Tag: Location

View at Your Own Risk – Demon House

by KPR_Ryan, posted in Blog

Overview

In 2011 Latoya Ammons and her family moved in to a small house in Gary, IN.  What happened next would turn into one of the most documented cases of demonic possession in history.  The Ammons moved out of the house in the Spring of 2012 after just a few short months of living in the house. Latoya ended up having 3 separate exorcisms performed on her, one of which went viral. The house became known as a Portal to Hell. ZakThis gained the attention of paranormal investigator Zak Bagans, better known from his Travel Channel show Ghost Adventures.  Bagans purchased the house over the phone, site unseen.  The next week he and a film crew went to Gary, Indiana to start filming.

 

Fact or Fake

Through out the document the question gets brought up a few times.  Was this all a hoax and just a way to earn some money and fame? At times, some of the people do seem to be very financially motivated, while others truly seem to be terrified and have legitimate experiences to talk about.  Bagans does a great job at separating out what is fact from what is fiction used for financial gain.

 

The Experiences

Since the documentary released, numerous people have reported strange happenings in their house or even in their dreams.  Immediately after watching it, our crew all began to hear strange knocking sounds through out an otherwise quite house. One of the strangest things that happened that night was the vision issue that we all started to Hell is Realdevelop.  Which is very strange considering that it directly correlates to an experience that Zak has during the final moments of the film.  I ended up watching Demon House a second time, and that night I was fast asleep and I had an odd dream. It wasn’t even a nightmare, it was just a simple dream about picking a black dog up off the side of the road. I thought that it was a stray so I put it in my car and drove it to a shelter. When I got out of my car I went to the back to get the dog out. Upon opening, I quickly realized that the dog had died. I woke up out of a deep sleep in a panic. I was truly terrified. Since then I have not really experienced anything else.

 

Final Thoughts

Overall, the documentary is very well put together. The experiences that happened to Bagans, his crew, the experts that he brought in and several other people all lead to a very believable case of demons. The house may not be the so called Portal to Hell but something was definitely happening there. The facts and experiences far outweigh anything that could have been made up. Even if some of Latoya’s story was fabricated for fame and money, things happened in that house that caused real life-long issues for everyone involved. In all honesty, it is one of the best horror documentaries that I have ever seen.

 

 

Demon house is available on iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Video and all other major VOD sites.

 

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon_House

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4130484/

 

All photo credits go to IMDB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haunted Trails of Big Ridge

by KPR_Ryan, posted in Blog, Hiking, History, Informative, Location, Paranormal, Travel

Ghost House Trail

There are several claims of activity involving the Ghost House Trail.  The first has to do with Maston Hutchinson’s daughter Mary. Mary’s loved ones claimed to hear her cries coming from the bedroom just hours after she had fallen victim to tuberculosis.  People walking near the spot where the house used to stand claim to still hear Mary’s 17430933_10208791478605245_910868593_ocries.  A phantom dog has also been spotted on the trail.  This claim dates back to the same night that Mary died.  Her family and friends were traveling along the road leading to the where house once stood when a dog appeared out of the woods and crossed the path.  Park goers claim to hear the panting of the dog coming from the woods.  The final claim about this trail revolves around the family cemetery.  Many claim that if you take a picture near the graves you can see the silhouettes of the long dead standing behind them in the picture.  The name Ghost House Trail certainly seems to be a fitting name for this trail.

Indian Rock Trail

17408026_10208791479005255_1680745878_oThe trail leads past the spot where Peter Graves was ambushed, scalped and killed by
Native Americans.  On many occasions, hikers have claimed to see the mutilated body of Peter walking around the area where he was brutally murdered.

Old Mill Trail

IMG_0552 (2)

Norton Grist Mill marks the spot where a young girl was hung by her father.  She had been accused of being a witch.  Her sprit is said haunt the trail that leads to the mill.  Not much else is known about this haunting.

The Man in the Woods17408374_10208791480325288_1540679224_o

On many occasions, park visitors have seen a man walking in the woods far from the nearest trails.  This man has been spotted by park rangers, who describe him as being middle-aged and wearing a red flannel shirt and gray work pants.  He never speaks, just simply materializes and vanishes with out a trace.  No one knows who this man is or if it is even paranormal.

Our Investigation:

For more info, check out these sites:

https://rootsrated.com/stories/exploring-east-tennessees-eerie-trails

http://archive.knoxnews.com/news/local/haunted-hikes-planned-in-big-ridge-state-park-ep-402840410-357467771.html

http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/haunted-tn-hike/

History of Big Ridge State Park

by KPR_Ryan, posted in Blog, Hiking, History, Informative, Location, Paranormal, Travel

Overview

Big Ridge State Park was created in the 1930s as part of the Norris Project.  The project was developed by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), National Park Service, and the Civilian Conservation Corps.  The Norris Project turned into three state parks (Big Ridge, Norris Dam, and Cove Lake).  The park officially opened in May of 1934.  Big Ridge is located about 25 miles away from Knoxville in Maynardville, TN.

 

Sharp’s Station

In 1783, a man by the name of Henry Sharp established a pioneer fort beside Norris Lake in what is now Big Ridge State Park.  When the fort was established it was part of Hawkins County, today it is located in Union County.  Sharp brought his family as well as the families of his neighbors.  Many of these families are still prominent members of Union IMG_0532 (2)County including Sharp, Graves, Hinds, Gibbs, Loy, Miller and Rice.  Sharp’s Station was part of a network of trade routes and safe stops for travelers en route to Jacksboro . Some of the other stations in this network included: James White’s Fort, Well’s Station, Gibbs’ Blockhouse, Raccoon Miller’s Blockhouse, and Holmack’s  Station.

 

The Ambush

On November 13, 1794  a settler from Sharp’s Station by the name of Peter Graves was IMG_0506 (2)ambushed by Native Americans on top of Big Ridge about a half-mile away from the station. The Natives where hiding between two huge boulders.  Peter was killed and scalped.  Peter was laid to rest in Lon Sharp Cemetery.  He was the first settler to be buried there.  A few weeks later the station was attacked.  Fighting went on well into the night, by morning, none of the settlers were harmed and several attackers were wounded. The raiding party withdrew across the river.  Fighting continued sporadically until the summer of 1794.

 

Norton Grist Mill

The mill was constructed in 1825 by Tim McCoy, who transferred operations to Lewis Norton and his sons.  In the 1930s the TVA purchased the mill and surrounding lands as part of the Norris Project.  People from all over the area relied on the mill to turn their corn into corn meal.  The owner of the mill would take one gallon of meal out of each bushel ground into corn meal as payment.  The mill wasn’t just for grinding corn, it was aIMG_0549 (2) spot for social gatherings.  Locals would gossip with neighbors, traded knives and horses, played music, and sometimes told fairytales.  The mill that stands today is not the original mill.  The park service reconstructed it in 1968, vintage features from the original still remain including the raceway, gears, wheel shaft and mill stones.

 

The Hutchinsons

In the 1800s Maston Hutchinson and his family settled in the Big Ridge area.  While living in the area Matson’s daughter, Mary, was stricken with Tuberculosis.  Like so many that contracted this disease she did not survive.  Maston continued to live in the area until his death in 1910.  He was laid to rest in the Norton Cemetery located just down the trail from his family home.

 

L.B. & Della Hutcheson

IMG_0476 (2)Lewis Bratch Hutcheson and his wife Della where amongst the settlers living in the Dark Hollow region of Big Ridge.  L.B. was a Sheriff of Union County from 1930 until his death in 1935.  L.B. was killed in the line of duty in May of 1935 when a group of criminals that had just escaped from the Cocke County Jail opened fire on road block L.B. had sat up on the Highway 33 bridge.  After L.B.’s death, his wife Della was selected by the Union County Court to be the new Sheriff.  She was the first female Sheriff of Union County and only the third in the state of Tennessee.

 

 

 

 

 

Mingus Cemetery

by KPR_Ryan, posted in Blog, History, Informative, Location, Travel

Location

Mingus cemetery is located in Cherokee, NC.  In order to get to the cemetery, you must hike along the Mingus Creek Trail for about 2.5 miles.  There are a couple of trail marks along the way that will let you know if you are still headed in the right direction. The trailhead is located about three quarters of a mile north of the Oconaluftee Visitors Center.

 

History16934751_10208605049024622_6099551170383052800_n

The Mingus Cemetery is also known as the Mingus (Watson) Cemetery. Based own what is known about the cemetery, there are 29 marked graves in total.  The graves are believed to be from early pioneers from the area. The cemetery appears to have started sometime in the early to middle 1800s The graves are only marked by fieldstones, and of these stones only one grave is marked with a name.  Most of the graves belong to the Mingus and Watson families.  Many members of the Mingus family worked at the mill which is located at the start of the trail.  The mill, which opened in 1886, provided much needed cornmeal to the area. In that time period, cornmeal was a well sought after commodity, as it was part of most families’ main diet.

 

Known Graves

The only headstone in the entire cemetery with a name marked on it belongs to Mrs. Polly Mathis.  From what we where able to find there are only six graves that have been identified.

Polly Mathis                        b. 1888  d.193416934095_10208605053744740_527046014_n

Sarah Elizabeth Harris     b. 1847  d. 1919

Ephraim Mingus                b. 1794  d. 1847

Henry Adolphus Smith    b. 1848  d. 1916

Thomas Willard Watson  b. 1917  d. 1917

William Henry Watson     b.1834  d. 1904

EVP Sessions

While we were there, we conducted a few EVP sessions at different parts of the cemetery.  We started by asking general questions to any spirit that could have been around.  We then turned our questions to Mrs. Polly Mathis.  Finally, we conducted a session on the far right side of the cemetery near the smaller graves.  Believing that these graves may belong to children, we asked  a variety of questions to the children.  We reviewed the sessions but nothing audible was captured.

At Peace

We believe that most of the people that where laid to rest in the Mingus Cemetery are at peace.  The location of these cemetery is simply beautiful and very peaceful.  If there are any spirts still wandering around the cemetery, we were unable to communicate with them and hope that they may some day find peace.

 

 

 

Helen’s Bridge EVP Sessions

by KPR_Ryan, posted in Blog, Equipment, Informative, Location, Paranormal, Update

During our trip to Asheville we decided to stop by the infamous Helen’s Bridge. While we where there we conducted several EVP sessions which we intended to post to our YouTube channel.  However, upon further review of the sessions we found that they were heavily contaminated with sounds from the near by city and the wind.  We have decided not to post these EVP sessions because of the contamination.

Next Time 13054463_10206191305042531_83078164_o

When we return to Helen’s Bridge for a full investigation it will be at night, in hopes to reduce the amount of audio contamination.  For the full investigation we will be bringing our EMF meter, infrared camera, and the spirit box.  The EMF meter should prove to be very useful, we can conduct several different test with it and since there are no power lines above the bridge the results should not be contaminated.  If the claims are true about the apparition of girl the infrared camera will help to capture evidence of her existence.  We have had a lot of success with the spirit box during our investigations and the results are harder to contaminate than EVP sessions.

Directions

If you are interested in checking out Helen’s Bridge for yourself, here is a map to help you find it.  The dot on the map is almost the exact location of the bridge.  If you follow College St all the way to the end you will eventually cross under the bridge.  At the intersection of Vans Gap Rd, Beaucatcher Rd and College St there is a little area to park your car in.  From there, their is a little trail that will take you up to the top of the bridge.  Hopefully these directions are helpful.

Screenshot (17)

Legends of Sensabaugh Tunnel

by KPR_Ryan, posted in Blog, History, Location

Legends of Sensabaugh TunnelDSCN2677

Sensabaugh tunnel has been a part of Tennessee folklore for years. Built in the 1920’s in Kingsport, TN and named after the man that owned the land, Edward Sensabaugh. A stream flows around and through the tunnel and the walls are covered in graffiti.

There are several claims of activity in Sensabaugh tunnel.  One of the most frequently reported ones is the sound of a crying baby.  It is also said that the apparition of a women will appear in the back seat of your car while driving through.  Another one of the most common claims of activity, suggests that if you turn your car off when you are in the middle of the tunnel, you will not be able to turn it on again until you push it out of the tunnel. Many tales are in circulation about Edward and how the tunnel became haunted, every one of them differs depending on the source.

The Act of Kindness

Ed once let a homeless man into his house as an act of kindness.  Shortly afterwards, the man tried to steal jewelry from Ed’s wife.  Ed grabbed a gun and confronted the man. The man grabbed Ed’s infant daughter and ran from the house.  It is said the he drowned the baby in the tunnel during his escape.

Crazed Madman

One tale revolves around Ed being a madman.  Legend has it that, one night, Ed went crazy and murdered his wife and child.  Ed proceeded to place the bodies inside the tunnel.  No one really knows why he snapped.

“Get Out of My Tunnel”

Ed was always very protective of his land.  In the 1950’s teenagers started to use the tunnel for many devious things.  This upset Ed greatly.  So, he started hiding in the woods and when a vandal would show up, he would let out a shrill that would echo through the tunnel.  Needless to say this would scare off any unwanted visitors hiding inside.

Shelter from the Storm

One stormy night a mother and her child where driving through Kingsport.  As the storm grew worse the mother decided that the roads where no longer safe to travel.  When she came upon Sensabaugh Tunnel she stopped.  They would not survive the night.  The next morning their bodies were discovered inside the car, which was parked in the middle of the tunnel. Nobody knows exactly what happened to cause their sudden deaths or if it is even true.

                                                                                                                                                                    

 

What we found…

Regardless of the origin story, we visited Sensabaugh Tunnel for an investigation.  During the investigation we tested the claim of if you turn your car off in the middle of the tunnel.  We tired turning the car off several times, in both directions, and the car always started back. After spending several hours there and having not felt or experienced anything, we concluded the investigation.  During the review process, to our amazement we found an EVP that sounds exactly like a baby crying.  We hope to visit the tunnel at a later date in hopes that we can prove or debunk some of the other claims of activity.

History of Bethesda Church in Russellville, TN

by Idols to Enemies, posted in Blog, History, Informative, Location

100_1003Constructed in 1835, Bethesda Presbyterian Church is a remnant of the Civil War’s effect on East Tennessee. As the war began, the congregation divided in two: many sided with the Confederacy, though many more still were Union sympathizers. During this period, the church closed its doors. The Battle of Bean Station took place on December 14, 1863. After this historic battle, Confederate General James Longstreet arrived at Bethesda Church with 25,000 men who were stationed on the land until February 1864. During this time, the church served as a hospital. In the cemetery just outside the church doors, over 80 unknown soldiers were buried in mass graves. While some Union soldiers were laid to rest here, most of the unknown dead are presumed to have fought for the Confederacy.

In October, Federal troops pushed closer to the encampment at Bethesda during an engagement 100_1000known as “Vaughn’s Stampede.” In November, Confederate troops pushed the Union soldiers back west towards Knoxville. This battle is known as “Gillem’s Stampede.” During this push, a cannonball smashed through the eastern wall and caused severe structural damage. The walls were quickly repaired and reinforced with iron bracings and rods that can be seen in the photo to the right. The original pulpit and high-backed pews remain to this day, and the floors lie permanently stained with the blood and disdain of our American predecessors.

As the war ended and soldiers from both sides began to return home, the congregation attempted to compromise and reconvene. Sporadic services dotted the calendars. Between 1866 and 1871, sympathizers of each cause sat in the outer pews, leaving the middle column empty. Eventually, one side left and helped form the First Presbyterian Church of Morristown. The remaining church body stayed through 1875. However, in time, the majority began attending the new Russellville Presbyterian Church.

100_1010

 

Bethesda has remained closed since that time, save for a few irregular services held for major Christian holidays such as Easter. Now the building stands to serve as a reminder of the sacrifice of our ancestors in East Tennessee. Within its walls and grounds lies the story of a church body that symbolized the civil issues of the time. This once-unified group of people was just another casualty of a war among brothers.

 

As for potential paranormal activity, many have claimed to see apparitions of restless Confederate soldiers both inside and outside the church. The apparition of a weeping woman has also been seen on the far side of the cemetery. Her cries are often heard late at night. We have also heard reports of a “witch” buried on the grounds near the woods.

We investigated Bethesda Church and the surrounding grounds this past Sunday evening. Check back soon to see what we found!

It’s been a huge week for KPR…

by Idols to Enemies, posted in Blog, Update

Every night this week, KPR has been meeting and brainstorming about what we can do to take the next step forward, and we’ve got some exciting details to share with you guys.

Official Gear

First up, we’re in the process of ordering some official team T-shirts. If you’d be interested in getting one of your own, please let us know and we’ll try to work something out.

New Investigation Equipment11034841_10203775420566929_1652343002_o

We also just got some brand new gear to use on our next investigation! We now have two new handheld audio recorders, a mic for better audio quality on some anticipated interviews, an EMF detector, and a temperature gun (which would’ve really been a handy thing to have during our investigation of the Baker-Peter’s house when we all noticed a significant temperature change but had nothing on hand to really prove it).

An Aggressive Entity?

We’ve been recently approached by someone concerned that a harmless spirit that has roamed their building for quite some time is now accompanied by something more malicious. We’ve been asked to investigate, so we set up an interview with Darren Holland, a consultant demonologist, in preparation. We’ll have that interview up on our site in the near future.

Next location is LOCKED DOWN!

…And we couldn’t be more excited. We’ve been graciously granted permission to investigate a haunted location in Morristown next weekend. That’s all we can say for now. We’ll reveal more details soon.

And a few surprises left on top of all that…

We have a couple other new pieces of equipment to utilize on our next investigation that we’ll just have to wait to show you! Plus, there are other things in the works that we can’t divulge quite yet. Rest assured, this is going to be a great year for our group! Exciting things to come.

Regards,

cropped-kpr-bg1.jpg