Ep. 161 - The Palmer House Hotel

Grand Rapids, Michigan has been known as Furniture City because of the industry upon which the city was built. People might be surprised to find that this city is considered the world leader in the production of office furniture. Grand Rapids is a city awash in history, murder, mayhem and urban legends. And these factors tend to lend themselves to tales of hauntings. There are a couple of fairly well-known "urban legends" concerning Grand Rapids and its haunted history. The first comes from the St. Cecilia Music Center and the second is known as the legend of the"Ada Witch." Come with us as we explore the history and hauntings of these. Moment in Oddity features a court declaring a house haunted and This Day in History features the beginning of Prohibition. Check out the website:  http://historygoesbump.com Show notes can be found here:  http://historygoesbump.blogspot.com/2016/01/hgb-podcast-ep-98-st-cecilia-music.html Become an Executive Producer:  http://patreon.com/historygoesbump

20 Jan 201636min

One would not expect to find a castle in a Missouri city like Springfield, but indeed there is a structure here that is very castle-like and thus it has been given the name Pythian Castle. It is a massive structure that has found itself under the supervision of various owners in the past with very different uses for the building. It has served as an orphanage and retirement home and also as a place to rehabilitate injured service members. And POWs even found themselves incarcerated in the basement. The building has not been a place of tragedy, but emotions could have been high for military members and orphans alike. Or is there some other reason for supernatural activity in the building because there is definitely something unexplained going on within the walls? Join us as we explore the history and hauntings of the Pythian Castle. Moment in Oddity features the true story behind the Phantom of the Opera and This Day in History features the final launch of Space Shuttle Columbia. Check out the website:  http://historygoesbump.com Show notes can be found here:  http://historygoesbump.blogspot.com/2016/01/hgb-podcast-ep-97-pythian-castle.html Become an Executive Producer and get the Haunted True Crime Podcast!  http://patreon.com/historygoesbump

16 Jan 201635min

Our research assistant and listener favorite Freya Porter joins us on this episode to share the history and hauntings of a location near to where she grew up. Her family is very familiar with the Oystermouth Castle and she shares their personal experiences about this old and wonderful castle. Mumbles is a small resort town that is a headland overlooking Swansea Bay. It has a pier there that was the end point for the Mumbles Railway, which was the oldest passenger railway in the world at the end of the 1800s. Mumbles is also home to an old castle known as Oystermouth. It was fought over by the Welsh and the Normans for years and today is under restoration. As is the case with so many other castles, this one has some unexplained and haunting activity taking place within its stone walls. Moment in Oddity features the legend of Kashima Reiko and This Day in History features the first X-ray photo. Check out the website: http//historygoesbump.com Show notes can be found here: http://historygoesbump.blogspot.com/2016/01/hgb-podcast-ep-96-oystermouth-castle.html Become an Executive Producer: http://patreon.com/historygoesbump

12 Jan 201647min

The Santa Monica Mountains are one of the most visited natural areas in California and Griffith Park is a favorite location. The most familiar attribute of the park is the famous "Hollywood" sign. The park has been the scene to more than just fun outdoor activities. There is a belief that a curse is tied to the land here and that is why Griffith Park has been tied to urban legends, deaths and hauntings. Join us as we explore the history and hauntings of Griffith Park. Moment in Oddity features the Dark Watchers and This Day in History features Elvis receiving his first guitar. Check out the website: http://historygoesbump.com Show notes can be found here: http://historygoesbump.blogspot.com/2016/01/hgb-podcast-ep-95-griffith-park.html Become an Executive Producer: http://patreon.com/historygoesbump

8 Jan 201630min

On today's episode we are joined by author and paranormal investigator Sylvia Shults. The Peoria State Hospital opened in 1901 in the village of Bartonville in Illinois. The asylum was home for the mentally ill for seventy-two years and it provided some of the state of the art care at the time, but it was also the scene of some very tragic circumstances. Many people died here, both patients and staff. These tragedies combined with the fact that Bartonville was once Native American land and it is an area surrounded by water and limestone have quite possibly led to the Peoria State Hospital being rumored to be haunted. There seems to be many fractured spirits here at the Peoria State Hospital. Join us as we explore the history and hauntings of Peoria State Hospital with Sylvia Shults. Moment in Oddity features Nosferatu's Director's Skull Stolen and This Day in History features the discovery of Messier 80. Check out the website: http://historygoesbump.com Show notes and links can be found here: http://historygoesbump.blogspot.com/2016/01/hgb-podcast-ep-94-peoria-state-hospital.html Become an Executive Producer: http://patreon.com/historygoesbump

4 Jan 201657min

We are joined on today's episode by freelance writer Bill Clayton. The term asylum brings about many images and most of them are not pleasant. Particularly the asylums of years ago. Today, we know more about mental illness and have better plans for caring for people, but in the past, mentally ill people were treated as cast offs and it was permissable to do horrid things to these people. One of the most notorious asylums in America was Eloise Asylum. Conditions were overcrowded and care was subpar at times. The asylum grew from the origins of a poorhouse to a schoolhouse and post office to a series of buildings built over the years to house the large amount of sick and mentally ill people brought here. Eloise is reputed to be one of the most haunted locations in the Detroit area for good reason. There is also a cemetery nearby named Butler Cemetery that has a reputation for being haunted. Join us as we explore the history and hauntings of the Eloise Asylum. Moment in Oddity features a cleaning lady that thwarted a Nazi spy ring and This Day in History features the First Ball Drop on New Years Eve. Check out the website:  http://historygoesbump.com Show notes can be found here with links to articles by Bill Clayton:  http://historygoesbump.blogspot.com/2015/12/hgb-podcast-ep-93-eloise-asylum.html Become an integral part of the show as an Executive Producer:  http://patreon.com/historygoesbump

31 Des 201536min

The historic Magnolia Hotel is located in Seguin, Texas. Its history includes use as a fort and was built by a man rooted in Texas history as a colonist. The property has existed for 150 years and passed through the hands of many owners and is currently under restoration. Its current state is nothing like the grand hotel it had been once upon a time. Hotels tell many stories and this one has stories that include murder and prostitution. Spirits are at unrest here. Join us as we explore the history and hauntings of the Magnolia Hotel. Moment in Oddity features a mummified mascot and This Day in History features the opening of Radio City Music Hall. Check out the website:  http://historygoesbump.com Show notes and pictures can be found here:  http://historygoesbump.blogspot.com/2015/12/hgb-podcast-ep-92-magnolia-hotel.html Become an Executive Producer:  http://patreon.com/historygoesbump

27 Des 201535min

On this year's Christmas Special, we are joined by special guest Dan Foytik of the 9th Story Podcast, The Wicked Library and The Lift. We discuss some of the history behind Christmas and most importantly, analyze the history of telling ghost stories on Christmas Eve. Most of our Christmas traditions are rooted in Victorian England. Sending Christmas cards and caroling door to door are just a couple of those traditions, but one tradition fell by the wayside and that is the practice of telling ghost stories on Christmas Eve. We are keeping that alive on the History Goes Bump Podcast and The 9th Story Podcast. We told ghost stories last year and we are doing it again this year. Mark Nixon of http://shadowsatthedoor.com joins us to tell one of his own original stories as well! Check out the website:  http://historygoesbump.com

24 Des 20151h 21min