THE STORY
Reported Haunting
One of Canada's best-known historical poltergeist cases began in Amherst, Nova Scotia, in 1878 and centered on 18-year-old Esther Cox. Esther lived with her sister Olive Teed and the Teed family at 6 Princess Street when the disturbances reportedly began. Witnesses described violent knocking and banging, objects flying through rooms, furniture moving without explanation, mysterious fires, messages appearing inside the house, and physical attacks upon Esther. The strange activity reportedly followed her at times when she stayed elsewhere. Actor Walter Hubbell later lived in the Teed home while investigating the events and published his account as The Great Amherst Mystery. Although the case became internationally famous, later skeptical investigators argued that at least some of the phenomena could have involved trickery or psychological factors.
Historic site of the Teed family home at 6 Princess Street, where Esther Cox became the central figure in the reported 1878-1879 poltergeist disturbances known as the Great Amherst Mystery.