Sunday, August 13, 2017
This is Mike Burton, of the Phantom Realm Research Society and former member of the Tampa Ghost Watchers.
Question... Would any former member of the Ghost Watchers be interested in a gathering to remember Bill Sharp and honor him for his efforts in bringing the Ghost Watchers to be ?
We were thinking an over nighter to maybe Cassadaga, St. Augustine, or Cedar Key. Interest will dictate if the event comes to be.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
PARASKEVI 13 Complete Schedule as of Wednesday, January 11, 2012
FRIDAY - January 13 - Opening Session
Location: Friday Morning Musicale - 809 W. Horatio Street, Tampa 33606
Registration begins at 6 PM, Program starts at 7 PM - additional parking in a lot at the corner of S. Blvd and Horatio. Look for signs.
Agenda: Welcome to Paraskevi 13
What is a Ghost ?
Why do you feel something and others don't ?
CASUAL AFTER GATHERING - on the Backyard Patio at Four Green Fields.
205 W. Platt Street, Tampa
SATURDAY - January 14
9:30 AM - Registration, Program starts at 10 AM
Cemetery Tour - Oaklawn Cemetery - It is at the intersection of Morgan Street and Harrison Street in downtown Tampa, about two block south of I-275. Adjacent to the HART Bus Terminal
LUNCH ON YOUR OWN
SATURDAY AFTERNOON SEMINARS:
Sunday's Fine Dining - 1919 E. Seventh Avenue, Ybor City
(TWO SEMINAR ROOMS- ALL Speakers to rotate)
1 - 2 PM - The Spiritual Side of the Paranormal - Father David Price
2-2:15 PM Break
2:15 - 3:15 - The Historical Side of the Paranormal - Troy Taylor
3:15 - 4 - Break
4 - 5 PM - The Communicative Side of the Paranormal - April Slaughter
SATURDAY NIGHT - Aboard the American Victory Ship - located behind the Florida Aquarium at Channelside. 705 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602. Parking is available immediately in front of the ship, look for the driveway immediatly north of the Aquarium for access. Boarding at 8 PM.
8 PM - 9:30 PM - Panel Discussion on Learning to Investigate - Father Price, April Slaughter, Troy Taylor
9:30 - Midnight - Investigations aboard the American Victory Ship
FRIDAY - January 13 - Opening Session
Location: Friday Morning Musicale - 809 W. Horatio Street, Tampa 33606
Registration begins at 6 PM, Program starts at 7 PM - additional parking in a lot at the corner of S. Blvd and Horatio. Look for signs.
Agenda: Welcome to Paraskevi 13
What is a Ghost ?
Why do you feel something and others don't ?
CASUAL AFTER GATHERING - on the Backyard Patio at Four Green Fields.
205 W. Platt Street, Tampa
SATURDAY - January 14
9:30 AM - Registration, Program starts at 10 AM
Cemetery Tour - Oaklawn Cemetery - It is at the intersection of Morgan Street and Harrison Street in downtown Tampa, about two block south of I-275. Adjacent to the HART Bus Terminal
LUNCH ON YOUR OWN
SATURDAY AFTERNOON SEMINARS:
Sunday's Fine Dining - 1919 E. Seventh Avenue, Ybor City
(TWO SEMINAR ROOMS- ALL Speakers to rotate)
1 - 2 PM - The Spiritual Side of the Paranormal - Father David Price
2-2:15 PM Break
2:15 - 3:15 - The Historical Side of the Paranormal - Troy Taylor
3:15 - 4 - Break
4 - 5 PM - The Communicative Side of the Paranormal - April Slaughter
SATURDAY NIGHT - Aboard the American Victory Ship - located behind the Florida Aquarium at Channelside. 705 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602. Parking is available immediately in front of the ship, look for the driveway immediatly north of the Aquarium for access. Boarding at 8 PM.
8 PM - 9:30 PM - Panel Discussion on Learning to Investigate - Father Price, April Slaughter, Troy Taylor
9:30 - Midnight - Investigations aboard the American Victory Ship
Monday, December 12, 2011
Paraskevi 13 - A Very Unique Paranormal Event
Paraskeví 13
- by Amy Lassiter
Paranormal.
Controversy. Wonder. Good. Evil. Unexplainable.
Paranormal.
It’s just one word. But it is one word that certainly evokes a wide range of reactions and opinions. There are skeptics and there are believers, and even then, the believers and mediums use varying methods and have had different experiences.
Demonology. Ghost hunting. Investigations. Instrumental Transcommunication.
In its broadest sense, paranormal is a general term that designates experiences which lie outside the range of the norm or of scientific explanation. If you have ever witnessed or taken part in such an activity or are simply curious and want to learn more, you will not want to miss Paraskeví 13 on Friday, January 13 and Saturday, January 14. This two day paranormal event, held at the historic Friday Morning Musicale, is focused on Investigating the Paranormal and includes workshop sessions, guest speakers and visits to three historic Tampa locations.
Here’s a sneak peak at the guest speakers as well as an introduction to their paranormal specialties.
Father David Price
Father Price is both the Assistant Pastor for Saint Christopher Old Catholic Church in Louisville, Kentucky and a professional Paranormal Investigator. In addition to his day-to-day ministration requirements, he practices demonology, assists in exorcisms, performs home blessings, and is one of the founders of the Paranormal Clergy Institute. The mission of the Institute is to help home owners and paranormal groups directly involved with demonic infestation cases or who have questions regarding demonic infestation.
Raised as a Jehovah’s Witness and taught that there was no afterlife, Father Price converted to Catholicism at the age of 16 and was ordained as a Catholic Priest in 2007. The Old Catholic Church branched off from the Roman Catholic Church in the late 1800s over the declaration of papal infallibility in Vatican I. They believe that the pope is not infallible, meaning without error; therefore he is viewed as the Bishop of Rome but not as the head of the Church. Although the beliefs of the Old Catholic Church fall somewhere between liberalism and conservatism, the Roman Catholic Church does view it’s sacraments as valid. When Father Price converted to Catholicism, he began to volunteer at the Waverly Hills Sanatorium, considered one of the most haunted locations in the world. His investigations here accelerated his interest in the paranormal, and demonology in particular, “something I was drawn to all along and know I was called to do.” The Institute defines a demonologist as one who ‘has accepted his/her calling to devote their lives to the study of demonology and may be appointed by Church leadership to investigate demonic cases.’
Father Price and the Paranormal Institute receive anywhere from 2 to 15 requests a day for help in identifying or expelling a demon from individuals, homes or businesses. Because of funding, the Institute cannot always make the trip to help those that are suffering, so they focus on education: what a demon is or is not, what signs may indicate that a demon has targeted an individual or home, an explanation of the three stages (infestation, oppression and possession), and how to stay strong and take control of the problem. Ninety percent of the cases they see involve the oppression stage which is when the demonic problem becomes personal and interacts with the victim, sometimes taking over the person’s thoughts for a time and beginning to cut him off from society.
According to Father Price, demonic cases can be resolved in days, weeks, or through a lifetime of counseling and prayer. He explained that there are two forms of exorcisms, Minor Right and Solemn Ritual and that he can perform the Minor Rite of Exorcism on a place, but not a person. If someone is allegedly possessed and the investigation, physical report and psychological evaluation confirm it, then the Bishop gets involved. Without spiritual help, the end result of all possessed people is suicide, which unfortunately is the ultimate goal of the demon.
For more information on Father Price, visit http://www.paranormalclergy.com/ or http://www.usocc.org/.
Troy Taylor
When Troy Taylor was young, he was fascinated by unsolved mysteries and the unknown. “I grew up around some gruesome things and spent endless hours dragging my friends around the town, making them listen to my stories, most of which were made up!” Today, however, Troy no longer deals with his own imagination. He is the author of 84 books on ghosts, haunting, the paranormal, history, crime, and the unexplained, and is the founder of the American Ghost Society and the owner of the Illinois and American Hauntings Tour companies.
Raised on the prairies of Illinois, Troy developed an interest in "things that go bump in the night" and as a young man, moved on to ghost tours and writing about haunts in Chicago and Central Illinois. His entire day to day life is now devoted to the paranormal, ghosts and haunting and he believes that “ghosts are part of everyone’s story, whether you want it to be or not.” He is fascinated by crime scenes and unsolved mysteries as both “almost always spawn ghost stories.” For example, he recently learned of a woman who owned a grocery store in the 1960s who was killed with her own meat grinder. While the reaction of most others is “gross,” Troy can’t help be but be fascinated and compelled to learn more.
Troy began his first book in 1989, which delved into the history and hauntings of Decatur, Illinois and has been researching and writing ever since. In 1996, he organized a group of ghost enthusiasts into an investigation team and the American Ghost Society was launched. It gained more than 600 members in the years that followed and continues today as one of America’s largest and most honored research groups. If that isn’t enough, Troy is also the founder of Whitechapel Press and Dark Haven Entertainment and is the principal owner of the haunted Avon Theater in Decatur. Avon Theater is also one of the only places that Troy has seen a ghost, despite his more than 25 years of experience in this field. “I was in my office, getting some work done, and there he was, a guy – a ghost – just sitting down next to me.”
Troy’s most recent book, The Ghost Hunter's Guidebook:The Common Sense Guide to Paranormal Research reveals what it really takes to be a credible paranormal researcher; offers detailed methods for investigating homes, buildings and graveyards; and includes guides for collecting evidence and photographs. For more information on Troy Taylor, visit http://www.prairieghosts.com/
April Slaughter
April Slaughter began her journey into the unknown at the age of eight when her family moved into a home which was haunted. For twelve years April felt this presence and came to believe it would be best to educate herself on what might be happening. She began to study various phenomena, collecting books, doing research and spending much time in cemeteries and at the age of 21, she decided to pursue a full-time career in the paranormal field. Chris and Nancy Peterson of the Utah Ghost Hunters Society became her mentors and “took me under their wing.”
When April submitted an article to TAPS Paramagazine about a haunted hospital, she was asked to continue writing for the publication and had the opportunity to travel to various events, visit some of the most famous haunts in the country, and interact with others in the field. Although she gained a vast amount of knowledge, April grew tired of “hamster wheel ghost hunting, collecting evidence but not going beyond that. I wanted to learn from the people beyond and became interested in Instrumental Transcommunication (ITC), in other words, speaking to the dead.”
One vehicle for doing so is called Frank’s Box, “basically a hand-made, modified radio which constantly scans AM/FM and low band frequencies. The theory is that spirits can piece together voices through the frequencies and then send messages back.” When April first asked creator Frank Sumption for a box, he said no. After another year of ITC research, she approached him again and this time, received a favorable response. “Frank builds the boxes for people not when they ask him to, but when a box tells him to. Each is one of a kind and put together with various parts and thrift store finds. I have box numbers 37, 38 and 73 and after success with all three, others now send their boxes to me to work with.”
While she’s had incredible experience and success with Frank’s Box, April’s most impressive experience came from a device that does not use radio, but is based on a tool that electricians put up against a wall to find hotspots. There are only four of these out there and the device is beginning to work consistently for her. “The world is all about communication and I am communicating with something that I can’t see. When people die, they still check in and love us.”
At Paraskeví 13, you will see both devices and hear excerpts from April’s conversations with those beyond. “When I speak to the public, I bring emotion and my own experiences into it, showing that something positive and amazing can happen, but not indicating it as proof. This is what I believe, and if you don’t it is ok. This is just how I connect to the other side. We have a lot to learn from those beyond; they know I am listening, so they communicate with me.”
April is also the co-founder of www.paranormalsource.com and the author of Ghosthunting Texas, working on 3 additional. Visit http://www.aprilslaughter.com/ for more information.
Maureen Patrick
Maureen Patrick
Maureen Patrick is a 3rd generation Floridian and a Tampa native who holds an advanced degree in Cultural History and is a graveyard specialist. About 20 years ago, she became interested in the 19th Century Rural Cemetery phenomenon, “which is what happened when Americans let go of the baggage their Puritan ancestors saddled them with, which included a fire and brimstone view of the afterlife. The most common epitaph in the 18th century was ‘Stranger, pause and look at me; as I am now so you will be.’ To put that on a grave marker was a constant reminder that life is short and hard and the afterlife isn’t going to be much better.”In the mid-1800s, the view of death and everything connected with it began to change. Formal landscaped graveyards were featured as a part of urban planning.”The afterlife was viewed in the 19th century as a garden and cemetery design was intended to mirror that: to make people feel like they would enter that garden and be reunited with loved ones there. “People love old cemeteries for different reasons – the aesthetics, the design for comforting people, the historical stories connected with them. The dead live again through their epitaphs and grave art, and through the stories that their survivors inherit. Oaklawn Cemetery (founded 1850) in Downtown Tampa presents this all in quite a nice little package.”In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities, Maureen also hosts ghost tours. “I am a classic example of no one being stronger in their belief then a convert. I can’t say I ever disbelieved; I think we often brush shoulders with the paranormal and just may not always be paying attention.” Maureen started out doing history tours in Ybor City and in 2002 began researching ghost walks. “When I started I had a thesis which was that if an area was haunted, it had to have certain things in common: original buildings that were still standing and in use, and a history of the unusual, the violent, or the bizarre. It’s important that the buildings remain ‘inhabited.’ There is something about the proximity to humans that keeps spirits active.”Learn more from Maureen about Oaklawn Cemetery and participate in one of her ghost walks. For more information about Maureen and her ghost walks: http://www.historicguides.com/ Learn more from Maureen about Oaklawn Cemetery and participate in one of her ghost walks during Paraskeví 13. Visit http://www.historicguides.com/, http://www.tampahistoricalsociety.org/, or http://www.theaterprep.com/ for additional information.
Everyone attending Paraskeví 13 will find something to be excited about! SPACE IS LIMITED. Advance Tickets are $75 Per Person for all events/ $100 Per Person After January 1. To purchase tickets, visit http://paraskevi13-2012.eventbrite.com/.
- by Amy Lassiter
Paranormal.
Controversy. Wonder. Good. Evil. Unexplainable.
Paranormal.
It’s just one word. But it is one word that certainly evokes a wide range of reactions and opinions. There are skeptics and there are believers, and even then, the believers and mediums use varying methods and have had different experiences.
Demonology. Ghost hunting. Investigations. Instrumental Transcommunication.
In its broadest sense, paranormal is a general term that designates experiences which lie outside the range of the norm or of scientific explanation. If you have ever witnessed or taken part in such an activity or are simply curious and want to learn more, you will not want to miss Paraskeví 13 on Friday, January 13 and Saturday, January 14. This two day paranormal event, held at the historic Friday Morning Musicale, is focused on Investigating the Paranormal and includes workshop sessions, guest speakers and visits to three historic Tampa locations.
Here’s a sneak peak at the guest speakers as well as an introduction to their paranormal specialties.
Father David Price
Father Price is both the Assistant Pastor for Saint Christopher Old Catholic Church in Louisville, Kentucky and a professional Paranormal Investigator. In addition to his day-to-day ministration requirements, he practices demonology, assists in exorcisms, performs home blessings, and is one of the founders of the Paranormal Clergy Institute. The mission of the Institute is to help home owners and paranormal groups directly involved with demonic infestation cases or who have questions regarding demonic infestation.
Raised as a Jehovah’s Witness and taught that there was no afterlife, Father Price converted to Catholicism at the age of 16 and was ordained as a Catholic Priest in 2007. The Old Catholic Church branched off from the Roman Catholic Church in the late 1800s over the declaration of papal infallibility in Vatican I. They believe that the pope is not infallible, meaning without error; therefore he is viewed as the Bishop of Rome but not as the head of the Church. Although the beliefs of the Old Catholic Church fall somewhere between liberalism and conservatism, the Roman Catholic Church does view it’s sacraments as valid. When Father Price converted to Catholicism, he began to volunteer at the Waverly Hills Sanatorium, considered one of the most haunted locations in the world. His investigations here accelerated his interest in the paranormal, and demonology in particular, “something I was drawn to all along and know I was called to do.” The Institute defines a demonologist as one who ‘has accepted his/her calling to devote their lives to the study of demonology and may be appointed by Church leadership to investigate demonic cases.’
Father Price and the Paranormal Institute receive anywhere from 2 to 15 requests a day for help in identifying or expelling a demon from individuals, homes or businesses. Because of funding, the Institute cannot always make the trip to help those that are suffering, so they focus on education: what a demon is or is not, what signs may indicate that a demon has targeted an individual or home, an explanation of the three stages (infestation, oppression and possession), and how to stay strong and take control of the problem. Ninety percent of the cases they see involve the oppression stage which is when the demonic problem becomes personal and interacts with the victim, sometimes taking over the person’s thoughts for a time and beginning to cut him off from society.
According to Father Price, demonic cases can be resolved in days, weeks, or through a lifetime of counseling and prayer. He explained that there are two forms of exorcisms, Minor Right and Solemn Ritual and that he can perform the Minor Rite of Exorcism on a place, but not a person. If someone is allegedly possessed and the investigation, physical report and psychological evaluation confirm it, then the Bishop gets involved. Without spiritual help, the end result of all possessed people is suicide, which unfortunately is the ultimate goal of the demon.
For more information on Father Price, visit http://www.paranormalclergy.com/ or http://www.usocc.org/.
Troy Taylor
When Troy Taylor was young, he was fascinated by unsolved mysteries and the unknown. “I grew up around some gruesome things and spent endless hours dragging my friends around the town, making them listen to my stories, most of which were made up!” Today, however, Troy no longer deals with his own imagination. He is the author of 84 books on ghosts, haunting, the paranormal, history, crime, and the unexplained, and is the founder of the American Ghost Society and the owner of the Illinois and American Hauntings Tour companies.
Raised on the prairies of Illinois, Troy developed an interest in "things that go bump in the night" and as a young man, moved on to ghost tours and writing about haunts in Chicago and Central Illinois. His entire day to day life is now devoted to the paranormal, ghosts and haunting and he believes that “ghosts are part of everyone’s story, whether you want it to be or not.” He is fascinated by crime scenes and unsolved mysteries as both “almost always spawn ghost stories.” For example, he recently learned of a woman who owned a grocery store in the 1960s who was killed with her own meat grinder. While the reaction of most others is “gross,” Troy can’t help be but be fascinated and compelled to learn more.
Troy began his first book in 1989, which delved into the history and hauntings of Decatur, Illinois and has been researching and writing ever since. In 1996, he organized a group of ghost enthusiasts into an investigation team and the American Ghost Society was launched. It gained more than 600 members in the years that followed and continues today as one of America’s largest and most honored research groups. If that isn’t enough, Troy is also the founder of Whitechapel Press and Dark Haven Entertainment and is the principal owner of the haunted Avon Theater in Decatur. Avon Theater is also one of the only places that Troy has seen a ghost, despite his more than 25 years of experience in this field. “I was in my office, getting some work done, and there he was, a guy – a ghost – just sitting down next to me.”
Troy’s most recent book, The Ghost Hunter's Guidebook:The Common Sense Guide to Paranormal Research reveals what it really takes to be a credible paranormal researcher; offers detailed methods for investigating homes, buildings and graveyards; and includes guides for collecting evidence and photographs. For more information on Troy Taylor, visit http://www.prairieghosts.com/
April Slaughter
April Slaughter began her journey into the unknown at the age of eight when her family moved into a home which was haunted. For twelve years April felt this presence and came to believe it would be best to educate herself on what might be happening. She began to study various phenomena, collecting books, doing research and spending much time in cemeteries and at the age of 21, she decided to pursue a full-time career in the paranormal field. Chris and Nancy Peterson of the Utah Ghost Hunters Society became her mentors and “took me under their wing.”
When April submitted an article to TAPS Paramagazine about a haunted hospital, she was asked to continue writing for the publication and had the opportunity to travel to various events, visit some of the most famous haunts in the country, and interact with others in the field. Although she gained a vast amount of knowledge, April grew tired of “hamster wheel ghost hunting, collecting evidence but not going beyond that. I wanted to learn from the people beyond and became interested in Instrumental Transcommunication (ITC), in other words, speaking to the dead.”
One vehicle for doing so is called Frank’s Box, “basically a hand-made, modified radio which constantly scans AM/FM and low band frequencies. The theory is that spirits can piece together voices through the frequencies and then send messages back.” When April first asked creator Frank Sumption for a box, he said no. After another year of ITC research, she approached him again and this time, received a favorable response. “Frank builds the boxes for people not when they ask him to, but when a box tells him to. Each is one of a kind and put together with various parts and thrift store finds. I have box numbers 37, 38 and 73 and after success with all three, others now send their boxes to me to work with.”
While she’s had incredible experience and success with Frank’s Box, April’s most impressive experience came from a device that does not use radio, but is based on a tool that electricians put up against a wall to find hotspots. There are only four of these out there and the device is beginning to work consistently for her. “The world is all about communication and I am communicating with something that I can’t see. When people die, they still check in and love us.”
At Paraskeví 13, you will see both devices and hear excerpts from April’s conversations with those beyond. “When I speak to the public, I bring emotion and my own experiences into it, showing that something positive and amazing can happen, but not indicating it as proof. This is what I believe, and if you don’t it is ok. This is just how I connect to the other side. We have a lot to learn from those beyond; they know I am listening, so they communicate with me.”
April is also the co-founder of www.paranormalsource.com and the author of Ghosthunting Texas, working on 3 additional. Visit http://www.aprilslaughter.com/ for more information.
Maureen Patrick
Maureen Patrick
Maureen Patrick is a 3rd generation Floridian and a Tampa native who holds an advanced degree in Cultural History and is a graveyard specialist. About 20 years ago, she became interested in the 19th Century Rural Cemetery phenomenon, “which is what happened when Americans let go of the baggage their Puritan ancestors saddled them with, which included a fire and brimstone view of the afterlife. The most common epitaph in the 18th century was ‘Stranger, pause and look at me; as I am now so you will be.’ To put that on a grave marker was a constant reminder that life is short and hard and the afterlife isn’t going to be much better.”In the mid-1800s, the view of death and everything connected with it began to change. Formal landscaped graveyards were featured as a part of urban planning.”The afterlife was viewed in the 19th century as a garden and cemetery design was intended to mirror that: to make people feel like they would enter that garden and be reunited with loved ones there. “People love old cemeteries for different reasons – the aesthetics, the design for comforting people, the historical stories connected with them. The dead live again through their epitaphs and grave art, and through the stories that their survivors inherit. Oaklawn Cemetery (founded 1850) in Downtown Tampa presents this all in quite a nice little package.”In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities, Maureen also hosts ghost tours. “I am a classic example of no one being stronger in their belief then a convert. I can’t say I ever disbelieved; I think we often brush shoulders with the paranormal and just may not always be paying attention.” Maureen started out doing history tours in Ybor City and in 2002 began researching ghost walks. “When I started I had a thesis which was that if an area was haunted, it had to have certain things in common: original buildings that were still standing and in use, and a history of the unusual, the violent, or the bizarre. It’s important that the buildings remain ‘inhabited.’ There is something about the proximity to humans that keeps spirits active.”Learn more from Maureen about Oaklawn Cemetery and participate in one of her ghost walks. For more information about Maureen and her ghost walks: http://www.historicguides.com/ Learn more from Maureen about Oaklawn Cemetery and participate in one of her ghost walks during Paraskeví 13. Visit http://www.historicguides.com/, http://www.tampahistoricalsociety.org/, or http://www.theaterprep.com/ for additional information.
Everyone attending Paraskeví 13 will find something to be excited about! SPACE IS LIMITED. Advance Tickets are $75 Per Person for all events/ $100 Per Person After January 1. To purchase tickets, visit http://paraskevi13-2012.eventbrite.com/.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Your are Invited to Paraskeví 13
This is your invitation to a unique Two Days at Paraskevi 13
Our Space is VERY limited, so sign up early ! (Might Make a Very Unique Holiday Gift as Well)
Friday, January 13, 2012 - 7 PM - 10 PM at the historic Friday Morning Musicale in Tampa - Investigating the Paranormal - Please arrive early for this event.
10 PM - ? Social meeting
Saturday, January 14, 2012 - Locations to be announced
10 - 11: 30 AM - Workshop Session 1
LUNCH ON YOUR OWN
1 - 2:30 - Workshop Session 2
3- 4:30 - Workshop Session 3
DINNER ON YOUR OWN
8 PM - Workshop Session 4 aboard the American Victory Ship
.
WORKSHOP SESSIONS will give you the opportunity to break into smaller groups lead by our speakers. Sessions to include:
Participating speakers and investigators:
Troy Taylor, Author of 84 books on ghosts, the paranormal, history, and crime. Founder of the American Ghost Society. From Illinois.
April Slaughter, Author, paranormal investigator, and one of only two owners of the controversial Frank's Box. She also served as a contributing writer and manager with Taps ParaMagazine. She and her husband founded The Paranormal Source. April is from Dallas, TX.
Father David Price, Assistant Pastor for Saint Christopher Old Catholic Church in Louisville, Kentucky . Fr. David also performs home blessings and assists the Archbishop Long in exorcisms. Father Price is from Louisville, KY.
Maureen Patrick, President,Tampa Historical Society and Historic Guides. Maureen conducts tours in Ybor City and other historic locations.
Bill Sharpe, Tampa Ghost Watchers.
Other Speakers to be announced.
SPACE IS LIMITED.
$100 Per Person
Buy Tickets Here
Our Space is VERY limited, so sign up early ! (Might Make a Very Unique Holiday Gift as Well)
Friday, January 13, 2012 - 7 PM - 10 PM at the historic Friday Morning Musicale in Tampa - Investigating the Paranormal - Please arrive early for this event.
10 PM - ? Social meeting
Saturday, January 14, 2012 - Locations to be announced
10 - 11: 30 AM - Workshop Session 1
LUNCH ON YOUR OWN
1 - 2:30 - Workshop Session 2
3- 4:30 - Workshop Session 3
DINNER ON YOUR OWN
8 PM - Workshop Session 4 aboard the American Victory Ship
.
WORKSHOP SESSIONS will give you the opportunity to break into smaller groups lead by our speakers. Sessions to include:
- Spiritual influences in Paranormal Investigations, including Exorcisms
- Investigating Haunted Locations with Crime History
- UFO Investigations
- Visits to Three Historic Tampa Locations including the Oaklawn Cemetery
Participating speakers and investigators:
Troy Taylor, Author of 84 books on ghosts, the paranormal, history, and crime. Founder of the American Ghost Society. From Illinois.
April Slaughter, Author, paranormal investigator, and one of only two owners of the controversial Frank's Box. She also served as a contributing writer and manager with Taps ParaMagazine. She and her husband founded The Paranormal Source. April is from Dallas, TX.
Father David Price, Assistant Pastor for Saint Christopher Old Catholic Church in Louisville, Kentucky . Fr. David also performs home blessings and assists the Archbishop Long in exorcisms. Father Price is from Louisville, KY.
Maureen Patrick, President,Tampa Historical Society and Historic Guides. Maureen conducts tours in Ybor City and other historic locations.
Bill Sharpe, Tampa Ghost Watchers.
Other Speakers to be announced.
SPACE IS LIMITED.
$100 Per Person
Buy Tickets Here
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Investigations and meetings
When will the meetings start up again? Are there any more private investigations?
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Investigations Announced
Two nights at the historicIsland Hotel in Cedar Key
on Friday, August 19 - Sunday, August 21. Get more info here
Friday, February 19, 2010
Regular Meeting
Sunday, Feb 21
7 PM
No Cost to attend - this meeting is open to members and non-members.
Location: Office of the Tampa Marketing Company, 1906 N. Armenia Ave. #306, Tampa.
(813) 283-0760
Agenda:
Upcoming Events
Project Assignment
If you have an interest in investigations, history, or anything paranormal, plan to attend and meet some of Tampas real time local ghost hunters.
7 PM
No Cost to attend - this meeting is open to members and non-members.
Location: Office of the Tampa Marketing Company, 1906 N. Armenia Ave. #306, Tampa.
(813) 283-0760
Agenda:
Upcoming Events
Project Assignment
If you have an interest in investigations, history, or anything paranormal, plan to attend and meet some of Tampas real time local ghost hunters.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Dear Members
Recently I received an email questioning me about the costs of our events. Let me crystal clearly explain things to you.
We do not charge when we have home investigations in almost all cases.
With over 200 members, we can't exactly march 200 members through someones home.
We try to provide you with the best events possible - as planned.
St. AuGHOSTine we brought some of the best speakers and investigators from around the country. Paying for their costs and airfare. Speakers came from San Francisco, Colorado, Kentucky, Savannah, Gettysburg, New York and more. Get a grip, do you really think these quality speakers just go everywhere at enormous expense to themselves just to provide you with some program that you may or may not show up for ? Do you think these facilities will provide free space just because we are nice people ? Get real.
The Day of the Dead will include dinner and a hall rental. How do I make that happen free ?
The cost for Cassadaga will go to the home owner at their request and for a fee to the psychic conducting the séance. If you have ever been to Cassadaga, you would know that every psychic there expects to be paid.
As to the Myrtles, it includes a hotel room, additional staff to be on hand all night, and a required one million dollar liability policy . When I commit our group to that, I have to commit to paying for ALL of the rooms at the Plantation and those extra costs. In New Orleans, I also have to make major commitments. I will be expending over $5,000 in deposits alone in the next 40 days for a trip and investigation not to be held until late May.
The event next Saturday at the Hillsborough River State Park requires a $6 per car entrance fee to the State of Florida, the cost of the Fort event is $5 per person that goes to the park service and to the over 6 reenactors and additional park ranger that are staying late just so our group can have a special visit to Fort Foster.
If you cannot afford to attend an event, I understand. I can't afford to dine at Bern's either - so I don't go. But that sure doesn't mean that others can't or shouldn't or that Bern's doesn't serve a fine meal - because they sure do.
In St. AuGHOSTine we had the opportunity to experience the Telephone to the Dead belonging to Chris Moon, Publisher of Haunted Times magazine. While I am still unsure of what I thought about it, I can tell you, that I considered this to be one of the most amazing experiences I have had since doing investigations. We covered the cost to bring Chris from Colorado. It was well worth it. Father David Price of the Old Catholic Church actually spoke of about demonic positions and exorcisms - from experience. Mark Nesbitt is continually on televison shows talking about Gettysburg and Fredericksburg ghosts - he spoke at our event on investigating battlefield ghosts. Murray Silver shared a near death experience. Gloria Young shared her experiences investigating in San Francisco including Alcatraz. Stacey Jones from New York brought her expeiences as a cop. Ericka Boussaharne shared stories as a cold case psychic that many in attendance remembered. Dusty Smith provided local guidework as probably the most knowledgeable person on St. Augustine Cemeteries. All of these speakers are of national acclaim. Google their names with paranormal or ghost after it and find out. Have you bothered to spend anytime doing that so you might be a little knowledgeable ?
If you want to continually stomp into supposedly haunted homes with teams
that are disorganized and that think they know everything because they stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night, then so be it.
Tampa Ghost Watchers has earned a national reputation for well organized events with knowledgeable speakers, quality planning and execution. When I commit to a location or event, I am the one on the hook. Your only commitment is to select to attend or not.
We have about 10 people at the Hillsborough River State Park - guides and costumed reenactors - that have planned part of their day next week for our group members. Is it too much to ask for you to tell me if you plan to attend or not ? And to pay the cost to enter a state park and pay the fee that the general public pays ? I think not.
I spend hours doing research, making phone calls, and sticking my financial neck out so that you have the opportunity to expand your knowledge or to have an experience. Have you researched any of our speakers or locations ? When you have been on an investigation with us, have you responded with an email as to your findings or experiences ?
I apologize for my lengthy dialogue, but I felt I needed to speak up. I am very proud of our past accomplishments and efforts - the coming years will only get better but only if you open your minds and spirits and participate when you can.
We do not charge when we have home investigations in almost all cases.
With over 200 members, we can't exactly march 200 members through someones home.
We try to provide you with the best events possible - as planned.
St. AuGHOSTine we brought some of the best speakers and investigators from around the country. Paying for their costs and airfare. Speakers came from San Francisco, Colorado, Kentucky, Savannah, Gettysburg, New York and more. Get a grip, do you really think these quality speakers just go everywhere at enormous expense to themselves just to provide you with some program that you may or may not show up for ? Do you think these facilities will provide free space just because we are nice people ? Get real.
The Day of the Dead will include dinner and a hall rental. How do I make that happen free ?
The cost for Cassadaga will go to the home owner at their request and for a fee to the psychic conducting the séance. If you have ever been to Cassadaga, you would know that every psychic there expects to be paid.
As to the Myrtles, it includes a hotel room, additional staff to be on hand all night, and a required one million dollar liability policy . When I commit our group to that, I have to commit to paying for ALL of the rooms at the Plantation and those extra costs. In New Orleans, I also have to make major commitments. I will be expending over $5,000 in deposits alone in the next 40 days for a trip and investigation not to be held until late May.
The event next Saturday at the Hillsborough River State Park requires a $6 per car entrance fee to the State of Florida, the cost of the Fort event is $5 per person that goes to the park service and to the over 6 reenactors and additional park ranger that are staying late just so our group can have a special visit to Fort Foster.
If you cannot afford to attend an event, I understand. I can't afford to dine at Bern's either - so I don't go. But that sure doesn't mean that others can't or shouldn't or that Bern's doesn't serve a fine meal - because they sure do.
In St. AuGHOSTine we had the opportunity to experience the Telephone to the Dead belonging to Chris Moon, Publisher of Haunted Times magazine. While I am still unsure of what I thought about it, I can tell you, that I considered this to be one of the most amazing experiences I have had since doing investigations. We covered the cost to bring Chris from Colorado. It was well worth it. Father David Price of the Old Catholic Church actually spoke of about demonic positions and exorcisms - from experience. Mark Nesbitt is continually on televison shows talking about Gettysburg and Fredericksburg ghosts - he spoke at our event on investigating battlefield ghosts. Murray Silver shared a near death experience. Gloria Young shared her experiences investigating in San Francisco including Alcatraz. Stacey Jones from New York brought her expeiences as a cop. Ericka Boussaharne shared stories as a cold case psychic that many in attendance remembered. Dusty Smith provided local guidework as probably the most knowledgeable person on St. Augustine Cemeteries. All of these speakers are of national acclaim. Google their names with paranormal or ghost after it and find out. Have you bothered to spend anytime doing that so you might be a little knowledgeable ?
If you want to continually stomp into supposedly haunted homes with teams
that are disorganized and that think they know everything because they stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night, then so be it.
Tampa Ghost Watchers has earned a national reputation for well organized events with knowledgeable speakers, quality planning and execution. When I commit to a location or event, I am the one on the hook. Your only commitment is to select to attend or not.
We have about 10 people at the Hillsborough River State Park - guides and costumed reenactors - that have planned part of their day next week for our group members. Is it too much to ask for you to tell me if you plan to attend or not ? And to pay the cost to enter a state park and pay the fee that the general public pays ? I think not.
I spend hours doing research, making phone calls, and sticking my financial neck out so that you have the opportunity to expand your knowledge or to have an experience. Have you researched any of our speakers or locations ? When you have been on an investigation with us, have you responded with an email as to your findings or experiences ?
I apologize for my lengthy dialogue, but I felt I needed to speak up. I am very proud of our past accomplishments and efforts - the coming years will only get better but only if you open your minds and spirits and participate when you can.
Monday, October 5, 2009
St. AuGHOSTine Wrap Up !
Thank you for everyone for all of your help and assistance over the weekend.
Special thanks to our speakers and guides: Erick Boussarhane, Murray Silver, Chris Moon, Dusty Smith, Stacey Jones, Mark Nesbitt, Father David Price, and Gloria Young. What a tremendous amount of experience and ideas were shared ! Thanks Dusty for a special event on Thursday evening.
Thank you to Steve Williams, Kevin Hull, Frank Perrick, and Claire Castillo for the guiding assistance to the group. Thanks to L&W Catering, the St. Augustine Boating Club, the Holiday Inn- Historic District, and to Meredith, Pam, and Sara at the St. Augustine Light House.
Special thanks to our speakers and guides: Erick Boussarhane, Murray Silver, Chris Moon, Dusty Smith, Stacey Jones, Mark Nesbitt, Father David Price, and Gloria Young. What a tremendous amount of experience and ideas were shared ! Thanks Dusty for a special event on Thursday evening.
Thank you to Steve Williams, Kevin Hull, Frank Perrick, and Claire Castillo for the guiding assistance to the group. Thanks to L&W Catering, the St. Augustine Boating Club, the Holiday Inn- Historic District, and to Meredith, Pam, and Sara at the St. Augustine Light House.
As always, we want to hear your comments and about your experiences. Please click on the comment box below this post.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Fort Foster Visit and Investigation - Sat. Oct 17
On the banks of the Hillsborough River is a reconstructed Ft. Foster, from the Seminole Indian Wars. The history and lifestyle is portrayed once a month through an educational program by enactors. Tampa Ghost Watchers will have a special members only visit on Saturday, October 17. The event will be preceeded by a bring your own covered dish dinner at 1 PM at the Hillsborough River State Park. Cost to attend is $6 entrance per car to the park and $5 per person for the two hour visit to the Fort and the program provided by the enactors. The reconstructed Fort is immediately adjacent to the river and the original location of Fort Foster. Bring a Dish, Drinks (no alcoholic beverages allowed in the park), comfortable shoes and look for our gather point. Cost to attend to be paid in cash at the event.
The enactors have had some most interesting experiences at the Fort and will have some great stories to tell.
PLEASE BE SURE TO RSVP - bill@tampaghostwatchers.com
The park is located 9 miles north of Tampa and six miles south of Zephyrhills on U.S. 301. Our group will visit the Fort at 4 PM. YOU MUST BE ON TIME !
Get more directions at http://www.floridastateparks.org/fortfoster/default.cfm
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
Friday, Oct 30 - 7 PM - 11 PM - American Legion Post 5, the Only American Legion Post with an adjacent Cemetery at 3810 W. Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa. Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow...
Food, Drink, Day of the Dead celebration, and more !
The mostly Latin holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration usually occurs on the 2nd of November, but we will gather on the Friday before.
NO Costumes, but orange marigolds or sugar skulls or skull masks are welcome !
We will also have an altar to place the picture of anyone you wish remembered.
Get more info about El Día de los Muertos here.
NOTE: you must be at least 21 years of age with proper ID to attend this event.
Included will be a Mexican dinner, beer, wine and other beverages and El Día de los Muertos ceremony. $24.99 per person. Buy tickets here
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Introduction to Ghost Hunting - Saturday, Sept. 26
Interested in learning more about Ghost Hunting and the Paranormal ?
Join the largest paranormal group in the US at a Special Seminar on the Introduction to Ghost Hunting to be held at one of Tampa's most historic buildings.
WHEN: Saturday, Sept 26, 10 AM - 1 PM
HOW MUCH:
$ $20 day of the event - cash only at the door.
Hosted by Tampa Ghost Watchers
Speakers:
Ronn Williams of Polk County Paranormal Team
Jim Brett of the Tampa Bay Paranormal Society
John Sullivan of Haunted Hunters
Bill Sharpe of Tampa Ghost Watchers
Topics:
- What are ghosts ?
- Where do I look ?
- How do you know if its haunted ?
- What are you looking for ?
- What equipment do you need ?
- Ok, I found something - What do I do now ?
WHERE: Friday Morning Musicale and Federated Clubs
Housed in a Gothic Mediterranean building, Friday Morning Musicale built in 1926 was opened as a community center and theatre to promote arts and dance in South Tampa. Location: 809 Horatio Street , Tampa Florida 33606
Directions here.
Want to get more serious about ghost hunting ?
Consider our three day conference in St. Augustine, October 2-4, 2009.
Get more info here.
See pictures from our previous trip to Andersonville Civil War Prison Camp and Cemetery here and Pat's Island Cemetery here.
Meeting Notice - Sunday, August 23, 2009
Sunday, August 23 - 6 PM at the Offices of the Tampa Marketing Company. 1906 N. Armenia Ave. #306, Tampa, FL
813-283-0760.
We will have a discussion on two recent investigations and a conference call from one of our St. AuGHOSTine speakers.
This meeting is open to members, guests, and anyone interested in the paranormal. We will also be seeking volunteers to assist in an ongoing investigation. No cost to attend this meeting.
BUT PLEASE RSVP to bill@tampaghostwatchers.com
813-283-0760.
We will have a discussion on two recent investigations and a conference call from one of our St. AuGHOSTine speakers.
This meeting is open to members, guests, and anyone interested in the paranormal. We will also be seeking volunteers to assist in an ongoing investigation. No cost to attend this meeting.
BUT PLEASE RSVP to bill@tampaghostwatchers.com
Friday, July 17, 2009
Introduction to Ghost Hunting - August 1
YOU ARE INVITED TO A SPECIAL DISCUSSION -
What: Introduction to Ghost Hunting
When: Saturday, August 1, 10 AM - NOON
Where: Offices of the Tampa Marketing Company
1906 N. Armenia Ave. #306, Tampa, FL
How much: FREE Event
Who can attend: Open to the public
PLEASE RSVP to bill@tampaghostwatchers.com
Call Bill Sharpe at 813-283-0760 for more information
or email bill@tampaghostwatchers.com
There is no cost to attend this two hour discussion designed to answer questions and to provide an introduction to paranormal investigations and more.
Topics to be discussed will include:
1. what to know before you go
2. what questions to ask
3. equipment you may require
4. what to do when you find something
5. this is very interesting, now what do I do ?
What do you need to bring for the seminar ? An open mind and a lot of curiosity.
Tampa Ghost Watchers, with over 200 members, is the Largest Paranormal Investigation group in Florida.
www.tampaghostwatchers.com
What: Introduction to Ghost Hunting
When: Saturday, August 1, 10 AM - NOON
Where: Offices of the Tampa Marketing Company
1906 N. Armenia Ave. #306, Tampa, FL
How much: FREE Event
Who can attend: Open to the public
PLEASE RSVP to bill@tampaghostwatchers.com
Call Bill Sharpe at 813-283-0760 for more information
or email bill@tampaghostwatchers.com
There is no cost to attend this two hour discussion designed to answer questions and to provide an introduction to paranormal investigations and more.
Topics to be discussed will include:
1. what to know before you go
2. what questions to ask
3. equipment you may require
4. what to do when you find something
5. this is very interesting, now what do I do ?
What do you need to bring for the seminar ? An open mind and a lot of curiosity.
Tampa Ghost Watchers, with over 200 members, is the Largest Paranormal Investigation group in Florida.
www.tampaghostwatchers.com
Ocala National Forest 2009
HERE ARE ALL THE DETAILS. If you have not signed up, please let me know ASAP ! So we can be ready for you. $25 per person to attend. Bill's cell phone number is 813-770-3902. BUT NO GUARANTEE THEY WILL WORK IN THE FOREST. OCALA NATIONAL FOREST - Register here
Saturday/Sunday - August 8 & 9.
The plan is to meet at SILVER GLEN SPRINGS at 2 PM in the Ocala National Forest. This is a beautiful swimming/picnicing location. It is also easy to find. It takes about 3 hours from our office. Directions are as follows: Take I-75 North to Ocala, In Ocala, take the Hwy 40 exit EAST, go approximately one hour to the middle of the Ocala National Forest, you will pass an area called Four Corners (there is a grocery store there) and continue on Hwy 40 past Juniper Springs to Hwy 19 (just a couple miles past Juniper Springs) turn NORTH on Hwy 19, several miles north you will find SILVER GLEN SPRINGS. We are to meet there by 2 PM on Saturday. And will depart from there at 4 PM. Get there early, or visit Juniper Springs if you are early. These are beautiful Florida treasures. Look for my yellow Smart Car in the parking lot.
Our camping site is about 30 minutes away from the Springs, in the middle of the forest. Remember this is primitive camping. You will be very close to your car, and a 45 minute hike or so to the former settlement. We will get situated and then hike in to the settlement before dark to get a real look at the area. Then we will return around 9 PM and again in the very early morning as the sun rises. We are ready to provide you with hamburgers and hotdogs for dinner, so not to worry. Bring your own drinks, and remember water. Remember this is primitive camping. Bring toilet paper, flashlights, tent, and whatever you may require. AND A CHAIR TO SIT IN. I expect us to be leaving the campsite by noon on Sunday. BUT stay to enjoy this spectacular forest. Map to Silver Glen Springs here http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/florida/local-resources/images/maps/oca/canoe_silver.pdf Details of the Settlement here : The Yearling Trail Pats Island is one of the most popular historic attractions on the Ocala National Forest. The area was named after it's first postmaster Patrick Smith who settled there in the 1840's and the unique relationship of two ecosystems, long leaf pine and sand pine scrub. Much of the land bounded by the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers consists of the largest concentration of sand pine scrub in the world. Within this vast area there are oases of fertile soils and moisture that support growth of longleaf pine, wiregrass, turkey oak and other trees and plants not found in the surrounding arid scrub. Pioneers who settled in these areas called them islands because a sea of scrub surrounded them. The Reuben Long family came to the area around 1872 and individual family members applied for and were granted homestead acres that they worked and lived on for many years. Human habitation on the island peaked before the turn of the 20th century when about a dozen families sought to eke out a living on the 1400-acre island. A living was made from farming, running woods cattle and hogs, hunting, fishing, making moonshine whisky, and trading with boat travel on the St. Johns River. There is an ecological uniqueness of this of a longleaf pine island surrounded by scrub pine, which creates a single community isolated from the mainstream of central Florida life. The imposed remoteness contributed to a community essentially untouched by outside forces. The community had its own church, school, post office and self-appointed lay ministers. Life was hard on the island and after the big back-to-back freezes of 1894 and 1895 the population began to decline. Most of the settlers had sold or leased their homesteads before the Ocala National Forest was formed in 1908. Outside forces were slowly bringing life as it had been on the island to an end. In 1935 the island was abandoned by man and surrendered back to the elements after less than 100 years of human occupation. The natural beauty of the area and the colorful life style of these rugged people fascinated the author, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. She stayed with the last two inhabitants of the island, Calvin and Mary Long in October 1933. During this and other visits she recorded many stories told by the Longs. Calvin's childhood story of nursing a deer from a fawn gave her the idea for the Pulitzer Prize winning novel "The Yearling". The book was made into a movie starring Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman and Claude Jarman, Jr. and was filmed on location in the early 1940's. Today you too can visit Pat's Island via the Yearling Trail. The trailhead is located on SR 19 across from the Silver Glen Springs entrance. From there you can hike up to 6 miles visiting various sites of historical significance and enjoy the natural beauty of the island. Pats Island is located in Juniper Prairie Wilderness where natural processes are the primary influences and human activity is limited. Forest Service management of Pat's Island preserves and protects its physical and biological characteristics and allows us to experience this treasure without intention to disturb or destroy natural processes. As wilderness, the island is closed to motorized equipment and bicycles. As you circle the island, stop and notice the sites where the residents once lived. When you once again see the sand pine scrub, you will be arriving back at the trailhead. Perhaps you may want to complete your trip with a visit to Silver Glen Springs. Snacking at a shaded picnic table or swimming in crystal clear 72 degrees year around water is a great way to top off the day. You may want to visit the Boils Trail at the glen where Jody (of The Yearling) built a "flutter mill" with palmetto leaf and sticks. It was here that he nodded off to sleep when he was supposed to be home attending his chores. The Lake George Trail from the Silver Glen Springs Recreation Area to Lake George also offers another hiking adventure.
Saturday/Sunday - August 8 & 9.
The plan is to meet at SILVER GLEN SPRINGS at 2 PM in the Ocala National Forest. This is a beautiful swimming/picnicing location. It is also easy to find. It takes about 3 hours from our office. Directions are as follows: Take I-75 North to Ocala, In Ocala, take the Hwy 40 exit EAST, go approximately one hour to the middle of the Ocala National Forest, you will pass an area called Four Corners (there is a grocery store there) and continue on Hwy 40 past Juniper Springs to Hwy 19 (just a couple miles past Juniper Springs) turn NORTH on Hwy 19, several miles north you will find SILVER GLEN SPRINGS. We are to meet there by 2 PM on Saturday. And will depart from there at 4 PM. Get there early, or visit Juniper Springs if you are early. These are beautiful Florida treasures. Look for my yellow Smart Car in the parking lot.
Our camping site is about 30 minutes away from the Springs, in the middle of the forest. Remember this is primitive camping. You will be very close to your car, and a 45 minute hike or so to the former settlement. We will get situated and then hike in to the settlement before dark to get a real look at the area. Then we will return around 9 PM and again in the very early morning as the sun rises. We are ready to provide you with hamburgers and hotdogs for dinner, so not to worry. Bring your own drinks, and remember water. Remember this is primitive camping. Bring toilet paper, flashlights, tent, and whatever you may require. AND A CHAIR TO SIT IN. I expect us to be leaving the campsite by noon on Sunday. BUT stay to enjoy this spectacular forest. Map to Silver Glen Springs here http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/florida/local-resources/images/maps/oca/canoe_silver.pdf Details of the Settlement here : The Yearling Trail Pats Island is one of the most popular historic attractions on the Ocala National Forest. The area was named after it's first postmaster Patrick Smith who settled there in the 1840's and the unique relationship of two ecosystems, long leaf pine and sand pine scrub. Much of the land bounded by the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers consists of the largest concentration of sand pine scrub in the world. Within this vast area there are oases of fertile soils and moisture that support growth of longleaf pine, wiregrass, turkey oak and other trees and plants not found in the surrounding arid scrub. Pioneers who settled in these areas called them islands because a sea of scrub surrounded them. The Reuben Long family came to the area around 1872 and individual family members applied for and were granted homestead acres that they worked and lived on for many years. Human habitation on the island peaked before the turn of the 20th century when about a dozen families sought to eke out a living on the 1400-acre island. A living was made from farming, running woods cattle and hogs, hunting, fishing, making moonshine whisky, and trading with boat travel on the St. Johns River. There is an ecological uniqueness of this of a longleaf pine island surrounded by scrub pine, which creates a single community isolated from the mainstream of central Florida life. The imposed remoteness contributed to a community essentially untouched by outside forces. The community had its own church, school, post office and self-appointed lay ministers. Life was hard on the island and after the big back-to-back freezes of 1894 and 1895 the population began to decline. Most of the settlers had sold or leased their homesteads before the Ocala National Forest was formed in 1908. Outside forces were slowly bringing life as it had been on the island to an end. In 1935 the island was abandoned by man and surrendered back to the elements after less than 100 years of human occupation. The natural beauty of the area and the colorful life style of these rugged people fascinated the author, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. She stayed with the last two inhabitants of the island, Calvin and Mary Long in October 1933. During this and other visits she recorded many stories told by the Longs. Calvin's childhood story of nursing a deer from a fawn gave her the idea for the Pulitzer Prize winning novel "The Yearling". The book was made into a movie starring Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman and Claude Jarman, Jr. and was filmed on location in the early 1940's. Today you too can visit Pat's Island via the Yearling Trail. The trailhead is located on SR 19 across from the Silver Glen Springs entrance. From there you can hike up to 6 miles visiting various sites of historical significance and enjoy the natural beauty of the island. Pats Island is located in Juniper Prairie Wilderness where natural processes are the primary influences and human activity is limited. Forest Service management of Pat's Island preserves and protects its physical and biological characteristics and allows us to experience this treasure without intention to disturb or destroy natural processes. As wilderness, the island is closed to motorized equipment and bicycles. As you circle the island, stop and notice the sites where the residents once lived. When you once again see the sand pine scrub, you will be arriving back at the trailhead. Perhaps you may want to complete your trip with a visit to Silver Glen Springs. Snacking at a shaded picnic table or swimming in crystal clear 72 degrees year around water is a great way to top off the day. You may want to visit the Boils Trail at the glen where Jody (of The Yearling) built a "flutter mill" with palmetto leaf and sticks. It was here that he nodded off to sleep when he was supposed to be home attending his chores. The Lake George Trail from the Silver Glen Springs Recreation Area to Lake George also offers another hiking adventure.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Next Meeting - Sunday, July 12 - 7 PM
Members, Guests, and Interested Persons are welcome to attend this general meeting.
Sunday, July 12 - 7 PM
Tampa Marketing Company, 1906 N. Armenia Ave. #306, Tampa, FL 33607
Agenda:
Introduction of all in attendance.
Gettysburg Trip Summary Andersonville/ Americus Investigation - SummaryUpcoming Pat's Island/Ocala National Forest Camping TripSt. AuGHOSTine
Conference Call
Open Discussion
Meeting will end at approximately 9:30 PM
Refreshments will be served.
Sunday, July 12 - 7 PM
Tampa Marketing Company, 1906 N. Armenia Ave. #306, Tampa, FL 33607
Agenda:
Introduction of all in attendance.
Gettysburg Trip Summary Andersonville/ Americus Investigation - SummaryUpcoming Pat's Island/Ocala National Forest Camping TripSt. AuGHOSTine
Conference Call
Open Discussion
Meeting will end at approximately 9:30 PM
Refreshments will be served.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Andersonville/Americus a Great Trip we will do Again !
Thanks to everyone that participated in the Andersonville/Americus trip. I cannot thank Fred Sanchez and Kevin Frye with the National Park Service enough for the assistance and guidance. While I am sure we are all slowly digging though our pics and audio, I think we all stayed busy and saw and experienced some really great things in South Georgia. The Windsor Hotel was a beautiful place to stay and the historic charm of Americus had everyone's attention. We had time to visit the incredible Providence Canyon and spent several hours at historic Westville. The town was filled with relocated historic stuctures and surprised us all with the size and number of structures to visit. We briefly stopped at Andersonville Village to see the original train depot before going on to the National Park. The park closed at 5 and we began. We had five hours of almost complete, exclusive access to the cemetery, prison, and headquarters area. While it started as a very hot Georgia day, it gradually cooled off as we investigated in small groups various locations in the park. We cannot thank the Andersonville National Park enough for their time and permissions to experience such a true national historic landmark. To see where over 33,000 prisoners were kept and over 13,000 had died was an emotional experience. We had approximately 6 different small groups of investigators scattered throughout.
Sunday we visited the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Americus before proceeding on to Plains, Georgia for a visit to the home town of Jimmy Carter. A visit to his boyhood home, school, and family gravesite was followed by some fresh peanut butter ice cream before the long trip home. It was great to see Steve and Becky from Memphis that made the long drive down to participate.
My worst fears in organizing the trip was the weather and trying to keep everyone not lost. The weather was very hot - 110 heat factor, but dry. We lost one person beginning on Friday night, she never checked in with me and decided later on Saturday to go home, she is fine. Two people did get lost, but they figured it out and found us again. The biggest problem was when two participants decided to get into a big argument in the hotel late on Saturday night. This was not their first time doing this and I had warned them previously. They added great stress to everyone and ruined one participant's trip entirely - as well as their own. I have insisted they NEVER attend any of our events again.
Overall however, the incredible story of Andersonville with the generous access allowed by Fred Sanchez and the wealth of information provided by Kevin Frye made for one of the best trips Tampa Ghost Watchers has ever had. Thanks to everyone that attended and to those that helped along the way in making it a success. We encourage and welcome your comments. You can see my unedited pictures here.
Don't forget, our next meeting will be Sunday, July 12, 7 PM
at our offices at 1906 N. Armenia Avenue in Tampa -
PLEASE NOTE: we have moved to the third floor, we are now in #306. We have a conference all planned, will have summaries of our trips to Gettysburg and Andersonville and more.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Andersonville/Americus REVISED SCHEDULE
NOTE: We still have space for more participants on this trip, but email bill@tampaghostwatchers.com ASAP to be able to participate. I feel this may be our most exciting trip ever due to our access to facilities and due to the obscurity of the location.
Camp Sumter and Andersonville National Park closes to the public at 5 PM, Tampa Ghost Watchers will have exclusive access to the park from closing until 10 PM on Saturday night ! We will be accompanied by a Park official and noted volunteer historian Kevin Frye.
If you are looking for or have space for another person to ride with you or if you are looking to share a room, let me know asap. One lady is looking for a room share now. This is a good 5 hour drive from Tampa. PLEASE WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES, DRESS FOR THE SUMMER HEAT, AND BRING YOUR OWN COOLER WITH PLENTY OF DRINKS ! (DO NOT WEAR SANDALS WHILE AT CAMP SUMTER) We will have additional drinks for you, but it gets very hot and dry in south Georgia in late June.
Friday, June 26 - Late Night Meeting as you arrive in Floyd's Pub in the Windsor Hotel. We will all be arriving at different times so it will be a late and casual get together as we arrive.The Windsor is said to be haunted on the second and third floors. Ghosts of a little girl and former housekeeper are thought to roam the hotel. Both were pushed down the elevator shaft in the early 1900's. Windsor-americus.com
Late Night - EVP investigation of the Windsor Hotel. Andersonville background story.Saturday,
June 27 - 8 AM Complimentary Breakfast Buffet for hotel guests
9 AM - Visit to the Global Village and Discovery Center. Center for Habitat for Humanity /www.habitat.org
11AM - Visit to Providence Canyon (admission included)
Noon - 3 PM Historic Westville - pioneer town from the 1800's. Visions of pioneer farmers and Civil War veterans have been reportedly seen here Westville.org - Admission included - Lunch at the Kiser House Restaurant (on your own)
3 PM - Visit to Andersonville Village including Pioneer Farm - Admission Included
5 PM - 10 PM - Andersonville National Park Visit/ Investigation - EXCLUSIVE NIGHT VISIT FOR TAMPA GHOST WATCHERS ONLY ! (Box snack and drinks provided)Special Presentation by historic researcher Kevin Frye.Reports of tragic feelings reaching to you have been reported. Of 45,000 Union soldiers imprisoned at Camp Sumter, almost 13,000 died, mostly of starvation. More info at www.andersonvillegeorgia.com
Sunday, June 28 - 8 AM - Complimentary Breakfast Buffet for hotel guests - Hotel Checkout
9:00 AM - Visit to the Oak Gove Cemetey in Americus. Opened in 1856, the Oak Grove Cemetery is the final resting place of many of Georgia's historic figures, from state chief justices and an 1865 candidate for governor to soldiers from the Native American, Mexican and Civil wars. http://www.georgiatrust.com/
11 AM - Visit to Plains, Georgia. Home town of former President Jimmy Carter.
Depart for home as you wishSchedule and events subject to change
Camp Sumter and Andersonville National Park closes to the public at 5 PM, Tampa Ghost Watchers will have exclusive access to the park from closing until 10 PM on Saturday night ! We will be accompanied by a Park official and noted volunteer historian Kevin Frye.
If you are looking for or have space for another person to ride with you or if you are looking to share a room, let me know asap. One lady is looking for a room share now. This is a good 5 hour drive from Tampa. PLEASE WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES, DRESS FOR THE SUMMER HEAT, AND BRING YOUR OWN COOLER WITH PLENTY OF DRINKS ! (DO NOT WEAR SANDALS WHILE AT CAMP SUMTER) We will have additional drinks for you, but it gets very hot and dry in south Georgia in late June.
Friday, June 26 - Late Night Meeting as you arrive in Floyd's Pub in the Windsor Hotel. We will all be arriving at different times so it will be a late and casual get together as we arrive.The Windsor is said to be haunted on the second and third floors. Ghosts of a little girl and former housekeeper are thought to roam the hotel. Both were pushed down the elevator shaft in the early 1900's. Windsor-americus.com
Late Night - EVP investigation of the Windsor Hotel. Andersonville background story.Saturday,
June 27 - 8 AM Complimentary Breakfast Buffet for hotel guests
9 AM - Visit to the Global Village and Discovery Center. Center for Habitat for Humanity /www.habitat.org
11AM - Visit to Providence Canyon (admission included)
Noon - 3 PM Historic Westville - pioneer town from the 1800's. Visions of pioneer farmers and Civil War veterans have been reportedly seen here Westville.org - Admission included - Lunch at the Kiser House Restaurant (on your own)
3 PM - Visit to Andersonville Village including Pioneer Farm - Admission Included
5 PM - 10 PM - Andersonville National Park Visit/ Investigation - EXCLUSIVE NIGHT VISIT FOR TAMPA GHOST WATCHERS ONLY ! (Box snack and drinks provided)Special Presentation by historic researcher Kevin Frye.Reports of tragic feelings reaching to you have been reported. Of 45,000 Union soldiers imprisoned at Camp Sumter, almost 13,000 died, mostly of starvation. More info at www.andersonvillegeorgia.com
Sunday, June 28 - 8 AM - Complimentary Breakfast Buffet for hotel guests - Hotel Checkout
9:00 AM - Visit to the Oak Gove Cemetey in Americus. Opened in 1856, the Oak Grove Cemetery is the final resting place of many of Georgia's historic figures, from state chief justices and an 1865 candidate for governor to soldiers from the Native American, Mexican and Civil wars. http://www.georgiatrust.com/
11 AM - Visit to Plains, Georgia. Home town of former President Jimmy Carter.
Depart for home as you wishSchedule and events subject to change
Tarpon Springs Investigation Report
Over 40 of us visited the Zone Lounge in Tarpon Springs for a very thoughtful discussion on paranormal communication last night. Bruce Moen helped members reach to their inner selves when seeking spiritual contact. For a four hour event the time seemed to fly by. We welcome your comments from the event below.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
St. AuGHOSTine will be held in October
We are putting together one of the most informative paranormal conferences in Florida history with speakers from California, New York, Colorado, Kentucky, and more !
We will have access to the famous St. Augustine Lighthouse for four seperate groups to investigate.
Get all the details at http://www.staughostine.com/
Get all the details at http://www.staughostine.com/
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