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All of the photos in the Investigation Albums (parts 1 and 2) are captured from the video we taped during
the actual investigation. They aren't of as high a quality as the images taken with our film and digital cameras
and larger versions of them are not available, but they give a good feel for what it was like to be there. Browse
through...and read what interests you.
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For our return investigation to Strawberry Hill, we were happy that Francie Sachen
was again willing to host us and accompany us on the investigation. She is extremely knowledgeable about the building's
history...and the history of the Strawberry Hill area of Kansas City, Kansas.
Two of our investigators had not been at our first investigation at Strawberry Hill. In the picture on the left
Francie is describing one incident where she heard distinct footsteps through the hallway outside her offices...when
she was the only living person in the locked building at the time. |
| Here Stew and Dave are listening to Francie's story. Stew was not able to make it
to our first investigation at Strawberry Hill. Since that time, Stew has invested in a four-camera DVR system...and
we were all looking forward to setting it up in the large museum and keeping a better "eye" on things
this time around. |
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Francie stopped us in front of this large photographic panorama of Kansas City, Kansas.
She let us know that 219 homes were removed in the name of "progress" when Interstate 70 was built.
The Strawberry Hill Museum was once enclosed within a neighborhood. After the demolition and highway construction,
the building was on the edge of the remaining neighborhood. Francie pointed out her house in the photo...one of
the houses that had been torn down. |
| Dave was taking readings with the Dr. Gauss EMF meter, and identified high readings
below the large photograph that Francie had been explaining to us. At first we though the reading might be coming
from a light within the display cabinet beneath the photo. But we both took turns taking reading (that's me in
the photo hogging the meter), and determined it was some sort of power conduit within the wall. Inside older structures,
high EMF readings are non-paranormal and explainable probably 99.99% of the time. |
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The Dr. Gauss meter can only measure up to 10 mG. But the Tri-Field meter can measure
up to 100 mG. We identified an electromagnetic field coming from this large box connected to the alarm and emergency
lights system. The box was on the wall at the top of the stairs leading to the basement. It was giving off 75
mG. We could measure that level of EMF on the Tri-Field...but it buried the needle on the Dr. Gauss. |
| In the basement, in the old laundry room...we encountered several old mannequins
that were used in museum displays. The only thing scarier than mannequins all dressed up in the museum displays...is
an unused mannequin sprawled out where you aren't expecting to see one! |
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This was our first investigation with the Tri-Field meter, and so Dave and I spent
some time testing and comparing the readings from the Tri-Field and the Dr. Gauss meters. The main power-boxes
in the basement were another opportunity to show the usefulness of the Tri-Field meter at measuring EMF levels
above 10 mG. |
| Here Francie is showing Stew a doll that is used for the Christmas displays during
the holidays. The amount of decorations used for the Christmas Season is almost overwhelming, and much of it is
stored in the basement during the rest of the year. When the house is decorated for Christmas...it takes on a
different atmosphere altogether. |
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This was Stew's first time to the Strawberry Hill Museum, and Francie's initial tour
was all about orienting Stew and Laura, and bringing them up to speed on the legends surrounding the house...and
the steps taken during our first investigation. During our initial tours, Stew is always thinking about where
we can set up our base-of-operations and DVR system...to best support the placement of the four IR cameras. In
this photos he's just been told the legend of the Lady in Red and we are leaving the basement kitchen. |
| Here we are in the Canning Room. Once used by the nuns to can and store food over
long periods, its now used for storage...including storage for used kegs. The arched ceiling and the fact you
have to descend down 2 or 3 steps from the basement into this deep room give this room a special look and atmosphere.
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In the large central room of the basement, we stopped and looked over our map of
the museum. To properly investigate a location you have to know your way around. It was important that Stew and
Laura have a good understanding of the layout of the place so they could move about without the risk of getting
lost or disoriented |
| This beautiful stained glass window is in a closet in the Eastern Basement Room of
the Strawberry Hill Museum. It was brought to the museum when nearby St. Mary's Church was closed and boarded
up. Much of the stained glass brought from St. Mary's has been hung in the museum's Chapel on the 1st floor.
A good place has not been identified for this rather large window yet. |
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The Boiler Room is creepy and dramatic, and I couldn't pass it by on the video without
capturing a still image of it for this Investigation Album. Pipes and ductwork seem to snake everywhere. Its
fairly striking to look at. |
| Dave and Shawn are both commercial artists and long-time friends. They bring a humor
and a lightness to investigations that is infectious. This image is from the Recreation Room in the basement.
Francie had just shown us a beautiful antique couch recently donated to the museum. |
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The Strawberry Hill Museum, its tearoom, and its giftshop is open for most of the
year. But the busiest time of the year is the Christmas Season. The house is fully decorated and Children can
come to Strawberry Hill and tell St. Nick what they would like for Christmas. The image on the left is proof we
have fun on these investigations. |
| The Giftshop of the museum is in a room that was used as a nuns' dining room at one
time. The Giftshop helps support the museum's operations...and is filled with unique and wonderful stuff. Trouble
finding a birthday or anniversary gift for your wife? This is the place.... |
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Dave (left) is holding a Dr. Gauss EMF meter. Shawn (right) is holding the TIF 7000
digital thermometer/pyrometer...a very sensitive and accurate real-time gauge of air-temperature. The temperature
sensor itself is on the end of a wand and is connected to the powersource and digital readout by a coiled cord.
The TIF is a state-of-the-art tool and its surprising how rare it is among paranormal investigators. |
| This is the Men's Library and the archway that leads into the Tower on the 1st floor
of the museum. Several years ago psychics visited the museum and said they observed a young girl rocking in an
non-existent rocking chair on this floor of the Tower. See the Background section of our original investigation
report for details. |
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In this image, Shawn is closely examining the photo of James Cruise, first husband
of Margaret Scroggs...the first mistress of the house. They had five children together before James died. Margaret
remarried and with her new husband build their mansion on Strawberry Hill. Despite the fact that James Cruise
never lived in the current building he did live on the property in a different house, and he is the subject of
one of the most interesting paranormal stories regarding the house. See the Background section of our original
investigation report for details. |
| The site was an orphanage run by nuns for almost 70 years, and for that reason the
building has a beautiful chapel and numerous religious items of beauty. This crucifix is in a glass case in the
Chapel on the 1st floor of the Strawberry Hill Museum, and is surrounded by other crucifixes and religious symbols.
See the Active Chapel section of this investigation report for details on what we encountered in the Chapel. |
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The Infant Jesus of Prague has a place of honor at the very front-and-center of the
alter in the Chapel at the Strawberry Hill Museum. Portraying Jesus as a child has its origins in the 1300's,
but the Infant Jesus rose in popularity and the custom was brought to Prague in the late 1500's. Over time one
particular statue was venerated and many miracles attributed to it. Now it is said that if you have a statue of
the Infant Jesus of Prague in your home...you will never want for money or good fortune. The Strawberry Hill Museum
has many copies and versions of this statue that have been donated to the museum. |
| This image is from the Nun's Hallway, and while I'm not sure what Stew is thinking
about here, its clear he's thinking very very hard. Stew is a very down-to-earth investigator. His approach to
explaining reportedly paranormal phenomenon is very comprehensive and insightful. He manages to be skeptical without
shutting himself off from the possibility of paranormal activity. |
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This attic area was new to us on this return investigation. It is located over the
Nun's Hallway, and we were unaware of it at the first investigation. Francie took us up there so we could explore
it a little bit, and later we returned to this area to check out what we believed were footstep sounds originating
from the attic. See the Strange Events section of this investigation report for more details. It was just under
100 degrees in this attic on the day of our investigation. |
| I like the image on the right, due to the light-effect on the lens. The light effect
was bright enough and lasted long enough on the small view-finder, that Laura brought it to our attention. She
suggested the "line-of-light" was caused by the room light shining on the lens...and upon reviewing the
tape it is clear that she was right. See the Strange Events section of this investigation report for more details. |
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This image is of Shawn entering the closet in the attic of the museum the TIF 7000
digital thermometer/ pyrometer in-hand. Francie calls this the James Cruise closet, and we followed suit. This
is due to the story that surrounds this closet where a female caterer reportedly had an encounter with the apparent
ghost of James Cruise, and was chased down the stairs all the way to the 1st floor. See the Background section
of our original investigation report for details. |
Click here for Investigation Album
Part 2 (of 2)
And check out the sections of this investigation report listed under the category
of "Analysis" for detailed discussions and analysis of the evidence we gathered during this investigation...
-Mark Stinson
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