Oshawa Community Museum & Archives - Oshawa
Date: Friday April 3, 2009
Time: 7pm – 11pm
Team Members Present: Rachel, Jay, Jeff, Paula, Amanda, Donny, Crystal, Dan.
Equipment: EMF, 2 digital audio recorders, 2 video camera, 3 digital cameras, Parabolic Sound equipment, Infra-red camera, walkie talkies.
Located on the shores of Lake Ontario, the Oshawa Community Museum and Archives resides in three separate buildings: The Guy House, The Robinson House and The Henry House. All three buildings still sit on their original foundation, all being built in the 1800’s. Stories about ghosts and haunting have been circulating these three building for many years. Most of the stories revolve around The Henry House, but as we found out, there are many more interesting stories about the other two houses.
The rain was coming down steady when Jay and Rachel pulled into the parking lot at the Museums. After gathering the equipment, they made their way to the Guy House where they were to meet the Curator and Executive Director. After dodging puddles, Jay and Rachel made it to the back door and were greeted by Melissa and Laura.
After a brief discussion and some preliminary questions, the team was ready to begin. Crystal and Dan were running a bit behind, so we ventured through the Guy House and let Amanda get a feel for the place. “This is exactly how I pictured it!” Amanda exclaimed as she enter the upper level of the Guy House. “I can hear the tapping of shoes, as if they are going up and down stairs. I feel like they come from a little girl,” Amanda started to say as she stood between the two rooms at the back of the stairs. “These spirits stay here. They like it here.” Amanda then reached for a chair, and sat down. “I can see someone digging, burying something, shovelling. Something is on this property. Now I see a man. He has gray hair, in his 50’s/60’s. He has a pocket watch, wearing a suit with a vest and jacket. He has money. Maybe early 1900’s. He is wearing glasses. He is well educated, teacher,” Amanda said. “I’m hearing a ‘W’ sounding name. Wilfred? Wilbur? William? I can’t make out what it is. There is also a lady here. She is associated with the little girl. Something like a mother or motherly figure,” continued Amanda. “Now I’m hearing ‘Tell Jessica’. They keep repeating it over and over. And I know that this is a common name, but I hear the name McLaughlin”. At this point Jeff sees something unusual on his infra-red camera. While Amanda was channelling, he watched her hands change from being warm to cold, and that she had one long cold streak going down the side of Amanda’s head. It was then that Amanda decided that she would venture into another room.
Amanda walked into the room on her right, which had been converted into an office. “There was someone standing there when we came into the room,” Amanda said as she pointed to the back left corner. “Something is wrong with someone’s arm. It’s broken or hurting. And I keep hearing ‘tell Jessica’. What do you want me to tell her?” Amanda asked out loud. Paula was listening extensively to what was going on, when something caught her attention. “I hear music!” she exclaimed. Everyone stopped talking and listened. However, Paula was the only one who could hear it as she had the parabolic turned on and was listening through ear phones. “It is very faint. I can’t make out the song but it is some place far away,” Paula said.
Amanda made her way to the room at the top of the stairs on the left. The rest of us followed. “There is nothing negative about this room. It is pretty calm. There is a lady in here though. People walking outside see things in this window,” said Amanda. Amanda gazed out the window for a brief moment. “Agh! There is a guy out there,” Amanda blurted out. “Is he alive or dead?” asked Rachel. “He’s dead,” answered Amanda. Amanda then began to describe him. “He’s just standing there. He has brown hair, rigid features. Brown eyes, dark circles, thin hair, 5’10’’. He’s not coming onto the property. The other ghosts/spirits won’t let him in. He hasn’t passed on. He doesn’t know he’s dead. He doesn’t know what is going on.” “Well just remember, we have to go outside to get to the other houses,” Rachel said. With that, Amanda turned and walked away from the window. Everyone headed downstairs to wait for Crystal and Dan.
Crystal and Dan arrived shortly after. After setting Crystal up with an audio recorder we proceeded to walk through The Guy House, again. Crystal was immediately drawn to the first room on her left as she walked down the back hallway. This room appears to hold boxes of documents and archives. “There is a male spirit in here from 1913. I am getting September 10, 1913 army”, Crystal said. She then turned her eyes to the photos on the wall of local Canadian heroes of the World Wars. “It could be someone related to the photos on the wall. He messes with the boxes or something in the room”, she continued. “Not sure if he is fixing something or what. But they definitely keep papers in this room.” Crystal circled the small room until she figured out where the male spirit was coming from. “The far left corner. I feel that he lingers there. He is attached to something in the boxes,” Crystal said. As we followed Crystal down the hallway to the front of the house she began to have a familiar impression. “I’m getting a similar feeling to Eaton Hall. Something to do with medical rescue and a burning smell.”
We entered a room which is now a General Store. Crystal walked around the room and stopped dead centre. “This store isn’t suppose to be here,” stated Crystal. “It feels wrong and weird. There should be a bed and a writing desk. And a couch behind me. Sort of like a hospital or nursing home room. Like respite care or something with a terminal illness. I am also getting heaviness in my lungs, like iron lungs. It also feels like my right thigh is severed or has been amputated.” Crystal than began to pick up on the male spirit that she had sensed a few minutes earlier. “The male spirit from the other room, he resides in this room mainly.” With the team in tow, Crystal rushed up the stairs and to the back right room (which is now the staff kitchen), to the window. “I rushed up these stairs to look out this window and wanted to jump,” said Crystal. “Something was out this window. I still have the heaviness in the lungs. It’s almost like when you run a race or like being winded and you are trying to catch your breath.” Crystal stood in silence for a moment. “William Beatty,” she blurted out. Crystal then turned back to the window and said something that was brought up by Amanda a half hour earlier. “Someone must see someone looking out this window when they are outside of the building,” stated Crystal. “I’m just really drawn to this window.” Crystal finally pulled herself away from the window only to be drawn to another corner of the room. This was the area that the microwave was currently occupying. “There is a lot of electrical current in this area. It is sort of like a vortex of energy right from the basement all the way up.” Crystal said.
Crystal left the room, only to stop in the hallway. “Something is missing,” she said. “Something is missing structure-wise. Like a crawl space or something. The space is now open but it should be closed.” With saying that, Crystal moved on to the front office, where Amanda had previously pick up on a spirit with a sore or broken arm. “I see someone older sitting in the chair when I walked in,” stated Crystal. “It’s a female spirit. I am getting the names Esther and Theresa. It’s all in this one area and prominently this older female spirit. She is working at the desk. She doesn’t seem to be someone long gone, so she is more recently connected to the building. She was filing, and she looked like a librarian.”
We left the female spirit to finish her paperwork and moved on to the next room. This room seemed to be harmless to the naked eye, but as Crystal entered the look on her face was about to change all of our opinions. “I would not want to work in here,” said Crystal. “No way would you catch me working in here. I don’t like it all. It’s heavy and the second you walk in it becomes negative and heavy. If I wanted to work somewhere that I absolutely hated, it would be here,” continued Crystal. Crystal then went on to describe the feeling. “It’s like a tornado of energy, something is off in this room. It’s unbalanced energy, scattered thoughts and anyone who is in here becomes loopy and finds it hard to focus. It feels like the floor is going to suck me right in.” With saying that, Crystal immediately removed herself from the room and stood at the top of the stairs. “There have been major repairs done to this end of the house,” Crystal said. And with that she headed back down the stairs, away from the room she didn’t like. The rest of the team followed.
The Henry House was next on our investigation. We grabbed our equipment, put our hoods up, and dashed out into the rain. It was a quick walk, but nonetheless a wet one. As we enter the Henry House Crystal and Amanda made their way to the first room on the left which was set up to resemble a library/study. “I’m seeing the man again. The one I described earlier with the gray hair and pocket watch,” Amanda said. Crystal was seeing someone else. “I see a young girl with a black bonnet. She has ringlets, but sometimes her hair is in braids. She is skipping around and she is excited. Not too sure why she is excited though,” said Crystal. “She looks like Amanda, only 1800s style,” joked Crystal. “I also feel like a chair is missing. A wingback chair. As well as a fireplace. This room was more of a library,” said Crystal. Amanda then noticed something. “There is an animal in here. It’s high of the floor, and in the corner. It has to be a dog. It’s too big to be a cat.”
Next room visited was the Parlour and Dining rooms. Crystal and Amanda entered the rooms from different entry ways, but ended up together in the Dining room. Crystal was beginning to feel confused. “The layout of this house is wrong. This room should be the kitchen,” stated Crystal. Crystal then began to pick up on a person in spirit. “I’m picking up on an older woman in the parlour room. It looks as if she is praying, but she could be grieving. She is looking out the window, kneeling. The front window that looks out to the water. She also has a light in the window with her. It could be a candle or one of those finger oil lamps. She is praying, waiting, grieving.” Crystal then noticed another spirit had joined them in the dining room. “There is a little boy in here now and he has a dog with him. He is also wearing a brown puffy cap. I also keep seeing an older lady.” Crystal felt that it was time to move to the next room, which was the kitchen.
As Crystal walked around the large room, she was drawn to the back door on the right hand side. “This is the place you went to when you were bad,” said Crystal. As Crystal looked out the back door, she asked if she could go back there. As the door was opened the team went to investigate. As we got closer to the open door, the EMF detector suddenly began to beep. After looking around, we could not find anything that would have made the EMF suddenly go off. Melissa asked if we would like to go into the basement. The door was opened and the team descended. “It feels weird down here. They must have raised the basement,” Crystal said. Excitement took over when Crystal found something. “Oh look! I found the hat that the little boy was wearing!” exclaimed Crystal.
The team headed back up to the main floor and continued the investigation in the kitchen. “I’m picking up on a Grandmother. She has an apron around her waist. She is really loving, caring and she did not let people get away with stuff. She is really respected because of this,” Amanda said as she described a spirit that she was seeing. Crystal states that it was getting cold all of a sudden, and with that the EMF begins to beep. “Everything is in the wrong place,” Crystal said as she walked towards the sink area. “When I stand here, I hear someone saying ‘I’m sick of doing the same life over, and over. I can’t live this life anymore, same stupid dishes, etc’. It is coming from a young married woman. She is doing what she is told. She keeps saying that she hates the life she is living. I hear her saying ‘one more day and I will hang myself’,” said Crystal. “And she did.” Crystal continued to describe the situation. “It was close by, maybe a tree or in the house. It had to do with a family feud. Someone in another house, close knit. It was over someone that she wanted to marry. There is a fight between families. Could be business related? A business that started out small, and grew bigger. A business deal with a marriage in it. This girl pushed or someone pushed someone down the stairs. She did something to someone to start this feud. She is kind of confusing. Rachel then asked Crystal if she was getting any names. “Mary Catherine, Joseph Mc something, Turner which would be a last name,” Answered Crystal. “Someone is getting pushed. She was a shit disturber. She purposely wanted to embarrass her family,” Crystal told the group. Amanda then let everyone know that she hears whispering, and she heads to the room at the back of the house that is set up to resemble a bedroom.
“There was an affair. Rumors. They didn’t want people knowing,” said Amanda. There seemed to be something secretive about the back room, and not wanting to get into anyone, dead or alives, business, we decided to take the opportunity to visit the second floor.
The steep stairs that led to the second floor of the Henry House had its fair share of obstacle for those taller than 5 feet 5 inches. The second floor is used for storage and is rather quite small. It has 2 large rooms, and a small room off of the front room. Upon reaching the upper level the team members that ventured up there were complaining about how the upper level felt heavy and that it was hard to breathe. “I feel a male presence,” said Amanda. “I hear a radio. Someone is talking on a radio. I also saw someone run from one side of this room to the other,” Crystal stated as she pointed to the room that was to the right of the staircase. Crystal than began to describe how she felt about the first of the two rooms. “This room is scary. It feels like someone is right in front of your face. I don’t like it.” With that, Crystal moved to the next room. Amanda and Jay were close behind. “I’m picking up on a lady. She is in the window. She is wearing a long dress. She is crying. This lady is heartbroken, inconsolable,” said Amanda. “It feels like she is pregnant,” Crystal said. Jay was now beginning to feel uneasy. “I’m feeling a lot of pressure on my lungs and chest,” he said. “This room use to be a bedroom, and the small room was a nursery,” Crystal stated. “That would make sense. It feels like post-partum depression. Not wanting to be here,” responded Amanda. The feeling of sadness was over-whelming so the group decided to head back down stairs and continue on the next house. “Someone definitely went head first down the stairs,” said Crystal, as she descended.
We ventured back out into the rain and made our way to The Robinson House. There is an interesting quote posted on the wall inside the Guy House about the Robinson House: “It was a place we didn’t go near for fear it would fall on us, or a ghost would appear” (Darlene William). Could this be hindsight as to what was in store for us? We were about to find out.
“There should be something in here,” Crystal said as we stood on the porch. Amanda was eagerly agreeing. “I feel like they are waiting for us. Like they are all looking out the windows at us,” she said. Jay, however, was feeling a little bit nervous. “This house kind of freaks me out,” he said as we walked up to the front porch. The doors were opened and we walked in. The Robinson House seemed to make Crystal very happy. “I love it in here!” exclaimed Crystal. “This is the house that I am most drawn to. The other houses just wanted us to get out,” continued Crystal. “The most activity happens in this house. The Henry house is very emotional and has a heavy feeling.” Amanda and the rest of the team agreed.
The first room we entered was a room that was set up to resemble a general store. Crystal seemed extremely excited. “This place makes me happy! I would stay in here all the time and work,” exclaimed Crystal. It was at this point that we were informed that this was the building that the museum staff does not like.
Our next stop was a room set up to resemble an early schoolhouse. Crystal was still feeling happy, but a sudden change soon took over. As Crystal touched the piano she instantly felt her back go ice cold. “I’m hearing ‘Lady Amanda’,” said Crystal. “It also feels like people are clinging to my legs. I am also hearing the name ‘Julie Scott’. It is being repeated three times: ‘Julie Scott, Julie Scott, Julie Scott’. She is a younger woman, could be a caretaker or nurse. Quiet, reserved. There is an older lady looking over her, like a mentor,” described Crystal. “The older lady is the one that makes people feel uncomfortable,” Crystal said to the museum staff that were present.
The basement was next on our rooms to investigate. Before the team even had a chance to take the first step down the old wooden staircase Crystal was experiencing something a little unnerving. “I just felt someone grab my arm and pull me towards the basement. All I could hear was ‘Come on! Come on!” As we entered the basement Crystal’s view of the house changed. “Who would want to come down here by themselves?” Crystal asks. Amanda began to get a vision of a small child. “I see a child. They are crunched up in the back corner,” said Amanda and she pointed to the back right corner. “They were put in this corner as punishment,” she continued. “It feels like a mortuary. It feels like were the dead come,” Crystal said as she walked around the basement. Jay soon stumbled upon what appeared to be a broken tombstone. It was such a stone but it was being stored at the Museum. Jay read the stone out loud. “William Burns. Died May 9, 1852. 21 years, 1 month.” Amanda let out a gasp. “I picked up on a ‘Wilbur’ in the other house,” she said. “Maybe it wasn’t Wilbur, but Will Burns? Creepy!” said Amanda as she climbed the stairs back to the main floor.
The team begin to make its way up to the second floor. As we ascended the stairs Crystal and Amanda both had the feeling that their shoes were full of cement. Crystal and Amanda joked that it was like the movie ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’, where the characters get stuck to the stairs. As we got to the top of the stairs, Crystal asked if there had been a fire, but before anyone could answer Crystal was taken aback by pain. “Ouch! The back of my head is throbbing. As soon as I looked into this room it felt like I was whacked in the back of the head. It feels like I’ve been beaten up,” she said. (The room Crystal is referring to is the one to the left at the top of the stairs). Rachel was also feeling the same way. “It feels like I was punched in the nose,” she said. As the team walked the second floor a strange feeling sweeps over the team. Each member began to feel light-headed and disoriented, as if they were intoxicated. “I feel like I’m hammered. I’m so disoriented,” said Crystal. “I hate this floor. I feel really unstable. I don’t like this at all,” she continued.
There was one staircase left to climb. This staircase led to the third floor area that was now used for storage. As the team reached the top, Crystal was still feeling the negative atmosphere. “I liked this place when we first walked in. But when I got up to the second floor, I couldn’t wait to get the heck out of here,” Crystal said. Amanda was beginning to feel energies. “There is a couple fighting,” said Amanda. “He’s abusive to her. It’s a really negative energy,” she continued. With all this negativity swirling around, we made our way back down the stairs to the second floor.
At this point, we decided we would try to do separate sittings. We spilt the group into two teams: guys and girls. The girls stayed on the second floor in the room designated to the Native history of Oshawa. The guys took post on the first floor in the room set up to resemble an early schoolhouse. The second floor seemed to have more male energies which the women team members may attract. The first floor seemed to have more female energies which the men team members may attract. The lights were turned out and the sittings began. The team on the first floor seemed to have a very quiet sitting. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, nor did anyone see, hear or feel anything. The team on the second floor was having a much different experience. After settling for a pow-wow (we later joked how we had a pow-wow in a room dedicated to natives), Amanda began to see something take form behind Paula’s back. “There is someone behind you, Paula. It’s a kid. He’s short,” she said. Paula looked behind her nervously, but wasn’t about to give up her seat on the floor. As we sat cross-legged the lights were all turned off and darkness enveloped us. “It is really dark behind me,” Amanda said. Crystal was now beginning to pick up on something. “There will be a lot more activity with the new exhibit,” she said. “I see a tall man and he is set in motion to make an appearance,” continued Crystal. “I’m picking up on the name Edward,” blurted out Amanda. Crystal began to go more into what she was seeing. “He is an older man, happy-go-lucky. He’s not from long ago,” she said. It was at this point that, without warning, Rachel smacked herself on the side of her head. “It seriously felt like someone was playing with my hair. It was tickling so badly. I wasn’t expecting to hit myself that hard,” she said. Crystal didn’t flinch and went right back to describing the older man she was seeing. “Something about a big donation. He has round glasses, white hair, tall, thin. He is wearing a business suit and has his hand in one pocket. He is looking around. I can hear him saying that he ‘looks out for his girls’. He likes the staff here. It’s like he is a former manager or owner,” said Crystal. Amanda then began to complain about a headache, and seconds after began to describe a woman that was present. “I’m having a really prominent vision. A woman, in her late 20s or early 30s. She has a white blouse on. It’s high up on the neck. It is tucked into a high-waisted long dress that goes down to the floor. She has brown hair in a bun. She is really pretty,” stated Amanda.
We made our way back to The Guy House to pack up our belongings and say our good-byes.
Is the Oshawa Community Museum and Archives haunted? We think so. Who do we think haunts the buildings? It’s hard to put a finger on. There have been many, many residents that have come and gone through out the last 100 plus years. If you wish to experience some of Oshawa’s history and heritage than we suggest you visit The Oshawa Community Museum and Archives. May 2009 sees a new exhibit called “Mourning After: The Victorian Celebration of Death” come to the Museums. For more information about the Museum and the “Mourning After” exhibit visit the Oshawa Community Museums and Archives website at www.oshawamuseum.org. We plan on making a trip to the exhibit. Maybe those that still call the Museums home will make an appearance as well.
Time: 7pm – 11pm
Team Members Present: Rachel, Jay, Jeff, Paula, Amanda, Donny, Crystal, Dan.
Equipment: EMF, 2 digital audio recorders, 2 video camera, 3 digital cameras, Parabolic Sound equipment, Infra-red camera, walkie talkies.
Located on the shores of Lake Ontario, the Oshawa Community Museum and Archives resides in three separate buildings: The Guy House, The Robinson House and The Henry House. All three buildings still sit on their original foundation, all being built in the 1800’s. Stories about ghosts and haunting have been circulating these three building for many years. Most of the stories revolve around The Henry House, but as we found out, there are many more interesting stories about the other two houses.
The rain was coming down steady when Jay and Rachel pulled into the parking lot at the Museums. After gathering the equipment, they made their way to the Guy House where they were to meet the Curator and Executive Director. After dodging puddles, Jay and Rachel made it to the back door and were greeted by Melissa and Laura.
After a brief discussion and some preliminary questions, the team was ready to begin. Crystal and Dan were running a bit behind, so we ventured through the Guy House and let Amanda get a feel for the place. “This is exactly how I pictured it!” Amanda exclaimed as she enter the upper level of the Guy House. “I can hear the tapping of shoes, as if they are going up and down stairs. I feel like they come from a little girl,” Amanda started to say as she stood between the two rooms at the back of the stairs. “These spirits stay here. They like it here.” Amanda then reached for a chair, and sat down. “I can see someone digging, burying something, shovelling. Something is on this property. Now I see a man. He has gray hair, in his 50’s/60’s. He has a pocket watch, wearing a suit with a vest and jacket. He has money. Maybe early 1900’s. He is wearing glasses. He is well educated, teacher,” Amanda said. “I’m hearing a ‘W’ sounding name. Wilfred? Wilbur? William? I can’t make out what it is. There is also a lady here. She is associated with the little girl. Something like a mother or motherly figure,” continued Amanda. “Now I’m hearing ‘Tell Jessica’. They keep repeating it over and over. And I know that this is a common name, but I hear the name McLaughlin”. At this point Jeff sees something unusual on his infra-red camera. While Amanda was channelling, he watched her hands change from being warm to cold, and that she had one long cold streak going down the side of Amanda’s head. It was then that Amanda decided that she would venture into another room.
Amanda walked into the room on her right, which had been converted into an office. “There was someone standing there when we came into the room,” Amanda said as she pointed to the back left corner. “Something is wrong with someone’s arm. It’s broken or hurting. And I keep hearing ‘tell Jessica’. What do you want me to tell her?” Amanda asked out loud. Paula was listening extensively to what was going on, when something caught her attention. “I hear music!” she exclaimed. Everyone stopped talking and listened. However, Paula was the only one who could hear it as she had the parabolic turned on and was listening through ear phones. “It is very faint. I can’t make out the song but it is some place far away,” Paula said.
Amanda made her way to the room at the top of the stairs on the left. The rest of us followed. “There is nothing negative about this room. It is pretty calm. There is a lady in here though. People walking outside see things in this window,” said Amanda. Amanda gazed out the window for a brief moment. “Agh! There is a guy out there,” Amanda blurted out. “Is he alive or dead?” asked Rachel. “He’s dead,” answered Amanda. Amanda then began to describe him. “He’s just standing there. He has brown hair, rigid features. Brown eyes, dark circles, thin hair, 5’10’’. He’s not coming onto the property. The other ghosts/spirits won’t let him in. He hasn’t passed on. He doesn’t know he’s dead. He doesn’t know what is going on.” “Well just remember, we have to go outside to get to the other houses,” Rachel said. With that, Amanda turned and walked away from the window. Everyone headed downstairs to wait for Crystal and Dan.
Crystal and Dan arrived shortly after. After setting Crystal up with an audio recorder we proceeded to walk through The Guy House, again. Crystal was immediately drawn to the first room on her left as she walked down the back hallway. This room appears to hold boxes of documents and archives. “There is a male spirit in here from 1913. I am getting September 10, 1913 army”, Crystal said. She then turned her eyes to the photos on the wall of local Canadian heroes of the World Wars. “It could be someone related to the photos on the wall. He messes with the boxes or something in the room”, she continued. “Not sure if he is fixing something or what. But they definitely keep papers in this room.” Crystal circled the small room until she figured out where the male spirit was coming from. “The far left corner. I feel that he lingers there. He is attached to something in the boxes,” Crystal said. As we followed Crystal down the hallway to the front of the house she began to have a familiar impression. “I’m getting a similar feeling to Eaton Hall. Something to do with medical rescue and a burning smell.”
We entered a room which is now a General Store. Crystal walked around the room and stopped dead centre. “This store isn’t suppose to be here,” stated Crystal. “It feels wrong and weird. There should be a bed and a writing desk. And a couch behind me. Sort of like a hospital or nursing home room. Like respite care or something with a terminal illness. I am also getting heaviness in my lungs, like iron lungs. It also feels like my right thigh is severed or has been amputated.” Crystal than began to pick up on the male spirit that she had sensed a few minutes earlier. “The male spirit from the other room, he resides in this room mainly.” With the team in tow, Crystal rushed up the stairs and to the back right room (which is now the staff kitchen), to the window. “I rushed up these stairs to look out this window and wanted to jump,” said Crystal. “Something was out this window. I still have the heaviness in the lungs. It’s almost like when you run a race or like being winded and you are trying to catch your breath.” Crystal stood in silence for a moment. “William Beatty,” she blurted out. Crystal then turned back to the window and said something that was brought up by Amanda a half hour earlier. “Someone must see someone looking out this window when they are outside of the building,” stated Crystal. “I’m just really drawn to this window.” Crystal finally pulled herself away from the window only to be drawn to another corner of the room. This was the area that the microwave was currently occupying. “There is a lot of electrical current in this area. It is sort of like a vortex of energy right from the basement all the way up.” Crystal said.
Crystal left the room, only to stop in the hallway. “Something is missing,” she said. “Something is missing structure-wise. Like a crawl space or something. The space is now open but it should be closed.” With saying that, Crystal moved on to the front office, where Amanda had previously pick up on a spirit with a sore or broken arm. “I see someone older sitting in the chair when I walked in,” stated Crystal. “It’s a female spirit. I am getting the names Esther and Theresa. It’s all in this one area and prominently this older female spirit. She is working at the desk. She doesn’t seem to be someone long gone, so she is more recently connected to the building. She was filing, and she looked like a librarian.”
We left the female spirit to finish her paperwork and moved on to the next room. This room seemed to be harmless to the naked eye, but as Crystal entered the look on her face was about to change all of our opinions. “I would not want to work in here,” said Crystal. “No way would you catch me working in here. I don’t like it all. It’s heavy and the second you walk in it becomes negative and heavy. If I wanted to work somewhere that I absolutely hated, it would be here,” continued Crystal. Crystal then went on to describe the feeling. “It’s like a tornado of energy, something is off in this room. It’s unbalanced energy, scattered thoughts and anyone who is in here becomes loopy and finds it hard to focus. It feels like the floor is going to suck me right in.” With saying that, Crystal immediately removed herself from the room and stood at the top of the stairs. “There have been major repairs done to this end of the house,” Crystal said. And with that she headed back down the stairs, away from the room she didn’t like. The rest of the team followed.
The Henry House was next on our investigation. We grabbed our equipment, put our hoods up, and dashed out into the rain. It was a quick walk, but nonetheless a wet one. As we enter the Henry House Crystal and Amanda made their way to the first room on the left which was set up to resemble a library/study. “I’m seeing the man again. The one I described earlier with the gray hair and pocket watch,” Amanda said. Crystal was seeing someone else. “I see a young girl with a black bonnet. She has ringlets, but sometimes her hair is in braids. She is skipping around and she is excited. Not too sure why she is excited though,” said Crystal. “She looks like Amanda, only 1800s style,” joked Crystal. “I also feel like a chair is missing. A wingback chair. As well as a fireplace. This room was more of a library,” said Crystal. Amanda then noticed something. “There is an animal in here. It’s high of the floor, and in the corner. It has to be a dog. It’s too big to be a cat.”
Next room visited was the Parlour and Dining rooms. Crystal and Amanda entered the rooms from different entry ways, but ended up together in the Dining room. Crystal was beginning to feel confused. “The layout of this house is wrong. This room should be the kitchen,” stated Crystal. Crystal then began to pick up on a person in spirit. “I’m picking up on an older woman in the parlour room. It looks as if she is praying, but she could be grieving. She is looking out the window, kneeling. The front window that looks out to the water. She also has a light in the window with her. It could be a candle or one of those finger oil lamps. She is praying, waiting, grieving.” Crystal then noticed another spirit had joined them in the dining room. “There is a little boy in here now and he has a dog with him. He is also wearing a brown puffy cap. I also keep seeing an older lady.” Crystal felt that it was time to move to the next room, which was the kitchen.
As Crystal walked around the large room, she was drawn to the back door on the right hand side. “This is the place you went to when you were bad,” said Crystal. As Crystal looked out the back door, she asked if she could go back there. As the door was opened the team went to investigate. As we got closer to the open door, the EMF detector suddenly began to beep. After looking around, we could not find anything that would have made the EMF suddenly go off. Melissa asked if we would like to go into the basement. The door was opened and the team descended. “It feels weird down here. They must have raised the basement,” Crystal said. Excitement took over when Crystal found something. “Oh look! I found the hat that the little boy was wearing!” exclaimed Crystal.
The team headed back up to the main floor and continued the investigation in the kitchen. “I’m picking up on a Grandmother. She has an apron around her waist. She is really loving, caring and she did not let people get away with stuff. She is really respected because of this,” Amanda said as she described a spirit that she was seeing. Crystal states that it was getting cold all of a sudden, and with that the EMF begins to beep. “Everything is in the wrong place,” Crystal said as she walked towards the sink area. “When I stand here, I hear someone saying ‘I’m sick of doing the same life over, and over. I can’t live this life anymore, same stupid dishes, etc’. It is coming from a young married woman. She is doing what she is told. She keeps saying that she hates the life she is living. I hear her saying ‘one more day and I will hang myself’,” said Crystal. “And she did.” Crystal continued to describe the situation. “It was close by, maybe a tree or in the house. It had to do with a family feud. Someone in another house, close knit. It was over someone that she wanted to marry. There is a fight between families. Could be business related? A business that started out small, and grew bigger. A business deal with a marriage in it. This girl pushed or someone pushed someone down the stairs. She did something to someone to start this feud. She is kind of confusing. Rachel then asked Crystal if she was getting any names. “Mary Catherine, Joseph Mc something, Turner which would be a last name,” Answered Crystal. “Someone is getting pushed. She was a shit disturber. She purposely wanted to embarrass her family,” Crystal told the group. Amanda then let everyone know that she hears whispering, and she heads to the room at the back of the house that is set up to resemble a bedroom.
“There was an affair. Rumors. They didn’t want people knowing,” said Amanda. There seemed to be something secretive about the back room, and not wanting to get into anyone, dead or alives, business, we decided to take the opportunity to visit the second floor.
The steep stairs that led to the second floor of the Henry House had its fair share of obstacle for those taller than 5 feet 5 inches. The second floor is used for storage and is rather quite small. It has 2 large rooms, and a small room off of the front room. Upon reaching the upper level the team members that ventured up there were complaining about how the upper level felt heavy and that it was hard to breathe. “I feel a male presence,” said Amanda. “I hear a radio. Someone is talking on a radio. I also saw someone run from one side of this room to the other,” Crystal stated as she pointed to the room that was to the right of the staircase. Crystal than began to describe how she felt about the first of the two rooms. “This room is scary. It feels like someone is right in front of your face. I don’t like it.” With that, Crystal moved to the next room. Amanda and Jay were close behind. “I’m picking up on a lady. She is in the window. She is wearing a long dress. She is crying. This lady is heartbroken, inconsolable,” said Amanda. “It feels like she is pregnant,” Crystal said. Jay was now beginning to feel uneasy. “I’m feeling a lot of pressure on my lungs and chest,” he said. “This room use to be a bedroom, and the small room was a nursery,” Crystal stated. “That would make sense. It feels like post-partum depression. Not wanting to be here,” responded Amanda. The feeling of sadness was over-whelming so the group decided to head back down stairs and continue on the next house. “Someone definitely went head first down the stairs,” said Crystal, as she descended.
We ventured back out into the rain and made our way to The Robinson House. There is an interesting quote posted on the wall inside the Guy House about the Robinson House: “It was a place we didn’t go near for fear it would fall on us, or a ghost would appear” (Darlene William). Could this be hindsight as to what was in store for us? We were about to find out.
“There should be something in here,” Crystal said as we stood on the porch. Amanda was eagerly agreeing. “I feel like they are waiting for us. Like they are all looking out the windows at us,” she said. Jay, however, was feeling a little bit nervous. “This house kind of freaks me out,” he said as we walked up to the front porch. The doors were opened and we walked in. The Robinson House seemed to make Crystal very happy. “I love it in here!” exclaimed Crystal. “This is the house that I am most drawn to. The other houses just wanted us to get out,” continued Crystal. “The most activity happens in this house. The Henry house is very emotional and has a heavy feeling.” Amanda and the rest of the team agreed.
The first room we entered was a room that was set up to resemble a general store. Crystal seemed extremely excited. “This place makes me happy! I would stay in here all the time and work,” exclaimed Crystal. It was at this point that we were informed that this was the building that the museum staff does not like.
Our next stop was a room set up to resemble an early schoolhouse. Crystal was still feeling happy, but a sudden change soon took over. As Crystal touched the piano she instantly felt her back go ice cold. “I’m hearing ‘Lady Amanda’,” said Crystal. “It also feels like people are clinging to my legs. I am also hearing the name ‘Julie Scott’. It is being repeated three times: ‘Julie Scott, Julie Scott, Julie Scott’. She is a younger woman, could be a caretaker or nurse. Quiet, reserved. There is an older lady looking over her, like a mentor,” described Crystal. “The older lady is the one that makes people feel uncomfortable,” Crystal said to the museum staff that were present.
The basement was next on our rooms to investigate. Before the team even had a chance to take the first step down the old wooden staircase Crystal was experiencing something a little unnerving. “I just felt someone grab my arm and pull me towards the basement. All I could hear was ‘Come on! Come on!” As we entered the basement Crystal’s view of the house changed. “Who would want to come down here by themselves?” Crystal asks. Amanda began to get a vision of a small child. “I see a child. They are crunched up in the back corner,” said Amanda and she pointed to the back right corner. “They were put in this corner as punishment,” she continued. “It feels like a mortuary. It feels like were the dead come,” Crystal said as she walked around the basement. Jay soon stumbled upon what appeared to be a broken tombstone. It was such a stone but it was being stored at the Museum. Jay read the stone out loud. “William Burns. Died May 9, 1852. 21 years, 1 month.” Amanda let out a gasp. “I picked up on a ‘Wilbur’ in the other house,” she said. “Maybe it wasn’t Wilbur, but Will Burns? Creepy!” said Amanda as she climbed the stairs back to the main floor.
The team begin to make its way up to the second floor. As we ascended the stairs Crystal and Amanda both had the feeling that their shoes were full of cement. Crystal and Amanda joked that it was like the movie ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’, where the characters get stuck to the stairs. As we got to the top of the stairs, Crystal asked if there had been a fire, but before anyone could answer Crystal was taken aback by pain. “Ouch! The back of my head is throbbing. As soon as I looked into this room it felt like I was whacked in the back of the head. It feels like I’ve been beaten up,” she said. (The room Crystal is referring to is the one to the left at the top of the stairs). Rachel was also feeling the same way. “It feels like I was punched in the nose,” she said. As the team walked the second floor a strange feeling sweeps over the team. Each member began to feel light-headed and disoriented, as if they were intoxicated. “I feel like I’m hammered. I’m so disoriented,” said Crystal. “I hate this floor. I feel really unstable. I don’t like this at all,” she continued.
There was one staircase left to climb. This staircase led to the third floor area that was now used for storage. As the team reached the top, Crystal was still feeling the negative atmosphere. “I liked this place when we first walked in. But when I got up to the second floor, I couldn’t wait to get the heck out of here,” Crystal said. Amanda was beginning to feel energies. “There is a couple fighting,” said Amanda. “He’s abusive to her. It’s a really negative energy,” she continued. With all this negativity swirling around, we made our way back down the stairs to the second floor.
At this point, we decided we would try to do separate sittings. We spilt the group into two teams: guys and girls. The girls stayed on the second floor in the room designated to the Native history of Oshawa. The guys took post on the first floor in the room set up to resemble an early schoolhouse. The second floor seemed to have more male energies which the women team members may attract. The first floor seemed to have more female energies which the men team members may attract. The lights were turned out and the sittings began. The team on the first floor seemed to have a very quiet sitting. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, nor did anyone see, hear or feel anything. The team on the second floor was having a much different experience. After settling for a pow-wow (we later joked how we had a pow-wow in a room dedicated to natives), Amanda began to see something take form behind Paula’s back. “There is someone behind you, Paula. It’s a kid. He’s short,” she said. Paula looked behind her nervously, but wasn’t about to give up her seat on the floor. As we sat cross-legged the lights were all turned off and darkness enveloped us. “It is really dark behind me,” Amanda said. Crystal was now beginning to pick up on something. “There will be a lot more activity with the new exhibit,” she said. “I see a tall man and he is set in motion to make an appearance,” continued Crystal. “I’m picking up on the name Edward,” blurted out Amanda. Crystal began to go more into what she was seeing. “He is an older man, happy-go-lucky. He’s not from long ago,” she said. It was at this point that, without warning, Rachel smacked herself on the side of her head. “It seriously felt like someone was playing with my hair. It was tickling so badly. I wasn’t expecting to hit myself that hard,” she said. Crystal didn’t flinch and went right back to describing the older man she was seeing. “Something about a big donation. He has round glasses, white hair, tall, thin. He is wearing a business suit and has his hand in one pocket. He is looking around. I can hear him saying that he ‘looks out for his girls’. He likes the staff here. It’s like he is a former manager or owner,” said Crystal. Amanda then began to complain about a headache, and seconds after began to describe a woman that was present. “I’m having a really prominent vision. A woman, in her late 20s or early 30s. She has a white blouse on. It’s high up on the neck. It is tucked into a high-waisted long dress that goes down to the floor. She has brown hair in a bun. She is really pretty,” stated Amanda.
We made our way back to The Guy House to pack up our belongings and say our good-byes.
Is the Oshawa Community Museum and Archives haunted? We think so. Who do we think haunts the buildings? It’s hard to put a finger on. There have been many, many residents that have come and gone through out the last 100 plus years. If you wish to experience some of Oshawa’s history and heritage than we suggest you visit The Oshawa Community Museum and Archives. May 2009 sees a new exhibit called “Mourning After: The Victorian Celebration of Death” come to the Museums. For more information about the Museum and the “Mourning After” exhibit visit the Oshawa Community Museums and Archives website at www.oshawamuseum.org. We plan on making a trip to the exhibit. Maybe those that still call the Museums home will make an appearance as well.