September 15, 2023 |
Photo – Shoes made from Big Nose George’s skin – Bigfoot99 file photo
View grisly artifacts and search for lost souls at the Carbon County Museum.
On October 14th, the Carbon County Museum is holding a paranormal investigation to raise money for the museum foundation. Museum Director Tom Mensik said attendees of next month’s ghost hunt will see macabre artifacts and learn the proper way to search for spooks.
Mensik said participants will scour the museum halls after dark in the hopes of encountering an otherworldly presence. The museum director said he’ll have a variety of professional ghost hunting equipment available to increase the chances of finding a spirit.
October 14th‘s museum event won’t be Mensik’s first paranormal investigation. The museum director said he has a decade of ghost hunting experience under his belt.
Mensik said he’s personally done around 60 investigations across the country. The museum director said the most paranormally active place he’s investigated is the Hamill House in Georgetown, Colorado. Built in 1867, the Victorian house is reported to be haunted by the ghost of William Arthur Hamill, his wife, Mary, and their daughter, Alice. Mensik said during his first investigation at the Hamill House, his audio recorder picked up some unexplainable sounds.
Mensik said the Carbon County Museum, with its collection of antique items, may also be haunted. The museum director said during the October 14th ghost hunt, he’ll teach the attendees some of the skills he’s picked up during his 10 years of paranormal research.
October 14th‘s ghost hunt at the museum isn’t the only paranormal event Mensik has planned. Mensik said Carbon County Museum Outreach and Education Manager Kelia McCuddy has teamed up with the Higher Education Center to lead tours of the Rawlins Cemetery.
Mensik said many famous and influential local people are interred within the Rawlins Cemetery. The museum director mentioned two of the more well-known former Rawlins residents. Mensik said he is keeping the identity of some of the more unexpected decedents a secret until the tour.
Robert Widdowfield was murdered by Big Nose George’s gang in 1878, along with fellow lawman, Tip Vincent. While Vincent rests in the Rawlins Cemetery, Widdowfield is buried south of Hanna, in the old Carbon Cemetery. In 1967, the Carbon County Historical Society erected a memorial headstone for Widdowfield in the Rawlins Cemetery next to Tip Vincent’s final resting place.
Mensik said the museum ghost hunt will be limited to 20 participants. At this time, the museum director said he only has six open spaces available. Mensik said you can buy tickets for the paranormal investigation through the museum website, flyers posted around Rawlins, or visit the museum during normal operating hours.
The Historic Cemetery tours are scheduled for October 13th and 20th at the Rawlins Cemetery. Tours begin at 6:00 pm. The event is free to attend, but Carbon County Higher Education Center is asking people to register beforehand. A QR code with a link to the registration site can be found on the Higher Education Center’s Facebook page.
The Carbon County Museum’s paranormal investigation is Saturday, October 14th, from 8:00 pm to midnight. Tickets are $20 per person. Because of the potentially unsettling nature of some of the items that will be examined that night, Mensik is requiring participants be at least 13 years old. Anyone under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
