Ghosts & Paranormal Activity – Legend has it that the town got its name from a man named James Finney who was nicknamed “Old Virginy”. Finney was credited with discovering the Comstock Lode. His real name was James Fennimore, and he had fled his home state of Virginia after killing a man. Old Virginy it appears was ‘breaking bad’ in Virginia by taking the life of a man and now he has to go on the run.
Like many cities and towns in the state, Virginia City was a mining boom town; it appeared virtually overnight as a result of the Comstock Lode silver strike of 1859. At one time, Virginia City had a population of over 15,000 residents and was called the richest city in America. During the 20 years following the Comstock success “about $400 million was taken out of the ground.” Success gives birth to crime. There were strong armed robberies, armed robberies, home invasion robberies, shoot outs and murders that occurred because of this silver strike.
Just like Breaking Bad, motivation for any venture is money. Money leads to sin. Sin leads to crime. Money = Sin = Crime = Breaking Bad. If there were a lot of murders in Virginia City, I don’t think it will be hard for HPI (Hegelianism Paranormal Intelligence) to find evidence.
Now let’s get back to the olden tales of Virginia City. Most of the miners who came to the city were either Cornish or Irish. In 1870, Asians were 7.6% of the population. When the Comstock Lode ran out in 1898, the city’s population declined sharply. Mining operations were hindered by extreme temperatures in the mines caused by natural hot springs. These extreme temperatures lead to the demise of many miners. Awww…deaths in mines?
Hmmmm, this equates to Ghost Mine. They better get their TV crew up here! If you don’t know about the TV show on the SyFy Network called Ghost Mine, check it out here:
The miners would snowshoe to work and then descend into the high temperatures. This contributed to a low life expectancy. Adolph Sutro built the Sutro Tunnel in support of the mining operations. Virginia City experienced the Great Fire of 1875 and 4 other major fires. Lots of damage, lots of lives lost. Virginia City has a Boot Hill cemetery.
Virginia City is considered as the birthplace of Mark Twain, because in February 1863, the writer Samuel Clemens, then a reporter for the local Territorial Enterprise newspaper, first coined his famous pen name of Mark Twain. Virginia City is the place that Mark Twain was mugged by a group of masked friends, (referred to as the Mark Twain Bandidos) that relieved him of his gold watch that was worth $300.00. His friends did this as a practical joke and merely wanted Mark Twain to have something to write about. Mark Twain did indeed write something about this unfortunate mugging. Mark Twain was not happy about this mugging in Virginia City. Special Note: The local newspaper for Virginia City is the Comstock Chronicle.
Washoe Club
The first person I interviewed was Barry Fox – Bartender, Bar Manager and Maintenance. He has been working at the 
Washoe Club for 3 years. He has seen 4 full body apparitions. He says that they move fast. He once saw a shadow standing in the corner, he had nails thrown at him. Barry says that there is a little boy ghost that likes hanging out at the club. On one particular night, Barry had opium smoke blown in his face. The apparitions he has seen appear shadowy or as black blobs. Barry says that entities have called out his name at least 50 times. He has seen shot glasses fly off the bar.
In the Washoe Club is the Millionaire’s Club of the Washoe, this was a popular hangout for the elite during the Silver Seventies. Some of those elite members were General Sheridan, President U.S. Grant; Inventor Thomas A. Edison; General Sherman, Actors Edwin Boothe and Lawrence Barrett, Author Mark Twain and Mining Tycoons James G. Fair and John MacKay.
Silver Terrace Cemeteries
One tombstone reads: Captain Edward Faris Storey for Whom Storey County was Named 1828-1860. Another stop was the Fourth Ward School and Museum, I interviewed the lovely Honey Tapley – Curator. She tells me that this school is all original from the basement on up. She witnessed a female visitor freak out after she was gently touched by a ghost.
Honey tells me that all of ghosts in this school are gentle and friendly. This would be a typical ‘Casper Haunting’. Honey feels Golden Glow energy in this establishment. One visitor said they saw a girl in a white dress and dark hair upstairs and then this entity simply vanished.
Honey says that her son had his first paranormal experience at Piper’s Opera House. Her son Tobias was pushing a stack of chairs and then the cart with the chairs started slowing down and finally it came to an abrupt stop for no reason at all.
Crypt at the Washoe Club
Denise captured a purple orb in movement that caused a nice squiggly line. Also Denise heard a breath and whistle in her air. Denise said that a man’s breath was felt in her ear. During the time she was feeling this breath in her ear, she felt a coldness resonating through her body. Many orbs were captured at the Washoe Club, one designer orb you can see an old man, bald headed, long sideburns, tiny beard. We captured moving orbs, mother / baby orb (this is a large orb that has a smaller orb following it), bright orb with nucleus, designer orb with a distinct eye – side profile of a man.
Piper Opera House
Our next investigation we went to the Piper Opera House and captured a ‘get out’ EVP; ‘go away’ EVP; a dog whimpering EVP and come to find out there was a dog in this Opera House at one time. More EVPs, after Lisa played the piano, we captured a ‘so stale’ EVP and on the Ovilus – it said ‘disaster’ after Lisa played the piano. The Ovilus also said ‘demon sent run’.
Room 11, at the Silver Queen Hotel
This notorious haunted room is where prostitute Rosey committed suicide in the bathtub, due to a jilted love affair. I get to spend the full night in this room by myself. While sleeping in Room 11, I had a personal experience. I felt Rosey touch my leg and there were 6 knocks on the wall. It was very surreal and who knows, maybe it was only a dream.
By Paul Dale Roberts, HPI Esoteric Detective
HPI (Hegelianism Paranormal Intelligence) International
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/HPIinternational/
