Book Talk: ‘Haunted Cemeteries of Ohio’ a grave matter

Are all cemeteries haunted? It would seem that if one is, they all are, and that would include those in Ohio.

In “Haunted Cemeteries of Ohio,” E.R. Cutright starts before Ohio’s statehood with a reference to a cemetery in Marietta that contains graves of Revolutionary War soldiers, and then proceeds to the really spooky stuff.

A much-repeated story involves the so-called “Athens Pentagram,” a notorious grouping of five cemeteries that supposedly form a five-pointed star near Ohio University. Their reputation is encouraged by the students who meet to drink and hold ceremonies. Cutright tells of mysterious changes to tombstones and statues, and vandalism.

Many stories can’t be authenticated, but they’re entertaining nonetheless, like rattling coffins, a carved dog that breathes, “phantom hounds with blazing eyes of fire.” More affecting are the stories of drowned children and Civil War prisoners.

A park in Kent called Towner’s Woods includes an ancient burial ground said to be the resting place of a Hopewell princess. Naturally, it is supposed to be haunted. The tiny community of Morges in Carroll County has an equally tiny cemetery attached to a Catholic church and rectory where an exorcism was conducted in the 1860s. Cutright finishes up with the grand Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, whose inhabitants include President James Garfield and John D. Rockefeller.

E.R. Cutright is the founder of Columbus Ghost Tours.

‘Haunted Medina County’

In the acknowledgements of “Haunted Medina County, Ohio,” Medina resident Brandon Massullo thanks Medina County Library for its help with his research. His first chapter is about … Medina County Library.

Massullo doesn’t claim to have seen a ghost while visiting the library, but he reports on several employees who did, presumably that of Franklin Sylvester, original namesake of the library, doubtlessly disgruntled because its name was changed 75 years after its founding.

With so many cafes and restaurants in Medina being located in Victorian buildings, ghostly activity should come as no surprise. The Lady in Blue, the Woman in Black, “Anna,” all occupy their original haunts regardless of turnover of real estate. Sites in Lodi and Sharon Township, and three different “crybaby bridges” round out the tales.

According to the publisher, Brandon Massullo holds graduate degrees in clinical counseling from the University of Toledo and in psychological research from the University of Edinburgh.

“Haunted Cemeteries of Ohio” (160 pages) and “Haunted Medina County, Ohio” (128 pages) each cost $21.99 from History Press.

Events

Cuyahoga County Public Library (North Royalton branch, 5071 Wallings Road): Bill Krejci, author of “Buried Beneath Cleveland: Lost Cemeteries of Cuyahoga County,” presents “Ghosts and Legends of Northern Ohio,” 7 to 8 p.m. Monday. Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.

Masonic Auditorium (3615 Euclid Ave., Cleveland): Jeff Kinney launches “Diary of a Wimpy Kid #17: Diper Överlöde” with a concert, karaoke and trivia games, 5 p.m. Monday. The $7.50 tickets include a signed copy of the book, the day before the official release. Tickets are at masoniccleveland.com.

Hudson Library & Historical Society: Tufts University history professor Chris Miller talks about “Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology” in a Zoom event at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Register at hudsonlibrary.org.

Cuyahoga County Public Library (North Olmsted branch, 27403 Lorain Road): Margaret Nash and Karen Graves discuss “Mad River, Marjorie Rowland, and the Quest for LGBTQ Teachers’ Rights,” 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Register at cuyahogalibary.org.

Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library: Kate Quinn joins the Online Author Talk Series, discussing “The Diamond Eye,” her novel based on a real-life Ukrainian woman named Mila Pavlichenko who becomes a sniper known as “Lady Death” for her prowess in hunting Nazis, 7 p.m. Tuesday. Register at smfpl.org.

Maltz Performing Arts Center (1855 Ansel Road, Cleveland): Barbara Kingsolver (“The Poisonwood Bible”) continues the 2021-2022 William N. Skirball Writers Center Stage Series at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday with her new book “Demon Copperhead.” In-person tickets are $30; streaming tickets are $15. Go to writerscenterstage.org.

Wayne County Public Library (220 W. Liberty St., Wooster): Neil Zurcher kicks off the library’s Anniversary Author Series, talking about “The Best of One Tank Trips” and other books, 2 p.m. Wednesday. At 7 p.m. Thursday, Marcy Campbell appears after the annual Friends of the Library meeting, signing her middle-grade books. At 6 p.m. Friday, Amanda Flower talks about her many books, including Amish romances and mysteries; at 11 a.m. Saturday, Terri Libenson talks about her middle-grade series “Emmie & Friends.” More authors will appear next week. See the names and register at wcpl.org.

Cuyahoga County Public Library (South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch, 1876 S. Green Road, South Euclid): The library’s Writer-in-Residence Abby Collette, who also writes as Abby L. Vandiver, discusses “Soul of a Killer,” latest in her Books & Biscuits mystery series, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Vandiver begins her yearlong series on novel writing with “Ask Abby: Beginnings.” Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.

Cuyahoga County Public Library (Parma-Snow branch, 2121 Snow Road): Cleveland native Celeste Ng (“Little Fires Everywhere”) discusses “Our Missing Hearts,” 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday. The $25 admission includes a copy of the book. Masks are required. Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.

Music Box Supper Club (1148 Main Ave., Cleveland): The Cleveland Stories Dinner Parties series continues with “Halloween Ghost Stories,” featuring Charles Cassady Jr. (“Paranormal Great Lakes”) and William G. Krejci (“Ghosts and Legends of Northern Ohio”), 7 p.m. Thursday. Dinner is $20; the lecture is free. Go to musicboxcle.com.

Cuyahoga County Public Library (Strongsville branch, 18700 Westwood Drive): Shelley Shepard Gray discusses her inspirational romance “Happily Ever Amish,” 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Register at cuyahogalibary.org.

Loganberry Books: Mark Hartman, author of “Chasing Ghosts: A Tour of Our Fascination with Spirits and the Supernatural,” joins the online Peculiar Book Club for its Halloween episode, 7 p.m. Thursday; at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in a Zoom event, Jason Chin, illustrator of the Caldecott Medal-winning “Watercress,” is interviewed by Will McCullam of Northern Ohio Bibliophilic Society. Register at loganberrybooks.com.

Cuyahoga County Public Library (Parma-Powers branch, 6996 Powers Blvd.): Amanda Flower and Colleen Cambridge talk about their latest books, 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.

Mac’s Backs (1820 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights): Poets Caryl Pagel (“Free Clean Fill Dirt”) and Hilary Plum (“Hole Studies”) launch their collections at a reading from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday.

Akron-Summit County Public Library (Kenmore branch, 969 Kenmore Blvd.): Don Ake reads from “Turkey Terror at My Door!,” which includes essays about the closing of Kenmore High School, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Rodman Public Library (215 E. Broadway St., Alliance): Sarah Miller (“The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century”) continues the Fogle Author Series, launching her anticipated “Marmee: A Novel of Little Women,” from the perspective of the March family matriarch, 2 p.m. Saturday. Registration is required; go to rodmanlibrary.com.

Email information about books of local interest, and event notices at least two weeks in advance to BeaconBookTalk@gmail.com and bjnews@thebeaconjournal.com. Barbara McIntyre tweets at @BarbaraMcI.

Book Talk: Gorgeous ‘Sweet in Tooth and Claw’ gives readers hope nature can endure

Book Talk: ‘The Physician’s Daughter’ is fine historical drama

Book Talk: Ohio detective series pursues ‘Wayward Son’

xxxxxxxxxx

Book store:Hudson's The Learned Owl opens used book shop, The Thrifty Owl

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: ‘Haunted Cemeteries of Ohio’ a grave matter