It is no secret that Portsmouth, Ohio, is claimed to be haunted. There have been hundreds of reported sightings all over the city for the past hundred years or so. Like all ghost stories, these have also been passed down from generation to generation. Sometimes it can be hard to find the specific stories that have to do with Portsmouth, even those that have traveled long through the element of time. I did some digging and luckily, I have found a few brief legends that are still being reported as active today.
Our first story is set near the U.S. Grant Bridge. Throughout the past century, many boaters and crews have claimed to see a spectral entity wearing an all-white dress who is constantly staring at and moving closer to the boaters with her long-reaching arms. It is believed to be the spirit of a murder victim named Mary Fisk, who was murdered in a small cabin near Alexandria Point sometime in the 1800s.
Another ghost story takes place over at the Portsmouth Cinema. Normally people hear empty bathroom stall doors slamming from time to time. The employees on the other hand have reported seeing things. There are stories of seeing a tall man in a black jacket and a little girl running through the theater. The sounds of children giggling are present a lot, even in empty rooms.
Next, in the alleyway at the Portsmouth Brewery, sightings of a man in a fedora constantly pacing have also been reported.
Sadly, there are more strange sightings than there are detailed stories. Luckily there are stated locations so if someone is interested in the spooky, scary and paranormal, they could go conduct their own ghost hunting adventure almost anywhere in town.
