Author Archives: History Goes Bump

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Ep. 333

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Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was a place of immense sadness that was for many years home to the mentally ill and other unfortunate souls. The name would change later to Weston State Hospital. The hospital closed in 1994, but the building reopened as a historic site offering tours. And as is the case with so many of these places, one can investigate the paranormal here and there are so many stories of unexplained experiences coming out of this place, that it is hard not to believe that this is one of the most haunted places in the world. Join us as we explore the history and hauntings of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. The Moment in Oddity features The Mystery of Skeleton Lake and This Month in History features Hank Aaron beating Babe Ruth’s home run record.

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Spirits of the Spanish Flu, Ep. 332

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Pandemics and plagues have been a part of our human history. No matter how developed the world becomes, a very microscopic bug can cause society to fall into collapse and kill millions of people. We are now living through an unprecedented moment in history with the Covid-19 Pandemic. There have been many of these pandemics in recent human history and one of the worst was the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918. This form of influenza was believed to have infected a third of the world’s population at the time and lead to the deaths of 50 million people. The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Quoylette and features railworkers discovering a 14th Century cave and This Month in History features the Civil Rights Bill of 1866 passing. Our topic was suggested by allnew1995 and Carlston from Instagram.

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HGB Haunted Circus Mini-Series, Ep. 4 – Ringlings in Florida

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Florida would become the final home for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. John Ringling would be the final surviving brother of the five who built the circus. He would build his mansion in Sarasota and call it Ca’d’Zan. John would also build a museum for his art collection. This whole complex would eventually house the Circus Museum as well. Several buildings here and other locations connected to the Ringlings are rumored to be haunted. Join us on our final episode of the Haunted Circus Mini-Series as we talk about the Ringlings in Florida.

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HGB Haunted Circus Mini-Series, Ep. 3: Ringlings in Wisconsin

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Baraboo, Wisconsin was home for the Ringling family and it would become the winter quarters for the circus that the Ringling brothers would found. The Ringling Bros. Circus would start as a basic dog-and-pony show and grow into the most famous circus in the world. The eldest brother that lead the family down this path was Albert and he built his gorgeous mansion in Baraboo that is now a museum, bed & breakfast and brewery. The mansion is not only home to some former members of the circus, but there are reputedly several ghosts here. Join us as we explore the remnants of the circus still in Baraboo and the Al Ringling Mansion as we are joined by the current owners of the mansion, Joe and Carmen Colossa and Don Horowitz.

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HGB Haunted Circus Mini-Series, Ep. 2 – The Performers

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On this second episode in our series on the Haunted Circus, we are going to feature the circus family, the performers. We’ll talk about the lives of some of the more popular circus performers and the different acts that became world famous. As you learned in episode 1, the traveling circus relied heavily on trains and there were two tragic train wrecks we will share. These were the Hallenbeck-Wallace Train Wreck and 1915 Circus Train Disaster. And they may have left behind spirits!

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HGB Haunted Circus Mini-Series, Ep. 1 – History of the Circus

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This is our first episode of a four episode mini-series on the Haunted Circus. The circus was loud and colorful, but most of all, it was magical. The circus was for everyone, regardless of class or race, whether it was as a performer, worker or guest. The circus was a beautiful show, full of energy, and some of that energy continues on in the afterlife. Join us on this first episode in the Haunted Circus Mini-series as we cover an overview of the history of the circus and discuss one of the biggest tragedies in circus history, the Hartford Circus Fire, and share the haunts connected to that event.

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Greenwich Village, Ep. 331

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Greenwich Village is on the island of Manhattan in New York City. After European settlement, this area would become a place for carriage houses, black servant quarters and row homes. The area would industrialize and become home to slums. Eventually, the avant-garde would come and soon beatniks, hippies, artists and homosexuals called The Village home. Upscale stores moved in and New York University bought up historic buildings and gutted them. Residents have not embraced these changes, nor does it seem, have the ghosts. Join us as we share the history and hauntings of Greenwich Village. The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Jannae McCabe and features the Dracula Parrot and This Month in History features the end of the Battle of Iwo Jima. Our tour was through NY Ghosts.

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Starvation Heights, Ep. 330

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This episode is a haunted true crime! The desire to be thin and healthy has been with us since the dawn of human existence. The only sure thing for losing weight is starvation. And that is just what Dr. Linda Hazzard was offering the desperate people who came to see her. Imagine a serial killer who is paid to do their killing. Join us as we discuss the history and haunts of Starvation Heights. The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Lori Aceto Garcia and features the chainsaw invented to help with childbirth and This Month in History was suggested by Shadow Hunter and features Milicent Patrick and the Creature From the Black Lagoon.

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Pittock Mansion Museum, Ep. 329

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Portland would start as a pioneer town in the state of Oregon and grow into an industrialized modern city. One of the early families to make a mark on the city were the Pittocks. They were one of the wealthiest families in Portland society and they would use some of that wealth to build their retirement in the form of a chateau up on a hill overlooking the city. Today, it is a museum and reputedly haunted. Join us as we explore the history and hauntings of the Pittock Mansion! The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Krystal Vines and features the Monte Ne Ruins and This Month in History features the Napier Earthquake. Our location was suggested by Michele Vaughn.

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Victor, Colorado, Ep. 328

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Victor is an old mining town founded during the Victorian era in the Pikes Peak area of Colorado. This was a town founded by a couple of brothers and home for miners working the nearly 500 gold fields located in the nearby mountains. This was a typical mining town full of saloons, brothels and streets paved with gold. Today, Victor is a historic mining district where one can still find a room in a historic hotel and do a little gambling in a nearby town. And just like so many mining towns, there are reputedly ghosts here as well. Diane’s mom, Annette Student, will be joining us as we share the history and haunts of Victor, Colorado! Moment in Oddity was suggested by Chelsea Flowers and features the real reason Lilac bushes were planted and This Month in History features Parentalia. Our location was suggested by Melissa Potter.

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