The show’s three ghost enthusiasts visited Bonito Lake in Lincoln County, New Mexico. However, their version of Bonito City’s past was very different from actual history, and they may have missed the real ghosts of Lincoln County.

The TV Version

Bonito City was a thriving town until the night Martin Nelson shot and killed seven innocent people at the Mayberry Hotel for no apparent reason. After that tragedy, people began to move away.  It’s as if Martin Nelson killed the town, not just some of its citizens.

Some years later, a dam was built that flooded the ghost town — and all of its buildings — to create Bonito Lake.  Soon, people reported ghosts at the lake, including the dangerous spirit of Martin Nelson.  Today, people avoid the site and whatever haunts beneath its waters.

The Truth

Bonito City was one of many western towns that sprung up briefly when people were looking for gold.

Martin Nelson came to Bonito City to strike it rich as a miner, but soon realized that there wasn’t much gold.  He could do better with petty crime… and so he did.

One night, Martin Nelson was interrupted while robbing the hotel room of Dr. William H. Flynn who had recently arrived from Boston.

After a loud fight over the watch that Nelson planned to steal, Nelson shot everyone who stood between him and a quick escape… including the doctor, five members of the family that owned the hotel, and two neighbors.

Then, Nelson was shot and killed by Charlie Barry, the local Justice of the Peace.

In the years that followed, people gradually moved away from the town.  Mining near Bonito City required hard work for few results.  A few people stayed to farm, but most figured they could do better elsewhere.

By the early 20th century, Bonito City was a ghost town and conveniently located near the Rio Bonito… an ideal water source for the Southern Pacific Railroad.

After negotiating with the remaining landowners, the railroad began building a dam to store water in the newly-created Bonito Lake.

However, since they needed clean water, every building, sidewalk and fence in Bonito was torn down and removed before the city was flooded.  The graves were also moved to nearby Angus, New Mexico.

Today, Bonito Lake is a favorite vacation spot for campers, mountain bikers, fishermen, and rock hounds.

HERE’S THE COMPLETE STORY…

Bonito City and Gold Fever

When gold was discovered in California, many people dreamed of becoming rich overnight.  All an area had to do was hint that their rivers, streams or hills contained gold, and mining towns would spring up overnight.

At right: This is a typical newspaper article from 1883, suggesting easy money for anyone willing to join the gold rush.

Bonito City — not far from Santa Fe, New Mexico — was a cluster of tents in 1882 when “gold fever” brought aspiring miners from states such as Texas and Virginia.  For a very short time, Lincoln County was the most populated place in New Mexico.

At its peak — around the mid-1880s — Bonito City seems to have included a schoolhouse, three general stores, a saloon, a post office, a boarding house or hotel, one blacksmith and one lawyer.

(Most people agree that there was no church in Bonito City.  The local minister, Rev. John Henry Skinner, was also a farmer and later a grain store merchant.  He and his wife built a church… but not in Bonito City.)

Martin Nelson, Amateur Thief

The “ghost story” of Bonito City had its roots in 1885.  In a nutshell, it was a robbery that went sour.

Martin Nelson was like many young men who dreamed about getting rich overnight.  He claimed to be a miner, but no one recalls him actually working.

Some said that he’d been in Bonito City for four years.  Others claimed he’d drifted into town the night of the murders.  The truth is probably somewhere in between, and Nelson seems to have boarded with a couple of families including the Mayberrys.

Soon after Martin Nelson came to town, robberies were reported.  No one was sure who was responsible, and the thefts were generally small.

However, at about 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning, May 5th, 1885, the thief — Martin Nelson — made a fatal error.  He decided to steal a watch belonging to Dr. R. E. Flynn, who’d recently arrived from Boston and was staying with the Mayberrys.

Dr. Flynn woke up and raised the alarm, bringing the Mayberry family to his room.  Panicking, Nelson shot and killed the doctor, and then began shooting the Mayberry family.

John Mayberry, Sr. and his two sons, John Jr. and Eddie (alternately referred to as Robert), died instantly.

At first, Mrs. Mayberry was only wounded. She and her daughter, Nellie (about 14 years old), ran down the stairs of the boarding house, attempting to escape.  Nelson shot Mrs. Mayberry a second time, killing her, and the bullet also struck Nellie.

Nellie pleaded for her life, and Nelson agreed not to shoot her, as long as she promised to attend his hanging.  She promised, and he let her live.

(In another version of the story, Martin Nelson was secretly engaged to Nellie, and he was stealing the doctor’s watch so the young couple could afford to elope.)

Meanwhile, saloon owner Pete Nelson (no relation to Martin) heard the shots as he was cleaning up for the night.  As he entered Mayberry House, Martin Nelson killed him, too.

By then, a large number of people had gathered outside Mayberry House.  Nelson was trapped, and remained there until about 7 a.m. when he tried to escape out the back door of the building.

Unfortunately, grocer Herman Beck (reported as Herman Breck in some stories) was waiting for him.  Beck was killed instantly by a single shot from Martin Nelson’s rifle.

Martin Nelson got as far as the street when Charlie Berry, a Justice of the Peace, shot and killed the thief.

(Other versions of the story include a posse chasing Nelson to Littleton Canyon, where he was shot.  That seems more credible.  In 1933, the bodies were dug up and moved to another cemetery when the city was flooded.  Those who saw the remains of Martin Nelson said that his green felt hat was still preserved, and it had several bullet holes in it.)

Martin Nelson’s victims were buried in the town’s cemetery, atop a hill.  Nelson was buried outside the cemetery, in a flat area near where Bonito Lake is, today.

Nelson’s body was thrown into a rough pine box, face down, and buried with his body pointing to the west.  Some said that this was so he’d never rest.  Others said that it prevented him from haunting the town.

(The idea that he’d never rest is more likely.  In that era, bodies were usually buried facing up, and pointing toward the east so they could rise and join Christ at the Second Coming.)

Bonito City’s Decline

Bonito City’s population boom lasted less than about 20 years.  Some miners turned to farming or other work.  The majority rushed to find “easy money” in California and elsewhere.

By 1900, Bonito’s ore — what little there was — had played out.  The entire population of Lincoln County was just 1,065, and most of them were farmers and merchants building communities in towns like Carrizoza and Runnels.  Others worked for the railroad, which brought new people to New Mexico every day.

Bonito’s location was beautiful, but isolated.  Some records suggest that just two people lived in Bonito City (sometimes called Bonita City, or just Bonito) by 1910.  The town’s post office formally closed in 1911, and by 1920, Bonito City was just a store and seven or eight houses.

In the late 1920s, the Southern Pacific Railroad sought permission to dam Bonito Creek to create a reservoir.

Bonito City was the ideal location for the new lake.  Once the railroad negotiated ownership of the land, it hired workers to remove everything that remained of Bonito City.

One Final Journey for Martin Nelson

By 1933, the lake had filled and the water level was approaching the graves of Nelson and his victims.

Members of the Pfingsten family — long-time residents of Bonito City — helped to dig up the bodies for reinterment.

Dr. Flynn’s casket was moved to Texas, where his family lived.  The rest of Nelson’s victims were given new caskets and placed in a common grave in Angus, New Mexico, not far from Bonito Lake.

Martin Nelson was also reburied, east of the Angus Cemetery.  His body is in a grave at a hill, about 50 feet above the road.  The plot is overgrown, but it’s marked with a concrete tombstone.

…

By the 1950s, steam engines were dinosaurs in the railroad world.  Bonito Lake was sold and it is now a popular recreational site described in one travel guide as “a fisherman’s paradise.”

If You Go There

Bonito Lake covers about 60 acres at an elevation of 7300 feet.  According to the book, Fly Fishing in Southern New Mexico, it’s “one of the most heavily stocked lakes in the state,” and has “very high use by bait fishermen.”

The Rockhounds Guide to New Mexico recommends panning for gold along the nearby Rio Bonito.  You probably won’t find any gold nuggets, but most New Mexico rivers contain at least some gold dust, and the Bonito is one of the best for that.

If you’re interested in mountain biking, you’ll like Forest Road 107 near Bonito Lake.

Camping is available at the lake from April 1st through November 30th.  For more information, or to make reservations, call 575.336.4157.

The lake is open for fishing — but only from the shore — from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.  You can expect to catch rainbow and brook trout, as well as carp.

Remember that swimming, wading, and boating are not allowed in or on the lake.

For additional information about Bonito Lake and vicinity, check your library for books such as 100 Hikes in New Mexico, Frommer’s New Mexico, and New Mexico’s Wilderness Areas.

Tips for Ghost Hunting

Bonito Lake is about 12 miles northwest of Ruidoso.  Take NM highway 48 north to Angus, and turn left on NM 37.  After a mile, turn left again onto Forest Road (FR) 107 (County Rd. C-9). The lake is ahead about three miles.

You can camp at or near the lake; as of late 2009, campsite fees are $14/night, but there are no electrical hookups at campsites.  [Link] If you prefer a motel, you’ll find several around Ruidoso and Capitan.

If you watched the Extreme Paranormal episode at Bonito Lake, keep these points in mind:

• Despite what you saw on TV, swimming, boating and wading are not permitted at Bonito Lake.  The water is a source of drinking water for nearby communities.
• Never go diving alone in unfamiliar waters.  (Though it looked like the investigator was alone, at least one underwater cameraman was probably filming him.)  It’s particularly stupid to dive in unfamiliar waters, alone and after dark.
• If you feel as if something might be pulling you underwater, it’s probably a plant, an old fishing line or other debris.  Get out of the water.  Don’t risk getting further entangled in it.  (And always carry a knife to cut yourself loose, if necessary.)
• If you’re on the water and you see lightning, get to shore immediately.
• The floating “circle” of candles looked like a Christmas display in Florida (without Mickey), but it had nothing to do with genuine ghost research.
• Provoking the ghost of a murderer is not a good idea, especially in an isolated location.

The Real Ghosts of Lincoln County

If I was in Lincoln County, New Mexico, these are the potential haunts that I’d research.

• The Bonito City area (not the lake) – Some or all of the town’s land belonged to the Mescalero Indian Reservation.  A former resident, Mrs. Pinkie Bourne Skinner, talked about Indians peering into her house.  I’d check to see if there had been a Native settlement somewhere near the lake; stolen lands are often very good for paranormal research.

• The Lincoln County War – I’d check several sites of drama and tragedy, including: the Torreon (shown at right), Blazer’s Mill (including two cemeteries off Rte. 70) where Billy the Kid was among those involved in the shootout, and the site of the Fritz Ranch, which has additional reasons to be haunted.
• Angus Cemetery – Communal graves, such as where Martin Nelson’s victims are buried, are often active.  In addition, there’s an extra name on the group headstone: R. F. Oswald.  (I’m fairly certain that’s the son of Leo & Alice J. Bragg Oswald, a child who died many years later in Bonita City.  His grave was probably moved when the others’ were, but it’s still odd that he’s in the same plot.)  And, of course, if I could find Martin Nelson’s grave, I’d check it for EMF, EVP, and so on.(I’m still amazed that the show didn’t include those locations.)
• Fort Stanton – This is the Lincoln County site that really interests me.  Besides being the first World War II internment camp, the fort — now open to the public — was the site of two lynchings:  In the spring of 1883,  13 men lynched a fellow soldier (an  alleged gunman).  However, according to the newspaper report (at right) just one soldier confessed and stood trial; his 12 accomplices deserted. The lynching of William S. Pearl wasn’t the first at Fort Stanton; on 10 July 1876, outlaw Jose Segura was also lynched at or near the fort.  When history seems to repeat itself, that can indicate residual energy.  It’s worth investigating.

It’s always fun to check locations with rumored ghosts.  The Martin Nelson story — while not especially unusual — is chilling. In addition, the lake setting presented something unusual for TV.

However, the victims’ graves — and the murderer’s — are just five miles away. Billy the Kid’s two graves (yes, two of them) are just a daytrip from Bonito Lake.  And, since there are numerous other sites of violence and tragedy nearby, there seem to be far richer haunts than one town’s off-limits water supply.

Well… unless you’re filming a really campy, over-the-top TV show, that is.

References (in addition to the links in this article)

• Unbelievable – Extreme Paranormal and Bonita City
• Pioneer Story: Mrs. Pinkie Bourne Skinner
• Angus Cemetery, Lincoln County, NM
• Bonito City – New Mexico Ghost Town
• Killings Began Town’s Slide, by David Bowser / Livestock Weekly
• Mayberry Murder Mystery of Bonita City (Ancestry.com)
• Lincoln County Folktales
• Myth of the Hanging Tree, by Robert J. Torrez
• The Sacramento Daily Record-Union, 10 Oct 1883
• The Sun, New York, 7 May 1885
• The Salt Lake Daily Herald, 7 May 1885
• The Sacramento Daily Record-Union, 14 May 1885 (clipping shown below)
• Photos include pictures by Lauren Burbank , Keely Dugger, and Loretta Humble.

In recent months, many people have asked us about The Myrtles Plantation.

In early 2007, Fiona recorded a five-part series about her investigation there.

Is it haunted?  Yes. The Myrtles Plantation is one of America’s most haunted locations, and well worth visiting.

Listen here to Fiona’s description of her investigation.

The Myrtles – Parking lot (part of an informational podcast)

The Myrtles – Part 2 (daytime investigation)

The Myrtles – Part 3 (review of parking lot encounter, plus early evening experiences)

The Myrtles – Part 4 (male spirit, ghostly piano music, problem on the stairs)

The Myrtles – Part 5 (summary, and the thorough first-floor investigation)

*Note: As of mid-2008, we no longer maintain the phone comment line.  However, we welcome your comments on the form, below.

She talks about the kinds of evidence you might see, and what to listen for.  Fiona also shares an easy way to make your hands more sensitive to “cold spots” and exactly how to find them.

In addition, Fiona shares tips for using dowsing rods, and whether or not you should investigate “lights out” at indoor locations.

Related links:
Hollow Hill, the ghost hunting website: HollowHill.com
Fiona’s newest Tenney Gate House audio
Fiona’s free Introduction to Ghost Hunting course, online
Low-tech ghost hunting (2007 podcast)

• Some people thought that I’d organized the event.  I didn’t.  The event was managed by the Essex County Ghost Project, and supported by the Pelham Paranormal Researchers.  I was merely one of the speakers, and — like everyone involved — I appeared at the fundraiser, free of charge.

I’m delighted that the event raised so much money for the Methuen Historical Society, to help as they continue to restore and maintain Tenney Gate House and nearby Grey Court Castle ruins.

I was also pleased that so many people had a wonderful, eerie time investigating the house and surrounding property.  It was great to see old friends, and meet many new ones.

Here are some answers to other questions about the event:

Starting time: When I was invited to the fundraiser, I was told that the event started at 6 p.m.  Several media announcements also said that.  Later, I was told that it started at 7 p.m., and changed the time in my announcement at this website.

Since a large crowd had gathered by 6:15, that’s when I began talking about ghost hunting at Tenney Gate House.  It was intended as an informal introduction, but — as usual — I guess my enthusiasm turned it into a mini-class.

In addition, at about 5:30, one of the event organizers was called away for a family emergency.  Though he was able to return to Tenney by 7 p.m., we were “filling in” for him as best we could.

Ordinarily, he’d have opened the event and assigned teams, etc.

Due to the late start, I stayed for an extra hour and a half, so the event concluded at 1:30 a.m. instead of midnight.

Sound quality: Since this turned into a standing-room-only event, some people weren’t able to hear everything that I said at the beginning of the evening.  Unfortunately, we didn’t have an easy solution for this problem. (I tend to speak softly, especially when I’ll be leading teams for 6+ hours and need to conserve my voice.)

To make up for that, I’ve summarized what I said during the evening, in two recordings.  You can listen to them here (as MP3s). One is a brief talk about the Tenney site, its history & ghosts. The other is a 16-minute podcast about ghost hunting without hi-tech tools.

MP3 recording: Tenney Gate House – history & ghosts

MP3 recording: Ghost hunting without high-tech equipment (That’s my regular podcast for 6 Nov 09.)

I also recommend the following articles, which contain similar information about Tenney’s history & ghosts:

Investigation – History of Tenney Gate House

Investigation – Tenney Gatehouse ghosts

Investigation – Ghosts at Greycourt Castle ruins

Tenney ghosts – Gorrill brothers

To learn more about ghost hunting techniques, you may enjoy my free course, Introduction to Ghost Hunting.

To return to Tenney Gate House for your own investigation — formal or informal — or to participate in another ghost-related event at the site, see the website of the Methuen Historical Society.

Q. Is ghost hunting related to some religion or faith?

A. No. Some groups are formed by members of one faith, church, temple, coven/circle or grove. However, ghost hunting — in general — isn’t related to any specific set of spiritual beliefs.Also, remember that TV shows & movies — and the public ghost tours and events that emulate them — are not the best resource for questions about spirituality.  Simply: Don’t look for spiritual answers in the entertainment field.

Q. Is there really a “witching hour”?

Q. I was at a ghost tour (or a ghost hunt, or saw a movie about a haunting, or a TV show, or a website that claims that ghosts travel through Internet and phone connections).  Now, I think a ghost is in my home (or business, or car).  Is that possible?

Music: Zombie, by Devin Anderson

Listen to this podcast right now, on your computer

At a fundraiser on Saturday, October 10th, 2009, I was among the investigators invited to Tenney Gatehouse by the Essex County Ghost Project and Pelham Paranormal Research.

The 2009 event sold out almost immediately, and raised over $600 for the Methuen Historical Society to restore and maintain Tenney Gatehouse. Thank you to all who participated in this event!

Note: Some people thought that I was the host of the Tenney Gatehouse event… but I wasn’t. The entire event was planned by Tom Spitalere of the Essex County Ghost Project and Deb O’Leary of Pelham Paranormal Research. They deserve all the credit for how the event was organized, and its success. I was merely one of the invited speakers.

Many investigation teams have visited Tenney Gatehouse and documented its ghosts.  This was my second investigation at the house, and my results were similar to my previous visit.  [My earlier article - Report: Tenney Gate House]

Basement

The basement is an odd location.  I don’t sense a lot of history there, though other investigators have reported significant energy.

Mostly, the atmosphere seems to get heavier (or denser) the longer you stay there, as if something is crowding you out. If you’re prone to headaches, especially migraines, stay away from the basement.

Some very hostile energy lingers in one corner of the room where the furnace is.  That’s odd, since I’m fairly sure it’s a recently excavated area. [See the Methuen Historical Society's page that describes the basement work.]

I also sensed a distraught young woman in a maroon dress.  She’s from the second half of the 19th century.  She has very high, elaborate braids and curls, characteristic of the 1860s and later.  (It reminds me of a Swedish woven loaf of bread, but upright.)

Her skirt is fairly narrow, also suggesting a time from the late 19th century.  She’s pacing and very unhappy, but also seems to enjoy the drama of it, as well as the attention she gets.

There’s also the energy of a little boy, but my “gut feeling” is: this is phantom energy.  I’m not sure that there was actually a tragedy at the staircase where he seems to linger, and I wonder if he’s the created energy of several imaginative researchers.

Whether he’s a real ghost or not, the energy remains there.

Between the amount of running electrical equipment, fuse boxes, and pipes, the basement is unreliable for EMF studies.

Ground floor

In the parlor, the doll and the sofa she was on have been replaced by a lovely organ from Greycourt Castle.  The wooden organ belonged to the Tenneys and not only survived its years when the mansion was a drug rehab center, but it’s also one of the few items to survive the fire as well.

We found a “cold spot” on top of the organ, and a couple of variable cold spots on either side of it.

Because of the organ’s surprising energy, it’s an item to research in more detail, especially in light of the Searles family’s connection with organ making.

Several items in the museum area seem to hold residual energy, in addition to fascinating history.  In light of the history I’ve learned since this investigation, many of the museum’s objects are worth closer study.

In the far room in the museum area, several people saw dramatic dowsing rod activity in one corner.  We also saw baffling EMF meter readings.

At one point, it was as if the EMF meters were dueling; one would beep and flash three times, and then the other would, and so on.

I took a picture while this was going on, and there’s a very faint orb over the EMF meter on the right. As you can see from the light, that EMF meter was signaling when I took the photo.

(I wish I’d taken more photos, to see if the orb bounced back and forth between the meters as they beeped.)

Immediately beneath that floor, a large electrical box emits high levels of EMF.  Though that would explain continuous, high EMF levels, it doesn’t explain the intermittent surges.  (In fact, at one point the EMF meter closest to the floor showed no unusual readings, while another meter — about four feet above it — was surging off the scale.)

Several people felt very strong energy in that area as well, and some thought they were being gently pushed or otherwise in physical contact with a ghost, perhaps a ghostly dog.

However, when researching in areas of high EMF, normal disorientation is possible.  So, we looked in other, low-EMF areas for additional and supporting information about the house’s ghosts.

In another room, a 19th-century dresser holds the residual energy of a grandmother who often laced her corset too tightly, and collected small figurines.  I also detected the energy of two priests around that dresser, but not the priests (or monks) who lived at Tenney Gatehouse.

Upper floor

The upper floor continues to be my favorite.  In one room, both mirrors — but one in particular — seems to have anomalous energy.  It’s worth far more study than I’ve had time for.

That’s the same room where we previously used a K-II meter to communicate with a spirit that wanted the lights turned out.

I did not investigate the room next to it, where refreshments were served to event attendees.

The largest room on that floor had seating for about 30 people, and it was used for “Shack Hack” sessions presented by Chris G., another invited psychic and paranormal researcher.  The Shack Hack indicated several spirits in the room, including two or three men and perhaps one young woman and a little boy.

Turret

The turret room may be the most famous haunted area in Tenney Gatehouse, and it’s also the part of the house that will be restored with the help of the funds raised at this event.

According to legend, but no historical evidence that I know of, a monk hung himself in that room.  The stories say that he continues to haunt that room.

Whether that’s a true tale or not, the energy in the turret area is powerful and almost disorienting.  I look forward to researching it further when it’s more fully restored and I can rule out normal EMF (from electrical wiring) as a factor.

Summary

Tenney Gatehouse (or Gate House) is a light, easy haunting for first-time investigators.

However, due to the large amount of traffic through the house, nothing truly scary is likely to happen during a casual investigation or event.

This site is ideal for in-depth investigations by small teams who’ll focus on specific areas and objects that may reveal far more than they do during a brief walk-through.

Next, see my notes and photos: Investigation – Ghosts at Greycourt Castle ruins

You may also enjoy my very detailed report, Investigation – History of Tenney Gatehouse, and my recording, Ghost Hunting without High-Tech Equipment (MP3).

Greycourt Castle

The castle-style mansion was built in the 1880s and used as a summer home by the Tenney family.

In the 1950s, it was sold and used as a drug rehabilitation facility in the mid-20th century, and largely destroyed by fires from 1974 through 1978.  The 1978 fire was the result of arson.

As I explain in my book, Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries, we’re always looking for any of four characteristics of most hauntings:

• Money
• Power
• Drama
• Tragedy (sudden or extended)

If I see more than one of these elements, it’s a red flag that suggests the site is worth investigating.

In my earlier article, Investigation – History of Tenney Gatehouse, I described Greycourt Castle’s intriguing and tragic past.

From the land’s connections to a Colonial blockhouse, to the fire that destroyed Greycourt in the 1970s, the site’s history contains all four elements — money, power, drama and tragedy — that make it a prime location for paranormal investigations.

My “gut feeling” is that we’ve barely scratched the surface on the energy and ghosts around the Greycourt Castle ruins.

I’m also certain that the park-like areas of the Tenney grounds hold additional reasons for ghostly activity.

The nearby Searles site is certainly worth investigating, as well.

My October 2009 investigation

I did not spend time at the area where the monks’ graves were rumored to have been. (The graves were moved when the site stopped being used by the order.)

Earlier in the evening, I’d heard that some people had formed a circle to summon the energy or spirits from any remaining graves and… Unless you really know what you’re doing, that can open doors best left closed, and create unhealthy dynamics with the spirits.

So, I didn’t pause there.

Walking up the path from the gatehouse to Greycourt, I immediately took a photo where I feel intense energy from… well, I think it’s the Gorrill brothers.

(For their story, see my article, Tenney ghosts – Gorrill brothers.)

Though my photo shows only a vivid orb (sorry, no landmarks with it), that confirms it as a location for additional on-site research.

The orb may be something entirely normal… but it might not.  Either way, I’m interested in this part of the Tenney property.

As I continued to Greycourt Castle, I felt the familiar sense of entering an area with very different energy, as if it’s a portal to another time.

The castle feels like something incomplete… in our world.  However, I often feel that the stairs leading down from it actually show more than just a great view of Methuen (albeit blocked by trees).  I feel that it may offer something else, if you have patience, suspend disbelief, and use all of your senses to perceive what’s really there.

This is the second time I’ve smelled the vanilla-like aroma of tobacco around the stairway, too.  (I describe it as a little like Swisher Sweet cigars.  Others have made reference to pipe tobacco.)

During this October 2009 investigation, several other people have commented on that aroma as well, not knowing that I was already aware of it.

My photos from nearby showed some great lights, blurred as the camera moved, but nothing paranormal.

However, one of my next pictures caught an odd, colorful mist.  Someone else commented on her mist photo, around the same time.  We both tried to replicate the mist by breathing near the cameras lenses as we took additional photos, but couldn’t duplicate the effect.

Though this still may be mist (it’s not cigarette smoke), it’s more likely an anomaly.

In the photo at right, that’s a tree on the right, surrounded by the mist.  At the lower left, you can see the promontory where the stairs lead, and where I feel that the energy is different from “normal.”

Though city lights interfere with night photos, and there’s nothing obvious there to see… I still feel that’s a location for in-depth investigation.  But, because that could be something frightening, I’d only recommend it for very experienced ghost hunters.

(By “frightening,” I don’t mean that it’s necessarily dangerous. I think that it might be something very different from what we usually encounter at haunted sites like this.  Perhaps “startling” might be a better word, but when something radically different happens at haunted places, beginners can interpret it as scary, frightening or dangerous.)

Next, I walked along the corridor.  None of my photos showed anything unusual.  However, I kept noticing moving shadows on the columns as I stood and took pictures.  The shadows were very crisp and well defined.  It was as if someone was immediately behind me.

Every time I turned to look — at least four or five times — no one was there.  Since there were only about four of us at that part of the ruins at the time, I don’t have any explanation for it.

I wasn’t afraid of the shadows, and I don’t think they indicate anything malicious… just odd.

Nearby, the area around the fountain seems very active, but with happier energy.  Generally, I connect this with the “flower child” energy that may have resonated with earlier, Spiritualist activities at the site.

Or, it may relate to the ritual energy in a nearby wooded area.

Though the woods feel somber and even creepy to me, the energy around the fountain seems joyous.  I wasn’t at all surprised to see an orb in the photo at right.  In fact, I was amazed that I didn’t have more anomalies in the pictures I took there.

On the walk back from the ruins, I was — as usual — intrigued by the Searles’ property and stone buildings.  That location also contains very powerful, paranormal energy.  That’s the only way I can describe it; it doesn’t feel like anything that’s from this world.

However, my “gut feeling” is that it’s not just the ghost of Mr. Searles.  I’d fully expect cryptozoology reports there, because — in addition to something vaguely ghostly — there’s… well, something else.

Nearby, a second photo included some lines that I’m still studying.  The wavy lines aren’t uniform (though they look it in this small version of the picture) so this isn’t one insect (the top, white shape) and a series of lens flares or repetitions.

Also, everything else — full depth of field — is in focus.  If the camera moved enough to create those lines, other objects should be blurry.

So, this may be something, but it might not.  I’m not going to read anything into it, but share it with readers for your input.

I’m about 90% certain that this is an insect or a falling leaf, plus repeated reflected/refracted images, but 90% certainty isn’t 100%.

Of course, it helps that the area by that stone wall feels unsettling.  It’s the kind of site where we often see apparitions.

Yes, this is probably a perfectly normal photo, and the earlier orb picture may be an insect as well.  I’m displaying them because they’re interesting, not necessarily paranormal.

However, I recommend spend time at this part of the property when you’re at Tenney Gatehouse and Greycourt Castle ruins.

Summary

For a first-time or casual ghost hunter, Tenney Gatehouse is the ideal place for an investigation.

For an experienced investigator, I think the rest of the Tenney property offers more intriguing energy and anomalies that haven’t been reported yet.

Tenney Gatehouse is maintained by the Methuen Historical Society, 37 Pleasant Street, Methuen, MA.  The gatehouse and grounds are open to the public.  Please check the Methuen Historical Society’s website for hours and additional information.

Related report: Investigation – Tenney Gatehouse ghosts (October 2009)

I compiled the following history from a variety of sources.  I’ve done my best to be accurate, but I only briefly surveyed the history.  There may be errors in this report.

The Methuen Historical Society is a far better resource for your research, and their information will be more accurate than mine.

In this summary, I’ve included story elements and additional notes that could relate to the hauntings at Tenney Gatehouse and Greycourt Castle.

(Note to ghost hunters: This is the kind of research that adds depth to any investigation. It reveals the most likely “hot spots” for on-site research, and can support existing ghost stories.)

History of Tenney Gatehouse and Greycourt Castle

The bedrock beneath Methuen includes Merrimac quartzite.   That could be important.  Sites built on quartz tend to report far more hauntings than those that aren’t.

The land around Tenney Gatehouse was originally part of the Pawtucket Plantation. Its boundaries were established in 1640, and the land transferred by Indian deed in 1642.

The Pawtuckets were also called Penacooks and Pentuckets.  50 – 85% of the Methuen Pawtuckets died during the 1617 – 1619 epidemics, and the Indian wars that followed.

Though no known Indian battles were fought in Methuen, events related to the  “Battle of Bloody Brook” in September 1615 (not the 1675 event) may have involved local members of the Agawam nation, fighting off the Tarrantine raiders.

Methuen was first settled in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

The town was named for Paul Methuen, 1st Baron Methuen (21 June 1779 – 14 September 1849) of Corsham Court, Wiltshire, England.   Methuen was a Privy Court friend of Massachusetts’ Royal Governor William Dummer.

The first buildings

A blockhouse was the first reported use of the property later owned by the Tenney family. A blockhouse was a heavy, plank-style house where settlers could gather for protection from fierce weather, roving bands of wild animals, or reported Indian attacks.  The building wasn’t quite as formal as a stockade, but served a similar purpose.

Around 1726, Methuen’s community meetinghouse and parsonage were established near where the Tenney Gatehouse and Greycourt Castle ruins are today.  The site was called Meetinghouse (or Meeting House) Hill.*  The meetinghouse was about 40 feet by 30 feet, with 20-foot posts.

Soon, a burial ground (1728 – 1786) — where all the gravestones point west — and a schoolhouse completed the development.  Much of that land — later part of the Tenney property — was the original center of the village.

There’s reference to a devastating meetinghouse fire in 1796, and a second meetinghouse being dedicated for public service.  That story is worth researching, to see if it parallels the later fires at Greycourt Castle.

The hill was also nicknamed Daddy Frye’s Hill. That name referred to  Frye Tavern owned by Jeremiah and Elizabeth Hall Frye and their six children.  (The Frye family had been in the Methuen area since the mid-1600s, after emigrating from Basingstoke, Hampshire, England.)

Interestingly, a 1916 book, A Handbook of New England, mentions Frye’s Tavern and the Searles estate, with no reference to Tenney Gatehouse or Greycourt Castle.

Frye’s Tavern was probably at the northwest corner of East and Brook Streets.

Also, another Frye Tavern, “provender for man and beast,” was located in Lowell and owned by Ira Frye.

The origins of Tenney Gatehouse

Between August and November 1830, a stone house — later renovated and expanded as the Tenney Gatehouse — was built as a farmhouse by the Richard Whittier family, and it soon became a popular stagecoach stop.

In the 1840 census, Richard Whittier’s household was large, including 2 males ages 10 – 15, one between 20 and 30 years old, and one between 40 and 50.  Females included one between ages 5 and 10, two between 20 and 30, and one between 40 and 50.  (Richard has been noted as the brother of Ebenezer Whittier, part of an extensive family that is famous throughout the area.)

The Whittiers’ neighbors included Major Nathaniel Gorrell (or Gorrill) and his wife, Jane Armour Gorrell.  Two of their descendants, Mark S. Gorrill and Nathaniel W. Gorrill, became part of a later, ghost-related story. (See Tenney ghosts – Gorrill brothers.)

The Tenney Gatehouse purchase and development

In April 1882, Charles H. Tenney bought the Whittier’s house as a gatehouse and then added the adjoining acreage, then called Jones Hill.

Charles H. Tenney was the youngest son of Methuen grocer John Ferguson Tenney and his wife, Hannah Woodbury, who’d previously lived in Salem, New Hampshire.

Charles H. Tenney had started a manufacturing business in Methuen in 1869, and expanded it to a much larger hatmaking factory in 1872.  At its peak, the business employed about 150 people.

Starting in 1882, Charles H. Tenneys had the gatehouse remodeled and used it as a residence.

In 1883, Charles H. Tenney sold his interest in the Methuen hatmaking business to his brother and business partner, J. Milton Tenney.

(The hat business faltered, and — after selling the factory building to neighbor and friendly rival Edward F. Searles — the Tenney Hat Factory was torn down in 1906.  The site was used for the Selden Worsted Mill. Today, 225 Broadway has been restored as the Espaillat Mills building.  It’s probably worth investigating for ghosts.)

Also in 1883, Charles H. Tenney moved to New York and became a wholesale commission agent, representing most of the U.S. hatmaking business.  His new Methuen estate became the family’s summer home.

In 1884, a stock stable was added to the property, and an 1885 newspaper article describes a “tally-ho” drive to the front entrance.  That stable was remodeled in 1966 at 30 East Street.

In 1887, Tenney renamed his Methuen property Fair View Park, and in 1890, began building Greycourt (or Grey Court) Castle.  The project took three years, and no expense was spared in creating the spectacular estate home.

Later years

By around 1950, the Tenney family had stopped using Greycourt Castle as their home.  In 1951, the estate of Daniel G. Tenney donated 26 acres to Methuen for Tenney High School.  That school, at 75 Pleasant Street, is now Tenney Middle School.

The Tenney estate sold the remaining land, castle ruins and Tenney Gatehouse to the Basilican Salvatorian Order of the Melkite Rite.

For several years, monks lived in the gatehouse, and the Tenney’s former mansion was used as a drug rehabilitation center.  But, by the 1970s, the mansion needed repairs and it was further damaged by a series of fires starting around 1974.  A 1978 fire, set by an arsonist, left the castle in ruins.

In 1985, most of the Greycourt Castle ruins were removed as a safety hazard.  However, the foundation and some of the walls are still part of the site, which are open to the public.

The land owned by Charles H. Tenney, and several locations near it, offer a considerable (and sometimes confusing) history to suggest a wealth of reasons for hauntings.

Today, Tenney Gatehouse is the home of the Methuen Historical Society… and several ghosts.

Related investigations

Investigation – Tenney Gatehouse ghosts (October 2009)

Investigation – Ghosts at Greycourt Castle ruins (October 2009)

References

Ancestry.com

Early Methuen Histories

A Handbook of New England, by Porter Sargent

Historic Sites 225 Broadway – Brown

History of Lowell, by Charles Cowley (2nd revised edition, 1868)

Methuen 2007 Town Report

Methuen History Historical Photos (images not working)

Naming of Methuen

Tenney Family Association

Treasure of Tenney’s Grey Court Castle

Wikipedia: Paul Methuen, 1st Baron Methuen

*A second Meeting House Hill caused some confusion during my research.  It was located on Forest Street and had some similar buildings to the main Meeting House Hill.  Most notably, the Forest Street site had a cemetery that was vandalized and has since vanished.

In my opinion, this part of the site’s history has been badly overlooked.  The legends give ghost hunters some very good reasons to more thoroughly investigate the Greycourt Castle area.

Here’s the short version of the story:

Nathaniel and Mark Gorrill (also spelled Gorrell) were brothers.  In the mid-to-late 1800s, they lived in their parents’ home near the site where Greycourt Castle was later built.

According to local legend, the brothers fell in love with the same young woman.  She rejected both of them, but both blamed the snub on the other one.

The brothers never married, never left home… and never spoke to each other again.

Though they shared a home, they claimed not to be related to each other.  (In the census records, they reported “something other than direct relationship.”)  They also claimed exactly equal interest in the house and their farm income.

Additional stories suggest that, under the cover of darkness, the brothers used to sneak out of the house.  Each one buried his half of the money somewhere at the hill near their home.

Neither wanted the other one to have access to the money, even if one of them died first.

In the early 20th century, someone in Methuen had a dream about buried treasure at Greycourt Castle.  According to the story, he dug in the basement of the Castle and found the brothers’ treasure: $20,000 in bonds.

There are several problems with that story.  The biggest one is that Castle was probably built after the brothers had died.  (There’s no census record for them after 1880.)   Also, the Tenney family still maintained the house (no neighbor would have access to the basement) at the time of the story.

But, there is one report to support the tale of discovered bonds: In 1909, the estate of Mark S. Gorrill reported that his bonds were missing, and asked for replacements.

The story of missing treasure surfaced again in 2005, when some workmen claimed to have found money that matched the Gorrill legends.  However, their tale didn’t make sense.  Police charged the men with stealing antique money that was found on a nearby 200-acre farm, not at the Tenney site.

That said, if one or both of the Gorrill brothers really buried their money (in gold or silver coins) at the hill, it’s probably still there.   Most websites that specialize in buried (and missing) treasure continue to list the Gorrill brothers’ fortune as missing, and still buried in Methuen.

In addition, with a lifetime grudge like the brothers’, they’re probably haunting the treasure regularly, making sure the other brother doesn’t steal it.

My “gut feeling” is that the brothers haunt the Greycourt Castle area.

Here’s the full history:

Nathaniel (1784 – ) and Lavinia Smith Gorrell of Salem, New Hampshire had two sons.  One was Mark S. , born about 1816, and the other was Nathaniel W., born about 1821.

The family moved to Methuen, Massachusetts, in the mid-19th century.  Nathaniel Senior’s father — the late Major Nathaniel Gorrell (1734 – 1821) — had owned land there.

The Gorrell family — who later spelled it Gorrill — established their homestead “on Daddy Frye’s Hill near the Castle,” according to a 1937 book.

The “Castle” refers to Greycourt Castle, the Charles H. Tenney estate.

The Gorrill family was prosperous.  In the 1850 census, their property was worth $3600, considerably more than their neighbors’ land.  (That’s about $90,000 in 2009 dollars, though that parcel of land would sell for considerably more than that now.)

The sons, Mark (age 34) and Nathaniel (age 29), were both single in 1850.  Both lived at home with their parents.

In the 1860 census, the story takes an interesting turn.  Instead of being 44, Mark reported his age as 40.  Following his brother’s lead, Nathaniel claimed to be 36 instead of 39.  Both remained single.  Both still lived at home.

In the 1860 Methuen city directory, all three men in the family were listed with an East Street address.

By 1870, the brothers had recovered their maturity — or at least reported their ages correctly — and had acquired a housekeeper, Kate Robertson from Maine.  Perhaps she was the woman they fought over?

Alas, by 1880 they were on their own again, and left the “relationship to head of household” line conspicuously empty.

In 1900, their names weren’t in the census index.  According to the stories, they died within a couple of years of each other.

In 1909, the question of bonds resurfaced.  The estate of Mark S. Gorrill said that his bonds were missing.

Despite several later claims regarding the missing treasure, no one has firmly established what happened to both Nathaniel and Mark Gorrill’s fortunes.

References

Ancestry.com

Legendary Massachusetts Lost Treasure Stories and State History

Massachusetts: a guide to its places and people (1937)

Police call Methuen treasure story a tall tale (2005)

United States Statutes at Large Volume 35 Part 2.djvu/278 (1909)

Trivia: Charles H. Tenney is not the only Tenney associated with a tale of hidden treasure.  According to an 1888 story, John L. Tenney (b. 1855 in California) — then living in Catron County, New Mexico — was visited by a cattle driver named John Brewer.  Brewer was one of the few survivors of the “Lost Adams Diggings Curse,” and told his story to John Tenney.  (That legend was the basis of the Gregory Peck movie, “Mackenna’s Gold.”)  For more information on that buried treasure, see Wikipedia.

Look for Fiona Broome (the founder of HollowHill.com, and our lead investigator) at the following events.

Special note:  Through early 2010, Fiona is working on her writing projects, including her two upcoming regional books, The Ghosts of Salem, Massachusetts and The Ghosts of New Orleans’ French Quarter.

During this time, she’ll be making very few personal and media appearances.  (To schedule Fiona, scroll down to the Ideal Event Management logo.)

Scheduled events and appearances

2010

May 14 – 16 – G.H.O.S.T.S.

Paranormal Conference & Trade Show, Parkway Convention Centre, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

Recent events

2009

Labor Day weekend – Dragon*Con

Fiona and about 60,000 friends met at the year’s best sci-fi and fantasy convention.  Fiona’s workshops involve ghost stories, paranormal research, the science of sci-fi, art… and a little steampunk.

October 10 – Tenney Gate House, Methuen, MA

Fiona was among the guest speakers at the vividly haunted Tenney Gate House.  She participated in the investigation hosted by Tom Spitalere, the Essex County Ghost Project, and Pelham Paranormal Research.

We started the evening with the site’s history and brief talks by several guest speakers and psychics.  Then, we split into groups to explore the haunted nooks and crannies of this wonderful, historical home.

This was a fundraiser with 100% of ticket sales donated to restore one of the most haunted areas of Tenney Gate House.  [More information]

October 30th – Official Salem Witches’ Ball, Salem, MA

Fiona Broome will be among the celebrity guests at one of Salem’s best celebrations of the year!  You don’t need to be a witch to join the fun, with special guest, Fiona Horne, and entertainment by Dragon Ritual Drummers.  Dance to music presented by dj addambombb, and enjoy the event AOL® CityGuide rated as one of America’s top Halloween parties!

INVITE FIONA TO YOUR EVENT

Invite Hollow Hill’s lead investigator, Fiona Broome, to your event.  Contact Marc Tetlow at Ideal Event Management for details.