Random Details about Cursed Amusement Park With A Bloody History (10 items)

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  (#1) Lake Shawnee Was Once A Native American Burial Ground, Holding As Many As 3,000 Graves

  In the early 1990s, one of owner Gaylord White's sons was digging on the property and unexpectedly discovered Native American artifacts, including pottery and arrowheads. The White family called a team of archaeologists from Marshall University, and they found more relics as well as graves.

  After unearthing at least 13 skeletons - which were mostly children - they decided to stop digging. The discoveries led the archaeologists to believe at least two different Native American groups lived on the Lake Shawnee land in the past. They estimated there were about 3,000 graves under the park, thought to be the result of a widespread illness that may have forced the Shawnee to leave the area or completely wiped them out. Once the White family realized the land was sacred, they chose not to build anything new on the site.
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  (#6) After A Boy Mysteriously Drowned In The Park's Pool, It Was Filled With Sand And Never Mentioned Again

  According to owner Chris White, a young boy died on July 3, 1966. The boy's mother dropped him off at the park in the morning, but was unable to find him when she returned. Workers eventually discovered his body in the pool.

  Some stories allege he was found floating in the water. Others claim one of his arms got stuck in the drain and he was unable to come up for air. After the accident, Lake Shawnee closed the pool and filled it with sand. The boy's death wasn't talked about after the incident, but it was unfortunately not the last time death visited the park.
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  (#5) After The Shawnee Murdered Several Of His Children, Mitchell Clay Retaliated By Killing Them And Taking Pieces Of Their Skin

  When Mitchell Clay returned home and found two of his children murdered and another missing, he organized a search party to track down the Shawnee perpetrators. After burying the two dead children, they caught up to the group of Native Americans a short while later.

  The members of Mitchell Clay's party fought the natives and killed several in retaliation. Claiming their win, the rescue party cut strips of skin from the Shawnee men they murdered to use as razor straps. The Clay family members passed down these grotesque trophies for many years.
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  (#8) The Deadly Swing Ride Was Sold After The Park Closed, But It Found Its Way Back For The Reopening

  When Gaylord White reopened the park in the mid-1980s, he wanted to re-create the feel of the original park as much as he could. Since the old rides were sold and no longer there, he tracked down a vintage Ferris wheel and swing ride.

  White purchased an old swing ride from a person in New Jersey, brought it to West Virginia, and put it back together. Curious about the swing's history, he looked up its serial number. It turned out to be the same swing that had thrilled visitors at the park many years ago, but had also claimed the life of a little girl. 
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  (#7) A Young Girl Was Killed On The Swings When A Truck Backed Into Her

  In 1966, a girl was riding on the swings when a large soda delivery truck backed into the ride's path. The unfortunate girl was killed when a truck slammed into her. Witnesses remembered seeing her pretty pink dress stained with blood.

  After the pool incident and rumors about the estate's haunted past, the girl's death sealed the park's reputation as a place where children were unsafe. Forced to close down, Lake Shawnee left a few small structures standing, a creepy marker of what took place there.
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  (#3) Visitors Have Heard Chanting, Seen A Man On The Ferris Wheel, And Been Trapped In The Ticket Booth

  Visitors to Lake Shawnee have reported seeing rides moving on their own and glowing orbs floating around. Several people claim to have heard Native American chanting, and more than one person has seen an apparition sitting in the same Ferris wheel car.

  ABC's Scariest Places on Earth filmed there in 2005, and both the crew and the psychic they were working with refused to enter the park grounds at night due to the intense energy.

  Discovery Channel visited as well for an episode of Ghost Lab, and one crew member claims she was trapped inside the old ticket booth. Despite pushing on the door, it wouldn't open, and she had to scream for help to escape. She was so panicked, she went to the hospital once she was freed.

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