Ghost Stories of the Adirondacks

It’s that time of year: leaf piles, cider, trick-or-treating, and, of course, ghost stories! As it turns out, the Adirondacks are the backdrop for many supernatural tales.  Of all the haunted stories and places, one seemed to be the creepiest: Beardslee Castle.  Before the building was even erected in Little Falls, there was a history of death on the land.  During the French and Indian War, the ground served as a storage area for munitions and powder.  Native Americans snuck into this supply, and it is said that their torches ignited the powder and caused a deadly explosion.  Some believe that their spirits could still be lingering in the area.  

Beardslee Castle (Photo Credit: http://visitadirondacks.com/area-adk/top-5-haunted-places-the-adirondacks)

The building itself was constructed in 1860, and many horrors took place within its walls. The building caught fire twice (once in 1919 and again in 1989), and Pop Christensen, an owner of the castle, hung himself in the building.  The spirits, however, are not constrained to just the inside of the building.  In the 50s, reports emerged of a bright light on Route 5 chasing drivers down the road. This light caused several fatal accidents, and a survivor of one crash reported that “a light rushed out of the trees and blinded her husband.”  More recently, a couple driving past the castle hit a young woman who stepped out onto the road.  A car driving in the opposite direction verified that they had witnessed the accident.  When the two parties checked the area of the accident, there was no body and the car sustained no damage.

The presence of ghosts was verified in the 80s, when a ghost hunter determined through whisperings caught on a tape recorder that there were at least two spirits haunting the building.  One was Pop Christensen and the other is said to be “Abigail,” a bride who died the night before her wedding.  Ghost hunters today are still interested in the site, as the Castle was featured on the History Channel in an episode of “Haunted History.”  Did somebody say field trip!?

This is only one of many ghost stories that I found.  Check out these sites if you’re interested in learning more!
Top 5 Haunted Places in the Adirondacks
Lady in the Lake

Sources:
http://beardsleecastle.com/about/ghost-stories/