PARKERSBURG – Virginia Lyons felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
A man’s laughter echoed in the dark lobby of the Colony Theater in Marietta where she felt a gentle tug on her hair, but when she turned around, no one was there.
At the time, Lyons was a 16-year-old concession worker cleaning at the Colony Theater after closing time. The experience was one of several in her childhood that sparked her interest in paranormal activity.
Today, Lyons is a member of the Mid-Ohio Valley Ghost Hunters, a group that explores paranormal activity and frequents historical places in search of a spiritual presence.
“I would describe ghost hunting is a hobby of mine,
but I like to joke that it’s my second life,” said Lyons. “I enjoy being able to talk about this stuff without people looking at me like I’m crazy.”
The group has become more popular since its formation in 2000, even catching the interest of the television show “Creepy Canada,” a program about hauntings in Canada and the United States. In 2007, members of the Mid-Ohio Valley Ghost Hunters were filmed by the Canadian television crew during an all-night ghost hunt in Moundsville.
Tom Moore, the group’s founder, said the Mid-Ohio Valley is full of historical buildings, cemeteries and houses that have shown signs of paranormal activity. The group has traveled to the Twin City Opera House in McConnelsville, Silver Run Tunnel in Cairo, the old West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville, Eaton’s Tunnel near Walker, Trans Allegheny Books, the Van Winkle Mansion, Quincy Hill, Fort Boreman Park and Riverview Cemetery.
Most places of interest allow ghost hunting groups
to conduct hunts and all-night outings for a small fee or donation.
“This area is full of historical places with interesting stories behind them,” said Moore. “When I go to a new place, I like to go in open-minded, without having too much knowledge about the history of that place. That way if I experience something, I know I haven’t been influenced somehow.”
Moore said people are drawn to ghost hunting for the thrill, the excitement and a curiosity about the spiritual world.
“Once you start ghost hunting
and you have a personal experience, it’s hard to stop,” said Moore.
Cameras, recording devices, boom microphones and night surveillance equipment are used by the group to capture sounds and movement. Disturbances in electromagnetic fields are measured and infrared thermometers capture dramatic temperature changes.
“We use various pieces of equipment to gather evidence,” said Moore. “We’ve picked up background voices, shadowy figures and temperature changes of around 30 degrees in just a few minutes.”
The group plans two or three ghost hunts each month, usually scheduled around full or new moons.
Some outings are uneventful. Others are filled with strange happenings.
The most memorable paranormal experience for Moore occurred nearly five years ago at Prospect Place Mansion in Dresden, Ohio. The house is on the National Register of Historic Places and was a stop on the Underground Railroad.
“I saw a girl walking around the staircase wearing a dress down to her ankles. She looked like a normal person, but as she walked around the stairs, she disappeared right before my eyes,” said Moore.
Later, he learned that in the 19th century, a young girl fell to her death from the top of the staircase.
“Ghost hunting is a lot about personal experience. I think in this type of field, it’s so easy for people to fake it. So for me, I need to actually experience something myself to believe it,” said Moore.
Meetings are 6:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of every month at the Parkersburg/Wood County Library in the Summers Auditorium. The 2010 Haunted West Virginia Ghost and Paranormal Conference will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Dils Center and will feature leading experts and authors in the paranormal field.
At the conclusion of the conference, a ghost hunt will be held at the Anchorage in Marietta.
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