Author Archives: History Goes Bump

Yule, Ep. 319

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We mentioned Yule briefly in the History Goes Bump Christmas Special in 2015, but we’ve never just focused on this set of beliefs, practices and traditions. On this episode we are going to peer into the darkness to find the light that will lead us into Spring. Because that is really what Yule is about for most people that observe it. This is an opportunity to take the time during the darkest part of the year and focus on the end of the year and what the future holds and to prepare for the rebirth that Spring brings. This is also a festival of rituals for which much of the traditions and practices of Christmas are rooted. Join us as we explore Yule! The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Mitch Riggs and features A Fateful Pair of Shoes and This Month in History features Orville and Wilbur Wright’s first flight.

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Haunted Ashland, Virginia, Ep. 318

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Richmond, Virginia had been the capital of the Confederacy, so one can imagine that the towns around it would be strategic locations for gathering supplies and protection. Ashland is one of these towns and the railroad was a major part of the city. The railroad company established the town with a spa hotel that hosted visitors to the curative powers of a natural spring. This location would go on to become a college. As the Civil War erupted, Ashland found itself a host to battles and the wounded. With this kind of history, hauntings are sure to follow. Listener and Executive Producer Whitney Zahar has joined us on other episodes and she joins us on this one to share her experiences as a tour guide for Ashland Ghost Tours. Join us as we share the history and hauntings of Ashland, Virginia! The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Jen Sullivan and features Skara Brae discovered by a farmer and This Month in History features Dom Pedro I crowned.

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Legend of Elementals, Ep. 317

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Our lives are touched nearly everyday by the four elements. We breathe air, drink water, eat things fed by the Earth and cook or warm ourselves with fire. There are stories of ancient creatures that are one with these elements and we have come to know them as Elementals. Elementals show up in a variety of places from books to comics to legends of old. Is there any possibility that these mythic beings did actually or could actually exist? On this episode, we explore the history, stories and possibilities of Elementals. The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Jenny Raines and features Crown Shyness and This Month in History features Cicero beheaded.

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Investigation of the St. Augustine Lighthouse, Ep. 316

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The St. Augustine Lighthouse is a location full of history, but it also has many stories of tragedy. The tower that stands there today is not the original lighthouse. There have been several towers through the centuries. The one built just prior to the current tower was closer to the sea and eventually fell into it, but not before tragedy hit. The tower that exists today was started in 1871 and was completed in 1874. That construction would leave another tragedy in its wake. Others would lose their lives here too. And in the wake of all of this, we have spirits. I’ve visited this location many times, but this would be Kelly’s first visit and this would be the first time I would conduct an official investigation here. Join Kelly and I as we share the investigation of the St. Augustine Lighthouse! The Moment in Oddity features Queen Elizabeth I’s dress and This Month in History features Queen Elizabeth I ascending to the throne.

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The Menger Hotel, Ep. 315

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San Antonio is one of my favorite cities not only for its amazing history, but it is full of haunts. One of those haunted places is right next to the Alamo and boasts over thirty ghosts. A young man came to this city with big dreams and started the first brewery in Texas, which makes him a top entrepreneur in my book! This man would turn the boarding house where he stayed upon arriving in town into the Menger Hotel, which would host dignitaries and become a town center. Join me as I share the history and hauntings of the Menger Hotel! The Moment in Oddity features Jack Budlong’s death and This Month in History features the death of Martha Mansfield.

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Haunted Churches of York, Ep. 314

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York, England is a place full of haunted locations with a vast history stretching back centuries. There are those who claim that York is the most haunted city in the world. On this episode, I’m going to focus on a few of those haunted locations in particular that all share one thing in common. They are or were churches at one time. Join me as I share the history of York and the haunting of her churches! The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Chelsea Flowers and features Aqua Tofana Poison and This Month in History features the opening of the Holland Tunnel.

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Haunted Lawrenceville, Georgia, Ep. 313

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Lawrenceville is a quaint town about forty minutes outside of Atlanta and is actually the second oldest town in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The historic downtown is full of storefront restaurants and shops. One would not think that this city has a paranormal essence to it, but as we found while taking a ghost tour, there are many stories of the unexplained here. Not something a city that is the headquarters of the Presbyterian Church of America would really want to champion, but their city website does have a link for ghost tours. Join me as I share the history, lore and hauntings of Lawrenceville, Georgia. The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Breanne Sanford and features Old Bill as a tourist attraction and This Month in History features the Ocoee Massacre.

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HGB Halloween Special 2019

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Kelly joins me on this Halloween Special for 2019 and we share an overview of the history of paranormal television in the United States. My love for Halloween and creepy stuff comes from the stuff I watched on television when I was a kid. I cut my teeth on reruns of the Twilight Zone and watching the classic Universal Monster Movies. But what got me checking out the weird books from the library were the paranormal based television shows and I continue to binge on them as an adult. This won’t be exhaustive, but will touch on our favorites. Then we are joined by author Kevin Killen to discuss his book Ghosts and Me and then we share listener stories of the unexplained! Happy Halloween!

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Haunted Cemeteries 15, Ep. 312

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Cemeteries are all unique and there are many varieties from classic Victorian garden cemeteries to forgotten and overgrown burial grounds for criminals. And many of them have tales of ghosts and other legends. Join me as I share about Bass Cemetery in Birmingham, Salem Cemetery in Winston-Salem, Woodpecker Hill in Canon City and Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta. The Moment in Oddity features Python Hysteria in Ohio and This Month in History features the completion of the Death Railway.

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The Winecoff Hotel, Ep. 311

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The Ellis Hotel sits along Peachtree Street NW in downtown Atlanta. The hotel hasn’t always been the Ellis and it has been refurbished many times. The original hotel here was the Winecoff Hotel and it was a grand place that dwarfed the other buildings. A devastating fire would change all of that in 1946. Over a hundred people would lose their lives in what has been dubbed the worst hotel fire in American history. Contractors can rebuild walls and slap on new paint, but they can’t cover over the energy and residue left behind by such tragic circumstances. That residue seems to have fed paranormal activity and there are many experiences that people have shared throughout the years that just can’t be explained. Join me as I share the history and hauntings of the Winecoff Hotel. The Moment in Oddity was suggested by listener Jannae McCabe and features her grandfather being buried with bent legs and This Month in History features the trial of Marie Antoinette. Our location was suggested by Michael Streibel.

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