Spirit Boards and the Rise of the Ouija, Part 1

The rise of the Ouija board in North America involves corporate intrigue, family betrayal, a lot of litigation, and very little spiritualism. Today’s episode covers how “talking boards” went from divination tool to big business.

Research: 

• “Items Personal and Social.” Denton Journal. January 31, 1891. https://www.newspapers.com/image/7111598/?terms=ouija&match=1
• “’Ouija’ Board Her Advisor.” Baltimore Sun. March 26, 1905. https://www.newspapers.com/image/371127794/?terms=ouija&match=1
• “Editor ‘Answers.’” Baltimore Evening Sun. August 23, 1911. https://www.newspapers.com/image/365492915/?terms=ouija&match=1
• French, Chris. “The Unseen Force That Drives Ouija Boards and Fake Bomb Detectors.” The Guardian. April 27, 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/apr/27/ouija-boards-dowsing-rods-bomb-detectors
• “Ouija Killer Sentenced.” Spokesman-Review. July 9, 1934. https://www.newspapers.com/image/567588953/?terms=%22dorothea%20irene%20turley%22&match=1
• Clark, A. Campbell. “Automatic Writing. V.” The British Medical Journal, vol. 1, no. 1723, 1894, pp. 37–37. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20226992
• “Ouija Board Maker Killed.” Evening Journal (Wilmington, Delaware). Feb. 25, 1927. https://www.newspapers.com/image/160190008/?terms=%22william%20fuld%22&match=1&clipping_id=99079163
• Goodman, Edgar. “Pedigree of the ‘Witch Board.’” Omaha Daily News. June 13, 1920. https://www.newspapers.com/image/738037975/?terms=%22Fuld%20vs.%20Fuld%22&match=1
• “Charge of Witch Hunting Enters Assault Case – Indian Woman is Accused of Attack With Hammer.” The Buffalo News. Oct. 26, 1932. https://www.newspapers.com/image/838894818/?terms=%22lila%20Jimerson%22&match=1
• Waxman, Olivia B. “Ouija: Origin of Evil and the True History of the Ouija Board.” TIME. Oct. 21, 2016. https://time.com/4529861/ouija-board-history-origin-of-evil/
• Cassie, Ron. “Not Dead Yet.” Baltimore Mgazine. https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/artsentertainment/the-dark-and-fascinating-history-of-the-ouija-board-baltimore-origins/
• “OUIJA!” The Norfolk Landmark. January 29, 1891. https://www.newspapers.com/image/604944772/?terms=ouija&match=1&clipping_id=99064762
• “The New ‘Planchet.’” Chicago Tribune. April 3, 1886. https://www.newspapers.com/image/349738032/?terms=%22talking%20board%22&match=1&clipping_id=99068585
• “The President’s ‘Witch Board.’” New York Times. June 16, 1886. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1886/06/16/109786158.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0
• McRobbie, Linda Rodriguez. “The Strange and Mysterious History of the Ouija Board.” Smithsonian. October 27, 2013. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-strange-and-mysterious-history-of-the-ouija-board-5860627/
• “True Stories of the Supernatural, Told by Readers of the Sun.” The Baltimore Sun. February 14, 1909. https://www.newspapers.com/image/371064146/?terms=ouija&match=1
• “Lie is Passed to Ouija, and By a Woman!” Chicago Tribune. Jan. 25, 1921. https://www.newspapers.com/image/355093958/?terms=ouija&match=1
• Connoly, James P. “Ouija board boom on? Yes, Says Ouija Board.” Baltimore Evening Sun. May 18, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/369642710/
• “William Fuld Made $1,000,000 on Ouija Board But Has No Faith in It.” Baltimore Sun. July 4, 1920. https://www.newspapers.com/image/372844631/?terms=William%20Fuld&match=1&clipping_id=99076192
• “Partners at Odds.” Baltimore Sun. Dec. 5, 1901. https://www.newspapers.com/image/365328757/?terms=%22William%20Fuld%22&match=1
• Rensink, Ronald A., et al. “Expression of nonconscious knowledge via ideomotor actions.” Consciousness and Cognition. February 2012. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221872925_Expression_of_nonconscious_knowledge_via_ideomotor_actions/download
• Murch, Robert. WilliamFuld.com. https://www.williamfuld.com/index.html
• “The Ouija Craze.” Catoctin Clarion. January 22, 1891. https://www.newspapers.com/image/339101621/?terms=ouija&match=1&clipping_id=99064534
• “Ouija-board Will Rejected by Supreme Court.” Newport Daily Express. Aug. 12, 1938. https://www.newspapers.com/image/659566078/?terms=Helen%20Dow%20Peck&match=1
• “Former Beauty is Convicted.” Arizona Republic. June 11, 1934. https://www.newspapers.com/image/117191175/?terms=irene%20turley&match=1
• “Blame Ouija Board for Parent’s Death.” Bristol Herald Courier. Dec. 23, 1933. https://www.newspapers.com/image/585774218/?terms=irene%20turley&match=1
• “Girl Kills Her Dad to Let Her Ma Wed Lover.” The Independent-Rcord. Dec. 27, 1933. https://www.newspapers.com/image/528011403/?terms=irene%20turley&match=1
• “Aged Ouija Board Murderess Planning Insanity Defense.” Daily News. March 16, 1930. https://www.newspapers.com/image/412836335/?terms=ouija&match=1
• Rogers, Donald. “Fickle Ouija Board Deserts Its Victim.” Oakland Tribune. July 22, 1934. https://www.newspapers.com/image/106298034/?terms=irene%20turley&match=1
• Eberle, Scott G., Ph.D. “The Ouija Board Explained.” Psychology Today. May 16, 2012. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/play-in-mind/201205/the-ouija-board-explained
• Olson JA, Jeyanesan E, Raz A. “Ask the pendulum: personality predictors of ideomotor performance. Neurosci Conscious.” National Library of Medicine. Aug. 2, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5858027/
• D’Agostino, Thomas. “Helen Dow Peck’s Amazing Will.” The Yankee Express. Dec. 18, 2020. https://www.theyankeexpress.com/2020/12/18/341774/helen-dow-peck-s-amazing-will

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.