Tag: paranormal investigation

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DSGI Visits Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

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Sometimes when strangers find out that I am a paranormal investigator or my daughter freely tells them that I talk to ghosts, haha, they look at me like I’m crazy. I’ve got news for you. There’s a whole lot of crazy in the world, and believing in the paranormal should be at the bottom of that list.

In 2021, the Diamond State Ghost Investigators (DSGI) traveled to Weston, West Virginia, for a private overnight paranormal investigation.

History of Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (TALA), also known as the Weston State Hospital, is a former psychiatric hospital located in Weston, West Virginia. The hospital was built between 1858 and 1881, but it didn’t start operating until 1864. While that seems like a date from a long time ago, it’s unnerving when you learn that the hospital didn’t close until 1994. Some patients who were treated at TALA have been relocated to other locations but are still alive today.

March 7, 1936 (page 1 of 26). (1936, Mar 07). The Philadelphia Inquirer Public Ledger (1934-1969)

The asylum is a National Historic Landmark known for its Kirkbride design, common to asylums of the early 19th century.

The history of TALA is one that turns my stomach. I find it upsetting to think that doctors experimented on people with brain health issues with methods that they hoped would “fix” them. In addition, hundreds of people were admitted to the hospital for reasons that don’t make sense. A husband could commit his wife for reasons such as reading too many seductive novels or having extreme PMS. *note my eye roll* Men and women, boys and girls of all ages, stayed within those walls. Some of the children were born and died there.

The hospital was established with the purpose of providing respectful treatment to patients with mental health issues. They had dining rooms for patients to eat off fancy China plates. Patients were able to move about freely and even go outside to exercise. Unfortunately, as more and more people were admitted and the hospital surpassed maximum capacity, things went downhill. A place built for hope quickly became a place filled with despair.

Too many giggles and too many people

The Philadelphia Inquirer article shared in this post is from 1936. It references an 18-year-old patient who apparently had long-lasting giggle fits. The response to stop this was a “pelvic disorder surgery” performed by Dr. J.E. Offner, superintendent of the Weston State Hospital. Just imagining a young girl unable to stop her giggles in an asylum environment freaks me out.

At its peak in the 1950s, the hospital held 2,600 patients, more than ten times the number it intended to house. Doctors and nurses confined difficult patients in open-air cages to make room for those deemed to have easier cases. The asylum became a training ground for experimental lobotomies courtesy of Dr. Walter Freeman. His “ice pick method” involved inserting an ice pick into the patient’s eye socket and using a hammer to sever the connective tissue in the prefrontal cortex of the brain.

An onslaught of activity

The amount of activity we encountered in only about 10 hours of time was something I probably should have expected, but I didn’t. The energy was that of confusion. You could feel eyes on you at times, with almost wonderment. Like patients wondering who you are, why are you there? We voiced that we wanted to hear their stories, weren’t there to hurt them, and just wanted to talk. At times the investigators, with their headphones on listening for EVPs were hearing so many voices at once that it was impossible to make out what the voices were trying to say. Other times we heard what I consider to be “residual energy imprints.”

Residual energy in paranormal investigations refers to the theory that certain locations can retain and replay energy from past events, resulting in repetitive paranormal activity.

The same things happened over and over again, repetitively over time at the hospital and we hear those imprints. For example, we heard the sound of heels coming down the hall, which makes sense if nurses were walking from room to room. For the most part, I felt anxious. I didn’t feel scared, because the energy I felt wasn’t threatening, instead, it felt a little confused or lost.

Not fear

And then, we investigated the 4th Floor. I realize we were there to make contact, and we did, on every floor, but the entities on the 4th floor didn’t want us to leave once we got there. I was at the back of the line when we were heading out, and that’s when I was scratched. It felt hot, it stung my mid to lower back, and I lifted my shirt to show the team, and they saw a fresh scratch.

I’ve been touched before during investigations, and my hair has been played with, but I have never been hurt. I was upset and shaken when we returned to the break room to regroup with the full team. It wasn’t until after the fact did I really think about what happened.

I’d like to believe that the patient who reached out in the hall just didn’t want us to leave. Maybe it had taken all of his or her energy just to get up to where we were sitting, and then we got up and left.

On our way, turning into the hallway, something ran up behind us quickly and pushed us forward. At the time, we thought it was another teammate playing a prank, but when we looked, there was no one there. Maybe the same person who didn’t want me to leave saw that we were coming back and pushed us forward. I don’t know, but I’d like to think that had been the thought process. I want to believe the patients we encountered while investigating TALA were not malicious or evil.

Saying hello to Lilly

Much like how I grew up, I share my views of the paranormal with my kids. My two oldest boys are skeptical. I appreciate that they should absolutely be skeptical. It doesn’t stop them from wanting to hear about all the investigations. My youngest daughter is a wide-open book who wants to experience everything. I will need to be sure to simmer her down a bit before she ever goes out on an investigation because she needs to protect herself. However, before leaving for TALA, she asked me to say hello to Lilly. When we came across Lilly’s room, we sat in there for a bit, we didn’t get too much activity, but it was the only time the music box played music. I know it was Lilly, and I’d like to think she heard me say that a little girl in Delaware cares about her and says hello.

The lobotomy recovery room

A team member heard a disembodied voice growling close to her ear, while two others saw tall shadow figures in the lobotomy recovery room. We had REM pods set up in the room, and when we asked if anyone was with us, the lights turned on in response. Sometimes the lights moved in succession as if an entity were moving closer to us and backing away. I can imagine patients waking up in this recovery room and not knowing what happened or where they are. Someone may have growled due to desperation to communicate, but the surgery they underwent prevented them from doing so

Facts and vaults

And here’s a random factoid for my fellow gamers out there. The asylum is actually in Bethesda Game Studios’ Fallout 76, it is called Fort Defiance.

DSGI has not yet posted evidence from TALA to our digital vault. You can find evidence from other places posted. Head to our main navigation or click here to see our DSGI Evidence Vault.

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The Fort Delaware Ghost Cat

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As you know from our previous post about an overnight investigation at Fort Delaware, it is a historic site located on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River. The fort was built in the mid-19th century and served as a Union prison during the Civil War. Today, it is a popular tourist destination known for its rich history and paranormal activity.

I first joined the Diamond State Ghost Investigators (DSGI) in October 2017 and had never led tour groups before, had never been to Fort Delaware AND I have never even conducted an investigation until then. I was so nervous; my palms were sweaty, and my heart was racing, which had nothing to do with ghosts!

Fortunately, I got paired up with Ken Newberry, and my nerves dissipated quickly. Ken has such a calm demeanor that I instantly calmed down as he showed me the different tools he uses to investigate. This was my first time learning about REM pods! The investigators associated with DSGI are all great people, and I’m so grateful for their mentorship, sense of humor and kindness. Especially to Ken, because he settled me and thus began my exciting journey of becoming a paranormal investigator.

Fort Delaware Kitchen

Fort Delaware Officers' Kitchen
A photo of the officers’ kitchen at Fort Delaware at night.

Ken and I were stationed in the area portrayed as an officers’ kitchen near General Schoepf’s office, where officers’ meals would have been prepared. Fort Delaware staff provided some history on how a kitchen would have functioned during the war. Then Ken reviewed some of the occurrences he had experienced while investigating in the kitchen. There are many stories I could tell about the pantry and the things that happen when men go into Ms. Susan’s pantry, but this story is about something a little bit different.

Now sometimes, the groups from the mainland who come over for these tours are excited to move around and investigate on their own. Other times they are unsure what to do and stand around waiting. A few people decided to stand around the kitchen table with Ken and me while Ken asked questions to the room, like, “Is there anyone here with us?” or “Ms. Susan are you upset that there are men in your kitchen?”

The ghost cat

It didn’t take long before I had my very first paranormal interaction. No, it wasn’t with Ms. Susan, the cook. It wasn’t with a soldier or their family. No, it was with a cat. The pantry door opened just a smidge by itself, as though something had pushed against it softly, not enough to make it fully swing out. I heard the meow of a cat and then I felt it. There was a slight physical pressure or weight against my left ankle as if a real cat had brushed against my leg.

Newspaper clipping that references Bill the Cat at Fort Delaware
Article from February 18, 1998 (page 4 of 48). News Journal.

According to legend, the ghost cat is the spirit of a feline that belonged to a soldier stationed at the fort during the Civil War. Cats were often kept on ships and in forts to manage rodent populations, which could damage food supplies and spread disease.

But wait, was there a cat?

YES! A newspaper clipping from 1998 says the cat’s name was Bill. The same article mentions the Fort having two dogs at one time. The dogs are a story for another day.

A separate newspaper clipping from July 1976 claims that when the Fort Delaware Society acquired a “treasure trove of Civil War photos,” they received photos from Lieutenant A.G. Wolf. Wolf was a Union officer in charge of Confederate prisoners. The article below says that Wolf was not well-liked by prisoners at the Fort, but he did love his cat. **meow**

July 31, 1976 (page 16 of 38). (1976, Jul 31). Evening Journal.

Cat height K2 spikes

I wasn’t scared by the sensation, nor did I feel threatened. I was amazed. To this day, I always recommend our guests hold their K2 meters down by the floor, cat level, just in case the Fort Delaware ghost cat is lingering near the kitchen.

As a side note: K2 meters, also known as K-II meters, are commonly used in paranormal investigating. They are handheld devices that measure the environment’s electromagnetic fields (EMFs). The theory behind their use is that spirits or entities in the paranormal realm may manipulate electromagnetic energy, and these devices can detect and display changes in EMF levels.

Don’t forget to pay attention when you enter the kitchen at Fort Delaware this October during our Paranormal Adventure Tours with the Delaware State Parks. The small cold spot you feel or the slight brush against your leg might just be the spirit of one friendly feline; Bill the ghost cat. Meow.

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I Think We’re Alone Now

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As I tiptoe into my house early Sunday morning, I wonder if my neighbors would consider this early Sunday morning entrance into my house, wearing the same clothes I had on since Saturday afternoon, as a “walk of shame.” Thankfully, most of my neighbors know who I am, and they appreciate my being quiet when I get home late.. er.. um early. See, when you are a paranormal investigator, there is no shame in coming home at the crack of dawn after a long night.

Pea Patch Island

This weekend I had the privilege of embarking on an adventure to a little place called Pea Patch Island on the Delaware River. Historians will know this location as the home to Fort Delaware, a concrete fortress constructed between 1848 and 1859 that once housed as many as 12,595 Confederate prisoners of war at one time. Although that’s not entirely accurate. The fort’s walls held only the “important” or high-ranking prisoners, while they confined the other prisoners to the barracks just outside the fort walls. Guests today see replicas of the barracks originally built in 1862. I’ve cleaned those barracks before. Dusted, windexed…burned some sage. No, they’d not let me back if I burned anything in that building.

So why did I head over to the island? For an overnight paranormal investigation, of course. This isn’t my first overnight; I participate yearly, which is amazing. I’m a member of the Diamond State Ghost Investigators (DSGI). Believer or not, there is a certain awesomeness to being part of a team looking to make sense of happenings that may seem unexplainable. When someone says their house or business is haunted, we are able to debunk nearly everything we encounter.

Fort Delaware, however, has had dozens of occurrences that we are unable to explain. Can I tell you with 100% certainty that it is haunted? No, because any proof I can provide would be circumstantial and subjective. Do I personally believe it is haunted? Hell yes! Let’s just say I believe there is a sort of “energy residue” left behind by thousands of people who spent time there during a traumatic part of US history, many.. of which did meet their demise on the island.

The investigation begins

We were ferried to Pea Patch Island a little after 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 8. The temperature on the island is significantly cooler than the mainland, but this turns out to be a good thing, as it keeps the mosquitoes and horse flies at bay. Nothing can be done about the creepy crawly centipedes and sprickets though. I call them sprickets; this is likely not the proper terminology, but they look like they are half spider and half cricket. They crawl, jump, climb walls, and are HUGE. They also really seem to like the dark. We are paranormal investigators, we spend a lot of time in the dark. We spend a lot of time with sprickets.

But we don’t head to the island to inspect the insects, we spend the night at the fort to capture paranormal evidence. While investigating the paranormal, our team sits in dark rooms and waits. And waits. And waits. We have dousing rods, K2 meters, Rem Pod, flashlights, laser grids, and thermal sensors. Some nights are slower than others. Last night, I felt we entertained the spirits more than they entertained us. We got into exhaustive discussions about Tiffany (the 80s artist “I Think We’re Alone Now”) which, believe it or not, did get a reaction from the spirits. The flashlights turned on and off on their own, and the K2 meters blipped.

A K2 meter measures electromagnetic fields typically from man-made things like electrical wiring. When we are at Fort Delaware, the only electricity we have is outside the fort walls. We ask that the park staff keeps the power on for the bathrooms. If the lights are out, it’s a very dark walk from the fort to the restrooms. This means that the K2 meters shouldn’t pick up on any activity. So when they do, we need to figure out why. Our cell phones, if on us, must be in airplane mode. We check all of these things before the investigation begins.

Nighttime paranormal activity

Last night, the island winds ranged between 12-15 mph. This means in some of the rooms, the windows really rattled. We took this into consideration throughout the night. Thankfully, there is a difference between a rattling window and someone dragging furniture across the floor, which we heard on the second floor above the kitchen after we threatened to play Tiffany. We heard the most activity while in the kitchen. This means our team did a lot of “Wait, did you hear that, is someone else out there!?” Or ” I saw something, right behind you, it moved in front of the flashlight for a second.” Basically, it’s an incredible experience with people who I adore.

There were footsteps outside the room and above us; there were also noises that sounded like something was being dragged across the floor. Throughout the night, each of us heard footsteps from our respective rooms. My friend Debbie and I were sleeping in the infirmary. I “slept” on a very hard, must-smelling cot covered with an itchy, red wool blanket. I was freezing cold but I managed to survive. Outside the infirmary is a metal staircase that can only be accessed by walking past the door where we were sleeping. By the time it was 2 a.m. and we heard footsteps on the stairs, it was very much a “Do you hear that?” and “Yup, but I’m tired.”

A couple of members from our group brought tents this year, but due to the wicked wind blowing last night, they told me that the nylon Hilton’s were not conducive to getting a peaceful night’s sleep either.

One adventure ends, but another always awaits

In the morning, when I simply could not lay on the cot (in the fetal position for warmth) any further more, I got up and attempted to thaw in the Visitor’s Center. When we were informed that a boat was coming for us, I had enough feeling in my toes to make the 150+ yard walk to the dock.

Fort Delaware is a place steeped in untold stories. Each time we visit, we know that we have merely scratched the surface, leaving behind the allure of another haunting adventure and the knowledge that another chapter awaits.

Get your tickets now

For those interested in participating in a paranormal investigation at Fort Delaware, we host them alongside Delaware State Park staff every Friday and Saturday in October.

The proceeds from these tours go towards maintaining the state park.

BUY TICKETS NOW

This article was originally posted by DSGI Senior Investigator, Christy Mannering on The Painted Lines.