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Haunted Finger Lakes
Book Review by Tricia Urlaub
Haunted Finger Lakes: A Ghost Hunter’s Guide by Dwayne Claud, published by Schiffer Books, is the quintessential book for ghost hunters in the Central and Western New York area.
The book itself is presented beautifully. The reader feels as though they are on a walk through a well-preserved, well- manicured cemetery, with just hints of the monstrosities that lie beneath. Curiously, the book starts out with an Indian creation myth followed by a chapter on CSI (Center for Skeptical Inquiry), all presumably to give the reader a sense of choice. That yes, even though ghosts are accepted as factual by most people, still, the author maintains the possibility exists that these stories are either imaginations of creative minds, persistent urban legends, or rational phenomenon yet to be explained.
Regardless, the innumerable ghost stories haunting the Finger Lakes are reason enough for any serious ghost hunter to use this book as their bible. The book is separated into sections, one for each lake. The author points out that even though the Finger Lakes imply five lakes, the actual number is twelve. A brief geological history explains the birth of these lakes and at the beginning of each chapter is a quick introduction to how each lake is enjoyed today.
The book also includes important information such as a list of ghost hunting equipment; a glossary of paranormal terms; and a list of paranormal research groups in the Finger Lakes region. It is chock full of pictures and references to websites for further investigation, color photos and EVP’s (electronic voice phenomenon).
Some of the notable entries include the former Conesus Lake Drive-In, where ghostly pranksters play jokes on those working in the buildings erected on the site. The Sutherland Bed and Breakfast notes apparitions from the past as well as objects not only turning up lost, but also found, seemingly by the thoughtful ghosts that also occupy the residence. A heart-wrenching account of the late 1700’s when a “scorched Earth” policy was (possibly) put into effect, obliterating all Iroquois Indians in the area. The land, the locals say, is now haunted by both criminal and Indian spirits.
The well-known Sonnenberg Gardens comes with its own tale of woe and misery and many have spotted a female apparition walking the grounds. A private residence in Hunt Hollow presented a compelling photograph of an apparition taken during daytime hours. The enchanting story of young Ellis Peters, a fisherman who drown in the waters of Owasco Lake. A stretch of highway in Syracuse called “13 Curves” contains elements of urban legends, but is still vastly intriguing. Finally a reference to Split Rock Quarry, an explosion in the early 1900’s left more than 50 miners dead. People have reported seeing apparitions along the ridge where those men would have worked and died.
Haunted Finger Lakes: A Ghost Hunter’s Guide is a treasure not only for its information on haunted locations, but also for its history of the area, and for its philosophical questions regarding the existence of life after death.
© Urlaub 2009
