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Patterson Tower;
aka, witch's tower, tower at Hills & Dale park

Liberty Township howling

electronic voice phenomena (EVP) report

Patty's house;
aka, Patty's falls, the hanging tree

Fudge Road, Gratis, Ohio;
aka, the cawker, crying baby bridge, brubaker bridge

recommended education:
the DPP investigation philosophy

Patterson Tower;
aka, witch's tower, tower at Hills & Dale park

there are many mistakes circulating regarding this structure.  it is not gothic architecture.  we estimate the tower to be a reproduction of a medieval English design dating between 950 and 1150.

though the exact date of construction has not been found as of yet, preliminary research leads us to believe the tower was constructed between 1900-1910 -- well after the civil war.  hills and dales park, commissioned in 1907 by J.H. Patterson, Dayton business mogul and philanthropist, likely saw the tower built as a fine observation deck for park goers.  the view from the hill was favored by J.H. himself, by his own accounts.

with regards to deaths at the tower, two deaths were actually recorded in the early 1960's due to a lightning strike.  The tower was apparently closed shortly there after due to "tourism".

also, the city does not like young folk poking around.  the police will run you off from the area at the drop of a hat.  it is public land, but it is also within a park technically and as such has after dark restrictions.  the DPP respects all laws during the course of its investigations, as should all investigators.

Liberty Township howling

according to the Dayton Daily News, some residents of Jefferson Township have been curious about a strange howling sound circulating in their area.  the thing(s) creating the sound seem to be nocturnal, as the residents only report hearing the sound(s) at night; generally between 11pm and 4am.

the DPP understands that you get used to hearing sounds such as coyotes yipping in packs, birds, and other animals when you live in the country.  furthermore, injured animals make a whole new set of sounds outside the norm.  so, to be fair, when someone who has lived in an environment for years suddenly finds a particular sound to be "new", we should not doubt their ear.

does this mean that a paranormal event is taking place?  no.  does it mean that there is a new creature in the vicinity?  the DPP will stand behind the discerning ear of Jefferson Township residents.  we can count as fact that there are new noises in the vicinity of Liberty Ellerton Road and Germantown Liberty Road.  the question posed by residents is, "What is the creature making the noises?"

click here or on the graphic above to listen for yourself.

if you are a naturalist, contact us with your best guess and reasoning or comparative sound samples.

electronic voice phenomena (EVP) report

1.  an audio recording device (analog tape / digital recorder / camcorder) is set to record.
2.  nothing out of the ordinary is heard while the recorder is recording, but upon play-back voices or sounds are heard which were not audible at the time of the original recording.

click here or on the graphic above to hear an example.

spooky?  bullshit, you say?  we have gathered evidence ourselves, following in the footsteps of many people much more savvy than ourselves in the field of EVP research, which clearly adheres to the above scenario.  once you accept the fact that this phenomenon does indeed occur, the question logically follows:  what are the sounds and how did they get there?

that's the million dollar answer.  the DPP is not generally impressed by the "EVPs" offered up on the internet for your listening pleasure -- many are indiscernable and could be interpreted as anything one wants to hear.  there is a large body of work on this topic, however, done by people such as Thomas Edison (yes, the one and only), respected clergy, physicists, and many more.

the EVP examples linked above were recorded at  St.Peter's Lutheran Church in new lebanon, Ohio, by your own hometown DPP team members.  we stand by it's unaltered authenticity and were present during its recording -- the strange, almost stereotypical ghostly moan which is clearly heard would have been quite noticeable during an otherwise quiet church service.

the DPP urges anyone interested in EVPs to try collecting your own.  the DPP does not, however, advocate communication with "spirits" or talking to voices.   the official stance of the DPP on EVP is this:  there is some repeatable phenomena present.  these phenomena are being recorded by a large number of respected individuals -- but that does not explain what is being recorded.

there is a term:  apophenia.   humans have this knack of putting things in order.  whether it be a face on our Moon, or on Mars, we tend to create patterns where none may exist.  it is a function of our brain.  that's not to say that EVPs do not exist, only that one must be careful and objective when searching for them.

when one is listening FOR something, it has been shown in many studies that people are far more likely to hear what they're listening for. . .these studies often involve the subject wearing headphones which are playing white noise (which sort of gives our ears a blank chalkboard for sound), listening for low volume sounds.  have you ever been in the shower while expecting a phone call?  you can drive yourself crazy thinking the phone is ringing.  increase the importance of that phone call and you can bet on an increase in the number of times you'll think the phone is ringing while you're in the shower.  interestingly, the noise of a shower closely mimicks the frequencies of white noise.  some companies actually sell CDs with shower noise for relaxation purposes!

EVP is clearly a documented, genuine "paranormal" event that has been all but proven to be real.  the DPP suggests that you do your own research and be realistic about what you collect.

again, let us advise you against attempting to communicate with voices you hear, no matter the method.  including ouija boards.

Patty's house;
aka, Patty's falls, the hanging tree

found at the Five Rivers Metro Park's Englewood Reserve, the story of Patty's house and the supposed hanging tree nearby have permeated local lore for more than 40 years.

please obey all  park rules and regulations.  get to Patty's one of two ways.  use the main Englewood Reserve Park entrance and follow the main road towards the exit gate -- or -- use the National Trails Riding Center (890-7766) entrance. . .either way, it's easiest to park in the riding center parking lot.  once parked at the riding center, walk back towards the park (west) about 100 yards and you will find a service road with a wooden gate warning "no vehicles", but you are allowed to walk the trail.

the trail/service road leads you another 100 yards back into the woods.  it's obvious when you've arrived at the location of the Patty homestead, as you will see an old spring house still standing.  spring houses were built over or near natural springs or creeks, usually had water routed to flow through them, and were used to keep meats and other items cool.  the spring house is the only structure you will find near the Patty homestead site -- it is in surprisingly good condition, a prime example of this sort of building and well worth the walk for this alone.

one tree in particular is about 25' north of the spring house and stands about 70' tall, 3.5-4' in diameter.  this tree could be over 150 years old, but not likely older.  a super old tree by Ohio standards is only about 185.  there are several other trees in the area of the former homestead which would have been tall enough to need an axe, but large enough for a hanging?  probably not.  that doesn't mean that a hanging didn't occur here in the pioneer days but the "hangin' tree" is likely no longer standing.  the giant tree pictured evokes the Patty lore.  we are not master arborists and the only way of telling a tree's true age to an exacting standard is to core it.  all other methods are not 100% accurate.

the Patty family was one of the first to move to this area.  they hailed from South Carolina and as a matter of fact, you will find a large pine tree just east of the spring house which is not new growth and is not indigenous to this area, but rather to South Carolina.  the parcel of land which is now the Englewood Reserve was first signed over to the Pattys in 1803.  to Charles Patty, to be exact, father of James Patty, who was the father of the large pioneer family which moved from SC and resided on the land.

the verdict:  this area used to cause a real problem for the city of union and the park district because it was a hangout for local high schoolers looking for a scare, some thrills, and someplace to hang out.  due to the local legend of the hanging, the spooky appearance of the area, and the presence of a very shrill sounding bird, it is our contention that the local legend brought the kids to the area and the sounds of a screeching barred owl and other forest noises might have helped propogate the rumor of "screams" in the woods.

Fudge Road, Gratis, Ohio;
aka, the cawker, crying baby bridge, brubaker bridge

video posted below.  enjoy the briefing.