Episodes

  • 129. Kreischer Mansion
    Nov 13 2024

    It's Germany. Early 1800s. Blink. Now it's New York. Later 1800s. No overlap. Go to sleep. Wake up. The worlds have collided. There are bricks. There are ghosts. What is happening? No one knows. Was that a hitman? Spooky.

    This is the story of the Kreischer Mansion. Come for the ghosts, stay for: cat spikes; a big ol' glass of Four Roses; anything is possible at patrick-dot-com; the snow witch; what if the Beatles were just a different shade of blue?; a Wile E. Coyote trap in every room; feed the poor bricks; love a good pig man; and the McKelvey supercut.

    Sources:

    • https://www.realestatesiny.com/balthasar-kreischer.php
    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_New_York
    • https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8183096/balthasar-kreischer
    • https://medium.com/@dannymule/the-murder-of-the-kreischer-mansion-staten-islands-darkest-tale-e87791d8935e
    • https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-york-tribune-edward-kreischer-death/8446113/?locale=en-US
    • https://theghostinmymachine.com/2022/12/12/haunted-road-trip-kreischer-mansion-cursed-halls-staten-island-new-york/
    • https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/kreischer-mansion
    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kreischer_House
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    52 mins
  • 128. Hoosac Tunnel
    Nov 6 2024

    Clayton got distracted this week, so it's Audio Editor Jeremy to the rescue! He brought us a story that's going to just absolutely thrill the engineer in your family. Also, there are ghosts.

    This is the story of the haunted Hoosac Tunnel. Come for the ghosts, stay for: bacon defense contracting; Timothee unlookalike; does Jeremy have the Internet?; big ol’ peeper; an afront to God; that’s West Virginia’s problem now; and call Jerry Bruckheimer.

    Sources:

    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoosac_Tunnel
    • https://www.mininghistoryassociation.org/Journal/MHJ-v1-1994-Chaky.pdf
    • https://storyland.coplacdigital.org/mcla/death/deaths-in-the-hoosac-tunnel/
    • https://www.berkshireeagle.com/history/days-gone-by-images-of-the-hoosac-tunnel-from-the-eagle-archives/collection_a18ccc28-397a-11eb-9ff2-83b8883596d3.html#anchor_item_39
    • https://obscurevermont.com/the-bloody-pit/
    • https://museumhack.com/haunted-hoosac-tunnel/
    • https://theberkshireedge.com/connections-the-hoosac-tunnel/
    • https://www.american-rails.com/hoosac.html
    • http://photos.modelrails.net/s/?p=197219
    • https://www.constructionequipment.com/topical/historical-equipment/article/10755034/the-first-percussion-drill
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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • 127. 2024 Halloween Spooktacular: Two Haunts and a Flaunt
    Oct 30 2024

    It's that special time of year when Patrick digs out his Clayton Smith costume and takes over host duties for a very special episode of Is This a Ghost! This year, he's back with two haunts and a flaunt--or, in other words, two truths and a lie. Is this the year Clayton correctly guesses which story is made up? The suspense is killing us!

    This is the 2024 Halloween Spooktacular. Come for the ghosts, stay for: The devil’s second base; the Yellow Pages are long dead; very spitty; I don’t need a drop of context; this is invoices; the sweet honeymoon of Reconstruction; famously disagreeable sisters; thank you, fire; I think it’s just chlamydia; toast Jesus; and maybe this is the door from Lost.

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    1 hr and 1 min
  • 126. Louis de Buade de Frontenac
    Oct 23 2024

    This is a ghost story of heartbreak, kinda, but not the kind of heartbreak you feel sad about. More like the kind of heartbreak that the guy deserved 'cause he was a real ninnymuggins about stuff.

    This is the story of Louis de Buade de Frontenac. Come for the ghost, stay for: skeleton jammies; Sephiroth, what a scamp; constant laundry; the world's richest baby; jeans with hammer loops; the My Girl generation; and the gamey box.

    Sources:

    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_de_Buade_de_Frontenac
    • https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-de-Buade-comte-de-Frontenac-et-de-Palluau
    • https://npicommercial.com/blog/posts/haunted-places-series-fairmont-le-chteau-frontenac
    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_Frontenac
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    53 mins
  • 125. The Lizzie Borden House
    Oct 16 2024

    We have a bit of an axe to grind about this hack job of an episode, but we're cut pretty short on time, so chop chop.

    This is the story of the Lizzie Borden House. Come for the ghosts, stay for: All dial-up on the inside; killer coffins; penurious and injurious; I do want you to take the blood out; mutton in the cabinet; if the hatchet don’t fit; wood blood everywhere.

    Sources:

    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizzie_Borden
    • https://lizzieandrewborden.com/HatchetOnline/a-fresh-look-at-the-character-of-andrew-borden.html
    • https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9570219/sarah_anthony-borden
    • https://lizziebordenwarpsandwefts.com/2022/03/25/the-day-sarah-died-march-26-1863
    • https://lizziebordenwarpsandwefts.com/the-four-wives-of-lawdwick-borden/
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    56 mins
  • 124. The Caribou Hotel
    Oct 9 2024

    If you're one of those listeners who love our tangets, then you're going to absolutely wet yourself over this episode. If you're one of the folks on Spotify who complains VERY vocally about how we don't stay on track, well...maybe sit this one out?

    This is the story of the Caribou Hotel. Come for the ghosts, stay for: America's hat; San Francisco, ghost town; they use mice; the Klondike Gold Ease; ITAG at the toe; the Anderson hotel, sponsored by Coca-Cola; and a too-helpful ghost.

    If you want to give in to Clayton's shameless plug, you can buy his books on Amazon, or at https://stateofclayton.com/

    Sources:

    • https://www.caribouhotel.ca/pages/history.php
    • https://yukonnuggets.com/stories/ghost-on-the-third-floor-caribou-hotel-in-carcross
    • https://superstitioustimes.com/carcross-caribou-hotel-has-deep-veins-of-klondike-history-ghost-lore/
    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klondike_Gold_Rush
    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawson_Charlie#:~:text=He%20died%20in%20Carcross%2C%20Yukon,and%20Yukon%20Route%20railway%20bridge
    • https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/cape-codder/2019/01/27/ask-bird-folks-polly-s/6186158007
    • https://destinationcarcross.ca/project/the-caribou-hotel/#:~:text=Bessie%20Gideon%20died%20in%201933,and%20adding%20bubbles%20to%20baths
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • 123. The Honky Chateau
    Oct 2 2024

    Don't worry, y'all. We can use the "H" word. It's our culture.

    This is the story of the Honky Chateau. Come for the ghosts, stay for: Pulled a real Lenny on that goat; Madame Guillotiine; I would like to buy 30 tiny beds; a weak, sad boy; into the smushery with you; Booty Duty 2 through 4; I'm in incognito mode.

    If you think this one's fun, you should see what we've got over at Ghost+!

    Sources:

    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_d%27H%C3%A9rouville
    • https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/chateau-dherouville-french-mansion-van-gogh-david-bowie/
    • https://www.messynessychic.com/2023/08/31/forget-versailles-tune-into-the-forgotten-chateau-that-became-frances-abbey-road/
    • https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/aug/04/honky-chateau-recording-studio-for-sale
    • https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35152716
    • https://stewross.com/honky-chateau/
    • https://reverb.com/news/le-chateau-dherouville-un-studio-mythique
    • https://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz/petrified-elton-john-filmed-ghosts-30956219
    • https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/elton-john-left-petrified-after-30962120
    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Chopin
    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Sand
    • https://interlude.hk/frederic-chopin-and-george-sand-the-real-story-behind-their-relationship
    • https://justbackdated.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-chateau-dherounville-robin-gibb.html
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    53 mins
  • 122. Betsy Ross
    Sep 25 2024

    Get ready to bust a stitch over this star-spangled spectre! Cotent warning: This one gets a little flag-sexy.

    This is the story of Betsy Ross. Come for the ghost, stay for: Just like dad’s toes; Limericists; We'll get a Sarah for you; Potato smell; The best way to hide from ghosts; I am base; Dril tweets; Maybe don't tell your friends about this one.

    Sources:

    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betsy_Ross
    • https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/betsy-ross
    • https://www.travelchannel.com/interests/haunted/articles/historic-us-ghosts
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    43 mins