Published by Haunted America
A Division of The History Press
Charleston, SC
www.historypress.net
Copyright 2016 by Dennis Webster and Bernadette Peck
All rights reserved
All photos courtesy of the Ghost Seekers of CNY unless noted.
First published 2016
e-book edition 2016
ISBN 978.1.62585.716.3
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016933546
print edition ISBN 978.1.46711.879.8
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 authors or The History Press. The authors 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.
This book is dedicated to our friend and our champion in the Old Forge area, Kate Lewis, director of the Goodsell Museum. Without her assistance, as well as that of the Town of Webb Historical Association, this book would not have been possible. Her assistant at the Goodsell Museum, Kristy Rubyor, was very helpful in research and assistance. Peg Masters is another wealth of historical information when it comes to Old Forge and the surrounding area. This work is also dedicated to the wonderful people who reside in Old Forge and the town of Webb. The area deserves the accolades of the world, for it is a charming, warm, beautiful place to vacation and visit. Finally, it is dedicated to the best team of paranormal investigators on this spinning ball of mud: the Ghost Seekers of Central New York.
CONTENTS
PREFACE
OLD FORGE, NEW YORK
Old Forge is located in the Adirondack Mountains, or within the blue line that is the border that covers the entire mountain range in the northwestern part of New York State. Old Forge is home to a small base of people but swells to more than 500,000 tourists visiting its rugged charm in the summer and its snow thrills in the winter. Old Forge is nestled next to the Fulton Chain of Lakes, which had been used for a millennium by the Native Americans before the hearty trappers, hunters and woodsmen started to make the area their home. The area proved tough for early settlers, as the brutal winters and difficult growing seasons limited growth, but the area of Fulton Chain and Old Forge proved too beautiful to not keep the hardiest of settlers from staying put.
It all began back in 1798, when John Brown, a Providence, Rhode Island importer, built a mill and dam at Old Forge Pond but realized that the area was not viable for business; the property was abandoned after his death. Browns son-in-law stepped in and tried to build a business around a homestead in nearby Thendara. He had an iron pit and brought sheep to raise. Wolves ate up the livestock and the mine tanked, with Browns son-in-law leaving the area in 1825. The abandoned home would be host to Nat Foster, the famous trapper who went on trial for the assassination of Peter Indian Drid Waters, resulting in one of the most dramatic trials in the region. Loggers and rugged outdoorsmen couldnt stay away from the beauty of Old Forge, and the area slowly grew. Fulton Chain was the original growth area, but over decades, the population shifted to Old Forge, nestled next to the beautiful First Lake. Fulton Chain became Thendara and, together with Old Forge, became the heart and soul of the Adirondack Mountains. With train service and a swelling number of tourists, Thendara and Old Forge prospered. Both fall within the town of Webb and today still retain the charm and toughness of the early settlers. Deep among the pines, it is a national treasure.
Summertime at historic Old Forge. Courtesy Town of Webb Historical Association.
Map of Old Forge. Courtesy Town of Webb Historical Association.
The region is a paranormal horn of plenty regarding spiritual activity and unexplained phenomena. The Ghost Seekers of Central New York has been conducting paranormal investigations for two decades, yet no town has been as haunted as Old Forge. Every investigation in the beautiful village was overstuffed with spirits and ghosts. Perhaps its the location next to the pines and water that attracts and retains the spirits of those no longer of this earthly mortal realm. Or it might be the charm and hardiness of the local people who attract the spirits but keep them among the cabins, pines and water.
Irene Crewell is a psychic who is a former member of the Ghost Seekers of Central New York and has been on many investigations, as well as assisted on the haunted walking tours of the town. Her opinion on why Old Forge is highly paranormal is that the area is surrounded by water, which she states is conducive to spirit movement. She says that water is like a slip and slide between our world and the world of ghosts. It is a superhighway for spiritual activity. Irene also mentions the fact that much has not changed in Old Forge. There is still one main road through town, and most of the old original structures are still standing. No change, according to Irene, means no reason to move on. She also says that the woods-to-human ratio is large and could embrace and entice spirits to remain in them. No matter what the theories, Old Forge has multitudes of spirits coexisting among the living.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We wish to thank the following friends, supporters and organizations, as well as all those who assisted us in the investigations and the writing of this book. Thanks to Mike Beck, Victoria Beck, Elizabeth Brigham, Bob Card, Lori Christopher, Peter Christopher, Craig Clemow, Irene Crewell, Nancy Crisino, Charlie Frey, Nancy Frey, Don Gabler, Laurie Gonyea, Zach Gonyea, Brittany Grow, Caryl Hopson, Anne Johnston, Bill Lemieux, Kate Lewis, Peg Masters, Jim Moore, Suzan Moore, Lisa Murphy, Erica Murray, Terry Murray, Susan Perkins, Dave Rubyor, Kristy Rubyor, Rick Surprenant, Tammy Suprenant, Debbie Zembrzuski, Tom Zembrzuski and Helen Zyma. Thanks also to Adirondack Express, Field Zone Photography, Fulton Chain Craft Brewery and ADK Fitness, Herkimer County Historical Society, Maxson House, Old Forge Hardware, Russia Union Church, Strand Theatre, Tony Harpers Pizza and Clam Shack, Town of Webb Historical Associationthe Goodsell Museum, Van Aukens Inne and the Woods Inn. And all our friends in Thendara, Inlet and Old Forge, who were always sweet, kind and helpful in our research and ghost investigations.
INTRODUCTION
GHOST SEEKERS OF CENTRAL NEW YORK
We are a professional group of paranormal investigators specializing in ghost investigation and research achieved through digital audio, video and photography. Ghost Seekers of Central New York was founded in 1999 in Oneida, New York, by Bernadette Peck, our lead investigator, coauthor of
