Published: October 02, 2008 10:49 am            

BOOK REVIEW: Author examines haunted Niagara in ‘Spirits and Death’

Names like Devil’s Hole and the Maid of the Mist might infer otherworldly origins, but many locals don’t even ponder where these names came from.

As Halloween creeps closer, a new book examines the ghostly stories behind these and more than 50 other spirit hotspots on both sides of the border in the Niagara Frontier.

In “Spirits and Death in Niagara,” Canadian author Marcy Italiano examines haunted structures, spirit guides, failed daredevils and other lethal tales across the region in a quick fashion, if one that is hard to read at times.

Part one of the book delves into the many spirits that are said to live in this area, such as William Morgan, a ghost who’s said to occupy the Frontier House in Lewiston. Believed to have been killed in the house by Masons in 1826 (it served as a Masonic Temple in the 19th century), his ghost was said to have spooked staffers and diners alike at the McDonald’s that occupied the building late in the 20th century.

Then there’s the story of the newlywed couple that got married at Elmlawn Church in the Town of Tonawanda. While exiting the church, a runaway carriage ran over and killed the bride, whose ghost is seen to this day wandering the street at night.

Or there’s the haunted building at Niagara University. A victim of fire multiple times, Clet Hall has had several students die in those blazes, the ghost of one of whom is said to roam the halls of the building in present day.

As for Devil’s Hole and the Maid of the Mist, both owe their names to legends held onto by the Native Americans who used to occupy this region. Try to guess which one had the more negative origin.

Parts two and three focus on those who have died at the hand of the water, either by choice or accident. One fascinatingly tragic tale is of Robert Overacker, a daredevil who tried to go over the falls on a jet ski with a rocket and parachute attached to his person to propel him to safety. The rocket was securely fastened but the parachute wasn’t, so he plummeted some 180 feet to his death with the safety device slowly floating behind him.

This book has plenty of material that should be of particular interest to local readers — including a lot of hauntings in southern Ontario, such an inn in Niagara-on-the-Lake where a Canadian soldier was said to have died at the hand of U.S. forces while hiding in a barrel in the ladies room. In that regard, “Spirits and Death” should scare up more than enough reasons for locals to read it.

If not for that, though, the book might be a tougher sell. Italiano’s writing style is effective but simplistic at times, with poor grammar and punctuation found throughout the text.

While Italiano clearly did her research and followed that up with visits to many of the places she mentioned, too much of the book is devoted to her personal observations and travel tips. This information is useful, but it is out of place in a book that’s supposed to linger on the “dark side” of this region and should have been cut out.

This book has some historical significance and is entertaining enough to even hold the attention of skeptics in the “great beyond”— as long as you can get past the imperfections that, unlike some of the material the author cited, are nearly impossible not to see.

Contact editor Paul Lane at 693-1000, ext. 116.



IF YOU READ

WHAT: “Spirits and Death in Niagara”

BY: Marcy Italiano

DETAILS: Published by Schiffer Publishing, 224 pages

GRADE: B-

        

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