The Spread Eagle Tavern and Inn in Hanoverton, Ohio.

I would like to share with each of you a place that I had recently visited for mainly for one reason. It was not about seeking out the unknown but rather it was to see a table. Let me explain. I always like listening about history just as much as I do about the paranormal. So when someone starts talking about places or things they have been to or seen, I do tend to listen more intently. And because of this I found myself traveling just over two hours to the small town of Hanoverton, Ohio, to visit the Spread Eagle Tavern and Inn.

Once arriving, my wife and I were greeted and the hostess lead us to our table. We sat close to one of the many fireplaces that were in the building. After we had lunch I asked the waitress about the tavern’s history and about any ghost stories they might have experienced. She began telling us about it along with giving us a brochure with information for a self-guided tour. This was great because I heard the table that I was wanting to see was someplace in the tavern. While going room to room of each of the floors we found the tavern had so much history within it. One particular room on the third floor did grab my attention. No, it was not the Lincoln Room where Abraham Lincoln had given a speech, but it was the Jefferson Room. It is believed that a lady by the name of Olivina had lived in this room in the late 1800s. One day she chose to take her life by jumping from the window with a bed sheet tied around her neck. Employees today believes the paranormal activity that they have experienced and the lady that can be seen in the window is none other than Olivina.

After taking the tour I found myself still without seeing the table that I had gone to see. Was the story I heard made up or was it no longer there? I had to find out. I spoke to Julie Miller who is the General Manager at the Spread Eagle and began asking her about the table. She stated the table was no longer there. It was at this time I felt like my face lost all expression. But that changed after hearing her say “It is in the Hanover House across the parking lot. Would you like to see it.” Without a beat I said “Yes!” As we walked across the parking lot all I could think of was seeing this table.

Why was I so interested in this table? It was because of what it had went through. It was once owned by a man who was believed to have removed bodies from a nearby cemetery and carry them to his house. Because there was no access from the inside to one of the rooms he would carry them through an upstairs window. It was in this room where he kept this table that he would lay the bodies on. He would do this to experiment on them to try to find out what makes the body alive.

Even though my quest was just to see this table I was able to learn a lot of history of this small area in Hanoverton. The stories are endless so if you are ever traveling along I-77 and have some time to spare or are looking for a good meal, swing on by.