The below video is from our first portal session. Marcia had picked up a quarter from the basement floor earlier in the evening.
During our second portal session in the basement it appeared the spirits were telling us that Marcia had opened the door. At the time we didn't realize that she actually had!
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The History: Built in 1954, the mansion at the corner of Main and Poulin Streets in St. Joseph, Missouri was the family home of Armstrong and Eliza Beattie. He owned the local bank and served several terms as the mayor of St. Joseph. She was active in volunteer organizations. The couple was generous to the community and financially supported many projects. They had no children.
In 1880, following the deaths of the Beattie's, the Ladies Union Benevolent Association purchased the home, using it to house orphaned children and adults who were alone. LUBA, as the group was called, was adamant that the public know that the adults who lived at the home were not paupers, but actually paid their share. In 1894 the children were moved to another home owned by LUBA, called the Home for Little Waunderes. In 1895 a wing identical to the mansion was added and known as the George T. Hoagland wing. The home held 21 residents and had a 10 bed infirmary. Our research did not find any evidence of tragedy at the home. There were several deaths, all natural. The Beattie's were well liked and respected members of the community and LUBA had a stellar reputation for the management of the home. Through the years, the home was loved by those who resided there. The Claims: Paranormal claims include the sound of children laughing on the second floor, the apparition of Mrs. Beattie seen in the second floor hallway of the addition, the apparition of Mr. Beattie seen on the second floor of the original mansion and an unhappy spirit in the basement. It is also claimed that a construction worker saw a full bodied apparition of a man dressed in old clothing in the basement. Our Findings: It was extremely hot during our investigation of the Beattie Mansion, reaching 97°, with no wind and 79% humidity. It was a quiet night, however we did have some interesting experiences we were able to document. We held two portal sessions in the basement. The responses we received appeared to be in direct response to events that had happened earlier in our investigation. We were also able to document the sound of a door closing - which we heard at the time - and the sound of someone whistling - which we did not hear in real time. Several light anomalies and EVPs were also captured. One of the most persistent claims is that of a construction worker, who was outside taking a break. It is claimed he looked in a basement window and saw the full body apparition of a man. During our tour of the mansion, our guide stated that sometimes homeless individuals would come in and sleep in the basement. We believe that would debunk the claim of the construction worker. We believe he actually saw a live person, perhaps homeless, that had gotten in and was wearing some of the older clothing still left in the basement. We did not hear or capture the sounds of children laughing and did not see or capture the apparition of any spirits. While not as outwardly active as we had anticipated, we believe the Beattie Mansion certainly has someone roaming its halls. It is worth a second look! |