The Shadows Within: Houghton Mansion

On August 1, 1914, the chauffeur of a Pierce-Arrow automobile drove away from the carport of a stately mansion in North Adams, Massachusetts. An idyllic mid-summer’s morning turned tragic in a blink of an eye. The automobile approached a team of men working to improve the safety of the dangerous road, and in an ironic twist of fate, the car and her passengers rolled down a steep embankment. All but one passenger was thrown from the car.

Sybil Hutton, a young mother and wife was killed almost instantly. Her husband, Dr. Robert Hutton, could not help any of the injured because of his shock and grief. Although he needed urgent medical attention, he refused to leave his wife’s body. Less than an hour earlier, Sybil hugged and kissed her two-year old son goodbye for the final time.

Mary Houghton, the daughter of a rich and prominent citizen, was the only passenger not thrown from the car. Mary gave up her dreams of starting her own family so she could focus on taking care of her ailing father, Albert C. Houghton. Mary remained in the car as it flipped over three times – each revolution of the car caused her immense injuries which proved to be fatal several hours later.

Albert C. Houghton, a business and civic leader, found his youngest daughter in the wreckage in grave condition. Mr. Houghton at this point in time was no longer the dynamo he once had been. His body was already weak because of years of deteriorating health. Shortly after Mary’s death, Mr. Houghton also died likely of a broken heart, as his frail body could not handle the overwhelming grief he suffered. Mr. Houghton suffered enormous tragedies throughout his entire life – it was the final one that he could not recover from.

Meanwhile, the chauffeur, a man who called himself John Widders, was in a state of shock and despair over the accident. His own life was full of misery as he spent his entire life hiding from his painful past. Grief and guilt would overcome John Widders as he took his own life overnight. The Houghtons were the closest thing to family he ever had and as a result of the tragic error; he decided to be his own judge, jury and executioner.

The spirits of three of these victims is said to roam the former residence. The walls of Houghton Mansion do talk, and the spirits want their stories told.

The Shadows Within: Houghton Mansion explores the lives of those involved in the car accident as well as their families. The book is a journey into another era. While there were many happy times, there were far too many tragedies faced by the families who called Houghton Mansion home. After each central person is discussed, the book revisits the accident through their eyes and ears.

The author also discusses his personal experiences and evidence captured within the haunted mansion and various theories on why the spirits did not pass into the light.

Journey into the hallways of a haunted mansion and come to appreciate the shadows within as people. Read about the various joys and heartbreaks that the families endured. While their spirits may not have entered the light, this book will bring their history to light.

Cubicle dweller by day, paranormal investigator by night, David Raby runs into locations that many others flee from. Unlike some paranormal investigators that are only seeking a thrill by stepping foot into haunted locations, the author is intrigued by the history of each location and especially the human stories contained within the walls.

David Raby founded a paranormal investigation group based in Connecticut. He serves as Lead Investigator, Case Manager and Technical Manager. He is the author of dozens of online articles that deal with paranormal topics.

For the author, the most exciting part about paranormal investigations is the possibility of communicating with people who lived decades and even centuries before our own time. Some of the spirits that have been encountered lived during historic eras such as the U.S. Civil War and even earlier. History is not just words written on a sheet of paper; in a haunted location, history is alive!

At first, the author’s goal was to help people who do not understand the topic and as a result are frightened. It quickly became apparent that the ones who needed the most help are the spirits who for many reasons remain behind.

The author’s objective in the series The Shadows Within is to give the spirits the respect they deserve and to give them a chance for their voices to be heard, since many of us cannot hear them. Within the walls of each haunted location is a complex tapestry of history and human emotion. Ultimately the goal is to provide whatever help a spirit may need so they can move on to where they belong, even if all they need is validation.

As part of the author’s maturation process as a paranormal investigator, he felt the need to broadcast the stories of those spirits that are contained in our region’s most haunted locations. This living history needs to be heard – and respected. These individuals should not be considered “ghosts”, but as what they really are; people like us, only without a physical vessel to contain their thoughts, emotions, hopes and dreams.