Haunted House
Collected by Janie Jones.

The small village of Miminegash now is spread over a larger area than it was in the past. Still living relatively close to one another the inhabitants of Miminegash enjoys a rich history. In the 1930's many houses where located along the harbor. One house, the house of Joseph Gallant, was located on the south side of the harbor. Joseph also owned a general store across the street from his home. A number of strange things happened in this house during the period between 1929 to 1939 to suggest that it may have been haunted. 

The earliest remembrance of a ghost is of a time when Joseph Gallant's children were playing in the yard. They were laughing and talking and running around the house. They looked to be playing with a fuzzy yellow ball. The ball rolled about the yard, it looked like the kids were kicking it around. A closer look showed, though, that they were actually trying to grab it. The ball seemed to be playing with them! The children chased the ball around for about an hour until it finally made escaped beneath the foundationless house, never to be seen again. Other small mysterious events would follow, creating a reputation for the house as being haunted.

Once during the summer months, a salesman was visiting the house to show a catalogue of goods to Mrs. Gallant. It is said that the salesman was fearful and superstitious especially of the Gallant house. He had been reluctant to enter it on that particular day, but was persuaded to stay awhile because Mrs. Gallant was in need of supplies for the store. Once the tea was served, they sat down to review the catalogue, while playing children could be heard at a distance. They had only gotten partway through it when there came a terrible shattering crash, glass was seen falling from the upstairs window. 

Windows were expensive and Mrs. Gallant was fuming as she stormed up the steps to examine the damage, unwilling to stay in the kitchen alone, the salesman was right behind her. She went straight to the room where the window was and expected to see a great mess of glass, but there was none. Everything in the room was orderly and in good condition, including the window. Surprised the two searched the house and found that each and every window was perfectly fine. They couldn't figure out what had happened, the salesman believing it to have been the ghost's doing, hurriedly collected his belongings and left the house. Mrs. Gallant followed and discussed the event with her husband and children at the store across the street.

Not long afterwards Mrs. Gallant was alone in the house with two of her daughters. They were in the kitchen talking, when there came a loud bang from the ceiling. The pipe from the stove went straight up, and there was thumping coming from the covering of tin around the hole around it. Sick of being scared, Mrs. Gallant yelled "You don't scare me you old thing!" At this the thumping grew louder, almost frantic. Assuming she had made the spirit mad, she and her two daughters ran out of the house and over to the store.

That night as the whole family slept, Joseph was dreaming. Dreaming about a man that came into his room and led him down to his newly dug basement speaking to him in French. Joseph quickly forgot the dream when he awoke the next day, but was reminded that night and the following night, as the dream repeated itself. It got longer and more detailed each night, leading him to the basement and saying something about French coins and pirates. The man showed Joseph a spot to dig and disappeared. Joseph remembered the dream and placed a stake upon the dirt of his cellar where the dream had told him, but didn't bother to dig there. He had more important things on his mind and was very busy with the store. He never dreamed of the man again.

In later months, or years, the time frame is not exact, Mrs. Gallant was tucking her children into bed and helping them to say their prayers. On her way back to her own room she heard a loud ghostly moan like someone was in agony. She checked the children to make sure it wasn't them and then related the experience to her husband. Together they decided that they should say a prayer for the ghost that was haunting them. The next day Mrs. Gallant held a church service to pray for souls in purgatory, and help the ghost on its journey to heaven. Never again did the house feel the presence of the spirit.

When the house burned down in the late 1930's, the family moved the foundation of the new one over so it was beside the old. When the rubble of the old house was out of the way Joseph and a few friends decided to dig where his dreams once told him. He was curious about what might lie under the deep red dirt. Not expecting anything, they were greatly surprised to find the links of a huge chain at least two feet in diameter! They proceeded to dig further and discovered the direction of the chain led across the road towards the store. Eventually, water and sand filled the hole and the men were forced to leave the project. Due to lack of time and equipment Joseph never did pursue the mystery. To this day nobody knows where the chain goes or why it is there. 

The new house was built, and later rebuilt. Now only one person lives at the Miminegash harbor year round. Has he unraveled the mystery? I guess we'll never know!