldiers between 1862 and 1865.

This prison was continually overcrowded with inadequate barracks - prisoners suffocated in summer and froze in
winter. During the 40 monthes of operation, over 10,000 prisoners passed through here. Many died of disease and
illness. It is said that 209 Confederate soldiers are buried in the cemetery. However, it is widely believed that many of the remains of soldiers are scattered throughout the island. The spirits of uniformed Confederate soldiers are said to be seen wandering the island.

Walking approximately 21 paces further, take the path to the right down a small hill. The path will then lead uphill. Do not go straight up the incline - that's a new trail made by mountain bikers :(. Instead follow the trail as it bends to the left (admittedly a bit hard to see when it's covered with leaves, but you should be able to spot it)while continuing to gently climb the slope. When you reach the top of the hill, a trail from the right will meet your trail - take that trail. You will immediately see a tree lying on the ground west of the trail (on the right hand side). Where the tree forks watch out for the Confederate soldiers.
___________________________________________________________
Lock 4
Ohio and Erie Canal (by bibliophile)
“For every mile of the canal, an Irishman is buried”

The diggers for the Ohio and Erie Canal were mostly Irish immigrants. Their work was grueling and dangerous -
hundreds of young men died from Canal Fever (malaria) and acute diarrhea. Many were buried in shallow, unmarked
graves along the canal, or in mass pauper graves at nearby cemeteries.

Construction on the Ohio and Erie Canal began in 1825 and was completed in 1832. Canal operations reached its peak
in 1851, but rapidly declined following the development of the railroad system. By 1857, many canals were in serious
fiscal trouble.

The story of this haunting relates to the man who headed the operation of Lock 4 of the Ohio and Erie Canal. He
caught wind of the government’s plan to shut down the Canal Fulton operation. In his anger he burned himself and
several co-workers, with acid. His hateful spirit, as well as some of the murdered workers, is said to still haunt the
building and waterways of the area.
___________________________________________________________

Retrace your steps to the original trail. Head downhill. Take the trail to the left heading downhill (before you come to Lake Avenue). Unfortunately, this area is clearly enjoyed by dirt bikers.....watch your step around the obstacles! Continue traveling downhill until you reach Porter Creek. Follow the creek going upstream (westerly). Before the bridge you’ll see a large double trunked tree to the left side. Behind is the root end of a fallen, smallish tree. The foreman of Lock 4 of the Ohio and Erie Canal lies behind it.
___________________________________________________________
Tinker’s Creek Cemetery and the Curse of the Pilgerruh
(by Quiltsnbees)

Tinker’s Creek is an old cemetery that sits atop a secluded hill in the Cuyahoga Valley, unknown to most people. It
has not been used for more than 75 years and has been subject to the actions of vandals and thieves on several
occasions. The area has an interesting history...

Moravian missionaries settled this area in the late spring of 1786 at an abandoned Ottawa settlement. How long the
Ottawas lived there is unknown but it appears they left their settlement abruptly. The Moravians named the area
Pilgerruh (German for “Pilgrim’s Rest) and built cabins, a church, and planted crops. Though never intending this to be
a permanent home, they left sooner than expected -- only 10 months later. Why?...

A decade later, in 1797, members of the Connecticut Western Reserve Land Company came to survey the land and
renamed the area Tinker’s Creek after the survey’s principal boatman, Joseph Tinker. Sadly, the curse seems to have taken its toll again: shortly after leaving, Joseph Tinker and two companions drowned.

It is also believed that later on this cemetery was used as a mass grave for workers from the Ohio and Erie Canal
who died from malaria and other diseases. Most recently, in an abandoned red barn just before the drive to Tinker’s
Creek Cemetery, a young man hanged himself from thebarn rafters in 2002. So many people leaving - and dying...
___________________________________________________________

Cross the bridge and take the trail to the left just after the bridge. Follow the path along the stream. You'll have to step over three trees and under a fourth, go down and up a little ditch and continue on until you find a small footbridge crossing the stream to your left. Cross the stream and head up the hill. You will notice a large tree on the left side of the trail as it makes a 'hairpin' turn to the right. Start counting...29 steps will take you to a 'T' intersection with a tree directly in front of you. Turn to your right and take 10 steps. At a reading of 60 degrees, you find the Moravian Missionary hiding out in a hole by the tree.
___________________________________________________________
Witches’ Hill (by Witchy One)

Within one not so tranquil cemetery is ‘Witches’ Hill’, found in the Old Chestnut Grove Cemetery in Olmsted Falls,
Ohio.

A woman accused of witchcraft was executed in the cemetery. It is said that she is buried in the very spot where her body dropped from the noose next to the tree from which she was hung. No marker stands at her grave anymore, just a bit of sunken ground where she is buried. Strange lighrs are often seen in this cemetery. The legend goes that bad things will happen to those who venture too close!
___________________________________________________________

Go back to the 'T' intersection, going straight (past the trail you walked up the hill on) and follow it as it curves to the right to rejoin the larger footpath. Go right on the larger footpath 29 steps. To your left (east) is a large two sister tree with the branch from another tree resting in the V. Watch out for the Witch luring you over to the tree - she may just pick that branch up and...
___________________________________________________________

Gray’s Armory (by Safari Man)

Gray’s Armory, located on Bolivar Road in Cleveland, has been haunted for over 100 years. A volunteer militia
company, called the Cleveland Grays, trained in Gray’s Armory for the Civil War and WWI. Employees of the Armory
report seeing Civil War soldiers on the grand stairway. They sometimes hear footsteps going up and down those
stairs when ‘no one’ else is in the building.

Continue on this footpath until you find yourself back at the multi-path intersection near the three sister tree where the children of Collinwood play. Head to the right (west) on the trail that passes directly in front of that tree. You'll be on a raised trail that parallels the all-purpose trail. It's quite straight, as it used to be the bed for the railroad tracks. Take the first trail to the right (you do not go down a hill). Almost immediately on your left see a large three sister tree (maybe - could be two or more trees grown very closely together) into which the top half of a tree a little further down the path has fallen into. Follow the fallen tree to its northern end - haunting this secret spot are the Cleveland Grays. ___________________________________________________________
The Legend of the Seven Barns (by bibliophile)

Within the Cuyahoga Valley area were once seven barns owned by a rich farmer who had seven children. One day,the farmer went mad and butchered his family and livestock. He buried his wife and children in six of the barns, then hung himself from the rafters of the seventh barn.

Only one barn remains standing - the rest have been destroyed. It is believed that the one remaining barn is the one in which the farmer killed himself. Some say his ghost appears as a dark shadow. Others report strange noises and light coming from the barn’s interior.
___________________________________________________________

Continue on the trail. You'll soon come to an intersecting trail - turn left and follow this straight trail for quite a ways. You'll eventually see a bend to the left over a metal drainage pipe - follow this path as it emerges from the woods out to the road. Go to the right. When you meet the all-purpose trail, take another right and follow the paved path. You will travel past all that remains of a former railroad bridge - the supports. Continue across the bridge over Porter Creek. Follow the split rail fence, to the gate to the field. Hiding in a hole on the backside of the last support before the gate is all that left of the Seven Barns. ___________________________________________________________
Franklin Castle (by Cinnaboxer)

Probably the most famous haunted building in Northern Ohio is the Franklin Castle. Built in 1860 for Hannes
Tiedemann, a prominent banker, no expense was spared - it contains over 30 rooms, including a ballroom.

Legends describe Hannes Tiedemann as a tyrant: a cruel man with a temper who was probably a murderer. In 1881,
Hannes’ mother and his 15 year old daughter died within weeks of each other. A few years later, three other young
children died. Louise, Hannes’ wife, dies soon after in 1895. Hannes’ sons and grandson all died by age 40, leaving
only Hannes who died in 1908.

The castle was sold to the German Socialist Party in 1913. Stories of Nazi spies, a room full of people being
machine-gunned down in a hidden room and a tunnel to Lake Erie add to the mystique of the building.

James Romano and his family bought Franklin Castle in 1968. On their first day in the home, several of the children
went to play on the 4th floor. There they met a ‘little girl who dressed and talked strangely’. The children continued to play with this girl, though they could never get her to come downstairs. Mrs. Romano seemed to develop a bond with the deceased Mrs. Tiedemann, often feeling possessed as though she was to keep the house’s secrets. Mrs. Romano felt the spirits were friendly and helped protect her family.
___________________________________________________________

Head across the field on the mowed path. You will see a small clump of trees in the middle of the field...keep going. A narrow footpath will intersect your travel...keep going. You will find yourself in a smaller area of mowed grass. Look to the north - you will see a large branch lying in a west-east position and behind (north) of the branch, a greenish pole (vent for something?!). Walk over to it. Look to your right - see that knarley tree? Hiding behind that tree are the many ghosts of the Franklin Castle.
___________________________________________________________
Huntington Playhouse (by Cinnaboxer)

Huntington Playhouse is haunted by 2 ghosts. Mr. Huntington himself is perported to be one of the ghosts. The other is an electrician who enjoys turning the lights on and off during play practice!
___________________________________________________________

Head back to that narrow footpath that crossed your path. Take that trail up the (sledding) hill. When you reach the top, take a left. When you reach the all-purpose trail, take a left and go down the hill. At the bottom, cross the street and head over to the wall that followed the roadway down the hill by Huntington Playhouse. Face south. Take 20 steps. You'll see a small trail into the woods. Take 30 steps to and along a stone wall. Hiding at almost 4-5 ft in height, under some cement pieces of rock placed on a ledge of the wall, is the ghost of Huntington Playhouse.

Cross the street when the All Purpose Trail becomes visible and follow it up the hill. Take a left when you see the big field and parking area and return to our shelter.

Hope you enjoyed our ghostly tales! Happy Haunting!