Ghost Towns, Graveyards and Haunted Places
Share

Sign our guestbook

E-mail Us

Sitemap

Back to Home Page

Our Ghostly Encounter at Shiloh's Bloody Pond

Ghost Town Geocache Trail, AZ

Ghost Towns

         Conata, SD        

         Ruby, AZ

         Spokane, SD

         St. Stephens, AL

Jean Bonnet Tavern, Bedford, PA

Old City Cemetery, Mammoth Hot Springs, WY

Old Miners Cemetery, Jerome, AZ

Phillips' Rangers Massacre Site, Saxton, PA

 

 

 

 
The ruins of the caretaker's house at the Hoffman Mansion in Peoria, OK.

The ruins of the caretaker's house at the Hoffman Mansion in Peoria, OK.  In the 1920's, a family member murdered several boys that were staying there, then killed himself.  They are all buried in a family graveyard just to the right of the picture. The mansion itself and other structures have been demolished but their outlines and foundations remain. Many events such as voices, lights and sounds of children playing have been reported on the grounds and there have been several paranormal investigations here. There is a geocache just across the property line right next to the cemetery.

Ghost towns are great places to explore and geocache. They give you a unique look at the past along with some insight on the ups and downs of local industries and economies. Some towns were vibrant centers of activity during the heyday of the railroads only to wither and die as the railroads did.  Mining towns went boom or bust with the mines. Others were destroyed or abandoned by disease, war or natural disaster. These towns were often thriving communities with schools, churches, bordellos, theaters, saloons, banks and other amenities. Sometimes they burned and were rebuilt. Now they're gone.  What you see in these towns can range from buildings still standing to nothing left but foundations of what used to be. Each is unique with their own stories to tell. Many of those who hide caches in these ghost towns provide you with the history of the town which adds great flavor (and sometimes mystery) to the cache itself.

 

 

 

A cemetery in Terrebone Parish of the Louisiana bayou.  These graves go back over 150 years. The vaults and casements are necessary because the water table is so high, bodies can't be buried underground. This area took direct hits from Katrina and Gustav. There's a post-hurricane geocache nearby. 

A cemetery in Terrebone Parish of the Louisiana bayou.

 

 

 

Old graveyards are also interesting and a source of geocaches, such as the "Yellowstone Forever" series of caches in Yellowstone Park. We've lost count of the number of old graveyards and family plots we've investigated in our travels. You find them in the darnedest places. Some  were abandoned decades ago or longer. It is fascinating to read the information on the headstones about real people who lived, loved and died in the area. Whether it is a single white cross in the middle of nowhere or a national cemetery, they provide information and raise questions. How old were they? What happened to them?  Sometimes we find those answers.  Most times we don't. We do find respect for those who carved a living out of the wilderness or died in great and terrible events.  You can't help but imagine what life and death were like for them.  One thing stands out - many of them died young. It makes us thankful to live in a world where that is not necessarily the case anymore. 

 

 

If you like to explore spooky places or poke around old ruins, geocaching and letterboxing will take you there. Ghost towns and other haunts are prime territory for both.  A good place to start your quest is ghosttowns.com.  Pick one out, then go to geocaching.com and find any nearby caches.  Or use your smart phone with Trimble Geocache Navigator to search when you get there. Don't forget to check for letterboxes too.  You can do that on the Letterboxing North America site or Atlasquest. You'll need a compass for letterboxing.  GPS isn't a player.  During your hunt, don't forget that these places can be mysterious and creepy. There's no telling who or what you might run into.  So what are you waiting for?   

Cheers...The Cachemanian Devils