Loftis was given two life sentences for the murders and was denied parole multiple times. [5], Due to these local legends, the park was featured on the television series Scariest Places on Earth in 2002 where aired on ABC Family.[7]. Kochs surviving wife had no desire to keep up Kochs plan of expanding Magic Harbor, and the park went into foreclosure, was bought back by the bank, and then changed hands multiple times until it was sold to Geoffrey Thompson, president of the largest amusement park operation in Europe. This amusement park was located in Princeton, West Virginia and operated from 1920's to 1966 and it is said to be one of the most haunted places in the world. More abandoned places in the United States. Comedy. 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Families dont vacation there or even spend a warm summers day swimming. Clay and several others went after the Native Americans and killed at least four members of the tribe. In 2010, Everyday Paranormal featured Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in Season 2 of Discovery Channel's Ghost Lab. The park closed that year out of respect for the families. In the 18th century, the land was home to the Clay family, who were early settlers in the region. The park was thoroughly demolished in 2007, leaving nothing behind except for the strange memories and photographs and the questions as to why anyone thought it would be a popular attraction. He does, however, say his father had an encounter with the little girl who lost her life on the swings 49 years ago. The park would eventually grow to include a log flume ride, a haunted attraction ride, swings, bumper cars, and many other carnival-type attractions, as well as host concerts and outdoor festivals. If you want to watch the episode on Discovery+, which I highly recommend, it is S2E17. There are several interesting videos of investigations that have taken place at Lake Shawnee, along with alleged EVPs posted on Youtube. When you think of amusement parks, funnel cakes, roller coasters, Ferris Wheels, people dressed in costumes, and fond childhood memories probably come to mind. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. The rusted and overgrown rides of Lake Shawnee Amusement Park serve as a reminder of the failed West Virginia attraction, but its eerie past lives on in folklore for the area. Turns out tiny Lake Shawnee in Mercer County has developed quite a following in the Internet age. He was always worried about the lock, so to me, this was him. It is said her and the babys cries can be heard at night. When an amusement park is being built, the goal is often to create an atmosphere of joy, where children can live out their dreams of eating too much junk food and catching an adrenaline rush on their favorite ride. It is now estimated that there may be upwards of 3000 Shawnee buried on the land where the amusement park was built. Dates Active - 1926 - 1966. Sampson, who was 340 pounds and stood 6 . The park attracted numerous people, but rare accidents claimed the lives of at least three children. Despite being closed in the 1960's, it remains frozen in time, unable to shake its dark reputation. The woman became pregnant, and when she gave birth, the baby was a serpent who escaped into the water. He was charged with capital felony, murder, and sexual assault and sentenced to fifty-five years in prison for his brutal act, leaving the park with a more sinister reputation. Unfortunately, for one defunct amusement park in Princeton, West Virginia, the atmosphere is anything but joyful. Some sources say that the girl was aged 10-12 years old. Pinterest. Now that the land is being treated with reverence, the spirits of the Shawnee seem to be mostly at peace as well, though they keep a watchful eye and occasionally raise the hair on your arms. The most well-known of the deaths occurred in 1966. The White family likes to tell the story of an experience Gaylord had with the spirit of the little girl. They should give fond memories and bring smiles to faces. White wont speak of any personal creepy Lake Shawnee experiences. While the park seems to be a hotbed of activity, most who visit say that they dont believe there is anything evil there, and that the haunting is more playful and childlike. Though the park experienced a handful of ride-related deaths, the murder of a park employee would throw some shadows over the park in 1982. By Michelle James REGISTER-HERALD LIFESTYLES EDITOR, Shady edges Huntington on emotional Senior Night, Maiolo approved as new Woodrow softball coach, Amazing Grace hits game-winner, sends Summers to state tournament (With Gallery), Summers executes demons, beats Wyoming East (With Gallery), Children with an uncommon condition are being killed by West Virginia elected officials. We found arrowheads, pottery and pots. She couldnt get out and she was yelling for help, he said. I dont have one, but there are strange things that happen here all the time.. Published: 05:34 EDT, 14 December 2016 | Updated: 10:16 EDT, 14 December 2016. They had a cement swimming pond with a bath house in front of it and they rented wool bathing suits for 15 cents, White says, with a smile, adding the pond had two water slides and several diving boards. Concrete slabs and muddy pools are all that remains of the amusement park today, but local historians are working on excavating and marking sites of where the major attractions stood, putting up signs and photographs to educate those who walk through the site. MARCUS CONSTANTINO/DAILY MAIL The "Dark Carnival" takes visitors through the long-shuttered Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in Rock in Mercer County. Could the negativity from the past have caused the tragic accidents that occurred at the park? Chris White, Gaylords son and co-owner of the park, recounts the story of finding the swing ride to The Register-Herald: We found a swing in New Jersey, loaded it up and brought it back, he said. Kochs wife Carol survived the attack by hiding under the trailer. Now, its tragic past has made it a draw for paranormal enthusiasts from across the globe. Originally opened in 1960, the theme park contained replicas of famous biblical scenes, including the Last Supper, Garden of Eden, and an inn featuring a no vacancy sign. Despite the owners' unsuccessful attempts to reopen the abandoned amusement park, the park's haunting history has attracted archaeologists, tourists, and ghost hunters. In the late 1950s or early 1960s, a little girl was killed on the swing ride when a soda delivery truck backed into the path of her seat; she died instantly when she slammed into the side of the vehicle. The park officially closed in 2000, citing a drop-off in visitors due to Japans declining birthrate and economic crisis, but the notoriety of the curse keeps the legend of the park alive, and those interested can buy the park,[6] as it is currently up for sale. The park would close in 1923 when automobiles made it easier for people to travel and the park admission declined. He didnt know what it was, so one day he felt the weight and he turned around and the little girl from the swings was there. in Rock. In the 1920s, businessman Conley T. Snidow bought the property to build an amusement park Lake Shawnee. All three children were buried on a hillside of the property. Dad was on the tractor mowing the field and he kept feeling a weight on his shoulders, White said. NESTLED away in rural West Virginia lies an abandoned and derelict theme park that contains a series of chilling secrets. Its still sitting where he left it in the late 90s.. Its new owner claims that the amusement park is haunted and you can hearthe wooden swings creak even if they don't move, while sometimes the seats start moving when you get near them. Formerly, it was the site of the Clay family massacre. Shawnee Amusement Park has been featured on several Travel and Discovery Channel shows over the years, including The UnXplained and Scariest Places on Earth. Those calls havent just been from individuals, though, as networks such as the Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, ABC Family and National Geographic have all filmed on location at Lake Shawnee. Do you believe that the spirits of the little girl and the boys who drowned here still haunt the park? This lends to the legend today that the park is haunted mostly by the spirits of children. Of course, the amusement park had rides the Ferris wheel and swings drew large crowds. Returning to find two of his children dead, Mitchell rounded up his hunting posse and set out to track them down and rescue his other son. People still found a way in, though, and vandalism and trespassing occurred, destroying many of the parks statues and attractions. The terrifying Lake Shawnee Amusement Park was built on an American Indian burial ground and many believe to be horribly cursed Jun 15, 2016 David Goran Located in what's now known as Mercer County, the abandoned Lake Shawnee Amusement park has a long and sordid past. It remains uncertain as to the reason why the park closed. Residents and park goers claimed they could smell the chemicals when they were on the park grounds. The park consisted of attractions, bumper cars, swing boats, a swing-carousel, and a Ferris wheel. The site's creaky wooden swings and rusted Ferris wheel may still be haunted by ghosts, according to current owner Gaylord White. Despite the closure of the amusement park, White continued to host fishing tournaments and similar activities on the property. To start, the park was built over a Native American burial ground, with an archeological dig uncovering thirteen bodies, mostly children. White says experts from Marshall University say they believe the site is the final resting place for up to 3,000 people. The 14-year-old boy fell to his death from a ride at an amusement park in Orlando, sheriff's officials said. Bartley was shot first. While none of these seemed compelling enough for me to share here, I think its worth digging around a bit more if youre interested in this case.Thats it for Lake Shawnee Abandoned Amusement Park. Several tragic accidents would hit the park over the years, claiming six lives, including a little boy who drowned while swimming. The lake itself is small and its by no means a traditional lake. Discover Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in Rock, West Virginia: This abandoned amusement park was built on a site with a dark history. King was stabbed to death, and police arrested the men responsible, letting the two underage boys go, and brought charges up against Dwight Sayles and Victor C. Walker. It seemed like the parks luck was about to turn around with Thompson managing, but in 1984, tragedy would strike the park again. The two had been friends for a couple years, and Chloe clearly thought they were just in for a night of creepy fun and underage drinking at the old park. The abandoned Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in southern West Virginia is probably home to more ghostly tales than any other place in the regionbut they are just that, stories told as truths that have at times come at the expense of Native Americans. Could this have been a sign of the Shawnee tribes presence? He was very particular about the Ferris wheel, she said. In 1988 an archaeological dig on the site found 13 bodies, mostly children, confirming suspicions that it had been used as a Native American burial ground. In 1926, an entrepreneur named C.T. Eight years later a bloody clash with a Native American tribe led to several deaths. It was a push door and she was pushing. Maybe the little boy was having a laugh at the investigators expense. Image from Wiki Commons. Change). Before he could reopen the park, however, Greco died, and the park was bequeathed to a group of nuns who maintained the grounds but never reopened it. The remaining rides and attractions, which are in clear disrepair, only add to the spooky ambiance. Until 1783. What do you think of Lake Shawnee Amusement Park? According to The Register Herald, a team from Marshall University conducted a dig at the site and determined as many as 3,000 Native Americans were buried at the site - a majority of whom were confirmed to be children. Frank had suffered a head injury shortly before Maggie was born, making him incredibly mentally unstable. When the Discovery Channel filmed, White says one of its investigators got stuck in the old ticket booth and went into such a panic she had to go to the hospital in Princeton. (The information on the history of this park and what it was like in its glory days are vastly different from source to source. Lake Shawnee was the site where the first white settler in Mercer County, Mitchell Clay, made his home. Today, she and Chris, along with other volunteers, take care of the property, give tours, answer calls and take care of the website. However, tensions between the Clays and local Native American tribes, who previously occupied the land, never ceased. In 1926, C.T. Snidow purchased the land and commissioned the construction of the first amusement park in West Virginia. In the mid-1990s, the park was closed and the land was bought by the neighboring campground, resulting in all of the buildings and rides to be completely demolished. 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