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The Michele Stump Story: Hauntings in El Dorado County
Back to Ghost Stories
Written by Paul Dale Roberts, H.P.I. Ghostwriter/Paranormal Investigator
Edited by Shannon "Ms. Macabre" McCabe, President of H.P.I.
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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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 Dick
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@hotmail.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
(916) 203 7503
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