1000 Islands History Museum
Gananoque, Ont
March 25, 2023

​Rain, snow, slush and wind – perfect day for a road trip!  Seems to have been the norm lately, as Mother Nature seemed to be experiencing some mood swings.  Even though the weather was dreadful, it wasn’t going to stop the team from heading to Gananoque to investigate our next location.  We even took the scenic route for a bit, hoping off the 401 (due to the numerous accidents – speed and slush do not mix) and taking Highway 2.  After stopping for a bite to eat and a Tim’s run, the team made it to their destination.  This time of year, the town of Gananoque is sleepy – no tourists and a lot of open parking lots.  It was a first for Rachel to see, as she has a love for the little town and the boat tours and always seemed to end up there on the busiest of summer days.
 
Founded in 1995, the 1000 Islands History Museum can be found in the Arthur J.E.Child building, which is located right at the waterfront (the customs building for those coming in from the United States is literally an arm length from the back door).  The Museum tells the story of Gananoque and the 1000 Islands through a variety of exhibits.  The building was built in 1994, but the land is clearly much older than that.  Being prime real estate, the land has its own story.  On September 21, 1812 American forces raided Gananoque – commandeering muskets and cartridges, destroying provisions, ransacking the storehouse and destroying the home Joel Stone.  Thirty minutes after landing and raiding the town, the Americans were back on their boats and returning to the States.  The British forces had eight killed, eight taken as prisoners of war and many others wounded.  The Americans had one killed and ten wounded.  Eventually life would go on for the town.  In 1883, the first train station in Gananoque was built on the land, with funding provided by the Rathbun Company from Deseronto.  It was used by the Thousand Island Railway, as a connecting line for the Grand Trunk Railway (it connects the industries along the water front to the main GTR line.  Eventually, it would bring tourists from the upper part of the town, to the waterfront, with small terminals along the way – including a stop at the cemetery (the only railway in Canada to do so).  The first train station burned down in 1929 and a new station was quickly built.  Passenger service on the rail line ended in 1962, but being a tourist town, the old train station was repurposed into a restaurant and gift shop.  The Old Station House Restaurant operated seasonally until September 24, 1990, when a devasting fire broke out around 3AM and destroyed the entire building.

​The land itself may have a rich history, but the St. Lawrence and the 1000 Islands also have their own.  Many ships have wrecked and sunk within the waters of the St. Lawrence.  There have been a few waterway accidents.  One of interest was that of Dean Hethington.  In March of 1928, Mr. Hethington was reported missing by his wife.  He had told her he was going to a business meeting and would be back the next day.  When he had not come home, Mrs. Hethington contacted the authorities.  With the search and investigation on, it was found out that Mr. Hethington did not have a business meeting, but was spotted in Clayton, New York having dinner with an attractive young woman.  They were taking about going to Gananoque and had asked which was the best way to get there over the ice. The attractive young woman was revealed to be Mrs. Maude Peters, Mr. Hethington’s former stenographer and divorcee.  Maude had lived in Gananoque when she was younger.  The couple took off, and after being seen by a few Island dwellers, they were never heard or seen from again.  After much searching and investigating, the body of Mr. Hethington was retrieved from the St. Lawrence on March 17, still in the vehicle that he was driving. Mrs. Peters body was retrieved from the St. Lawrence on March 18, about 200-feet downstream from where the car was located.  Mrs. Peters body was sent to Gananoque for a family burial, while Mr. Hethington’s body was send by to New York State.

Dean Hethington

Maude Peters

​The team entered the building with a big welcome from Anna.  After a quick look around on the main floor, Lisa was immediately picking up on residual energies.  She described how she could see people dancing.  Like formal dancing.  Unsure of where she was picking this up from, the team headed upstairs to the lookout room to begin their walk thru.  “My head is sore.  Really sore,” said Lisa as she stood looking out over the water.  “People are seen up here.  There are shadows seen up here,” she added.  “It’s still pretty out there,” said Rachel.  Even though the sky was grey and the rain was falling, looking out to the islands was still a beautiful site.  “I feel like there was three buildings here,” said Lisa.  “Ya, three buildings,” she repeated.  “Did somebody get their arm squished?” she asked.  “It’s a very good possibility,” answered Rachel.  “Like my arm was pulled into something,” added Lisa.  “But there are three shadows up here,” she added.  With the room being a small space, the team decided to head down to the second level to look around.  “There is a lady connected to an artifact they brought in.  She walks around in here,” said Lisa.  “I would have no idea,” replied Rachel.  “Do you have something from a house that belonged to a lady? Do you know?” Lisa asked Anna.  “She says that the stuff from her house is here,” she added.  “It could be anything,” replied Anna.  Lisa looked around and found a cabinet case with some personal affects in it.  “Oh, that might be it,” she said as she looked intensely at the items inside.  “I feel like ‘Maggie’.  Which may be short for Margaret,” said Lisa.  “This is all from around here, not from this property?” Lisa asked.  Anna agreed – the items were from the town.  “I feel like her name wasn’t Margaret, but like Magdalena?” Lisa questioned.  “It’s something like really weird,” she added.  Rachel then stated that she had not come across that name in her research and Anna was also unsure about the name.  “Do you know where all of this came from?” asked Lisa.  “Not off hand.  It’ll be in the civic database,” answered Anna.  “Items in this cabinet come from the Town of Gananoque Civic Collection.  So, we have a catalogue of the items, which may have the info, but there is a possibility we don’t,” she added.  Lisa then walked towards the middle of the room before stopping.  “Somebody is making my eye go wonky,” she stated.  “Does anybody see a woman’s shadow around here?” she asked next.  Anna indicated that no one had reported seeing shadow of a woman.  “Well, she does walk around here,” said Lisa.  “There is stuff that gets moved,” Lisa said next.  “Do you hear footsteps up here when no one is up here?” she asked next.  “I’ve heard noises up here when no one is up here,” Anna replied.  The team walked closer towards the front of the exhibits when Lisa stopped again.  “Was there a fire near here?” she asked.  Rachel nodded yes.  “Did three people die in the fire?” asked Lisa.  “The one fire, I don’t about.  The second one, no,” answered Rachel.  “There are three people that died in a fire.  Close to here.  Two females and a male,” described Lisa.  “I feel like I am suffocating right now.  That way,” Lisa said, pointing north.  “Like towards town?” asked Rachel.  Lisa nodded.  “Like more than one building,” added Lisa.  “Maybe?” questioned Anna.  “I am hearing ‘24’,” said Lisa.  “Like 1924?” asked Rachel.  “I think the fire was 1824,” replied Lisa.  “Now I feel like I lost two fingers.  First two,” Lisa said.  “I see two stubbies.  Male. ‘W’.  Like Wallace, Walter,” she added.  “I wouldn’t know.  There were a lot of people on this land working.  So, it’s possible,” said Rachel.  “He says he was 42,” added Lisa.  “That’s great. Still doesn’t help any,” Rachel laughed.  Going back to the fire, Lisa asked if the downtown was close by.  Anna indicated that it was about a 5-minute walk.  “Do you know of any big fires downtown, 1824?” asked Lisa.  “I feel like it took out a couple of buildings. Would have been a big deal,” she added.  Anna wasn’t sure, but there was a good chance that something of that magnitude did happen.  “Do you know about the three shadows seen upstairs?” Lisa asked Anna.  Anna replied that she did not.  “So weird.  So much stuff happened here,” said Lisa.  “Did they do something with wood here?” she asked.  “Maybe? Probably,” Rachel answered.  “I see planks of wood,” described Lisa.  “Did a family live here? On the property?” asked Lisa.  Anna replied that no, no families had lived on the property. “I see a building.  A small, rectangle building with controls.  Not sure what it is controlling,” said Lisa.  “I do.  I think I know what you are talking about,” said Rachel.  “It was over that way,” Lisa said, pointing to the south, close to the water’s edge.  “More than likely.  Do you want to see a picture?” Rachel asked her.  Lisa nodded and Rachel led her and the team to a large photo on an exhibit that showed what was on the land before the museum.  “Does that make sense now to what you’re seeing?” she asked.  “Yes,” said Lisa.  “But people didn’t live in these?” Lisa asked, pointing to a small, rectangle building.  “Like staff housing?” questioned Paula.  “What’s the controls for…” Lisa said, trailing off.  “The rail road track,” she answered herself.  “This is where the guy lost his fingers,” she said.  “Why am I seeing wood?” she asked next.  “Lumber trade,” replied Rachel.  Anna then described the area a bit more, indicating that the area was part of a coal yard.  Rachel then passed a few more photos from her research to Lisa to look at.  “I am having a hard time breathing,” she said as she looked through the photos.  “My throat is really sore.  And I have a headache too.  Something is going on here,” she added.  Lisa then lost her voice and started to cough.  “Not my cough, by the way,” she stated.  The team headed back downstairs to the main level so that Lisa could have a drink.  Once back on the main level, Lisa was able to get a drink but still couldn’t figure out why she could see people dancing.  “Also, someone named Barry is here,” she added.

After a quick break, the team gathered the equipment and headed back upstairs to begin the investigation. The first place on their investigation list was the lookout.  The Flux was placed on the landing on the stairs, with the music box along the edge to capture any movement on the staircase.  The Ovilus 5 was placed on a ledge closes to the team.  Sheena was operating the SLS camera, scanning the room and the staircase.  “I’m freezing,” said Lisa as the team settled in to start communication.  “Is there a restaurant here?” she asked.  Rachel asked where she was referring to.  Lisa pointed towards the condos.  “There use to be a restaurant on this land,” said Rachel.  “Really?” Lisa questioned enthusiastically.  “I just heard somebody on the landing,” said Lisa.  “Hello dead people,” greeted Rachel.  The Ovilus 5 spoke – ‘West’, ‘Ronda’, “Tone’, ‘Malicious’.  The Flux also activated with the green light.  “Oh, it went to green,” said Rachel.  “Thank you,” said Lisa.  “If you’re a man, can you make that light blinking blue, turn red?” asked Rachel.  “It won’t hurt you,” added Lisa.  “Or you could walk in front,” Rachel said, but was cut off by the Flux activating the green light again.  “You’re female?” questioned Lisa.  “Are you between the ages of 19 and 29?  Can you make that go green if you are?” she asked.  But the Flux remained inactive.  “We know you weren’t here when this building was here.  Were you part of the railroad?  If so, can you make that light down there turn green?” asked Rachel.  The flux remained in active, but Lisa heard tapping.  “Where you here before the railroad?” asked Rachel.  “You could make the light turn green or bang on something.  You don’t have to use our equipment,” she added.  The Flux activated with the green light.  “Oh, it turned green again,” stated Sheena.  “Thank you,” said Lisa.  It was then decided to turn on the ghost box and see if whomever was there wanted to use that to communicate.  “Can you turn it to red for me please?” asked Sheena.  The Ovilus 5 spoke – ‘Witch’.  “Did it say ‘witch’?” questioned Lisa. “Yup,” replied Rachel.  “Well, I am, thank you,” commented Sheena.  “This isn’t witch stuff.  We are just here to talk to you,” Rachel said.  “We are not here to hurt you or take you away.  This is your space,” she added.  A woman’s voice was heard through the ghost box, but no one could fully understand what she was trying to say.  The same female voice was heard twice, but could not be deciphered.  “We just want to hear your story, find out who you are and share it with everyone,” continued Rachel.  The Flux activated and turned green.  “Are you trying to come up here?” asked Rachel.  “You can pass it.  It’s just a light,” she added.  “When you were alive, what was on this land?” she asked next. “Did you work here?  Are you connected to this part of town or somewhere else?” she asked.  “Do you have a name?  Can you tell us what it is?” she continued.  But no responses were heard.  The Flux activated the green light again.  Lisa also said she heard clicking coming from the stairs.  “It’s okay, just come up.  It’s just a light,” said Rachel.  “It won’t hurt you,” added Lisa.  The Flux activated the green light again.  “It’s okay, come on up,” assured Rachel.  A male voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘What is that again’, ’Port’.  “Yes, port.  What did you deliver to this port?” asked Rachel.  A female voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘Come back here’.  “I just saw a shadow on the stairs!” exclaimed Lisa.  “It went by really fast,” she described.  “Are you a man or woman?” asked Rachel.  But no response was heard.  “Tell us your name please.  We’d like to know who we are talking to,” continued Rachel.  A male voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘Tom’, ‘Mike’.  “Mike?” questioned Lisa.  A female voice was also heard, but only the last word was decipherable – ‘ ________ ________, okay’.  “That’s the same voice again!” exclaimed Lisa.  “I got goosebumps,” she added.  “To the lady that said something about okay, what’s your name?” asked Rachel.  No response was heard. “Are you from the land or from the water?” she continued.  A female voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘Let me help you’.  “Let me help you,” Paula repeated.  “Holy Sheesh!” Lisa yelled.  “I have goosebumps,” said Sheena.  “If you’re going to help us, we’d love for you to communicate with us,” said Rachel.  The flux activated the green light.  Both Rachel and Lisa thanked the energy for doing so.  “We would love to know your name, so we can address you like a person,” said Rachel.  A female voice was heard through the ghost box, but again, only one word was decipherable – ‘Mrs. _______’.  “Can you tell us your name again?” asked Rachel.  A female voice was heard through the ghost box (what sounded like) – ‘Lily’.  “Lily, what is your last name?” asked Rachel.  A female voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘come and see’.  The Flux also activated the green light.  “Lily, I am going to go through my notes,” explained Rachel.  “Lily, can you tell us your last name please?” asked Lisa.  No response was heard through the ghost box, but Lisa heard the tapping on the staircase again.  “Is Lily short for something?” asked Rachel.  “There is a Lily MacDonald.  She was a baby.  She didn’t live very long,” she said.  “Is it Libby?” asked Lisa.  “Could it be Lucy?” questioned Rachel.  A female voice was heard through the ghost box, but again was unable to be deciphered.  “I have no idea what she said,” Lisa stated.  “Could it be Lydia?” questioned Rachel.  The Flux activated the green light.  “Were you called Liddy?” asked Sheena.  A male voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘Ding’.  A female voice was also heard through the ghost box, but again, some of the words could not be deciphered – ‘______ days ago, missing’.  “We are trying to listen to you,” said Lisa.  A male voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘Go outside’.  “No, I’m good,” Lisa responded.  “It’s raining and it’s cold,” added Sheena.  “Is it Lydia?” Rachel questioned again.  A female voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Yes’.  “Lydia, what is your last name?” asked Rachel.  “Or your father’s last name,” she clarified.  A female voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘I’m off’.  “There was a Lydia Adams,” said Rachel.  “There are a couple of Lydia’s so a last name would be great,” she added. With this new information, the team decided it would be a good time to start the live video broadcast.  Watch the video below to see what happened!

After the live video ended, the museum seemed to enter a calm state.  It was decided that it was best for us to conclude our investigation.  The team gathered up the equipment and headed back downstairs to pack up.  We said our goodbyes and headed back out into the cold, damp darkness that had now engulfed the quiet town.  Rachel then vowed that once summer arrived, she would return to the town and take a boat cruise.  Perhaps stop by and visit our new friends, both living and dead, at the 1000 Islands History Museum.
 
Is the 1000 Islands History Museum haunted?  We definitely think there are some energies that walk around the building.  Many are attached to artifacts that are located within the walls and many who are attached to the land that this beautiful structure now sits on.  We also feel like some energies are attached to the waters of the St. Lawrence. You never know who may want to share their story when you visit.  It could be anyone.  All you need to do is listen.
 
For more information about the 1000 Islands History Museum, or to plan your visit, check out their website at https://www.1000islandshistorymuseum.com

OVILUS 5 WORDS - 1000 ISLANDS HISTORY MUSEUM, GANANOQUE
WEST
RONDA
TONE
MALICIOUS
WITCH
BUT
CAN YOU
CORD
EVIL
LAMB
FAY
TURN
ABOVE
TOWN
MOSS
RUSS
WORLD
AMERICAN
DECEIT
PERIOD
MISS
PAM
CALL
CHLORIDE
PALACE
BASEMENT
FOLLOW
HEAT
JUSTICE
CONTRITION
SHOULDER
HOLD
DETAILS
CRESCENT
THOUGHT
ALONE
ROOT
DESIGN
DUTY
WOMAN
FIND
LISTEN
CUPCAKE
SPIRIT
BIND
HAZE
DEMAND
ONCE
UNHOLY
SACRED
CONGRUISM
MORES
SAMPLE
BREAKER
BEACH
PLACEBO
FEBRUARY
HEARD
MAY
MUCH
WILD
PIE
WOW
THREAT
THEMSELVES
MOUTH
WONDER
GOT
WATCH
UPON
PACE
TEXT
CUT
FINISH
LINGER
BOARD
IDLE
SLOWER
FULL
NOD
MAYBE
LUCK
FORM
ERASE
JULY
ALICE
CONDITIONS
TRUTH
AMELINE
LEDGE
STEAMY
SCORE
SAFE
TUB
BAND
ONLY
BLIND
SIMPLE
DRUNK
MOSTLY
CEILING
YELL
OR
CROSSOVER
QUEST
COOK
TOWN
DAY
GAUZE
FLAT
HAMMER
POLTERGEIST
BELL
HAPPENED
WRITING
NOT
PICKED
ANGRY
WON
REGION