Books and Banshees
by
Paul C. Mihalak
Look closely at the lady standing next to you at the Trans Allegheny Bookstore. She may
be older than any of the ancient volumes on the metal shelves. This bookstore, you see,
may not be haunted by one ghost, but as many as four or five, depending on who you ask.
The Trans Allegheny Bookstore was once the home of the Carnegie Public Library in
Parkersburg, WV. Graceful wrought iron staircases still lead from the voluminous
basement to he airy third floor. A magnificent stained glass window on the rear wall
sparkles like a pirate’s treasure, illuminating nearly the whole store.
The massive wooden staircase to the left of the huge front doors may hold the key to the
mysterious events here. A little girl in a pale dress is said to haunt the structure. On one
occasion a customer managed to capture her ethereal presence on film. Another customer
insists he was tripped by the mischievous child. White orbs have been photographed
bouncing on the gleaming staircase many times. One unconfirmed report tells of
Hilda Brown, a female janitor, who was found dead of an apparent heart attack at the foot
of the stairs.
Armed with this knowledge, our group headed for Parkersburg under the direction of
renown ghost hunter, Sherri Brake-Recco (www.hauntedhistory.net). Shortly after our
arrival, our hosts, Mike, owner of the Trans Allegheny, and Susan Shepperd began our
formal tour. Susan, the owner of the Ghosts of Parkersburg Tours, is a native of West
Virginia and well known for her books on the paranormal. She has also personally
interviewed witnesses and investigated events surrounding the Mothman Prophecies,
which occurred near Point Pleasant, WV.
The Trans Allegheny Bookstore sits adjacent to the historic Julia-Ann district of
Parkersburg. At one time the movers and shakers of West Virginia called this place
home. Magnificent mansions, adorned with classic columns, rise from the hillside
overlooking the Ohio River. The Julia-Ann district ends at centuries-old Riverview
Cemetery, where dozens of Stonewall Jackson’s relatives are buried. Interestingly, they
were Union supporters. From the cemetery, Blennerhaussett Island, historically linked to
Aaron Burr, is less than a mile away.
West Virginia was said to be accursed by the native Americans, who believed it was
possessed by evil spirits. The Indians usually followed rivers and creeks as they foraged
for food. They refused to try conquering the foreboding mountains, which would later
become the state of West Virginia.
Parkersburg especially is said to be intensely haunted. During the Civil War five
hospitals existed to treat the soldiers injured in battle. Sadly, many succumbed to their
wounds. At that time before anesthesia, amputations were commonly
performed with only whiskey used to deaden the intense pain.
This area was mostly settled by Irish and Scottish immigrants, who labored for king coal
in the Mountain State. Our teacher, Susan, spoke of banshees, mythical creatures, who
served as death angels. These fairies were said to perform two-fold functions, that is to
foretell of the impending death of family members and also to ferry them into the
Netherworld. Irish banshees were described as beautiful ladies with glowing red eyes,
whereas Scottish banshees were pictured as old hags with the same piercing eyes.
By the conclusion of our tour, what little daylight there was had retreated, leaving us with
only the encroaching darkness. The street lights shining in through the stained glass
window cast an eerie glow in the back of the bookstore.
Unfortunately, the lengthening shadows were just that and nothing more. Although I
took many shots with my 1.3 and 3.2 megapixel cameras, I was unable to capture any
ghostly images. My EMF meter never spiked the entire evening, nor did my digital
compass show anything out of the ordinary.
The highlight of the evening, though, was several readings done by Susan Shepperd, who
is also a psychic/medium. Susan confirmed the existence of the little girl, who haunts the
wooden staircase. Sadly, one of Susan’s friends, a newspaper reporter named
Betty Samuels, also haunts the bookstore. Betty was murdered in her home several
blocks away and her killing has never been solved. Susan also disclosed the identity of
Henry, a ghostly gentleman in a Derby hat, who has occasionally been glimpsed by
customers in a reading room across from the wooden staircase.
Between 12:00 Midnight and 1:00 AM, Susan brought her reading down to a personal
level. She picked six members of our group at random and gave them hopeful insights
from their loving relatives, who had long since passed over.
My evening was enjoyable at the Trans Allegheny Bookstore, although I didn’t
personally have any paranormal experiences. The Trans Allegheny buys and sells books
from estates. Ghosts may possibly attach themselves to books and other family
heirlooms, thereby giving credence to the hauntings. I’d like to return in the hope of
possibly meeting ethereal customers. If not, the many treasured volumes there seem to
beckon me back to browse.
Trans Allegheny Books
725 Green St.
Parkersburg, WV 26101
1-800-371-1283
(304)-422-4499
Haunted Heartland Tours
Ghosts of Parkersburg West Virginia Tour 2007
In May of 2007, Haunted Heartland Tours ventured to the historic Ohio river town of Parkersburg West Virginia. On this haunted tour we explored 2 cemeteries and the historic Trans Allegheny bookstore in downtown Parkersburg West Virginia. We had a private haunted walk with ghost tour owner Susan Sheppard and investigated the library after hours. Tour guest Paul Mihalak wrote of his experiences on that tour in the article below which was featured in Haunted Times magazine fall issue 2007.
Special thanks to Paul for sharing his thoughts and experiences on this tour.
This page was last updated: June 18, 2008
Trans Allegheny bookstore
(c) Copyright 2004-2008
Article posted with permission by author Paul C. Mihalak
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