Recent Investigations by Long Island Paranormal Investigators:

Mount Misery

Mount misery is located in the well-to-do area of West Hills. It starts at the intersection of Broad Hollow Road (RT 110) and Sweet Hollow Road and ends at about Jericho Turnpike. It is the highest point on Long Island. Before industrial development a clear view of Connecticut could be seen from it's summit. The area was settled in the 1600's and was a small farming community. The town and the area played a small role in the revolutionary war, on the British side (much to the chagrin of many of the colonies). It boasts some real history including having played host to George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, and the birthplace of the poet Walt Whitman. But it also boasts some very impressive paranormal history as well. Interesting enough, the name of the mount is not what you might think. The early settlers nick named the point mount misery because it was a trade route and the steep hill and rocky terrain made it difficult for wagons to pass over.

When Long Island was purchased for the equivalent of $25 from the local Indians the settlers we're told to stay away from this area. They claimed that there we're evil sprits at work on top of the old hill. At the time the hill was not known as Mount Misery. There we're rumors of strange lights in the sky above the mount and a "man-beast" that roamed the hills. The beast was said to have glowing eyes. Then, in 1840, a hospital was built on top of the mount for the insane. It was the custom at the time to lock the mentally ill away in homes. This hospital was such a place. Not long after the hospital was built, there was a fire and it was burned down to the foundation. Many patients we're killed in the fire. About 15 years later the hospital was rebuilt. It was said that the smell of the burning building and the screams of the victims could be heard at night. Strangely, the new hospital burned down only a mere 5 months after being built.

There are also stories closer to our current time as well. In April of 1967, an elderly woman who lived alone in a house near the summit of Mount Misery had received a visit from some strange looking men immediately after a severe rainstorm. In the women's own words we have this account: "They had high cheekbones and very red faces, like a bad sunburn. They were very polite but they said my land belonged to their tribe and they were going to get it back. What frightened me was their feet. They didn't have a car...they must have walked up that muddy hill...but their shoes were spotlessly clean. There was no trace of mud or water where they walked in my house." After this incident only a week later she had another visitor. This was a woman with striking white hair who claimed to represent a local newspaper. She carried a book like a big ledger and asked the witness a number of personal questions about her family background.  When she called the newspaper to confirm this women's claims after she had left she was told that they employed no one fitting that description.

Related to Mount Misery is the story of a spectral police officer that patrols the stretch between RT 110 and Jericho Turnpike known as Sweet Hollow Road. On a routine traffic stop the officer was shot in the head and killed. It is now rumored that this ghost still pulls cars over. It's only when the officer walks away that you notice something's missing, and that missing thing is the back of his head! Another story is of a women that got a flat tire. When she steeped out to change it, she was hit and killed by a passing car. This happened in the 1970's directly under the Northern State overpass. It's said that if you park your car there at night facing Rt 110 and shut your lights, put the car in neutral and wait, she'll push your car up a small incline till you clear the overpass.

And it's not just ghosts up in the hills. The elderly women mentioned above has reappeared. Her encounters we're after a rash of UFO sightings in and around Melville. In fact stories abound about strange men in black paying visits to the locals. They seem to come from nowhere and always appear after a sighting. They come by and ask questions like "last night did you see anything strange in the sky?" There have been many sightings of unexplained flying objects around the mount. One women, Miss Jane P. Paro, who had a talk show on local station WBAB, spoke of the very same sightings mentioned here. Soon after she reported some UFO sightings around Mount Misery she began to receive all manner of crank calls, both at the station and on her unlisted home phone. Metallic voices ordered her to meet them on 'the Mount'. She declined their invitation.

A simple Google search will give you an incredible number of hits concerning Mt. Misery, most of which lead to the same or very similar stories. While this may be enough to provoke interest its known that a lot of myths from other parts of the country have attributed and in some cases intertwined with the myths of Mt. Misery. So ghosts, UFO's , strange lights in the sky, and men in black all in one place.

Mt. Misery is two locations, divided by the Northern State Parkway. Site 1 is on the South end at the Radio tower itself. Site 2 is the North end by a park/undeveloped area across the parkway from the radio tower. Paranormal activity has been reported at both locations.

NOTE: The legends of Mount Misery are also closely tied and intertwined with Sweet Hollow Road.

Observed Activity: Electronic investigation techniques (EMF, etc) is useless in this location do to the proximity of a radio tower on the hill top that will jam and override sensitive instruments. Observed activity has all been either EVP's, photographic and personal experiences. Motorola 2-Way style radios have picked up very unusual conversations in the area but that too could be due to the radio tower. Also, film camera photography has found many unusual mists and orb-like reflections. Investigation at this location continues.

The following pictures are from Mt. Misery Site 1:

This odd illumination was photographed as investigator Dimitri Haritos put out his arm
and asked if anyone was here to take his hand. He reported his arm feeling cold
(it was a warm evening) and this picture was immediately taken.

The following pictures are from Mt. Misery Site 2:

The location at Mount Misery site 2 where we first encountered the intense EVP in September of 2006.
 

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