Last night I went on a scouting mission with HPI Paranormal Investigator Jennifer Baca in Elk Grove. Today, June 2, 2007, Saturday, I am headed out on a historical scouting mission with HPI Paranormal Investigator Michele Stump. The only problem I am having today is that I didn't get enough sleep. I swallowed down some Starbucks, threw on some James Brown songs, such as Gravity, Living in America and Goliath to wake me up and take the long drive on Highway 50 to El Dorado County, where I would meet up with Michele Stump at Round Table Pizza in Placerville. Michele Stump is sort of a ghost historian of El Dorado County, she's read up on a lot of the areas that are supposingly haunted. She has taken the time to talk to the locals. So, today we are on a historical excursion. She will take me to various haunts and explain the history of these haunts in El Dorado County. We're not really trying to find a ghost or ghosts, even though she did bring her EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) monitor. Just to let you know, we picked up no EVPs on this scouting quest.
Here are some of the places in Placerville that Michele showed me:
Placerville Historical Museum, which was once the Chamber of Commerce and the locals say that it's haunted by miners.
Cozmic Cafe: A ghostly black dog has been seen on the stairwell and there are miner caverns underneath this restaurant. You can actually enter the caverns and dine in the caverns. A lot of ghostly activity has taken place in the caverns in which patrons claim to have witnessed. Once when Michele walked into the caverns, she felt a tugging on her leg. There is some ghostly activity in the bar section too.
El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce: Once it was the Old Vet's Building in 1852. Then later it became the Kossuth House (Hotel) for the miners. More miner ghosts seen at this location.
Empire Antiques: Used to be a theater. Sometimes items at this store are moved around for no apparent reason.
Cary House: Supposed to be extremely haunted. The hotel elevator goes up and down on it's own. In the elevator sometimes there is the smell of cigar smoke. When Michele and I, entered the elevator we smelled the cigar smoke and then it was gone. Patrons have seen full body apparitions in the hotel. Sometimes the piano plays on its own. Two ghosts that are popular and have been seen is Stan the ghost, once an employee of the hotel. Another ghost sometimes seen by the stairs is of a young beautiful lady.
The Hangman's Tree Pub (Bar). Unique bar with dollar bills hanging from the ceiling. The actual hangman's tree is inside the bar. On a limb of the Hangman's tree is a rope. Outside is a dummy of a man hanging by his neck. Bloody 11Dick and two criminals were hanged from this tree. The 3 desperadoes faced no other than Judge Lynch. Altogether there were 4 hangings on this tree. Talked with an employee of this bar named Heather Mclean (Email to bar: Hangtree1 [at] hotmail [dot] com) and she says that sometimes the ice cream scooper moves on its own accord. Michele got dizzy inside this bar and had to step outside for some fresh air.
As we left Placerville and headed over to Georgetown. Michele relates to me that she once was a 911 Operator for the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department. She told me that at Green Valley Road by Shingle Springs, there were 6 ghostly horses galloping along the road and the sheriff was called out, when he arrived the horses disappeared. The story of the ghostly horses has been told before by other witnesses.
From here on out, are places that are haunted in Georgetown. Georgetown was once called Growlersburg, because the miners said that the gold nuggets were so big, that they had a growling sound when hitting the pan. Georgetown is an unusual little town. It's so small, people drive in the middle of the road and park their cars and walk to the bar. There is a rumor that a Chinese morgue is buried underneath the town. Now let's talk about some of the places we visited:
Georgetown Hotel. Sometimes items are moved around. Footsteps heard. The bar is very unusual, it has a real wasp nest hanging from the ceiling, stuffed heads of various animals, stuffed wolverine smoking a cigarette, strange signs, stuffed teddy bears, old pictures. A ghost named Verna haunts Room 5. Some ghostly kid and a ghostly old man make their appearances known ever once in a while.
Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department Building: A ghostly fireman with full uniform and hat sometimes stands outside of this building.
American River Inn: A woman fell from the 2nd balcony floor to her death and she appears at times on the 2nd floor. This hotel was built in 1863. Once when Michele visited this hotel, she used the bathroom and the bathroom door on its own accord flew open. Celebrities like David Hasselhoff (Knightrider fame), Ruth Buzzi and Carol Channing stayed at this hotel. People write their ghostly experiences in a big white photo album. I read some of them, they mostly take on religious overtones, where the patrons ask the ghosts to go towards the light. One famous ghost of this hotel is Oscar, a former patron of the hotel that seems to wander around here and there. Braundeline who works at this hotel has heard footsteps, when she looked to see who was walking down the floorway, there was no one there.
Shannon Knox House built in 1854 is the oldest residence in Georgetown. No ghostly activity has been recorded at this house. They should have a sign at this house saying..."this house is in a ghost free zone!"
Georgetown's Pioneer Cemetery established in 1848. Michele tries her EVP monitor. No EVPs recorded.
Greenwood Pioneer Cemetery established in 1852. According to Nancy Bradley, Psychic, she claims this is one of the most haunted cemeteries in El Dorado County. A lot of people who died in this cemetery invested into a railroad that never went through their town. Another interesting factor is that Placerville and Georgetown are the most haunted places in Northern California, according to residents. Michele receives no EVP readings at this cemetery.
The Bayley House. This 3 story mansion was formerly a hotel. It was built in 1862 by Assemblyman Alcander John (AJ) Bayley. Michele has investigated this mansion at night by herself and has captured orbs on her digital camera.
Sierra Nevada House. The ghost of politician Robert Chalmbers has been seen here. Michele's mom worked here as an employee and has witnessed bar stools spinning on their own. Shotglasses moving on their own. Robert Chalmbers who lived here, caught syphilis and went mad. His wife locked him in a room by himself, so he wouldn't hurt himself or others. Robert eventually died in that room.
Coloma Park: Where gold was discovered in the streams. Sometimes apparitions have been seen here.
Well, that's it! This was an interesting scouting mission on historical proportions. If you ever visit El Dorado County and want to do some ghost hunting, just follow my listing. For more information on H.P.I. (Haunted and Paranormal Investigations) of Northern California, check out their website at: www.hpiparanormal.net
Paul Dale Roberts, HPI Ghostwriter/Jazma Freelance Writer
www.jazmaonline.com
5606 Moonlight Way
Elk Grove, CA 95758
JazmaPika [at] cs [dot] com
(916) 203 7503
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