‘Haunting of Woodstock’ documentary dives into local history and ghost stories of Thomas Cook

(Youtube screenshot)

Emily Stewart, Echo Correspondent

A short documentary explores one of Woodstock’s infamous ghost stories.

Director Corey M. Slager and his team’s documentary The Haunting of Woodstock looks into the history behind the 1862 hanging of Thomas Cook and the folklore surrounding his death. Cook was a blind man who killed his wife and his death was the first of five hangings at the Oxford County Jail. He was accidentally decapitated and his death mask is carved into stone at the front entrance of what is now a public health building. There is folklore surrounding Cook indicating he now wanders around as a headless ghost at the old jailhouse.

The documentary explores the history and ghost stories with Woodstock residents, the Oxford County Archives, and paranormal expert Shane McLaren. The team also had an eerie experience on-camera at a gravesite where Cook is rumoured to be buried, although it is not proven. The crew captured some odd audio signals during the visit that one of the microphones picked up that sounds like muffled, distorted static.

Slager has had the story of Cook stick with him from his childhood and beyond. For the Advanced Filmmaking Program at Fanshawe College, he decided to explore the story further in the documentary.

“As a child, I used to be told about ghost stories about Thomas Cook just to freak me out by my stepfather and he actually took me to the building one day, thinking it was still a jailhouse. I realized it is a health building now but it was kind of interesting seeing the mask that's still plastered on the building,” he said.

The Haunting of Woodstock documentary received more than 1,000 views on YouTube as of July 28. Several Woodstock residents and Facebook groups are giving the documentary praise. Slager grew up in Woodstock for 15 years and is happy with the positive feedback.

“It's kind of nice, my hometown showing me some love,” he said.

Slager said the documentary provides an accessible way to learn more about local history.

“It's great to keep the history alive and keep the stories of interesting and unique things bubbling still and keep the rumblings going in the town and I think this kind of format of sharing these stories is more available to people and it's a better way of doing these sort of stories and passing it along.”

You can watch the documentary The Haunting of Woodstock online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RYKWwYJ3no.