Jonathan Winters Ghost Walk of Bellbrook, Ohio 7.27.13

Jonathan Winters Ghost Tour of Bellbrook, Ohio

Date: 7.27.13

VOLP Investigators Attending: Johnathan Brown & Shelly Moore Caron

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Recently two of our Victory of Light Paranormal investigators, Johnathan & Shelly, were asked to help out with the popular annual Ghost Walk of Bellbrook, Ohio, which is hosted by our good friend and fellow investigator, Marcia Treadway of Nightshade Paranormal Investigations of Bellbrook. Our friend and fellow investigator Dave Jones of Project Paranormal Investigations was also in attendance. This year's Ghost Walk was in memorandum of Jonathan Winters (pictured on the left), who passed away in April of this year.

The first two and half hours were spent at a beautiful church in Bellbrook, which is also pictured above and below. I began at 6:30 pm by providing angel card readings to the Ghost Walk attendees who were interested. I gave about ten back-to-back readings, which was incredible! It was incredibly hot in this little room in the front of the church where I gave my readings, and the sun beaming down right on me as I spoke didn't help things, but I took it as a positive sign from above. ;)

(Funny how people will say, "You gave readings in a church? How ironic!" Doesn't religion call on the "Holy Spirit"..? Isn't that a form of spirit communication in itself? So why would anyone outside of a church setting who can communicate with spirit be thought of any differently? Plus, it's important to remember that most mediums/psychics call on a Higher Power to do our work and for protection.)

Thought for the day.

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After setting up, Marcia begin speaking about her own personal experiences while investigating with her group, Nightshade Paranormal, including photographic evidence, video, and audio clips. Marcia, as always, was super organized, very energetic, and overall incredibly engaging. She had loads of amazing historical information for Bellbrook, and some incredible evidence to show to the group. At one point I even had to tap her daughter on the shoulder and ask her if I could raise my hand and ask a question! But I didn't want to interrupt, so I held my question until later that night.

One video showed a door apparently opening on its own; another showed a shadow figure crossing a doorway several times; and another showed a man communicating with spirit using dowsing rods.

These are just three examples of the many she showed us that night.

In the photo below, Marcia was explaining how an apparent "orb" had manifested itself, and boomeranged in front of the camera. She said, "How many times have you seen dust or a moth do that?" She even provided several examples of how dust and insects look very different in front of the I.R. (infrared) camera versus an "orb."

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After Marcia's amazing presentation about the spirits haunting Bellbrook, we made our way to the beautiful Magee Park, also in Bellbrook, where we were to lead two groups on an investigation of the notoriously 'inhabited' land.

Below: Johnathan getting out his equipment for the group investigation.

Below: A quick video to show how dark it was already getting at dusk, when people started filtering into the Magee Park parking lot for our group investigation.

Below: A quick video of our group surrounding Johnathan as he gave a quick demonstration of the equipment we use during investigations, when it is appropriate to use each piece of equipment, and how to filter out 'good' possible evidence, from not-so-good. (Well done, John!) The videos give you a great idea of how dark it was!

Below is a photo of the forest-lined field at Magee Park where we investigated from our camera's view. No infrared. It was very dark. An investigator's perfect atmosphere.

We divided into two groups, one led by Dave Jones of PPI, and the other led by Johnathan Brown of VOLP, along with Shelly (empath/medium), and the wonderful Marcia Treadway, who had put the Ghost Walk together.

While Dave & his group headed to the left, our group headed to the right. We spent some time talking about the ghost box, how it works, how it can be both a great investigative tool, and a horrible one at the same time. So we started off using the ghost box.

(Series Below: A series of photos Johnathan took after thinking he spotted a man in the area. What do you see?)

We believe we first spoke with a woman, either by the name of "Mary" or "Marian." Both names came through, so my assumption is that her name was Marian, but went by Mary. She didn't hang out for long, though. We were then greeted by a mans voice, very clearly stating his presence.

Shortly after Mary left, we spoke with a man named "Logan" or "Gordon" - again, we were undecided, even though he clearly repeated his name twice for us using the Spirit Box to communicate.

At one point I did notice a man standing in the tree-line a good distance away from us. He had a defined mustache, a blue wool coat with big, round gold buttons, and a hat with a hard brim and flat top. Admittedly, I am not very well-versed on war-era clothing, so I described this man to Marcia later in the night, and she said she believed he was wearing a civil war era uniform.

Just now, as I finished typing that last paragraph, I decided to do a google image search for "civil war uniform" to see if I could, in fact, match the uniforms up. I have to say, I went through quite a few that were similar, but not quite right because of one thing or another - then I stumbled upon this photo:

Now, obviously this photo isn't colored, but the uniform is nearly identical to the one I saw the man wearing. Seems like I remember his hat rim being a bit larger, but what really gave me goosebumps, is this is also nearly identical to the way the man was standing, watching us from the treeline - mustache and all. I didn't see any of the doohickeys hanging from his belt, nor do I remember the color of his pants, but the coat is right, the hat is almost right, and the mustache is nearly right as well.

Below Left: The hat this soldier is wearing more closely resembles the hat I saw the man wearing.

Below Right: This is the color of the coat I saw on the man in the treeline. I will say the coat is nearly identical, as well, but it seems as if I remember the buttons being slightly more spaced out.

I told them that I did not feel as if this man fought here on this land, or even lived here on this land, necessarily, but for some reason had been drawn to this particular area.

After telling Marcia about this 'observer' I had witnessed watching us curiously from the treeline, she told us that there was, in fact, a cemetery just up the road where many deceased soldiers from three different wars were laid to rest called Pioneer Cemetery. So it stands to reason that this man may have been just visiting us, checking out what all the fuss was about, as our group walked the grounds of the park late at night trying to communicate.

Interestingly enough, later on I was speaking to Johnathan via messenger, and this is the conversation (copy & pasted):

Shelly: "I need your pics from Magee Park/the Ghost Walk for the blog."

Johnathan: "I didn't take many of the ghost walk. just the inside of the church and Marcia speaking. and some of the park because i thought i saw an apparition looking at us. I don't know if i saw the play set or what but i know in my head i looked at it and thought " Who is that looking at us? why are one of the guest standing over there?" then turned my head back, then sort of did a double take when i noticed no one was standing there. It all went down in about 2 seconds. So i really didn't take it for anything."

Shelly: "Was it a man? I saw a man in a blue overcoat with gold buttons... is that what you saw?"

Johnathan: "The man was wearing a greyish blue coat. Very quick glimpse, if it was someone... but I had to do a second take. The person I saw had on a weird hat... it was so quick... the top half of his body is what I saw. Not a weird hat... let me see if i can find a pic."

Above: The photo Johnathan sent me.

Shelly: "Yes!! That's the hat I saw him wearing! I just posted a few similar pics on the blog - we saw the same man, for sure."

Johnathan: "It was so quick, really it could have been anything. The play set or something. I just don't want to make too much out of it because it was quick and I only saw so much but it was enough to make me respond as if someone was there."

Shelly: "Don't second guess yourself - what are the odds that we both saw a man wearing the same hat and coat? Slim to none."

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Let this be a lesson - never second guess yourself! There was no talk of soldiers that night, no talk of war - so why would we subconsciously create an identical 'imaginary' being in the park? You are your own best tool for paranormal investigating. Trust your instincts!

Food for thought..

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I'd also like to mention that another sensitive was attending the Ghost Walk, whom I did make friends with during the night. She also sensed the man standing in the treeline, and later in the night she and I shared an interesting experience worth mentioning.

She and I were standing about 30-40 feet away from the rest of the group talking and sharing personal experiences as sensitives. I had my back to the treeline/woods, and she was standing directly in front of me, facing the woods. Mid-sentence - she stopped talking right at the same moment I swung around to look behind me - I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that someone was about 10 feet behind me, watching us. I was as sure of it as I was sure a tree was standing between us. I immediately said, "Someones back there behind that tree.." and she pointed to the exact tree I was referring to, and said, "Yes! I saw it! It ducked right behind that tree right there!"

I might also mention that the reason we were so far from the group at that point is because a few minutes earlier I had wandered off from the group, as I often do, sensing someone standing off in the distance, curious as to what we were doing. Just as in life, we are a lot less intimidating when we are alone, so I ventured off to investigate. I sensed it was a child spirit, although I am not totally certain of it. I want to say a little boy, but again, I question it.

As a side note, I will admit that I am somewhat closed off to child spirits for a few reasons, and it's at no one's fault but my own. I have a real problem considering there may be children 'stuck' here on this plane. It's a real moral dilemma for me, and I have a really difficult time accepting this as a possibility. Being a mother of two small children of my own, it fills me with incredible anguish to think that any child would be stuck here without his/her parents, etc. So it's rare that I see/hear/communicate with children spirits because I am so closed off to them for this reason.

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The 2013 Jonathan Winters Ghost Walk of Bellbrook was an absolutely amazing time, filled with incredible people, rich history, amazing evidence provided by Marcia during the presentation, and loads more.

 

*I would love to hear your personal stories and share your photos if you attended the Ghost Walk with us! Email them to me @ shel_moore1@yahoo.com or find me on facebook.*

Johnathan & I are very grateful to have been a part of such a wonderful event, and look forward to next year's!

A big thank you to Marcia Treadway for inviting us along - we love ya, Marcia!

- Shelly, VOLP

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Below: The news article that ran in the Sugarcreek Bellbrook Times newspaper prior to the event.

"Treadway Communication Resources is teaming up with NightShade Paranormal Investigations of Bellbrook to sponsor this year’...s Ghost Walk. Guest investigators include Dave Jones of Project Paranormal Investigations, and John Brown and Shelly Moore Caron of Victory of Light Paranormal.

Caron will be available from 6:30 to 7 p.m. to give Archangel Card Readings for $5. Caron has her Bachelor’s Degree in Metaphysical Science with a focus on Spiritual Counseling. “Basically, I connect with the guides of the client to give messages and guidance for them,” said Caron."

Cost of the ghost walk is $15 for people 13 and over; $5 for children 12 and under. Attendees have the option to purchase a ticket for $5 to attend an equipment demonstration and mini-investigation at Magee Park, in Bellbrook, after the presentation. Park tickets are limited to 30 and will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. (Weather permitting)"

Xenia Historical Review - By: Taryn Carlson, VOLP Historian

Submitted: June 25th, 2013
(Edited and formatted by Shelly Moore, VOLP Blogger.)
 

*Click on any photo to enlarge.
 

 

Above: A map of Xenia prior to the tornado...

 

Above: A photo showing the path of destruction from the tornado of 1974; it goes right through Cherry Grove Cemetery - almost completely destroys it.

Above: An article in the newspaper that shows the devastation right after the storm. The mausoleum was carried away. The cemetery records were also lost.

 

 

Above: The underground railroad routes in Ohio. They go right through Xenia.

 

 

Above: A larger scale photo of Ohio's Underground Railroad Trails.

 

 

Above: A map of Xenia that shows the plot of land used for the "Colored Cemetery" - Obviously an old map because they use the term "colored." Our client's home is located on the opposite side of Lower Bellbrook Ave, which is right across the street.

 

Above: A map of the city from 1874; showing Samuel Wilson's land on both sides of Bellbrook Ave. Our client's home sits on the larger plot of this land.

 

It is located in Woodland Cemetery, but his grave site is shared with Rev. James Harper, as you can see on the marker. He was only related to Rev. Harper through the marriage of Samuel's son (Samuel) and James' daughter (Mary) - why they share a grave site, I have no idea...

 

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Let me start off by saying that it's amazing how things keep coming together when I go to research on certain locations.....I met Walt at the last location and he was more than helpful....and with this investigation, pertinent information was received minutes before I walked into the Greene County Historical Society.....or else the approach I would have taken with this case would have been much different.....

 

 I always like to look into the topography and geology of the land we are investigating as these things can help to fuel paranormal activity. I found out that all of Greene County sits on a lot of limestone. There are also many springs, flowing streams, and artificial wells in Xenia. All things that can help to enhance paranormal activity.

 

 Our clients had mentioned to us that they frequently heard what sounded to be Indian drums late at night. They reported that a lot of times they would be woken up by this noise in the early morning hours. That comes as no surprise to me after doing some research on the Native American tribes that would have roamed that land. Quite honestly, there is so much information on the different tribes in the Greene County area that I could not possibly fit it all in an email. What I can make brief mention of is that the Shawnee tribe was largest and most common tribe to inhabit that area. The Shawnee tribe was known to excel all other tribes in restlessness and hatred for the white man. The Shawnee tribe considered themselves superior to other tribes and they were proud to a fault. Due to all the Native American influence on the Greene County area, it's not surprising that some residual energy from these tribes may still linger where they once claimed the land to be theirs. Especially, when something so precious and spiritual to them, the land, was taken from them in a rather abrupt and forceful manner.

 

 As we did our initial walk through of the Xenia residence, while in the kitchen, Victor had begun to pick up on the presence of what looked to be a priest. Victor told the family this was a good spirit to have around as he saw this man praying for and protecting the home. He also mentioned that he was wearing a long robe or cloak, similar to that of a priest's robe. This is where it gets interesting! A few days after the investigation, minutes before I arrived at the Historical Society, I received a text from Ericka, our case manager, explaining that our client had just been given some information on the previous owner of their land. It was a man by the name of Samuel Wilson. The client wasn't sure if this information would be helpful or not, but let me tell you it most definitely was. Upon entering the Historical Society I told the curator, Cathy, about the email I had just received and gave her the name of this gentleman. I was expecting her to look at me as if this name was of no significance to her, but instead she responded with a quick, "Oh yes. Definitely. I know of him." "Reverend" Samuel Wilson would be the appropriate title. She was able to show me a map of the sprawling farmland that Rev. Wilson had once owned off of Lower Bellbrook Ave, as this is the exact location of our investigation. I told her about Victor seeing a man wearing a priest's robe and Cathy told me, "Well that makes sense actually, because back in those days most ministers wore what is called a Geneva gown." It turns out she was doing some research for a family on a good friend and neighbor of Samuel Wilson's so she was able to provide me with lots of information on him. The more I read about Rev. Samuel Wilson, the more things seemed to piece together. Let me tell you a little bit about Rev. Samuel Wilson and the impact he had on the Xenia area.....

 

Rev. Samuel Wilson was born May 5, 1806, in Alleghany county, Pennsylvania. Rev. Wilson graduated from Jefferson College in 1824 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He then entered the United Presbyterian Theological Seminary at Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. Upon his graduation from the Seminary, he was licensed to preach in August of 1829, and was ordained by the Miami Presbytery in 1831. He located in Xenia, and became pastor of the Associate Church, and conducted an active pastorate there for nearly a quarter of a century. In 1832, he married Miss Mary Cunningham of Xenia, and she gave birth to nine children. He resigned from the church in 1855 in order to devote his time and attention to the work of teaching Hebrew and theology in the Xenia Theological Seminary. In 1877, he resigned from the Seminary due to the infirmities of age. Rev. Samuel Wilson passed away in 1887, and his wife Mary followed soon after in 1889. What's important to note is that Rev. Wilson was huge in the abolitionist movement in Xenia. He was known as one of the first abolitionists and one of the first people to speak out against slavery in the Xenia area. In fact, the first abolitionist meeting in Xenia was held at Rev. Wilson's home on East Market St (which is now the Assembly of God church). Apparently, Rev. Wilson had originally organized the meeting to be held at the Associate Church in Xenia. Upon learning this information, the church's deacons stated they had not given permission for the church to be used for such a meeting and would not allow it to be held at the church. So, Rev. Wilson held the meeting on his front lawn! It was said that the meeting was well attended and peaceful. Rev. Wilson was in no way ashamed of what he believed in and began to preach his anti-slavery doctrines from the pulpit. As a result, he drove away many influential members of the church. However, this did not discourage Rev. Wilson from openly voicing his anti-slavery beliefs. It is also known that Rev. Wilson's second home on East Market Street is one of many sites identified as part of the Underground Railroad which ran right through Xenia. So how does all this tie into some of the claims from our clients?

 

It's important to know that we investigated two houses for this family. The family had reported activity going back and forth between the houses with the youngest child of three having the most experiences. A few days before we had arrived the youngest child had reported that she had a new mama now. "I have a black mama and she wants me to call her 'Mama.'" Finding it odd, the family was certain to tell us about this when we arrived for our initial walk through. Upon entering the second house, Victor looked across the street and noticed a cemetery. It was the Cherry Grove Cemetery. After doing some research on the cemetery I was able to find out that it was originally a colored burial site. It was chartered in 1864 so that persons of color might have a cemetery in their neighborhood about one and a half miles west of the city. A devastating tornado swept through Xenia on April 3, 1974 and almost destroyed the cemetery. Trees and shrubbery were uprooted, the mausoleum was left in ruins, gravestones were toppled off their foundations - broken and scattered throughout the cemetery and some records were lost. Through the heroic effort of trustees and lot owners, much of the cemetery has been restored although there still remains evidence of havoc from the tornado. The trees are gone and nine feet of the west side (Section A) was converted into half lots. Lot D21, formerly the mausoleum, is now a storage shed. If there is one thing I have noticed when investigating the paranormal, it's not to mess with someones final resting spot. Although this was not someone being disrespectful and playing some dumb prank in a cemetery, but instead a natural disaster, someones final place of rest was disturbed and some destroyed in a very violent way. This is definitely something that can stir up paranormal activity.

 

Victor had reported during his walk that he did see spirits coming over from the cemetery on a regular basis. He also mentioned that it seems as if they arrive at the same time every night, almost as if it is planned. The family confirmed this and reported that activity was always the strongest during the hours of 1AM-4AM. This is how I begin to piece it all together.....see if you agree with me. We have learned that Reverend Samuel Wilson was an honorable and courageous man. He was big in the abolitionist movement and was a conductor in the Underground Railroad. It's said that some slaves are buried in the Cherry Grove Cemetery across the street, so doesn't it make sense that they would be drawn toward the man who at one point in time in his life risked it all to help fleeing slaves reach their ultimate goal of freedom? It's known that the Underground Railroad was a intricately detailed operation. It had to be, in order for it to be so successful. It's also known that most of the fleeing took place at night. I've read once that tools, placed on the ground near trees and bushes on one's property, facing a specific direction, were actually used as arrows or directional devices. Very sneaky! Certainly no one would think twice about some tools laying in one's property....Everyone had tools back then! Could it be that these spirits are used to being active in the early hours of the morning and that's why this family is experiencing the most activity during this time? I believe there is some connection between the significant and daring role played by a man of such high integrity, and those who sought his help in their journey to a life of freedom....perhaps one that can even withstand the obstacle of death.
 

-Taryn Carlson, VOLP Historian 

Investigation: Para-Unity. Xenia & Middletown

A few of our investigators paid a second visit to a residence in Xenia, Ohio this weekend. Victor, Ericka, & Taryn were the three VOLP investigators who went along to cleanse this house, and help to put a desperate family's worries to rest. As always, I will post their reviews and photos once they are submitted to me... so stay tuned!

Since this visit to Xenia was a follow-up and house cleansing, we like to keep the group small. So while those three were wrapping things up in Xenia, John and I were asked to help out a good friend/fellow paranormal investigator, Dave Jones, out with an investigation he was assisting with in Middletown, Ohio; along with two of our other good friends/fellow investigators, Lori & Robert Dennon of Shadowhunters Paranormal.

The investigation John and I were asked to help out on wasn't a VOLP investigation, but since we were there, I thought it'd be fun to share what we picked up on that night.

The client has requested anonymity, and as always, we graciously respect their wishes.

We walked in on the main level of the building, and I was immediately drawn to an area towards the back of the building. As I approached the area, this wooden-carved statue of sorts was clearly what was drawing me in. It looked to be a plant pot or something on the bottom, then these little wooden-carving men went up the back of the handle. I really can't say with certainty what it was, but it was definitely holding onto some sort of residual energy.

After a brief walk-through of the main floor, we were taken down into the basement to join the others. As I made my way down the stairs, I felt with certainty that there was, in fact, spiritual presence in this space. As I rounded the last of the stairs, I looked over my left shoulder toward the back corner of the basement, where I saw a man sitting in a rocking chair, smoking a cigar. I could only describe him as a "Crooner" - he wore a grey suit, & had on leg crossed over the other, with his ankle resting on top of his other leg. I could see that portion of him so clearly that I could distinctly see the fabric of his pants, the fold of the fabric, and even a little of his skin under the bottom hem of his pant leg. He had one arm to his side, and other other up holding his cigar between two fingers. He squinted at me, with smiling eyes - as if he were genuinely amused by our presence, or maybe by the fact that I saw him. He appeared to be in his 50's, or possibly 40's. He had an average build, and was half-smiling at us, through a mouth pursed over the end of his lit cigar.

Above: Famous Crooner, Bing Crosby.
The man I met in spirit was strikingly similar to this photo of Bing.

The suit he was wearing was almost identical, and his hair also similar (minus the receding hairline).

His face was slightly rounder, with a distinct jawline. Thin features (lips, nose),

and just a teeny tiny hint of stubble.

I got a really good feeling from this gentleman, and was actually quite eager to try to communicate further with him. I stood back in that corner, about two feet from the rocker in which I had seen him, and tried to communicate. I asked him if he was here because of the building, or because of one of the items brought into this antique store. His reply was a whimsical, "Because of the stuff..."

While standing there I was running my Ghost Radar app, and I did get a couple of interesting hits worth mentioning.

As kind of a disclaimer, as most people are already aware of my thoughts and feelings towards this app, it's a very hit or miss app. Most of the words that pop through I consider to be garbage words; but every now and again you'll get a word that will be too much of a coincidence to dismiss as 'garbage.'

As I am standing across from this rocking chair, talking to this fellow... I get the words "ACROSS" & "FELLOW."

And since I'm including a screenshot of the readout, I would like to mention later in the night while Johnathan Brown and myself were investigating (as paranormal researchers, mind you), the words "RESEARCH" & "BROWN" both popped up back-to-back.

Like I said, some words are easy to dismiss as garbage, but some make you think a bit....

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 I was then led into the back of the basement where Dave had set up quite a bit of equipment. I'm not really the equipment-type, I prefer to use my own 'equipment' (intuition), and only carry a very small arsenal of things to each investigation (including my digital voice recorder, my crystals, and my flashlight). It wouldn't take a rocket-scientist to figure out that this is where they had felt or experienced activity in the past, hence Dave setting up all of his equipment back in this area, so I tried to tune in to what may be in this spot.

I really couldn't get much of anything at first, but then after a few moments had passed, I saw a woman. She was maybe in her late 20's or early 30's but looked and acted younger than she was. I saw her with her hair pulled back into a loose, low bun, and I saw her dress as being cotton or a similar fabric, all one shade, with a belt of sorts just below her bosom that tied in the back. I felt that this woman was in fact tied to the building or land itself, versus the man who was not.

In sensing this connection, I also sensed that the woman and man have kind of become friendly while in Spirit, and worked in-cahoots to pull pranks on the owners. For example, at one point I saw this man standing next to a floor lamp acting as if he was going to turn it on to make the shop owner jump - and the woman had her hands over her mouth giggling like a little girl over the anticipation. It was actually quite funny! Truth be told - I fell in love with these two spirits after seeing this. They were just trying to have fun, albeit at the shop owner's expense. If you were to look at them as just funny people without bodies instead of ghosts turning on/off lights, it takes on a whole new stigma! :)

Dave turned on his "Spirit Box" (a radio that has been tampered with so it scans from channel to channel creating static that supposedly spirits can communicate through a bit more easily), so John and I headed upstairs. (Spirit or Ghost Boxes are definitely nifty/fun investigative tools, but personally I find them to be very chaotic and distracting, so I just prefer to step away if I am in Empath/Medium-mode so it doesn't mess with the connection I have established.)

Once upstairs, John and I began walking around and getting a feel for the energy of the large room. At one point while we were standing towards the middle of one side of the room, I felt as if the man (the crooner from downstairs) was standing directly across from us on the other side of the large room - keeping his distance, but watching us, curiously. I mentioned this to John, then made my way to that side of the room to try to connect with him again. Once I reached that side of the room (having to walk in a large circle around the perimeter of the store to get there), he was no longer there.

I stood there for a moment trying to connect with him, but instead I caught a brief glimpse of the woman from earlier. She drew me to the front right side of the store, near an old dining room table set. I stood there for a moment trying to connect with her, and when I did she showed me that she spends most of her time directly above where I was standing - in what felt to be an apartment or living space. She showed me herself standing off to the side of a large window that overlooked where the parking lot would be. I also got the strong sense that she has actually been seen quite a few times while staring out of this window. I'm not quite sure why she stares out that particular window.

Later on in the night we took a tour of the outside perimeter of the building and discovered not only was there a window exactly in the spot I had been shown, but there were several windows surrounding the building on the second floor. She didn't seem to take any interest to any of the other windows at all.

The owner had asked me if I felt anything negative in the building, to which I was quite certain I did not. In fact, I believe I told her I could comfortably sleep in the basement of the building, which is where she had reportedly sensed the negative entity in the past. She had done a lot on her end in order to clear the negative entity from the space, and I believe she did an amazing job of it, because I felt no trace of anything 'bad.' I did sense at one point that they may experience loads of shadow activity in the back area of the basement, to which she confirmed. I didn't think this was anything bad, per se, but may have been in the past.

And just as a sidenote, albeit a very important sidenote, 'bad' doesn't necessarily mean 'evil' - I think it's extremely important to make that distinction. Just because someone is bad doesn't mean they are evil. And in fact, I strongly believe that you can cause a spirit to act in 'evil' ways by calling them such. Think about it this way, if you were grumpy in life, then it stands to reason that you'll be grumpy in death. Our personality doesn't necessarily change just because we lose our heavy physical bodies. So now think of a grumpy old man. If you were to repeatedly call this man evil, and accuse him of doing evil things, chances are he'll eventually start to believe it, and act upon it. And even if he doesn't start to believe it, he may get angry enough to jump into the mindframe of, "Evil?? I'll show you evil!!" out of sheer anger or frustration. Makes sense, right? It's a really good thing to remember when dealing with spirit. The majority of the time they are simply people without their physical bodies - treat them as such.

... I digress. :)

So to wrap things up, John and I had a lot of fun and met some fantastic new friends (both in life and death...), and we'd like to thank our friend, Dave Jones for inviting us out on this investigation. Thanks, Dave!

-Shelly, VOLP

Historical Research - Investigation: "Zip Printing" Bethel, Ohio

First, if you haven't yet read the blog for our investigation at Zip Printing in Bethel, Ohio, you should do so before reading the historical research our VOLP Historian, Taryn, dug up between the time we investigated the location and now. 

** Click Here to read that blog! **

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First off, wow! Taryn did an absolutely amazing job finding out the history and some amazing stories about this building, and was able to back up nearly every last thing Garry and myself (Shelly) picked up on intuition alone that night. Incredibly validating for us, and incredibly interesting for all of our investigators, the business owners, and for you to read about as well. 

Amazing job, Taryn!

*~*

Investigation: "Zip Printing" in Bethel, Ohio

Investigation Date: 5.4.13

Historical Research by: Taryn, VOLP Historian

So, I took a trip to the little town of Bethel and met up with Walt, one of the museum curators and a member of the Bethel Historical Society. He was able to give me a lot of little interesting facts about the town because he had lived there his whole life (and he was well into his 70's, I'm guessing). Really nice guy. He didn't know much about the actual building that Zip's is located in, and all he could remember was it being a "Hannah's Hardware" from the time he was born until sometime in the 1970's. I found an old picture that shows the building as Hannah Hardware as far back as 1924. He looked at the oldest atlas they had on record and saw that there was a building located on that plot of land as far back as 1870.

Zip's is located on the S.W corner of Plane and Union streets, and I found a picture that I believe dates back prior to 1924 of a few boys getting water from the village well on the S.W. corner of Plane and Union streets. Did Priscilla ever mention there being a well located there??  It would make sense as to why the building is so active if it were built over an old well......just a thought....

Then I began to discuss with Walt some of the things that our mediums picked up on while doing the investigation. I first mentioned that both mediums (Garry & Shelly) had picked up on a strong, proud, outgoing woman on the second floor who was making it known that she was the "first of something," and that our mediums had thought something along the lines of "first to drive," or "first to own a business. Walt said "That sounds a lot like Mrs. South; Mrs. Edith H. South - Bethel's first and only woman industrialist.

  Founder of the "Sunny South Shoe Factory," making infant's shoes." It was located between Plane St. and Tower Alley, East of Union St.  It was later changed over to a pants factory and was still in operation as such in 1948, with D.R. South as proprietor (Edith's son).  The original factory with its unique product prospered for 16 years.  Mrs. South died in May, 1947, at the age of ninety. 

 Was it Edith that made herself known that night? Maybe.....

Then I told Walt about the two girls that were located on the first floor. I gave him all the details from the blog about the girls; he said there were two girls, the Hildebrand sisters, that caused a bit of a ruckus in town. Few pioneer residents of Bethel admitted that they believe in spirits, signs, and omens or other superstitions, but the Hildebrand's and the Evans family openly declared their belief in evil spirits and witchcraft. It is believed that early in the first decade of 1800, somebody put a hex on one of the grown Hildebrand daughters, and she became possessed of evil spirits, the family said. 

When nightfall came she shrieked and shuddered about the hideous things she saw and heard. The Hildebrand's performed an old ritual used back in those days to "catch a spook" using a Linsey-Woolsey bag, trapping the ghost inside and chopping up the bag into little pieces, then burning it. 

The Hildebrand's did this, but the evil spirit somehow didn't disappear. However, she soon quieted down and then Nancy Evans, the neighbor, became inhabited by an evil spirit, supposedly the same one. (Salem witch trials anyone??) 

That proved it, the Hildebrand's pointed out. The spirit had gone back whence it had come, and Nancy was a witch. The Bethel people did not believe in witchcraft, but they seriously considered running Nancy Evans out of the neighborhood. Bethel's citizens appealed to the Justice of Peace at the time, Houton Clarke. Clarke didn't believe in such stuff, but decided to have a trial in the public square. He weighed Nancy Evans against the Bible; he literally had Nancy step onto the opposite side of a scale from which the Bible sat, and said that "the weight of the Word would outbalance the witch if the accused was guilty." 

Nancy stepped on the scale, fell hard, and was declared innocent. Nancy later moved to Georgetown, Ohio, and died at a ripe old age as a highly respected woman, despite previous witchcraft charges. All this craziness started by the Hildebrand sisters.

Next, I told Walt about the image of the barber shop that Shelly had; he said that many years ago, three doors down, right next to Scott's Drug Store, there used to be a barber shop, dating back as far as 1924. Walt showed me where it would have been located in an old photo. The barber was named George Bowyer, and he was short with curly hair. His son-in-law, Kenny Mason, worked with him for some time in that shop. Kenny is still a barber in Bethel today.....

Then I told him about the wooden chairs on the second floor that brought about the feelings of "mournfulness" and how it was reported they were from an old opera house that burned down. Walt said there used to be a bigger building built by the Knights of Pythias (a fraternal organization, much like the free masons or Knights of Columbus) to which Walt is currently a member, located near the Baptist Church. It was big enough to hold an opera, plays, commencements, lectures, etc. He said he wasn't sure if they ever really held an opera there, but everyone in town referred to it as "the opera house." It was then turned into a movie theatre until 1937, and then bought and torn down by Cincinnati Bell; but he never remembers there being a fire. After describing what they looked like to him, he said he thinks he knows exactly the style of chair I was talking about and they recently had some at the museum but got rid of them...

I also asked about Ulysses S. Grant. He said "we claim Ulysses as being a resident here in Bethel, but the truth is that his parents lived here. He may have been here about 7-8 years in a row at one time, mostly just to visit his folks, and one of his children may have been born here, but he was never really a true resident of Bethel."  However, Grant's father, Jesse, was the first mayor of Bethel.

The Underground Railroad was very active in and came straight through Bethel. Walt reports that it came through Bethel, went up to Williamsburg, and usually ended in Canada. The Bethel Baptist Church built in 1853 was a very active participant in the Underground Railroad and supposedly does have some tunnels underneath the building that are still visible today.

-Taryn, VOLP Historian

Investigation: "Zip Printing" Business in Bethel, Ohio 5.4.13

Investigation:

"Zip Printing" Business in Bethel, Ohio
Built in 1850

Date: 5.4.13

VOLP Investigators Attending:

Garry, Johnathan, Shelly, Ericka, Connie

Guest Investigators:

The Business Owner, Priscilla, & Her Friend, Janice

Victory of Light Paranormal was called and asked to come to Bethel, Ohio to investigate a historic 160+ year old building with numerous claims of activity. After arriving and speaking with the gracious business owner, Priscilla & her friend, Janice, we learned that they had just wrapped up filming for an episode of "My Ghost Story" because of the variety of claims and the evidence they had collected.

*** Click Here to watch a video, "Zip Printing Tour & Possible EMF Communication": ***

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au5f-gvkWYE

Honestly, this blog will be just a little different than my previous investigation blogs in the sense that I will tell our story through using more photos than words for one simple reason: I seemed to pick up a lot earlier in the night (mediumistically speaking), but after only an hour or two I was unable to pick up on much of anything. I felt strongly that whatever had been inhabiting this building had either crossed over recently (but still visited the location from time to time), was residual energy (replaying like a broken record), or simply didn't want to talk. Who knows! Every investigation is different, and every medium is presented with different information that we are then responsible for piecing together with one another, so this was just another puzzle for VOLP to figure out - which is what we are good at!

Garry, another fantastic medium on our team, did feel he had significant spirit communication throughout the night, so I will post his medium review once he has completed it.

*~*

I will say that upon entering the building I was able to pick up on quite a few things that were able to be validated by either the current business owner or research.

Above: Probably the most interesting photo taken throughout the course of the night. The building was very old, dilapidated, and dusty, and we had been staring at dust through our cameras all evening. However, several photos were snapped both before and after this one, and this is the only one with these anomalies present. Could be dust, obviously, but why didn't the dust show up in any of the 9 other photos taken directly before and after this one..?

I was the first to venture upstairs while the rest of the group stayed on the first floor setting up equipment and getting ready for our investigation. It was dark, dirty, dusty, and very old - wallpaper falling from the walls, papers strewn all over the old wooden floors, boarded up windows - the place definitely had the creepy-factor going on, but it would take more than just sheer creepiness to convince this seasoned paranormal investigator of a possible haunting... so I ventured on.

Above: Shelly investigating alone.

As I got to the top of the stairs, I immediately felt a heaviness, as if someone were pushing on my chest). Connie & Ericka later verified that they, too, had experienced the heaviness at the top of the landing.

I felt as if someone was very aware of my presence as I walked the second floor trying to pick up on anything I could. The first room held a mop bucket with stagnant brown water that looked as if it hadn't been touched in ages, a half naked barbie doll facing backwards against a wall, and some old chairs that I was immediately drawn to. I placed my hand on the top of the back of the chair, and immediately I was overcome with feelings of sheer mournfulness. I wanted to verbalize it as 'depression' or 'sadness'.. but instead the word "mournfulness" seemed keep flashing in my mind until I said it out loud. I didn't feel this energy was attached to the building whatsoever; instead this energy was directly attached to these chairs. I had noticed that the business owner had several of these chairs both on the first and second floors, so I made a mental note to ask her where they came from, and moved on.

Later in the night, Garry reported he also felt a sad or depressed energy attached to these same chairs. He asked Priscilla & Janice where they had originated from, and they said they don't really know where they had originally had come from, but they had been used in an old opera house in town that had burned down, which needless to say we found very interesting.

Above: Second floor, first room.

Old chairs both mediums picked up held residual energy of their own.

Notice the anomaly in the chair second from the right.

Possibly dust.

*~*

Click here to watch a very short video, "Debunking High EMF's" in the first room, second floor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvGaMMxeLZQ&feature=youtu.be

As you walked further back into the second floor space, the heaviness became more and more prevalent. I wasn't necessarily scared or uncomfortable even in the second room, but I could sense that the further back I walked I would become more and more uncomfortable.

John had joined me at this point, and we made our way to the back room. Admittedly, I hesitated at the entryway for a moment - I felt very strongly as if I were not welcome in that room. As always, I try to put my empathic thoughts into words that you can understand and relate to, so think of it this way. Imagine the feeling you get as you walk through a dark alleyway at night alone, or the feeling you get if you walk into your bosses office when he/she is in a horrid mood. You simply don't feel welcome. Don't feel safe, and definitely not at ease. That was the feeling I got while standing in the doorway of that room.

John entered first, and stated that he did feel slightly uncomfortable, but not to the degree that I had felt. I shrugged it off, then proceeded into the dark room (you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. The room had no lights and the windows had been covered and boarded up many years ago.).

I felt as if there were a male presence that hid in this room. It was a strong, grumpy sort of energy. I hesitated to use the word 'angry' because I feel that can sometimes carry a stigma for people in which they automatically assume 'angry' means 'evil'... which I assure you simply isn't the case. This was a man who was not exactly the nicest guy in life, and of course carried his personality into his afterlife.

Now, I will say that Garry says he had a rather morbid vision of this man later in the night in which he claims to have seen this man kicking a fetus across the room (in spirit - this was something he said the man choose to show him in that moment, not something that took place in the past that he was picking up on). This obviously indicates more 'evil' than 'grumpy'...but I can only relay my own experiences as being my own personal truths.

As I walked out of that back room, I heard a very distinct, very gruff sounding, "Come 'ere.." in my left ear.

*~*

Above: Second floor hallway.

As we walked back down the hallway of the second floor heading towards the stairs to rejoin the rest of our group on the first floor, I caught a faint glimpse of a woman in spirit. I didn't really 'see' her or 'hear' her, but I felt her. I wouldn't be able to describe her physically, but I can say that from an energetic standpoint she was a very strong, proud, and outgoing woman. That's all I got from her, until Garry later joined us and began communication with this woman. I hadn't yet told him about the woman, I had only mentioned it to a couple of other group members, so when he started describing this woman he was picking up on, of course we exchanged excited glances at one another.

He went on to say that she was a very proud, strong woman (the two exact words I had used to describe her earlier in the night), who was very proud that she was "the first" at something. We felt it could have been something along the lines of first to drive, first to own a business (which is what I felt), etc.

Click Here to watch a video, "Zip Printing Tour & Possible EMF Communication" where you can hear Garry speaking with the female spirit briefly in the beginning of the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au5f-gvkWYE

*~*

As we ventured down to the first floor I got the sudden impression of two girls, or young ladies. I felt maybe preteens to teenagers, and these two girls were close. I'd even say siblings, but I had a feeling that it was just a friendship bond that was as if they were siblings. I felt that one of these girls had recently crossed over, and the other had not. The one who had crossed over did come back to check on the other from time to time, and try to urge her to cross over, but she simply wasn't ready yet (but I will say that I felt like she would be ready to cross very soon).

Upon speaking with the business owner, who also possesses some mediumistic ablities, she stated that she had also felt these two girls, and that one had had a baby at some point. She stated that at one point she had (in her minds eye) actually gone through the process of childbirth as this young girl had, and it was a very tragic, horrific experience. She was standing and actually felt the gush, and the pressure as the baby fell to the floor. (Garry later expressed he feels this baby could be the fetus that the man had 'kicked' across the floor in front of him.) She also felt that one of these girls had in fact  crossed over, and the other had not, so she was able to validate that for me.

*~*

Later on in the investigation, a few of us were sitting in the front room of the first floor. We were conducting what we call "quiet time," with our digital recorders running. In my head, I asked the spirits to show me what this place looked like when it was in its prime, while they were here; I asked them to show me how they see it. In that moment, I was shown a glimpse of the inside of an old-fashioned barber shop. I saw a few stools on either side of the room, with men getting their faces shaved and hair trimmed by a husky looking male with a dark curly q mustache and slicked dark hair, wearing a white apron. I even saw the little cylindrical red, white, and blue, spinning barber shop doohickey. I was a little confused by this vision, because we had been here for several hours at this point and the business owner hadn't mentioned anything about it being used in the past as a barber shop. However, when I told my fellow investigators Connie & Garry about my vision, Connie relayed that there was, in fact, a barber shop across the street and to the left a bit - that could be seen in one of the old photos. It no longer existed, as a theater now occupies that space, but when I was shown the picture it helped validate it just a little bit. I'm now curious if the spirits inhabiting this building had a connection to the other building, because honestly I'm not real sure why I would have been shown this barber shop unless there were some significance to it.

Above: The Zip Printing building years ago; on the far left.

If you look closely (you can click on the picture to see it larger), you can see a barber shop fixture just past the "Shell" sign on the right side of the photo.

Above: A photo showing the building we were investigating versus the location of the barber shop as it had existed circa 1948 according to the writing on the photo.

Above: A larger view of the barber shop pole outside.

Very interesting! And let me just say, GREAT EYES, CONNIE! I don't think I could have ever noticed that. Really great work. Definitely validating for myself, but it leaves me with more questions as to why I was shown this barber shop. There has to be some connection...

*~*

Here are a few more old photos of the building... Enjoy!

Above: The building is located behind the car;

was apparently used as a hardware store at one time.

Above: The building is on the far left with the man standing in front.

Interestingly enough, Priscilla says this man in the photo

strongly resembles the man she's encountered at her store several times.

*~*

And a few more photos and videos of our investigation...

 Above: The stairs leading to the second floor.

Above: Second floor, second room.

***Click here to watch a short video, "Debunking High EMF's" in the first room, second floor: ***

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvGaMMxeLZQ&feature=youtu.be

Above: Another interesting anomaly in the top right corner. Again, several photos were taken both before and after this one and there were no dust particles in any of them.
We were stationary, so we weren't kicking up unsettled dust at this point.

Above: Second floor, second room.

A car parts store had rented this building prior to Priscilla and her husband.

Employees reportedly left in such a hurry they refused to get any of the merchandise and customer receipts they had stored on the second floor. Priscilla made numerous attempts to contact them to have them come pick up their things, but they refused to go back to the building, and especially the second floor.

Above: Shelly (myself) in the second floor, second room.

Above: The business owner sets out dolls for the

reported child spirit that resides in the building.

Above: Ericka during our initial walk-through of the first floor.

 
Above: Connie and Ericka investigating the second floor, middle room.

Above: A mess of paperwork, invoices, and merchandise left behind by

Napa Auto Parts who rented this building prior to the current tenants.

No one would come to the second floor to retrieve their belongings,

so the second floor is literally cluttered nearly wall-to-wall

with things they've left behind.

Above: Garry reviewing audio evidence.

Above: "Chris wuz here 11/19/87" 

*~*

VOLP would like to personally thank Priscilla for allowing us to come into her building that night for our investigation. We would also like to thank both Priscilla & Janice for their gracious company, and wonderful conversations throughout the course of the night. We left that location feeling we had not only had a great investigation, but had also made two new wonderfully like-minded friends!

Great job, team! Looking forward to the next!

- Shelly, VOLP



----- UPDATE: 5.15.13 ----

CLICK HERE TO READ OUR HISTORICAL RESEARCH WRITE-UP BY VOLP HISTORIAN, TARYN.

VERY, VERY INTERESTING STORIES! AMAZING VALIDATIONS!