Haunted Adirondacks

Dennis Webster

• Publisher: The History Press
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9781439673614
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

Often shrouded in an eerie mist, the Adirondack Mountains are a perfect backdrop to the mysterious and the haunted. Troubled spirits of former patients roam the campus of the historic Dr. Trudeau Tuberculosis Sanitorium just outside Sarnac Lake. The ghost of Grace Brown, tragically murdered by her lover in 1906, drifts over the waters of Big Moose Lake. A long-deceased runaway slave remains a guest at the Stagecoach Inn in Lake Placid. The Sagamore Resort on an island in Lake George has been welcoming vacationers since 1883, and many have never left. Held captive in a remote mansion by her husband until her death, Mary Rhinelander still wanders the burned-out ruins of her earthly confinement. Writer and paranormal investigator Dennis Webster highlights the scariest haunts the Adirondacks can offer.

HAUNTED LOCATIONS

The following haunts are within the blue line of the Adirondack Mountains and cover all sections. These haunted locations are host to some of the scariest, strangest and saddest haunts you’ll find anywhere in the United States. I challenge you, the reader, to visit every haunted location I visited and wrote about in this book. If you do, I’ll list you in the paranormal club I dubbed the “ADK Haunted 25,” and if you’re a super ghost hunter and paranormal curiosity seeker, then go for the “best of the rest” haunted locations listed at the end of this book, along with a Bigfoot hunt in Whitehall or the Adirondack town of Ohio. I wish you luck in visiting these locations; perhaps you’ll meet some of these ghosts, phantoms and a Bigfoot up close and personal. Be sure to tell them Dennis Webster said hello.

DR. TRUDEAU’S ADIRONDACK COTTAGE TUBERCULOSIS SANITORIUM SARANAC LAKE

On the side of a steep hill, just outside of the town of Saranac Lake, sits a bundle of haunted buildings that, long ago, hosted people from all over the United States who had been afflicted with the deadly disease of tuberculosis (TB). The Adirondack Cottage Tuberculosis Sanitarium operated from 1884 to 1954 and was founded and run by Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau. People from all over the United States sought the fresh air of the Adirondacks to cure their debilitating lung disease, and many passed away, leaving their spirits behind. They were brought in by train to the Union Train Depot and then transported by horse and carriage up the hill to the beautiful mountain view and cool Adirondack air. Over fifty buildings were constructed on the sprawling hillside campus next to Saranac Lake. The James Staff Building, Dodd Building, Animal House and the Workshop are the epicenters of hauntings, with ghosts walking the halls, appearing to the living and slamming doors. The campus was owned by the American Management Association (AMA) for many years, but a sale to private owners allowed the Adirondack Park Paranormal Society (APPS) crew to spend four nights there, investigating the multitude of haunted buildings

Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau (1848–1915) learned of Dr. Hermann Brehmer, who had successfully treated TB patients in Prussia by exposing them to cool, clear mountain air. He decided to go to the Adirondacks to replicate this methodology, and he founded the Saranac Laboratory for the study of tuberculosis, the first of its kind in the United States. Dr. Trudeau would give his life to his research, as he was diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1873 and lingered and suffered for decades before succumbing to the disease. He’s been recognized as a pioneer in the world of medicine pre-antibiotics. Tuberculosis was a very painful and horrific disease of the lungs that you’d catch from inhaling air droplets from an infected person sneezing. A person with TB would cough up blood and have chills, night sweats, massive weight loss and loss of appetite and strength. There were hundreds of tragic and painful deaths from tuberculosis at the sanitarium, and they flooded the buildings and grounds with sad souls of the dead who took their pain and sorrow into the next realm. It was in this somber spiritual atmosphere that the APPS spent four nights, hunting ghosts and looking to connect with these poor departed souls. On two of these nights, APPS hosted a sister paranormal team, the Ghost Seekers of Central New York, so they could help investigate the massive buildings.

Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau, who lost his life to tuberculosis while seeking a cure. Author’s collection.

A ghostly homunculus standing in a doorway of the James Building. Photograph by Mark Webster.

The James Building, where the doctors resided while treating tuberculosis. Author’s collection.

The Adirondack Park Paranormal Society was founded by paranormal investigators Damon Jacobs, Sue Goff and Ann Farrell, with Jessica Trombley, Aymee-Lynee Fisk and Paul Allen providing ghost hunting support. The investigation was conducted by APPS over four chilly November nights, including two overnight hunts with the Ghost Seekers of Central New York. The Ghost Seekers were led by Bernadette Peck, along with her support team of paranormal investigators, Ed Livingston, Len Bragg, David Peck, Mark Webster, Liz Bridgman, Josh Aust and Dennis Webster. The groups used every kind of equipment they had in the field, including dowsing rods, laser grids, spirit boxes, EMF detectors and more. The campus was large, with dozens of buildings, so APPS narrowed their hunt down to the ones that were safe to be in and had past paranormal activity—they also considered the nature of the things that went on in these buildings. The buildings selected were the James Staff Building, Dodd Building, Animal House and Workshop. The command center/ghost central was based in the auditorium. Dr. Trudeau’s Tuberculosis Sanitorium had never been ghost hunted before, and by the time all was said and done, the teams would walk away mentally drained and physically depleted due to the vast amount of sad and lost ghosts trapped in the place where their diseased lungs betrayed their mortal beings, thus leaving them as eternal wandering spirits.

The Dodd Building, which housed many tuberculosis patients. Author’s collection.

The Dodd Building was a large structure, with multiple floors and dozens of rooms that had hosted patients long ago; but the spirits remain, as it was very active during the investigation. There was a shadow person darting across the first floor, near the stage area. Then the building became rather flat, without a lot of activity. This is common during ghost hunts; activity comes in waves and shuts down as quickly as it appears. The teams found an odd staircase hidden around a corner that brought them across a walkway to the building next door. As the ghost hunters were walking down the dark, narrow hallway, a large oak door slammed shut with such a force and noise that everyone jumped with shrieks. Yes, even ghost hunters can become frightened by angry entities. When the activity returned in the Dodd Building, doors kept opening and shutting with the assistance of ghostly hands that were captured on video. The group did a spirit box session on the second floor that produced incredible evidence. A spirit box is a device that searches FM radio waves and produces words and phrases. Most of it is gibberish, but when the ghosts use the spirit box to communicate, you’ll get intelligent responses. Sue Goff was asking the questions, and the box said, “Suzy,” along with other phrases that coincided with questions asked.

The Animal House, where spooky events shook the paranormal investigators to their spiritual cores. Author’s collection.

The Animal House building was a dank, dirty and sad place with peeling paint and industrial experimental décor that caused everyone to feel off-kilter, sad and drained of energy. During the pre-investigation walkthrough, the ghost hunters heard footsteps, and all of the equipment was drained. The atmosphere was heavy and creepy. Everyone left, and the front door was unlocked, but when everyone returned to investigate, it was suddenly locked. There was no one near the Animal House at the time, as the campus was closed to visitors. It was obvious something didn’t want the paranormal investigators inside. Once the door was unlocked and everyone was inside, Josh got a massive headache and channeled the name of a young boy named Thomas. The spiritual lad said he had arrived by train at the Union Depot in Saranac Lake. He said that he had worked in Animal House and passed away there. Thomas was lonely and wanted to go home. He said he had been trapped in the Animal House a long time. It was a sad moment, and the team tried to move his spirit on to the next plane of existence, away from where he was trapped. Several of the team members got physically ill and overwhelmed by the sadness of the ghosts and had to leave. Sue Goff stated that nothing drained her like this building and the others on the campus. The campus was filled with the spirits of the tuberculosis patients, and they transferred their sadness to the living paranormal investigators.

The James Building produced some ghosts, but it mainly produced a photograph that one has to see to believe. This was the building that had housed the doctors and nurses who tried their best to cure those suffering with tuberculosis. The majority of these loving caretakers caught the disease and died from it. Two different investigators, Ann and Josh, put their hands on a door on the second floor and saw a female entity with curly hair. During an EVP in the area, Sue picked up a ghost saying, “Help me.” This was an answer to an investigator asking, “Do you know you’re dead?” The team got an off-putting feeling, and Mark captured an odd ghost with his camera. It was a small human figure, only a few feet tall. On further analysis, the team deemed the ghost was a homunculus. A homunculus is a fully formed small human created by alchemy; they were popular in the sixteenth century. This is one of the most odd and best paranormal photographs ever captured by the ghost hunters from both teams. Bernadette and Damon deemed it too sad, and the groups refused to go back in there. As the night was concluding and everyone was getting worn out, there were some ghost experiences that were still to happen.

The auditorium, where command and ghost central was located, had spirits interacting with individuals, even though it was filled with investigators, equipment strewn all about and all the lights on. One investigator witnessed an entity sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. Bernadette and Josh went into the basement and channeled a female murder victim. The last building the teams went to was the Workshop. When everyone was on the first floor, it was rather sterile, with not a lot happening, but once the group moved to the second floor, it got hostile. The teams encountered a religious man who was either a priest, deacon or preacher; he did not like having anyone in his space and was answering Paul as he conducted tests with the dowsing rods. The male ghost revealed that the Workshop had been a place where there were no smiles, a place where discipline was meted out, a place where the living suffered for their sins and where he wished to continue the punishment in the afterlife. Damon and Sue made the decision to evacuate and regroup at the command center.

The Adirondack Park Paranormal Society and the Ghost Seekers of Central New York agreed that Dr. Trudeau’s Adirondack Cottage Tuberculosis Sanitorium was the most draining and sad ghost hunting experience they’d ever had. It was not scary or insidious—just sad. The sadness was compounded by many spirits who had experienced a death of suffering and whose woes cry for all eternity. They latched onto the living energy of the team members and, like paranormal vampires, sucked the positive life essence from every team member. The teams gathered at the end and said a prayer of hope for the tuberculosis spirits—that they may find peace and health in the realm where they forever roam.

FORT WILLIAM HENRY LAKE GEORGE

It’s an honor to walk the holy land of patriotic sacrifice, especially when it hosted liberty and freedom. Fort William Henry sits on the southern bank of Lake George and was a British fort built in 1755. It was later destroyed by the French during the French and Indian War in 1757. It was reconstructed in 1955, based on the original British plans, and it sits primarily on the site of the original. It was christened Fort William Henry in honor of the grandsons of King George II. The British lost a battle to the French and Natives on August 9, 1757, and after the British withdrawal, the sick and wounded who were left behind were massacred, and the fort was burned to the ground by the Natives. The dead totaled, according to historians, between 200 and 1,500 soldiers and civilians. The reconstructed fort was built on the bodies of the brave and hosts ghosts hundreds of years later, with many tourists seeing and feeling the spirits. I bought my ticket for the tour, but being the infiltrator and ghost hunter that I am, I broke away from the large tour group and walked the fort by myself. I preferred to engage the ghosts solo.

The day was so sunny, and the sky was so blue that my eyes hurt from the glare of the wooden posts, and walking the shaded areas of Fort William Henry was mandatory for comfort. I was walking alone on the grounds and stopped a young man by the name of Mason Kladis, who said he was a reenactor at the fort and that he was pleased to speak to me about the ghosts. He said that people will smell bread baking, which is very normal when it comes to hauntings. The paranormal can produce familiar odors, whether it’s perfume, tobacco or baking bread. Ghosts have been seen playing cards in the fort, and during the night, when there are no visitors, Mason said the reenactors have heard voices. He took me to the second floor of the fort, where there are bunks, and he told me, one night, when he was sleeping there, he heard footsteps and knocks from the room next door. He jumped from his bunk and opened the door, but no one was there. He told me the below-ground casemate area was the most haunted spot. I went to that area, and there were several steps where I was plunged into darkness. It took my eyes several minutes to adjust so I could make out the area. There were benches in the bunker and several displays of medical models. I sat on the bench and was writing in my journal when I saw Mason coming with another reenactor who introduced himself as Aron Connors, a medical historian at the fort who had ghost stories to tell me. He said he always feels a chilling breeze down in the casemate area, where it’s not possible, and he said that he had seen the ghost of a little girl down there. She likes to sit on one of the benches. Many had seen her, so the staff now leaves a small vase with flowers for her. I looked over, and there were flowers out for the little girl’s ghost. Aron told me that the grounds of the fort still held many buried bodies under six feet of packed sand and that the ghost of a Native had been seen walking the steps of the fort. I thanked Aron for sharing his experiences, and he and Mason left to get back to the tourists above. I was alone then, and I was writing in my journal. I sat on the bench that was favored by the little girl’s ghost when I suddenly felt a cold breeze. It startled me, and I stopped and looked around. There was nobody there, so I went back to writing. I again felt a breeze, so I stopped writing and said, “Are you the little girl? You can come sit by me. You have my permission. I don’t mind.” Nothing materialized, so I set my journal down, clasped my hands, closed my eyes and said, “What is your name?” I heard, “Abigail.” So, I said, “Nice to meet you Abigail.” As soon as I said this, I got ice cold on my right side, and I knew her ghost had come and sat next to me on the bench. I did not dare to open my eyes. I just sat with her ghost in silence for what seemed an eternity, but it was really only a minute before I became warm, and I knew she had gotten up and moved on. I opened my eyes, and I was all alone in the casemate. But I smiled, as Abigail had trusted me, and I could sense her joy and playfulness being confined within Fort William Henry. If you visit, be sure to bring a flower and sit on the bench in the casemate—her spirit just might say hello.

Hallowed ground inside of Fort William Henry. Author’s collection.

A Fort William Henry guide points to where he was sleeping when he heard ghostly footsteps. Author’s collection.

The bench inside the haunted casemate area of Fort William Henry. Author’s collection.

The little girl ghost of Fort William Henry. Courtesy of Fort William Henry.

OLD FORT HOUSE FORT EDWARD

In the pursuit of ghosts and the paranormal, they sometimes find you or offer themselves in the most unexpected ways. I had been in Fort...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Foreword, By Bernadette Peck
• Author’S Note On The Paranormal
• Memorial
• Acknowledgements
• The Adirondacks
• Haunted Locations
• Ghost Glossary
• Bibliography
• About the Author