Upstate SC Hauntings

Upstate South Carolina Hauntings

“Hells Gate”…AKA Oakwood Cemetery Part 2 (last night)

We went to the Oakwood Cemetery again. We went there to find the tanning yards out there.  We ended up just going to the cemetery again.  When we got there I realized I didn’t want to be there. I wasn’t afraid of getting arrested or anything, I just felt like I was being watched. I didn’t like that feeling.  After bitching about being there for a while one of the guys in the group (three of us) decided to walk further into the place. That meant we all had to go…of course.

We stood in one place for a bit telling the third guy with us about some noises we heard the last time we were there.  We kept hearing noises around us in the woods. Not animal noises, and nothing we cold explain.  We heard a “WHOOMP” noise right in front of us at one point. 

After a few minutes of talking and hearing the occasional noise we decided to press on.  The whole time we were walking I kept feeling like there was someone watching us, I always got the feeling from the same place, the middle of the grave yard. We walked to what we now think is one of the oldest parts of the place, the graves had dates from the mid and late 1800’s.  We were still hearing noises all around us.  Some noises came from the woods 20 feet away, others came from right in front of us 3 feet away.

The whole time I was snapping pics with the digi cam.  We didn’t have the voice recorder or the video cam with us so we don’t know if we would have gotten any EVPs or anything like that.  What I do know is that we got a few really great pics of orbs.  I’ve been doing this long enough and done enough tests to tell the difference between orbs and dust.  These pics aren’t dust. 

I have saved the best for last though.  We all know that “spirits” can, and usually do, drain the power from anything you have with you.  Right when we got to the place and parked I reached down for the camera and tried to turn it on.  It wouldn’t come on…It didn’t have any batteries…  So I put some fresh batteries in it, fresh from the pack.  I turned it on again and it worked fine. 

I was taking pics left and right, everything seemed fine.  Until about 20 mins before we left.  All of a sudden I snap a pic and the screen goes blank, the cam completely turned off. No screen, no lit LEDs, nothing. I closed the lens (it has one of those slider things that uncovers the lens and turns it on and off) and opened it back up.  It started up no problem. When I turned it back on the battery meter was green, I look away and look back down, now its red.  I snap another pic a quickly as I can before it dies again.  Flash goes off, I’ve taken a pic, I look at the LCD screen to see it…its blank again.  It went out again.  It did this time and time again…  Even the third wheel that was with Trav and I started to question it.

Of course we took everything into consideration.  The batteries were new, from a fresh new pack.  Usually the batteries will last for a couple of days taking pics left and right, now they are going dead after a half hour of use. We shook the cam to see if there was a bad connection somewhere…nothing made it easier to explain. 

So we smoke a cig before we left, its hard to smoke in Travs car, its too small to move around in to get the ciggs in your pocket.  As we are standing by the car I check the cam once more, it still showed a red flashing battery.  We got in the car and start to drive out.  I held the cam where everyone could see it, that way they wouldn’t be able to say I changed the batteries.  We finally leave the graveyard and I open the lens again, just to check it and see if it really was dead or if something else was going on….right when I open it up the screen comes up, the battery meter is green, and the flash only took 2 secs to charge up…  Our third wheel still didn’t believe me, or understand what I was saying.  He told me to check it a few more times on the way back to the house.  I did, and the batteries are still good.  I could probably take another 80 pics right now before it dies on us…  

I really think that was one of the most amazing things that have ever happened to us.  Now, for once, we had someone with us that doesn’t buy into all this completely speechless and unable to explain what happened.  I think we have finally opened the doors into the paranormal for him.

All in all, I think we had a good investigation.  I started the night not wanting to be there. Although I felt like we were being watched the whole time, I never felt like whatever was watching us meant us harm in any way.  We were hearing things that none of can explain, but all of us heard. I got great pics, I think they are at least. And the camera thing happened.  To me, it is all proof that something happened to us that not a single one of us can explain.  Had all this happened to us in a different place and time we would think differently, but what are the changes of all this happening within the same 45 min time frame?

Happy Hunting,
scghunter@gmail.com

 

Here is the link to a few of the pics I got from this place.  http://s570.photobucket.com/albums/ss145/scghunter/Hellsgate/

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February 8th, 2009

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“Hells Gate”…AKA Oakwood Cemetery

 

The place know as Hells Gate is, from all the research I’ve done, really called Oakwood Cemetery in Spartanburg SC.  I do not know why its called Hells Gate, but everything that I have read and come across leads me to Oakwood.
 
Oakwood cemetery is quite large.  It is by far not the biggest graveyard in the upstate, but its one of the bigger ones.  Reports online say that there is graves that date back to late 1700’s, but I haven’t found them.  Yes, there are a few older sites out there, but nothing that old.
 
My “partner in crime” and I found the place with no problem at all.  Like I said, it’s called Oakwood Cemetery…google it and you will find it.  You can either go through the Converse campus or turn off of the street its on. Either way you choose, you can’t miss it.
 
I’ve been there 3 times so far.  The first time I went we had a large group with us. Too many for a good investigation, but that’s not what this post is about.
 
Upon arriving there we collected ourselves and took a quick inventory of what we had and where we were in case we got lost or separated from the group.  We all finished smoking our cigs and started on our way.  For some reason I was drawn to the outer edge on the opposite side of the housing.  I was walking in front of the whole group and I stopped, I put the camera above my head (around 7.5 feet above ground) and snapped a pic.  When I looked at it there was a white, thick mist sort of thing.  I was in front of everyone, cam was quite a bit off the ground, and no one was smoking since we left the cars.  So that struck me as odd.
 
Later we stated to venture further into the graveyard.  Trav, Jo, and myself left the others behind, they weren’t into it, and we weren’t into them.  At one point we come across a MASSIVE cross.  To me it seemed like a good place to try and communicate.  We tried getting some evp but we ended up getting nothing.  While we were sitting there all three of us saw shadows moving and heard odd noises.  By odd noises I mean noises that I can’t explain.
 
After that we, yet again, went further into the place.  Jo ended up going off in a different direction. While he was alone he said he heard foot steps running toward him, only to turn around and find us about 50 feet away or so. I wasn’t with him so I can’t say if that happened or not.  What I do know is that he isn’t the type that would just say stuff like that for no reason, just to be funny.  Also, this was his first investigation ever, and came with us on quite a few more “haunts”.
 
When we got home I looked at the pics.  There was the mist pic I mentioned earlier and a few more with some great orbs.  As soon as I get off my lazy ass I’ll find a way to post them.
 
Happy hunting,
scghunter@gmail.com

 

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February 7th, 2009

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Duncan Chapel Children’s Graveyard Part 1

The Duncan Chapel graveyard is quite old.  The dates of the head stones are from the late 1800’s.  The youngest headstone I have found has a passing date of 1964.  I have been there many times and have walked away with some really good stuff.
 
The first time I went it was just on a whim.  For some reason a friend and I decided to go ghost hunting for the first time. Not knowing what to expect meant we weren’t very prepared to do anything.  We didn’t have a camera, no voice recorder, no emf or anything like that.  But what we did have was candles and flashlights.  The candles surprisingly came in handy, but not for their intended purpose of light.
 
When we arrived at the grave yard we were not sure of what to expect.  The things we read online were quite promising.  After a few mins of looking for the place we finally found it and entered.  At this point we were both quite scared, but we gathered the courage to proceed.  We stooped at probably the third or fourth head stone and “set up shop”.  I lit two of the three candles and tried to communicate with the spirits.  I asked them to make a noise or to show themselves.  But nothing happened.
 
After a while of getting no where I decided to speak in a more forceful but respectful manner. I said “If there is anyone out here with us blow out the left candle on the count of three.  One…Two…Three.”  As soon as I said three the left candle blows out…with no wind.  
 
This excited my friend and I.  For the first time in our lives we had some sort of spirit communication.  So I decided to press on and see what else I could get. 
 
I lit the third candle.  Now we had three candles lit all in a single file row on top of a head stone. Again I asked them to prove themselves to us. 
 
“If there is anyone out here with us that doesn’t want us here blow out the middle candle”…  All three candles blow out, and then the outer two come back up and the middle candle was the only one that stayed out.  To us, we were just told that we were not welcome here and that someone wanted us to leave.  So we blow out the other candles and hall ass out of there.
 
This was our first experience at the Duncan chapel children’s grave yard.  This experience solidified our belief in the paranormal.  Because of what happened the first time there, we went back many times.  This grave yard became a favorite “haunt” of ours…no pun intended. 
I believe there is a lot of activity at this place.  But I do not feel that there is a bad energy, although I have felt bad feelings up there from time to time, I don’t think the energy is always bad.  I have a feeling of sorrow and loneliness up there.  When you go there you will understand why.
 
This grave yard is the place that time forgot.  There is quite a few grave out there, but it is all over grown with trees and vines.  I’m sure no one that is buried there has had family come up there in decades to visit them.  There are two grave sites that have been dug up, for what reason I don’t know.  Many of the head stones are broken or pushed over.  If you do decide to visit this site please respect the dead. 
 
Location of the Duncan Chapel Children’s Graveyard:
 
If you are familiar with the Greenville area you will know exactly where I’m talking about.  If you are going from Greenville going toward Furman/ TR you will pass a Publix that’s in a shopping center or strip mall.  Go to the parking lot and make your way to the McDonald’s.  Either park at the McD parking lot or somewhere close.  If you are at the Mcd parking lot, look across the street to the gas station. The gas station is called Hickory Point. Now, looking at that gas station start looking to the left of it, following the road.  No more than 50-100 feet from there you will see a small road that almost looks like a small drive way.  Walk across the road and enter from that small road.  DO NOT and I really mean DO NOT drive down the little road in a car, the road is really crappy and you will probably get stuck, an SUV or truck will make it fine though.  As you are walking down the road you will stop at the end, in front of you will be a huge kudzu patch.  Stop there and look to your right. You will see a trail that leads into the woods.  After 10 steps or so you should see your first head stones…congratulations, you are now in the Duncan chapel children’s graveyard.
 
If you need more help in finding the place than that please email me. But first reread what I wrote and try to figure it out for yourself.
 
Happy Hunting,
scghunter@gmail.com

 

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February 6th, 2009

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My Hopes For This Blog

I am quite a fan of ghost hunting. We have all seen the shows like Ghost Hunters International and PRS, but there has never been a show about my hometown of Greenville, SC.  As a matter of fact it seems that the only haunted places in the world are big castles or mental institutions.  But I know that’s not true. I have made it my personal quest to find the haunted places in or around the South Carolina Upstate and report back my findings.
 
Another thing I hope to accomplish with this blog is to take the information online about haunted places and tell you, the reader, where to find them. Also I will be telling you what to look for and what to look out for.
 
I hope this blog will end some of the mystery of where these haunted places are and possibly dispel some of the local legends and myths surrounding some places in Upstate South Carolina.
 
I recently bought a book by Tally Johnson called “Ghosts of the South Carolina Upcountry”, this blog will follow along, somewhat, with the book.  I will be able to give you more details that Mr. Johnson did.  Such as: exactly where to find some of the places he talks about, how not to get arrested, and where to park your car.
 
I hope you will find my information informative and if you ever have any questions feel free to email me at scghunter@gmail.com.
 
Thank you and happy hunting,
scghunter@gmail.com
 

 

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February 5th, 2009

Posted by admin in Upstate SC hauntings, hauntings of upstate south carolina., upstate south carolina hauntings | No Comments »

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