Spooky spots abundant - and close
Sussex County boasts a wide array of frights, if you dare seek them out NEWTON The leaves are changing color and beginning to fall, exposing twisting, knotted branches of old trees. What better backdrop to welcome Halloween? Hayrides have been ridden, pumpkins have been picked and now are just waiting to be carved into Jack-o'-Lanterns. Halloween seems to bring out the challenge of fighting off the fear and facing the fright. Ghost stories and folklore about being in the presence of spirits are built on storytelling and don't necessarily need to be factual to conjure up apprehension. So unless you have party plans arranged, you might find yourself wanting to kill some extra time this weekend with one of these spookie activities. Take a spooky stroll or car crusade beneath old, creeping trees that loom over isolated byways like Shades of Death Rd. in Great Meadows or the nearby Ghost Pony Rd. in Byram. The crackly, dead leaves underfoot are likely to raise the hair on your neck and might send a shiver down your spine some spooky night. Staying closer to home, you can make your way through neighborhoods to enjoy the spooky Halloween decorations. If cemetery sabbaticals are more your style, then a visit to the Cave Grave is in order. Located in a cemetery off of Rt. 621 in Newton, a plaque marks the spot where folklore has it that little Margaret Lewis got lost in one of the caves. The tale goes on to tell of her two brothers dying from pneumonia. Records indicate that all three children from the Lewis family are interred here. A bit further south, in Warren County, is the final resting place of Joseph Thomas. Thomas was known as the White Pilgrim because he dressed all in white and rode a white horse while making the rounds of the countryside preaching. Thomas died in 1835 and his ghost is said to roam the boundaries between Warren and Sussex countries. The obelisk that bears his name is strangely set apart from other graves in the Christian Church Cemetery in Johnsonburg, as if no one wanted to be buried near his corpse. Gravestone etchings are a unique way to create special Halloween decorations and learn of local residents from the past at the same time. Visit a local church that has a cemetery and ask if they will allow you to perform etchings on the gravestones. By rubbing pencil over paper that lies on top of the words on a gravestone, you can take home your own piece of history without disturbing the graves. You can also step back in time by wandering into Waterloo Village, one of New Jersey's largest "ghost towns." Many of the original buildings are still standing, though not open to the public. The rural countryside and path that runs along the canal is a beautiful setting. But claims that a ship's captain haunts the Rutan Cabin and the mere fact that there was an old Lenape Indian burial ground located close to the village will make it easy to let your imagination run wild. The Newton Fire Museum, built in 1891, is where the ghost of Harold "Blacky" Blackwell is said to linger on occasion. Reports claim footsteps have been heard on the second floor where Blacky worked to prepare artifacts for the museum when no one else is in the building. Some have told that the fresh scent of pipe tobacco can be smelled when reopening after the weekend. Listen to captivating facts and view historical museum pieces collected from 175 years ago. Museum guides Jack Phlegar and Andy Jorgensen are on duty at the museum located on Spring Street. On Friday and Saturday they will be ready to share the history of the old firehouse and related recollections of fire events that took place in and around Newton. To confirm times and additional information, call 973-383-0396. After roaming the area you could try having supper with the spirits in Stanhope. There are reports of more amicable ghosts afoot at Bell's Mansion. Built in the 1800s, a cozy dinner in the Salmon Room may send you home with your own tale to tell...