Patty A. Wilson

Patty A. Wilson always knew she wanted to write about the paranormal. Telling tales came easy to her; she was raised in a family of storytellers.

Growing up in Williamsburg, Blair County, she remembers at a young age telling her mother that when she became an adult she wanted to write about the supernatural. The author of 31 books about hauntings, historical romances, UFOs and curses, Wilson has accomplished that and more.

She is now known as the “Ghost Lady of Pennsylvania.” Wilson moved to Bedford nearly 20 years ago because she was drawn to its rich history.

“I just fell in love with the town,” she said.

Wilson has an extensive knowledge of the history and hauntings of Bedford. She’s researched the town and can draw recollections from as far back as the early days of Fort Bedford. Her real passion, though, lies in the center of town, where she conducts ghost walks to tell about the old, haunted buildings in and around the outskirts of the town’s square.

She knows the tales of Bedford by heart. Walking by brick buildings that once served as family homesteads to Bedford’s elite, Wilson discusses with enthusiasm accounts of the past and the ghost stories of each place. Passing by the Russell House, one of Bedford’s most haunted locations, she points out that the building once served as a mortuary and as a rug emporium.

Strolling by the old Timmins Hospital/Sanatorium, she recounts the story of the Lady in Gray, pushing a wheelchair into a wall in the hallway. That building is notably haunted, and Wilson said she tells more goose bump-inducing stories about that specific location on her ghost walks.

Wilson knows about all of the apparitions that have been seen in each of the old homes and businesses, and even has first-hand supernatural accounts. One she remembers with clarity is when she was in the old Anderson House years ago conducting work in the attic.

“There was a patina of dust across the floor and on the steps. We put a motion sensor up there and did not disturb the dust. A little while later, the motion sensor went off, and on the third step, there was a single footprint,” Wilson said.

That recollection might scare anyone else who does not have the passion for the paranormal that Wilson does. For years, armed with her equipment, Wilson has set up shop in similarly haunted locations trying to reach the spirits who inhabit these places.

She co-founded the Ghost Research Foundation, the oldest active paranormal association in Pennsylvania, as a way for others with similar interests to become involved. She and her team of volunteers take their equipment to ghostly sites to see what activity they can find.

In addition to finding spirits, Wilson appreciates how close these stories bring her to history.

“You can learn a lot about history through hauntings,” she said.

Wilson, who infuses humor into her work, has brought undead folks to life in classes she has taught at the Rhine Research Center in Durham, N.C., and at other colleges and schools.

Her enthusiasm about her subjects brings back the people and the places from days gone by. Standing in front of Barclay Mansion, Wilson tells the story about the man who still lingers around there — causing no harm — just keeping an eye on the people who work there, and the building itself.

Meandering to the front of the tombstones of Thomas and Ann Anderson in the cemetery on the outskirts of Bedford’s town square, Wilson explains the Andersons’ love story and how their son, John, founded Bedford Springs. She also tells the eerie tale of the little girl with the red curls who visits their graves.

Wilson knows a lot about the supernatural happenings in Bedford, but the content of her books have an even wider range. She has written whole books about ghosts in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and North Carolina, to name a few. “My work’s been a blessing,” she said.

Chasing ghosts and writing about them has brought travel and fun to Wilson’s life. She’s appeared on “Mysterious Journeys: Salem” and “Mysterious Journeys: Eastern State Penitentiary” on the Travel Channel. She was also involved in the first two episodes of “Ghost Hunters.”

Wilson’s work brings joy to her life, and she hopes it helps her subjects become at ease.

She’s going to continue her labor of love bringing ghosts to life as long as there are tales to tell.

“These stories find me; they always have,” she said.

If you go

What:  Talking to the Dead event at Fort Bedford, hosted by the Ghost Research Foundation

When:  7 to 10 p.m. today

Where: Fort Bedford, 110 Fort Bedford Drive, Bedford

Admission: $10 per person

Tickets and more information: 623-2004

If you go

What:  Ghost Walk hosted by Patty Wilson

When:  10 p.m. Monday

Where: Begins at the Courthouse, 200 S. Juliana St., Bedford

Admission: $10 per person

Tickets and more information: 623-2004