Here are the places that are known for sightings in Rawlins...i don't think i'd want to visit the Old State Pen. Scary!!
~*~ FuelGirl ~*~
Ferris Mansion - It is said that during the building of the house, at least two men were killed in construction accidents, and in the late 1800's the youngest son of the Ferris family, Cecil, was accidentally shot and killed by an older brother who was playing with a gun. Ever since then, there has been mild poltergeist activity, strange sounds, electrical malfunctions that cannot be explained, and many apparitions including Cecil and a woman in a long flowing nightgown that appears in the kitchen area. It has been owned by many families since the Ferris', and all have reported sightings and other strange occurrences. At this time it is a bed and breakfast, where guests still report sightings and noises in the night.
Old Pen - You can smell burnt flesh in the electric chair tower , hear people in the abandoned cells , see mists all over the building and see mists on clear nights just as you are driving by
Old Wyoming State Penitentiary - The "Old Pen", as it is affectionately called by citizens of Rawlins, was put out of use in the early 1980's. Now the Old Pen is a tourist attraction, a historical site, and the subject of many tales of paranormal activity. Members of tour groups often report hearing strange voices in cells, seeing people disappear around corners, and feeling hostile or tense presences. Employees have also reported apparitions and sounds. There was recently an investigation by a group of paranormal experts, but specifics were not revealed except in vague terms. There are several hotbeds of activity in the prison, including the showers, Death Row, the Gas Chamber, and the Hold (isolation area), and certain specific cells, including one filled with the artwork of an inmate. Only recently restored were the Chapel and women's facility, also suspected of paranormal activity. Public functions are now held in the prison, including bazaars and Halloween "haunted house" tours. During the bazaars, booths were set up on ground level, near the shower area. The shower area was always inexplicably cold, with a sense of malice. Many inmates were attacked in the shower area. There are also tales of an inmate being unsuccessfully hanged a first time by fellow prisoners, and having to be thrown off the rails again. there's a book called Ghosts on the Range, or something of the like, which includes a more complete set of experiences.
Rawlins High School - The High School is less than two blocks from the middle school, and may be on the same ground. There have been sightings and sounds throughout the building, but the worst area seems to be the auditorium. When it was being built, a worker fell from one of the catwalks and was killed when he landed on the chairs below. There have also been a few other deaths reported in the area. An area under the stage where props and sets are kept, called "Siberia", is a hot spot as well. Lights turn on and off by themselves, things move around, and you can hear voices when no one else is down there. Interestingly, it is also the part of the school that is closest to the middle school.
Rawlins Middle School - There is a 2-3 acre area, including RMS, which is supposedly an Indian burial ground and passage of an old pioneer trail. Almost all of the houses in this area have reported sightings, both of Indians and old-fashioned people. A janitor at the Middle School was working one night when a short, well-dressed man approached her. She asked him his name, and he bolted. She chased after him, and as he turned a corner, she could see that he no longer had a head. All of the janitors that have worked there have similar experiences, including strange noises and moving objects. In two houses in particular, about 2 blocks away from RMS, the activity is especially bad. They have reported apparitions, moving objects, and have even recorded clear voices on a cassette tape hidden in an upstairs bedroom while the family was away. |
