In the mid to late 1800's, The Fox Sisters started speaking to the dead. From people that were murdered and buried under their house to the devil himself, which they called "Mr. Splitfoot".
After convincing their town of this mystical power, they went on to make a lot of money, touring the US and showing everyone that they had the power to speak to the spirits. As time went on, they started performing the first seances that involved floating tables and other paranormal activities, even in front of crowds of people and skeptics trying to find how the sisters were fabricating these ghostly communications.