The Ghost of Calamity Jane's Restaurant & Bar

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The Yakim a D epot R estaurant & Lounge is located in the original N orthern Pacific Railroad train depot building built in 1


W elcom e to PIH A ’s H istoric H aunting of o f W ashington State M agazine On behalf of the volunteer paranormal investigators of PIHA, I invite you to experience Washington State’s amazing historical sites and museums like never before. PIHA has created a program unlike any other in Washington State. Through our process of networking with local historical societies, museums and registered historical sites, PIHA hopes to help educate the public of our state’s exciting history and the process and technology utilized in today’s paranormal investigations. PIHA was created with two goals in mind: 1. PIHA hopes to bring our history to life by attempting to obtain significant evidence of these strange occurrences. Utilizing the latest in today’s electronic technology and dedicated paranormal investigators, we are accomplishing this objective. 2. PIHA wants to stimulate additional interest in our residents and visitors to Washington State’s fascinating history. We want to encourage individuals, families, schools and community organizations to visit these (and other) historical locations for a better understanding of our state’s history and the people who made it. PIHA is not out to prove or disprove the existence of possible paranormal activity, but to publish any significant evidence collected at an investigation and let each individual decided for himself what to believe or not to believe. Wherever your travels in Washington take you, best wishes for a “Trip to the Extraordinary”. For additional information about PIHA, visit our website at www.pihausa.com

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In this Issue: Welcome to PIHA’s Historic Haunting of Washington State Magazine…..2 Washington State History………….…………………………….……..…….5 The History of Western Washington…………………………….....………..7 The History of Georgetown.…….…………………………………..…..…….9 The Historic Calamity Jane’s Restaurant and Bar……….…………………11 Paranormal Investigation Report………………………………………..…...13 Paranormal History Report……………………………………....…….....…..15

Contact PIH A:

PIH A M agazine Publisher:

PIHA (Paranormal Investigations of Historic America) Vaughn Hubbard: Case Manager/Historian Phone: 360.799.4138 Email: Info@pihausa.com Website: WWW.PIHAUSA.COM

Publisher………………...…..….Historic Haunting Chief Publisher…………..……..Vaughn Hubbard Program Manager:………….…..Debbie Knapp Marketing Manager:………….....Kathy Gavin Graphic Designer:…………...…..Christian Wells

Debbie Knapp: Lead Investigator/Historian Kathy Gavin: Lead Investigator Dave: EVP Specialist Christian Wells: Investigator

A cknow ledgem ents: We wish to thank Russ and Sandy Wells for their participation in this paranormal investigation. You can listen to Russ and Sandy from their popular paranormal radio talk show “Dark Moon Rising” on BlogTalk Radio http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dark-moon-rising-radio Special thanks to Dave from Silent Voices who works with the Grey Team as our EVP Specialist. To read more about the groundbreaking work that Dave is involved with and his instructions on EVP's techniques, visit his web site at www.SilentVoices.info 3


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Washington State History The State of Washington occupies the far northwest corner of the contiguous 48 United States. It occupies 66,582 square miles (176,600 square kilometers) between the Pacific Ocean on the west and the Idaho border at 117 degrees longitude. Washington borders Canada on the north along the 49th parallel and Oregon on the south along the Columbia River and 46th parallel. Great Britain and the United States jointly occupied the region between 1818 and 1846, when Britain ceded the Pacific Northwest below the 49th parallel to the U.S. In 1848 the U.S. created Oregon Territory, including the future states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho and a portion of Montana. Washington Territory (including Idaho and western Montana until 1863) was separated from Oregon on March 2, 1853, and gained statehood on November 11, 1889. The federal government created Oregon Territory on August 14, 1848. The area of the new jurisdiction included the present-day states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and western Montana. The discovery of gold in California in 1848 triggered a large westward migration, and settlement of Oregon Territory was promoted by passage of the Donation Land Claims Act of 1850, which granted 160 acres to any U.S. citizen who agreed to occupy his or her land for five years. On August 29, 1851, 27 male settlers met at Cowlitz Landing (south of present-day Olympia) to petition Congress for a separate “Columbia Territory” covering the area between the Columbia River and 49th parallel. The petition was reaffirmed by 44 delegates who met in Monticello on November 25, 1852. Congress approved the new territory on February 10, 1853, but changed its name to “Washington.” President Millard Fillmore signed the bill on March 2, 1853, and Olympia was named the Territorial Capital and has remained the capital of both Washington Territory and State since 1853. President Franklyn Pierce named Isaac I. Stevens as the first governor of an area that included northern Idaho and western Montana until President Abraham Lincoln established Idaho Territory on March 4, 1863. Washington’s non-Indian population grew steadily to more than 300,000 over the following decades. Its residents began petitioning for statehood in 1881, and Washington was admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, with the signature of President Benjamin Harrison. Thirty federally recognized sovereign Indian tribes and reservations occupy substantial areas in Washington, and there are an additional seven unrecognized but culturally distinct tribes. Native American Indian tribes have occupied this area; now know as Washington State for over 10,000 years and have a rich history in culture and survival. By the 1850s, when the first Euro American settlers arrived at Alki Point and along the Duwamish River, diseases had already taken a devastating toll on native peoples and their cultures. During the 80 year period from the 1770s to 1850, smallpox, measles, influenza, and other diseases had killed an estimated 28,000 Native Americans in Western Washington, leaving about 9,000 survivors. Historian Robert Boyd conducted extensive research on the effect of European diseases on Northwest coast Indians. In his book, The Coming of the Spirit of Pestilence, he states that the 1775 Spanish expedition led by Bruno Hezeta, commander of the Santiago and Juan Fracisco de la Bodega & Quadra, commander of the Sonora was the most likely carrier. 5


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The History and Expansion into Western Washington The first settlement in the Puget Sound area in the west of what is now Washington was that of Fort Nisqually, a farm and trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company, in 1833. Washington's founder, the black pioneer George Washington Bush and his Caucasian wife, Isabella James Bush, from Missouri and Tennessee, respectively, led four white families into the territory and settled New Market, now known as Tumwater, Washington, in 1846. They settled in Washington to avoid Oregon's racist settlement laws. Eventually, many more settlers, migrating overland along the Oregon Trail, wandered north to settle in the Puget Sound area. In 1852, people from all over what was to become Washington state gathered in Monticello (now Longview) to draft a memorandum to Congress. The memorandum expressed their desire to be granted statehood under the name of Columbia. This meeting came to be known as the Monticello Convention. The desires of the Convention were met favorably in Congress, but it was decided that a state named Columbia might be confused with the preexisting District of Columbia. In a manner which strangely enough did not solve the problem of being confused with the nation's capital, the state was instead named Washington in honor of the first U.S. president. Washington became the 42nd state in the United States on November 11, 1889. The heavy rainfall to the west of the Cascade Range produced dense forests, and the ports along Puget Sound prospered from the manufacturing and shipping of lumber products, particularly the Douglas-fir. Other industries that developed in this portion of the state include fishing, salmon canning and mining. In the spring of 1853, Congress authorized a US Army expedition made up of engineers and explorers and led by Isaac Ingalls Stevens, to survey a route from the Missouri River to the Columbia River suitable for building a railroad. Stevens assumed the task, but also kept in mind that the route should be suitable for a wagon road. The 25’ wide road was so called because its purpose was to connect Fort Walla Walla east of the mountains to Fort Steilacoom along side the Puget Sound. The road was built from Fort Steilacoom and then, following an ancient Indian path known as the Naches Trail, it crossed over Naches Pass and down to the Naches River east of the mountains. The road then followed the river to Yakima. The trail roughly follows the present day State Route 410 which instead goes up and over the Chinook pass, a little south of the original route, to Naches and on to Yakima. 7


The History of Georgetown

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The History of Georgetown Washington Georgetown was originally known as "Collins" and began as a farming settlement established on Sept. 16, 1851 by Collins, Van Asselt and Maples. Luther Collins, who was named the County Commissioner and appointed himself road supervisor for all of King County, routed the main road from Seattle to Tacoma to go right by his house. The road led to a ferry, called the Collins Ferry, which took passengers across the Duwamish River. Fares ranged from 12 1/2 for a "footman" (someone walking) to 50¢ for a man with a horse. Rainier Brewing Company's original Rainier Brewery, once reportedly the sixth-largest brewery in the world, began operations in 1882. Now called the Georgetown Brewhouse, the red brick brewery, home to artists and small businesses, dominates the commercial district along Airport Way S. Georgetown existed as an independent city from 1904 to 1910, when it was annexed by Seattle; the Old Georgetown City Hall (1909) is now on the National Register of Historic Places as is the Georgetown Steam Plant (1906). The movement for annexation began in 1906 but did not gain significant support until 1909. Following presentation of a petition for an annexation vote, a special election was held on March 29, 1910. The annexation proposition passed with 389 votes in favor and 238 opposed. The City of Georgetown was officially consolidated with Seattle on April 4, 1910 The Horton brothers Julius and Dexter, arrived in 1871, and purchased 160 acres of Collins' original claim. The brothers were very different in personality but both were very ambitious. While Dexter was against the drinking of alcohol, his brother Julius saw the possibilities of making money through the brewing business and land development. The bawdy early days of Georgetown was the home of saloons, brothels and gambling houses that were open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The many trappings were meant to coax hard working men to leave their week's salary behind. And they often did as appeared in the Centralia Chronicle on March 28, 1902; Centralia Chronicle-March 28, 1902 “Georgetown is now the place where the gambling clement of Seattle holds forth, and the town is "Wide open" in its fullest sense. Not even on Sunday did the gamblers stop their work. All day and all night they ply their vocation in the seven saloons which are now located in that suburb. Two more saloons are now in process of erection. Koilotlo, craps, Klondike, black jack, stud poker, California poker, wheel of fortune and slot machines are the games that are being mainly played. 9


This photo of Calamity Jane’s was taken during the PIHA Grey Team’s paranormal investigation on October 16, 2010. When you look closely at the doorway on the left (just above the rear of the motorcycle) you will see what appear to be a woman and two small children standing in the doorway. The investigator that took this photo claims that no one was standing in the doorway when the photo was taken. Another interesting image appears on this photo just below the red colored beer sign in the window on the far right. This image in the window appears to be an older man with a hat. The interesting thin g about this man is that he was seen twice that night by two separate people and then disappeared. The owner of Calamity Jane’s claims her husband has also witnessed this same man in the bar. 10


The History of Calamity Jane’s Restaurant and Bar The Forsyth Hotel was built in 1908. Across the street was the Seattle Malting and Brewing Company, the 6th biggest brewery in the world at the time, about 5 acres. Hotels sprang up on this side of the street to accommodate the workers. 10' X10' rooms with a bathroom down the hall, the Forsyth originally had 10 rooms. Originally there was Forsyth Real Estate company in the South side storefront (B suite), no records of the other side. In the 50's there was a tropical fish store in the A suite storefront, with the owner living in the back.

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The PIHA Grey Team’s Paranormal Investigation On October 16th, 2010 the PIHA Grey Team scheduled paranormal investigations at selected sites in the historic community of Georgetown and came away with some interesting results indicating that possible paranormal activity does exist. These are the results of one of those investigations. The PIHA Grey Team’s final destination was at 2:30 AM at Calamity Jane’s Restaurant and Bar. The Grey Team’s Lead Investigator, Debbie Knapp was joined by Sara Aruguete owner of Calamity Jane’s Restaurant and Bar and Wendy a resident of Georgetown. As is the usual practice, the team first completes a scan of the area to be investigated. They use their EMF (Electromagnetic Field) detectors to locate any abnormal electronic energy that may exist. Next, the Grey Team sets up their camcorders to video tape any shadows or strange movement that may take place during their EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) session. Finally they position the PIHA “Parabolic Dish” that they use to record any noises or voices that may or may not be heard by ear. The parabolic dish also has a headset attached allowing an investigator to hear any voices or noises that cannot be heard naturally by the other investigators during the EVP session. This has proven to be a valuable tool to validate anything recorded during the EVP session that would otherwise go unnoticed. Vaughn has concluded that if ghost actually exist, they can be seen, heard and felt anytime, day or night with the lights on or off. The main reason that most paranormal organizations investigate late at night is that there are fewer people in and around the area or building being investigated and the same is true for vehicle traffic. All of these factors can contaminate the electronic recordings being made during the actual investigation. Basically, the quieter it is the better chance of recording possible evidence of paranormal activity. But, if someone just wants to have a paranormal experience or possibly see a ghost, they’re chances are probably better during the day than at night. There are many more encounters told by ordinary people of seeing or experiencing a ghost during the day and fewer at night. You could have something standing right next to you in the dark and you would never see it, but during the day you will.

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Results of the PIHA Paranormal Investigation This paranormal investigation yielded some fascinating evidence of paranormal activity throughout the entire evening. At 2:30 AM the Grey Team began their investigation in one of the boarding rooms on the second floor of the building. The tenant Wendy, had reported numerous activities in her room, but the investigators were unable to obtain any evidence of paranormal activity. The team then moved on to the main floor to began their EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) session in the bar/dining area of the restaurant. An EVP session is when a series of questions are asked and recording devices such as digital recorders and the PIHA parabolic dish are set to record and noises or responses. During this session Calamity Jane’s owner Sara Aruguete was sitting at the bar using an EMF (Electro-Magnetic Field) detector. This devise indicates any energy fields that are present during an investigation. Many paranormal investigators believe that this type of energy field could mean the presence of a spirit or ghost. As Dave (PIHA’s EVP specialist) was asking questions, the EMF device that Sara was holding started lighting up indicating a presence. Dave then used the EMF device to blink the light for a “Yes” answer and no light for a “No” answer. This EVP session lasted almost 10 minutes which was amazing. Later, the investigators heard a loud bang that appeared to come from the back of the building. While trying to determine what caused the bang, Sara’s EMF detector was activated again at the back door of the building. The PIHA Grey Team has certified the historic building that Calamity Jane’s Restaurant and Lounge is located in as haunted.

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The History of Paranormal Activity Calamity Jane’s Restaurant and Bar: There was the time Sara was showing Chelsea the photo of the door from outside on the wall and the same door slammed shut hard with no one there or wind. The buildings owner, I told Sara he knew of a death in rooms #1 and in #6 upstairs. Room #1 is Sara's office. Wendy has lived in room #6 for a little less than a year. She never had dreams about death before she moved here, now that’s changed and she frequently dreams about people she knows dying. She also has waking dreams wherein she's paralyzed, trying to wake up frantically, because there are figures and shadows swaying and moving in the room. Sara had a picture of Calamity Jane's gravestone that just fell off the wall and broke. No winds or reason. One girl felt a hand on her shoulder. Sara's husband saw an odd man with a bowler hat that wasn't there. They had a series of the kitchen bell ringing with no one there (very annoying). Things in the kitchen have jumped off of the back of shelves onto the floor. A person standing near the front door and the voice of a young female or child.

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O n behalf of the volunteer paranorm par anorm al investigators i nvestigators of PIH A , w e invite you to experience W ashington State’s am azing historical sites and m useum s like never before. PIH A has created a program unlike any other in W ashington State. Through our process pr ocess of netw orking w ith local historical societies, s ocieties, m useum s and com m unity leaders, PIH A hopes to help educate the public of our state’s exciting history and the process pro cess and technology utilized in paranorm al research. research . The PIH A “G rey Team ” is m ade up of dedicated paranorm al investigators w ith a passion for history h istory and a curiosity in the paranorm al phenom ena. O ur approach, equipm ent and procedures to paranorm al investigating are prim arily based on research and logic in obtaining evidence of possible paranorm al activity.

The PIH A A pproach to Paranorm al Investigations Investig ations PIH A never use m edium s, psychics or O uija B oards in our investigations. M any people w ho think that som ething paranorm al exist, physics and logic can debunk. That said, occasionally PIH A obtains evidence that neither physics nor logic applies. W hen this t his occurs, w e classify it as paranorm al evidence and let each individual decide for him self w hat to believe or not believe.

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