Five Famous Ghosts

There are countless recountings of haunted inns, cemeteries, houses, theatres, and pubs. It's rare that an ongoing and poignant haunting occurs, and the activity is not personified somehow.

Sometimes, ghosts of real people, celebrities, and historical figures are recognized by their appearance, or identified by known activities and penchant for certain places.

Other times, ghostly activity leads property owners and interested parties into investigations in which information about the site's history is uncovered, and likely dead candidates associated with the site are pointed to as ghosts responsible for the haunting.

Below are some famous ghosts; the first two are conjectured ghosts-they have been created by the piecing together of information. The last three are ghosts of deceased individuals, whose fame continues in an ethereal fashion.

The Murdered Peddler of Hydesville

This ghost is notable in that his activities were largely responsible for the creation of a religion-Spiritualism--which is still practiced today, as well as being highly influential in contemporary ghost hunting and John Edward's style mediumship.

The young Fox sisters, living with their family in a cabin in Hydesville, New York, in 1848, became conversant with this ghost, to whom they referred to as "Mr. Splitfoot," through a question-and-answer system.

The sisters would ask questions, and the ghost would make designated knocking noises in return. He identified himself as Charles B. Rosma, telling the story of his murder and burial in the cellar of the Fox's cabin. It is said that in 1904, a human skeleton was in fact discovered, within the walls of the cellar.

With the news of their two-way communication with the dead, the Fox Sisters soon became in demand, other mediums began practicing, and the very-American Spiritualist movement was born.

Sallie

Atchison, Kansas, is the place of a curious contemporary haunting. In the early 1990s, Debra and Tony Pickman with their newborn son, rented a house claimed to be experiencing all manner of paranormal activity, mainly focused on Tony.

Their story was widely documented in television specials like Sightings. The activity was attributed to one entity, the ghost of a little girl named Sallie. The house, referred to as "The Sallie House," now has new occupants, and is a stop on a bus ghost tour in Atchison.

Liberace

Liberace was a larger-than-life, eccentric personality, and it's no surprised that his legend continues after his death. He is said to haunt the restaurant he owned in Las Vegas, Carluccio's Tivoli Gardens, as well as his nearby home.

A few years ago, my husband and I took a ghost tour in Las Vegas. The guide had more ghost stories about Liberace than any other Vegas ghost he spoke of. Our bus tour stopped at both this restaurant and his former home. I was absolutely shocked that this small, very modest ranch style house was the home of one of the most flamboyant personalities of all time.

We stopped in front of the house, hoping to catch sight of strange movements, the curtains moving (the house was supposedly unoccupied) or other activity. Alas, we saw nothing, but the guide said it is very common to see strange phenomena.

We hoped to dine at the restaurant the next night, but found it closed when we arrived. Although we didn't get to see the ghost of Liberace during our trip, the stories were compelling nonetheless.

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln is attached to many ghost legends. It is said that he had in interest in Spiritualism, and attended a séance, perhaps with the intention to contact his dead son, at the White House. He is also said to have had an ominous dream foretelling his own death.

His ghost has been reported often, and in various places, including his crypt in Springfield, Illinois, Ford's Theatre, battlefields, and notably, the White House. Witnesses have included presidents and their families, press secretaries, guests, and various workers.

Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn, the Queen of England in the sixteenth century, as second wife of Henry VII, has a large reputation as a ghost. Perhaps such heavy issues as martyrdom and heroism-her unjust death at the hands of her husband, her powerful place and influence in political dynamics, and of course, capped with the archetypal persona of Queen-naturally appoint her a kind of immortality, as a ghost to contend with.

Anne Boleyn's ghost has been reported at Hever, the Boleyn family castle, where she is said to be seen every Christmas Eve, crossing a bridge over the River Eden. She has also been spotted at the Tower of London, Blickling Hall, Salle Church, and Marwell Hall.

Sources:
Wikipedia, Anne Boleyn, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Boleyn
Troy Taylor, Prairie Ghosts, The Haunted President: Ghost of Abraham Lincoln,http://www.prairieghosts.com/lincoln2.html
The Tudors Wiki, Ghost Stories about the Tudors, http://tudorswiki.sho.com/page/GHOST+Stories+about+the+Tudors