Lecture on Local Paranormal Hotspots in Elliocttville
Lecture on Local Paranormal Hotspots in Ellicottville
Don’t Miss Out on “Legends, Lore, & Ghosts”, October 4th
Fall is officially here! The air is crisp, pumpkins and apples are ready for picking and things are getting a little spooky around Ellicottville… (which is how I would like it all year round, if we’re being honest.) There is a wide variety of autumn adventure to be found around every corner, and the Ellicottville Historical Society is ready to get the ball rolling with their “Legends, Lore & Ghosts of Ellicottville” Lecture with author Amanda Woomer, on October 4th from 7:00-8:30pm.
Did you know that Ellicottville has a number of haunted places? (I would have bet that the 1887 Building was, when I was younger.) This is the perfect opportunity to hear about some of these legends, learn historical facts and enjoy the spooky vibe of the season.
“This lecture is part of a larger series I do all throughout Western New York,” explained Amanda. “I take five haunted locations that are relatively close to the location of the presentation. I then share the history - both haunted and mundane - and then share the legends, lore, and ghost stories surrounding these places, while also trying to debunk and fraudulent claims. These stories all come from my book, A Haunted Atlas of Western New York, which I released in 2019. It features over 130 haunted locations in the Western New York area and includes coordinates to find the locations, contact info, walking tours, driving tours, and even a spooky bucket list to keep track of your travels.”
Her goal is simple: to inspire people to have their own paranormal adventures. “Instead of just watching paranormal television shows and believing everything you see and hear there, why not get up off the couch, head out the door, and explore your local history and find answers to the unknown for yourself?” Amanda said. “As for some of the locations we'll be discussing, I'll be talking about the Ashford Hollow Witch, Wildwood Sanitarium, and Ellicottville's own Hencoop Schoolhouse and Cemetery.”
She didn’t want to give too much away about the lecture, but we did ask if she could share some spooky tidbits with us. “I'll say that the presentation will be filled with local legends and lore, including stories of witches, curses and the ghosts of children playing along Hencoop Hollow Road. We'll be discussing the history behind one of my favorite pieces of local history - Sophia Disch, also known as the Ashford Hollow Witch - and learn how gossip and folklore turned her into something she was not, which happens so often with haunted history.”
Believe it or not, this event is very family friendly. While some of the subject matter may be disturbing to some, it's certainly not too scary for younger children as long as they're interested in this sort of event. Amanda stated, “I’ve done lectures in the past where some of the best questions have come from kids!”
How does one become involved in the paranormal and a project like this? “I had my first paranormal encounter when I was only seven years old and since then I've been fascinated with trying to figure out what it was that I saw in my childhood home,” Amanda explained. “Fast forward to 2015 and I lost my younger brother Jed to pediatric cancer. After that, my innocent curiosity became a desperate need to know what comes next after we die - if anything at all - so I began actively investigating the paranormal and visiting haunted locations. I quickly learned that many locations gate-keep or have a hefty price tag which made me want to find ways to make the paranormal accessible to everyone, which is how the Haunted Atlas came to be. Since then, I've visited schools, libraries and historical societies, sharing our local spooky history in the hopes that others who are wondering what might be next after we die can start to go on their own paranormal journeys to find the answers they're seeking.”
Besides this collaboration with the Ellicottville Historical Society, Amanda is gearing up for her busy season. “October is a wild and crazy month for me! I'll be traveling throughout Western New York - and even into Massachusetts - giving lectures on haunted history. I'm also the curator of The Traveling Museum of Memento Mori which features artifacts from the Victorian mourning period which I'm also taking around the region to various locales.”
If you want to come out for an evening of legends, lore and local ghost stories, be at 2 Washington Street at 7:00pm on October 4th. Copies of Amanda’s A Haunted Atlas of Western New York and her other books will be available for purchase.
For any questions you may have about what you need to bring with you for the lecture or for further information on the event, please direct your calls to 716-699-8415 or email ellicottvillehistoricalsociety@gmail.com.