John Brian - Ghosts of Pocatello: Haunted History from the Gate City (Haunted America)

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Published by Haunted America

A Division of The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2013 by John Brian

All rights reserved

Unless otherwise noted, all photographs taken by Lisa Brian.

First published 2013

e-book edition 2013

Manufactured in the United States

ISBN 978.1.62584.032.5

Library of Congress CIP data applied for.

print edition ISBN 978.1.60949.965.5

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Dedicated to the members of SPIRO and the city of Pocatello, our beloved home.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Ghosts of Pocatello: Haunted History from the Gate City is the product of six years of paranormal investigation by John Brian and SPIRO Paranormal. John was born and raised in Pocatello and has a BA in anthropology and Spanish from Idaho State University. He also attended La Universidad de Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. John worked in Mexico and Latin America as an anthropologist but returned to Idaho in 2001. John and Lisa Brian are married and have four children: John David, Ellie, Megan and Brisa.

After returning home, John wanted to continue working in anthropology on his own. Paranormal research became an excellent way for him to continue to work in the field. John focused not on the reported hauntings but on the people who were having the experience. From this prospective, SPIRO Paranormal investigates ghostly encounters from a social science viewpoint, making it truly scientific.

In 2009, Old Town Pocatello, Inc. joined with SPIRO Paranormal to host the Haunted History Tour. The tour has become very successful and is highly anticipated by the community. The event allows the public to enter historic buildings and hear stories of possible paranormal activity. Since SPIRO investigates all of the buildings prior to the tour, actual evidence of paranormal activity is presented at some of the locations. The year 2013 will mark the fifth-annual Haunted History Tour.

Over the five years of presenting the Haunted History Tour, John has recorded many firsthand accounts of paranormal experiences. Ghosts of Pocatello: Haunted History from the Gate City is an attempt to put some of these stories with a historical perspective into the public record. All of the stories included in this book are based on real events and locations. Names have been changed and some stories have been altered but generally follow the facts as told to the writer. Some of the stories are based on the experiences from the members of SPIRO Paranormal and others from the people with whom they have come into contact. It is our intention to record these stories as an oral tradition for the people of Pocatello.

It is my sincere hope you enjoy the stories contained in this book.

HISTORY OF POCATELLO

The city of Pocatello was named after the Native American Shoshoni chief Pocatello, who allowed passage of the railroad through the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. Fort Hall, just north of Pocatello, was established by Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth and became an important trading post on the Snake River in 1846. The trading post was located at the end of a five-hundred-mile convergence between the Oregon and California trails, serving as the main mercantile throughout the area in the 1850s.

When gold was discovered in 1860, immigrants flocked to Idaho in hopes of striking it rich. Along with the migrants came the railroad lines. Originally called Pocatello Junction, Pocatellos origin was that of a rail stop during the Idaho Gold Rush. It was not until gold rush frenzy diminished that settlers really began arriving in the area to stay. In 1882, commercial and residential expansion emerged in Pocatello, giving birth to the warehouse district that would later become an important agricultural and commercial hub for the Northwest.

Pocatellos history began very differently than most of its neighboring towns. Unlike many of the surrounding cities, which trace their lineage to religious roots, Pocatello had a very dark beginning. Ruffians, speak-easies, opium dens, gambling and prostitution were just a few things common in Pocatellos colorful past. The city also maintained an extensive underground tunnel system believed to be used in the transport of money, entering secret gambling speak-easies or simply as escape routes. Some of these tunnels still exist today.

Aboveground, Pocatellos Main Street was the social center of the city, boasting opera houses and theaters such as the Auditorium, the Princess Theater, the Lyric, the Center Street Orpheum, the Gem & Star, the Crown, the Rex, the Capitol and the Chief Theater. As the population of Pocatello grew, so did the number of opera houses and theaters. The Princess Theater was made famous in the 1954 musical A Star is Born in which Judy Garland sang Born in a Trunk. The song told about the birth of Garlands character at the Princess Theater in Pocatello.

The theaters and culture of Pocatello attracted a variety of fascinating individuals, including two presidents, Theodore Roosevelt in 1902 and William Howard Taft in 1908. Both men spoke on the grounds of Pocatello High School, which was constructed 1892. The high school had many important functions in the community. Used as the towns central meeting hall, Pocatello High School held concerts, town meetings and sporting events. It was the most majestic building in the region; it was a vital part of the up-and-coming city and is still an integral part of the city today.

As a Pocatello native, I have come to know and love the vibrant history of my beautiful city. I enjoy sharing the history and stories, which allow others to gain a new perspective on the past and perhaps peer through a window into our own future.

CHAPTER 1

THE GHOST OF POCATELLO HIGH SCHOOL

Pocatello High School loomed in front of Grant as his car turned the corner in the overcast morning light. Grant smiled as he came face to face with the prodigious school. It never failed to amaze him as he gazed at the beautiful architecture of the one-hundred-year-old school, and he marveled at how well it had withstood the test of time. The original school was built in 1892 and became the town square in the developing city of Pocatello. The community used the building for community plays, sports and Sunday picnics. The building was also an important gathering point for the region, even attracting two United States presidents to campaign at the school. In 1914, a fire in the boiler room caused a massive inferno, devastating the structure, burning it to the ground. It took three years to rebuild the school on the same spot as the original. Pocatello High School was reopened in 1917 and continues to stand as a centerpiece in Old Town Pocatello.

Grant was in a hurry because it was Thanksgiving morning. He had not finished his work from the night before due to a family event. His wife had gotten up with him to start preparing the delicious meal that would be waiting for him when he finished his work. It had been raining all night and Grant could still hear the rain falling outside. He walked the long halls of the massive high school, where he had been the janitor for over twenty years. It was quiet in the hallways, and Grant enjoyed the time to himself. Over the years, he had become accustomed to being alone in the century-old building. During his time at the school, Grant had heard of strange things happening when people were by themselves in the building. Many of the other janitors were apprehensive about being in the school alone.

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