By G. KERRY WEBSTER
For The Daily Herald
In the spirit of Halloween, G. Kerry Webster of The Philipsburg Journal has compiled some local folklore. These stories can be found at www.theshadowlands.net. How many have you heard of?
Janesville Pike
The story behind this is that a woman died in a car wreck on her wedding night, and the woman is still searching the area for her husband.
There’s an area a few miles up Janesville Pike where the guardrails end and there’s a small yellow sign. There’s also a small area where people can pull off the road.
Legend says those brave enough are supposed to drive up to this area, get out of their vehicle, and light a match. While the wind blows the match out, say her name, Sylvia.
Drive back down the mountain and do this three times and after the third match blows out, she is supposed to appear wearing a white wedding dress.
Baughman Cemetery
It is a cemetery that goes around in a circle up in the middle of nowhere. If anyone goes up there on full moon nights, they can see the outline of people hanging in the trees. Sometimes, when walking up to it, the wind will be calm, but as soon as they get there, the wind starts blowing, or at other times, they might get chased out of the cemetery by a light misty figure or a white horse.
Railroad tracks
There have been many sightings of an old woman searching for her family. Her family was pushed on the railroad tracks just as an on coming train swept by and their bodies were never found. The old lady hung herself in a house not too far from the tracks. In a road called Fowler Hollow a mile or so back, the body was taken to a morgue and the blood stains were covered up by new boards and the blood still can be smelled on certain nights.
Baker Mansion
This mansion is said to be haunted by the matriarch of the family. There is a wedding dress in a glass case that is said to move on its own, especially around Halloween and full moons. Tours are given and during the Halloween season, midnight tours. Some say they have seen the woman that roams the house.
Horseshoe Curve
In the tunnel if anyone flashes their lights three times and shuts everything off they can hear people laughing and shadows of people walking beside the car.
