Haunted Old South Pittsburg Hospital: VAPR-CON October 3-4, 2009

In 1959 the doors opened to a hospital situated on 2.3 acres in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. This 68,000 square foot medical facility, founded by four doctors, was known as the South Pittsburg Municipal Hospital (SPMH). Additions to the hospital were built prior to 1980. This bastion of healing would serve the community for almost 40 years before closing its doors for the last time in 1998.

In April of 1997, Hospital Corp. of America (HCA), at the time the nation's largest hospital chain, held the groundbreaking for Grandview Medical Center in Jasper, Marion County. According to HCA, which has also used the name Columbia, the new 50 bed, 95,000 square foot, medical facility was developed to replace the long serving and aging medical center in South Pittsburg.

The loss of their hospital dismayed many in the community who felt that the new hospital should also be located in South Pittsburg. On November 14, 1995 the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported that "the city sued in Marion County Chancery Court to force the manager of its hospital to disclose whether it intends to close the non-profit hospital." The mayor of the city at that time, David Payne worried that "Columbia has refused repeated requests that it assure the city that it does not intend to buy South Pittsburg Hospital and close it to prevent competition with the one Columbia plans to build just outside the city." At that time, Columbia, which had managed SPMH for several years, had only agreed to pay $50,000 for the equity in the hospital. The article suggests that Columbia may have been interested in the acquisition of SPMH to acquire its Certificate of Need for beds, which would assist them in obtaining the state approval needed to build Grandview. Over the disapproval of many in the South Pittsburg community, the new $30 million hospital eventually opened its doors to great fanfare the week of September 29, 1998, while the long serving nonprofit hospital quietly closed its doors.

Those doors, once so pristine now hide hallways that serve as paths for those spirits attached to the decaying structure. The following is a short introduction to those who have appeared to take up permanent residence at the hospital.

A man in a room near the nurses' station is said to respond to women who enter his room. Several electronic voice phenomena (EVPs) have been recorded in response to a woman's questioning. This gentleman is known to like the ladies and seems quite happy to make their acquaintance, if they're brave enough to enter his domain.

According to a well told story, a tricycle appeared in the hospital surgery, disappeared and then reappeared. This tangible relic of a child's attachment to perhaps the last place he or she was before crossing over provides the most poignant chapter in this book of forgotten souls.

One spirit appears to be a former employee who has decided to stay in her office after her retirement. . .from life. Individuals who have walked down the hallway that takes them past that room have heard laughter wafting from inside the doorway. A true dichotomy to the final spirit, a resident of room 308, which we were told is a dark denizen of this haunted location.

There are many other inhabitants of this otherworldly vortex of spirits who once occupied some of the 107 beds in the hospital, but to them we were not introduced nor did they make themselves known.

VAPR-CON 2009

Wow! Did we have a blast at the first ever VAPR-CON . The Ghost Writers who attended, Steph, Corey and I enjoyed access to the hospital as VIP pass holders. As part of the package we had the incredible opportunity to spend the night on the premises and investigate the quite, dark passageways of the Old South Pittsburg Municipal Hospital. Believe me this alone was worth the price of admission.

The conference was sponsored by Vonore Area Paranormal Research (VAPR). These exceptional individuals, led by founders Kris and Joey, are the proud keepers of this historically (and hauntingly) significant hospital. Please keep in mind that VAPR is committed to preserving the old medical facility and will not tolerate the uninvited unless you're already on the astral plane. Those trespassers still alive will be prosecuted.

So, one more reason to buy a ticket to the next conference sponsored by these good folks is to have the privilege of investigating this exciting location. The hospital exudes mystery and the energy pulsing through the corridors is palatable and certainly made our investigation of the premises memorable .

Ask anyone who takes their investigation of a possible haunted location seriously. . .the real work begins after the hunt. At this point, we have completed the assessment of all of our visuals from five different cameras, four still and one video. Cameras used on this investigation included a Canon 450D, Sony Alpha, Nikon P80, and a Nikon 5700. In addition, a video camera was used. Although older, the JVC VHS-C produces some fairly good footage.

The audio taken during the investigation remains to be reviewed. At that time, if we discover any evidence, we'll update this report.

The lineup of presenters at this year's conference was incredible. The Ghost Writers attended several of the available workshops. Bev, who has a keen interest in cryptozoology, was very impressed by the presentation by Ken Gerhard. As a noted cryptozoologist and researcher for The Centre for Fortean Zoology and Gulf Coast Bigfoot Research Organization, he brought personal experience and a scientific bent to his presentation.

Jenny Stewart, of Paranormal Research and Resource Society, gave an insightful demonstration of the "shack hack" ghost box. She really seems to have a connection with this technology and gave an excellent example of its use.

A call out to Rick Hayes, a well known psychic and a key speaker who let the audience know that "Yes, they are behind you." Thanks Rick! By the way, I caught the Syfy documentary on October 8th, "The Possessed." Rick did an incredible job as the psychic for this production.

We caught several other presentations including those by Chris Dedman, Paranormal Sarah, and Danny Mason. There were a number of great speakers that we were unable to see because we came in a day after the start of the conference. Those speakers included: Paul Browning, founder, Clarksville Ghost Hunters; Jimmy Morris, professional paranormal investigator; Archbishop James Long, Paranormal Clergy and host of Sacred Division; Frances Etienne, AfterDark Paranormal and co-host of Sacred Division Radio; Michael Esposito and Heidi Harmon, EVP specialists; Tommy Golden, president and founder of Middle Tennessee Ghost Chasers; Nathan Levan and "Mama" Lisa Phillips, hosts of "Supernatural Encounters" on Para-X; Andrew Beckham, founder, Southeast Paranormal Investigations "Extreme Ghost Hunters."

We'd like to personally thank VAPR for their warm hospitality and invitation to present at next year's event. We already have the convention on our calendar for 2010. We look forward to meeting everyone at the event.

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September 18, 2009

The GW decided to take off for a day trip of fun, or at least fun as defined by a small bunch of individuals interested in things most unusual. We had set a schedule and the day was to start at 9:00 a.m.

Fat chance.

Let’s just say that an addiction to a morning cup of java and the need for a toasted bagel slowed the progress of preparing for our latest adventure. Oh, that and packing a delicious home lunch of barbeque chicken, baked beans and potato salad. After loading the food and drinks needed for an enjoyable day of magic and mayhem, Steph and I started down the road. .

Steph, snoozed most of the trip. She was soundly and happily asleep as we drove to Bluefield, WV and then over to Rich Creek, WV, taking the scenic route to Lewisburg, WV, on U.S. Route 219.

When we reached the old Indian Creek covered bridge, I exited the car with cameras in tow to capture the quiet beauty of this wayside treat. Steph continued to snooze. As I snapped a photo of her, she drowsily informed me that if I took any more photos of her while sleeping that my health would be in danger.

Leaving the vicious sleeping beauty to her repose, I once again transferred the beauty of the old bridge to our SD cards. We had a few minutes to peacefully absorb the historic atmosphere of this small piece of the past before a gaggle of tourists began parking their cars and disturbing the tranquil moment. I’ve stopped at this waypoint many times and this was the first time that so many fellow travelers converged on this little known place. At least we were able to fully enjoy the quite and our picnic before our transient friends decided to visit.

So. . .we gathered our empty picnic utensils, packed the car and began driving to Organ Cave, located near Ronceverte, WV. On the way, a prince must have flown by for a quick kiss, because sleeping beauty arose, hungry and howling for us to stop at a service station. We stopped at Pickaway, a very small crossroads on the earth, featuring the much-needed rest stop.

After everyone had refreshed themselves, Grumpy, I mean sleeping beauty, sat on a bench in front of the store and enjoyed her picnic lunch. At this juncture I noticed a barn surrounded by farm equipment, an incredible photo opportunity that could not be ignored.

Having enjoyed the sensory perception that photography affords, we again set off on the thrill trail. We arrived at Organ Cave about 1:30 p.m. and set out to check in for the tour. The grounds of the family-owned tourist destination were immaculate, the grass looking like a well-manicured golf course, while trees provided a roof of lush foliage, dappled in sunshine.

The check-in point is in a cabin on the property, which also features some of the items that have been found in the old cave. Other items are those expected in a tourist focused store, Organ Cave stamped on the front of various things for sale.

Fourteen dollars each, plus tax, is the price of an adult admission to the cave, which has its opening just a few hundred yards from the cabin. We were told that a guide was expected between then and 2:00 p.m.

We were waiting patiently when we noticed a group coming up the trail from the cavern opening. Steph bet we’d have an old, grizzled guide to lead our small expedition. I told them, “I hope we do, someone that would have a passion for the history of the place.” What was really a hoot is that our guide turned out to be a high school student, whom I thought was part of the tour group that just returned.

The young man, whose name escapes me, was an excellent guide. He took us on the 2.2 mile underground trail with all of the attention to detail of a weathered veteran. The cave has 45 miles of mapped passageways, more than enough for every level of adventurer. As he led us through the cavern’s rooms, he paid attention to the need of avid photographers to have ample time to dial settings on cameras to capture just the right image in the perfect light (or lack thereof).

The camera I use is a Canon 450D, also known and a Canon Rebel XSI. I was extremely impressed by the photographs I was able to capture with my attached Canon 28 – 135 lens. I have great respect for this lens and use it as my primary walk around lens.

With my trusty Canon hanging around my neck, we began the descent into darkness, interspersed only by what first appears as fireflies, and on second glance are electric lights, designed to look like the old glass lamps of yore.

When standing on the bottom of the stairs surrounded by darkness and looking up, it is striking to note the separation between the world of light and that of darkness. After taking yet more photos, we turned away from the light and continued our descent into the abyss.

The formation for which the cave is named is called the organ. This is an impressive creation of nature, which at one time could be “hit” at different places on its form to create a cacophony of sounds.

We also passed several different nocturnal creatures including bats and the infamous “cave crickets.” These critters, we were told, if they bit could put us in the hospital because of the bacteria they carried. I have to admit that I thought about the well-known “snipe hunting” expeditions that cousins would take unsuspecting city dwellers on, back in West Virginia. Snipe being fictitious and were sometimes described as horrific creatures. In the same breath as the warning about the cave crickets was the admonishment not to touch the walls as the oil and bacteria on our hands might kill the naturally growing algae.

The last stop on this tour of the underworld before returning to the surface, was a stop at the site of original Civil War Hoppers. These hoppers were used to mine saltpetre, used for munitions and is known as the southern Confederacy’s largest source of the mineral. Diorama’s showing mannequins dressed as Confederate soldiers engaged in the process of mining this valuable munitions resource.

We then began retracing our steps to the light-filled opening through which we would remerge to once again walk among mortals (or muggles, thanks J.K.!). Taking a look at the steep steps and being the person in front, I realized that I would have to keep a steady pace and show no weakness until we arrived at our designation. One of the prices you pay for being the oldest in the group!

After our second adventure of the day, we loaded the group into the car and followed the yellow brick road (ok, U.S. Rt. 219) to Lewisburg. This small town has gentrified since the College of Osteopathic Medicine founded in 1972. Main street is now full of antique and bookstores. In addition, a number of gourmet restaurants and unique art stores also line the historic streets of this Norman Rockwell type small town.

Because the time was now close to 4:30 p.m., we went directly to Robert’s Antiques, an incredible shop that is combination wine cellar, antique store and, well. . .just unusual. We blew by the hand carved wine bar walking quickly further into the part of the store that features antiques, in particular old medical equipment. In the very back, in two separate rooms the owner has setup several dioramas. In the room to the right is the actual electric chair in which the Lindberg baby murderer Bruno Hauptmann was executed on April 3, 1936, at 8:44 p.m., at the New Jersey State Prison. Next to the electric chair, which is behind glass, is a framed copy of the story of the crime and subsequent execution of Hauptmann.To the left a guillotine, whose history I do not know. We traveled through the back of the store, fascinated by the old medical bottles, equipment and more. This stop, as they say, “was worth the price of admission.”

Leaving the store,we spotted an Irish Pub, so off we went for some food and drink. The pub served up some delicious grub. We truly enjoyed the Celtic music playing in the background. The shepherd’s pie was excellent and our time spent immersed in the Irish ambiance was refreshing. What a wonderful ending to a great day. . .well, except for the three hour drive back home. But, in the words of my sister “it’s all good!”

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