Presents a collection of ghostly stories and strange phenomena of Upstate New York including haunted cemeteries, Ruby's castle in Watertown, and many more.

More than 60 frightening tales. Covers all regions of the state.

The friendly, relaxed atmosphere of the North Country belies a dark and sordid history: a time when it seemed that every city had its red-light district and every hamlet its brothel. Revisit an enigmatic period fraught with pistol duels and "tramp camps;" hermits on the run, "wild man" sightings and horse thieves. Local author Cheri Farnsworth has carefully researched and compiled the region's most wicked stories here, like the Potsdam man who literally scared his wife to death, the woman who was won in a game of cards, and the little girl who was taken by gypsies, sold for fifty cents, and then traded for a half a dozen chickens.

Hauntings lurk and spirits linger in the Empire State Reader, beware! Turn these pages and enter the world of the paranormal, where ghosts and ghouls alike creep just out of sight. Author Cheri Farnsworthshines a light in the dark corners of New York and scares those spirits out of hiding in this thrilling collection. From apparitions and objects that fly off of tables at the Manhattan Bistro, to a specter that stalks Pulpit Rock in Lake Placid, there’s no shortage of bone-chilling tales to keep you up at night. Around the campfire or tucked away on a dark and stormy night, this big book of ghost stories is a hauntingly good read.

America's most populated city is also home to bizarre ghosts and frightening creatures of the night.

There is a tragic history in New York's North Country of human folly, natural disasters, deadly explosions, terrible train wrecks and other calamities. The famous Barnum & Bailey Circus suffered deeply after its train crashed between Norwood and Potsdam in 1889 and many animals died. Beloved Thousand Island Park was almost entirely destroyed by a devastating fire in 1912, leveling hotels and businesses, and the once-thriving park never fully recovered. The great Massena earthquake measured 5.9 on the Richter scale in 1944 and caused tremendous structural damage, including destroying nearly all chimneys in the area. Author Cheri L. Farnsworth compiles both the man-made and natural disasters that shocked the North Country in the hundred years between 1850 and 1950.