For my exploratory research paper, I chose to look into the Ridges and whether or not it was a place to consider haunted (like most everyone) or just an establishment with a strong history. For my sources, I used bits and pieces of a book about the Ridges and its history written by an OU alum, Katherine Ziff. That proved to be a great source for me. It focused more on its history and the purpose behind the creation of the Athens Lunatic Asylum. It was created to truly help people. They wanted to heal their patients and have them go on their merry way once proven to be okay. Then you have sources you'll find anywhere online. Random websites and journals being written about the Ridges and how haunted it is. There is no doubt that The Ridges went downhill due to overpopulation, people basically dropping off family members they no longer could afford to take care of and menaces that society didn't want to deal with. Its downfall led to all the haunted ghost stories people speak of. What I liked about my huge contrast in sources was that it gave me a way to find a level headed view toward the Ridges. I believe it was made with all the right intentions and was a place meant to heal patients. They had a great establishment for a while. It just went downhill due to popularity. I still find it to be a little haunted, but that is because I think I saw a ghost there. It has a lot of history and I'm glad I chose to research the Ridges.
I like the way this post was laid out. It gave a nice overview of your research and your thoughts. The two different sides of your research gave it a well-rounded feel and kept it from seeming too "ghost-centric".
ReplyDeleteKatherine, excellent detail throughout the blog. I like how you used a variety of resources in order to provide clarity and depth throughout the piece. I would have loved to read your actual paper to learn more about the Ridges. Nice job overall.
ReplyDeleteI think this was a great idea for your exploratory paper! Everyone always loves to look into the Ridges; it really is a fascinating story. I suppose I never considered that the reason the asylum was started was to cure people. It seems pretty obvious and yet all we hear about today was how awful they were (eventually) to the patients and how "tortured" the deaths were. I'm sure these stories are greatly embellished and I'm glad you found so many helpful sources to get a good insight into what really happened all those years ago on that hill.
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