A look at some female ghosts of Astoria, Queens, in New York City.
Note: There’s discussion of chattel slavery after the 26 minute mark.
Highlights include:
• The American president who was supposedly shot on his way to see a haunting
• A ghost who disappears if she stops knitting
• A lady in white and a hag who haunt the same block
• A shameful side of Astoria’s history
Sources consulted RE: Ghosts of Astoria
Books RE: Ghosts of Astoria
- History of Long Island City, New York by J. S Kelsey; 1896
- Old roads from the heart of New York : journeys today by ways of yesterday, within thirty miles around the Battery by Sarah Comstock
- American Myths & Legends by Charles M. Skinner (1903)
Articles RE: Ghosts of Astoria
- Brooklyn Times Union Sat Sep 4 1869
- Another Haunted House in Astoria. Evening Post (published as The Evening Post.) (New York, New York)November 23, 1858
- The Brooklyn Daily Eagle Sun Jul 18 1886
- The Brooklyn Daily Eagle Wed Dec 27 1893
- Brooklyn Times Union Sat Mar 7 1925
- Brooklyn Times Union Thu Nov 22 1934
- The Brooklyn Daily Eagle Sun Jul 11 1937
- The Brooklyn Daily Eagle Thu Nov 22 1934
- The Courier Fri Feb 2 1900
- Image 18 of The sun (New York [N.Y.]), January 14, 1900
Evening Post published as The Evening Post. November 23 1858 - New York Tribune published as New-York Tribune. November 23 1858
- Brooklyn Times Union Mon Oct 25 1909
- The New York herald (New York, N.Y.), February 13, 1921, (SECTION 6)
- Brooklyn Times Union Thu Jun 28 1888
- GOLD GHOST WALKS IN ASTORIA HOUSE: Psychic Expert, Called to Old … New York Times (1923-Current file); Nov 21, 1934; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times with Index pg. 2
- POLICEMEN’S QUEST FOR GHOSTS FUTILE: Three Carloads Go to Astoria’s … New York Times (1923-Current file); Nov 22, 1934; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times with Index pg. 1
- The evening world (New York, N.Y.), December 30, 1889, (EXTRA 2 O’CLOCK)
- The Appeal Sat Feb 24 1900
- The Inter Ocean Sun Jan 21 1900
- The Evening World Wed Nov 29 1893
- The Brooklyn Daily Eagle Thu Apr 19 1928
- The Tonganoxie Mirror Thu Jul 19 1883
- Reading Times Mon Jan 20 1896 The Brooklyn Daily Eagle Sun Nov 8 1885 (1)
- The evening world (New York, N.Y.), December 30, 1889, (EXTRA 2 O’CLOCK) https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030193/1889-12-30/ed-1/?sp=3&q=astoria+ghost&r=-0.026,0.482,0.453,0.19,0
- The times (Washington [D.C.]), December 19, 1897: https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn85054468/1897-12-19/ed-1/?sp=8&q=astoria+ghost&r=0.109,0.598,0.884,0.371,0
- Image 18 of The sun (New York [N.Y.]), January 14, 1900: https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030272/1900-01-14/ed-1/?sp=18&q=astoria+ghost&r=0.489,0.945,0.683,0.365,0
- Image 8 of New-York tribune (New York [N.Y.]), January 7, 1919: https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030214/1919-01-07/ed-1/?sp=8&q=astoria+sanatorium&r=0.385,0.216,0.487,0.205,0
- Image 7 of The sun (New York [N.Y.]), February 17, 1919: https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030431/1919-02-17/ed-1/?sp=7&q=astoria+sanatorium&r=0.569,0.553,0.276,0.116,0
- Image 10 of New-York tribune (New York [N.Y.]), February 10, 1906: https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030214/1906-02-10/ed-1/?sp=10&q=astoria+sanatorium&r=0.719,0.853,0.417,0.223,0
- Image 4 of New-York tribune (New York [N.Y.]), September 30, 1905
- Image 21 of The New York herald (New York, N.Y.), May 27, 1921: https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045774/1921-05-27/ed-1/?sp=21&q=astoria+sanatorium&r=0.342,0.678,0.311,0.166,0
- Image 16 of New-York tribune (New York [N.Y.]), October 5, 1904: https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030214/1904-10-05/ed-1/?sp=16&q=astoria+sanatorium&r=0.323,1.204,0.323,0.173,0
- Brooklyn Times Union (Brooklyn, New York) · Thu, Nov 22, 1934 · Page 8: https://bplonsite.newspapers.com/image/576215460
- The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York) · Sun, Jul 11, 1937 · Page 8: https://bplonsite.newspapers.com/image/52695146
- The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York) · Thu, Nov 22, 1934 · Page 24: https://bplonsite.newspapers.com/image/59991092
- https://www.qgazette.com/articles/pages-from-the-long-island-star-journal-9/
- Image 18 of The sun (New York [N.Y.]), January 14, 1900: https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030272/1900-01-14/ed-1/?sp=18&q=astoria+ghost&r=0.555,0.033,0.321,0.148,0
- Buffalo Morning Express and Illustrated Buffalo Express Tue Nov 13 1894
Websites
- Records of enslaved people in Newtown, Queens: https://nyslavery.commons.gc.cuny.edu/search/?appSession=5MCUK448ECO579156B8UL5N69FD4FP9HR01OXX509Z67L48DL4CAXL8EEI52U669I1O38XF12FE61JXWM4Y10N2Z9JAN9LHJU8BN2285018P4549838QC2RQ2L4EH2QX
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_A._Garfield#Assassination
- http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/33/v33i01p029-034.pdf
- https://kellykazek.com/2018/06/25/bet-you-didnt-know-about-this-haunted-american-castle/
- https://time.com/96533/thieves-break-into-james-a-garfields-tomb/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emanuel_Swedenborg
- https://newtownpentacle.com/2009/06/13/a-big-dig-in-queens/
- https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/who-really-ran-the-underground-railroad/
- https://www.6sqft.com/15-underground-railroad-stops-in-new-york-city/
- https://nyslavery.commons.gc.cuny.edu/
- https://nyslavery.commons.gc.cuny.edu/search/?appSession=1WXJ2370QHI6H9C815459UHS4F9AVG7ZNZ5RH7T39B21KWP081R95709VQVLNQPWX8M9A7IO8M3W22FY550M360BW077FZ21H52A90IQ93SZZS0A870A6XT8EJ4V78I8
- https://www.6sqft.com/search-over-35000-records-of-slavery-in-new-york/
- https://www.6sqft.com/before-nycs-slave-market-freedmen-from-africa-were-allowed-to-own-farmland/
- https://www.6sqft.com/in-the-1700s-there-was-an-official-location-for-buying-selling-and-renting-slaves-on-wall-street/
- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/1873_Beers_Map_of_Astoria,_Queens,_New_York_City_-_Geographicus_-_Astoria-beers-1873.jpg
- https://oana-ny.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/old_astoria_map_1873_bg-1024×666.jpg
- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1873_Beers_Map_of_Astoria,_Queens,_New_York_City_-_Geographicus_-_Astoria-beers-1873.jpg
- https://shop.old-maps.com/new-york/towns/kings-queens-cos-ny-1859-town/astoria-new-york-1859-old-town-map-custom-print-queens-co/
- https://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/n-zfvgw8/wkatj7/products/109812/images/126869/LongIslandCity_Astoria_MiddleVillage_1873_web__84173.1548088614.1280.1280.jpg?c=2
- https://www.mapsofantiquity.com/store/Antique_Maps_-_United_States/Northeast/New_York/Long_Island/Astoria,_New_York,_verso_Woodside,_Maspeth,_East_Williamsburg,_Newtown/inventory.pl?id=NYO016
- https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/medny/astoria.jpg
- https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/medny/halsall7.asp
- https://forgotten-ny.com/2002/02/astoria-necrology/
- https://forgotten-ny.com/2002/02/astoria-necology-continued/
- https://cdn6.picryl.com/photo/1903/12/31/queens-vol-2-double-page-plate-no-30-part-of-ward-two-newtown-trains-meadow-6c7e10-1600.jpg
- https://www.qchron.com/qboro/stories/you-ain-t-afraid-of-no-ghost-we-ll-see-about-that/article_010ee09d-001f-5505-a643-147da790ecbf.html
Don’t miss past episodes:
- Sunken Treasure at Hell Gate, New York City
- The General Slocum Disaster, Hell Gate, New York City
- The Haunted Hell Gate, New York City
- Calvary Cemetery, Queens, New York (Part 1)
- Hidden Cemeteries in Astoria, Queens, NYC
- Tombstones Around Socrates Sculpture Park, Astoria, NYC
- Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead and Cemetery: Part 1 (Hidden Cemeteries)
- Moore-Jackson Cemetery (Hidden Cemeteries)
