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

• 

  (#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.
• 

  (#2) A Girl In A Bloody Dress Allegedly Wanders The Grounds

  A little girl who died on the swing ride is probably Lake Shawnee's most famous ghost. She often appears in the bloody pink dress she was wearing the day she died. Her presence is often felt near the swings, and people have noticed them moving by themselves with a warm spot in the middle of the seat, surrounded by cold-blowing air.

  Sometimes she's spotted walking around enjoying other areas of the park. Gaylord White II - son of Gaylord White Sr., who bought the park in 1986 - ran into her and remembered, "She looked at me, and as long as she looked at me, I couldn't move."

  He also claimed his father used to feel a weight on his shoulders when mowing the grass with a tractor; one day, his father turned to find the little girl riding along with him. He decided she wanted the tractor and left it for her, where it still sits today.
• 

  (#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.
• 

  (#4) In 1783, Native Americans Murdered Three Members Of The Clay Family On The Same Land

  The Clay family were immigrants from Europe and settled on their piece of West Virginia land in 1775. Unfortunately, they had no idea it was actually a Native American burial ground, and local natives were upset by their arrival.

  One day in August 1783, Mitchell Clay left the farm to hunt while his two sons, Bartley and Ezekial, built a fence and one daughter, Tabitha, washed laundry. A small group of Shawnee ambushed the two boys, shot Bartley dead, and stabbed Clay's daughter to death when she tried to run toward the house.

  Clay's wife escaped by running with the remaining children to a neighbor several miles away. With no one left to attack, the Shawnee headed home with Clay's other son, Ezekial, as their captive, later burning him alive at the stake. Clay returned to find his family either massacred or missing, and vowed revenge on the Shawnee. 
• 

  (#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.
• 

  (#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.
• 

  (#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.
• 

  (#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. 
• 

  (#9) Conley T. Snidow Was Unaware Of The Land's Bloody History When He Opened The Park In 1926

  Conley T. Snidow had no knowledge of the many tragic events when he purchased the land where the Clay farm once stood. Snidow opened Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in 1926, and the site quickly became a favorite destination for many local coal miners and their families.

  The park featured Wild West shows and a pond where guests could ride down water slides and rent a bathing suit for 15 cents. Additionally, the park gained a dance hall and carnival rides in the 1950s, attracting even bigger crowds.

  More and more people came to play, and the park's success looked like a sure thing. However, when people began dying there, visitors had understandably less desire to patronize the park. After operating for 40 years, Lake Shawnee shut down in 1966, after as many as six people died on park attractions.
• 

  (#10) Gaylord White Reopened Lake Shawnee In 1985, But He Was Forced To Shut It Three Years Later

  The land sat empty for years after the park closed. In 1985, however, a man who was once employed there purchased it. Gaylord White was inspired to fix up and reopen the park, adding paddle boats, an entertainment stage for musical acts, and bumper cars.

  Unfortunately, his resurrection of Lake Shawnee Amusement Park only lasted three years, and it was forced to close, thanks to low attendance and high insurance rates. During the time the park was open, strange sights and sounds occurred, possibly adding to the lack of visitors.

  Attractions such as the swings and Ferris wheel were left standing and are a creepy visual reminder of the park's dark history. The White family still owns the land and occasionally gives tours, allows paranormal researchers to visit, and holds special events for Halloween.

New Random Displays    Display All By Ranking