We were lucky enough to have the chance to visit here. Basically what I wanted to do is show you that the town of Lily Dale does have spirits and ghost. Although we visited here in the winter this is a place that is so beautiful in the summer. Psychics will give readings outside, people will come visit just to pay a spiritual pilgrimage for a day and some just want to admire its history. I have had at least 20 people recommend I visit or investigate here so I made it possible for everybody to let there imaginations run wild and to see a few of the unseen forces at work here in this small town of 450 people. On a cold winter night you can visit the town and you will find most houses are locked up and the residents go somewhere warmer for the winter so basically its a ghost town with a few lights here and there. The historical inn of coure is always open for guest who want to stay the night.

Lily Dale was on the 13 most scariest places of WNY but this is not a scary place. This is a place of happiness you can walk threw out the town square which others call the Leolyn Woods is a place called inspiration stump. This is an ancient tree where people are said to worship, increase spiritual awareness, and mediumship. Many people late at night will visit the stump and claim to hear at night the elementals or rather spirits that talk to them. It is believed that the forest once the sun goes down is taken over by spirits or rather at night it is there's. So often people who roam the woods at night will see hazy figures, strange lights, figures walking, voices and other unexplained things. They say the stump whispers things and often people will feel there deceased love ones talk to them. One person had a heart attack and since then some fear it saying the energy around the stump is to high.  We could not find the stump everything was buried in snow so what we decided to do is centralize the investigation in the towns park which is right in the center of town. What did we find? That in just a matter of 15 minutes the rumors of this place having many ghost and high energy turned out to be true. The town has as much energy as it says then the spirits and psychics knew of our arrival here so honestly no matter where we went we knew we were engulfed by many entities. During the summer it is not a rare sighting to see a lady all dressed in Victorian and heavy jewelry sitting down by the stump however or many sitting at the forest temple outdoors.

What makes a place have so many Hauntings? It is not always death or tragedy but perhaps its serenity? Or maybe it is the land itself perhaps there is some sort of vortex. It is believed that this land Lily Dale is on is an ancient Native American place of power. Many places all over the country have places of power and where does it all originate from? The Native Americans. But this truly is a nice town and of course it is a gated community so you do have to check in the front gates unless of course it is winter. But in the Winter you really cannot see many of the places because they are buried in snow so in one way you miss out on seeing how beautiful this place looks in the warmer months or getting to talk with a few of the psychics. 

The town itself has many psychics, telepaths, mediums, clairvoyants living here. Some will tell you that the stump gave them wisdom on how they became wealthy or tell you tall tales of how the inn is haunted down the road. It really is interesting and I wish I had a chance to talk with some of them just to see how accurate they are in reading me. I have had friends tell me that the psychics here are very accurate and some things they said have come true one of them even told me that one of the psychics knew something she never told a soul too. So how authentic are these spiritualist? Very!! After all this is the worlds largest center for spiritualism. Here you are not an outcast you can discuss what others on the outside world do not believe in and you will not be ridiculed. I honestly wish that I had the chance to spend a night under a tree looking at the stars there is not an ounce of evil here it may even be the purest place I ever visited.

In closing I would like to say that I am pleased that I had a chance to visit here and I recommend at least everybody visiting here once it does not have to be to talk to the dead it could be just to see a part of history. Feel what I felt there the security, the warmth, the nature around you it is gorgeous. There is even a ice-cream parlor and some very pretty cottages you can look at.  Take some photos spend a day on the lake picnicking with your family you will not regret it. But do not disrespect the spirits here I mean they are not some tourist attraction they are here because they chose to be. We are just lucky enough that they gave us some inspiration by allowing us to photograph them. Lily Dale is a place of wisdom and secrets and now we get to share a few of them with you. 

© By

Rick-AngelOfThyNight

The photos above are for educational use only are transloaded from the web we do not claim any profits from them.

History

By Betty L. Putnam

The history of Lily Dale Camp is one of courage, stamina and dedication. It all began in the year 1844 - proceeding the Hydesville Manifestations by the Fox Sisters. In the small village of Laona, a few miles from Lily Dale, Dr. Moran (mesmerist from Vermont) was invited by William Johnson, to lecture before a group of interested people. Mr. Johnson, the son of a minister, was the father of Marion Skidmore who became a great leader for Spiritualism at Lily Dale. At that time Jeremiah Carter, physically enfeebled, had sought to be treated by Dr. Moran. Unfortunately, Dr. Moran had to leave before such could be applied. Mr. Johnson suggested that they themselves try the experiments, demonstrated by the Vermont doctor. The results were startling. Mr. Carter became entranced. An entity to be Dr. Hedges spoke to the people present – giving messages from spirit and demonstrating the laying on of hands.

The advent of the Hydesville manifestations strengthened the purpose of the group and they termed themselves Spiritualists and Liberals. The group met regularly to discuss their beliefs and practice their healing and mediumship. Many great speakers had their early beginnings in Laona. In 1855 the First Spiritualist Society of Laona was formed.

In 1873 Willard Alden owned a good sized farm (now known as the Leolyn Hotel) just outside the gates of Lily Dale. Jeremiah Carter insisted that Spirit voices kept continuously urging him to go to Alden’s farm and start a camp meeting. This was accomplished and the group met there for summer picnics and meetings. After Mr. Alden’s transition, his heirs became dissatisfied with the financial arrangements, so the board in 1879 decided to purchase land and move their location. Twenty acres of land was purchased from John Fisher at the price of $1845.00. This is now known as the Lily Dale Assembly.

Mrs. Amelia Colby was asked to name the camp. Her guide gave her the name of Cassadaga Lake Free Association. In 1903 the name was changed to The City of Light and in 1906, The Lily Dale Assembly: named for the abundance of lilies flowered on the lake.

Men and women worked tirelessly side by side, felling trees, clearing brush, making winding paths through the forest. The first service was held at Lily Dale under a cradle of boughs known as The Bough House. Fashioned from entwining branches and flowers. Rough hewn logs were used for benches. The first speaker at Lily Dale was Elizabeth Lowe Watson. She was a dynamic speaker, a Liberal and Suffragette.

Financial problems were experienced from the early beginning of the camp, this acted, strangely enough, not as a deterrent, but as a challenge to go forward and work harder towards the anticipated goal. The first order of business of the camp was the discussion of building a permanent auditorium. This was accomplished in 1883, and later remodeled in 1916. The seating capacity was 1200. There have been many times during Lily Dale’s history that people stood three deep outside the auditorium in order to hear the lecture.

Preceding the auditorium in 1881, a Lyceum was formed with the children meeting in a large tent. They felt that training of the young was important. In 1928 the beautiful Andrew Jackson Davis Building for the Lyceum was built and gifted to Lily Dale by Mrs. M. Cadwallader, the editor of "The Progressive Thinker."

In 1895 The Alden House was purchased by Mrs. Abby Pettengill and renamed the Leolyn after her grand-daughter. The Leolyn then was purchased from Mrs. Pettengill by the Assembly.

A hotel was built in 1880. It was originally a barn. It is known as a "hung suspension building." When additional floors were needed each floor was raised and the new additions placed underneath. It was known as "The Grand Hotel"- today it is the Maplewood Hotel.

Today the famous Maplewood Hotel stands serenely, her old time charm still intact, overlooking the lake enticing the occupants to relax on its wide porch, and watch the ducks and swans, glide by. Many heated philosophical subjects have been debated and aired on the Maplewood porch. Bit by bit these sturdy pioneers plodded forward – roads were built, sewers installed, lights became reality. The first library was held in a tent in the park in 1886. Today it stands proudly as the Marion Skidmore Library housing thousands of the finest books on Spiritualism.

The Assembly Hall, famous for its Thought Exchange and class work came into being in 1888, the old school building in 1893. The octagon building was reserved for class, arts and the teaching of proper dancing. It housed the Junior League for years then became the Medium’s building. The beautiful Healing Temple was built by Louis Vosburg at the direction of T. J. Kelly’s guide. This National Missionary was one of the most outstanding mediums that has served Lily Dale platform.

The original Fox Cottage was moved from Hydesville, New York, a gift from Benjamin Bartlett of Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania and placed at Lily Dale in 1916. Tragically the cottage burned to the ground early morning in 1955. Fortunately the Peddler’s trunk containing the Fox family Bible with valuable information about the family was saved and is on display at the Museum.

In 1898 Lily Dale had its own newspaper The Sunflower. The editor was William Bach, who with his wife Evialenna, erected the Sunflower Pagoda. The United States Government in 1888 established the Lily Dale Post Office ensuring the inhabitants not only the convince of its service but recognizing Lily Dale on the map. From its lowly beginning of 20 acres, Lily Dale now owns approximately 168 acres.

Lily Dale has a splendid volunteer Fire Department. These men and women give freely of their time and efforts to protect the camp.

Truly Lily Dale lived to that early promise. Thirty thousand people come through the gates each year. Lily Dale has comforted the bereaved: demonstrated the truth of immortality, and shown others a way of life known as the religion of Spiritualism.

All of the people who have visited Lily Dale have contributed to "Beautiful Lily Dale." By the same reasoning thousands owe their happiness, peace of mind, and sometimes their lives, to Lily Dale.

It is a worn cliché that the first hundred years are the hardest. If that is so, then Lily Dale has truly weathered the storms and kept the faith, knowing that the guiding light has been, and forever will be "The Eternal Light of Spirit."