The Island Hotel and Restaurant that is located on Cedar Key in Florida was originally made to be a general store and it was built to last. The building material that was used was Tabby, which is a mixture of oyster shells, sand and limestone, and the structure has lasted 155 years. The building has survived severe weather, the Civil War, fire, passing through the hands of many owners, a stint as a brothel, foreclosure and death. It would seem that the spirits of many who have passed through the doors have survived as well. Island Hotel is not only one of the better known hotels in Florida, but it has a reputation of being haunted. The actual number of haunts seems to be thirteen ghosts.The Moment in Oddity features surviving lightning strikes and This Day in History features publication of the Book of Mormon.
No other actress has ever had the notoriety and fame or stirred the emotions quite like Marilyn Monroe. She was a legend in her own time and that legend has only grown since her untimely death. Not only was her rise to fame epic, but her personal life was a tale fit for the silver screen filled with torrid love affairs that included a president, drugs, scandal, tragedy, conspiracy and a mysterious death. Such a tumultuous life is hard to completely snuff out and perhaps Marilyn Monroe’s spirit continues to live on in the afterlife. Not just in our memories, but as a spirit still walking among us. Moment in Oddity features the Tarim Mummies and This Day in History features the Great New Orleans Fire of 1788.
Kilmainham Gaol is an immense structure found in Dublin, Ireland that holds a place in the annals of Ireland’s fight for independence and has a history that spans over two centuries. Today, it is the largest unoccupied prison in the country and is now a museum, but at one time it was home for hundreds of prisoners and was the scene of many executions. Those prisoners included not only notable revolutionaries, but also ordinary men, women and yes, children. And now it seems to be home for the spirits of several of these former occupants. Kilmainham Gaol is rumored to be haunted. The Moment in Oddity features the Legend of the Ourang Medan (very strange story) and This Day in History features the first female pharmacist Susan Hayhurst.
The Morse Mill Hotel in Hillsboro, Missouri has it all for history and ghost enthusiasts alike. This location has not only served as a private residence, tavern and inn, but also as a hospital for the Confederate wounded during the Civil War. And during Prohibition, this building was both a speakeasy and a brothel. A female serial killer has been connected to the Morse Mill Hotel as well. This nearly two hundred year old structure is full of surprises and quite possibly, ghosts. The Moment in Oddity features the Carnac Stones and This Day in History features the Spanish Influenza Pandemic.
Seguin Island is an island off of Maine, which can only be reached by boat, and is home to Maine’s tallest and second oldest lighthouse, Seguin Island Lighthouse. This lighthouse is known by its more common name, Seguin Light, and not only dates back to the birth of America, but it carries a rich history that includes a gruesome tale. What has happened at this lighthouse seems to live on, not only through stories, but through spirits as well. The light is always on at this lighthouse. Come with us as we climb the spiral staircase of legend into the afterlife.The Moment in Oddity features self mummification (bet you didn’t know someone could do that) and This Day in History features The Battle at the Alamo!
The Oliver House Bed & Breakfast is located in Bisbee, Arizona. Bisbee is a quaint town with a historic mining background. As is the case in most mining towns, this town has a rich history with gambling, prostitution and murder taking center stage. The Bisbee of the modern era may have quieted considerably, but the unseen world has not stopped kicking up its heels. Long dead residents still seem to be hanging around and one of their favorite places to knock about is the Oliver House. Diane and Denise are both under the weather during this podcast and the tail end of the show devolves into weird ghost vocals, a rooster banshee and other fun! Moment in Oddity features the MacKenzie Tomb and This Day in History features the Blood Bath at Vassy.
On this BonusCast Diane and Denise are unedited and unscripted as they discuss the Biblical view of ghosts. They examine the general belief in the Church about ghosts, which is way oversimplified and not Biblical and then they look at a couple of ghost examples in the Bible. This broadcast will not be for everybody, but if you do listen, we hope we give you some things to think about and consider. The Bible is one of the most supernatural books and Christianity does not have to be boring or what we see on television: Your best life now and God the big piggy bank in the sky. See if you come to the same conclusions that we do at History Goes Bump. We’d love to hear our listeners thoughts on the topic!
At the base of Mount Fuji in Japan lies a forest that is 14 square miles in size and is referred to by some as the Sea of Trees. The forest’s official name is Aokigahara Forest and is known for being very quiet. Aokigahara is notorious though for its reputation as a place people go to die by their own hand. Most people call this wooded area “The Suicide Forest.” There are rumors that demons run the place. And the tales of hauntings are numerous. Diane and Denise share the Japanese culture around suicide and why this place seems to be cursed. Moment in Oddity features sword swallowing and This Day in History deals with the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
Mark Twain authored some of the most beloved stories in American literature. Everyone knows the story of Tom Sawyer, his buddy Huck Finn and about whitewashing wood fences. Not many people know the details of the life of Mark Twain though. Twain’s life was one of literary genius, but it was also one of financial ruin and immense pain when it came to his family life. The Twain’s owned a home in Hartford, Connecticut and Twain claimed that the years that he and his family lived in the Hartford home were the happiest years of their life. They would eventually move from the home, but did their spirits actually leave the home? Twain was a lifelong skeptic, but is he now a true believer as his spirit continues to roam on this side of the veil? Moment in Oddity features the Spider-tailed Horned Viper and This Day in History features the eruption of the Huaynaputina Volcano.
The most notorious gangster shooting in history occurred on a day that was meant for the veneration of a saint and for the commercialization of love: St. Valentine’s Day. This event occurred during the era of Prohibition and tension between rival Mafia families was at an all time high. The crime was horrific and bloody and forever left its mark. But this event not only holds a place in history, it seems to hold a place in time and location in the present even though the building in which the massacre took place has been torn down. This event is haunted. Join Denise and Diane as they take you through the history and the haunting of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre! Moment in oddity features the inspiration behind Hitchcock’s “The Birds” and This Day in History features the discovery that the Earth wobbles.