Haunted West Virginia: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Mountain State

Stackpole Haunted Series

by Patty A. Wilson

Thrilling stories of supernatural occurences in West Virginia, including the restless spirits of Harpers Ferry, the legendary Mothman of Point Pleasant, the ghosts of Twistabout Ridge, the phantom hitchhikers on the West Virginia Turnpike, and many more.

Genres: Paranormal, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published June 11, 2007

Reviews

[Phillip · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty comprehensive collection of stories about ghosts, monsters, and other paranormal activity in WV, some of them famous (e.g., Mothman or the ghost of John Brown) and some more obscure (even a few that have never been published before but seem to be personal stories told to Wilson). It's organized by geographic region, which is reasonably useful if you're planning a ghost tour of West Virginia. Some of the stories are very focused an tell about only a single haunting/apparition, while others are more sprawling and tell a bunch of legends about a particular place, like Harper's Ferry or the Grant Town mines.

One interesting thing about this collection is that they aren't told as ghost stories, they're told the way a folklorist, ethnographer, or historian might tell them, which makes sense considering that Wilson is a historian. But this means they aren't necessarily scary. They do provide some historical background and context for the time periods--since many stories are set in the colonial era, Civil War, or early 1900s--and then proceed to recount the stories as dispassionate records of folk tales.

The other thing to note about this collection is that several of the stories have problematic depictions of American Indians. I wouldn't say the tellings are racist, but American Indians do often appear as villains who come and kill white settlers, who then become ghosts. That being said, it wouldn't be fair to draw a generally negative conclusion about the depiction of American Indians here because there are also several stories in which white settlers perpetrate violence, and even ones where indigenous people attempt (often unsuccessfully) to avert conflict. But some of the language for describing American Indians could be a bit more careful.
https://youtu.be/vsPiHLbfjIk

[Deena Scintilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as a gift from my sister. Since I was born and raised in WV and am familiar with many of the mentioned places, I admit I may have been a little biased in awarding 4 stars. The one error that I found was in one story, the author mention a child was ill with typhoid and later in the same paragraph referred to the illness as typhus. Typhoid and typhus are very different altho at that time in history, both were usually deadly.
Perfect for reading in October!

[Diane Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good collection of stories.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book if you like spooky stories. Facts are a little off at points, but that is a me issue for the most part. Seriously, Charles Manson never served time at the Moundsville Penitentiary. His mother did, though, I think... But seriously, if you just want some spooky stories that take place in West Virginia, worth the read. If you want facts about spooky stories that take place in West Virginia, read this and read another book for facts.

[Patricia Bryant · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it boring and the presentation stale. I really wouldn't bother.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

For once, I found a book of ghost stories from my state that I hadn’t already heard most of! I enjoyed this one a lot.

[tyrannosaurus_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nice short adventure into hauntings. I enjoyed this one! It had some interesting ghost stories. If you live in West Virginia or have family/know someone there, I definitely recommend it! Even if you don't have any association to West Virginia but love stories of hauntings, check this out!

[Elyse Welles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chills, couldn't stop reading!

These stories weren't overly sensationalized, but they were well-written narratives with awesome, supply twists. Great read whether you are in our familiar with West Virginia or not. Great ghost stories of America.

[Cheryl Souders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary

I've heard of some of these stories before from others. I found the others quite entertaining and rich with history. Recommend this book.

[Jane Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know most of these stories. Very interesting!

[Samantha Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good ghost stories

[Faith Littleton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not one of the better ghost storybooks. Stories were pulled directly from early writers like Shirley Dougherty's book on Harpers Ferry (A Ghostly Tour of Harpers Ferry) and Ruthan Musick's books (The Telltale Lilac Bush and Other West Virginia Ghost Tales). They are almost word for word; even her titles to the stories come from other writers. I don't know if the author has been to these places as the locality, background, and information were vague or wrong.

[M. Sprouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining book with a few scary ghost stories. As you read, you feel that the author favored some sections of the state more than others. I know the part of West Virginia that I live in, has a lot more ghost stories. Overall a recommended read for West Virginia ghost fans.

[Lynnette · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not all that well written, but the stories are interesting, especially the ones for which the author was able to provide more detail and history.