Adventures of Central Valley Paranormal

Meet our team, Central Valley Paranormal, Founder Crystal Willett and her husband Chris Willett, Joey Simeao, Sherry Andersen, Becky Smallwood, Lee Smallwood, Gemma Shehorn & Dave Shehorn. Come along with us, we would like to take you on one of our investigations.

It’s the 3rd of September and the CVP team is going on another paranormal mini-vacation. We brought along 6 experienced investigators, 2 new recruits and a straggler who has come along for the ride. The team has once again arrived in Virginia City, Nevada. This time staying at the Gold Hill Hotel. Once again we are transported back in time on a journey that will not be forgotten. We make a stop at the Brewery Lodge where everyone can be accommodated in the same cottage. We have stopped and stocked up on snacks and groceries to last the next couple days.

While we checked in we were told of some of the past haunts. The front desk says not a lot of the Brewery Lodge, but Gold Hill is a haunted area in itself. We then got the keys to the lodge and ventured across the street. It was located next to the Gazebo that is rented for weddings and other functions. We all were amazed at how much room we have available to us in the lodge and the sight of having a full service kitchen just adds to the excitement and we are all looking forward to sleeping in beds rather than cots or the floor like other investigation weekends. It was so nice for everyone to be in the same location and to be together. We all looked around picking our sleeping area. Chris, Crystal, Becky, Lee, Gemma and Dave all chose bedrooms on the second floor. Joey chooses the floor of the living room, dining area and kitchen for his air mattress. Sherry took the bedroom that was a step down room located in the front of the lodge. It was a bit warm when the sun was up but we don’t plan to be home during the day anyway.

It was then that everyone went a little scouting around looking at things around the area. Sherry, our resident almost a geologist is fasinated by the tailing piles covering the area. We think it looks like a pile of rocks, which Sherry agrees it is, but oh what a pile of rocks, she says. Becky and I (Crystal) had decided to go upstairs and put up the air mattress that we brought so she and Lee would sleep in one of the air conditioned rooms. We decided we may need to take a nap for a bit not knowing how late we may be up investigating. Everyone was lying around either catnapping or watching TV at the time. We both felt odd as if our head was spinning out of control a presence in the room. Like a feeling of Vertigo. We kind of brushed it off thinking maybe the room was slanting towards the west. We finally decided it was time to cook dinner. Our first night consisted of chili cheese dogs, hamburgers and potato salad and chips. We had so many different types of chips that everyone was able to enjoy their favorite.

After a time of resting again, we decided that our first expedition is going to be to the Boot Hill Cemetery. Before going to the cemetery we had to run by and make contact with the St. Mary’s hospital to confirm our investigation there is set for the next night. We are now on our way to Boot Hill. We divided up having Walkie Talkies and went off different directions. There were a lot of people out visiting the cemetery as well. It was hard to catch any evp’s due to the different conversations of passerby’s. We did catch a possible evp. It was there that we spoke with a fire fighter and Sherry got some nice orb pictures. It was like the fire fighter was leading us in a certain direction that he wanted us to go. It was eerie.

It was a beautiful night at the old gold mining town. We loved the cemetery but there were so many people it was hard to catch good evidence so we decided to drive around a little looking at the different shops and scouting some areas. We talked with different people on the street of what we do. We passed by one gentleman that was there dressed for the gold mining days reenactment. He had the long white beard, weathered hat, boots and confederate jacket down to the gold buttons. He was definitely authentic looking. Taking you back to a time in the past. A few of us talked about him wondering if he was a real. He past with such a swagger then was at times motionless and didn’t even look at you as if you were even around. We tried to locate the store in which we had previously left a business card. It was no longer around. We made our way to the location in which I had previously had my experience with the an unknown entity. It happened in front of what was a “Gentlemen’s Club”. Becky had previously been on a ghost tour walk here before. We filmed this and actually got a photo of a hand that was going up my back. We had lots of KII hits while asking questions. We had pictures of transfiguration as well. We later found out that’s this building was called “Knights of the Pythia’s Building” founded in 1876. Upon further research on the Knights I found the following which was hard to believe had existed in a Gold mining town: A member must be at least 18 years of age. He cannot be a professional gambler, or involved with illegal drugs or alcohol and he must have a belief in a Supreme Being. When in a gold mining town you know that the gambling and alcohol was upon every corner. Then to hear that it was once a gentlemen’s club was astounding as well. With the town partying next to the building we found that it was time that we head back to the lodge. By this time it was about 1am and all of us were ready to turn in for a good night’s sleep. We knew the next day was going to be a long day and we were all excited to be going into the Saint Mary’s Hospital.

Later that night while Chris and I, and Becky and Lee are sleeping in the room. I feel that something in laying on my air. I tell Chris to roll over and quit lying on my hair. He being asleep and not really comprehending anything rolls over without saying anything. Again I brush this off not thinking about the earlier experience that we had.

Its morning and we all are ready to hit the the streets of the old mining town. We ventured off the path once again and visited the Mark Twain Museum getting a couple KII hits. We visited the St. Mary’s Church and what a beautiful place it is. The experience that we felt when walking in there was overwhelming. We went to the downstairs where there is stored a lot memorabilia. It was amazing listening to the docent tell the history of the church and town. It was there that I had gotten a designer orb in a photo that was taken while in the room in which Father Manogue’s furniture was. It was the most amazing thing to see. The church is so rich in history that we could not get enough. The teams have split up at that point in which some had to find a restroom. We all met back up together to get some lunch and look at other different areas. We then decided it was time to head back get some rest and get the equipment in order for our evening to come.

We are now off to the St. Mary’s Hospital where we meet up with Angela, owner and manager with her husband Ron. Here is a little history on the building. This handsome building was built in and opened its doors in 1879, as a Catholic hospital, under the management of the Sisters of Charity and Bishop Patrick Manogue. Within its 4 floors and 36 rooms, 60 to 70 patients could be taken care of. The floors included five public wards and 12 private rooms. Before the government got involved, churches and religious organizations often founded social service facilities to serve the needs of people. Saint Mary’s Hospital opened its doors to everyone, from the rich to the poor, to the mentally ill. The Sisters nursed the sick during periodic epidemics, took care of injured miners, gunshot victims, and other people suffering from accidents and illnesses. After 18 years of service in 1897, the Sisters of Charity decided to close the hospital, giving the building to the county officials. It quickly became the county hospital, because the former public hospital had burned to the ground. This county hospital served the community until 1940, and closed probably because the population was dwindling. WW2 had just started and the structure needed a major renovation to update it to current standards. Sadly, this building stood empty for 24 years, until 1964, when it nearly had a date with the wrecking ball. The county officials were seriously considering knocking it down and selling its materials, when Father Meinecke came to its rescue with the suggestion that it become an art center. It made total sense because the building itself could be considered a work of art.

We were told of many things that had happened at the hospital. That in one part of the hospital you can hear a horse drawn hearse coming up to a rear door of the hospital building where they collected and carried away the dead. They said that you are able to hear the clopping of the hooves and snorting of the horses. Day or night, the spirits do not have a preference. Sounds such as heavy boots walking the halls and stairs, carts rolling and gurney’s (on hard wood however, the above floors are carpeted), marbles rolling on the wooden floors, ladies conversing down the hallways or in other rooms, shadow figures have been seen regularly (even during the day), class A EVP’s have been captured, phantom smells of rubbing alcohol, vomit, vapor rub, sterile scents, flowers, pipe tobacco, etc. have also been lurking the hallways and rooms.

The building rarely fails to communicate. Once in the kitchen Angela showed us the dowsing rods that we would use to help answer questions. She asked it to point to individuals and it was dead on. She asked us if we would like to borrow them for the night. She showed us each floor and gave the history on the rooms and the individuals that had stayed there. Then Angela and Ron left us on our own to investigate. She let us know that her husband would be coming through later that evening with the ghost tour so that we were aware of any other conversations that we hear. It was then time for us to get on with the investigation. This is truly an amazing place and we look to return soon. We all started with EVP sessions and filming the different areas. We came to a room that a mother and baby had stayed in. Angela had shown us when in the room that the doll in a chair was equipped with a motion sensor that made it speak when someone came close. We were standing in the room and every time I (Crystal) went to ask a question the doll would talk. I would only be standing off to the side of the doll, not passing in front of her. When we later met back up with Angela and asked her she said the doll is not voice activated. There was a paranormal experience rather it being the baby or the mother we do not know.

Back at to the Gold Hill Hotel. Watching TV and eating some of the spaghetti that we had cooked earlier in the evening. The boys getting some of the others hooked on the TV series Sons of the Anarchy. We headed to bed then around 3am I felt something in the room. I saw a shadow figure but thought I was just very tired and just dismissed it. Then suddenly I felt the bed vibrating I woke Chris telling him to quit shaking the bed he said he wasn’t. Then I asked Lee if he was hitting the bed, him and Becky sleeping on the air mattress next to us. I looked and they were not near us. All of a sudden my legs were being held down and the bed vibrating I yelled for it to stop and was released. I woke everyone upstairs by yelling. We grabbed flashlights running to get into the cars to grab equipment. Lee and I could not get the front door unlocked finally it opened. We took the equipment back upstairs and set up the recorder and KII meter not getting but a couple hits. Do I believe the lodge is haunted? Yes. We packed up and headed back home each of us going back in different directions. Our sincere Thanks to the Gold Hill Hotel and Angela and Ron from the St. Mary’s Louis Hospital for a great time.