Investigating Ghosts in Bisbee, Arizona

My life is really busy right now. One task after the next, each one I love, there are just so many of them. I feel like the lady in the shoe who had so many children, she didn’t know what to do! Only my children are tasks. Panting and checking off my to-do list, I look up at my computer screen to see an advertisement for a paranormal “ghost” investigation with famed psychic, Chip Coffey. Without processing the impact upon my schedule, I pick up the phone, dialed my writing partner, Ann, and we both sign up in record time. Within a week we were off to Bisbee, Arizona.

Bisbee Mine, June 2013

Bisbee, Arizona is a mining town, although mining is limited nowadays. In its hey day of 1885 through 1920, the town had upward of 30,000, out populating Phoenix (population 1,000) and Tucson (population 2,000) boasting 47 saloons and a lively town life. Today the population is about 6,000 and it has become a local fascination as the town voted to make same sex marriage legal, despite the State’s stance against it.

Copper Queen Hotel

This rebel town is most known, though, for its guests which refuse to leave. It is considered haunted; tourist attraction haunted. My new Kia Soul Gerbil car is loaded with snacks, clothes, cameras and notebooks. Taking a left from the freeway into town and driving down Main Street, Ann points out the hurst parked in front of the Copper Queen Hotel advertising its ghostly tours.

We have arrived. Checking into our hotel, The Inn at Castle Rock, below, we are greeted by James, the Inn Keeper, who is eager to talk about Jim Morrison and the haunted room we’re staying in. Apparently, we are mothers for the weekend as we have an invisible five year old boy who loves to play pranks on guests staying in our room with us. No discount and no extra charge.

Inn at Castle Rock

The Inn at Castle Rock was built in 1887 as the largest wood structure in town. The location was chosen because of a fresh stream which flows through the first floor of the then boarding house for miners, now hotel. The history is sketchy as it was word of mouth, and not internet verifiable. It is said a group of Chinese miners who refuse to leave town were massacred in the hotel. Residents loved telling Ann and I about the dead tourist found in the entry way rocking chair when a local ghost tour took visitors through the building. The rocking chair dead man drank himself to death.

Rev. Bonnie and Chip Coffey

There were six of us in each investigative group. My group consisted of Ann and I, a mother and son psychic team, and a husband and wife who had taken up the paranormal lifestyle as a hobby. The first room we visited was in the Copper Queen Hotel, Laura’s Room; also referred to as Diamond Lil’s Room. All six of us with our room guide, Ben Harper, of Fact or Faked fame, huddle in the room, lights off and equipment ready. I choose a love seat couch outside of the bathroom and the others sit or stand around the bed. Ben turns on an audio recorder and started talking to the invisible “lady who was paid for her affections.”

Rev. Bonnie and Ben Harper

“Laura, we are here to ask you some questions.”

“We want to learn about you and your life.”

“Did you like your work?”

With each questions, I hold in a giggle. I felt like a kid in a seance at a slumber party; yet this is serious business for my team and I want to honor this. The questions continue. Seven grown adults, in the dark, waiting for something to happen and peppering a digital recorder with questions. We play the recording back after a five minute session; nothing has registered. Laura didn’t respond. We start up again; more questions. We continue to sit. A team member walks into the bathroom to pronounce it is cold, evidence she believes of a possible presence. A large gust of wind enters through the window, loud and strong; yet, it doesn’t appear to be windy outside. As my senses heighten, I feel my left foot receiving a rub. “My left foot is being massaged,” I say out loud. Ben asks what it feels like. “A massage, I respond.” Ben informs me Laura has a history of massaging feet. Cool, I may have made contact.

We investigated five more sites where I smell a variety of things; stale cigar smoke, bourbon, and medicine. I watch a flashlight turn on and off as we ask yes and no questions. I experience being touched many times and some questionable responses register on the digital recorder.

I used two different Electromagnetic Field Devices (EMFs). The one pictured below registers electricity through escalated numbers. While on investigation this meter went up to 7.0. The other meter I used had a series of light bulbs that would light up exponentially with the increase in energy detection.

An EMF I used during the investigation.

A team member brought a Spirit Box. This devise holds hundreds of words which the spirit activates to tell us its story. While investigating the Mining Museum which used to be the executive offices of Phelps Dodge Corporation, one-by-one each of us experienced a flash headache and smelled something medicinal. Ten minutes later the Spirit Box said “placebo.” Ann and I went into the museum the following day and interviewed the bookstore volunteer to learn the town hospital was one foot away from the building.

Spirit Box

Another type of Spirit Box (below) creates a White noise jumbled airwaves sounds. Spirits are known to speak through the airwaves and this device captures words.

Spirit Box

Our investigation concludes just shy of 2 am. Time for the living to rest.

A shout out to the Three Sister Productions of Queens Creek, Arizona for creating this event.