Ghosts-A-Go-Go!

Key West, Florida - April 12, 2004

Case No. 2004-002
Date: 4-12-04
Time: 8:00 pm
Weather: Equipment Used: Paranormal Investigator: Dr. Rebecca Ray

Investigation Case: Key West, Florida - April 12, 2004

INVESTIGATION 2004-002 PHOTOS

History of the location:

Key West's 'live and let live' attitude is rooted in a twisted, varied and often puzzling history.

During the Pre-Columbian times (the era before significant European influence) Key West was inhabited by the Caloosa people, a Native American group that lived on the coast. The first European to visit was Ponce de Leon in 1521. As Florida became a Spanish colony, a fishing and salvage village with a small garrison was established here.

The name "Key West" is derived from a "false friend" anglicization of the Spanish language name of the island, Cayo Hueso, meaning "Bone Island." From this one can only conclude that Key West was once perhaps a burial ground for the Caloosa Indians, but no one has found any bones to date. Popular legend has it that when the Spanish first arrived, the island was littered with bones from the warrior Caloosas, thus the name.

In 1763 when Great Britain took control of Florida, the community of Spaniards and Native Americans were moved to Havana.

Florida returned to Spanish control 20 years later, but there was no official resettlement of the island. Informally fishermen from Cuba and from the British Bahamas used the island. Others later joined them from the United States after the nation declared its independence. While claimed by Spain, no nation exercised de facto control over the community there for some time.

In 1815 the Spanish governor in Havana deeded the island of Key West to Juan Pablo Salas of Saint Augustine, Florida. After Florida was transferred to the United States, Salas sold the island to US businessman John Simonton for $2,000 in 1821. Simonton divided the island into plots and sold some of them. There was already a town on a part of the island, with the inhabitants recognizing the authority of no nation. Simonton lobbied the U.S. Government to establish a naval base on the island, both to take advantage of the island's strategic location and to bring law and order to the town. In 1823 Commodore David Porter of the United States Navy West Indies Anti-Pirate Squadron took charge of Key West, which he ruled (but, according to some, exceeding his authority) as military dictator under martial law. However, by 1826 they had substantially reduced buccaneer activity in the region.

It was once the richest per-capita city in the US with fortunes being made in the shipbuilding, sponging and salvage industries. In fact, "wrecking" actually became a regulated industry in Key West until the 1840's when the first lighthouses were erected in the Keys to guide ships around the treacherous reefs.

The Keys remained remote and inaccessible until well into the 20th Century, but that only added to the intrigue and fascinating tales of pirates, buried treasures and shipwrecks that litter their history.

During the Spanish-American War, Key West may have been the most important staging point for US troops, and the military build-up lasted through WWI. And all of the Keys began to boom when Henry Flagler's Overseas Highway - running over a series of causeways from the mainland to Key West - underwent construction.

It was Henry Morrison Flagler who first provided "modern" access to the Keys by extending the Florida East Coast Railway from Homestead to Key West. The '"Overseas Railroad" was completed in 1912, after years of hardship for the engineers and laborers who designed and built it.

It was destroyed in 1935 and replaced by the '"Overseas Highway" in 1938. The highway (US 1) is still known by that name and now consists of 126 miles of roadway, with over 40 bridges connecting the tiny islands.

In the late 1910s, Key West became a bootlegging centre as people stocked up on booze for the rainy day that Prohibition was to bring. While the Great Depression bankrupted the city, and a hurricane in 1935 ended most people's enthusiasm about Key West (though writer Ernest Hemingway resided here between 1931 and 1940), WWII breathed new life into the place when the naval base once again became an important staging area. And everyone in Washington was happy about that during the Bay of Pigs crisis in 1962.

As early as the 1930's, Key West was no longer a rich city. The main industries had moved elsewhere. But a renaissance began with the realization that Key West's climate, history, architecture, reefs, and waters could make it a Mecca for artists, writers, and overly-stressed mainlanders.

Restoration, renovation and preservation have become a way of life in Key West. Homes built by the shipbuilders of the past featuring wooden peg construction and "carpenter gothic" gingerbread styles are now lived in by the spiritual, if not linear descendants of those artisans.

When you visit Key West you will no doubt hear (and see the flag) of the Conch Republic: In 1982, the US Border Patrol and US Customs came up with a terrific way (or so they thought) of catching smugglers, illegal aliens and various other riff-raff - they erected a roadblock at Key Largo. As traffic jams and road rage mounted, many tourists decided that they might as well go to Disney World and disappeared.

Enter a bunch of outraged Conchs, who came up with the brilliant idea of seceding from the USA. They formed the nation of the Conch Republic, whose first act was to secede from the USA, and whose second act was to declare war on it. The third act, of course, was to surrender and request $1,000,000,000 in foreign aid.

While Key West is home today to hundreds of hotels, restaurants and bars geared toward all desires and tastes, it isn't a resort. Despite cynicism and some price gouging, 'all welcome' means exactly that.

The island has seen the comings and goings of shipwrecking, cigar, sponging and shrimping industries. It has also seen the coming and going of a star-studded list of writers, artists, and statesmen... from Hemingway and President Truman, to Tennessee Williams and John James Audubon.

Their residences have since been turned into Museums and the history of Key West remains to be guarded and worn like gold charms on a bracelet. Also worn like a fancy piece of jewelry is the eccentric attitude and "Let It Be" philosophy of the locals.

HAUNTINGS

Key West is so rich with hauntings and ghost stories; I almost don't know where to start! So I think I'll just dive in:

Captain Tony's Saloon:
Captain Tony's Saloon is housed in the oldest bar in the State of Florida, which was also the site of the original Sloppy Joe's Bar from 1933 to 1937. Key West legend Captain Tony has lived there for most of the last century. He is best known as the owner of Captain Tony's Saloon and everybody but everybody has been in for a beer or two or three from Ernest Hemingway to Shel Silverstein, right on through to Jimmy Buffet who got his start on Captain Tony's stage.
Captain Tony's Saloon served not only as a bar, but also as an icehouse and the city morgue from 1852 to 1875 when a hurricane destroyed it. The water washed the bodies together so that they were unidentifiable. The townspeople decided to cremate the bones and place them in bottles that you can find today stuck in the walls of what is now the poolroom.
The large tree that grows through the building and has dangling bras and business cards from it today was the city's hanging tree for murderers and pirates. At least 17 people were hanged from that tree, including a woman who murdered and hacked up her husband and young son. Her spirit now resides in the women's restroom of Captain Tony's. The owner has even taken her picture.
While laying a foundation, Tony uncovered the bones of sixteen bodies and the Elvira tombstone. All were left alone and their spirits are possibly some of those haunting the location today.
Robert the Doll:
One of the most famous island ghost stories surrounds Gene Otto, a painter born in 1900 in The Artist House. At the age of 4, Gene received a doll as a gift. He named the doll, "Robert." From the time he received the doll, Gene's life began to change... and not always for the better. Gene blamed "Robert" for his many misfortunes, and many people who knew the family agreed that "Robert" was indeed responsible for a host of evil deeds. Local legend has it that a Bahamian girl whose exact relation to the family remains one of Robert's many mysteries gave him the doll.  Many believe the girl was the daughter of ill-treated servants of the Otto family.  Speculation as to his creation include that the doll contains a crystal or was made much like a voodoo doll, thereby creating his evil entity.  Whatever his method of creation, Robert appears to be possessed and his ongoing activities continue to be reported.  
Otto, an artist who grew up almost inseparable from the doll in a house on Eaton Street (now a bed-and-breakfast), built an attic bedroom for Robert, who would reportedly sit in the windowsill and wave at neighborhood children. It has been said that Robert the Doll was the inspiration for “Chucky” in the movie “Child's Play,” although Robert is much creepier looking. Some people say he resemble everything from Michael Jackson to Curious George.  
Otto's wife Anne never particularly cared for the doll and after Otto died in 1974, she rented the house with the stipulation that Robert always stayed in his attic bedroom. The doll, dressed in a white sailor suit, remained in the attic for years and apparently on occasion would move from place to place. Neighbors began reporting hearing an "evil giggle" coming from the attic, some even claimed to hear the doll moving about and peering from the attic window.
After the house was sold, Robert supposedly scared workers trying to renovate the home. One plumber reported that while his back was turned, he heard a child laughing and when he looked around, Robert had moved closer to him. The plumber took off and never finished the job.
Eventually, the notorious doll was removed and placed on display in the East Martello Museum near the Key West airport. To this day, one of Robert's favorite activities is to prevent his photo from being taken.  Visitors have reported a variety of camera malfunctions and Robert's favorite trick is to black out his own photo, while leaving the remaining film unharmed.  He frequently creates electric and electronic fluctuations and has been said to move his toy lion from one knee to the other and to tap on his glass display case.  
But, the attic of the Artist's House was not freed of ghostly presence either... soon after the doll's departure, the ghost of Gene Otto's wife, Anne, took up residence apparently standing guard against the return of Robert's evil spirit.
THE LA CONCHA HOTEL:
History comes alive at the Crowne Plaza La Concha. Carl E Aubuchon built this Key West landmark, first opened in January of 1926, to provide the city with a "first class hotel." The newest hotel on the island had 160 rooms, was seven stories high, has marble floors, private baths, elevators and other luxuries that were new to Key West accommodations. It was no surprise that the hotel was an immediate success with wealthy industrialists, visiting dignitaries, and high society.
But like all places full of history, it has its ghosts. Fifteen people have jumped to their deaths from the island's highest building. But none of those seem to be the most active ghost in building, that one is believed to be the ghost of a young man thought to be named Brent who accidentally fell into the service elevator shaft in 1982. Guests have reported feeling someone tap them on the shoulder only to find no one near them.
MORE HAUNTINGS TO COME SOON!




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