Hi Adele: I have no idea of where this tavern was actually located, but from the information you provided, I have 3 ideas for further followup with people who might be able to help. They are: 1. www.worcpublib.org the email request address is: www.worcpublib.org/askalibrarianemail.html 2. www.auburnlibrary.com the email address is: [email protected] 3. www.ci.leicester.ma.us/government/library.html the email address is: [email protected] Please let us all know where this tavern was located when you find it. Bob Bartlett ----- Original Message ----- From: "Adele Just" <[email protected]> To: "'Bob Bartlett'" <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2006 1:30 AM Subject: RE: [MAWORCES] Mansion in Hopedale Mass/WHO AM I/Online Deed Resource > Bob, this is fabulous information for research, and thank you. > > I had many ancestors at Worcester, Auburn, Grafton, Leicester, > Westborough, Concord, Sudbury, and in Worcester County from the early > 1700s on: Drury, Rice, Fletcher, Clark, Keyes, Wesson, Beard/Baird. My > Beard/Baird (Thomas and Elizabeth) ancestors were at Leicester as early > as 1732 where they had children who are in the vital records. They were > eventually at Auburn/Ward (probably simply boundary changes) and are > buried there. Their son and my ancestor, Daniel Beard/Baird, had a > tavern between Worcester and Auburn which I understand still stands. He > and his wife are also buried at Auburn. Do you have any idea of how I > could learn the current street address of that building? I have never > been able to visit Massachusetts, but imagine that the Worcester Library > would have some record of that property. What do you think? > > Adele/Seattle >

Hi All: I didn't find out where Beards/Bairds/Tavern is/was, but I did find a nice site that tells you about haunted places in MA. I took the ones for Worcester Co., off and also the url for any of you who wish to visit the site yourselves. Enjoy, Alison Franks Archivist, Rawson Family Association Haunted Places in Worcester Co., MA. http://onlyidol.com/index.php/2006/03/02/haunted-places-in-massachusetts-2/ Athol - Lucky Lanes Bowling - The Rotundra - This bowling alley that is still open used to be a movie theatre. It used to be called The York Theatre. A long time ago someone planted a bomb in the theatre, which blew up and killed a lot of people. At night when closing the bowling alley you can hear the children that were killed laughing. You can also hear footsteps upstairs where the old theatres were. Athol - The Rotunda Bowling Ally - This was once a theater, Then converted to a bowling ally and bar. At night when everyone is gone. Closing you can hear people moving upstairs where the old theater was. It was said a woman hung herself up there. Auburn - Hope Cemetery - Around this huge cemetery there are many other smaller cemeteries. Ghosts have been sighted at the statue of Jesus being held up by an angel. Sounds of children laughing and other ghostly sounds. Auburn - Stone Tavern - is haunted by the ghost of an unknown child. Clinton - Abandoned train tunnel - Tunnel is located in the middle of the woods. On some night temperature drops several degrees and if you walk into the tunnel a train can be heard coming from within. Clinton - George hill - You must go up the hill to the top. Typically if you come down the hill you will be chased by some mad man with and axe. When you look back the guy typically will disappear. Or in some cases you will only hear some kids screaming and the sound of and axe. Also if you go onto the Road George Hill Rd. on the right on the side of the road you will see a Stone with a Massacre written on the stone. Fitchburg - "The Rev" - It's a revolutionary cemetery hence "the rev". It's on a dead end dirt road in west Fitchburg. Driving by there one can here loud screams, especially at night, and eerie feelings when in the cemetery itself, it's a creepy place surrounded by stone a stone wall, rumors of devil worshipping in the woods surrounding the place. There have been numerous deaths there, a man in his 20's killed and burned on that rd and a girl died after hitting a tree with her car. Stay out of the woods behind the cemetery, marked with no trespassing signs, there are houses around and police do patrol from time to time. Gardner - Bridge Road - This is a very haunted location. If you are coming off of rte 68 the mark is on the left side of bridge Road. A red X on a tree marks where a woman died in a car accident in 1995 do to an icy road. a white figure appeared gliding down the road. She is said to follow people back down the roa until past the second cemetery on Rte 68 headed into Baldinville. Gardner - Dunn Pond State Park - A small island on Dunn Pond is said to be haunted. Occasionally bright lights are seen over the island. It is rumored that an Indian was buried on this small island that was his favorite fishing spot. Gardner - East Gardner Mental Hospital - Very Heavily Guarded because its right next to the prison. NO TRESSPASSING - It is an area where a Mental Hospital used to be. Large area with several empty buildings and remains of buildings. Strange noises and sights have been reported by people who dared to enter. Gardner - The Old Gardner Cinemas (on Parker St.) - When the building was a play theater, there was a girl named Alice who died by having a sand bag fall on her. She has been seen roaming the lobby of the theater late at night by patrol officers and also have been seen sitting on the staircase that connects the theater to the other building next to it. This has been the ghost story of the Cinema employees for years.some of the employees that have seen traces of her still work at the new Cinema location. Gardner - The Victorian - The former mansion (circa 1875) of chair manufacturer, S.K. Pierce in South Gardner has been "certified" haunted by six mediums and paranormal researchers. The spirits of a nineteen year old female servant from the late 19th Century, a man who perished in a fire at the house in 1963 and a little boy who often visited the mansion, but did not live there. Footsteps, Orbs, and Spirits in Shadow can often be heard and seen throughout the house's 26 rooms; and they seem to be there to protect the property. Unlike many other haunted places who's owners prefer privacy. The Victorian is open for tours Most of the spirit activity takes place on the third floor; the former servants' quarters. Lancaster - Blood forest - old man blood killed many families and hung there bodies from the trees in this forest. Police eventually caught him but he escaped from a mental hospital some years later and was killed when he was found hanging more bodies. Late in the evening to early morning hours if you visit the stone entering Blood forest you can see images of bodies hanging from the trees. Shadows all around and even screams from old man blood?s victims. There have only been a few sightings of old man blood but his spirit is known to run when approached. Lancaster - Dr. Franklin Perkin's School - This place is a private residential school for DSS and DYS children. There are several buildings on it's campus, but the building is called The Manor. It is over a hundred years old and is the size of a mansion. There is a girl about the age of 6 who runs out of one of the bedrooms at nighttime. She is in a long nightgown and wearing a nightcap. There is another girl downstairs who roams one of the units for the older girls. She just passes through.always at the same time of night. Up on the third floor, furniture is moved around, windows are opened, you can hear footsteps, and in one certain spot on the second floor, right above you, it sounds like somebody dropping something. Outside, only on certain nights.not all the time, on the third floor in one of the windows is a faint blue glow. Leicester - Becker College Lane House - 3 little kids turn heat up and down, play with lights, move things around, bother guests, some say they have had sightings. Ghosts don?t seem to like some guests and weird things happen. stuff flies across room. Leicester - Spider Gates cemetery - It is said that this cemetery leads through the gates of hell. The cemetery got its name because of the spider like web patterns on the gates. There is supposedly a tree there called "The Hanging Tree" where someone had committed suicide by hanging themselves to this tree. There is a river located in the far end of the cemetery that is called "The River Stix" quoted from the bible. There is on tree near the cemetery that if you put a certain type of stone upon it you will be able to see the devil himself and he will talk to you. Children have been heard laughing in the cemetery at night and howling has been heard as well as spirits and mysterious fog. Milford - Middle School - Reports of people seeing a person behind them and then turning your head and they are gone. Also bright lights by the gymnasium. Oxford - Oxford Public Library - Books thrown off shelves, can hear an organ being played at night Oxford - Quobaug Ave - When you are alone in the house footsteps can be heard walking across the upper floors. Footsteps also can be heard coming down the stairs from the uppers floors. Thuds, like someone has dropped something upstairs, slams, bangs and crashes can be heard in the middle of the night, windy or not. Knocking on the cellar door when there is nobody on the other side. Faint screams of a woman. The feeling of a presence, that you are not alone. Neighbors say that every person who has ever lived there has complained of the same thing. Families have been forced to move because of the things heard. Paxton - Anna Maria College - The ghost of a young woman is said to haunt the theater here. A human skeleton was found under the stage, presumably hers. Plays with the lights, lets a few people see her sitting in the seats, and seems to have a fascination with modern technology. Paxton - Anna Maria College - Music Building - There are doors that open and close on their own, curtains move on their own as well. The grand piano in the performance hall will sometimes play even when locked. People have also said they saw the two lowest notes played on some of the pianos in the practice rooms. Paxton - First Congregational Church -During the mid 1800's, the minister of this church died during a sermon. His ghost has haunted the church ever since. Sightings range from candles lighting spontaneously in the chapel to footsteps going up stairs that have been removed. Paxton - Moore State Park - People have reported seeing ghostly figures that supposedly committed suicide in the millhouse down from the millpond. The sightings include a young man and young woman hanging together, and the original owner of the mill, who is also hanging in the millhouse. Royalston - The Old Royalston Cemetery - Very old and very small cemetery. Surrounded by a short stoned wall. Only one way in and one way out. Feelings arrive as soon as you enter such as cold spots, light touching sensations, and that "I?m not alone" feeling. Its a very old cemetery with a stone table like gravestone not too far in. Next to it, his one wife and his three concubines. Reported seeing a black like figure moving about the cemetery really fast. Then a fog like woman with a long white dress with blonde hair swaying around the back brick wall in the cemetery towards the old shack. Most believe that the stone table is the black shadow's gravestone since he?s usually seen right there. Note: All four (4) women's deaths have the same date, and the table gravestone's date is only a few short days later. Most of the inscription on the table cant be read anymore. Rutland - Rutland heights hospital - noises heard in halls. areas in hallway where there are unexplained "cold spots" employees that fell to there death off the water tower at Rutland Heights. The 88 acres was closed in 1991, leaving 17 buildings (which are full of asbestos and lead paint). Last time the submitter ventured here was on Halloween, they report human feces on the stairs (each of about 10 steps had a pile of human feces on it.) One of their fellow explorers fell about knee deep through the 4th floor. Overall, not a very safe place to go to. Shrewsbury - Southgate Retirement community - objects thrown by invisible forces. sightings of former residents voices and lights flickering have all been reported by both employees and residents Spencer - Pine Grove Cemetery - This is haunting grounds for one who is known to some as the Dark Hunter, his ghostly form abides it's time there, waiting and watching as people wander past. Sutton - Prouty Mansion - Maria Prouty was murdered here by her husband. The murder was ruled a suicide. The reason was found out years later. The story is long and complex with more twists and turns than most works of fiction. Read the book 'Deliver us From Evil' by two local couples who researched the crime for more details. Uxbridge - Blackstone St. - There was sightings in the early 70s of a headless biker. Would bike up and down Blackstone St. and anybody driving down the road that saw him somehow disappeared. Uxbridge - Montville House - house is 350 years old and many people have died in it. People have seen figures of an old woman and things tend to turn on and off by themselves. There is an old family burial ground in the back yard. Tenants often move in and out of this house frequently. The house is currently occupied. Uxbridge - The Old Taft Tavern - sometimes in the middle of the night people would see ghost like features standing at the foot of there bed dressed in colonial clothing. You will hear girls, laughing very distinctively coming from the forbidden living room. Uxbridge - Woods along Blackstone River -There have been several reports of a "Ghost Mill" that appears during the night. Several how have encountered the mill have reported seeing the mill on fire and a young child in a window. Some have run into the burning mill to find no child and then the mill disappears. Webster - High School - In the auditorium, if you look up near the rafters late at night, you can see a little man with a grin wearing black clothes staring at you. He disappears a few seconds after you look at him. People have had things being thrown down at them, and having no explanation. Westminster - Bourgeois Terrace - There has been reports of people walking in the sandpit late at night all alone with motorcycle helmets on. It has also been said that they moan when someone calls to them. Then they disappear Winchendon - Lake Dennison Camp Grounds - Old Cemetery within - It is said that if you drive your car into the old cemetery and shine your back lights on a certain tree that you can see "Willy", a ghost, hanging from a long branch. He is said to be a very angry ghost. Worcester - Spider Gates Cemetery - NO TRESSPASSING - A very dangerous cemetery. There is a spider looking design on the gate to the cemetery, hence the name, Spider Gates Cemetery. It is said that sightings of wandering ghosts the sensations of someone brushing against them have been reported. Fainting often occurs as the images and sensations become too strong to bear. It is said that some have died from massive heart attacks when they were over come with fear. Update - There are warning signs the further you get in, no one is permitted in since September 11th. Worcester - The Old Worcester State Hospital - Has blood stains on the walls and now remains all boarded up. People have supposedly heard the screams of the patients who died there.