Ghosts That Won’t Go Away

by Robert Hanaford Smith, Sr.
Weirs Times Contributing Writer

Somehow what has long been called a hallowed evening, Halloween, was long ago turned into something opposite, something intended to be scary, spooky, and attended by ghosts and witches.
Moreover, be it Halloween or any other time of the year, there are those who have ghosts on their minds and either perceive that they see or hear them, hunt them, or pretend that they are them.
Witches seem to be easier to get rid of, while ghosts are often thought to be reluctant to move to a different location. There seem to be plenty of New Hampshire legends about both, some that go back to colonial days.
The ghost story I am about to pass on is said to be a true story and is one of the believable ones.
It took place in the town of Thornton, NH, and involves a young man who was courting a young lady who lived in what was called the settlement of Mad River.
I know not how many generations have repeated the story, so there may be variations depending on the source, but my information comes from a story teller of the year 1911, George Waldo Browne, who said he heard the account from William C. Walker or “Uncle Billy”, as all his friends called him.
The young man was Dick Dustin who was employed by the town’s tavern proprietor, one Moody Elliot. The girl, whose name was not revealed, lived miles away from Dick Dustin, for the Mad River settlement was in a remote area, but to the young man in love it was said “love’s miles are short.”
Dick would frequently visit the girl he was so enamored with in the evening and return to the Thornton tavern late at night, riding on his horse. His employer, Mr. Elliot suggested to a friend of his that they give young Dick a surprise by meeting him on the route he used to return from an evening with his sweetheart on the premise it might help to keep him awake. The place that Moody Elliot and his friend, Tilston Blaisdell, chose to surprise Dick was a spooky location called “The Valley of Contempt.”
Tilston had taken the sheet off of his bed and put it around his not so slim body and his appearance was said to have been so weird that his companion in mischief, the innkeeper, could hardly keep from shivering when he looked at him. The plan was to flash a lantern, which they concealed with a thick blanket, in front of Dick and then ring a cowbell as the “ghost” appeared in front of him.
And so, with their plan in place, the two men waited, and waited, and waited some more. The hoot of an owl and other sounds of the night would occasionally break the silence as the long wait continued. To quote Mr. Browne: “He in ghostly attire muttered something under his breath that proved he was a ghost of a very depraved mind.”

But finally at about two o’clock in the morning the now sleepy pair were alerted by the sound of an approaching horse. As the inn-keeper was telling his friend Tilt that he thought Dick was asleep on his horse, but the horse suddenly was alerted to their presence and snorted which woke Dick. The figure clothed in white suddenly appeared in front of him and shouted “I am the devil, and I’ve come for you!”
The scared rider, in desperation, swung a large cotton umbrella he was carrying at the “ghost” which frightened the horse which started running which caused the umbrella to open and kind of envelop Dick before it fluttered off into the air. The horse continued running with Dick yelling “whoa!!,whoa!!” The “ghost” ended up rolling on the ground with the innkeeper holding the lamp and trying to figure out what had just happened.
They all eventually returned to their starting place and after a few days Dick Dustin shared his fearful encounter with the ghost with others in town, believing that Tilston really was a ghost. Though the two mischief makers later confessed their part in the incidence, it is said that people seemed to prefer to accept Dick’s account and the enjoyment found in repeating it. The Valley of Contempt, since that night, has been known as Ghost Hollow.

The Old Center Cemetery in Andover, New Hampshire has been classified as one of the fifty creepiest burial grounds in the world, supposedly haunted by ghosts.
The two that are particularly mentioned include a woman who allegedly stands in the back left corner of the cemetery at night and usually motions with her right hand for people to come in, though sometimes she uses both hands to beckon; however, if one enters the burial grounds, she disappears. She has long hair and a long robe that moves as if blown by the wind even if the air is still.
The other Old Center Cemetery resident ghost has a name, Ben Hargrove. He was apparently an odd acting man who lived in Andover who was reported to have made some sort of agreement with the devil.
One night his house appeared to be on fire, but on approaching the house someone discovered it was just filled with a strange orange light, and on looking through the window discovered Ben signing that pact with the devil.
Then Ben left town for a week on a gambling trip. He returned as a very sick man and arriving at the close of a town meeting went from one town person to another asking them to take him in. All refused to do so,and Ben ran towards the church and suddenly vanished.
Some say he burned to death because his ashes were found and were buried outside the cemetery walls. Others say he was found dead in his bed the next morning and his body was buried outside the cemetery walls.
His ghost is supposedly seen on occasion standing outside the cemetery walls, usually near the road, engaged in various activities.
I visited the Old Center cemetery on a cloudy, showery day recently armed with my camera, but I didn’t see any ghosts. There was a partly empty bottle of water placed into the side of the stone wall that maybe had been left in case the spirits got thirsty. I had been warned that the interior of the place contained sandy soil that I was apt to sink into, so I was surprised to find it mostly grassy and firm enough to hold me above ground.
I’m not a ghost-hunter, but I might make a second visit some night just to find out if this famous for spooks cemetery seems any different to me than the same as other old cemeteries feeling I had on my first visit.
I have also read a warning to stay away at night, though that far left hand corner appeared to have a nice level, grassy area, inviting enough for a day time picnic in the shade of the large pine tree, or for taking in the nighttime sounds and sights illuminated by the moon while meditating on the Biblical instruction concerning the destination of the spirits of mankind.