Visitors seek the 'other side' of historic Arrow Rock

Several participants enter the Miller House during the Spirits, Shadows and Secrets of Arrow Rock event on Friday, Oct. 26. The annual event ran for two-days and allowed visitors to not only tour historic homes, but also participate in paranormal investigations with Sedalia Ghost Hunters.
(Sarah Reed/Democrat-News)

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Spirits, Shadows and Secrets, an annual event hosted by the Historic Arrow Rock Council, proved to be an eventful evening for several visitors ... and maybe even some old ghosts.

The town was founded in 1829, although indigenous peoples and travelers were on site long before. Those of us curious about the paranormal followed the lead of Sedalia Ghost Hunters, a professional investigative team and member of The Atlantic Paranormal Society. With the use of simple tools such as flashlights, handheld voice recorders and electromagnetic devices, it seemed as though some spirits wanted to communicate.

Our group toured three buildings in addition to the cemetery. One location in particular provided interesting activity for nearly 20 minutes.

The Latch House rests on a stone foundation a block north of Main Street. Although it's one of the first structures built in the village, little information is known about the tiny house.

"There's always been rumors of something dark in this house," we were told by an Arrow Rock local. "We don't know who is here."

It is believed, however, the floorboards were constructed of wreckage after a shipwreck. It was here that a K-II meter lit up in answer to questions over the course of 20 minutes.

The device lit up when our group leader asked for anyone present to touch it. Later, it responded to questions such as "Are you a woman," "Are you very old" and "Did you live on the property before the house was built." It didn't respond to other questions such as "Were you married" or "Did you have any children."

Prior to our group arriving, investigators captured what sounded like a breath and possibly two faint words on their voice recorder.

Throughout the evening, investigators did note it often takes hours to receive any information that could be evidence of a paranormal event. Members of Sedalia Ghost Hunters recognized that not every sound -- particularly in older homes -- should be misconstrued as paranormal. And throughout the evening questioned if sounds were coming from others in the room, which was often the case. We occasionally shifted positions, jackets rubbed together and stomachs made odd noises.

The evening also proved to be an interesting lesson in history. At each stop, Arrow Rock locals provided information on the location's background and historical significance, from the Miller House's transformation to local Mary Burge's family connection to Airy Hill.

"This was (Aunt Sadie's) bedroom until she moved in 1924 to Washington, D.C., and then it became my bedroom," Burge said.

Burge was born in the bedroom investigators had previously found activity in. Sadie moved back home mid-century, and some believe she never left.

Investigators will go through hours of video and audio to learn if anything was captured this past weekend, and plan to post any findings on their website. Regardless, visitors left Arrow Rock with more knowledge and more evidence for their ghost story repertoires.

Sedalia Ghost Hunters can be contacted with serious inquiries to help find answers for unexplained activity.

Contact Sarah Reed at
sreed@marshallnews.com

Online:
www.sedaliaghosthunters.com