Is the Ghost Town of Calico Truly Haunted?

In a proclamation signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2005, the town of Calico actually became the Official State Silver Rush Ghost Town. Another old mining town, named Bodie a little further north along the 395, became known as the Official State Gold Rush Ghost Town.

Not sure where the Official State Bronze, Tin or Recycled Beer Can Ghost Towns are, but we will keep looking fervently. Actually, I’m not going to bother to look – except a recycled beer can ghost town could be fun. Probably a lot of happy spirits reside there. 

 With Halloween just around the corner, we wanted to see if there’s any truth to how haunted this once bustling mining town of Calico really was. Of course, when visiting such places in search of the paranormal, it is crucial never to trespass or do anything else which may be considered illegal or in poor taste. 

 An example of illegal would be, breaking and entering supposed haunted buildings, houses or other property. In poor taste, would be running down the street with a sheet over your head, screaming for ghosts to show themselves.

Of course, that may even be considered crazy. There are some pretty interesting hauntings going on in the little burg of Calico. I mean really interesting in the realm of: “OMG, there’s a ghosty right there. I can’t wait to Instagram my friends with this selfie, well, after I post what I had for lunch, of course.”

Laureen and I decided to take our four legged wards on an overnight camping trip to the historical 1881 silver mining town, but not before I made a sensible suggestion. “You know, we can leave them home. They are dogs, after all.” 

 Laureen looked at me solemnly. “They’ll miss us.” 

“For five minutes, and then they’ll be sleeping and drooling all over the furniture.” 

We loaded our four beasts into the motorhome, and we were off for the short jaunt to Calico. 

The San Bernardino County Park has plenty of spaces for camping large rigs, not so large rigs, tents, and even cabins for rent. Some guests haul out their off road toys and enjoy cruising the hills behind Calico looking at this or that. 

 When looking at this or that though, be mindful that there are open vertical mine shafts – those are the ones that go straight into the earth. 

Some of these old mines are not safe and very deep. So deep, that I’ve heard in one of them, colonies of trolls live, waiting for an unsuspecting off-roader to miscalculate and end up as a troll entre for dinner.

But seriously, when cruising anywhere abandoned mines are located – extreme caution should always be used. I travel off road a lot and am always on the lookout for dangerous road or trail conditions – and also groups of trolls. 

 So, we arrived at our camp site, set up everything, and made sure the doggies were well taken care of inside the motorhome – water, food, air conditioning, blinds closed, and Jimmy Buffet playing softly in the background. 

 The dogs had it so good, I wanted to stay and have a cold one, while listening to Margaretville. 

But Laureen was adamant. “Listen here, Buster. We’ve got ghosts to find.” 

 Funny thing, when we hit town, everyone wanted to talk to us about how haunted the place is. 

Mr. Anonymous had great stories to tell us. Ms. Anonymous had even better stories to tell us. Baby Anonymous had by far the greatest of all the stories. Sounds like something out of the Goldilocks fairy tale. 

Actually, when people talk about ghosts, unless they are high paid television paranormal types, they don’t want their name used in public. 

 “They’ll think I’m crazy,” stated a woman wearing a tin foil hat. 

 “I doubt you believing in ghosts will be the giveaway,” I replied. 

One story we heard about was a little girl who haunted the wooden bridge which spans a deep gulley near the one room schoolhouse.

The old school house located in Calico Ghost Town

Seems, as the tale goes, back in the late 1880’s, a school teacher had a young daughter – maybe ten or eleven years old. 

One day, tragically, the girl fell off a high cliff near the bridge and perished from her injuries. Ever since then, people claim this girl wanders the location of the bridge, talking to children. What she is saying, is very sad but sweet. 

According to many we spoke with, the ghostly little girl is warning the children to stay on the bridge, and to be careful about falling down the steep sides of the ravine. 

 Stranger, only children see her. Adults have had their children tell them that a young girl, dressed in a long white dress with a white bonnet, has been scolding them about the dangers of not looking when running and playing. Parents look, but to no avail. The ghost who cares is gone. 

 “Even my friends this year, told me their kids said this little girl approached them, warned them and then just disappeared,” Mr. “I don’t want to be identified” stated. 

And no, this person was not donning a tin foil hat. 

We walked across that bridge a thousand times. 

No ghostly apparition of a tyke in period clothing. I even crossed it a few times on my knees to make myself look smaller, in case I could outsmart the girl. No such luck, but, just because we adults didn’t see her, doesn’t mean she doesn’t exist. 

 “You have got to check out Hank’s Hotel.” Someone stated. 

“That place is really haunted. Doors slam shut when there is no wind. Things get tossed across the rooms. People used to stay there, but by dark, they were heading for their cars.” 

 “Really?” I asked. 

 “Would I lie to you?” 

 “I don’t know. You won’t even tell me your name.”

Hank's Hotel, supposedly haunted in Calico Ghost Town

The hotel was locked. 

Laureen and I peered through the windows. Nothing slammed. No things were thrown around the rooms. But that doesn’t mean the place isn’t haunted. 

 Another person with no name, told us that some shops in town have poltergeists. Those are the angry, or misunderstood ghosts that like to throw items at people, hitting them and sometimes causing injury. 

We walked through every store that was open, and the only thing which got hit, was my wallet. 

A store means purchasing in Laureen’s world. 

 The cemetery. Now, that had to be haunted. All those souls on boot hill. They couldn’t have been happy, and probably spent the evenings wandering around complaining to each other.

A cemetery plot in Calico Ghost Town

When it was plenty dark, we carefully and respectfully wandered the tombstones. 

Laureen thought she saw an eerie light floating toward us. 

Nope, just other tourists looking for a close encounter with a being from the after-life. 

 Is Calico haunted? Could be – but just not on our visit. But perhaps, if you drive out there – it just may be.

John can be reached at: Beyersbyways@gmail.com

Happy Halloween - In search of Ghosts

My watch showed me that it was nearly midnight, but I really did not need the timepiece to alert me to such an hour.

I had been wandering here and there, albeit carefully, through the deep clean sands of the Mojave River bed just northeast of the town of Daggett.

Nothing but lonely sands in the riverbed

In search of the spectral Hatchet Lady of Newberry Springs.

I was in search of one of the most terrifying hauntings in the High Desert, according to a news article in the Victorville Daily Press dated October 26, 2010.

In fact, the article entitled, ‘High Desert’s Most Haunted Places,’ describes this ghostly apparition’s path listed as the ninth most haunted place around. 

‘Newberry Springs. Legend has it that the “hatchet lady” roams the Mojave River bottom at night.’

That sounded rather sinister, and thus the reason I was traipsing through the ankle deep sand in search of this specter recently.

That is what I do for a weekly column, especially for the month of October.

This ghostly apparition is not a very nice ghost. According to the Urban Dictionary, ‘The Hatchet Lady caught her husband cheating, and in a fit of rage she lopped off his head with a hatchet, and then committed a gory suicide in the same swing of her arm.’

Seems a little extreme to ‘lop’ off someone’s head when caught cheating while playing poker. But perhaps it wasn’t a card game.

Now, this demented and thwarted woman patrols the Mojave River bed looking for her next victim between Minneola Road and Harvard Road in Newberry Springs.

Dirt trails, possibly leading to the Hatchet Lady

Rumor has it she shrieks in the air like a banshee. Though I have never heard a banshee but just the name sends shivers up and down my arms.

There is quite a distance in miles between both roads and after walking and stumbling through the near total darkness for an hour, while yelling out for the Hatchet Lady, I was tired.

“Hey, Hatchet Lady,” I yelled, while nearly tripping over a rather large abandoned truck tire. “I’ve got a deadline here, show yourself.”

Suddenly, out of the darkness near a tall other-worldly looking tamarisk flew one of the largest owls I had ever witnessed.

I was glad to have worn Depends this particular evening. I did not shout my presence again.

Another hour later, I was really tired and made my way back to my truck parked along Minneola Road. 

Perhaps the hatchet swinging damsel had set hours and I had merely missed them.

The following day I ended up at the Barn along Route 66 in Newberry Springs. I knew I would find the truth about the Hatchet Lady from the patrons there. If not, a cold adult libation would certainly find its way in front of me.

Wes, a local, was wetting his whistle. “Nope, never heard of her and I’ve lived here over ten years.”

Renee, the owner of the bar, shook her head. “Sounds scary, but I’ve had the place over at Lake Jodie for decades and nada.”

Joel, the maintenance manager for the Barn also shook his head. “That’s interesting, I’ve lived here for five years and haven’t heard of her.”

I took out my phone, found four different websites about the Hatchet Lady and showed it around the bar.

Blank faces stared back at me.

“But you know, this place is haunted,” Joel stated.

Huh?

Turns out that both Joel and Renee have felt and seen strange happenings at the establishment.

“I was working one night after the place closed,” Joel started, “when suddenly I heard the men’s bathroom door slam shut.”

“Okay,” I replied. “Doors slam shut.”

He then walked me over to the bathroom door and pointed at a large cinder block holding the door open.

“We leave it open using that,” he said. “When I came over that night, the block was over there.”

He pointed to a spot across the hall at least eight feet away.

“Interesting,” I replied.

He then filled me in on other strange occurrences that had been going on at the Barn.

“The kitchen light came on and when I checked on it, the switch was in the off position. I checked the wires and they were correct. I turned it off and while walking away the light went back on, but the switch was still turned off.”

Ghostly happenings at the Barn in Newberry Springs

Renee happened by the two of us. “One time I was sitting listening to a band, taking a break from the bar when I felt a hand on my shoulder that gave me a squeeze. I thought it was a patron wanting my attention but when I turned around there was no one there.”

“As I was laying some new flooring behind the bar after closing hours,” Joel added, “I heard the freezer door open and then slam shut. Then footsteps walked from the kitchen, across the dining area and disappeared into the rear of the building. I was alone at the time.”

“What did you do then?” I asked.

“Went home.” Joel replied.

I asked Renee who the spirit - a great term to use in a bar, maybe.

“I’m not sure, but I do not believe it means any harm,” Renee responded. “Sort of like it is keeping an eye on the place.”

Sometimes when investigating a locale or event nothing happens - a big fat zero, like I found out with the river bed wandering banshee who hefts a mighty hatchet.

Though, I did sort of wonder how a person could cut off her cheating husband’s head and then cleanly decapitate themselves with one swing.

Perhaps Hatchet Lady should have saved that swing for the majors?

“You know, John,” Renee stated. “Lake Jodie is haunted.”

Joel, who also lives at Lake Jodie piped up. “There have been times when I see shadow people by the lakeside, and when they see me looking they disappear.”

A shadow person, per paranormal sources, is a shadowy figure or black mass resembling a humanoid figure. Often they are interpreted as the presence of a spirit or other entity by believers in the paranormal or supernatural realm.

Lake Jodie, where shadow people are often seen

My interpretation is, these black blobs walk around scaring people without uttering a word - like watching an IRS agent sitting behind their desk and staring at you during an audit.

Both would be equally frightening. 

“I’ve heard footsteps on the exterior steps and then something walking to the water’s edge, but there is nothing there,” Joel continued. “I actually had someone grab my left shoulder one evening while I was sitting on the steps outback, as though using me for leverage to make it down the stairs.”

Footsteps can be heard but no one is there

As Joel is telling me this tale, I noticed large goosebumps on both of his arms. He pointed at them, “See, I hate even thinking about the shadow people and other things I’ve witnessed out there.”

At that point I knew I had to contact the ghostbusters team of Cody Dare and Shawn Warren of The New Reality Paranormal investigative team.

Arrangements were made to meet at one of the houses at Lake Jodie (in all transparency - Lake Jodie is a gated community and no address will be supplied in this column) at a certain date and time.

Like many things in life, other duties turned up and I was not able to be there while Cody and Shawn did their paranormal activity. I believe I had a mani-pedi scheduled instead.

Cody got back to me. “Dude, there is a lot going on there. The place was lighting up like crazy.”

That’s paranormal lingo for, “Wow, Dude, the place was lighting up like crazy.”

“This place has all kinds of different energies just wanting to be heard. They actually want to talk to you.”

Why me, I wondered.

Shawn punched into the conversation. “There is a little girl there who is very prominent. It’s very heartbreaking to know she’s still there.”

Both these professionals know I am a skeptic, but not about their work. They have investigated dozens of places with supposed paranormal activity and have told me things that neither they nor I can explain.

And, that is paranormal, folks.

Though I didn’t locate Hatchet Lady, probably better for my noggin, I did learn that many people in the Newberry Springs area have experienced things there are no seemingly logical explanations for.

And who doesn’t like a bit of mystery or goose bumps in their life?

 Happy Halloween!

Visit Kingman, Arizona for a Haunting Good Time

According to local resident, Art, there are some strange sounds coming out of a long and relatively narrow canyon near his neighborhood.

“Yeah, I have heard what could be referred to as shrieks in the late evening hours,” he said.

My buddy Paul had traveled with me to Kingman, Arizona to check out a couple of possibly scary haunts.

Laureen said nope when I advised her that the first stop would be Slaughterhouse Canyon.

After showing her some research I had conducted on the chilly-willy versions of what had gone down in the canyon there was no way Laureen would travel with me.

I asked Paul.

“Are you buying lunch?”

“If I have to,” I responded.

“You do and I’m going.”

Laureen feels things when it comes to the ghouls and goblins from the supposed afterlife. She’ll state something to the effect – “Something bad happened here; I feel a sense of doom.”

Like a good husband, I nodded my head.

Slaughterhouse Canyon is easy to locate in Kingman. Drive onto Andy Devine Avenue and look for the sign with a big finger pointing and the written words beneath it - ‘This way to Slaughterhouse Canyon – but beware.’

It is just northwest of a large housing tract where our new local friend Art lived.

In an article from the online site ‘Only In Your State,’ the canyon received its scary name from an event which may have occurred in the mid-1800s.

A family consisting of a father, mother and three children lived in a ramshackle cabin in the canyon next to a consistently running creek. The husband was a miner but not a particularly good one and the family had a tough time financially.

One day he left and never returned. With no one supplying what the family needed, the mother grew desperate watching her children getting hungrier and hungrier by the day. Legend has it that she could not take watching her children starve the death, so she murdered them to save them from such a long and painful death. She then threw their remains in the creek and took her own life soon afterwards.

Visitors to Slaughterhouse Canyon have reported feeling the anguish that still permeates the air, according to the article. And on evenings and nights when the air is quite still, it is said that you can hear the screams of the children.

With all due deference, Paul and I were there in the late morning hours and all we heard were birds chirping, lizards scampering, and butterflies flapping.

“We have a lot of coyotes around here and that’s the sound I hear coming from inside the canyon,” Art said.

“No blood curdling screams of anguish and pain?” I asked.

“Nope, just coyotes baying at the moon.”

Enough said, that is a haunting sound all of its own. 

We drove along a well graded dirt track along Slaughterhouse Canyon Road – yes, there is a road by that name -- but we did not see any old ramshackled house where the mother and children may have lived.

Aerial view of Slaughterhouse Canyon Road

Slaughterhouse Canyon Road - Kingman, Arizona

However, there was a strange sort of round rock and metal structure that looked old. We mused what it may have been since there was no plaque telling us what it had been.

What could this be?

“An old icehouse to keep food fresh,” Paul pondered.

“A storage box for tools,” I said.

But with plenty of modern-day graffiti sprayed on it, we knew now it was a party place for youngsters who told their parents they were going to the library to study.

That excuse worked for me as a kid.

Caves for ghosts to hide in? Booo!

Neither one of us felt haunted while in the depths of the canyon. That is not to say something tragic did not happen long ago and if all the stories about the mother and children are true, may they rest in peace.

What a horrible decision that must have been made by a parent. That perhaps is a haunting enough story.

“What now?”

“Ghost hunting makes me thirsty,” I replied. “Let us find an old place for an adult libation and I will wager it is haunted too.”

The Sportsman’s Bar is in the historic section of Kingman and was built in the early 1900s. It is a wonderful place to visit.

A long wood bar top, which appears to be the original, stretches for nearly a hundred yards into the interior of the establishment. Pool tables, a jukebox, dart boards, animal heads mounted on the walls, American flags, and a ceiling made of metal panels, make this place one of the coolest saloons I have visited. Not that I visit many but have read stories of those who have.

The Sportsman’s Bar makes folks feel welcome with comfortable stools lined belly-up against the bar itself and that is where Paul and I plopped down.

Tammy Gross, the General Manager, and bartender extraordinaire, asked what we would be having.

“First,” I said. “Is this place haunted?”

She shook her head. “Not that I know of or at least I haven’t noticed anything.”

But the way she said it, I knew there was more to that story, and there was.

“Well, one day I was here alone, and the jukebox just started playing by itself,” she said. “We have it programmed to play random songs unless a customer puts money in and chooses the songs.”

“Uh huh,” I said.

“It ran through every song with a Tuesday in it. Ruby Tuesday by the Stones, Tuesday’s Dead by Cat Stevens, Sweet Tuesday Morning by Badfinger, I Think It’s Tuesday by the Drunks and every other song that had a mention of a Tuesday.”

“Huh,” I said.

“Yes, it was a Tuesday.”

“Makes sense since it was a Tuesday,” I replied. “It wouldn’t if it had been Wednesday, or they may have been pretty dumb ghosts.”

Tammy then mentioned that some other staff had seen lights go off and on with no one present. Sounds of people walking on the roof when no people were there.

“You know there are tunnels beneath all the buildings on this street. Tunnels the early miners used. No one is allowed to enter now due to their condition, but rumor has it that there is even an old Speakeasy down there used during the prohibition years.”

Secret tunnels lay beneath these Kingman businesses

A gentleman was sitting next to me by the name of Dean spoke up.

“I camp out near Sitgreaves Pass on old Route 66 out of Oatman and I’ve heard some things during the night I cannot explain.”

Turns out Dean is quite the outdoorsman and spends his time camping here and there when he has a chance. Along Sitgreaves Pass is a long view of the valley heading toward Kingman and he finds the solitude enjoyable.

That is until one night around midnight he was awakened by the sound of someone using a pick-axe nearby.

A lot of small mines had been started and abandoned near Oatman in the late 19th century but not much activity during the 21st century.

Well, someone or something was going to town trying to dig for riches on this evening.

“I got up, looked around and walked toward the sounds. The picking was so close I knew I would bump into whoever was working so late in the night on their mine. But suddenly the noise stopped. I stook there for a long time and nothing else happened. In the morning, I checked all around where I had heard the pickaxe, and nothing had been disturbed. It was very chilling to say the least.”

Perhaps an old miner had returned to try their luck one more time near Sitgreaves Pass without knowing a live body was nearby.

Next door to the Sportsman’s Bar is the Hotel Brunswick, listed as one of the most haunted hotels in the area.

Ghosts and shadow people wander all over the hotel – in fact, some shadow people walk through living people. Very rude indeed.

A little girl ghost frequents the dining room.

“Tammy, what about the Brunswick next door?” I asked. “Shadow people, ghosts wandering here and there without a care in the world.”

She looked around. “You know a shadow person is an entity in a sense that looks like a person. I have seen them.”

“At the Brunswick Hotel?”

She shook her head. “I’m pretty much of a local and have been in the hotel, the restaurant, and the bar lots of times. No shadow people there.”

“Huh,” I said.

“But others have seen them and heard strange sounds when the place was supposed to be empty.”

The Brunswick Hotel ready for a make-over

Unfortunately, the Brunswick Hotel was closed for refurbishing. The owners want to bring it back to its original beauty and will be something to see. The once grand establishment was built in 1909 and has hosted famous folks like Andy Devine, Barry Goldwater, and Clark Gable to name just a few. It was the poshest of the posh during its heyday.

Is Kingman haunted?

Could be, but more importantly historic Kingman deserves a visit and you never know, there’s always the possibility a ghost may introduce themselves.