'The Ridges" is probably the most famous 'haunted' place in Ohio. There have been many articles, books, stories, blogs, videos and ghost hunts conducted in this area. All trying to get video, pictures, proof that ghosts exist and that this area is extremely volatile when it comes to paranormal activity. The institution is now located on Ohio University's main campus in Athens, Ohio. Picture this, a major university right where the most paranormal activity in Ohio happens. Coincidence?
There are many stories circulating around campus about sightings, paranormal activity, and other weird occurences including the occasional Bigfoot sighting. A few of the stories include, the story of Margaret Schilling and the infamous stain she left. Then there are the 5 cemetaries and Wilson Hall. If you haven't heard the stories, sit back, turn out all the lights, and continue reading.
Margaret Schilling
The story of Margaret is, in my opinion, more sad than anything. Margaret was a mentally handicapped individual that was said to be both deaf and mute. She was incapable of taking care of herself. She went missing a short time before the Institution was scheduled to close. A search party had formed and went looking for her. She wasn't found and the Institution closed. A janitor named Clarence Allison was working in the North Ward when he made a shocking discovery. Margaret's body was lying on the floor of the attic. It was decomposing and I am sure smelled horrible. The body was removed and the attic cleaned. This is where the story gets weird. The stain left by the body reappeared, you can see an exact print of the body; how it was positioned, how her hair was styled, everything. The stain can still be seen today and is one of the highlights of the tour of Ohio University.
The story on campus about Margaret goes like this, "Marge was a deaf/mute and when the facility was closed she wandered off. The workers sealing off each wing were unaware that she was lost in the building and she was accidentally sealed up on the fourth floor (in the round window room) She banged and made noises for hours and days but she couldn't be heard above the construction noise. Marge realized her fate and took of all of her clothes and folded them in a corner and laid down on the floor and crossed her arms across her chest and simply died. A few years later after the University bought the property they began entering the old sealed up wings and her body was found. The imprint is still there and can be seen on the tour."
I highly recommend going to see the infamous stain if you get a chance. It is enough to freak you out.
Wilson Hall
There are 5 cemetaries around the OU campus that, if viewed on a map, form the perfect shape of a pentagram with Wilson Hall, a building located on the Athens campus, lying smack dab in the middle. Wilson Hall, located on the West Green, was first opened in 1964. Most new students find out quickly that Wilson Hall is reputed to be haunted. Room 428 of the Hall is closed and permanently sealed due to the number of unusual sightings reported there. It is reported that the room is the center of all the paranormal activity in the hall. Students tell stories of objects flying off of shelves and smashing into the walls, doors mysteriously opening and closing, toilets flushing, and the appearance of the ghost of the student who died in the room. The student, deeply involved in the occult, was killed or committed suicide in the room during the 1970’s. It was said that the student practiced astro projection and dabbled in sorcery.
The Wilson Hall suicide and the Margaret Schilling story are said to be connected. One student told me that the witch in Wilson Hall, went to the scene of Margarets death, touched the stain on the floor and went crazy. Like the spirit of Margaret was haunting this student and caused her to commit suicide in room 428. None of this has been substantiated, but it is awful curious as they both occured in the 1970's.
A search of the public records has brought out one more interesting item. Wilson Hall was built on top of the original graveyard for the Institute. When patients died at the Institute they were buried there. Kind of reminds me of a famous movie from years ago.
As I stated earlier, there are hundreds of sites all telling the stories above a little differently. But one fact remains the same with all of them: The are is a hotbed of paranormal activity. I have seen the stain, but I have not seen any strange events, stuff flying off shelves, the gateway to the other side, nothing. I am looking to conduct a ghost hunt in the area this fall. I want to see if the claims in the cemetary are true, but thats a story for another time.
