By Sam Homan
For centuries, people have claimed to have had encounters with visitors from the dead, mainly referred to as ghosts or spirits. Whether they’re real or just imaginary, it seems most people have a ghost story of their own to share. With Halloween on the horizon, the Collegiate Review has been researching local ghost lore including interviews with a local paranormal investigator and a student who shared his own experience. A couple of places in the area rumored to be haunted are The U.S. Hotel Tavern in Hollidaysburg, and the Mishler Theatre in downtown Altoona.
Local retired paranormal investigator Jon McClintock recently told the Collegiate Review about his experiences searching for ghosts. McClintock had begun his ghost-hunting career in the summer of 2001 and it lasted for more than a decade. His search for the paranormal has taken him to several states.
McClintock stated that, in his opinion, the best method of capturing evidence of ghosts is an electronic voice phenomenon, or an EVP. An EVP supposedly occurs when a spirit uses its energy to communicate through an electronic device because “they tend to pick up more sound wave frequencies than human ears,” McClintock said. Occasionally a voice from someone who isn’t in the room or who can’t be seen is heard. This is when an EVP is considered “good” evidence. Flying orbs, caught in photographs or videos, are also one of McClintock’s favorite pieces of potential evidence that he captures, although he admitted that sometimes the orbs are just bugs or dust that reflect the light from camera flashes or are close to the lens.
McClintock’s favorite spots are the U.S. Hotel as well as Gettysburg Battlefield, which is about a two-and-a-half hour drive from Altoona. The U.S Hotel Tavern was originally built in 1835 by John Dougherty, according to ushoteltavern.com. Today, it serves as a banquet hall, bar, and restaurant for the living and supposedly the dead too. McClintock said that in his opinion, the U.S Hotel is the “old faithful” of ghost activity when investigating in the area. He claimed to have captured orbs on camera, along with one of his fellow investigators becoming sick to the point of almost collapsing. His fellow investigator described seeing a woman who had been stabbed with a knife laying on the ground in one of the hallways of the hotel.
According to Mishlertheatre.org, the Mishler Theatre was opened in Feb. 15,1906, and built and paid for by Isaac Mishler. The website also states that Mishler was an actor and professional baseball player. The Mishler Theatre was investigated by the paranormal investigative team TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) or better known as “The Ghost Hunters,” who had a show on the Sci-Fi channel for 13 seasons. The investigation, however, was inconclusive. As for local investigator McClintock, his findings indicate otherwise. McClintock’s team visited the Mishler Theatre several times and claimed to catch a “shadow figure,” which is a dark mass, often in the shape of a human, on camera.
Penn State Altoona’s own Tyler Conigy of Hollidaysburg, had a paranormal experience about two years ago when he was working at “Dave’s Dream” restaurant in Hollidaysburg. Conigy claims he and another co-worker were working around 11 p.m. The two were cleaning dishes in the kitchen when “a large container flew off of the counter and crashed onto the floor,” Conigy said.He also said that the heavy container was in the center of the table and all of the windows were shut, eliminating the possibility of wind. Conigy also said that, as a plus, he and his co-worker both claim to have seen it happen. Conigy, when asked what his reaction was, said, “I just thought what the [heck].”
Between local lore, McClintock’s findings, and many accounts like the one Conigy had, it’s evident that this area has some intriguing experiences and evidence to raise suspicions about people coming back from the dead to visit.
So be sure to check under your bed, in your closet, and think twice before you go to sleep tonight because it could be you who’s visited next.
Happy Halloween!