America wasn't always the haunted nation we know and fear today. No, there was a time when this land's soul was pure as driven snow, Then the Europeans people came, and now we have ghosts. Thanks a lot, Europe.

This is the story of Nelly Butler, the first ghost ever seen in America. Come for the ghost, stay for: 101 best cow jokes; the Stineverse; who remembers how to subtract?; probably conjunctivitis; January field stuff; Bell witch vibes; and some incredible metamorphosis that I should know about.

Sources:

• https://newengland.com/yankee/history/americas-first-ghost/
• https://www.americanghostwalks.com/articles/nelly-butler-maine-ghost-story
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York,_Maine
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_on_York_(1692)

You know Bobby Mackey, right? Country billboard chart-topper Bobby Mackey? No? Well, you like Pepsi, right? So maybe you know his whole deal. Anyway, he's not the ghost, so why are we even talking about this?

This is the story of Bobby Mackey's Music World. Come for the ghosts, stay for: I just want a Cobb salad; ghost boosters; I don’t think this is legally binding; ambitious dental students; if we keep going we’re gonna hit teeth; I’m so thirsty after all of this slaughtering; viscera wells; and Elmer Fudpucker’s river mud records.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Mackey%27s_Music_World
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Mackey
• https://www.travelchannel.com/shows/ghost-adventures/articles/bobby-mackeys-haunted-history
• https://bittersoutherner.com/honky-tonk-haints
• https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2019-08-02/newport-kentucky-las-vegas-gambling-big-name-stars-mob

It's Germany. Early 1800s. Blink. Now it's New York. Later 1800s. No overlap. Go to sleep. Wake up. The worlds have collided. There are bricks. There are ghosts. What is happening? No one knows. Was that a hitman? Spooky.

This is the story of the Kreischer Mansion. Come for the ghosts, stay for: cat spikes; a big ol' glass of Four Roses; anything is possible at patrick-dot-com; the snow witch; what if the Beatles were just a different shade of blue?; a Wile E. Coyote trap in every room; feed the poor bricks; love a good pig man; and the McKelvey supercut.

Sources:

• https://www.realestatesiny.com/balthasar-kreischer.php
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_New_York
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8183096/balthasar-kreischer
• https://medium.com/@dannymule/the-murder-of-the-kreischer-mansion-staten-islands-darkest-tale-e87791d8935e
• https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-york-tribune-edward-kreischer-death/8446113/?locale=en-US
• https://theghostinmymachine.com/2022/12/12/haunted-road-trip-kreischer-mansion-cursed-halls-staten-island-new-york/
• https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/kreischer-mansion
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kreischer_House

Clayton got distracted this week, so it's Audio Editor Jeremy to the rescue! He brought us a story that's going to just absolutely thrill the engineer in your family. Also, there are ghosts.

This is the story of the haunted Hoosac Tunnel. Come for the ghosts, stay for: bacon defense contracting; Timothee unlookalike; does Jeremy have the Internet?; big ol’ peeper; an afront to God; that’s West Virginia’s problem now; and call Jerry Bruckheimer.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoosac_Tunnel
• https://www.mininghistoryassociation.org/Journal/MHJ-v1-1994-Chaky.pdf
• https://storyland.coplacdigital.org/mcla/death/deaths-in-the-hoosac-tunnel/
• https://www.berkshireeagle.com/history/days-gone-by-images-of-the-hoosac-tunnel-from-the-eagle-archives/collection_a18ccc28-397a-11eb-9ff2-83b8883596d3.html#anchor_item_39
• https://obscurevermont.com/the-bloody-pit/
• https://museumhack.com/haunted-hoosac-tunnel/
• https://theberkshireedge.com/connections-the-hoosac-tunnel/
• https://www.american-rails.com/hoosac.html
• http://photos.modelrails.net/s/?p=197219
• https://www.constructionequipment.com/topical/historical-equipment/article/10755034/the-first-percussion-drill

It's that special time of year when Patrick digs out his Clayton Smith costume and takes over host duties for a very special episode of Is This a Ghost! This year, he's back with two haunts and a flaunt--or, in other words, two truths and a lie. Is this the year Clayton correctly guesses which story is made up? The suspense is killing us!

This is the 2024 Halloween Spooktacular. Come for the ghosts, stay for: The devil’s second base; the Yellow Pages are long dead; very spitty; I don’t need a drop of context; this is invoices; the sweet honeymoon of Reconstruction; famously disagreeable sisters; thank you, fire; I think it’s just chlamydia; toast Jesus; and maybe this is the door from Lost.

This is a ghost story of heartbreak, kinda, but not the kind of heartbreak you feel sad about. More like the kind of heartbreak that the guy deserved 'cause he was a real ninnymuggins about stuff.

This is the story of Louis de Buade de Frontenac. Come for the ghost, stay for: skeleton jammies; Sephiroth, what a scamp; constant laundry; the world's richest baby; jeans with hammer loops; the My Girl generation; and the gamey box.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_de_Buade_de_Frontenac
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-de-Buade-comte-de-Frontenac-et-de-Palluau
• https://npicommercial.com/blog/posts/haunted-places-series-fairmont-le-chteau-frontenac
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_Frontenac

We have a bit of an axe to grind about this hack job of an episode, but we're cut pretty short on time, so chop chop.

This is the story of the Lizzie Borden House. Come for the ghosts, stay for: All dial-up on the inside; killer coffins; penurious and injurious; I do want you to take the blood out; mutton in the cabinet; if the hatchet don’t fit; wood blood everywhere.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizzie_Borden
• https://lizzieandrewborden.com/HatchetOnline/a-fresh-look-at-the-character-of-andrew-borden.html
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9570219/sarah_anthony-borden
• https://lizziebordenwarpsandwefts.com/2022/03/25/the-day-sarah-died-march-26-1863
• https://lizziebordenwarpsandwefts.com/the-four-wives-of-lawdwick-borden/

If you're one of those listeners who love our tangets, then you're going to absolutely wet yourself over this episode. If you're one of the folks on Spotify who complains VERY vocally about how we don't stay on track, well...maybe sit this one out?

This is the story of the Caribou Hotel. Come for the ghosts, stay for: America's hat; San Francisco, ghost town; they use mice; the Klondike Gold Ease; ITAG at the toe; the Anderson hotel, sponsored by Coca-Cola; and a too-helpful ghost.

If you want to give in to Clayton's shameless plug, you can buy his books on Amazon, or at https://stateofclayton.com/

Sources:

• https://www.caribouhotel.ca/pages/history.php
• https://yukonnuggets.com/stories/ghost-on-the-third-floor-caribou-hotel-in-carcross
• https://superstitioustimes.com/carcross-caribou-hotel-has-deep-veins-of-klondike-history-ghost-lore/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klondike_Gold_Rush
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawson_Charlie#:~:text=He%20died%20in%20Carcross%2C%20Yukon,and%20Yukon%20Route%20railway%20bridge
• https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/cape-codder/2019/01/27/ask-bird-folks-polly-s/6186158007
• https://destinationcarcross.ca/project/the-caribou-hotel/#:~:text=Bessie%20Gideon%20died%20in%201933,and%20adding%20bubbles%20to%20baths

Don't worry, y'all. We can use the "H" word. It's our culture.

This is the story of the Honky Chateau. Come for the ghosts, stay for: Pulled a real Lenny on that goat; Madame Guillotiine; I would like to buy 30 tiny beds; a weak, sad boy; into the smushery with you; Booty Duty 2 through 4; I'm in incognito mode.

If you think this one's fun, you should see what we've got over at Ghost+!

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_d%27H%C3%A9rouville
• https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/chateau-dherouville-french-mansion-van-gogh-david-bowie/
• https://www.messynessychic.com/2023/08/31/forget-versailles-tune-into-the-forgotten-chateau-that-became-frances-abbey-road/
• https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/aug/04/honky-chateau-recording-studio-for-sale
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35152716
• https://stewross.com/honky-chateau/
• https://reverb.com/news/le-chateau-dherouville-un-studio-mythique
• https://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz/petrified-elton-john-filmed-ghosts-30956219
• https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/elton-john-left-petrified-after-30962120

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Chopin
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Sand
• https://interlude.hk/frederic-chopin-and-george-sand-the-real-story-behind-their-relationship
• https://justbackdated.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-chateau-dherounville-robin-gibb.html

Get ready to bust a stitch over this star-spangled spectre! Cotent warning: This one gets a little flag-sexy.

This is the story of Betsy Ross. Come for the ghost, stay for: Just like dad’s toes; Limericists; We'll get a Sarah for you; Potato smell; The best way to hide from ghosts; I am base; Dril tweets; Maybe don't tell your friends about this one.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betsy_Ross
• https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/betsy-ross
• https://www.travelchannel.com/interests/haunted/articles/historic-us-ghosts