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| This is the actual Hotel |
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| 120 rooms of Paranormal Goodness |
Item:
Location: Somewhere in Waldo County
Date: February 20, 2006
In my research around the state, I kept coming across a story about a hotel in Northport, that had burnt down, killing
2 children and there guardians. The story goes that ever since, the place, now is haunted by these poor souls. Also several
photos of the chimneys have been taken, once developed the burnt down hotel appears fully restored in the photos. Now, I hear
a story like this, I’m thinking wouldn’t that be nice? Why hasn’t the photo been published? Just where is
this diner, that has the picture on its wall? Finally, how long till spring, so we can make the under an hour journey to attempt
to find this site, to find whether it has any merit or not?
In the meantime my ever spinning squirrel cage that is my mind is thinking, “maybe, just maybe there is similar
sites closer, and well worth investigating in the meantime.” One such hotel, a spiritualism retreat burnt down at the
turn of the last century, on the nearby Verona Island. Well, after a brief prodding in that direction, turned up, more camps,
houses and private property, per acre, then what seemed to be a city block. After driving down the extremely steep, narrow
tar and then dirt road. I quickly found nothing readily available to investigate, without drawing any attention to myself.
So I quickly retreated and moved to plan B.
Plan B, turned out to be a cornucopia of possible paranormal activity (say that 4 times fast). When sizing up sites to
investigate, of the non-residential variety, besides the obvious, cemetery. Next down the list for me would be foundations,
forts and light houses. Well I struck a gold mine, this next unmentioned site, (I have hopes to go back, without getting dogs
turned loose on me).
This site for starters was a huge 120 room hotel, that only lasted for 30 years or so, back in the late 1800’s,
burning down in 1898. Turns out, most of the humongous foundation, is still on site, while most of the granite blocks from
the foundation had been moved close by to make islands and car stops in the nearby parking lot and roadway.
My co-investigator and I had trooped down the long 1 ½ mile or more to the site from the closed for the season gate.
This having helped my newly discovered technique of wearing my digital camera inside my sweatshirt to keep it warm, so it
would actually work when I needed it. Having been there before, over the years for other reasons, mainly for artifacts, the
foundation had basically gone overlooked by me. This time it was different. Camera in one hand and digital recorder in the
other, I hit the site wide open.
Snagging the nice first evp, posted below. I did a continuous evp sweep, while snapping picture after picture, in hopes
of catching the outline of the former hotel, like Northport. After about 10 1 minute clips, I handed the recorder off to my
usually lucky co-investigator, while I continued snapping pics. We swept the area, and then moved off to the fort foundation,
eyeing the well inhabited light house, catching myself actually drooling a little, at the site of the light, and making a
mental squirrel cage note, to do a complete investigation in the spring, when we can pass ourselves off as out of stators,
a little too camera crazy, and a recorder disguised as a cell phone.
The fort, didn’t really have much of a vibe, at least from my co-investigator, but from there she picked up quite
a bit back by the foundation, down a path that went around the back of the hotel. We abandoned the fort, for a more thorough
investigation later, and headed back up to the hotel.
On the first walkthrough of a site, I always try to hit everything equal, and then later after the evidence is sifted
and sorted, if another more thorough investigations is called for, we’re better prepared.
I had been watching a lot of those travel type shows about ghost hunters, and had seen a team do a almost séance type
evp sweep with eyes closed, concentrating on images from what was in the past. I quickly sketched out the plan to my co-investigator,
leaving out the part about closing our eyes.
We stood at the door of the hotel, or where it once had been, she ran the recorder, while we both concentrated. I had
closed my eyes and she had closed hers without the other knowing. She first saw a young lady in a ballroom gown, and a man
in some kind of uniform. With her eyes closed, she turned her head, from side to side around me, who was standing in front
of her. The image disappeared at each turn of the head, and returned when she again faced me, as I concentrated. When the
minute or so was up, I opened my eyes and she excitedly told me what she had seen. It’s not a pretty sight when you
see a full grown man, almost jump for joy, and do a cart wheel.
I quickly handed her the recorder again, while I ran the video, taking a movie of another concentrated effort. This time
she saw the same woman, but with a different person, talking to an older lady, in what looked like an apron, or some servant/staff
type outfit. I was hoping it wasn’t a scene from Bleak House she had seen the night before. If I could have only gotten
a camera inside her eyelids, to see what she saw.
The hotel was known for its huge ballroom, and the upper crust of society. We are definitely going back, and as I sort
out the hours worth of evp’s, I’ll post them up as well.
PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION:
RETURN TO THE GHOST HOTEL
LOCATION: BETWEEN SANDY POINT AND SEARSPORT
DATE: LABOR DAY SEPTEMBER 3, 2006
Labor Day in the Forester family is unlike most peoples idea of the perfect holiday. I had storyboarded a return trip to
the famed Hotel foundation, of my above investigations, as a Victorian Family Picnic. My Sister, Thibs short for Theodosius
decided to try her hand at the Paranormal Investigation racket. My mother Beatrice, had been anxious to get back to the Foundation
with her last effort, producing visions of a ball room dance, and a lady in gown, and a man in uniform/tuxedo.
I had hurriedly tried to separate Beatrice from Thibs and her family, because it is almost impossible to get a uncontaminated
EVP, with a group of people present, especially with one mimicking the demon from Amityville growling, “GET, OUT!”
at every chance. After the picnic and quick trip to the beach, I left Thibs, and bustled Mom up and to the parking lot, hotel
area. In fact carrying all the bags, picnic baskets and equipment, short of tucking her under my arm and carrying her up as
well, stowing them hurriedly into my trunk, only to turn and find Thibs had somehow made it all the way back up from the beach
area, not wanting to be left out.
Not to be disheartened, I still attempted an EVP sweep of the foundation with Beatrice. We attempted the closed eye, concentrating
while recorder running, sweep. I as usual got no visual, but plenty of EVP action, Beatrice on the other hand saw her Ball
Room, again. I left her to run a recording on her own, and joined Thibs and family as they lounged in the field just off the
fort foundation.
Thibs excitedly pointed in the direction of a downed tree, and proclaimed, “I just saw a man in uniform standing
there, with a long mustache”. Of course, I quickly grabbed her arm and led her to the spot, to run a separate EVP sweep,
while I took photos. The tree itself managed some faces. But the EVP sweep came up negative. To the dozens of families that
continuously traipsed through the area, in between our recordings, we must have looked like a bunch of loons coming home
to roost.
By this time, Beatrice had exited the hotel woods and joined Thib’s family, as they reclined on the lawn. We quickly
joined them an in a almost football like huddle, to compare notes. I hadn’t seen anything, but the 2 girls had seen
everything, at which I was quickly becoming the Charlie Brown of the equation, stifling a “Rats!” I know I come
off as sounding negative, but in actuality it was one of the better investigations I’ve been on. I managed several EVP’s
of my own, including conversations. My only drawback was not seeing the Ball room, yet again.
I knew getting these 2 together, although relatively safe without the other 2 sisters of the Coven present, but with all
4 of them together, would have been like having the 4 horsewomen of the apocalypse, saddle up. Thankfully, Glenda and Margaret
Hamilton couldn't make it, one could be heard to exclaim, "I'll get you my pretty!" as her knobby knees raced her rackety
bike out of sight. We avoided the whole mid-day eclipse, turning day into night, and heck the seas didn't even boil.
I would have had to bring my atomic flash blinders, because there would have been a mushroom cloud.
I pointed the 2 towards the hotel foundation and turned them loose. They managed a clear EVP, and my sister quickly laid
claim to one of the photos she might have managed to take, without knowing how to use the camera, around the photos I took
of the same general spot. The figure of a woman, hair in a bun, with a long flowing dress, or it might be a tree trunk, I’m
pretty sure if it wasn’t my photo, then it was a tree trunk. Isn’t Sibling Rivalry Grand?
PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION:
LOCATION: SAME AS THE ABOVE
Late September, a Sunday Morning, on a foggy rainy weekend. You'd
think the perfect time to sneak into a Park Area to run an investigation without anybody for hundreds of feet. Well
you'd think so if you were me. Of course you'd be wrong like I was, but hey that's the biz.
The rain had let up and the fog was so thick you could cut it with
a knife. All the way to the park there wasn't a hint of wind. We pull into the parking area, and there turns out
to be about a 30 knot gale blowing in on the point. Not quick to give up, the minute I stepped out of the car, a visitor
from some other part of the country pulled in right behind us.
Still not one to blow a gasket, (but the pressure was cooking) I quickly
trudged off towards the bell tower, in hopes of running some EVP's before the other hearty vacationers swarmed the area in
the dense fog and wind.
As I scurried like a mad hatter towards the bell tower, there of course
was a member of the ground crew, using a chain pole saw to trim the apple orchard. In the fog and the wind. I
reached for the bell tower door and it of course was locked.
Turning around, my co-investigator had made it as far as the memorial
for a fallen General at the fort foundation. The vacationers had already run past everything else and were behind me
as I turned. How, the age of the 3 was well over 270, could move that quick I still haven't figured out. But I
hope they enjoyed the locked bell tower, and the wild life fun of the worker gas sawing apple trees.
The attempt at the Hotel Foundation, once the others left, proved to
be uneventful. My Co-Investigator saw none of the previous Ball room, the dancers, or the Man in uniform. The
EVP's came up empty.
I did manage an unexplainable outline of a person either stepping behind
a tree all dressed in black, or walking away from us with a tree blocking half of her. I can guarantee we were alone,
and it wasn't my co-investigator who doesn't own a stitch of black clothing.
Also I can sneak in a shadow matrix of a man in uniform.
On the way home, we stopped at a cemetery, in the fog, thinking it
would be a safe place to work. Within minutes a red truck had backed behind my parked car, and was sitting there watching
us move through the cemetery. Mad enough to storm back to the car and drive it into the cemetery to show that we didn't
appreciate whoever it was, or whatever they thought they were doing.
Once we had settled back down, and started to work the cemetery, I
caught a flicker of a shadow out of the corner of my eye. The same cemetery as my paranormal video page evidence.
I quickly converged on the area, attempting to EVP and film the area, in hopes of recapturing the flickering shadow.
When the rain started.
I after having a hissy fit, attempting to dissuade my co-investigator
from continuing in the rain, explaining that my electronics do not like being soaked. Caught an unknown disembodied
grown, complete with echo. I can't explain it, but it does provide Goosebumps.
Paranormal Investigation: The 4th trip to the
Hotel
Location: Point your compass at the North Star and straight on
till morning.
Date: November 25, 2006
A lot of Paranormal Investigators have favorite spots. Teams
have a place that feels like home. Be it a hotel, that a certain Maine Horror writer wrote a book about. Be it
a sanitarium where thousands died of turberculosis. My team has officially found a favorite spot. 4.5 investigations
in one year, makes it a favorite.
The previous trip, had yielded little, with the high winds, and die
hard tourists, dedicated to seeing the place in it's closed state.
This Saturday investigation, we had absolutely no excuses to make,
and from my view, we got some of the best photographic evidence. The day was crystal clear, around mid 50's out, and
not a hint of wind. No tourist in site, we put our heads down and marched towards the hotel foundation. We tried
our meditation technique, while running EVP's. The last trip yielded nothing. This trip was a different story.
My Co-investigator now infamous for the girl in ballroom dress, and man in uniform, at this site. So different spirits
inhabiting the ruins, this time. Adding credibility to the vision, if she witnessed the same people every time, the
power of suggestion would come into play. This time she witnessed a older lady, in (You'll never catch me saying Victorian
wear), period dress. Either a cook, or maid or some other such domestic. Skirts, and maybe a shawl, with the cool
weather.
My first attempt yielded a woman walking from the back corner of the
foundation, towards us in a bright light. I haven't quite got the focus technique down, so I soon lost the vision.
The lady in the above picture was exactly where my vision came from. Sure my camera batteries were full, when I left
the car, basically died moments after we hit the foundation. Causing me to trot out, and get the replacement batteries,
and head back into the foundation. But I was way to excited to be disappointed, by the brief interruption.
We managed an EVP with a man saying a woman's name. Possibly
attempting to help us identify the person, we both saw, and photographed.
Avoiding the negative view of most of my pics, these photos, shadow
matrixes at best, appeared to be all over the park. As we walked the fort, the road, that leads up from the beach and
orchard, we could feel as if someone was watching us. I even mentioned it at the time. With little hair on top
of my head, the hair on my neck was definitely standing up. Causing me to snap pic after pic, back towards the hotel
foundation.
| Different Photo, same Grey Lady |
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| Looks like she's cooking at a stove |
LOCATION: SECOND ANNUAL HOTEL INVESTIGATION LABOR DAY WEEKEND
DAY 1
With the now famous investigation from last year, we decided to split up the
investigation this year over the Sunday and Monday. Sunday early being the hardcore investigation, while day 2 being
the family investigation.
It was a early 9 o'clock in the a.m. when I waddled out of bed, half asleep,
geared up, and then saddled up, hoping to get into a extremely popular restaurant for a big breakfast, before we headed off
to the now mythical Hotel Foundation, Fort, Lighthouse, threefer.
So much for big plans, we rolled into the parking lot of the diner, and the
place was packed, beyond packed, actually out in the parking lot waiting line.
We opted to pull a switcheroo, and run the investigation first and then breakfast
later.
Seems since I got a 1 in a million shot, and been there a dozen times in the
past years. That yes, fate was on our side.
(A week later, and the only Expert that matters, says "afraid to say, but
ordinary dog, related to the collie family." I thanked him for his help and truthfullness. Since I wasn't sure
if it was a branch or bush to begin with, an actual dog, regardless the fact we were alone, with no loose dog, in itself
is proof enough for me.)
The good thing about a second Annual investigation, you
pretty much know the what and the where and the how, from the past year, so you can concentrate on the goods. The Blue/Gray
Lady was present, and my Co-investigator claimed she was the only one present. No woman in a dress, or man in uniform.
I did take 150 photos, the first day. In sorting through them, I made over 80 crops, some multiples from the same picture.
The video's, of which I took 7 at minute clips, all were negative for
evidence. But then again, I caught a unknown beast, hound from hell, Hound of the Baskerville, in a pic, so it's all
good.
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