Dark tourism enthusiast Brocarde visited Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in West Virginia, describing the abandoned site as having an atmosphere unlike anywhere she has ever been. The park, which closed permanently in the 1980s, is now a hotspot for paranormal investigators.
A history of tragedy
Lake Shawnee opened in 1926 with swimming areas, cabins, concession stands, swings and family attractions. By the 1950s, a series of fatal accidents gave rise to local legends that the land was cursed. A young girl was killed when a delivery lorry reversing towards a concession stand struck her. A young boy drowned in the lake after his hand became trapped in a drain.
Locals claim that three boys drowned in the pool over the years, and that six children lost their lives at the site in total. The park closed in 1966 and remained abandoned until the 1980s, when local man Gaylord White bought the property. He purchased the Ferris wheel that still stands today, and located a swing ride whose serial number matched the original swings from the park's opening. The swings visitors see today are believed to be the same ones on which the young girl lost her life.
Paranormal claims
One swing is marked with a red ribbon. Visitors leave toys, trinkets and small offerings in her memory, and some hope the tributes will ward off unwanted paranormal activity. Many people claim they've witnessed her swing gently rocking back and forth on its own while every other seat remains perfectly still.
The nine-year-old boy who drowned is said to be the site's unofficial caretaker. His apparition has reportedly been seen near the old blue ticket booth beside the pool. Visitors also claim he likes to attract attention by spinning a small white pinwheel, even on completely still days.
Native American remains and frontier conflicts
Gaylord White's attempt to revive the park enjoyed only brief success. After just a few years, rising insurance costs and mounting overheads forced the attraction to close permanently once again. As the White family began excavating parts of the land, they unearthed bracelets, ancient tools and human bones. More than 3,000 Native American artefacts and remains, believed to belong to the Shawnee people, were reportedly discovered in mass burial sites across the property.
Archaeologists from a local university revealed that some of the earliest English settlers had also died on this land during violent frontier conflicts in the late 18th century. Mitchell Clay and his wife, Phoebe, had settled on the site. In 1783, during conflict with the Shawnee, two of their children, Tabitha and Bartley, were killed there. Mitchell later tracked the group into what is now Ohio, where he found his third child, Ezekiel, who had also been killed. All three children were eventually buried on the property, and a memorial now marks the location.
Brocarde said she couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching her, and more than once found herself instinctively looking over her shoulder. She advises visitors to take a moment to stop, look around and reflect on the history beneath their feet.
