OAH national headquarters visited by paranormal group tracking ghosts
... No doubt, the most unusual visitors to Raintree House [the national headquarters of the Organization of American Historians in Bloomington, IN] this summer were Robert Hunter and the Bloomington chapter of Indiana Ghost Trackers. You may recall that our headquarters building is a two-story brick home built in the 1840s with a long and interesting history, including ghostly legends (see “Changes at Raintree House,” OAH Newsletter, Nov. 2004, <http://www.oah.org/pubs/nl/2004nov/formwalt.html>;). Every once in awhile we will have local visitors inquiring about the house, its history, and its alleged ghosts. In May, however, Rob Hunter showed up with an unusual request. The Bloomington chapter of Indiana Ghost Hunters wanted to explore any paranormal activity at Raintree House. They would bring their “own and/or chapter-owned equipment (EMF meters, photo and video equipment, thermometers, digital recorders, etc.)” and divide the dozen or so chapter members “into teams, each led by an experienced team leader. . . . An EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) session is conducted in each room, and the recordings are later reviewed for sounds and voices that cannot be accounted for in a ‘this world’ context.” Amused as I imagined the famous Ghostbusters movie team in Raintree House, I decided to let the local paranormal explorers give it a shot. They made their foray into the house on Saturday night, May 31. They promised a complete written report that we are still waiting on. I would love to see the expression on the future historian who discovers that document in the OAH archives!
OAH has been headquartered in Raintree House since 1970. Newton and Anna Stallknecht were the last private owners of the house before they sold it to Indiana University that year. When the Stallknechts bought the house in 1949 they built a cinder block garage off the northwest corner of the house. Over the years it turned into an eyesore on the property used only for its bicycle rack by the several staff members who biked to work. Indiana University had promised us several years ago they would tear down the building and repave the parking area around the house. Finally, last month, the wrecking crew arrived and within a couple of days the unsightly structure was gone.
Read entire article at Lee Formwalt in the OAH Newsletter
OAH has been headquartered in Raintree House since 1970. Newton and Anna Stallknecht were the last private owners of the house before they sold it to Indiana University that year. When the Stallknechts bought the house in 1949 they built a cinder block garage off the northwest corner of the house. Over the years it turned into an eyesore on the property used only for its bicycle rack by the several staff members who biked to work. Indiana University had promised us several years ago they would tear down the building and repave the parking area around the house. Finally, last month, the wrecking crew arrived and within a couple of days the unsightly structure was gone.