"If only walls could talk!" As paranormal teams go into their clients homes to investigate we often think of this catchy phrase.What stories lie within the plaster and lathe. How many secrets do the floor boards hold in their grains of wood. Who were the people that started families behind these doors only to lose them behind them too soon. If only those walls could talk, but maybe they do, we just aren't listening closely enough. Fortunately for paranormal investigators this is our job, to listen very closely, so when Tommy Vahle contacted us about his house on Maiden Lane we were committed to listening very closely. Built in the late 1860's or early 1870's, his house has seen much of the history of a booming town along the Mississippi River. It was just a few blocks away from everything that made Quincy, Illinois an up and coming city. Life abounded in this area in all it's forms, including death. Houses were built up with families living as close to the downtown area as possible to make it easier for a family to go about their day to day business. Wagons pulled by horses trotted at a quick pace on dirt covered roads. The corner of 4th and Maiden Lane saw this activity day in and day out. Children were hit by wagons pulled by these horses at a much more alarming rate than our children of today are hit by cars. Drownings whether accidental or deliberate happened more in one year just four blocks west of this home than we can remember ever happening, having lived
here all of our lives. Death cut short was a part of the lives of these early settlers who were trying to live in what was considered the western part of our country at that time. Bethsheba Hobson came out of the history of the area as one of the most cruel deaths to be cut short at the time. It was 1871 when Dr. Parks was called to the home of Marshall and Bethsheba Hobson. The diagnosis of Dr. Parks for Bethsheba was that she was suffering from a complication of pregnancy. His recommended treatement to help her would be to terminate the pregnancy. The Hobsons, trusting the doctor, agreed to this and so the operating began on a Sunday. Using the very crude instruments he tore away at Bethsheba's life source and she died a very, slow and painful death. For three days she lay there dying, as her husband watched. She never recovered and the loss of her life and her child's had to be a most cruel punishment for those who loved her. Did Bethsheba still wonder these floorboards looking for her child? her husband? her life? Tommy Vahle believed so having seen balls of light hovering inside the house. Crystal who now lives in the home has seen the shadow of a life form walk through the house and sometimes the faint voice of a woman could be heard.
River Town Paranormal Society went into the home to test their accounts of this activity to see if there were natural explanations for the lights,the shadow and the voices. The following pictures, evp's and videos will tell our story of the investigation, adding even more life to this sweetheart of a house located on Maiden Lane.
Around the house
Living Room
Client had seen shadows and heard strange sounds in the living room. RTPS placed equipment in various locoation in the room. No evidence was found from video or audio.
Kitchen
Clients claim to have heard strange noises in the kitchen. The team set up video camera, dvr and infrared camera and a digital recorder in this area. We caught the kitty getting on the counter, which she isnt allowed on. There were some inaudiable evps. The biggest lesson we learned from this location was DONT set the digital recorder by the clock!
North Bedroom
This room is the where the client tells of all the activity he is experiencing in the house. The room is quite small with two windows and four doors. An antique bed is against the east wall. The client reported seeing shadows on the ceiling and the opposite wall with the two doorways. One doorway leads to the stairs and the other a closet. The team set up the dvr camera, and audio recorder. A K-2 meter was placed on a book shelf inbetween the two doors. Its should be noted that the K-2 meter read yellow the entire time it was placed there.
Quincy Daily Heald
Bethseba Hobson
died a painful death from a complicated pregnancy.
Obit Oct. 3, 1871
Doctor George Parks
has employed the best attorney this city has to offer.
Oct. 4, 1871
Dr. Parks is to be charged with murder. His case will be examined by Squire Rudolf.
