Greetings! In this episode, I travel to a couple little towns in West Virginia, home of horror author, Gary Lee Vincent (of the Darkened Hills book series). I visit Clarksburg, Weston, and Salem. All three of these areas inspired Gary's books in the Darkened series.
Because there is so much footage, I divided this expedition into two episodes. In this one, we discuss some of the historical inspiration behind Gary's books and visit an old asylum. The Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was built during the Civil War and closed in 1994. It now serves as a museum to tour and get a little history on!
Next week, we will travel to the areas of Clarksburg and Salem, and the places that inspired Darkened Hills...
Part of making episodes 12 and 13 involved a visit to the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, which opened during the Civil War and closed in 1994. Episode 12 will be posted tomorrow, but for the time being, here are photos from the asylum tour. More photos will come too. Enjoy! :)
In this episode, I read you the first half of Part 1: Hector's Cave from my Gothic/Historical/Dark Fantasy book series, The Birthrite. And stay tuned until the end for a preview of what is to come in my new webstore!
And this week's featured artist is the haunted attraction, Castle Blood: http://castleblood.com
Tiffany Apan is a critically acclaimed independent recording artist, a stage/film actress, author, and award-winning producer/writer. You can find more about her at her Official Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, and her production company website. She can also be found on IMDb and her music releases on CDBaby along with iTunes, Amazon, and other digital retailers. She also does freelance writing, and editing. Her own stories are available at Smashwords, Barnesand Noble NOOK, Amazon, and other retailers. Her novel series, The Birthrite Series, is also available in both ebook and paperback form. In addition, she is a contributor to Ravenous Monster Webzine.
Few things fulfill a cold winters day more than a ghostly tale, or one that delves into the unknown, does.
One particular urban legend that has always intrigued me is the legend of The Seven Gates of Hell, which is supposedly located in York County, Pennsylvania (Hellam Township). According to legend, passing through all seven gates leads the traveler straight into Hell. To quote Dante: "Abandon all hope ye who enter here."
My interest in this legend lies partially in the basis of the legend lying upon an old isolated asylum that was once on a wooded road called Toad Road.
According to some sources, the asylum was erected during the 1800s, housing the most criminally insane (needless to say, the locals were likely quite relieved in not having this establishment close to their places of residence). Then one night, a mysterious fire broke out, killing many of the inmates (due to its remoteness, firefighters could not reach the building in time). Some were able to escape, but were hunted down by a search party and law enforcement. They were either beaten to submission or killed. The asylum was never rebuilt, but the role of the gates in this version is often disputed, the most popular theory seeming to be that they (the gates) were built by the search party teams as a way to capture the escaped inmates.
Another version of the legend suggests that the property on which the pathway to Hell is said to be was once owned by a rather eccentric and temperamental doctor who had the seven gates built on the path leading up to his home. I haven't found any concrete source with information on exactly how these gates came to be a pathway into the bowels of Hell, but the stories continue, even to a point to having claims of daring travelers reach the fifth gate, only to be dissuaded from continuing when the sounds of the damned would reach his or her ears and a sense of foreboding would take over. Even the bravest adventurer is said to have not made it passed gate number five.
In addition, both versions of the legend agree that only the first gate can be seen in the light of day. The other six can appear to an onlooker at night (perhaps by moonlight?).
As a side note, I wonder if the Seven Gates of Hell of legend have any ties with the Seven Gates of Virtue (in Limbo) and the Nine Rings of Hell from Dante's Inferno. Perhaps that is where this part of the myth came from. Might be worth exploring. Perhaps we might even be able to unlock yet another door in this mystery.
With that said, a couple websites state that the land on which the gates are said to be is in fact private. So if you venture there, you do so at your own risk. There is also debate on the area, and Toad Road in general. Some say that no asylum or physician ever resided there. Some even go as far to say that Toad Road never existed, though others claim that it was changed to Trout Run Road due to its sordid past. Some who have traveled out there claim nothing out of the ordinary while others swear to hearing rather unworldly sounds.
I guess this is one urban legend that remains shrouded in the veils of mystery.
Tiffany Apan is a critically acclaimed independent recording artist, a stage/film actress, author, and award-winning producer/writer. You can find more about her at her Official Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, and her production company website. She can also be found on IMDb and her music releases on CDBaby along with iTunes, Amazon, and other digital retailers. She also does freelance writing, and editing. Her own stories are available at Smashwords, Barnesand Noble NOOK, Amazon, and other retailers. Her novel series, The Birthrite Series, is also available in both ebook and paperback form. In addition, she is a contributor to Ravenous Monster Webzine.
Welcome to the first episode of The Parting of Veils TV!
What better way to open up a new series that emphasizes on historical mysteries, urban legends, the paranormal, and the more gothic side of entertainment than with a reading of the works of one of the godfathers of the Gothic Horror genre, the late great Edgar Allan Poe?
Enjoy this reading of The Raven and To One in Paradise.
There will be a new episode every Friday.
Episode number 2 will be clips from a Medieval Twelfth Night that I had the pleasure of participating in.
Tiffany Apan is a critically acclaimed independent recording artist, a stage/film actress, author, and award-winning producer/writer. You can find more about her at her Official Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, and her production company website. She can also be found on IMDb and her music releases on CDBaby along with iTunes, Amazon, and other digital retailers. She also does freelance writing, and editing. Her own stories are available at Smashwords, Barnesand Noble NOOK, Amazon, and other retailers. Her novel series, The Birthrite Series, is also available in both ebook and paperback form. In addition, she is a contributor to Ravenous Monster Webzine.
Sometimes it's the smaller towns that have the richest history. Including
haunted history.
One such town is one hidden among the steel city of Pittsburgh, PA, just
among the Monongahela River. That town is Monongahela.
Now those of you that read my main blog and view my website, you likely know
that I am a re-enactor of history at the Depreciation Lands Museum in AllisonPark. This passed summer, I also posted an article on this webzine about The
Deacon, the museum's benevolent resident ghost.
Now every Halloween, the museum puts on their Lantern Tours each year with
an ever changing theme. This year's theme is a dramatized reenacting of the
witchcraft trial of real life 17th century accused 'witch', Mary Bliss Parsons
in Colonial America.
And as a side note, what has two thumbs and is playing Mary Bliss Parsons in
this event?
That's right.
Me.
:D
Now as I was reading over the script for the Mary Parsons witchcraft trial
tour and doing research, I came across another interesting figure (also being
portrayed in the lantern tours event). And that is Mary or "Moll"
Derry, who was also known as the Fortune Teller of the Revolution and/or The
Witch of Monongahela.
According to a brief description in a sample from Thomas White's book, Witches
of Pennsylvania: Occult History and Lore (a book that is definitely on my
'to read' list), Derry was born in Germany during the year 1760. During the
Revolutionary War, she moved to America with her husband, who was a Hessian
soldier.
After the war ended, they moved to Fayette County in the 1790s. It is said
that Derry lived in Georges Township until her death from old age in 1843
(which would have made her 83 at the time of her death).
Throughout her lifetime, Derry was said to have told fortunes, removed
hexes, and cured ailments. There is even a story of how she tried to help a
young woman by warning that young woman of what seemed to be an abusive fiance.
Unfortunately, the young woman did not listen and she was later found dead. Derry
was also said to have a vengeful side to her, and pity the fools that dared
cross her. There are many stories of curses and affliction place upon those
that angered Derry, from farmers having their livestock mysteriously perish to
men that tormented her having their lives cut short by hanging.
Either way, her reputation as "the most well-known witch of the western
side of the [Pennsylvania] state" made her a legend long before her
earthly life ended.
What is even more curious is that in a time that is known to severely frown
upon practices of any type of magic, Derry (and probably even others) managed
to somehow slip beneath the radar of the witchhunts and trials. It is suggested
that perhaps people feared crossing her just that much. It definitely makes you
wonder. Then again, history really is a giant, mysterious labyrinth with many
different and unexpected twists and turns.
And speaking of twists and turns, who doesn't love a haunted house?
Especially one said to have a haunted tale behind it?
Well, Demon House - also know as Emerald Mansion - has a rather interesting
story behind it.
Now bear in mind that I am not entirely sure of whether this is the real
history behind it or if this is a fabrication that is simply part of the haunt.
But either way it's a cool story, and one to maul over as you await your turn
to enter into the old McCormick Mansion. I did go to Demon House during the
Halloween season a couple years ago, and I will say that it does deliver. Here
is a video of the experience:
And as for the story told behind it, the story goes a little something like
this:
The mansion has over 138 years of haunted history and the land on which it
sits was once used as a burial ground (possibly Native American but also
possibly used by the Spanish to bury their torture victims). There is also a
story about a mysterious woman named Carla who owned a title on the land in the
mid-late 1800s. Supposedly, she was not bothered by the lands history as being
burial grounds and even asked to keep some of the bones of the exhumed bodies.
She was said to be a healer and a witch by some (there seems to be a lot of
that going around in this particular area), though many sought out her cures
for ailments. Then in 1894, she mysteriously vanished (as had some of her patients).
When the sheriff and his deputies decided to conduct a search of the house,
four members of the search party entered the mansion, never to be seen again.
thus the house remained empty until 2004, when it was purchase by the owners
and operators of the haunted attraction, Demon House.
Now, the current owners of Demon House have stated in a couple interviews
that there definitely is an energy about the area. So perhaps one of these days
it would be interesting to sit down with them and see just how much of the
story stems from truth.
Either way, the moral of the story is...always keep your eyes open, for
sometimes the smallest towns have the most interesting history and legends.
Tiffany Apan is a
critically acclaimed independent recording artist, a stage/film actress,
author, and award-winning producer/writer. You can find more about her at her Official
Website, Blog, Twitter,
Facebook,
and her production company website. She can
also be found on IMDb and her music releases on CDBaby
along with iTunes, Amazon, and other digital retailers. She also does
freelance writing, and editing. Her own stories are available at Smashwords, Barnesand Noble NOOK, Amazon,
and other retailers. Her novel series, The Birthrite Series, is also available
in both ebook and paperback form. In addition, she is a contributor to Ravenous
Monster Webzine.
