Binghams’s Light is believed to be the lantern of the ghost of a man named Bingham who was killed by a train. Some say he appears as a warning or that the ghost is searching for his lost children.
Bingham's Light
Joseph Johnson House - The Castle
The Castle is the 1850 Italian Renaissance home of Dr. Joseph Johnson, and it is rumored to be haunted. Its legend centers around the ghost of a dwarf named Gauche, who was a jester brought to the area by the French explorer Jean Ribaut in 1562. Gauche’s apparition has been seen by folks as far back as Dr. Johnson himself, both inside and outside of the home. Dr. Johnson’s daughter Lily played tea party with the ghost many times as a child, and visitors to The Castle have seen him while on tours. The ghost has been known to tap out messages in 16th-century French, move furniture, open and close doors and leave his red handprints on windows. When he’s around, some say, you can hear the ringing of the bells on his costume. In one coded conversation, Gauche revealed that his spirit remains in the castle because it reminds him of his former home in England.
Pickens County Museum
The Pickens County Museum of Art and History, formerly the county jail, is said to be home to the ghost of a boy named Willie Earle who calls out in anguish, “I didn’t do it!” So the story goes, in 1944 Willie was blamed for killing a cab driver when, in reality, it was the cab’s passenger who committed the crime. Willie was arrested, but a mob of cab drivers stormed the place and tortured and killed Willie before he could be tried. Later, 31 cab drivers were arrested and tried for Willie’s death, but were acquitted. Now Willie’s ghost still calls out from the jail, pleading his innocence.
Winthrop University
Tillman Hall at Winthrop University has a bell tower, intricate woodwork, and, some say, a haunted fourth floor. Some suppose the spirits may be linked to the old stocks, still housed in the building, that held the prisoners who built the hall centuries ago.
Old Licking County Jail
The Old Licking County Jail building, constructed in 1889, has an eerie castle-like appearance reminiscent of the Tower of London. In its day it housed many a notorious murderer and serial killer. It was here that Carl Etherington, a Dry-Agent Detective, was once held in a cell for his protection against an angry lynch mob. But the protection offered by the jail proved ineffective. The mob stormed the entrance and rammed it down to get to Etheridge, who was beaten to death with a hammer before they dragged him out and hanged him from a telegraph pole. Witnesses say the jail is haunted by apparitions, electronic voice phenomena, and more, much of which has been recorded. At least 15 deaths have occurred here in the prison’s 100-year history.
Marie Schmidt-Bremer House
This house is known in these parts because it belonged to Marie Schmidt-Bremer, the daughter of Schmidt Brewing Company founder Jacob Schmidt. She and her husband Adolf Bremer had a son, Edward, who was kidnapped in 1934 by the Karpis-Barker gang. The house is haunted by an apparition of a brown-haired woman in a long white dress. Folks have also heard the sound of someone invisible using the stairs.
Minnesota State Capitol
The Minnesota State Capitol was completed in 1905, replacing an older building that had burned down. Witnesses have described unexplained noises that come from the second story, cold gusts of air, and apparitions of deceased senators and governors in the halls and stairways. Something may be strange about Room 217 as well: Several folks have been locked in to this former judge’s office.
Molly's Rock Picnic Area
At Flag Lake (which is no longer a lake, by the way), Molly’s Rock is rumored to be a hot spot for the strange and unexpected. Reports say on a nearby hill stands a cemetery that has an entire row of grave markers for deceased who committed suicide. Witnesses visiting the area have reported bright lights at night, eerie feelings, and unexplained car trouble.
Note: This land is private property and trespassing is not allowed.
West End Cemetery
The Bride Of West End is said to haunt West End Cemetery. She’s an apparition of a melancholy bride who has been seen sitting in trees, standing near her grave, or walking in the nearby fields. Rumor has it she has been waiting long years for her lover to take her to their wedding ceremony.
Ninety Six National Historic Site
Ninety Six National Historic Site is a National Park Service operated frontier settlement and Revolutionary War battle site that includes Star Fort, a visitor center, a trail, archaeological digs and restorations. It’s rumored to be haunted by a ghost, but folks differ as to who the spirit is, or was. Some say it’s a Cherokee Indian, others say a Revolutionary soldier. Still others say the fort is visited by the spirits of slaves who were forced by the British to build it.
