Ghosts of Ohio
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Lore & Legends

The Wickerham Inn

In the late 1790s, a man by the name of Peter Wickerham moved to Adams County and decided to open a small inn. Almost overnight, the inn became a popular overnight stop for stagecoaches who traveled along the major road that ran through Wickerham’s property.

On a night like any other, there were several drivers and locals gathered at the bar in the Wickerham Inn. There were also several men there with illegal acts on their mind. There are conflicting reports as to why they decided to single out one stagecoach driver in particular. One version of the story says that the driver was bragging to the patrons about the large sum of money he was carrying. Another claims that it was simply a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But both stories agree on one thing; the result was bloody murder.

When the driver did not appear for check-out the next morning, an Inn employee was sent up to check on him. The employee returned a moment later, visibly shaken. When other employees entered the driver’s room, they discovered a horrible sight. The room was covered in blood. On the floor, blood had seeped into the floorboards, creating the bloody outline of a headless body... but there was no body.

Peter Wickerham, fearing a loss of business, quickly ordered all of the bedding and curtains burned. He also had employees scour the floor in an attempt to remove the bloody outline. But try as they might, the outline would not fade. People also reported seeing the ghostly outline of a headless man peering out of the upstairs windows.

In the 1920s, the Inn underwent extensive renovations. In order to install a new heating system, the stone floor of the basement needed to be removed. As workers pulled up the flooring, they were shocked to find a faded human skeleton... complete, except for the skull.



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