STAUNTON'S DEPOT STATION The Virginia Central Raidroad was an early railroad in the mid 1800s that connected the cities of Richmond and Covington. Chartered in 1836 near Richmond as the Louisa Railroad, its goal was to expand westward. Renamed the Virginia Central Railroad in 1850, the railroad would reach Staunton by the year 1854. The railroad's attempts to expand further westward would be delayed at the start of the Civil War. With the arrival of the railroad in Staunton, the town would experience tremendous growth on multiple levels leading into the Civil War. Staunton would become a center of commerce and the population would grow to about 4,000 inhabitants by 1860. Factories in the town produced carriages, wagons, shoes and clothing. Staunton would have 2 newspapers, the Staunton Spectator and the Staunton Vindicator. These two newspapers would have opposing views on slavery and the impending issue of seccession. Opinions on secession in Staunton varied but changed significantly after the attack on Fort Sumter. A vote of 3300 to 6 in favor of seccession on May 23, 1861. Immediately the town would become base of operations here in the Shenandoah Valley and a prime target of the Union army throughout the war. Staunton would be a supply depot, staging area and manufacturing base through the war. The Depot Station was very active durign the entire war. Food and other supplies were constantly be tranposted into town or out of town to other towns. Soliders were constantly being moved and transported in and out of town, dead and wounded as well. Many dead and wounded would then be transported to Richmond for burial or treatment. The same would go for POWs. Often times, POWs would be paraded through town before being sent to Libby Prison in Richmond. Wounded and sick soldiers would overwhelm the town after major battles like Antietam and Gettysburg. Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind was used as a general hosptial during the war. The number of patients would swell up close to 9,000 after the battle of Gettysburg alone. The civil war did indeed have a profound effect upon Staunton. And the Virginia Central Railroad played a role in that. When Union forces under General David Hunter entered and occupied Staunton in June of 1864, much of the depot area was destroyed. The depot station was burned, the railroad destroyed, warehouse and stores in the immediate area were burned down, home and business's in town were looted. Only the American Hotel, which served as a hospital in the depot area was spared. When we look at this from a paranormal perspective, history has certainly left an imprint on the Depot Station. During the war, there was so much emotional energy, the highs and lows. Life changing events for so many residents. Life and death, it all came through the Virginia Central Railroad. One such civil war haunt and story is that of Private DC McLewery of the 3rd Arkansas Infantry. In early 1861, when there was much excitement in the area about going to war, the town had a most festive and enthusiastic atmosphere. When troops were not in combat or drilling in the field, they often had a lot of free time and little to do. Many soldiers resorted to drinking and there were many saloons and taverns in Staunton. What could go wrong? Well one such soldier named DC McLewery was quite drunk one evening, wandering around town or more like staggering around town. Somehow he managed to stagger his way on the railroad tracks looking for an area to just pass out for the evening. It was all he could do to walk. Unaware that there were railcars moving on the tracks and unable to hear yells and screams for him to move, he was struck from behind, never seeing the railcar approaching. It killed him instantly. And Priavte DC McLewery would have the honor of being the first confederate solider to be buried in Thornrose Cemetery, just on the other side of town. DC is very much believed to haunted the depot platform and station. Years after the war had ended, there were reports of a confederate soldier, wandering around aimlessly on the railroad tracks completely unaware of anything around him. Sightings of this soldier continue to this very day, often times described as semi-transparent. Reports were the soldier would just slowly disappear rigth before your very eyes. Other reports stated the soldier to be a solid human figure, that would just disappear like magic. All reports though had reference to what they believe to be a very drunk soldier staggering on the tracks. There are other reports of the sound of someone walking on gravel and hearing a distant sound of a man humming dixie. Could this be DC McLewery? Many psychic mediums have claimed to feel DC's presence at the station. Paranormal investigations have captured audio recordings of a man believed to be DC McLewery. On the Ghost of Staunton Ghost Tours, many female guests over the years have had their hair pulled or tugged at the depot station, particularly if they have blonde hair. It has never been forceful but more of a playful tug to get our guest's attention. There is some speculation that DC McLewery may be responsible for this but we will elaborate a bit more of another possible suspect here very shortly. Then there is another gentleman whom is believed to haunt the depot station. That of William Meade McMechen, whom served in the confederate army and after the war, was admitted to Western State Lunatic Asylum. He was a patient of Dr. Joseph DeJarnette, whom happened to be quite fond of Mr. McMechen. He allowed him often times as was a privilege for many patients to leave the asylum grounds and go into town for several hours at a time. In 1929 at the ripe old age of 86, McMechen would make his last visit into town. For along the way, McMechen would lose his where abouts and ended up on the Virginia Central Railroad tracks. A fast moving freight car struck William, killing him instantly. Over the years, there have been reports of an elderly, confused, transparent man wander along thildtkHltlbliitthidhidepotstationplatform.ThelastrailcarwasasleepercarandmanyoftheperformersofthePearlsofPekinwereaboardit,includingMissKnox.Finallythesleepercarcametoastop.Concernedcitizensandrescueworkersrushedtothewreckagefearingtheworst.Alloftheperformerswerelocated,withminorcuts,bruisesandafewbrokenbones.Therewasasighofrelief.Butwait,therewasoneperformernotaccountedfor!MissKnoxwasmissing.Rescueworkersfranticallyseachedthroughthewreckageanddebris.ItdidnottakelongtolocateMyrtleasthesoundafemalemoaningwasdetectedfromunderapieceoftheplatformroof.Whenremovingthepieceofroofing,MissKnoxwasdiscoveredwithhorribleinjuries.Abrokenarm,adislocatedshoulderoneofherlegswasallbutseveredandtheotheronehasaverylargesplinterlodgedintoit.Bloodwaseverywhere.Thesplinterhadpiercedherfemoralarterywhichcausedmassivebleeding.MissKnozdiedwithinminutes.Everyonewasinstunnedsilenceoftheannouncementofthebeautiful,blondesinger'sdeath.MissKnoxwasembalmedandpreparedforburialatalocalfuneralparlorhereintownbeforebeingtransportedbacktoKansasCity.ThePearlsofPekinwouldsadlygotofinishtheirtourontheeastcoastbeforereturninghome.MISSMYRTLEKNOXHAUNTSTHEDEPOTSTATIONManyyearsafterthe1890accident,reportsfromlocalswouldsurfaceofabeautifulyoungwomanoftenseenatthestationinalightbluevictoriandressandbonnet.Nooneknewwhoshewas.Wherewasshefrom?InasmalltownlikeStaunton,everyonekneweveryone.Therewerenonewresidentsthatfitthedescriptionofthisyoungwoman.Whocouldshebe?Intheyearsthatfollowed,thesightingsofthisyoungwomanwerefewerandfewer.Eventuallytheyallbutstopped.DecadespassandthereisanewgenerationsofcitizensinStaunton.Howeverreportsofayoungwomansurfacedagain,awomaninaverylightblueorevenperhapswhitevictoriandresswithblondehair.Thedifferencewiththesemostrecentsightingsistheyoungwomanisdescribedassemitransparent.Shehasaghostlyappearance.Previoussightingsofthewomanfromdecadespastdescribedherashuman,abreathing,livinghuman.Theghostlysightingsoftheyoungwomancontinuetothisverydayalthoughtheyarefewandfarinbetween.Yearsagowhenthedepotstationbuildingwasusedasarestaurant,guestsanddinersonoccasionwouldreportayoung,victorianwomanpeepingintoawindowwatchingthemeat.Sometimesshewouldsimplyvanishintothinairorsimplywalkaway.Gueststhoughtperhapsshewasareenactor.TheseoccurencestookplaceatwhatwasknownasthePullmanRestaurant.ThePullmanRestauranthadmanyotherweird,unexplainedeventsovertheyears.Someofthesewerejustonetimeeventswhileoccurredmultipletimes.Onecertaineventthatoccurredmultipletimesthatmadethestaffveryuneasyinvolvedsmallcandlelampsthatwereplacedoneachtableinthemaindininghall.Thesecandleswouldburnduringtheeveninghoursintherestaurantandwouldbeextinguishedafterclosingandcleanupbeforemanagementandthestaffwoulddepartfortheevening.Therewerenumerousincidentswhereastaffmemberwouldextinguishthecandlesfortheeveningonlytoreturnthroughthediningareatoseethecandlesandinsomecases,allofthecandleswererelitandburningbrightly.Thiswouldoccurronseveralocassions.Windowshadeswouldbepulleddownafterclosingtopresenttheimagetherestaurantiscurrentlyclosed,onlytobeliftedbackupashorttimelatertoimplytherestaurantisopen.Thisoccurredonmultipleoccasionsaswell.Doorswouldopenandshutontheirownaccord.Thenthereisastorythatwaspresentedbyanassistantmanageroftherestaurant.Herevealedanaccountofafewyearspriorwhenaninventoryeventwastotakeplaceattherestaurant.Theassistantmanagerandseveralstaffmembersweretoarriveattherestaurantonanoffday,veryearlyonemorningtobegintheprocess.Theassistantmanagerwasthefirsttoarrivethatmorningat4am,withtheexpectationthatseveralstaffmemberswouldarriveveryshortlyafter.Parkingjustinfrontofthemainentranceoftherestaurant,theassistantmanagerdecidestoentertherestaurant,turnonthelightsandadjustthetemperatureinthebuildingbeforeeveryoneelsearrives.Asheplaceshiskeyinthedoorlockandslowlyopensthedoor,hebeginstohearapianoplaying.Thesoundisloud,clearandtohissurprise,comingfromwithintherestaurant.Andthemusicaltuneisplesantbutunnervingtosaytheleast.Sotheassistantmanagerdoeswhatanybraveassistantmanagerwoulddo.Heslowlyclosesandlocksthedoorbeforeretreatingbacktohiscarparkedoutfrontandwaittherestofthecrewtoarrivebeforereenteringtherestaurant.Thirtyminutelater,staffemployeesarrive.Theyaregreetedbytheirassistantmanagerwhowaitsunilallareassembledandthenproceedstosharetheexperiencewiththem.Powerinnumbers,thegroupthenenterstherestauranttogetherandsearchtherestaurantforanyintruders.Theyfindnone,nosignsofentry.Thereisnotthingthathasbeendisturbedinthebuilding.Theassistantmanagerthenturnshisattentiontoasupplyroomintherestaurantthatcontainedanold,veryoldplayerpiano.Thepianohadneverbeenknowntoworkandwaskeptinthisroomwithatarpoveritandboxesontopfullofcups,strawsandothersupplies.Itwasindeedamysteryandanexplantionwasneverdiscovered.Themanagerwouldgoontosay,ifthatplayerpianowasplayingthatmorningofwhichithadneverdonesobefore,itwasindeedplayingverywell.Andifindeeditdidplaythatonemorningat5am,itwouldneverdosoagain.Theexperiencefrightenedhimbutneveroccurredagain.Manyguestsonourghosttours,believetheyfeelthepresenceofMyrtleonthedepotplatform.Someguestsbecomequiteemotional,afewhavehadtoleavethetour.Femaleguestsonourtourshavehadtheirhairpulledortuggedatinaplayfulway,particularlyiftheyhappentohaveblondehair.AndwhilesomepeoplesuspectitmayDCMcLewery,theconfederatesoldier,isitpossibleitmaybeMissMyrtleKnox?Shedidhappentohavebeautiful,blondehair.ManypsychicmediumsinformusthatMissKnox'spresenceatthedepotstationisverystrongandthatsheroamsquiteabitofareaalongtheplatform,thestationbuildingandextendingbuildings.SomeofourparanormalinvestigationtoursinthepasthavecapturedaudiovoicesofayoungwomanthatmanyareconvincedbelongstoMyrtleKnox.Alloftheinteractionwiththisfemalehavebeenpleasant.ThereisspeculationthatperhapsMissKnoxistrappedatthedepotstationandwantstogohome.Stilladditionalthoughtshavesuggested,shewantedtomeetandgreetthecitizensofStauntonwhohadassembledtoseeheronthatmorningofApril28th,1890.Wewillneverknow.OnelasthauntthatismentionedonourtoursistheareajustbehindMillStreetGrillRestaurant,acrosstherailroadtracks.There,ontheothersideofthetracksisalargecementwall.ItisbelievedthatwallwasputinplacetoblocktheentrancetoacavernthatrunsundertheSearsHillresidentialareaoftown.Itissaidthatthecavernwasusedasadumpingareafordeadbodiesovertheyears,datingasfarbackasthemid1700s.OnesuchstoryinvolvesamanwhowasdecapitatedafteranaltercationduringagameofcardsinwhatwasthenknownastheWashingtonTavern.Hisbodywassupposedlydumpedintothecavern.Nooneknowswhateverbecameofhishead.ItisalsostatedthatstudentsandteachersfromtheUniversityofVirginiawouldregularlyvisitthecaverninsearchforhumanbodiestoaidwiththeresearchandstudies.Prettycreepystuffthere.Therehavebeennumerousexperiencesandsightingsreportedovertheyearsofshadowfiguresgoingandcomingacrosstherailroadtracksinthatimmediatearea.Themajorityofthoseencountersandreportsfromguestshavefoundthemquitefrightening.Ononetour,twowomenranofffromthetourgroupscreaminganddidnotreturn.TheDepotStationandtheAmericanHotel,whichbotharelocatedattherailroadtracksarebothextremelyparanormalactiveandarepopularhotspotsonourtours.

Over the years, there have been reports of an elderly, confused, transparent man wander along the railroad tracks. He seems completely oblivious to anyone or anything around him. Ghosts of Staunton Tours have been able to record the voice of an elderly gentleman via a device called the spirit box who answers to the name William. He is a friendly man overall and often at the close of a spirit box audio session, he will say good night.

The depot station's most famous haunt is that of Miss Myrtle Knox. Miss Myrtle Knox was a very talented member of an opera theatre troupe called the "Pearl of Pekin". She joined the troupe at the age of seventeen against her father's wishes and served as a chorus girl. Myrtle had an angelic, soft voice and was very musically gifted. She was a rising star and eventually had a small role in the operetta. So, she left her family and friends in Kansas City to embark on an east coast tour via the Cincinnati Express Train enroute to Baltimore, Maryland on April 26, 1890. The troupe was to make a short stop in Staunton and do a short performance. The citizens of Staunton were very excited and many had assembled at the depot station on the evening of April 27th to give a warm welcome to the opera troupe. The train was to arrive in Staunton between 11:30 pm and midnight. By 1 am on April 28th, the train had yet to arrive and many folks just assumed there had been a minor delay. 2 am came, still no train arrival and folks began to worry a bit and fear possibly the worst. Just 15-20 minutes later, the distant sound of a train approaching town gave a sigh of relief and that the opera troup was finally here. But what folks witnessed shortly after, would be a horror not soon forgotten. About 4 miles outside of town, the train's brakes malfunction and were of no use. The train now rapidly approached the depot station at 70-75 miles per hour, seemly out of control. Citizens at the station began to scatter and run as far away as they could at the impending catastrophe. The train would strike part of the station platform, that began to shatter and fall. Amazingly the train was able to stay on the railroad tracks, except for the very last railcar. It derailed, flipped and rolled into the fallen debris of the depot station platform. The last railcar was a sleeper car and many of the performers of the Pearls of Pekin were aboard it, including Miss Knox. Finally the sleeper car came to a stop. Concerned citizens and rescue workers rushed to the wreckage fearing the worst. All of the performers were located, with minor cuts, bruises and a few broken bones. There was a sigh of relief. But wait, there was one performer not accounted for! Miss Knox was missing. Rescue workers frantically seached through the wreckage and debris. It did not take long to locate Myrtle as the sound a female moaning was detected from under a piece of the platform roof. When removing the piece of roofing, Miss Knox was discovered with horrible injuries. A broken arm, a dislocated shoulder one of her legs was all but severed and the other one has a very large splinter lodged into it. Blood was everywhere. The splinter had pierced her femoral artery which caused massive bleeding. Miss Knoz died within minutes. Everyone was in stunned silence of the announcement of the beautiful, blonde singer's death. Miss Knox was embalmed and prepared for burial at a local funeral parlor here in town before being transported back to Kansas City. The Pearls of Pekin would sadly go to finish their tour on the east coast before returning home. MISS MYRTLE KNOX HAUNTS THE DEPOT STATION Many years after the 1890 accident, reports from locals would surface of a beautiful young woman often seen at the station in a light blue victorian dress and bonnet. No one knew who she was. Where was she from? In a small town like Staunton, everyone knew everyone. There were no new residents that fit the description of this young woman. Who could she be? In the years that followed, the sightings of this young woman were fewer and fewer. Eventually they all but stopped. Decades pass and there is a new generations of citizens in Staunton. However reports of a young woman surfaced again, a woman in a very light blue or even perhaps white victorian dress with blonde hair. The difference with these most recent sightings is the young woman is described as semi transparent. She has a ghostly appearance. Previous sightings of the woman from decades past described her as human, a breathing, living human. that morning of April 28th, 1890.

The ghostly sightings of the young woman continue to this very day although they are few and far in between. Years ago when the depot station building was used as a restaurant, guests and diners on occasion would report a young, victorian woman peeping into a window watching them eat. Sometimes she would simply vanish into thin air or simply walk away. Guests thought perhaps she was a reenactor. These occurences took place at what was known as the Pullman Restaurant. The Pullman Restaurant had many other weird, unexplained events over the years. Some of these were just one time events while occurred multiple times. One certain event that occurred multiple times that made the staff very uneasy involved small candle lamps that were placed on each table in the main dining hall. These candles would burn during the evening hours in the restaurant and would be extinguished after closing and clean up before management and the staff would depart for the evening. There were numerous incidents where a staff member would extinguish the candles for the evening only to return through the dining area to see the candles and in some cases, all of the candles were relit and burning brightly. This would occurr on several ocassions. Window shades would be pulled down after closing to present the image the restaurant is currently closed, only to be lifted back up a short time later to imply the restaurant is open. This occurred on multiple occasions as well. Doors would open and shut on their own accord. Then there is a story that was presented by an assistant manager of the restaurant. He revealed an account of a few years prior when an inventory event was to take place at the restaurant. The assistant manager and several staff members were to arrive at the restaurant on an off day, very early one morning to begin the process. The assistant manager was the first to arrive that morning at 4 am, with the expectation that several staff members would arrive very shortly after. Parking just in front of the main entrance of the restaurant, the assistant manager decides to enter the restaurant, turn on the lights and adjust the temperature in the building before everyone else arrives. As he places his key in the door lock and slowly opens the door, he begins to hear a piano playing. The sound is loud, clear and to his surprise, coming from within the restaurant. And the musical tune is plesant but unnerving to say the least. So the assistant manager does what any brave assistant manager would do. He slowly closes and locks the door before retreating back to his car parked out front and wait the rest of the crew to arrive before reentering the restaurant. Thirty minute later, staff employees arrive. They are greeted by their assistant manager who waits unil all are assembled and then proceeds to share the experience with them. Power in numbers, the group then enters the restaurant together and search the restaurant for any intruders. They find none, no signs of entry. There is a not thing that has been disturbed in the building. The assistant manager then turns his attention to a supply room in the restaurant that contained an old, very old player piano. The piano had never been known to work and was kept in this room with a tarp over it and boxes on top full of cups, straws and other supplies. It was indeed a mystery and an explantion was never discovered. The manager would go on to say, if that player piano was playing that morning of which it had never done so before, it was indeed playing very well. And if indeed it did play that one morning at 5 am, it would never do so again. The experience frightened him but never occurred again. Many guests on our ghost tours, believe they feel the presence of Myrtle on the depot platform. Some guests become quite emotional, a few have had to leave the tour. Female guests on our tours have had their hair pulled or tugged at in a playful way, particularly if they happen to have blonde hair. And while some people suspect it may DC McLewery, the confederate soldier, is it possible it may be Miss Myrtle Knox? She did happen to have beautiful, blonde hair. Many psychic mediums inform us that Miss Knox's presence at the depot station is very strong and that she roams quite a bit of area along the platform, the station building and extending buildings. Some of our paranormal investigation tours in the past have captured audio voices of a young woman that many are convinced belongs to Myrtle Knox. All of the interaction with this female have been pleasant. There is speculation that perhaps Miss Knox is trapped at the depot station and wants to go home. Still additional thoughts have suggested, she wanted to meet and greet the citizens of Staunton who had assembled to see her on that morning of April 28th, 1890. We will never know.

One last haunt that is mentioned on our tours is the area just behind Mill Street Grill Restaurant, across the railroad tracks. There, on the other side of the tracks is a large cement wall. It is believed that wall was put in place to block the entrance to a cavern that runs under the Sears Hill residential area of town. It is said that the cavern was used as a dumping area for dead bodies over the years, dating as far back as the mid 1700s. One such story involves a man who was decapitated after an altercation during a game of cards in what was then known as the Washington Tavern. His body was supposedly dumped into the cavern. No one knows whatever became of his head. It is also stated that students and teachers from the University of Virginia would regularly visit the cavern in search for human bodies to aid with the research and studies. Pretty creepy stuff there. There have been numerous experiences and sightings reported over the years of shadow figures going and coming across the railroad tracks in that immediate area. The majority of those encounters and reports from guests have found them quite frightening. On one tour, two women ran off from the tour group screaming and did not return. The Depot Station and the American Hotel, which both are located at the railroad tracks are both extremely paranormal active and are popular hotspots on our tours.