The Ghosts of Sprucevale

Located in a portion of Beaver Creek State park is a ghost town called Sprucevale. Sprucevale was a small trading town that sprung up during the construction of the Sandy and Beaver Canal. After some serious flooding of the canal and its eventual closing, the town basically dried up and ceased to exist. Although there is still some physical remnants of the town (and canal), there are other non-worldly things that still existing in this area.



I had the privilege on several occasions to speak with Kim Mitchell of Ghosting 12 Paranormal who has conducted several paranormal investigations in this area, as well as, many ghost walks in the past. I asked her if she could answer some questions about the Ghosts of Sprucevale. The following is the transcript from my interview.

Ester Hale

Question:
Kim, there have been many stories about this area, one of which has been the story of Ester Hale. As the legend goes, she was awaiting her love to come back to marry her and he never returned. A lot of people visit this area on August 12 the anniversary of her wedding day and when she is seen the most. Why do you think this story is so popular?

Answer:
She has been seen by many people for decades. Some see her as an old woman, while others as a white misty form that is seen along the road. Often when she is sighted, their car breaks down. I also think is it because some many different people had the same kind of experience in that area over so many years, which gives it more credibility.

Jake the Night Watchman

Question:

Another legend is Jake the night watchman. Can you tell me more about Jake?

Answer:
Jake is actually a very happy spirit that calls Sprucevale home. He is engaging and often joins in on EVP sessions by giving his name along with everyone else. He was dedicated to the end of his life, and while he may still be protecting the canals in his town, he also loves interacting with people who come to visit.

Lucy Cobb

Question:

There is a story I heard you mention in the past about a resident of Sprucevalle called Lucy Cobb. If memory serves correctly, she was known for her cooking? Can you tell me again about the special meal she cooked up one day?

Answer:
Lucy was indeed the best cook in town and no one refused a dinner invitation from her. She fell in love with a man who worked at the old barn that everyone called Tommy. While she was not very attractive, she vowed to win his heart with her amazing cooking instead. She brought him cookies, cakes and other goodies every day. One day as she approached the barn she saw him talking to a young lady. When she reached his side and started to hand over her basket of homemade treats, he happily tells her the young lady is Sarah and that they were engaged to be married. Lucy quietly invites them to her home that night for dinner and they were never seen again. Earlier that day, someone mentioned that they saw her picking mushrooms and they warned her that what she was getting was poisonous. Many believe she fed them poison mushroom soup.

Gretchen Gill

Question:

I know there are many different stories about this area; from little David to the shadow figures being seen. In fact not too far from this location there have been big foot sightings and even the capture and death site of Pretty Boy Floyd. But there is one more legend I would like to ask you about. That is of little Gretchen Gill. From what I have heard is that little Gretchen’s father was Edward Gill, the chief engineer of the Sandy and Beaver Canal, and she had passed away at some point during the building. What is some evidence you have collected about little Gretchen?

Answer:
Losing his wife in the trip from Ireland to the United States while at sea, Edward treasured his daughter. By the time they reached Sprucevale, he was working on Lock 41 and his then 12 year old daughter stayed in Sprucevale while he worked at the lock.
One of the biggest problems while building the lock system was Malaria caused by mosquito bites. Young Gretchen was a victim of this ailment and it killed her.
It is said that Edward had Gretchen's body entombed in the lock until he could finish the lock system, so he could return her to their home country of Ireland. We have captured several EVPs at this location where she has said her name to us several times.

As mentioned in the interview above, there are many stories and legends associated with this area. If you are a paranormal investigator or even like to hear some historical stories that have a paranormal twist, I highly recommend taking one of Ghosting 12 Paranormal's tours or even visiting this location for a paranormal investigation of your own.