Local historian and author Richard Crawford has released a film documentary and tour of Clermont County’s most haunted and supernatural places.
Produced by Dark Figure Productions, “True Ghost Stories From Ohio” is a guided tour and history of six locations in the county where unexplained phenomena have occurred and macabre, paranormal experiences have happened.
“Two producers at the Anderson Cable Company approached me with the idea for the film,” Crawford said. “In my historical research over the years I have heard about many hauntings and strange happenings. People have repeatedly asked me about these ghost stories and since I love history (Crawford credits his parents for this love of history), that is what got me interested.”
Crawford, an Amelia resident who gives annual haunted tours and has written nine books (two on ghost stories), said that he has personally witnessed and experienced strange and unexplainable things in his tours and his research.
Filmed in the Anderson Cable studios and on several “haunted” locations over three or four days in August and September, “True Ghost Stories From Ohio” recounts deliciously creepy tales of the dead man’s curve in Bantam, the Milford Promont House, the Wattle House, the historic underground church in Utopia, the Smyrna cemetery, and the legendary tale of the Pond Run Road hook man.
“We wanted to do a special Halloween documentary type film,” said film producer Andy Crosier (who also provided the music for the film). “My co-producer Shane Reinert and I knew that Richard had an interesting and extensive knowledge of local history, so we approached him with the idea.”
Reinert and Crosier, who are both operations technicians for the Anderson Cable Company and have been making all genres of films for 10 years, said that they did not really believe in ghosts or phantoms until interviewing and being on location filming the DVD with Crawford.
“Well, we did have a few experiences on location that shook us up,” said Crosier. “When we were shooting at Utopia, what looked like blood splatters appeared on the lantern that Richard was holding. It was not a red candle, so we knew that it was not candle wax. That spooked us a little bit.”
Another unexplained and frightening incident occurred on location at Pond Run Road.
“We were shooting a re-enactment of the hookman when we all heard someone or something crashing and trampling through the trees out in the darkened woods,” said Reinert. “It was pitch black and we were the only people around. I had personally never heard anything like that before in my life and, yes, I would be lying if I said that we were not scared.”
When asked whether or not he believes in ghosts and the supernatural, Richard Crawford briefly hesitates before pointedly answering, “Let’s just say that I don’t disbelieve.”
Whether you believe or not, turn down the lights, open your mind, and join Crawford and company on a haunted tour of Clermont County; the truth is much scarier than fiction.
“True Ghost Stories From Ohio” can be purchased at the Eastgate and Colerain Borders stores or online at filmbaby.com.