Cynthiana Ghost Walk

Date: 2005 [unknown]
Location: Harrison County, Kentucky, United States

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Contents 1 The Cynthiana Ghost Walk 1.1 Stops on the tour 2 Research Notes and Page Updates 3 Sources

The Cynthiana Ghost Walk

HCKYOPS 2022 Halloween Project - Haunted History of Harrison County, Kentucky

In 2005 the historic Rohs Opera House in Cynthiana, Kentucky began conducting a ghost-walk tour of downtown during October of each year. The tour highlights local tales of hauntings in the area. As is often the case in rural communities, nearly everyone is a cousin, an in-law, a cousin's in-law, or an in-law's cousin. For those of us with a genealogical perspective, the question is always:

The Harrison County, Kentucky One Place Study is attempting to answer that question by creating and connecting profiles of the citizens highlighted in The Cynthiana Ghost Walk to WikiTree. If you know of other tragic tales or have further information to provide on these families, feel free to make edits and additions, or contact the page manager.

Stops on the tour

(as of 2021)

• Pike Street: A reputed cold spot exists where Harry Bailey was shot by Newt Arnold in 1913.
  • Newspapers.com query for articles

• The courthouse and clock tower: During the Civil War, Adjutant Edmund Wood hid in the clock tower during a battle in Cynthiana and gave a first-hand account of many tragic deaths that occurred in the vicinity. The primary tower ghost has long been referred to as Luther by local residents, though other sources say his name is Fredrick or Franklin. He has not as yet been identified as a historical person.
  • Courier Journal article
  • Fox56 News article

• The old jail building: not necessarily haunted itself, this stop on the tour discusses the conviction and execution of David Sheely for the murder of his wife Nancy (Maynor) Sheely in 1847. His ghost is said to roam the surrounding countryside.
  • Newspapers.com query for articles
  • LOC article

• The oldest building in Cynthiana, built in 1790. At one time was occupied by Dr. James and Elizabeth McPheters (Newspapers.com article). At one time was a local radio station (haunted places website). Reputed to have several ghosts; none identified as yet.

Here lies the innocent though persecuted Margaret Goudy

• The Goudy house: though there are no reports of the house itself being haunted, Margaret Goudy's headstone in the Old Cynthiana Graveyard is purportedly visited by a wailing spirit.

• The Hamilton Hotel ( built in 1812): said to be haunted by a 13-year-old boy from Covington, Kentucky who died there in 1893. His identity has not yet been determined.

• The Seldon Renaker house: said to be haunted, possibly by the ghost of his son, Chapman Renaker, who was shot nearby by Walter Price and died there on Halloween in 1911. Walter's younger brother Bryan Price was also killed in the incident.
  • Newspapers.com query for articles

• The Rohs Opera House: said to be the oldest and most haunted theatre in Kentucky. The identities of any ghosts in residence have not yet been discovered.

Research Notes and Page Updates

• This project is in its early stages - FamilySearch profiles, Newspapers.com queries ($), or FindAGrave memorials are linked where WikiTree profiles have not yet been created (for research purposes). Currently under research: Margaret Goudy, the Renaker and Price families, and David Sheely.
• Future plan for several photo additions.
• Interesting, but not scary: (Chris O'Donnell is the grandson and great-grandson of the original Rohs Opera House owners.)

Sources

• Price / Renaker news stories
  • Price/Renaker shooting: Lexington Leader (Lexington KY) Wed 1 Nov 1911; p. 1, cols.4-5: accessed via Newspapers.com clipping 20 Oct 2022.