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Features Archive:

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2005 Archive:
Whose Scrooge? - by Lee Prosser
December 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Spirit Dor by John Richards
December 9, 2005


The Witchcraft Connection - The Ghostly Carpenter - by Marcus Foxglove Griffin
December 6, 2005

Column - regular feature

Nature is a Haunted House - by Lee Prosser
December 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Hollywood Ghost Hunt Weekend by Richard Senate
November 28, 2005


Clairvoyance, Ghosts, and Music - by Lee Prosser
November 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Halloween and the End Times - by Lee Prosser
November 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

The Witchcraft Connection - Resurrection Mary: The Conclusion - by Marcus Foxglove Griffin
October 20, 2005

Column - regular feature

1 Corinthians 12:10 - by Lee Prosser
October 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Gift From A Child By Rick Hayes
October 14, 2005


Ghost Hunt: The Liberace Mansion by Richard Senate
October 7, 2005


Mimosa, Marigold, Cayenne, Dandelion, Mullein, Clairvoyance, Uncle Willard, and Ghosts - by Lee Prosser
October 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Today's Cults of Personality by Wayne Harrup
September 19, 2005


Clairvoyance and the River of the Mind - by Lee Prosser
September 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Bide One's Time - Rev. Pat Robertson - by Lee Prosser
September 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Cedar Key Inn - The Man in the Kitchen by Janice Cottrill
August 29, 2005


Bide One's Time - High Spirits - by Lee Prosser
August 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

CBS Introduces the Ghost Whisperer by Jeff Belanger
August 5, 2005


Bide One's Time - Ghostly Encounter - by Lee Prosser
August 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Bide One's Time - Don Bachardy - by Lee Prosser
July 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Bide One's Time - New Mexico, Land of Enchantment - by Lee Prosser
July 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Tibetan Beliefs On Death and Beyond Part 2 of 2 by Janice Cottrill
June 20, 2005


Bide One's Time - Why Do We Enjoy Ghost Story Movies? - by Lee Prosser
June 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Tibetan Beliefs On Death and Beyond Part 1 of 2 by Janice Cottrill
June 13, 2005


Bide One's Time - We are Each a Living Ghost in Our Own Story - by Lee Prosser
June 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Electronic Voice Phenomena (E.V.P.) by Todd M. Bates
May 23, 2005


Bide One's Time - Sensitive to Ghosts - by Lee Prosser
May 17, 2005

Column - regular feature

Emotions of the Paranormal by Brian Leffler
May 13, 2005


George Lutz's Amityville Horror by Jeff Belanger
April 12, 2005


Connecting Through Reincarnation? by Rick Hayes
March 16, 2005


Chinese Hopping Ghosts by Janice Cottrill
March 4, 2005


Dr. Hans Holzer - A Lifetime of Explaining the Unexplained by Jeff Belanger
February 7, 2005


The Legend of Lucy Keyes by John Stimpson
February 4, 2005


Raymond Buckland by Lee Prosser
January 28, 2005


The Mysterious Haunting of Stone's Public House by David Retalic
January 23, 2005


Some Musings on White Noise by Lee Prosser
January 12, 2005


India and the Supernatural by Lee Prosser
January 3, 2005




August 29, 2005

Cedar Key Inn - The Man in the Kitchen

By Janice Cottrill

It wasnt psychic intervention that told of the story of the man who lived in the pantry but the story told to us by a cute, vibrant lady who had worked at the hotel for over twenty-five years. She knew all the stories and was happy to share them. We interviewed her
twice while we were at the Key and found her fascinating.

One of the ghosts that roam the Cedar Key Inn is found in the pantry area of the kitchen and has been seen and identified by chefs and servers who spend most of their time in this food preparation area. They identify the man as being about five foot- six inches with dark hair and a mustache. All those that report the ghost describe him exactly the same. The story goes like this:

Simon Feinberg once owned the hotel. He was married to Ella Bluestein in Velva, Russia which is now part of Poland. They had five sons and three daughters. They moved to Tallahassee, Florida and built general stores in small towns which he then leased out. In 1898 he came to Cedar Key and built the General Store. He leased it to a man named Marcus Markham. Markham proceeded to expand the business by putting in a still for making liquor and hid it with a false ceiling. The still could only be reached through the kitchen pantry. This story was verified in 1980 when workmen, while reroofing the Inn, discovered the false ceiling and remnants of the old still in the attic.

Feinberg came out to Cedar Key to check on his holding and while he was at the Inn,
discovered the still. He was furious and confronted Markham who offered to pay him additional rent but Feinberg was not to be compromised. He was a church-going man who didnt believe that men should drink, for no good would ever come of it. Markham said he had a resolution and they would discuss it over dinner in the dining room later that evening. Feinberg then retired to his room where he dressed for dinner.

Markham went right to work in the kitchen and added a little something extra for spice to the meal that the chef had prepared. What that extra was is unknown but was known is that it was lethal for Feinberg was found dead in his bed in the morning as the maids made their rounds. He died on May 11, 1919, in the bed in Room 27 of the Island Key Hotel. All of Feinbergs children are now gone but nine grandchildren and great grand children still live in Florida.

Markham also met his death in the room behind the bar as he was knifed during a heated argument with a steamer boat captain while they drank in the bar. It seems Feinberg was right about the liquor. Marcus didnt realize he was hurt as badly as he was and stuffed his handkerchief over his wound and climbed up to his attic still to get away from all of the ruckus that resulted from the confrontation at the bar.

He was found dead, hours later dangling from the steep ladder that ran from the pantry to the liquor still in the attic. It is believed that it is because this is where he died, this is where he was trapped. He is a very strong, forceful ghost and made his presence known to four ghost investigations who met at the Cedar Key Inn for a week-end conference and investigation..

It was about eleven oclock when totally unplanned, four members of the investigating group ended up in the kitchen. Everyone was wandering around taking pictures when one of the group used her dowsing rods to ask the presence where he was. After determining that the presence was in the kitchen, the rod instantly whipped around indicating the ghost was behind her. She asked the presence if he could come to the front and before another word could be spoken, one of the psychics in the group yelled, Here he comes. That psychic said later that she clearly saw the figures come from the back of the kitchen, down the side aisle, and pass directly in front of her leaving a freezing cold trail which was immediately felt and reacted to by each person in the kitchen as the unseen figure passed in front of the three other investigations, one by one. Each of us yelled and made comments about the freezing cold which made my legs shake.

In talking about the incident after the investigators caught their breath, all reported feeling a freezing cold which made their legs and arms shake uncontrollably and then as suddenly as it came, it left. I have experienced chills and cold spots but never anything like this as this presence whipped by me.

The incident took place between a freezer which was examined after the fact to make sure that the cold had nothing to do with it, and we found that although it was indeed a freezer, the sides of the unit were not cold, but warm, probably due to the action of the motor and compressor inside. Two of the four investigators were facing the infamous pantry where Markham was found dead following his stabbing during the encounter.

Two of the investigators later returned to the kitchen and played chase me with the cold spot which seemed to be playing a game as it led investigators on a merry chase around the kitchen. There is no doubt in this investigators mind that there is indeed a man in the pantry.

The groups that were present in the kitchen represented the South Florida Ghost Team, Tampa Division, the Peace River Ghost Trackers, and the Spirit Research Team of Florida. 

See Simone Hagee Feinberg
Cedar Key Inn
128 Primrose Dr.
Longwood, Fl 32779


Janice Cottrill is an investigator, researcher, and writer. She runs Cottrill Investigations and is a regular contributor to Ghostvillage.com.




2014 Haunted New England Wall Calendar by Jeff Belanger photography by Frank Grace
Check out the 2014 Haunted New England wall calendar by Jeff Belanger and photography by Frank Grace!


Paranormal Conferences and Lectures
Don't miss the following events and lectures:

Jeff Belanger and “The Bridgewater Triangle” at Dedham Community Theatre - April 6, 2014 9:00PM

The Spirits of the Mark Twain House - Hartford, Connecticut - April 12, 2014

Paracon Australia - East Maitland, New South Wales, Australia - May 10-12, 2014