History of the Mark Twain House
The Mark Twain House was home to the famous writer in the peak of his career from 1874 to 1891. 18 years of legendary stories all penned inside this beautiful house.
It was home until moving his family to Europe to escape hardship from many bad investments.
Later Life & Death – –
Twain’s family fell apart starting in 1896.
While they lived in Europe, back in Hartford his daughter Susy contracted meningitis (or inflammation of the brain and spin). She return to the house and remained under the care of a family maid.
Susy’s mind went. She’d believe her mother had died, would clutch Olivia’s clothes while rocking. Also Susy stared out the window and sang,
Susy died without her family in August of 1896 at only 24 years old.
The family returned to Connecticut in 1900. Maybe to seek out happier times, a failed attempt. Twain’s wife Olivia died in 1904 of heart failure, then his daughter Jean on Christmas Eve in 1909 when she drowned in the bathtub because of a seizure.
And only 4 months after Jean’s death, Mark Twain died on April 21, 1910.
Predicting his Death… Halley’s Comet – –
Twain was born in 1935, just two weeks after Halley’s Comet flew closest to Earth.
In 1909, maybe seeing death coming for him, Twain wrote…
Writing in the House – –
Inside the Mark Twain house, the legendary author penned The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Also…
- The Prince and the Pauper
- Life on the Mississippi
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
- A Tramp Abroad
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
Remaining where she loved, where she returned for the final days of a short life, Susy Clemens is said to haunt the Mark Twain House.
A story relayed by Love to Know – –
During a day tour through the Mark Twain House, a niece followed her aunt up the stairs onto the landing of the second floor. She jumped back when seeing her aunt pushed up against the wall. Turning to confront the culprit and seeing no one, as a perfectly American voice started talking…
She turned to see her aunt speaking those words. An Hispanic woman known for her thick accent and very little understanding of English, was speaking it perfectly. And then it was done, her aunt confused.
Shock kept the niece silent inside the house. A few days later, a letter received by the Mark Twain House Museum clearly recounted the experience. The niece believed her sensitive aunt was possessed. The staff believe it was Susy.
George Griffin (may have inspired Jim) – –
George Griffin was a freed slave who worked as a servant for the Clemens family in 1874. Described by Twain as, “handsome, well built, shrewd, wise, polite, good-natured, cheerful, honest, religious, a truth-speaker and devoted friend”. Needless to say he was fond of George.
Paranormal groups searching the third floor has seen glimpses of an African-American male. This was the location of his bedroom and where he spent much time. Energy lingering from the tough life of a reserved man can be some of the most vivid.
Cigar smoke has been smelled by guests. Knocks and bangs are heard from empty rooms. Employees at the museum have seen figures walking the hallways, but the energies are never solid enough to identify.
The battle between skeptics who respect the author and the paranormal enthusiasts didn’t deter TV’s Ghost Hunters from visiting in 2009.