Staley Road: A Local Haunting

Ghosts and a Bleeding Barn

On a dark night years ago, a man named Staley murdered his family and servants before killing himself. Now, when you drive by his property at night, the electrical system in your car will short out, and if you're lucky, you might even see the ghost of Staley moving around his house.

Bethel Township doesn't have much; a drive-thru, a gas station, and a school that houses elementary school through high school. The one thing this small town in Miami County, Ohio does have, is a ghost story; one that passes down through every generation of students at Bethel High School.

Depending on how you heard the story, determines which story you know. Those outside the area know the story above, and those inside know a completely different story. In "our" version, Staley did not have a family, and lured local children into his barn. Parents finally discovered the truth, and rushed to his property where they discovered the dozens of children's bodies littering the barn.

Nearly all of the legends center around that barn, visible just after turning onto Staley Road. The barn itself is impressive, from an architectural point of view but hardly worth inventing entire legends. Staley Road is more terrifying, with its deep twists, and trees that curve over the road blocking out the sun. Many a group have found themselves wandering down the street, hoping to catch a glimpse of the spirit, and some claim to have had paranormal experiences.

The only problem with the legend is that history does not match the story. There was a man named Elias Staley, and he did live in Bethel Township on what is now called Staley Road. He married, raised a family, and opened a mill in 1818. He didn't murder his family, evidenced by his son Andrew who later took over operations of the mill. The Staley Farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 because it is one of the oldest mills in the state of Ohio, and one of the few existing double water-wheel mills in the world.