The earliest known depiction of a ghost dates back to a 3,500-year-old Babylonian tablet that has been among the holdings of the British Museum since the 19th century. Though it has never been publicly exhibited, and it’s small enough to fit in your hand, the clay stone contains detailed directions on how to get rid of ghosts. Myriad cultures around the world revel in describing ghosts, ranging from the Navajo’s “Chindi,” a spirit created by a person’s dying breath, to the numerous apparitions in the plays of William Shakespeare. These stories serve a unique purpose—not necessarily to honor the dead, but to comfort the living. This healthy release may explain why approximately 150 million Americans—almost half the country—believe that ghosts “definitely or probably exist." In words and pictures, this book recounts some of the most famous ghost stories in U.S. history.
HISTORY’S CREEPIEST GHOST STORIES
WHO ARE YOU GOING TO CALL? • Some say ghost sightings satisfy a basic human need
THE RICH • MONEY CAN’T ALWAYS BUY HAPPINESS—OR ETERNAL PEACE
1 / HENRY & GEORGIANA PITTOCK • A house is not a home without a family
2 / CAROLYN STICKNEY • The ghostly hostess of the Mount Washington Hotel
3 / PAULA MILORD • The lady of the house remains at Villa Paula
4 / MADAME DELPHINE LALAURIE • The sadistic killer of New Orleans
5 / NORMAN BAKER • The sick con man who preyed on the ill
6 / ADOLF COORS • The beer magnate who fell to his death
7 / ALICE VANDERBILT • The ghost of the Breakers mansion
THE POWERFUL • SOME FAMOUS POLITICAL FIGURES ARE THOUGHT TO HAUNT THE GROUNDS THEY WALKED
1 / BENJAMIN FRANKLIN • The unmistakable Ben may still inhabit his home state
2 / ABRAHAM LINCOLN • The most famous ghost of the White House
3 / WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON • The victim of revenge served cold?
4 / DOLLEY MADISON • The always-powerful first lady
5 / MARY TODD LINCOLN • A grieving mother who believed in ghosts
6 / ANDREW JACKSON • A fighter from the beyond
7 / GEORGE WASHINGTON • Leader in life and death
THE FAMOUS • SOME CELEBRITIES JUST CAN’T LEAVE THE SPOTLIGHT
1 / MARILYN MONROE • Maybe one day she will rest in peace
2 / AL CAPONE • The haunted gangster may still be causing trouble across the country
3 / ELVIS PRESLEY • Some believe the King never left one particular building
4 / HARRY HOUDINI • The showman never promised he would return
5 / LUCILLE BALL • The pioneering actress and producer was herself a true believer
6 / AMY WINEHOUSE • Gone too soon, the singer reportedly brings comfort to her father
7 / LON CHANEY SR. • A fixture of old Hollywood
History’s Creepiest Ghost Stories
PHOTO CREDITS