Western New York Paranormal of Rochester

Just like Niagara Falls has had its share of daredevils, Rochester New York is no different. They had a gentleman with the name Sam Patch. Patch was a 19th century daredevil born in Pawtuckett Rhode Island at the age of in 1807. He worked as a child at a local textile mill where he began his daredevil career during his breaks from work. He would entertain the other laborers by jumping off the mill works into the river below. It wasn’t long before his jumps drew the attention of local media and grew into well-advertised events drawing hundreds of people. He quickly moved from jumping off the mill dam to higher locations including water falls and bridges. But it was when he was only in his mid-twenties did Patch become known as one of Niagara Fall’s first daredevils.

In 1827, according to American Heritage Magazine, Patch was invited to jump over Niagara Falls as an added attraction when the local town was blasting an area of the falls known as Table Rock. Table Rock was a large shelf of rock that jutted out over Niagara Falls from the Canadian side of the falls. As the horseshoe falls receded, it became noticed in the early 1700 and served as the first vantage point for tourists to the falls until the early 1800’s. For safety purposes, the government planned to blast away part of the shelf after a rock collapse that sent a carriage and his driver plummeting to their death at the falls. Patch was invited to perform at this event but missed the appointed day. Although late, Patch still found the stunt very inviting so on Saturday October 17, 1827 a crowd gathered at Goat Island and across the Niagara River in Canada to watch the amazing stunt. On the appointed day it was pouring rain but Patch boldly climbed a ladder to the platform, which had been built from four trees spliced together and fastened by ropes running back upon Goat Island. With a kiss to the American flag before ascending, he shed his shoes and coat and tied a handkerchief about his neck. Ignoring tearful farewells and protestations from persons at the foot of the ladder, he mounted the narrow, swaying platform which was barely large enough for a man to sit upon, Patch dived into the swirling hood of Niagara Falls. A moment of silence fell over the crowd broken by a joyous celebration when Patch surfaced from the waters. His next challenge was to be Genesee Falls in Rochester New York.

Patch, by this time, had gathered a strong national following as well as sponsors urging him on to higher, more dangerous stunts. In Rochester, a twenty five foot scaffolding was erected at the brink of the falls to increase the jump to 125 feet. It was Friday November 13, 1829 and just over 8,000 people gathered around the falls to watch the death defying feat. Interestingly, the Federal Census taken the following year listed the population of Rochester at 9,207. While on his tour in Buffalo, Patch had acquired a pet bear cub which he would now hurl into the waters before any jump that he took. This jump was no different. Poised on the scaffolding, Patch raised his pet above his head and hurled it into the waters below the Genesee Falls. Patch quickly followed. Reports say that about half way through the descent, Patch lost the proper dive posture and a loud splat was heard at the base of the falls. Patch never resurfaced.

Some believed that during the one practice jump Patch had made at the falls that he had discovered the small cave that lies behind the falls. It was there that he had stored dry clothes, some food and a bottle of alcohol for plans to later appear. Others believe that he had used “the spirits” to calm his nerves too much before the jump and attempted the feat drunk.

It wasn’t until March 17, 1830 that a body was found by a local farmer where the Genesee River empties into Lake Ontario. It was believed to be the body of Patch. As for the pet bear, no one really knows what happened to it. Some reported seeing the bear inside taverns and others claimed that John Sears, a local barber, killed it and made bear grease out of it, according to a Rochester Historian Ruth Rosenberg-Naparsteck.

To this day, there have been reports of individuals seeing a figure diving into the falls on that same fate filled November day. Perhaps an entity replaying its last greatest moment. A residual haunting such as this is not unusual when there is so much energy surrounding the original event. In many ways it records the event, and replays, like an old movie over and over again until the film finally degrades. On occasion, there have also still been reports of bear sightings in the gorge area. Bears have migrated into the Rochester area over the years in search of new food supplies and to avoid the expansion of man so it wouldn’t be unheard of for a bear to actually exist in the gorge. But who is to say this isn’t the pet bear looking for his master?

As for the cave behind the falls, it does exist. In fact, reports have said that should you venture into the cave you can find it riddled with graffiti but also laden with melted candles and various symbols marked on the ground and walls. Signs of magic and a suggestion that maybe some people believe that Patch still exists there today.

Western New York Paranormal of Rochester was recently contacted by an adult living facility in the Rochester area. The individual who called was the assistant to the executive director of the facility and she explained that over the past six weeks there had been a large run of bad luck that had occurred at the facility. Bad luck associated to the property, staff and even some residents.

There had also been a history of unexplained activities at the facility in Rochester that they had chalked up to being the friendly ghosts of their homes. In the past they had experienced several experiences in the building in places such as the kitchen where staff would catch movement of a figure out of the corner of their eye - hear unexplained noises including a voice saying “hello” when no one else was present - faucets would turn on by themselves among many other unexplained happenings. In the attic area, there would could be foot steps heard - doors opening on their own and an overwhelming scent of a rose.

These were all activities that bothered no one - it was pretty much accepted that there was a presence there but in mid-August things began to change a bit. Chaos began to erupt at the home - tensions began to rise with unexplained accidents and increased agitation by both staff and residents.  Equipment began to break down - residents began to move out and there was an overall sense of chaos which had errupted. And it all began with the apperance of a blessing bowl at the residence.

A nurse who worked at the home had taken a recent trip to Africa where she had come across a very unique gift in one of the public markets. A bowl with hand cravings of an elephant on one side and a rhino on the other. It is a bowl traditionally used in religous ceremonies for blessings. She picked up the bowl and returned to the United States with it as a gift for her executive director. It was shortly after the arrival of the bowl that their “luck” began to change.

In the last week of September Western New York Paranormal was called about the bowl and questioned the ability of spirits to be attached to objects. Admittedly the woman who called questioned if she watched too much Ghost Hunters or Paranormal State but I assured her that is was completely possible for “things” to be attached to objects. She went on to explain that they had recently buried the bowl on the property in the hopes of stopping the bad luck - immediately things began to turn around for them. I explained that there are proper ways of disposing of material that may have entities attached to them and I would be happy to assist - plus I would be happy to have two individuals psychis look at the bowl to see if there was indeed any residual energies attached.

The next morning I arrived at the home. They explained that they no sooner had dug up the bowl then they had to rush a resident to the hospital. Coincidence or not? You decide. I left with the bowl and immediately had the psychic who was with me take it to determine if there was anything attached to it. Wrapped in a newspaper so she couldn’t see what it was, she immeidately began to pick up on an older black man with salt and pepper hair. She decribe him as a shaman who used the bowl for magical or mystical practice - and said there was something about his eyes - perhaps he was blind.

A few hours later, we met up with Lifetime Psychic, Karyn Reece. Karyn quite often works with Western New York Paranormal on cases and she took a few moments with the object as well. She describve the same man that the first psychic described. She went on to say that the bowl was used for blessings and it worked well for people of “white light” while for others it would reflect their energies back to them. So if a person was surrounded with negativity it would absorb that energy and amplify it. It’s not an object that does well around environments were negativity exists.

The object has been placed away so it can cause no influence or harm to anyone. One has to question if this was a matter of perceptions of people placing blame for normal circumstances on an object or if it was truly intervention from the dark continent. But isn’t it interesting how luck has changes and the psychics picked up on similar circumstances?

What goes bump in the night can sometimes be a house settling or the water in the pipes moving but sometimes - just sometimes it can be a bit more. Walking among the shadows are spirits of the departed. Souls that for a reason known only to them cause them to remain on this Earth sometimes recognizing others around them - while sometimes just being a long forgotten imprint of a past event or memory. But sometimes what lurks out there in the darkness is more than a spirit. Sometimes it can be the energy of something that has never lived at all.

For sometime Western New York Paranormal of Rochester has been working with a young woman in the southern tier region of New York who has had more than Casper the Friendly ghost visiting her home. Not a ghost or a spirit but something much more dangerous…something diabolic or demonic. In a visitation recently to her home, we began to lead her in a short session of spiritual prayer. Here is an audio recording of what began to happen.

As this recording was captured, the temperature in the room increased dramatically. An overwhelming negative spiritual presence could be sensed and foul smells wafted through the room. This is just a few moments of a demonic encounter that lasted over thirty minutes. Western New York Paranormal of Rochester is continuing to work with this young lady and updates will be provided on her progress.

Investigators new or old, should be aware that “there is more in Heaven and Earth then are dreamt of in our philosophies” and although many invetsigators head into investigations with cameras and audio recorder ready to capture evidence - they also need to keep their faith in their back pocket. There are “things” lurking in the darkness waiting for a moment to strike.