Mysteries at the Indian Echo Caverns

There are many strange mysteries associated with the Indian Echo Caverns, located near Hershey, Pennsylvania. In 1919 a couple of local youths in the area were exploring the cave, when they stumbled upon a mysterious box, decorated with strange designs. The contents inside proved more mysterious. Inside the box the boys discovered random coins from throughout the World, some possibly minted as early as 480 B.C.  Also included was some jewelry, moon rocks, and instructions on making diamonds from lightning. (BTW it doesn't work!)  The young man who discovered this intriguing chest held onto it for many years until he decided to share his discovery with others. Eventually the proprietor of Indian Echo Caverns purchased the abstruse trunk and it is now on display in the gift shop.

If these young men had been exploring the cave a hundred years before they may have encountered quite a surprise if they bumped into William Wilson. Between the years of  1802-1821 William made the caverns his home. After his sister was executed for the murder of her two children, the man began to seclude himself from society. It's believed a pardon was granted from the state to William's sister, but he was unable to deliver it in time to halt the execution.

 From that time on Wilson went into a state of delirium, withdrawing from society and retreated into the caves to spend the last decades of his life.  It's believed he kept an account of his life spent in the cave and the stories have been published in the book "The Pennsylvania Hermit"  Read book here.

The mysterious box the young men discovered is not believed to have been left behind by Mr. Wilson. But some believe William Wilson may have left something else behind...his spirit. In several neighboring counties where Wilson lived previously. his spirit has been seen on horseback galloping to the local jailhouse. His sister Elizabeth is believed to haunt the areas around the cave, though it's believed she was never in the cavern. While clearing trees to make room for a parking lot, several workers claimed to witness a young female spirit wandering nearby. These tales may seem like modern folklore, and perhaps its not the spirit of Elizabeth or William Wilson. But long before either of these tales came about, the Susquehannock Indians who occupied the cave were awfully dreadful of the Rainbow room. Even to this day over a dozen witnesses have spotted the apparition of a Native American man holding a severed head.

Victorian Home on the Roof in Syracuse, New York

Along interstate 81 in Syracuse, New York keep your eyes peeled for a home atop an old manufacturing facility. The old Pennfield manufacturing company was a Syracuse staple for many years. The company was famous for it's production of therapeutic mattresses. But before that the industrial building housed the manufacturing plant of Moyer Carriages. In fact H.A. Moyer designed the complex with the 2 1/2 story Victorian home resting on top of the roof. The company began production in 1880, and the house on top of the factory has been nearly a mystery ever since.

Stories around town claimed Mr. Moyer's wife was not thrilled with having to move out of her home to relocate to Syracuse. To keep his wife happy Mr. Moyer had their home moved to the top of his work. Others around town had stories that weren't quite as romantic.

In a 1937 newspaper interview a family member revealed that the home has never been inhabited and contains nothing but machinery to operate an elevator and rafters for the structure. The house was designed as an architectural gimmick. Mr. Moyer was even said to have raised one of his carriages onto the roof to attract attention to his latest model. The Moyer Carriage manufacturing facility once consisted of four buildings, each with a Victorian home perched on top. Today the one along North Salina street is the only one remaining. Unfortunately the building has sat empty since 2005 so no one's certain how much longer it will remain a quirky Syracuse attraction.

Haunted Moonshine Church & Cemetery

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There's a small church and cemetery near a military base in Pennsylvania, shrouded in paranormal activity. The church and cemetery are named for a man who set aside this free burial plot. His young son is buried in the cemetery, along with one of Pennsylvania's most famous murder victims.

Joseph Raber was murdered by a gang of men known as "the blue eyed six". They had taken out a life insurance policy on Mr. Raber and decided waiting for him to die on his own would take too long. Needless to say these gentlemen took matters into their own hands. All but one of the men were tried and convicted for their crimes, and sentenced to death by hanging.

Though none of the six men are buried anywhere near the cemetery, their spirits may haunt the area. Tales range from ghosts being spotted walking throughout the church, to mysterious blue lights seen flickering in the cemetery.

The church and cemetery both have a very unsettling feel to them. Of course the tanks rolling by from the nearby base, don't do much to ease your tensions.

Michter's Distillery: Abandoned Whiskey

Abandoned Michter's Distillery

Outside of Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania lies an abandoned whiskey distillery shrouded in mystery. Once one of the top distilleries in the country. The Michter's distillery now sits empty, crumbling away to the environment. The company had been facing hard times since the 1980's. Sometime between 1989 and 1991 all the employees and staff just left. They also left behind expensive equipment and over 300,000 barrels of whiskey. Why would they just this historical distillery and abandon all the equipment? This may be a question that never gets answered.