Greater Cleveland Ghost Hauntings

For fans of the paranormal, Northeast Ohio has a rich, haunted tradition. From Franklin Castle in the Ohio City section of Cleveland to Hell town in Boston Township, the ghost hunter will not be denied their prey.

A good start to any hunt for Cleveland area haunting would be a stop at Franklin Castle. This foreboding structure sits at the corner of Franklin Boulevard and W.41^st Street. Built in 1865 by grocer and banker Hans Tiedemann, the Franklin Castle has been the subject of many ghost stories right from the start. It is alleged that Tiedemann's wife, children and mother all died in the house under mysterious circumstances. The legend of the Castle has Hans murdering his children, niece, servant girl and a mistress. It is thought that one of these is the ghost of the girl that haunts the forth floor ballroom. Another common sighting is a ghost of a young woman dressed in black who is said to appear in the windows of the Castle's turret. Further adding to the haunted legend of Franklin Castle is the strange ownership and gruesome findings over the years. In 1913, the Castle was sold to the German Socialist Party. It is said that the party engaged in espionage and murder within the walls. One legend states that 20 members of the party were murdered in Franklin Castle in a mass political assassination.

More wild rumors were fueled by the discovery in the 1970's of at least a dozen baby skeletons in a sealed room. It is actually thought that the skeletons were left behind by a medical student when the Castle served as a rooming house. Also, in the late 1970's, another skeleton was found inside the walls. It is speculated that this skeleton was placed inside the walls by the homeowner to generate publicity.

The Castle is a popular stop on tours of Cleveland is hauntings, with one tour even arranging for dinners inside the Castle.

Travel down the road a bit, about 30 miles as the ghost flies, give or take, and you come to an area in northern Summit County known as Hell Town. Local legend has cults, serial murder and mutant creatures; Hell Town actually sits in Boston Township, Cuyahoga Valley National Park to be precise.

When the National Park System started acquiring the parcels to put together Cuyahoga Valley National Park, they had to buy up many homes. It is thought that the mutant creature sprung from this period. Teenagers saw something nefarious in the "Federal Government, No Trespassing" signs. This, along with the fact that there had been a chemical dump in the area fueled rumors of mutant spottings and even mutant murder rampages.

The area is also said to be a hotbed of satanic worship cults even though no evidence of this exists. Not only this but a gaggle of little ghosts are said to roam the area. These precious little spectors are said to be the souls of a school bus full of little ones who were either murdered by a crazy, cigarette smoking man, killed in a horrible accident or a gruesome combination of both.

Hell Town is allegedly a real name for the area. This section of Northeast Ohio had a large segment of Germans. Hell Town, hell being German for lightly colored, was the name given to the area by these early settlers.

The area can be a creepy one with old cemeteries, churches and houses that sit in the woods. It is no wonder that this area is a hotbed of ghosts' sightings.

Hop on your broomstick and now fly about 30 miles to the west. You now should land at the Gore Orphanage on Gore Orphanage Road in Lorain County. An orphanage actually sat on this site.

The story of this haunted site mentions that over 100 orphans died in a blazing inferno set by an orphan boy dropping a kerosene lamp, old man Gore himself because he hated the orphans or the old man down by the river who did it just because. It is said at this site, you will see, if everything is right, lost orphans wandering looking for their companions, smell the burning flesh of the orphans and see them playing. You can also allegedly see an old man lurking in the woods.

The funny thing about all this is that there never was a Mr. Gore or an orphanage named after him. The name Gore comes from a surveying term meaning thin strip of land. There was an orphanage called Light of Hope Orphanage, which did burn, but long after the last orphan was moved out. Nonetheless, on a moonlight night, you can see why this area has spawned many tales of haunting.

The Greater Cleveland area has a rich history of hauntings. You can take guided Haunted Cleveland tours or by doing some research, you can put together your own tour into the paranormal world of Cleveland. Check the sources listed below to start your own ghost hunt of haunted Cleveland.

Sources:

Author Unknown; "The Legend of Gore Orphanage And Swift's Hollow" Vermilionohioharbourtown.homestead.com

Stephanie J. Lane; "Hell Town" deadohio.com

Andrew Henderson "Franklin Castle" forgottonoh.com

Sandy Mitchell "Haunted Cleveland" about.com

Troy Taylor "Franklin Castle; The Most Haunted House In Ohio?" prarieghosts.com