Haunted Owensboro, Kentucky Checking Out the Real Ghost And Haunted Hotspots And Photos

Confederate Monument in Owensboro Ghost Photo sent to us from Dale Kendall Photo taken August 2009 Owensboro, Kentucky.

by CHRIS WALKER

The Ghost of the Hangman's tree!

Many Paranormal experts, Ghost Groups and the just plain curious are flocking to this little Kentucky town and of course it's because it's haunted! Sure taking the local ghost tour might be fun but if you want to find the real ghosts and don't mind exploring in search of real ghosts and hauntings that will certainly take you off the beaten track.

Rainey Bethea

The last person to be publicly executed in America. Born ca. 1909-1913 in Roanoke, Virginia, Bethea, a young African-American, moved to Owensboro, Kentucky, in order to find work in the tobacco fields. Local police charged him with various petty offenses, but in 1935, he was convicted of stealing a purse and sentenced to two years in the Kentucky State Penitentiary.

While on parole, he committed the crime that led to his execution. On June 8, 1936, while intoxicated, he crawled up an awning and entered the home of Mrs. Lischia Edwards, who rented an upstairs bedroom at the corner of Fifth and Crittenden Streets. Bethea opened her second-story window and crawled into her bedroom, where he robbed her of jewelry, raped her, and strangled her to death.

In 1936, Kentucky law permitted juries to sentence defendants convicted of rape to death by public hanging, to be performed by the county sheriff. The prosecutor charged him only with rape (not murder, robbery, burglary, or theft) in order to avoid the legal question of whether Bethea would die by hanging or electrocution, which was Kentucky’s method of execution for all other death-eligible crimes.

The case drew national attention because the Sheriff of Daviess County was Mrs. Florence Thompson, who had succeeded her husband in office after he died unexpectedly of pneumonia in April of 1936. Journalists from across the country converged on Owensboro on August 14, 1936, expecting to report that the first woman in United States history had hanged a man. Thompson, however, had secretly made arrangements with Arthur Hash, a former Louisville police officer, to spring the trap door on the gallows.

Disappointed, journalists reported that the hanging was a Roman Holiday, with a carnival-like atmosphere. Numerous eyewitnesses, however, dispute the newspaper accounts and state that those present at the hanging were transfixed by the solemnity of the moment. Embarrassed by the news reports, the Kentucky General Assembly abolished public hangings in 1938, making the Bethea hanging the last public execution in America.

The case is not an example of a racially-motivated railroading because the evidence against Bethea was substantial. Bethea left a celluloid ring and fingerprints which police traced to him. During his five confessions, he told police where he had hidden the jewelry he stole from Edwards in a barn, and officers found the jewelry there. Police also found the victim's blood in his pubic area and underwear, obtained during the violent rape.

His ghost is also said to only haunt the Rosehill Elmwood Cemetery Owensboro Daviess County Kentucky, USA.

Many ghost photos of him often surface but none have been verified as real. The cemetery and Trinity Episcopal Church the only Haunted spot where the ghosts of Rainey Bethea is reported witnessed and encountered. Many say his ghosts is seen kneeling in prayer and weeping loudly.

 

Owensboro was first settled in the 1790s by frontiersman William "Bill" Smeathers, for which the park on the riverfront is named, as well a Kentucky Historical Marker # 744 has also been erected in his honor at the park. this spot is said by many to very haunted by the ghosts of the civil war. The settlement was called Yellow Banks, an allusion to the color of the banks of the Ohio River. In 1817, Yellow Banks was incorporated as a city under the name Owensborough, named after Colonel Abraham Owen (who is also the namesake of Owen County, Kentucky). In 1893, the name was shortened to its present spelling of Owensboro. It is also known as the "Barbecue Capital of the World"! And the actual ghosts of Colonel Abraham Owen is said to often be photographed as well has made some notable statements on collected EVP's about what the city has become. Located on the banks of the Ohio River, Owensboro is Kentucky's third-largest city. Owensboro is called a festival city, with over 20 annual community celebrations that attract visitors from around the country and around the world. From barbecue to bluegrass, from fine arts to fine dining, from convention center business to the business of having fun, you will find it here. And Many ghost stories and active haunting's are said to be happening all the time. On August 14, 1936, downtown Owensboro became the site of the last public hanging in the United States. Rainey Bethea was executed for the rape of 70-year-old Lischa Edwards, who was also murdered. He had confessed to her strangling but the Commonwealth indicted him only on the rape charge since that was the only capital crime for which the penalty was hanging. And many say his is one of the many ghost still haunts the Downtown area to this very day. though his actual ghost sis only found and talked of in reality haunting a local church where his strange ghost image is often photographed and encountered. Above ghost photo from Owensboro sent to us by H. Graft. Owensboro Haunts and Ghost Davies County Public library - Is said to be haunted by more then one ghosts. Many locals tell tales of a woman's ghost that is said to be heard singing or crying inside the building. You know she is around when you smell the scent of lavender filling the air. There is also the story of a ghostly tall man in a wide brimmed hat that is said to walk past the windows at night. And a scary specter of an impish boy who is said to pinch women of all ages on their bottoms and kick men in the shins. The later haunting is not just confined to the inside of the building. You know when they're around and are following you say many of the locals, because batteries in cell phones and cameras seem to drain instantly. Some local Owensboro Haunted hotspots I have found or just urban legends though the local ghost tour tries to make them sound something more then what they really are.   Owensboro, Kentucky ghost image   The Moving Wall Display A compiled list of Owensboro's historic very real Haunted Hot Spots: Breidenbach Building Is said to be haunted by no less then 10 ghosts. Callas Sweet Shop said to be very haunted by the ghost of a headless woman and a crying child. Camden Riley House A home with a haunting that no one dares to divulge the true story. Carnegie Free Public Library (DAOB 41) Believed to be haunted by the ghosts of a crazy man. Confederate Monument in Owensboro Many have reported capturing strange ghost photos and EVP's at this spot on a daily basis. D. D. Bogard House This house is said to be haunted by 5 real ghosts. Doctors' Row Historic District This area is believed to be the most haunted hotspot in the city but yet the ghosts tend to only haunt individuals they do not like. Federal Building and US Post Office-Owensboro Said to be haunted by a dead custodian. Felix Grimes House Haunted by the ghost of a little girl that is said to tug on the clothes of individuals as they walk past. George and Sons Mischel Building This is one of the most haunted buildings in the city of Owensboro. Many ghost photos happen here all the time. Gillim House Many believe the ghost of the former owner haunts the doorway and is often heard on EVP's. Owensboro, KY : Memorial ghost photo   Haphazard on Pleasant Valley Rd is what many believe is the most haunted spot in town. Howell J. Davis House One of the ghosts here is thought to be that of the actual owner. He is often encountered in the middle of the day. J. Z. Moore Historic District is a very haunted area and often the talk of many ghost investigators. James J. Sweeney House a very haunted ghost filled location where ghost photos happen daily when photographing the building. Le Vega Clements House Haunted is a word that does not begin to describe the paranormal activity that occurs here. Maj. Hampden Smith House a very haunted house and thought to be the most haunted in the area. McKay-Thornberry House a home where the living and the dead often meet eye to eye. Medley House a haunted house with a reputation that scares the locals so much no one is willing to speak of it openly. Monarch-Payne House this haunted house is a must see to believe! Moorman House A home that is said to have more paranormal activity occurring then what is reported. Odd Fellows Building Haunted by the ghosts of a man that killed himself on the front doorstep. Many say they see his ghosts or hear him moan. Owensboro Armory is a location that paranormal activity has been reported for many years. from strange lights in the night to moving items and strange sounds in the dark. Owensboro Historic Commercial District Is a very haunted area though it's main ghost is that of a women named Meg who has been known to slap people if they get to close to where she haunts. Owensboro Historic Downtown Is said and thought to be very haunted though some might argue the point saying only two specific ghosts haunt the area. One is of a large black cat that prowls the night looking for souls to steal for the devil. And the other of a lost child that is often seen begging for help. Often the area is said to be the home to a a real vampire or two or a roaming ghost that terryifies all that encounter him simply called the Owensboro Shadowman. Commercial District the ghost of Harold is said to haunt this very real haunted hotspot. He is a mischievous ghosts and is known to slap women on the butt. Phillip's Court District the ghost of a man is often seen running past you as you head towards the building. Rosehill Elmwood Cemetery is said to be very haunted and the bestplace to see and discover real ghosts. Rosehill Elmwood Cemetery ghost photo sent to us by Kathy Sellers. St. Joseph Church Haunted by the ghost of the lady in red. Many say her spirit is often captured in ghost photos standing outside the front door. Temple Death Israel Haunted by two ghosts that will push on your shoulder to make you leave the location. Trinity Episcopal Church the only Haunted spot where the ghosts of Rainey Bethea is encountered. Many say his ghosts is encountered kneeling in prayer and weeping loudly. Union Station (Owensboro, Kentucky) haunted by the ghosts of Danial. Many say his ghosts is encountered as a living person who vanishes before your eyes. Willow Hill Yewell House haunted by ghosts for many years but these ghosts are friendly. Mount St. Joseph Academy haunted by no less then seven ghosts. The Old Theater Workshop said to be haunted by the ghosts of Mary. Many say this ghosts is the most active and is often seen as a real person. the location is also haunted by a ghost of a man who through paranormal investigations has proven inconclusive. though Mary's ghosts is often encountered on the 15th of each month like clockwork. Thompson and Powell Martyrs Monument Many real strange ghosts photos happen at this location daily. Living peoples faces often become distorted in the photos. Also See: The Top Ten Best Ghost Tours in America To investigate here! Americas' Best Haunted Ghost Tours in the United States. Voted by Reader submissions.