Stories have been told of a man that sits on the stairs in the back by the loft, a man that stands in the corner in the research library and a Native American woman. Also, a young boy whose name starts with an M and he hangs around upstairs. One person has died in the station. Here is a re-print of the original Chehalis Chronicle Newspaper article which was published on Wednesday March 19, 1912:
“Coroner Charles Sticklin received a letter this morning from Mrs. Martha Layman of Minneapolis, stating that she was positive that the body of the man killed at the local depot last December, is that of her son. She stated that she would leave for Centralia the day following that on which the letter was written, in which case she will arrive here tomorrow. Mrs. Layman stated in her letter that Downs, the man who was with the victim of the accident at the time he was killed, left home with her son. Downs stated that he did not know who the dead man was, but Mrs. Layman says that this is an untruth. The pictures exchanged by Coroner Sticklin and Mrs. Layman were practically identical, there is little doubt but what the body held here is that of Layman. Layman was a member of the Mason, Elks and Woodsmen and was formerly an officer in the Minnesota state prison.”
Layman was beaten and his legs were cut off. We can sometimes here someone dragging one foot through the hallways. Keep in mind, all of the artifacts in that museum belonged to pioneer families and some things are very precious and date back to the early 1800’s.
People who take stock of the supernatural wouldn’t have a hard time imagining that the Lewis County Historical Museum might be an ideal home for the undead.
Visitors and employees have reported the sounds of drawers opening, old-fashioned roller chairs rolling across the ground and roll-top desks closing. It has also been reported by visitors of seeing a slender conductor, in the old conductor’s office at the far end of the depot, walking back and forth writing notes on a clipboard.
PIHA, Paranormal Investigations of Historic America (www.pihausa.com ), was created specifically for paranormal investigations of public historic sites and museums that have a history of paranormal activity. PIHA is in the process of creating a series of DVD's that feature the museums, public historical sites and communities in Washington State. There are three regions in Washington State that will be featured. The first region is "Western Washington", the second is "The Olympic Peninsula" and the third region is "Eastern Washington".
PIHA is made up of a small group of experienced, dedicated paranormal investigators who have a passion for history and an interest in the phenomena of the possible existence of paranormal activity. Our approach, equipment and procedures for paranormal investigating is primarily based on the use of technologically advanced electronic equipment and scientific logic in obtaining evidence of possible paranormal activity.
About PIHA:
On behalf of the volunteer paranormal investigators of PIHA, I invite you to experience Washington State's amazing historical sites and museums like never before. Through our process of networking with local historical societies, museums and registered, public historical sites, PIHA hopes to encourage public interest in Washington State's exciting history and the process and technology utilized in scientific paranormal investigations.
PIHA was created with two goals in mind:
1. PIHA hopes to bring Washington State’s history to life by attempting to obtain significant evidence of these strange occurrences. Utilizing the latest in today's electronic technology and dedicated paranormal investigators, we are accomplishing this objective, one public historical site at a time.
2. PIHA wants to stimulate additional interest in residents and visitors to Washington State's fascinating history. Our goal is to encourage individuals, families, schools and community organizations to visit these (and other) historical locations for a better understanding of our state's history and the people who made it and maybe have a personal paranormal experience along the way!
PIHA is not out to prove or disprove the existence of possible paranormal activity, but to publish any significant evidence collected at an investigation. Many people who think that something paranormal exist, physics and logic can debunk. That said, occasionally PIHA obtains evidence that neither physics nor logic applies. When this occurs, we classify it as paranormal evidence and let each individual decide for himself what to believe or not believe.
Wherever your travels in Washington take you, best wishes for a "Trip to the Extraordinary".
