October 31st: Happy Halloween
October 31st: Happy Halloween
In the “spirit” of the holiday, here are the stories behind some “haunting” auction items
Haunted Mill Scream Park in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania
Just this past June, the historic Menges Mills was split into three properties and sold at auction. The section of property containing the Haunted Mill Scream Park sold for $525,000 to an owner of another haunted attraction in Baltimore. But, there’s more than just a theme park behind the haunts. The legend behind Menges Mills begins over two centuries ago on the treacherous King’s Road, infamous for thieves to attack weary travelers. Menges and his father encountered a pirate on their way to a new life in Pennsylvania and ended up severing the pirate’s hand. The pirate uttered a curse as he stumbled away: “One night when the clock strikes 8:00, you shall meet a grisly fate.” Read what happens when the clock finally stopped at 8:00.
Poveglia Island in Venice, Italy
This 18-acre island off the Venetian coast originally served as a port of entry for Venice. In 1793, the plague was discovered on two ships, and the island became a quarantine station for those sickened with the disease, and continued to serve this purpose, more or less, for over 100 years. In 1922, the buildings were transformed into a mental asylum and operated until 1968, and has sat abandoned since. In 2014, the city of Venice auctioned off a 99-year lease of the island for $704,000 to a businessman intending to ensure public use and invest nearly $20 million in restorations of the decrepit buildings.
McPike Mansion in Alton, Illinois
Built by an architect in 1869, and owned by businesses and individuals after the original owners left, the McPike Mansion has not been occupied since the 1950’s. Sharon & George Luedke purchased the home at auction in 1994, have been attempting to restore it to its original regality and also believe it is haunted. Sharon recalls her first encounter with a ghost at the mansion, six weeks after taking over ownership. A man stood in an upstairs window looking upon her in the front yard. She owns a picture of a former owner wearing the same outfit. Read more about the mansion here.
James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder
After being told by a few people that the car didn’t seem like a good purchase, James Dean dubbed his 1955 Spyder “Little Bastard”. As he was on his way to a race, he was involved in a head on collision and lost his life from the injuries. In the time since Dean’s death, the car has been rumored to be involved in several other mysterious accidents and tragedies, including its own unexplained disappearance from an exhibit in Florida. In 2006, a small piece of metal from the car sold for $10,000 at auction. The remains of the rest of the car remains a mystery. Earlier this year, what is believed to be the last official photo taken of the Hollywood icon sold for $1,500 at auction.
Bottled Ghosts in Christchurch, New Zealand
Avie Woodbury had been experiencing weird things in her home. “I would get things like the jug boiling itself, touching on the back of my neck, voices from other rooms, and items going missing then turning up in weird places,” she said. There were other occurrences, but all seemed to have stopped after an exorcism was performed in 2009. The ghosts of an old man and a little girl are now safely put to sleep via the holy water they are housed with in their bottles. The bottles went up for auction in 2010 and sold for roughly $3,700. The winning bidder was an e-cigarette company – hope that makes you think twice about the vapors you’re putting in your body.
Salem Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts
During the 1692 Salem Witch Trials, nineteen people were hung, one was crushed to death and others met their end in prison. Margaret Scott lead a rather uneventful life, but there were a few factors that led to the belief that she was a witch, which included her long-time widowhood and a high mortality rate among her children. Margaret, in her seventies at the time, was one of the last people hung during the trials. Her original court indictment was auctioned in 2012 and fetched $31,200. Read a detailed account of the events leading up to and surrounding her trial.
St. Dials Chapel & Graveyard in Cwmbran, Wales
The seventeenth century chapel and adjacent graveyard were recently sold at auction for nearly $29,000 in 2013. The auctioneers suggested laying the gravestones down, prior to paving a parking lot over the graves. Local legend says the graveyard is haunted by the Black Hound of the Underworld. A frightened preacher merely thought he was the prey of the dark hound before him, and literally threw THE Book, the Bible at the animal, striking it right between the eyes. The creature immediately burst into flames and left a slight singe on the preacher’s beard.
