Every October, the Shenandoah Valley’s ghost stories get passed around like family recipes. They are warmed over, adjusted a little each time, and nobody can say for certain who made them first.
This year we went looking for the first batch.
Starting today and running through Halloween, we will publish one ghost story a day. Five days. Five stories. Each comes from a different corner of the Shenandoah Valley, and each has been worked over by a reporter with a stack of old newspapers.
Ground Rules for the Dark
The stories follow a few rules we set for ourselves.
We went to the records first: archives, deeds, newspapers, the people who care for these places. Where a legend holds up, we say so. Where it falls apart, we say that too, and we think the truth tends to make the better tale. Nobody is trying to frighten you out of your wits. We would like to leave you with a good story.
You will also find practical details. If a story points you toward something you can see for yourself, we will tell you where it is and when. Check the dates and call ahead if possible. Ghosts keep odd hours, and so do the places they “live” in.
Something New Every Day Until the Last Night
We are not going to tell you where we are headed, whom we met, or which story comes first, last or somewhere in the middle.
A ghost story works best when you do not know what is behind the door.
The easiest way to keep up is to subscribe, so each story reaches your inbox the day it runs.