Victoria

Victoria was a stage performer from West Virginia who frequently performed at the Opera House. From her first visit to the Opera House in 1892 she took a fancy to a stage-hand who worked there by the name of Robert Lowery. Over a short period of time Victoria and Robert grew closer and closer and eventually had an affair, which in the late 1800’s was not acceptable, especially since Robert was married. Victoria became pregnant and stopped performing at the Opera House. The affair and birth out of wedlock was a secret that Victoria kept for the fear of being shunned by the community. The consequence of their love was a baby girl which Victoria named Elizabeth. Victoria did not return to the Opera House for a few years but eventually returned perform and told Robert he was the Father of Elizabeth. In 1903 Victoria made the trip from West Virginia to perform at the Opera House. She brought 10 year old Elizabeth on this trip so she could visit her father, Robert. Victoria and Elizabeth were staying at the Kennebeck Hotel that night and Victoria left her daughter to perform at the Opera House. After the performance Victoria returned to the Hotel only to find that Elizabeth had died from her illness. Devastated Victoria never returned to McConnelsville. It is not certain how long Victoria lived, or when she passed, when she did it is believed that her soul returned to the Opera House in search of Elizabeth and Robert.

The United Paranormal Project captured the clearest EVP we have ever heard and it was from Victoria. In distress she said “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I swear I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” We believe this was Victoria trying to send a message to Elizabeth.

After capturing this EVP in 2007 a paranormal group called Legend Trackers was investigating at the Opera House. Retired Pastor Rick Cassidy was talking to Elizabeth in the Catwalk when he captured her name. At the time we did not know who she was or what her story was. Rick asked questions and he captured an EVP from Elizabeth saying “I Forgive”, which we later realized was Elizabeth forgiving her mother Victoria for leaving her alone at the Hotel.

A few months later we were asking for the woman who said that she was so sorry to come and talk to us again and we got lucky. In the same voice, with the same accent, she sad “I’m cheering up”.