All Aboard! Next Stop Moonville: The Haunted Train Tunnel in Moonville, Ohio
- Marisa DeRoma ( a.k.a The Wandering Oddball)
- Jul 7
- 3 min read
In 2020, when I took a road trip that fall to the Athens, Ohio campus, I took another detour to a location. This venture was inspired by a show I saw on YouTube called 'My Ghost Story' years ago. My venture there is interesting. The path driving there was by a cliff where I cautiously coasted through. When I arrived, hikers were coming and going through the graffiti-covered train tunnel. One person was even flying a drone through the tunnel.
The History of Moonville
In 1856, the M&C Railroad permitted Samual Coe to construct a railroad to connect Marietta to Cincinnati. As the railroad sprang up, so did a town. The name Moonville was given because when there was a full moon, one could get a nice view of it from above the train tunnel. Most of the residents were miners and railroad workers, with the highest population reaching approximately 100. In the early 1900s, Moonville declined as mines began to close, prompting many families to relocate.
In 1947, Moonville was officially abandoned when the last family moved out.
The only thing that exists in Moonville other than the tunnel is the foundations of a schoolhouse and a cemetery. The tunnel's rails were removed and turned into a walking path.
A Literal Ghost Town
Over the years, ghost stories began to emerge around the tunnel. There are many tales of people who were killed by an oncoming train that roamed the tunnel.
There is a ghost known as the Engineer, who died when his train collided with another train.
Some people report smelling perfume as they walk through the tunnel. They believe it to be the spirit of a woman who was hit by a train she did not see coming. Due to her pervasive presence of lavender perfume, she has been dubbed the Lavender Lady by ghost hunters.
The Brakeman ghost is said to be that of a brakeman who, while drinking and in a drunken stupor, decided to take a nap on the tracks near the trestle. You can guess what happens next. Unfortunately, the train was not loud enough for the man to wake up.
Schools are not the only places where you can find a bully; every small town has one too. The story goes that when the city was still active, a local farmer known as “The Bully” was said to cause problems in Moonville. After getting kicked out of a bar, he was found dead nearby. The town believed someone killed him due to his antics. People who walk through the tunnel report someone flinging small rocks at them. They think it to be “The Bully”, but instead of tormenting the town, he bothers the living.
Because of the stories, many ghost hunts are conducted in the tunnel with paranormal groups.
Many people claimed to have seen orbs in the tunnel or a glow of a lantern that a railroad worker would carry. So are any of these true?
It’s very easy to take a lot of these stories with a grain of salt, especially with many different variations of stories surrounding them. At the same time, there have been cases of train fatality or some sort of accident, so that it wouldn’t be a complete stretch.
One thing is sure, and this is a quote from the Columbus Dispatch interview with Caleb Appleman, President of the Moonville Rail Trail Association, about the ghost stories.
Appleman: "I guess, the ghosts don't scare the vandals away."
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