Guide doesn't serve its purpose

by Holly Schreiber
FOR THE POST

The time of year has come again when devout ghost hunters are on the prowl. And Chris Woodyard claims to be the guide.

Woodyard's Ghost Hunters Guide to Haunted Ohio has 24 of some of the most haunted places in Ohio, or so her research claims. She receives her information from anyone who is willing to share a ghost story, and then she inspects the hauntings for herself.

Almost all of the hauntings in Woodyard's book inhabit museums, old homes, libraries, prisons and motels, inns and taverns - the typical places to find ghosts.

Each chapter continues by presenting a brief history of the town and the people, then a history of the hauntings that take place there. Finally, she explains how to visit the sight by giving directions, phone numbers and information about fees. She also adds any non-ghost activities to do in the town, which seem more interesting than the hauntings.

So what are some of these supposed hauntings that are not too far from Athens? The Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati is reported to have five ghosts, according to its workers. The last people to inhabit the home were Annie and Charles Taft. Reportedly Annie and some of her distant relatives still "live" there, but they cause no harm.

Crosskeys Tavern in Chillicothe, again according to its workers, experiences frequent hauntings. This time the hauntings are just by one ghost. But he or she is harmless, only moving objects or making noises.

Also in Chillicothe is the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park that has been mentioned (yes, by its workers) that some strange phenomena take place. But it is the usual moving of objects, or missing objects, and the unexplained noise or "presence."

Some of the "haunt histories" in each chapter do have testimonials of people who have "actually" seen ghosts, but they're not very convincing.

Without the use of visuals, at least good visuals (which Woodyard's book lacks, only containing some poorly shot black and white photos of the haunted places), depicting a haunting is rather difficult, and Woodyard's book proves this.

Woodyard surely will not put a dying interest in readers to visit any of these sights. Especially when she describes them with the common Halloween cliches, "Boo" and "Spooky." Oooh, sounds really "scary."

And she never mentions Athens - once. What's so haunted about Ohio without a mention of Athens?

Don't listen to Woodyard. Stay in Athens for the most "Boo"-ful time.