1st site MPR investigated for the

Haunted Leavenworth Ghost Tour

presented by Ghost Tours of Kansas, LLC

Date: June 19, 2010

Time: 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Location:        the BOOK BARN

                  Leavenworth, KS

Investigators on Scene:

Brenda, Dee Ann, Misty

Attendees on Scene:

Bob & Barbara Spear (owners) & Jennifer (GTK tour guide)

Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (68% full)

Solar X-Rays: Normal

Geomagnetic: Quiet

Evidence Collected:

Digital Photos Taken: 110

Positive Digital Photos: 3

35 mm Photos Taken: 0

35 mm Photos Positive: 0

Video: (not taken)

EVPs: 3

When we say The Book Barn provides everything the imagination could ask for, that includes ghosts! From possible graves in the basement to lost souls still lingering during its time as the original Davis Mortuary, this building plays host as a paranormal playground. Stop in today and ask Bob and Barb about the latest ghost hunting expedition! Only Ghost Tours of Kansas and Miller's Paranormal Research know the full story. Take a Leavenworth Ghost Tour Today!

Reported Findings and Experiences:

+ While everyone was sitting by the owner’s desk on the main floor, the front door to the store opened setting off the doorbell. Bob (the owner), Misty and Brenda looked up to see who was coming in and saw a dark shadowy figure go out the door and turn right. The door opens towards the street which means that it has to be pulled open from the outside or pushed open from the inside. A storm had kicked up the wind but was quickly ruled out when it was discovered that the heavy glass door opened against the wind.

+ A tape recorder was placed in the upstairs southeast room. After the team had left the upstairs, a rustling and banging sound is heard on the recorder followed by what sounds like a male voice saying, “I’m Back”. Not long after, what sounds like a whistle sound was recorded.

+ While dowsing in the basement under the suggestion of Misty, a possible cemetery or burial ground was located consisting of approximately 20 graves. Most of the graves appeared to be those of children. After some questions were put forth, it is believed to be the graves of Native Americans who died of smallpox in the late 1700’s or early 1800’s.

+ As the team reentered the store after descending the upstairs stairway, an EVP of a female voice saying “Hi” was recorded.

Psychic Readings:

+ I am in front of the store and I am pacing as I’m waiting to go in. There is so much stuff coming from everywhere. The energy is unbelievable. It’s like there are hundreds of people walking around. I can’t stand still. I’m getting a lot of stuff from across the street.

+ There are two or three graves in the book store. It feels like long before these buildings were here. I see lots of trees around at the time.

Upstairs

+ I feel the presence of a male with a young child. It seems like he’s taking care of the child. One of the previous owners was a male with a young child. I can’t tell if it’s a boy or a girl because they used to dress them the same at that age. The child looks to be about 16 months old. He’s carrying it around. He’s up here, talking to another male, talking about the baby, something with….? I’m getting the name Marjory. His wife passed away. He has to take care of the child but he can’t take care of the child. He’s up here trying to get things set up. Marjory, Marjory….Simpson…no, no….Swenson? We are going back before 1936 or 1937. It was like some kind of flu epidemic. I’m not sure if it was the cholera or not. It had to be some kind of flu. It took quite a few people back then. He was just here again. He is really strong. Oh….the baby died. The wife died, then the baby. He brought the baby up here. It was like he was trying to give it away but he was trying to see that it was taken care of.  He was giving it to the man to take care of it. The baby was dead. He comes and he goes. He’s not here all the time. He’s not filling me in on as to why he’s here. He comes and goes, it’s not like he hangs here, it’s like he hangs somewhere else. He comes back here for some reason.

+It sounds like there are flies in this room. I know there isn’t but it sounds like it (southeast room upstairs.) I hear a real loud buzz around my ears. That is weird.

+ I’m feeling there were two brothers that had the funeral home. I feel two young males up here. I don’t feel them as ghosts, just feel their energy.

+ I feeling there was an office up here.

Main Floor

+ These front windows would be full of flowers and they would lay the bodies out so that the people could look at the faces. They viewed the body long ways from the windows. They mostly used the east window.

+ The main thing I’m feeling in here is graves beneath me. Long before the building was built.

+ I’m getting that thing in my back. That kind of electrical pushing on my back because we are getting close to something.

+ Most everything is focused in the basement except for the man with the child so let’s go on down there.

+ Before heading down to the basement, the front door opened setting off the doorbell. A dark figure was seen by three of the people present, exiting and turning right.  (Listen to the recording of this event as it took place "opening door event")

+ I’m feeling the sickness that came through taking the wife and child might have occurred during the Spring in 1936 or 1937.

Basement

+ It feels like at least 3 or 4 bodies downstairs. There was a trail here. I feel them coming over on a ferry or something. There is a path or a trail that came through downtown back then. He carried the child here and was giving him to the other man to prepare him for a service.

+ The embalming was done in the back room upstairs.

+ The graves down here, I’m feeling 3 females. A mother, two young girls, it almost seems like the other is a boy or a male. There should be a small baby with one of the females. It may be inside her. It’s almost as if she was with child. (As Brenda dowsed, she found several graves. One of the graves contained a woman approximately 5’2”. After dowsing with more detail, she also discovered a small female baby lying in approximately the abdomen area. She also found several more graves, mostly children.) I am feeling the graves are Native American and that small pox might have been the cause of death. This may have been an encampment where they sent the sick. Early 1800’s or late 1700’s. Before the white man came. Because of the storage areas in the basement, Brenda was unable to determine exactly how many graves. The graves seemed to be concentrated in about a 20x20 foot area.

MPR would like to thank Bob and Barbara Spear for their hospitality. We enjoyed visiting with them every bit as much as we enjoyed doing the investigation. We found them to be fascinating people. It’s no wonder the ghost drop in now and then for a visit.

The highlight of the investigation was when the front door opened on its own, setting off the doorbell which gave 3 people the opportunity to witness a dark form walk out the door and turn right. This kind of evidence is exciting to find and hard to dispute. A few EVP’s were also collected.

Although we do not feel that the Book Barn has a ghost present at all times, we do feel we collected enough evidence to say that they have their share of paranormal activity.

We had a great time on this investigation and feel that it was successful.