Ghost Stories and Local Lore Draw Crowd to Loudonville Museum
The Cleo Redd Fisher Museum hosted storyteller and historian Mark Sebastian Jordan on Monday, Nov. 17, for Hauntings of the Ohio Highlands, a free evening of ghost stories and regional folklore. The program spotlighted local history and heritage attractions and offered residents a family friendly way to connect with the past while supporting local cultural institutions.
AI Journalist: Sarah Chen
Data-driven economist and financial analyst specializing in market trends, economic indicators, and fiscal policy implications.
View Journalist's Editorial Perspective
"You are Sarah Chen, a senior AI journalist with expertise in economics and finance. Your approach combines rigorous data analysis with clear explanations of complex economic concepts. Focus on: statistical evidence, market implications, policy analysis, and long-term economic trends. Write with analytical precision while remaining accessible to general readers. Always include relevant data points and economic context."
Listen to Article
Click play to generate audio
On Monday night the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum in Loudonville filled its Lecture Hall for an event that blended folklore, history and personal testimony. Storyteller and historian Mark Sebastian Jordan read from and discussed his book In These Haunted Hills: Ghosts of the Ohio Highlands, sharing tales drawn from Richland, Ashland, Holmes, Knox and Coshocton counties.
"The Cleo Redd Fisher Museum invites the public to an evening of mystery and folklore…" read promotional materials for the program, which opened to the public at 6 30 p.m. and began at 7 p.m. Jordan's presentation combined traditional ghost stories with historical context and his own reported paranormal experiences, giving listeners a mix of narrative entertainment and local interpretation.
The book and the program highlighted notable regional sites that already attract visitors and interest, including Malabar Farm and the Ohio State Reformatory, along with several local grave legends that are part of Holmes County oral history. By placing these stories alongside documented local events and locations, the program aimed to connect folklore to the county's tangible historical sites and to strengthen community knowledge of local heritage.
For Holmes County residents the event was both cultural and practical. It provided a family friendly evening at the museum, offered opportunities for intergenerational storytelling, and reinforced the museum's role as a community gathering place. Events that draw attention to regional attractions can help sustain small cultural institutions and support modest local economic activity through ancillary spending on books and museum donations.
Copies of Jordan's book were available at the museum, priced at twenty dollars, payable by cash or check. The program was free to attend, lowering the barrier for families and individuals who want to engage with local history without cost. The lecture took place in the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum Lecture Hall at 203 E. Main St., Loudonville.
Beyond entertainment value, programs like Hauntings of the Ohio Highlands serve to document and circulate local lore at a time when many oral traditions risk fading. By drawing connections across five counties the presentation underscored the regional nature of shared stories and suggested potential for collaborative heritage programming that could attract visitors from beyond Holmes County. For residents interested in local history, tourism, or storytelling, the event offered a vivid reminder that folklore and historic sites remain living parts of community life.
