The ghost, and its narrative, function to remind, warn, and make a demand from its audience. In other words, the ghost story will remind the audience of the past, warn them of repeating misdeeds, and make a demand for justice. Blake A. Bell’s The Haunted History of Pelham, New York utilizes the ghost story as a vehicle to share and remind readers of the local history and lore of Pelham, New York, and the surrounding region.
According to Bell, The Haunted History of Pelham, New York is a project to preserve the oral history and lore of Pelham. This is a worthy project. Bell admits in the preface that “not many of today’s Pelhamites have seen a ghost in the little town” (xiv), and it appears that no one is actively discussing or engaging in these narratives. The research and compiling were primarily conducted within the library and historical archives. This makes sense as Bell is uniquely qualified to put together this collection of stories since he is the retired town historian of Pelham. While Bell is not a formally-trained folklorist or legend scholar, his enthusiasm and passion for preserving and making the local lore widely available is apparent.
The book itself is easy to navigate. It is divided into nine parts that include Indigenous American Hauntings; Revolutionary War Specters; Ghostly Treasure Guards; Phantom Ships off Pelham Shores; Ghosts of the Murdered, Insane, and Suicidal; Wailing Ghosts of Pelham; Pelham Poltergeists; Haunted Houses and Ghosts of Pelham Mansions; and Quirky Apparitions and Shadow Ghosts of Pelham. Additionally, twenty-two black-and-white photographs and illustrations are distributed within the work. Notes and index are also included.
The Haunted History of Pelham, New York is reminiscent of Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, as both works utilize prose that is accessible and engaging to the casual reader interested in spooky lore. While the book may be of use to a researcher looking for sources specific to the region, I feel its primary audience will be middle school and high school students with an interest in ghost stories and supernatural folklore, as it will be an excellent primer for further inquiry.
As stated before, the mission of this book is a worthy project. However, I wish this book had done more in terms of analysis and capturing how locals and visitors treat these narratives and the places they are attached to within the region. For example, Bell notes in chapter 5, “Shrieking Ghosts of Execution Rocks” attracted the attention of Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures. This is mentioned in passing, but I feel it would have been useful to have documentation on how Pelhamites felt about having a high-profile investigation take place in their neighborhood. Additionally, the majority of the sources Bell uses in the book are from the late-nineteenth to mid-twentieth century. As a folklorist, I want to know if these legends are still active and whether legend-tripping is still taking place at the locations mentioned in the book. Specifically, I’d like more information about the Haunted Spy Oak Tree and the place where it once stood, since it was mentioned several times as a place where numerous ghosts are purported to reside and apparitions have been sighted. Do people still go there to test their courage? What contemporary accounts are being told and shared? Knowing these things would be interesting and useful for folklorists and legend scholars. The Haunted History of Pelham, New York is a good start on documenting the local lore of the area. However, I hope that more is done with an expanded edition that provides in-depth analysis or that another scholar will conduct an ethnography.
Perhaps The Haunted History of Pelham, New York is a history book masquerading as a collection of ghost stories, but I argue that all ghost stories do this--hiding underneath the bedsheet of any spooky specter is a history lesson subversively being taught. Blake A. Bell illustrates this by sharing the lore of his community, and I hope his enthusiasm will become contagious and inspire others to examine the lore of their communities.
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[Review length: 682 words • Review posted on April 1, 2023]