Shackelford Corner Investigations

Tennessee Ghost Hunters has had an ongoing, active investigation at a home in Mount Pleasant, TN. After moving in, the current owner immediately noticed signs of paranormal activity. He called us to investigate and what we found can only be described simply as amazing.

This section of the site contains our own findings and evidence we collected as well as evidence obtained by the property owner, Ed Rider. We have been given permission to share his evidence with you. Please, remember, all files and content is copyrighted and cannot be redistributed without express written permission by its rightful owner.

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Haunted House For Sale!

A few years back, the home owner was considering selling his home. During the time he was considering a move, he wrote an article about his home which appeared in Issue 19 of Paranormal Magazine. His article provides an excellent chronicle of his experiences and history of his haunted home.

Before my Purchase

Several years ago, while shopping the housing market, I stumbled on a true bargain. It was a historic old home in a small town in Tennessee. The home was a rarely found Queen Ann in dire need of attention - which I was ready to provide. Built in 1905, it was angled on the corner of the widest street in the county overlooking what was once a boom town in the late 1800's.

Phosphates had been discovered in many nearby locations causing an influx of entrepreneurs and their families. There were saloons, gambling, wild women and general lawlessness. The old place was the first house north of Main Street and was rumored to have been won in a card game by the family who supplied cement for local roads, bridges and other structures. The family was very successful and wealthy and many descendants still reside in the surrounding areas.

As I entered the old place for the first time, I had a feeling of familiarity overwhelm me as though I had lived here all my life. The house just felt comfortable and smelled of a faded sweet perfume. There, I met the current owner - a sweet, little old lady. Standing about five feet tall, she lived alone in the house. Both of her sons had passed away while she lived here, her month passed away shortly after she purchased the house and recently her husband had left her.

Needless to say, the old home had fallen into disrepair. The roof desperately needed attention as well as the house's electrical wiring and plumbing. Being a frosty 30-degree day in January, it was easy to ascertain the heating and air conditioning were shot. I noticed the poor elderly lady sitting on a small couch near a small space heater; body covered in blankets in an attempt to keep warm. Something told me I had to buy this house. I was wanted.. No, I was needed here.

I immediately dialed a local heating and air conditioning company on my cellular phone. I requested their immediate attention. I instructed them the furnace was to be completely replaced. Though I still hadn't even made an offer on the house, I knew I was in my next home. It was to be my responsibility to care for this old treasure. I returned a few days later with my home inspector to make a formal offer on the place. The same sweet old lady, now sitting in a comfortable 75-degree house, greeted me with a warm, content smile. Earning her approval, I was to be the new caretaker so we discussed how soon I would be able to close the deal and move in.

After Closing

After closing on my new home, a few odds and ends still remained in the house. I agreed to assist the previous owner by helping her move these last few items. She did a very strange thing while we were together. She began to talk to the house addressing it as though it were its own person. She explained to the house who I was and my purpose for being there. She told the house to behave for me. Though at the time I was a little perplexed, only now, two years later, can I fully comprehend her intentions and meaning. There were people in the house, people who had passed on but not crossed over. They had doubts as to where eternity was to be for them so they clung to what they had, a place they knew. They chose to stay in their house, their home.

I cannot help but imagine my reaction if upon awakening, I saw a stranger sleeping in my house, or cooking breakfast. My first instinct would be to demand they leave immediately. I would protect my home at all costs and ensure they left. Now, I am that person they see sleeping and cooking in their home. I would be the intruder in their minds.

Before the lady departed, she did one final, incredible thing. She explained to those inhabiting my new home I was supposed to be here in their house. It was now my responsibility to take care of the home for them and they were to show me respect.

Moving Day

I moved in for my first night's sleep in the old house with my small dog, Weezer - a four pound companion who never leaves my side. The first night was to be spent on a mattress on the dining room floor. As I turned in for the evening, I heard the distinct sound of footsteps running through the rooms upstairs as if a small child had decided to play a game of chase. Weezer obviously heard the pitter-patter of feet too because he perked up and decided to take it upon himself to investigate the source of the sounds. After a few moments, the sounds of a child playing were joined by the sounds of a small dog playing along with him. I heard no barking in fear or anger - just playful running. I eventually fell asleep having had such a busy day moving boxes, but not before making a mental note to contact the previous owner about the night's unexpected visitor.

Soon after that eventful night, I contacted the previous owner who explained the house came with more than just its own unique personality. She began to give me information and stories I would never have expected to hear from this sweet old lady. Being a devout Catholic, I was used to asking for spirits and angels to pray for me. My faith believes in a world between Heaven and Hell where spirits dwell awaiting the final day of judgment. I was no stranger to the idea that spirits could walk among us. Between an eerie feeling of being watched by something just out of eyesight, experiencing doors opening and closing with no assistance, smelling both sickly sweet and rancid odors at different locations and times throughout my home, I was beginning to understand and believe what she was explaining to me... I was not alone.

Be Gone, Spirits

I made a clumsy attempt to rid the house of its unwanted inhabitants. I asked members of a local church to bless my house. They prayed over the house and in each of its rooms anointing each with oil. I was still under the delusion this was my home, not theirs. I thought I was putting up a worthy battle to take ownership of my house from these spirits who weren't about to relent. They made their intentions clear the next morning when I awoke to not only find every door in my house standing wide-open, but also my security system had been shorted out. I had gained a new understanding - if one of us was leaving, it was not going to be them.

An Unlikely Friend

I learned I was not to travel this journey to understanding alone. Falling asleep in the master bedroom was always difficult. The feeling of being closely watched haunts anyone trying to achieve this task. Once asleep, one spirit would seem to talk to me. Often, he would suddenly wake me in the middle of the night. These nights he awakened me I could recall my dreams vividly, however, if I slept the night through, the dreams would fade with my mind coming back to full consciousness.

This person who visited me at night would teach me what I needed to know. Dressed in a red-lined vest, this black man was of medium height and always carried a pocket watch. He had lived there to care for the house and the original owners. He had dedicated his life to keeping the house in order and I felt as if I now was in his employment.

This keeper of the house also kept his eye on the other spirits residing there. He never gave me his name, but made it clear it was his job to manage the house. He enjoyed telling stories of how things used to be. He understood life continued beyond physical death.

Restoration of a Home

Time passed by and repairs on the house continued to progress steadily. The spirits in the home seemed to accept repairs to the house, but changes in the house seemed to almost require approval. Activity increased both in intensity and frequency when walls were removed or old rooms were opened. There were rooms in the house which had actually not been opened in decades. Re-opening these rooms also seemed to increase paranormal activity. I physically began to feel good and bad based on the approval or disapproval of renovations I was making in the house.

I began sensing when the spirits were around and typically knew what they wanted. A general rule was the house was to be well-managed and kept clean. I was not to leave a mess although there were times when it was unavoidable. As I lived with these spirits from day-to-day, they seemed to develop more patience with me when I explained my intentions. Soon, I found myself talking to cold spots, storage smells and pokes and pushes I would receive.

I brought in a helper to assist me in re-plastering the main sitting room off the entrance to the house. One day, we crossed the street to grab a bite to eat and all the car alarms began sounding at the restaurant one at a time. People looked at us like we were from another planet. Truth be told, we were not alone and its intentions were to make us aware.

Call In the Calvary

I needed more answers than my dream visitor was providing. I needed to know who was causing these disturbances in my house. I decided a good starting point was to learn the history of the house so I started researching the history as much as possible. I brought in the Tennessee Ghost Hunters, based in Nashville, to help.

The group arrived bringing instruments to gather readings and take measurements. Then, left with a number of EVP's answering their direct questions to the spirits in my house. Investigators were called by name in their recordings.

On their second visit, they brought their electronic expert and resident skeptic, Ken, who was physically shoved when proclaiming his skepticism. One instance, during this second investigation, involved a game these spirits like to play. If you do not include them in your conversation or you ignore them, they like to make the lights dance or burn out to get your attention. He left the house with many EVP's and personal experiences making him a little less skeptical.

I also brought in another ghost hunting group out of Chattanooga, TN called CHAPS and a group from Clarksville, TN.

The most interesting experience was when a lady named Jan, a member of Tennessee Ghost Hunters, paid a visit to the house. I inquired from a number of credible people about finding someone to bring in who is sensitive to spirits and spiritual activity. Everyone credible suggested I bring in Jan. She is known throughout the state for her talents. She calls it a gift from God - the ability to communicate with the others. She can see, hear and even feel at a broader range than a normal person.

During Jan's visit, as she wandered from room to room, I could feel the spirits become curious and communicate with her. She began using their names and described them as they communicated. Her credibility was reinforced by her insights. She was talking with the spirit of a lady in the master suite who she called, Cora Lee. In all my research of past owners, I never came across the name. This lady wanted Jan to know she was there. It was almost was if she was missing someone or needing someone to know she was there. I took Jan to meet the past owner later that evening. The little lady named Nancy was shocked when she was told about Cora Lee.

When Nancy and her husband first purchased the house many years ago, her mother loaned her the money to make the purchase. Her mother moved in with them and lived in the master suite. She passed away two years later in the master suite. Her name was, Cora Lee.

Jan went on to describe a lady in the house named Martha - a strong and I believe recent presence. This shocked me because the week before, a close friend of mine passed away from cancer. She lived down the road from the house and her name was, Martha. The message she wanted me to know was for me to watch after her daughter who lived with her before her death.

Upstairs, Jan described a little boy who made her feel sick to her midsection, gave her a headache and felt as though he was mistreated. The original owners had a little boy who died upstairs from Dysentery 90 years ago. I was made aware of the little boy by the granddaughter of the person who built the house, a lady named Panny, who is now elderly and still lives nearby. It could be the boy was born out of wedlock and may have been mixed race which would have been an embarrassment to the owners. He was kept hidden away , locked upstairs until his death.

Jan has found 12 spirits in the house and given names and descriptions of their activities. Taking pictures, we would find orbs in the pictures - some seeming to follow her from room to room.

Living With It

So many things have happened here throughout my stay in the house. I have come to the realization these spirits here are just other people. This removes all fear and allows me the peace of mind to remain their new caretaker.

And to those who wonder about the title... Yes, the house has been taken off the market.