Things go bump in the Deadwood night
I’ve always been a bit of a skeptic about the ghosts and other things paranormal. But after my recent conversation with Mary Kopco, I am … well … a lot less skeptical.
Mary is head of the Adams House and Museum in Deadwood. She’s had a number of experiences in the Adams House. Years ago when she lived next door to the house, she saw a man standing in the turret. Her 7-year-old son was unimpressed. “Mom, that’s Mr. Adams, and he likes you,” he told her. She went over to the house, and nobody was inside.
More recently, she was giving a talk inside the Adams Museum’s Pioneer Room. Someone snapped a photo, and it showed a woman standing behind Mary – there was no woman. The photo is above.
Now, a team of paranormal investigators from Full Moon Explorations of Boulder, Colo., has documented the things that go bump in the Adams House. The team, accompanied by Mary, recently spent the night in the Adams Mouse. They posted infrared video cameras in the library, Mary Adams’ bedroom, W.E. Adams’ bedroom, and the master bedroom.
“You’d see these orbs go across the room … blue orbs. There was a lot of activity in W.E.’s room,” Mary said. When one of the investigators asked aloud where Mr. Adams had died, one orb slid down the headboard of the bed and alit on the mattress. Mary said it was known that W.E. Adams died at home, but there’s no record of the exact place – until now.
In Mrs. Adams’ room, a rocking chair started to rock. And there was a lot of orb activity in the library. Later the Full Moon folks will post the Adams House photos on their website.
These kinds of ghost stories are common in Deadwood. Mary said several houses are known to be haunted, and strange things have happened at the Saloon No. 10, the Bullock Hotel and other downtown buildings.
In fact, a team from the A&E cable show “Paranormal State” will be at the Bullock Hotel on Sept. 18 and 19 to explore the paranormal experiences at the venerable Deadwood landmark. David Soma and Kathleen Lane, who portray Seth and Martha Bullock and other historic Deadwood characters, are part of the project. They give daily tours of Deadwood and the Bullock, and they are true believers in Deadwood’s spirit world.
I hope to have more information on the A&E project after the team does its thing at the Bullock.
