A wheelchair dating back to the 1930s. A bible from the mid 1800s. A Halloween costume from the 1970s. A bit of dirt from a Wisconsin farm. An early 20th century high chair. Dolls— lots of dolls. The collection that Toledoans Dennis and Maggie Hagan have stored in their basement is eclectic, to say the least. Only one thing unites all these different items: Each one is supposedly haunted.
The old bible? A woman was holding it when she passed away, and she’s now apparently attached to it on a spiritual level. The Halloween costume is attached to the spirit of a six-year-old. The high chair is allegedly possessed by a demon.
“I have an exorcist-blessed cross on the tray table that is a Oujia board, and that keeps it at bay,” Dennis Hagan said. “It doesn’t really affect anyone in the house.”
Oh, and that Wisconsin dirt? Hagan said it came from the farm of Ed Gein. Yes, that Ed Gein, the infamous murderer who inspired numerous pop culture killers, from Norman Bates to Leatherface. “Ed Gein and his mother have come through and communicated with me, has even scratched me,” Hagan said.
Toledo Spirit Hunters
Hagan and Maggie are the co-owners of Toledo Spirit Hunters, a group that works to investigate paranormal claims around the Glass City area. In addition to visiting homes and businesses that are the site of alleged hauntings, the pair also post a series of videos on their work on their YouTube page, 13th Floor Haunted Media Productions.
“We basically do paranormal projects like filming for our paranormal series and filming for documentaries, and we also will cleanse homes and will help residential homes that need help,” Hagan said.
Many who are interested in the paranormal have a story of an encounter or experience themselves that helped inspire their curiosity. Not Hagan, though. His interest grew just from learning about stories and watching other investigators on television. “I actually wanted to see, is the paranormal real, or are they staging things to get views, you know what I’m saying?”
Starting a spooky collection
During his time working in the field, Hagan and Maggie made connections with other paranormal investigators, including a friend who works in Florida. It was that connection that first started the couple’s fascination with collecting artifacts.
“He has a team that has chapters across the United States,” Hagan said of his friend. “And his team basically pulls (the artifacts) out of homes, and then he usually contacts me.”
Any rare or interesting piece that allegedly has a spirit attached to it, Hagan will take. His collection currently numbers over a hundred different artifacts, with more coming in all the time.
“I started collecting haunted artifacts and started investigating them live on our team [YouTube] page, and let everyone witness the evidence live as we’re investigating,” Hagan said.
Keeping all these creepy mementos in their basement is not the long-term goal for the Hagans, however. They have plans to open a full-on haunted museum in Toledo within the next few years. The couple is currently in the process of getting a business plan together for the project.
“It doesn’t happen overnight to open something like this. You gotta go through so many steps and so many stages, then you’ll see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Hagan said.
In the meantime, if any fellow investigators would like to take a look at the Hagans’ collection— high chairs, dirt and all— they are more than welcome to reach out.
“With the evidence they collect, that just builds our reputation for having true-to-life haunted artifacts,” Hagan said.
Viewers can watch the Hagans’ discussions of their collection at 13th Floor Haunted Media Productions on YouTube, or by visiting the team’s Facebook page.
