Supernatural Research

Mason Winfield – Western New York’s preeminent researcher/writer of all things supernatural, paranormal, mystical, etc. – gave a presentation in our library earlier this month and it’s only fitting that we share some of the resources we have in our collection (some of which Mr. Winfield used in preparation for his talk) for those curious to embark on some spooky research of their own.

For the most comprehensive exploration of WNY’s various haunted histories, we would be remiss not to suggest going directly to the source of what sparked this blog post: Mason Winfield and his oeuvre. Mr. Winfield’s presentation provided a nice overview of Buffalo’s history with the supernatural, so his books would be the ideal place to start if you’re looking for the more in depth details his presentation wasn’t able to cover. Of course there are, and we have them, other books that reveal and discuss haunted locations and happenings throughout the area, but Winfield’s work makes up the bulk of the relevant literature. That said, while you can get a thorough breakdown of these fascinating and creepy histories in entertaining books, there is fun to be had digging into our card catalog and seeing where that takes you!

These subject headings resulted in numerous citations (as you can see in the photograph, the ‘Ghosts’ card I highlight is the seventh index card with related citations, and there are more after it), which could lead to journals, magazines, our newspapers on microfilm, and our vertical files.

Whether it’s the discovery of hidden history, the crazy characters involved, or simply the October Halloween vibes that bring you to our collection, we have plenty of material related to the supernatural for you to get lost in.