Carol Fisher Linn
Everyone has a ghost story – real or pretend. As parents of young kids, we love to tell these spooky tales around campfires, or on dark summer night walks, especially in seriously dark, spooky places – the scarier the better. But … are spirits or ghosts real? Do they really appear? Can livings hear their voices, feel their presence? Ever feel goosebumps or “ischy” feelings for no reason at all? Like maybe right now? Perhaps they are right there with you, reading over your shoulder. Does Crazy Great, Great Aunt Matilda’s spirit live in the basement? Is the American Legion in Little Valley haunted? Or the Ellicottville Museum, or the local church, or the house on Hencoop Road, or in the village? Whooooo knows?
If I haven’t scared you off yet, get your calendars out and mark off Fridays beginning September 26th and ending on Halloween, October 31. Walks are open to everyone for $15 each (except Halloween which is $25 and requires a reservation. Costume suggested for this one, but no mask, please). Meet at the Ellicottville Gazebo at 7pm, rain or shine, for a daunting, haunting jaunt into the spirit world of Ellicottville NY. Town Historian, Ellen Frank will escort you through this “other world” but to make reservations you may call her in “this world” at either 716-699-2276 or 716-474-8528. Per Ms. Frank, reservations for Halloween are already being made. Last bit of housekeeping: it’s two-hour event, wear appropriate clothing and shoes/boots (it is October in Ellicottville, remember), carry a flashlight, and be sure your camera is charged in case you want to photograph mystical images or floating orbs at the cemetery.
Walks always begin at the Ellicottville Museum Building and then on to the United Church one street behind it, then walkers continue to the Jefferson Street Cemetery (Route 219) to visit some verrrry interesting graves and residents, and hear their stories from our local expert, Ms. Frank, on all things spooky in Ellicottville.
In the last few years, Ms. Frank was personally involved in high-powered, technical ghost investigations in the museum and the church. She will tell walkers how Spirit Hunters, Inc. Paranormal Investigations has conducted investigations there and in the Bradford Library, Salamanca Train Station, Machias Stone House (circa 1868, built as an Alms House/Insane Asylum, and a solemn memorial to about 123 souls buried in the paupers field just north of the Stone House – now why wouldn’t that be haunted?), and the American Legion in Little Valley which is said to be occupied by its previous owners who built the building as their mansion residence before it was donated to the Village of Little Valley to be used as their American Legion. According to Ms. Frank, Mrs. Case, Andrew Jackson Case’s wife appeared in the Little Valley Legion near the kitchen when she was invited to appear.
The spirit hunters use modern and elaborate equipment, including Spirit-Boxes which use EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) to give a voice to spirits. In the museum, while Ms. Frank was touching a tag on an antique coat, the box activated and warned her to “please stop touching my coat.” At another investigation in the museum, every time our dearly departed community doctor, Dr. Leyens’ name was mentioned, a Victorian Music Box would start to play. Think it might have been his favorite melody? Alas, he didn’t say.
From there, the most logical place to go is the Jefferson Street Cemetery, where many Ellicottville notables and some rather notorious now reside. Meet Nelson Cool, the love- struck handyman who killed elderly, one-armed Civil War vet, Charles Wimple, for the love of Wimple’s desperate child-bearing-weary still a child herself, child-bride Emma, on a farm near the top of Fish Hill Road between Ellicottville and Little Valley (that section of Fish Hill is now called Murder Hill). Cool is one of several whose graves are not marked but who is listed on a new stone placed at the cemetery giving the names of those who were not located but are known to be there. Another was Jacob Pine who shared a jail cell with Cool after the Fish Hill murder but got out only later to be smashed by a train. Do ask about the gory details of his story. You will hear about executions, murders and mayhem (much involving likker), and be invited to visit, if you dare, the grave of local resident and spiritualist, Beals Litchfield, who helped found the LilyDale Spiritualist Center. It is around this grave that Ms. Frank reports seeing floating orbs of light. Oh yes, remember, this walk is at your own risk. Are you brave enough???? Remember to bring your silver, iron, salt or lavender for protection.