WELCOME TO THE NEW ISSUE OF THE NEWSLETTER!
14 DECEMBER 2010
Happy Haunted Holidays and welcome to a new issue of the newsletter -- our second to last edition before the end of 2010! As many of you know, we have one more issue coming -- our holiday ghosts newsletter, which marks the return of an old favorite Civil War story that has been part of our holiday traditions here at America Hauntings since we started the newsletter many years ago.. you know, back in the old days before ghost hunting was actually popular, haha! We have a couple of special, holiday treats in this edition, as well as a preview of the 2010 Haunted America Midwest Conference -- tickets for which go on sale for newsletter subscribers ONLY starting January 5! |  | | Also, a quick note about Whitechapel Press book orders -- if you don't want to have to spend extra money ordering books and asking for them to be sent via express mail, you need to get your orders placed before this Thursday and you'll still get them in time for the holidays. In fact, if you spend more than $50 and tell us you are a newsletter subscriber, we'll offer FREE priority shipping. This is offer is only good until Wednesday (December 15) at midnight, though, so go to the Whitechapel Press website and order NOW! |  | THE DARK SIDE OF THE HOLIDAYS
Scared of Santa? You might have good reason to be!
With the snowstorms that many of us in the northern climate received this past weekend, it’s become very apparent that winter has definitely arrived. For most people, winter means that the holiday season is upon us – family gatherings, parties, Christmas traditions, food, presents and days and nights of laughter, good tidings and cheer. For others, though, winter means nearly four long months of darkness, snow, cold and ice, a series of days and weeks huddled around the fire waiting for warmer weather to return. But what better days for ghosts? In the Victorian era, this was considered the spookiest time of year, beginning with Halloween and ending with the spring thaw. All of the greatest fictional ghost stories of the time were set in the gloomy winter months and during the holidays, like Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” for instance. | | In the days before the holidays were overtaken by commercialism and organized religion, the winter solstice celebration (which modern man turned into Christmas) was a pagan festival of death, designed to celebrate the spirit world and the “death” of the earth, which would be re-born in the spring. And even traditional celebrations had some dark customs that have largely been forgotten in these modern times. Let’s just say that if you were ever scared of Santa Claus as a little kid – that blood-red suit with fur trim and that booming “ho-ho-ho” --- well, it might have been for a good reason! | | For most of us, our modern-day Santa Claus originally evolved from either the Christian legend of St. Nicholas – a charitable, 3rd century Greek Bishop who developed a reputation for miracles and secret gift-giving – or Odin, the wise old god from Greek mythology who dabbled in magic and fought battles from the back of his flying horse. Over the centuries, these two traditions intertwined and eventually took on other forms, including Britain’s Father Christmas, Pere Noel in France and the Dutch Sinterklaas, before turning into the jolly fat man that we all know and love today. (Ironically, the image of Santa that we recognized these days was largely created by the Coca-Cola company in the early 1900s) Most of these past incarnations were good-natured purveyors of cheer but lesser-known accomplices such as Germany and Austria’s Krampus and the Netherlands’ Zwart Piet (Black Peter) were certainly characters that could make you believe that might be more to Santa and his possibly sinister helpers that first meets the eye! |  | | In Holland of the 15th century, Black Peter was both Santa’s right-hand man and the epitome of the dark side of Christmas. The tall, gaunt, dark-skinned, devil-looking creature would hand out punishments to the bad children, giving them lumps of coal, beating them with sticks and stuffing them in a bag and dumping them in Spain. Black Peter is still around today but his image has lightened somewhat in modern times. The beatings and the coal are gone and he’s now seen as a cheerful, elf-like assistant to Santa. |  | Krampus, on the other hand, has origins that trace back to pagan rituals of the 17th century, although it wasn’t until the middle and late 1800s that Christmas cards in the alpine regions of Europe began to appear that were decorated with this hideous horned demon who punished children and punished women in ways that suggested it wasn’t just a spanking that they were getting for Christmas! A fusion of man and beast, Krampus is typically portrayed as having cloven hooves, a body covered in dark hair, a long tail, twisted horns sprouting from his head, and the face of a man with a long, snake-like tongue. He was a figure of evil, designed to evoke fear in disobedient children. | | According to the legend, Krampus accompanied Santa on his Christmas Eve journey with sole purpose of inspiring bad children to be good. For some, this meant a slap or a spanking but others would be beaten mercilessly until they promised to behave. The truly wicked were locked in irons and collected in a large basket that was strapped to his back. They were either taken off into the woods to be tortured or were deposited directing into the fires of hell! Krampus is still around today, especially in Bavaria and Austria. The core of Krampus worship has been confined to the nights of December 5 or 6 (depending on the location), when young men dress up like the monster and march through the streets, tormenting the community. Not exactly the makings of a Merry Christmas, is it? So, whatever your holiday traditions are this year, keep in mind that your office Christmas party only seems like hell --- it could be a lot worse! ------------------------------------------------------ 
2010 HAUNTED AMERICA MIDWEST CONFERENCE
Special preview of the 2010 Midwest Conference – coming June 10 & 11, 2011 at Haunted Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois! TICKETS GO ON SALE STARTING JANUARY 5 FOR NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS! We’ll have tickets available in advance for newsletter subscribers ONLY for this year’s huge Midwest event! Keep an eye on your newsletter for details on January 5 and a special link where you can get signed up in advance of the general public for the conference (limited seating) and for this year’s special after-hours events! AMERICA’S ORIGINAL GHOST CONFERENCE RETURNS FOR 15TH SPOOKTACULAR YEAR! Join Author and Host Troy Taylor as the American Ghost Society Returns for Another Great Year of America's Original Ghost Conference, traveling for the first time to the McGaw Fine Arts Building on the campus of haunted Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois! Founded in 1829, the college is the perfect setting for our ghostly event, boasting dozens of haunted locations, including an apparition that haunts the conference location itself! Join us for another weekend of ghosts, hauntings and the unexplained and experience Jacksonville -- one of the most haunted towns on the prairie -- for yourself! America's Original Ghost Conference (Often Imitated, Never Equaled) is back for our 15th year and will be held over the weekend of June 10-11, 2011 on the haunted Illinois College campus in Jacksonville, Illinois. Join us for our first Ghost Conference at this new, spook-infested location and discover nationally-known speakers on ghosts, hauntings and the supernatural. The event will include lectures and presentations on hauntings, haunted tours, ghost hunts, after-hours events and much more! Join us in Jacksonville and explore this historic and haunted region with our many weekend events, including your chance to hear lectures and workshops on ghosts and ghost hunting; listen to presentations on paranormal phenomena and investigating the unknown; take part in discussions and questions & answer periods; visit haunted locations; take part in haunted workshops; experience ghost tours, late-night investigations, and much more! This is our 15th year for the Haunted America Conference and our first time at Illinois College! As with our other events, guests will be able to gather research on ghosts and hauntings that they won't get anywhere else; meet other ghost hunters from all over America; and visit Jacksonville -- a place that teems with both history and hauntings! Don't miss this amazing event! Tickets on Sale Starting January 5, 2011 for newsletter subscribers ONLY! 2011 SPEAKERS & PRESENTERS: * Host – Author Troy Taylor * Rosemary Ellen Guiley * Tiffany Smith Johnson * Patrick Burns * April Slaughter * Nick Spantgos & Derrick Ward * Len Adams
* Dale Kaczmarek (Workshop Presenter) * Michael Kravchuk (Workshop Presnter) * Ghostman & Demon Hunter Show (Special Radio Guests!) 2011 AFTER-HOURS EVENTS: Friday Night ONLY: Group / Gallery Psychic Session with Tiffany Smith / 8:30 - 9:30 PM Join renowned psychic Tiffany Smith for a special group session exclusive to the Haunted America Conference! In a group gallery reading, Tiffany provides quick "mini" readings to active participants in the group. Those attending may ask psychic or medium type questions and get a quick, concise reading on the issue in question. These readings are provided in front of the group and observed and heard by all! It's great to see if you have never had a reading before and wonder what questions are asked of a psychic, then you can also join in on the event. Limited seating available! Held at McGaw Hall on Friday evening! Friday & Saturday Nights: Haunted Downtown Walking Tours of Jacksonville Friday: 8:30 PM Saturday: 7:00 PM Join American Hauntings Rep & Guide Loren Hamilton on Jacksonville's first ghost tour, a historic and haunted look at one of the most spirit-infested towns on the Illinois prairie. Join us for the downtown walking tour and discover the secret, sinister and spirited side of the city, from the infamous Hockenhull Building, Our Savior Rectory and much more! Departs from the Illinois Theater in downtown Jacksonville -- directions will be provided at the conference check-in desk. Limited spots available! Friday & Saturday Nights Ghost Hunts at the Nearby Eldred House 10:00 PM Both Nights Join us at the famous James Eldred House in nearby Eldred, Illinois! This chilling night will include a real-life ghost hunt and investigation of Eldred House grounds, spooky cellar & nearby cemetery! The James Eldred House dates back to the 1820s, resting on land that was among the first to be occupied in Greene County. There have been at least four deaths in the house over the years and legend tells of a Native American who was buried on the property --- leading to ghost stories that are still being told today. Experience this historic location first-hand and see for yourself if there is truth to the rumors! Friday & Saturday Nights Ghost Hunt at the Old Funeral Home 10:00 PM Both Nights Join us for an exclusive ghost hunt at the former Williamson Funeral Home, now home to the Jacksonville Theatre Guild. The building was first known as the Proffit Boarding House in the early 1900s and played host to scores of touring actors who performed at the nearby Strawn Opera House. For 55 years, it then served as the Williamson Funeral Home, where thousands of people were prepared for death and where mourning families may have left remnants of their grief behind. In 1999, the Jacksonville Theatre Guild took over the buildings and not long after, reports of a haunting began to surface. Search for the ghosts that linger in this former mansion! Friday & Saturday Nights Ghost Hunt at the Haunted Rectory 10:30 PM Both Nights Join us for an exclusive overnight ghost hunt at one of the most unique locations that we have ever offered -- the authentic haunted rectory of the Our Savior Church in Jacksonville! We'll spend the night looking for the rectory's reported ghosts and learn more about its rich history. Is the rectory really as haunted as some people claim? You'll have the chance to find out on when we give a limited number of ghost hunters the chance to possibly meet some of the former occupants of the old mansion face-to-face! Friday Night ONLY: Ghost Hunting Workshop with Dale Kaczmarek (President, Ghost Research Society) 9:00 PM Join one of America's most respected ghost researcher as he returns for another Haunted America Conference workshop, this time on the methods and importance of properly using electronic equipment to gather evidence of the paranormal. He'll show you what the TV shows are doing wrong and help you collect the best evidence possible in your own investigations. Saturday Night ONLY: Ghost Gear Workshop with Michael Kravchuk (The Ghost Gadget Guy) 9:00 PM Join "The Ghost Gadget Guy" for a workshop on the best -- and worst -- gear to use in your paranormal investigation. This hands-on workshop will include classic gear like EMF detectors, photos and video, etc. and also the more experimental like the Ovilus, EM Pump, Inductive Amplifiers, Laser Grids and more. With help and Michael's unbiased reviews, he'll let you know which pieces are worth adding to your ghost hunter's kit Don’t forget – tickets go on sale starting JANUARY 5 for newsletter subscribers ONLY! ------------------------------------------------------  AMERICAN HAUNTINGS -- MORE GREAT EVENTS! The list of great events for 2011 from American Hauntings just keeps growing! Over the past month, we have added a number of new overnights and ghost hunts, including a few additional dates for events that sold out very quickly. We have additional dates for the Lemp Mansion (April 10); Villisca Ax Murder House (June 25); a new date for Pennsylvania's Nemacolin Castle (March 26) and more! Would you like to come face-to-to face with a ghost? We may not be able to guarantee it, but your chances are better with American Hauntings -- America's Original Overnight Ghost Tour Company -- than with anybody else! AMERICAN HAUNTINGS 2011 SCHEDULE (SO FAR!) February 12: Night at the Old Funeral Home Jacksonville, Illinois -- Join us at this former funeral home, now home to the Jacksonville Theatre Guild -- and to a number of restless ghosts! March 11-12: Haunted Weekend in New Orleans Escape from cold weather and journey with us to New Orleans for an amazing weekend of ghost hunts, tours and America's most haunted city! March 26: Night at Nemacolin Castle Brownsville, Pennsylvania -- join us for a ghost hunting overnight at this historic and very haunted mansion! St. Louis, Missouri -- Another all-night ghost hunt at one of America's most haunted houses! Hear the TRUE stories of the Lemp mansion, NOT what you've seen on TV! Eldred, Illinois -- Join us for our first ghost hunting event of the year at one of our most popular Illinois locations! April 29-30: Haunted Weekend in Gettysburg Come back for another of our guest's favorite trips as we explore of the country's most haunted locations -- during the day and night -- the Gettysburg battlefield. Decatur, Illinois -- A Friday the 13th overnight ghost hunt at one of the most terrifying places in America! May 21: Night at the Squirrel Cage Jail Council Bluffs, Iowa -- Join us for another all-night ghost hunt at one of America's most usual -- and haunted -- jails! July 16: Night at Rolling Hills Asylum -- Just Added! E. Bethany, New York -- Join us for an overnight ghost hunt at this spook abandoned asylum! August 5-6: Bell Witch Weekend Adams, Tennessee -- A favorite weekend of the summer is back! Join us in the heart of Bell Witch country for a history and hauntings weekend, optional canoe trip, tours, after dark exploration of the Bell Witch Cave and more! -------------------------------------------------------- | The Christmas Tree Ghost Ship By Steve Schultz The rats always desert a sinking ship. The thought kept repeating through the mind of sailor Hogan Hoganson as he watched rats fleeing the Rouse Simmons; dropping into the frigid water on that cold November day in 1912 as the ship sat tied to the wharf in Chicago. The Rouse Simmons was the famous Chicago “Christmas Tree Ship.” Every year at Christmas time, her captain, Herman Schuenemann, sailed across Lake Michigan to Manistique, Michigan, to pick up a load of Christmas trees. | Captain Herman Schuenemann (center) standing aboard the Rouse Simmons as the crew prepares for the holiday season. | | Returning to Chicago, he’d tie-up near the Clark Street Bridge and sell the trees directly to residents of the Windy City. Schuenemann also earned the moniker “Captain Santa” through his generously giving trees to needy families. By the time the Rouse Simmons prepared for that faithful 1912 trip, she’d become fairly long in the tooth. Built in 1868, she’d plied the Great Lakes lumber trade for around twenty years. Following her lumber service, she changed hands several times until Herman Schuenemann acquired the ship in 1910 in a partnership with fellow captain Charles Nelson and businessman Mannes Bonner. Schuenemann had the Rouse Simmons recaulked prior to his 1911 Christmas tree trip, but failed to do so before the 1912 sailing, possibly due to his financial situation in connection with debts owed. Since the other passages had gone off without a hitch, Schuenemann likely expected no trouble. Besides, even with a heavy cargo of 5,000 Christmas trees, the only real danger came if the tress got wet and froze. Ominously, Schuenemann’s brother August had died during one of the Christmas tree runs in November 1898. August had purchased 3,500 trees in Sturgeon Bay and was heading back to Chicago sailing the S. Thal with a crew of three when the ship was caught in a fierce storm off Glencoe, Illinois. The S. Thal broke apart and went down with all hands. Herman likely only missed the trip due to the birth of his twin daughters that October. Despite the trepidation of some of the crew, including Captain Nelson, who told his sister before the voyage, “I know the Simmons isn’t safe, but I promised to go and I can’t go back on my word,” the ship reached port at Manistique without incident. There the crew and dock hands began filling the ship with trees. Already troubled by the vision of fleeing rats, the loading of the trees proved the final straw for sailor Hoganson, who refused to sail on the return trip to Chicago. As he put it: “When [the captain] had filled the hold with Christmas trees, we were ordered to pile up a deck load. The load grew and grew and still they had us pilling more and more trees on top…I protested to Captain Nelson, telling him that if we struck heavy weather, the boat would be too top-heavy to weather it. But the captain seemed to think he knew more about it than a seaman, and ordered us to pile more trees on deck.” Schuenemann’s desire to pack the ship with as many trees as possible was likely due to the fact the unpredictable winter weather discouraged other captains from sailing late in the season, while a major snow storm had covered the tree farms in Michigan and Wisconsin. With the shortage of trees from other sources, Schuenemann possibly saw the potential to make extra profit and pay off his debts. The Rouse Simmons set out for Chicago on November 21st with Schuenemann, Nelson and fifteen other crewmen. Despite the Great Lakes’ reputation for ferocious winter storms, the 1912 season on Lake Michigan had so far been relatively quiet with only one major storm. Unfortunately for the men of the Rouse Simmons another major storm was brewing and they found themselves right in the middle of it. During the night of the 22nd, fierce winds and waves battered the ship. Two men were sent on deck to check the lashings for the trees. A giant wave washed both men overboard along with several trees and the ship’s small boat (her only life boat). In desperation, Captain Schuenemann directed the dying schooner towards the safety of Bailey’s Harbor. The storm worsened and continued to buffet the vessel. The trees remaining on deck began to cake with ice, adding significant additional weight to the already overloaded ship. The logs of the Kewaunee Life Saving Station record the crew spotting a ship matching the description of the Rouse Simmons at 2:50 pm on November 23rd. She was riding low in the water and flying a distress flag. The station’s rescue boat was out on another mission, so Keeper Nelson Craite telephoned Keeper George E. Sogge at nearby Two Rivers Life Saving Station, alerting him about a vessel in distress. Shortly after 3:00 pm, Two Rivers station launched their gas-powered rescue boat Tuscarora in an attempt to assist the ailing Rouse Simmons. The poor visibility made the task almost impossible. The rescue boat momentarily spotted the Rouse Simmons riding dangerous low in the water, but quickly lost sight of her in the rapidly deteriorating weather conditions. After an unsuccessful two-hour search, the storm and coming darkness forced the Tuscarora to return to port. The Rouse Simmons and her crew were never seen or heard from again, although hope remained that she might have found safe harbor to ride out the storm. A few days later, all hope was lost as bits of the Rouse Simmons began to wash up on shore, including a note. The note, found stuffed inside a bottle crocked with a small piece of pine cut from one of the Christmas trees, read: “Friday…everybody goodbye. I guess we are all through. During the night the small boat washed overboard. Leaking bad. Invald and Steve lost too. God help us.” True to form that the Great Lakes never give up her dead, the body of Captain Schuenemann was never recovered. In 1924, Captain Schuenemann’s wallet, still wrapped in protective oilskin, was discovered in the net of a fishing boat. Then in 1971, a salvage diver discovered the remains of the Rouse Simmons, her hold still filled with Christmas trees, resting in 172 feet of water. Yet, since shortly after her fateful final voyage, Great Lakes sailors have reported seeing the ghost of the Rouse Simmons. She’s most often spotted on moonlit nights, her sails ripped to tatters and wildly flapping about as if blown by gale winds, as she and her phantom crew continue in desperation to reach safety. Sailors claim one moment she is there and the next she has vanished… AGS Southwest Florida Rep |  DECEMBER 2010 December 26-31: Going to be in Chicago this Holiday season? Make your trip complete with one of the specialty tours that we are offering as a week-long "holiday of horrors"! Featuring annual favorites that we only do during the holiday season, from crime to ghosts, serial killers, zombies and our "Chicago Disaster Tour", held on December 30, anniversary of the Iroquois Theater disaster! Check out Weird Chicago for details! JANUARY 2011 January 8: Night at the Original Springs Hotel -- Okawville, Illinois -- Dinner for two, one-night stay at this haunted hotel and a search for the lingering spirits of this mysterious place! SOLD OUT! January 16: Kansas City Area Regional AGS Meeting! Belvoir Winery at 1325 Odd Fellows Road, Liberty, Missouri -- 3PM. This free meeting is open to the public and will included a presentation and tour of the haunted history of the winery and former Odd Fellows building. If you wish to attend, send an email to Becky Ray at becky@ghost-investigators.com with the names of everyone who will be coming with you. We hope to see you there! January 29: Night at the Lincoln Theater -- Decatur, Illinois -- Spend the entire night looking for the ghosts of "one of the most terrifying places in America". SOLD OUT! (Another overnight at the theater has been scheduled for May 13) FEBRUARY 2011 February 6: Night at the Lemp Mansion -- St. Louis, Missouri -- Exclusive all-night ghost hunt at one of the most haunted houses in America! SOLD OUT! (Another overnight has been scheduled for April 10) February 12: Night at the Old Funeral Home -- Jacksonville, Illinois -- Join us for a night at this former boarding house and funeral home and search for the lingering spirits! Reservations! February 18-19: Haunted America West Coast Conference -- Old Town San Diego, California -- Join us for two days of ghosts, hauntings and the unexplained with speakers and presenters, tours, ghost hunts and more. Details and Reservations! February 19: Night at Bryn Du Mansion -- Granville, Ohio -- Spend the night in search of ghosts at this legendary haunted Ohio location! Reservations! February 26: Night at the Haunted Rectory -- Jacksonville, Illinois -- Search for the ghosts of one of our most unusual locations, the spooky Our Savior Church rectory! Reservations! This electronic message is intended for newsletter subscribers. Please note that any form of distribution, copying or use of this communication, or the information it contains, is strictly prohibited without the express permission of the sender. Any use of this communication without permission is unlawful and a violation of federal copyright standards. If you have received this communication in error, please return it to the sender. © Copyright 2010 by Troy Taylor. All Rights Reserved. | | | | |
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