Spirits of Ohio
Welcome to Spirits of Ohio, where we don’t just write about the Buckeye State’s most notorious haunts, we go live there and document every aspect of the paranormal experience!
Our paranormal pursuer and home sweet home
I first became interested in the paranormal when my older brother, Gilbert, was killed in a car crash. Years later, I would hear him walking around the house and would sometimes find a baseball rolling down the hall. Sometimes I would find his eyeglasses, which had been smashed in the accident, under my pillow. That’s when I knew there was a world beyond which we normally perceive.
When I was twelve my grandmother also passed away. Before her death, her leg had been amputated due to diabetes. Months after crossing over, I would see her fake leg walking down the hall by itself. Instead of being afraid of the unknown, I became fascinated!
My ex-wife Cindy and I became some of the first internet paranormal investigators with a focus on Ohio, dedicated to not only investigating haunted sites but living in those locations for a year at a time so we could properly document any paranormal activity. We became extremely popular for bringing our two daughters along on our investigations. We had even been in talks with TLC to do a television show about our family but that was before we encountered the Green Widow in Akron.
After that Cindy retired from paranormal investigations, and our family.
Currently, my oldest daughter, Riley, and my youngest, Iris, continue to investigate unexplainable phenomena alongside me. Spending time searching for headless spirits and bleeding walls is what gives us joy and brings us together as a family.
Current Investigation
The Lingering Spirits of the Unseen Factory
In late August 2023, my youngest daughter, Iris, and I moved to Question Mark, a small town in southeastern Ohio while Riley was convalescing due to some personal health issues. Although idyllic and sleepy from the outside, Question Mark harbors some of the strangest, most active unexplainable activities of any town in Ohio, outside of Cleveland.
Known for its forbidding burial mound built by the Hopewell people and the eerie disappearance of a French colony and an entire British regiment during the French-Indian War, Question Mark is also home to Buck Walters’ strange Upside-Down House–a bonkers tourist trap–and an an abandoned amusement park, Question Park, where a ghostly white tiger was said to disappear. In addition, there’s a ghost-themed car wash where teenagers dress like famous Ohioans and recite interesting trivia about our home state.
Other paranormal investigators have already documented what appears to be random time fluctuations in the town of Question Mark, but none has solved the riddle of what may be causing such anomalies.
In October 2023, my youngest daughter, Iris, and one of her classmates discovered a kind of temporal rupture in the Question Mark Woods. I could not have been more proud of the two of them, though Iris has always been camera-shy, even as a child, and refused various press opportunities.
Since then, paranormal activity in the area has greatly increased. As I have mentioned on this blog many times before, I believe what we experience as “ghosts” are simply individuals or even physical places that become stuck in time for some reason. Oftentimes the individual has died suddenly and does not yet recognize the need to move on. Sometimes a house, a hotel, or even an entire town can have such strong connections to the past that the entire region becomes displaced, as in the case of Lorain, Ohio, where investigators have documented entire crowds of ghosts moving about town, going back and forth to work each and every day.
Our original intention in moving to Question Mark however was to investigate the Ames Rifle factory, a haunted factory that is said to appear and disappear without rhyme or reason. Long considered to be one of the most difficult sites in Ohio to investigate because of its ephemerality and lack of a distinct location, the ghostly factory seems to appear in various places around town, its smokestacks pouring with black smoke, while a large factory door opens to reveal a ghastly scene….
Finding work at a local plastics factory and, once again, following Iris’ lead, both of us are excited where this investigation has led so far.
Previous Investigations
Lafayette Hotel
Marietta, Ohio
On an extended stay in Marietta due to familial circumstances, I was able to be a regular at the Lafayette Hotel. Guests have described encounters with a ghostly woman named Sarah, who is believed to be one of the many lingering spirits haunting the hotel. While I never experienced a direct encounter with Sarah, I did witness shadowy figures and the sound of footsteps in empty hallways.
Spirit Scale: 10/10 Location 9/10 Lore 7/10 Scares
Moonville Tunnel
Moonville, Ohio
The Moonville Tunnel is a remote and eerie location known for its ghostly legends. According to local lore, a brakeman met a tragic fate when he was struck by a passing train, and his spirit is said to linger around the tunnel. When visiting the tunnel at night over a 3-month stay at a nearby campground, I encountered shadowy figures and heard unexplained sounds in the vicinity, though was unable to place them directly within the known haunting grounds of the tunnel.
Spirit Scale: 9/10 Location 7/10 Lore 3/10 Scares
The Buxton Inn
Granville, Ohio
The Buxton Inn, a charming historic establishment dating back to 1812, is a quaint yet notably haunted inn in this small town in central Ohio. Guests have shared accounts of eerie experiences, attributing them to the lingering presence of the spirit of Orrin Granger, a former owner. While living in Granville for a year and visiting the hotel frequently, I encountered phantom footsteps, mysterious knocking sounds, and witnessed unexplained apparitions. The Inn is also very beautiful, but does not enjoy non-guests frequenting their lobby with equipment.
Spirit Scale: 10/10 Location 5/10 Lore 5/10 Scares
Ohio State Reformatory
Mansfield, Ohio
The Ohio State Reformatory, a massive and imposing structure, is notorious for its haunted history. It's said that spirits of former inmates, some of whom lived in harsh conditions and met untimely ends, roam the premises While spending six months in Mansfield, I encountered apparitions, heard unexplained noises, and felt a palpable sense of unease while exploring the decaying cellblocks and eerie corridors.
Spirit Scale: 10/10 Location 9/10 Lore 8/10 Scares