Haunted Crime Scenes: The Shrimp Factory
A Sense of Humor —
a Taste for Rum
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Janie's daughter, Cheryl Harris Power, purchased the Shrimp Factory from her mother in 1978. Within months, she too was convinced the building was haunted. According to Cheryl, she has witnessed a number of unexplained events since she took ownership of the restaurant.
"During the summer, our staircase leading to the storage room is extremely hot and humid," she wrote on her restaurant's Internet website. "During the evening, about halfway up the stairs, you will be hit by a feeling of cold air all around you. It actually feels quite good. Many times during the summer coming up the steps, I have hoped for the ghost to cool me off. But, it always happens unexpectedly and in my experience, after dark.
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"We refer to our storage room as upstairs or the storage room. There is never any reason for anyone to be upstairs unless they are going for supplies. So many times, I have asked a manager, 'What's going on; who is upstairs?' It always sounds like a large group of people talking quietly. We used to run up the steps to see. Now, we just look at each other and say, 'The Ghost is having some fun again.'"
In addition to the strange noises and eerie chanting sounds, employees have also noticed lights flickering and electric fans stopping and starting by themselves. Concerned there was an electrical problem, Cheryl had the wiring and light switches replaced. Nonetheless, the problems have persisted, thus convincing her even more of the ghosts' ominous presence. "It became clear after that that the ghosts were having fun with us," Cheryl said.
Cheryl is also convinced that the ghosts have a taste for rum. In the past, she would have the liquor moved from the storage room to the downstairs bar during the winter months. However, the bottles would often fall and break for no apparent reason. At some point, she noticed the incidents never happened when she left a few bottles of rum behind in the storage room. Apparently, the ghosts do not like to be without their favorite drink. Why they prefer rum to any other liquor is anyone's guess.
We may never know the truth behind the identity of the ghosts at the Shrimp Factory, but one thing is certain: if you ever take a walk up the steps to their liquor room, make sure you have dressed warm because once you hit the top, you will most certainly feel an unexplained chill. I know I did.
