Haunted New York: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Empire State

Cheri Revai, the author of the outstanding "Haunted Massachusetts", is back with another book stuffed full of ghostly tales, bizarre creature encounters, and local lore, as this time she tackles New York. She again provides over 60 true tales culled from and supported by a comprehensive bibliography. While New York may not have quite the spectral romance of Massachusetts with its tarnished history of witchcraft persecution, Revai shows that the Empire State doesn't take a backseat to anyone with their own legends of hauntings. As with the previous book the stories are separated by geographical region and Revai thankfully provides exact locations, and even addresses in the case of public sites, making life easier for prospective ghost hunters. What I found most intriguing is the number of legends dealing not with ghosts, but with strange and bizarre creatures encountered throughout the state including their own versions of Bigfoot-type creatures and lake monsters. One intriguing tale is that what Indian tribes in the 1600's called "Fougou". French explorer Samuel de Champlain even made mention of the strange beast and its "hideous female form" in his journal in 1603 as he explored the St. Lawrence River. Some four hundred years later witnesses continue to report seeing or hearing the bizarre creature. The Devil's Hole near Niagara Falls is considered one of the most haunted places in western New York and the scene of many tragedies over the years. Indians believed that a demonic snake lived in inside a cave in the ravine and warned French explorer de La Salle to avoid the cave. He ignored their warnings and ended up being murdered in the area shortly after. Then, in 1763 the area was the site of a Seneca Indian ambush on British troops. Many years later, President McKinley would be assassinated just hours after traveling near the area. Records have shown than that someone has died by drowning or falling around the Devil's Hole nearly every year. No book on New York hauntings would be complete without mention of Sleepy Hollow. That quaint village, immortalized in the first, great American ghost story by Washington Irving, continues to draw tourists from all over. Just 25 miles from Manhattan, it maintains its old world charm. There you can visit the former home of Irving called Sunnyside, where his ghost is said to haunt and playfully pinch female visitors to the site. Even New York City itself is loaded with historic, haunted places such as the Ear Inn, Bridge Café, and the Old Bermuda Inn. Once again I give credit to Cheri Revai for providing the addresses for these establishments. I've read many books of hauntings where the author carelessly omits this information. I certainly plan to keep these places in mind if I ever visit NYC. Like Haunted Massachusetts, this book is refreshingly enjoyable. A fun read, not dry like so many others of its ilk. I can only hope that Revai will continue on with the other New England states. I will certa