Welcome to the Ghost Hunters Experience Blog! Coming to you from Lockport, New York! This blog will be full of articles pertaining to not only the cave itself, but ongoing investigations as well! We love input and want to hear what you have to say; your experiences, comments and research. This blog will also feature upcoming news, and internal paranormal chatter! We will cover several pieces of equipment and many different avenues of paranormal investigations.
Though, as this is our opening blog, we thought we would come forth with a bit of research for you so that you will understand the background of the cave and help explain a bit of the ongoing phenomena. In our opinion, the Lockport Cave is one of the heart beats of Lockport, New York with almost 200 years of history! The cave is still today the evidence of the hydraulic mastermind Birdsill Holly. This 1600 foot hydraulic tunnel was blasted out of solid rock by hand by the use of a five foot star tipped hand drill driven by a sledge hammer to create a hole of about 13 to 14 inches deep. After this was completed the hole was filled with gun powder and wick. The wick was lit by small structured agile workers, usually young boys who could flee quickly. Every explosion removed one to three feet of rock. The creation of the Holly Raceway, what is now the Lockport Cave, was a very slow and dangerous progression. Still visible even 23 feet underground are the ventilation shafts that were put in place to allow the workers fresh air during the construction. During its prime, this raceway would have been almost completely filled with water, with approximately 12 inches gap for air. With the hard work and dedication of owner Clancy Burkwit and Thomas Callahan, today, the cave has been restored and is in operation for historic tours, and now paranormal investigations!
Not only the cave is active, but the surrounding grounds as well. Over the years we have watched, noted and came to one conclusion. When you step out of the cave, before you is the scenic view of the Erie Canal. If you research you will be able to look into the past in remembrance of the blood, sweat and tears that the immigrant workers put into hand digging the Erie Canal. With many men falling to swamp fever, the construction was actually halted for a short time. With all of our technology and equipment in our present day world, it is hard to imagine that the Erie Canal was dug by hand. This canal is theirs, the Scottish and Irish immigrants that gave their life, or all to the construction of the canal, opening up trade and travel for Western New York. The canal also made travel for thousands of people from all over the world accessible. To take you guys further back in history, several Native American artifacts have also been found all over the area, dating back to 8,000 BC and the Neuter Indians.
The Canal has remained active over the years, not only in the locks themselves, but supernatural phenomena as well! There have been several sightings on the banks. Back inside the cave, there have been disembodied voices, faces showing throughout the rocks, and strange lights. Is there a connection between the activity inside the cave and the banks of the canal? Possible. Who roams the caves? Are they immigrants still lost in time? Could they have been the workers that fell during the dangerous construction? Could it be others that frequented the property, years before or after? We want you to tell us!
With the area being such an active place in history, it is easy to see why it is still active in the afterlife! Lockport, New York has gained the attention to many Spiritualists in the past, beginning with the Fox sisters themselves. With all of the activity happening, we are so glad to finally open our doors to researches and finally get some evidence and clarification of what or whom may still be on our grounds. We are so excited for the opportunity!
