Cullman-based Southern Ghost Girls Tours and Paranormal Investigations has been busy this October as Halloween approaches. The ladies, dressed in their signature Victorian gowns, were in their hometown Friday night for a night of history, storytelling and, well, hunting ghosts.
The tour attracted a crowd of guests from as far away as Huntsville, Montgomery and even Mississippi. The Ghost Girls also welcomed the founder of Curt’s Closet, Ashley Wilson. A portion of the tour’s ticket sales will be donated to the organization.
The tour kicked off at Loretta’s Bookstore and Storytelling. Owner Hannah Elliott set the mood with a reading from “Carmilla,” the novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu that is widely believed to have influenced Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.”
Following the reading, guests were given the opportunity to use paranormal equipment for a short investigation inside the bookstore. Activity was detected inside, using anomaly cameras, spirit boxes, Rem-pods and dowsing rods. Guests took turns asking questions and quickly began receiving responses.
Elliott explained to the group that she often feels she is not truly alone while working in her bookstore. Located at 320 First Ave.SE, the property was once part of the original estate of Colonel John Cullmann.
The tour then continued outside as Southern Ghost Girls founder Lesley Ann Hyde, along with Lauren Wilson, told the history of how Cullmann made his way from Germany and eventually to Alabama with his German followers. The group made its way to the pedestrian bridge as it heard about how the L&N Railroad was essential to the prosperity of Cullman.
The tour then arrived at Frankweiler Fountain, located in the parking lot across from Touch of German. It was at the fountain that the group experienced the most head-scratching activity. As all the equipment placed near the fountain continued to detect paranormal activity and energy, a voice clearly said over the spirit box, “Peter.”
The group continued to hear audible responses from a man they believed to be Peter. He seemed to prefer talking to the men in the group. Allen Polk, a guest from Madison, began asking questions in German, and the spirit especially appreciated the effort.
The tour wrapped up as guests continued to chat and grapple with what they had seen and heard at the fountain. The story doesn’t end there, as Polk, clearly moved by his experience, could not sleep after the tour. He felt compelled to research the name “Peter” in Cullman in hopes of finding answers.
He stumbled across as article from The (Alabama) Cullman Tribune that recounts:
July 13, 1896 Peter Winkelbach was struck was struck by a northbound L&N train at approximately 2am. Location of the incident was approximately 200 yards south of the old train station (now a parking lot) near the location of the German Society fountain. Peter Winkelbach was originally from Germany and emigrated to the United States at age 13. The son of Fred Winkelbach and Anna K. (Unknown) he was born 1859 in Prussia. He was 37 years of age upon his death. It is interesting to note that Peter’s death was mere days after Cullman’s mortal assault only a few days earlier in the same month. Peter was a close friend of the Mayor Cullman. Was there a deliberate effort to “eliminate” the German influence controlling the language and local ordinances of Cullman?
Hyde was blown away by what Polk found, saying, “That is incredible! We got evidence of Peter; it was definitely coming through the spirit box. I did not know this story about Peter. Wow.”
The Southern Ghost Girls have several tours coming up in Decatur, Birmingham, Moulton, Athens and Jasper, Georgia. They will be back in Cullman Nov. 2 for the Day of the Dead Berkeley Bob’s Ghost Hunt/Paranormal Investigation. (www.facebook.com/events/615283648971328/?ti=ia)
Southern Ghost Girls Tours and Paranormal Investigations tours are interactive experiences that allow guests to use the equipment frequently seen on paranormal television shows. The tours focus on the history of the locations they visit and incorporate storytelling into each event. A percentage of proceeds from tickets is returned to the historical societies or local charities of the towns they visit.
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