Ghost of a chance in Amador County hotel

Last Updated 6:39 am PST Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B1

Paranormal investigators Michelle Barbaria, left, Amy Bruni and Ann Overhiser unpack monitoring equipment in a room at the St. George Hotel in Volcano in Amador County. The 21-room hotel, where staff and guests have reported apparitions, will be the site of a ghost seminar in March. Randall Benton / rbenton@sacbee.com

See additional images

VOLCANO – A young girl, an apparition dressed in white, is said to roam the halls of the St. George Hotel here, startling guests and housekeepers alike. She comes and goes, as does the equally mysterious, well-dressed gentleman who skulks through the three-story inn with a cane.

For years, strange things have supposedly taken place at the hotel, set at a sharp bend of a narrow road that winds through the thickly wooded hills of the historic Gold Rush town, 60 miles southeast of Sacramento.

Ghosts, if you choose to believe, have lurked in the place for years. Voices, footsteps and otherworldly creaks have given some the creeps.

Lights are said to fade in and out. Beds, fresh and crisp one minute, are in disarray the next. Things go bump, deep into the night.

"Do you ever get the feeling that you need to get the hell out of someplace?" said Elsa Seeger, the hotel's office manager since 2001. Her eyes widened and her voice stiffened. "I've heard so many stories, but to tell you the truth, I've only experienced something strange just once."

For at least one night, though, the chatter in the corridors, the shadowy figures, the flashes of light – all the weirdness of the night – weren't the work of poltergeists.

On Saturday, a small swarm of ghost hunters gathered at the St. George Hotel in search of the little blond girl and the dashing gentleman.

The ghost hunters, as they call themselves, set up video cameras, sound recorders. They used dowsing rods to lead the way. A handheld Geiger counter sought to measure radiation, if not ghostly vibes. They cajoled the spirits to appear.

When the "science" was done, a psychic swept from room to room, sniffing out the spirits.

"I feel so very emotionally and physically drained," said the psychic, Jason Lindo, after visiting one of the darkened rooms.

"It was like something grabbed me by the shoulders," said Lindo, who in the parlance of the paranormal is referred to as a "sensitive."

Richard Winters, one of the new co-owners of the hotel, said he knew little of the ghost stories when he and his partners bought the Amador County hotel.

"One day, a guest asked whether we had any ghosts," he said. The guest claimed she had spoken to a gentleman who identified himself as Charles Osgood, who Winters claims was among the hotel's first customers more than a century ago.

In the room called "Soldiers Gulch," a guest in September reported speaking to a little girl in a white dress. Journals located in every room tell of other brushes with the paranormal.

"Enjoy the ghost. We did. … Knock on the walls – you will get a knock back," said one recent, but undated, entry.

Investigators claimed they captured on tape the sing-songy voice of a little girl during Saturday's hunt, although they acknowledge that whatever made those sounds is open to interpretation.

Robin Little, whose family also has a share in the business, contacted a friend well-known in the paranormal field and invited her out to investigate.

"We're not taken very seriously all the time – I know you find that hard to believe," said Amy Bruni, who produces "Beyond Reality Radio," a broadcast hosted by two members featured on the popular sci-fi network show "Ghost Hunters."

Bruni doesn't mind skeptics, and she has quick answers for nonbelievers.

Why for example, must ghost hunts occur at night?

"The theory is, ghosts manifest themselves in the dark," Bruni said. "In broad daylight, a misty figure walks by you – not that it happens very often – but you're probably not going to see it in broad daylight.

"But even among us paranormal types there's a debate," she added. "Some of us think you can ghost hunt in the day."

She and other believers endure the jokes. Bruni laughs along with the naysayers. But there is a serious side.

"Ghost hunting is almost a belief system. It's about trying to figure out what happens when we die," she said. "People want to know what happens when we die, and ghosts are a lot more tangible for a lot of people. In the paranormal, there are a lot of people who aren't naturally religious, but they believe in ghosts."

Instead of spooking potential guests, Winters thinks the ghosts at the 21-room hotel could become a draw.

The St. George is the third hotel built on its site on Main Street. Its predecessors, the Eureka and the Empire, both built mostly of wood, burned down.

When the hotel was rebuilt, someone finally had the bright idea of using brick – and naming it St. George to ward off the "demonic fire dragon," as the hotel's Web site says.

In March, scores of disciples of the paranormal will convene at the hotel for a "Ghost Rush," a weekend of seminars on ghosts and other hard-to-explain spiritual phenomena that will double the population of the town's core of about 100.

Volcano, named for the caldera-like valley in which it is located, was a hub of California's Gold Country. It once bustled with miners, but these days can seem, well, like a ghost town when tourists don't swarm the place.

"We just want to be sure we don't scare away all of the people," joked Ann Overhiser, whose fiancé, Dave Bender, led the team of investigators – including one staffer whose task is to debunk his colleagues' claims.

Suzanne Anderson, a graphics artist from Carson City, Nev., swears she felt a presence in her room – dubbed "Hell's Delight" – as her husband slept. Someone, something, was walking behind her tracing her steps as she moved, she insisted. During a previous visit, door latches seem to release themselves.

"Yeah, I would have to say I'm a believer now," said Anderson. "Do I want to be? No."

About the writer:

Call The Bee's Bobby Caina Calvan, (916) 321-1067.

Vickie Clark, above left, Dave Bender and Amy Bruni watch a remote video monitor, above, that displays infrared images of rooms at the St. George Hotel. At left, Michelle Barbaria sets up an infrared video camera. Randall Benton / rbenton@sacbee.com

Michelle Barbaria sets up an infrared video camera. Randall Benton / rbenton@sacbee.com

The St. George Hotel is on a winding road in a wooded area near Volcano, a hub of the state's Gold Country. Randall Benton / rbenton@sacbee.com

Ann Overhiser, above, uses dowsing rods to locate paranormal energy at the St. George Hotel. Randall Benton / rbenton@sacbee.com

Amy Bruni displays an entry in a guestbook in which a visitor to the St. George Hotel in Volcano describes seeing a ghost. Various reports of apparitions at the hotel mention a young girl dressed in white and an adult male with a walking cane. Members of American Paranormal Investigations have checked out these reports using monitoring equipment and human psychics. Randall Benton / rbenton@sacbee.com

St. George Hotel in Volcano

Story by Stephanie Farrell, as seen in the Amador Ledger Dispatch December 7, 2012

The St. George Hotel in Volcano has a new owner

Located in the heart of Volcano, the St. George Hotel was bought by Sharon Lundgren. The hotel has a rich history and is listed on the national registry of historical buildings.

Lundgren grew up in Volcano, after moving to the small town from Southern California when she was eleven years old. Her father purchased the Volcano Telephone Company, that was located in Volcano at that time. The move was a welcome one for Lundgren, “I loved it. We roamed around in the creek. We rode our bikes half way to Sutter Creek and all around. We picked blackberries.” She was happy to live in Volcano as a child and made lots of friends, several of which she is still friends with today.

Because Volcano holds many fond memories for Lundgren and the fact that she already owned property in the town, she was watching the hotel that was up for sale for several years. At the time of purchase, she was the only one who showed up at the foreclosure auction at the courthouse steps. “Tom Blackman came with me that day as my advisor and real estate respresentative. When they handed me a single sheet of paper, instead of the usual mountain of paper that usually goes with the sale of real estate, I was surprised at how streamlined the process was.” The hotel had been closed for only a few weeks. Lundgren planned to re-open it immediately, but found that there was a lot of cleanup and repairs that would need to be done before they could open. And to add to this stress, just a few weeks after buying the hotel, Lundgren discovered that she had breast cancer. This was a major set back. Anyone who knows Lungren will attest to her tenacity and perserverance, and will not be surprised to find that she is going full force with her plans for the hotel. “It’s a beautiful property.” Says Lundgren.”You can just feel the history. It just comes to life here. When I was a newlywed, I lived nearby. I can remember listening to the jukebox being played at the hotel. It’s a happy memory. It never crossed my mind that I would ever own the hotel.”

In order to get the hotel, restaurant and saloon going again, Lundgren consulted with the previous manager and owner. It was from that conversation that she contacted former employees Megan Watt’s and Jeff Norris and asked them to come back to work at the hotel. Watts was the manager of the Whiskey Flat Saloon and she was happy to return. “I knew that she wanted to bring out the full potential of the place, because she really cares about it. It’s not a hobby for her.” Watt’s says of Lundgren. As they were getting ready to open, Watts says, We had a lot of regulars that were calling to see when we would open. They are our friends.”

Joining Watts is Jeff Norris as manager of the restaurant. Norris has experience in fine dining dating back to the Imperial Hotel in Amador City when it was owned by Bruce Sherrill and Dale Morris. “Bruce taught me to pay attention to the details. He showed me the art of fine dining and how to serve people.” Norris went on to work at the Beverly Hill Hotel before returning to his roots in Amador County. The chef for the restaurant is Ray Mansu, also a lifelong resident of Amador County. Mansu went to Columbia College to learn the art of cooking and just two years after graduating, they asked him to teach classes. As for the food, “I love dinner dishes, it takes extra care. I can make anything, pretty much. It’s not about what I want to make, it’s about what the guests want.”says Mansu.

The hotel is being managed by Sharon Jones, a personal friend of Lundgren’s for many years. “I’m doing whatever needs to be done, answer phones, wash dishes, restoring furniture, anything. I will do whatever I need to do for as long as I need to do it.” Says Jones. And, at the heart of the entire operation, Lundgren can be found, making drapes, remodeling the kitchen and more. Helping her with the decorating is her daughter, Angela Lundgren. “I didn’t know she was going to buy the hotel until she was on her way to the auction.” Angela says. She continues, “I think that the St. George means a lot to the local people. It’s very important that it’s owned locally and not by a big corporation.”

The hotel has twenty rooms, each room is one of a kind with a theme that relates to the mining industry. The hotel is furnished throughout with antique furniture. There have been many upgrades including, flat screen tvs, new mattresses, new linens and more. The Garden Cottage is a separate building with a cozy fireplace, open floor plan, kitchenette, a secluded patio and a jacuzzi. The Zinfindel Suite is a small house with a fireplace, dining room, living room, bathroom, bedroom and has vaulted ceilings. The gardens are available for weddings, parties and outside eating. Lundgren says, “the gardens are so magical, it’s one of the main reasons I wanted to buy the property.”

The Whiskey Flat Saloon, is a cozy, historical bar that has an old time feel to it. The wood floors creak, it has the original bar from the parlour and there are old photographs plastered all over. There is a wall mural that may have been in the original bar.

Lundgren plans to continue to upgrade and redecorate and says, “The St. George Hotel is the heart of Volcano. I want the community to enjoy it and I want out of town guests to feel at home.”

The St. George Hotel is located at 16104 Main Street inVolcano. The phone number for reservations and more information is 296-4458. The restaurant is open serving food in the dining room and the Saloon Thursday and Friday from 5 pm to 9 pm, Saturday from 3 pm to 9 pm and Sunday from 3 pm to 8 pm with the Saloon staying open later for drinks.

Ghost Hunter's Guide to California's Gold Rush Country

By Jeff Dwyer

Ghost of a chance in Amador County hotel

By Bobby Caina Calvan - bcalvan@sacbee.com

About the writer:

St. George Hotel in Volcano

Ghost Hunter's Guide to California's Gold Rush Country