Haunted Ohio-Moonville Tunnel
 Moonville
Tunnel: Moonville was a small mining and railway
town that cropped up during the 1800's iron boom and eventually disappeared
just a little over 150 years later. This photo was taken with a Canon
Digital EOS modified to shoot infrared.
Like many of Vinton and Hocking County
iron boom towns that waned to nothing more than grassy fields over the last
century, little is left to show humans ever dwelled here at all. Moonville
is no exception- aside from an old well, a few shards of old teacups
found in Raccoon Creek once in a while and three well-hidden
foundations, nothing more remains.
It has long been said that the
tunnel is haunted by a railway brakeman, but few ever hear of
the Lavender Lady of Moonville Tunnel. However, many have
crossed through the tunnel to the other side, taken the short
trail off the old gravel path and caught the scent of stale
lavender. Where does this smell come from even in the middle of
winter when the snow is nearly knee deep?
Local Stories pertaining to Lavender Lady:
It is said that a woman from
Mineral was crossing the train trestle, she
was struck and killed by a train. Rumor has it that her ghost
still walks the area where her broken body had plunged after
being hit from the train-directly where the scent of lavender
still lingers in the air.
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Moonville Ghosts-The Background Research
So were there actually any deaths near the tunnel
which would add any credence to the ghost of
Lavender Lady? Actually, there was a short reference
in the Athens Messenger in 1873. Below is a short excerpt from the
newspaper:
Reference: Athens Messenger, 10/16/1873
Death occurred on October 12, 1873
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