Eblin - Haunted Miami Valley, Ohio

Published by Haunted America

A Division of The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2010 by Jennifer Eblin

All rights reserved

First published 2010

e-book edition 2012

ISBN 978.1.61423.420.3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Eblin, Jennifer.

Haunted Miami Valley, Ohio / Jennifer Eblin.

p. cm.

print edition ISBN 978-1-60949-022-5

1. Haunted places--Ohio--Miami River Valley. I. Title.

BF1472.U6E25 2010

133.1097717--dc22

2010039276

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Id like to thank a number of people involved with making this book a reality. First and foremost are the girls and guys I spent time with in high school. If not for them spending hours driving around aimlessly with me and checking out haunted sites, I doubt Id still find the topic interesting today. Id also like to thank the writers and owners of Headstoners, who graciously let me use photographs of Hell House.

A special thanks also goes out to my boyfriend, Brian, who spent many months listening to me ramble about haunted places and talk to myself. He also kept me on track and visited many sites with me, even taking some photos himself. All of my friends deserve a special thanks, especially Blake and Katy for having faith in the book and, of course, my parents.

A special man also deserves a nod here: Dennis Gray. Though hes no longer with us, he always had faith in my writing and encouraged me to keep writing. Special thanks also go out to The History Press and Joseph Gartrell. Thanks for taking a chance on a local girl who loves haunted sites and had literally no experience writing more than a few hundred words on the topic!

INTRODUCTION

Few states have a specific region with its own nickname, but Ohio does. The Miami Valley region covers a good portion of the southwest area of the state, in addition to parts of central Ohio. Its the area around the Great Miami Valley and even includes a few suburbs of Cincinnati, such as Hamilton and Middletown.

The Miami Valley has large cities, small towns, even villages, and of course, it also has ghosts, haunted sites and legends. These ghost stories tell the history of Ohio, from the early days when Native Americans called the land home to more modern times. Stories cover major manufacturing plants in the state, rural communities with more cows than people and large cities.

The tales are sometimes humorous and oftentimes dark. Youll hear about poor young women who couldnt handle the difficulties life threw at them and a woman who was brutally murdered with a fireplace log. Youll hear stories of scary creatures that stalk the Miami Valley, including a serpent creature and a Bigfoot-style creature.

Its a place many are proud to call home, myself included. This is the area where I went on my first ghost hunt, the place where I camped out late at night, in the middle of cemeteries and buildings, hoping for a glimpse of a ghost. As a teenager, I visited a few of the sites mentioned in this book frequently, sometimes on a weekly basis. Though I have had some weird experiences, I have yet to see a real ghostbut Im not giving up hope just yet.

I have had my fair share of unique experiences in the area, including the house I grew up in and the house where my parents still live. I remember little things happening when I was a child: the modem kept unplugging itself from the wall for no reason and the house made odd noises. We were always told that it was just the sounds of an old house settling. For a house not even forty years old at the time, it sure settled a lot!

One night, a few friends and I became brave enough to hold a mock sance in the house, using an addition made to the original house. After waiting for everyone to leave the house, we formed a circle and started talking to the spirits. We asked for someone to knock three times on the garage wall if anyone was there. To this day, we cant explain why we clearly heard three knocks on that exact wall.

When my boyfriend and I moved into our new-old house in Franklin, I felt a little odd. We put it off to moving into a new house after living in an apartment for nearly two years. The house dates back to the late nineteenth or early twentieth century and, at some point, was divided into a duplex, with additions added to the back of both sides.

As we were on a tight timeframe and needed to move into the new house in less than a week, I ended up carting down a carload late at night. After carrying everything inside, I sat down for a minute, just to catch my breath. Imagine my surprise when I clearly heard the sounds of something moving upstairs. Maybe it was an echo caused by our neighbors walking around in the middle of the night, or maybe we were sharing the house with some people not paying their share of the rent.

My stories arent the only ones in the area, and there are certainly other interesting tales to be told. These stories belong to the region, and many have their roots in the history of the area. The Miami Valley has a long history, but unfortunately, some of the historic structures across the region no longer exist today. They were torn down to make room for new schools, demolished for highways and torn down and rebuilt. If you visit any of the sites mentioned here, be respectful of your surroundings.

Cemeteries in the area are already closing and locking their gates at night to stop trespassing and vandalism. Vandals have destroyed or damaged a number of important items, including the Johnny Morehouse tombstone at Woodland Cemetery. Ruining something or leaving your mark does little except help cut off access for those who come after.

When youre ready for a haunted tour in the Miami Valley, start with Miami County. Home to Piqua, Troy and my hometown of Tipp City, its a place full of history and haunted sites.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1

MIAMI COUNTY

One of the largest cities in Miami County is Piqua. Originally known as Fort Pickawillany, this small settlement first appeared in 1747. By 1780, the area was home to two separate towns: Upper Piqua and Lower Piqua. At the turn of the century, the two towns merged and formed Piqua. The city is also known for the small town of Rossville, which became part of Piqua. This settlement began in 1833 and was made of freed slaves.

The Fort Piqua Hotel, which is also known as Hotel Fort Piqua and the Piqua Hotel, has a long and involved history. William P. Orr and Samuel K. Statler are responsible for the building itself, which was built between 1890 and 1891 and was originally known as the Plaza. Sitting at the corner of Main and High Streets, the two busiest streets in town, the building immediately attracted customers. Stanhope Boal, who owned the Favorite Stove and Range Company, purchased the building, renovated the interior and changed the name to the Favorite Hotel in 1914.

Throughout the history of the hotel, several presidents spent the night. William Howard Taft, Warren G. Harding and even Teddy Roosevelt laid their heads here. During the swinging 1920s, the hotel had its own bookie and illegal betting parlor. Following Prohibition, Piqua received its first bar, thanks to the hotel. As early as the 1940s, the hotel prohibited desegregation, letting African American patrons sit side by side with Caucasian customers.