The Stanwood Hotel & Saloon was built in the late 1890s, and is one of the oldest buildings in

town. Although it has been changed and added to, it is essentially the same structure that housed

loggers, mill workers, hunters and tourists for many years.

The PIHA Grey Team’s investigation of this historic building revealed some amazing evidence of

paranormal activity indicating that some people that were connected to this building never left.

2

Welcome to PIHA’s Historic Haunting of Washington State MagazineWelcome to PIHA’s Historic Haunting of Washington State MagazineWelcome to PIHA’s Historic Haunting of Washington State MagazineWelcome to PIHA’s Historic Haunting of Washington State Magazine

On behalf of the volunteer paranormal investigators of PIHA, I invite you to experience

Washington State’s amazing historical sites and museums like never before. PIHA has

created a program unlike any other in Washington State. Through our process of networking

with local historical societies, museums and registered historical sites, PIHA hopes to help

educate the public of our state’s exciting history and the process and technology utilized in

today’s paranormal investigations.

PIHA was created with two goals in mind:

1. PIHA hopes to bring our history to life by attempting to obtain significant

evidence of these strange occurrences. Utilizing the latest in today’s electronic

technology and dedicated paranormal investigators, we are accomplishing this

objective.

2. PIHA wants to stimulate additional interest in our residents and visitors to

Washington State’s fascinating history. We want to encourage individuals,

families, schools and community organizations to visit these (and other) historical

locations for a better understanding of our state’s history and the people who made

it.

PIHA is not out to prove or disprove the existence of possible paranormal activity, but to

publish any significant evidence collected at an investigation and let each individual

decided for himself what to believe or not to believe.

Wherever your travels in Washington take you, best wishes for a “Trip to the

Extraordinary”.

For additional information about PIHA, visit our website at www.pihausa.com

.

3

In this Issue:In this Issue:In this Issue:In this Issue:

Welcome to PIHA’s Historic Haunting of Washington State Magazine…..2

Washington State History………….…………………………….……..…….5

The History of Western Washington…………………………….....………..7

The History of Stanwood…...…….…………………………………..……….9

The Historic Stanwood Hotel & Saloon………………..…….………………11

Paranormal Investigation Report………………………………………..…...13

Paranormal History Report……………………………………....…….....…..15 Contact PIHA:Contact PIHA:Contact PIHA:Contact PIHA:

PIHA (Paranormal Investigations of Historic America)

Vaughn Hubbard: Case Manager/Historian/Founder

Phone: 360.799.4138

Email: Info@pihausa.com

Website: WWW.PIHAUSA.COM

Debbie Knapp: Lead Investigator/Historian

Kathy Gavin: Senior Investigator

Terry Knapp: Investigator

Julie De Stefano: Investigator

Robin Western: Investigator-in-Training

Dave: EVP Specialist

PIHA Magazine Publisher:PIHA Magazine Publisher:PIHA Magazine Publisher:PIHA Magazine Publisher:

Publisher………………...…..….Historic Haunting

Chief Publisher…………..……..Vaughn Hubbard

Program Manager:………….…..Debbie Knapp

Marketing Manager:…………....Kathy Gavin

Graphic Designer:…………..…..Julie De Stefano

Research Assistant……….……..Robin Western

Research Assistant……….……..Terry Knapp

Acknowledgements:Acknowledgements:Acknowledgements:Acknowledgements: We wish to acknowledge the HistoryLink for allowing PIHA to use their published historical research information as reference

material. To read about the history of Washington State visit the HistoryLink website at: www.HistoryLink.org

Special thanks to Dave from Silent Voices who works with the Grey Team as our EVP Specialist. To read more about the

groundbreaking work that Dave is involved with and his instructions on EVP's techniques, visit his web site at

www.SilentVoices.info

4

5

Washington State History

The State of Washington occupies the far northwest corner of the contiguous 48 United States. It occupies

66,582 square miles (176,600 square kilometers) between the Pacific Ocean on

the west and the Idaho border at 117 degrees longitude. Washington borders

Canada on the north along the 49th parallel and Oregon on the south along the

Columbia River and 46th parallel. Great Britain and the United States jointly

occupied the region between 1818 and 1846, when Britain ceded the Pacific

Northwest below the 49th parallel to the U.S. In 1848 the U.S. created Oregon

Territory, including the future states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho and a

portion of Montana. Washington Territory (including Idaho and western Montana until 1863) was

separated from Oregon on March 2, 1853, and gained statehood on November 11, 1889.

The federal government created Oregon Territory on August 14, 1848. The area of the new jurisdiction

included the present-day states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and western Montana. The discovery of gold

in California in 1848 triggered a large westward migration, and settlement of Oregon Territory was

promoted by passage of the Donation Land Claims Act of 1850, which granted 160 acres to any U.S.

citizen who agreed to occupy his or her land for five years.

On August 29, 1851, 27 male settlers met at Cowlitz Landing (south of present-day Olympia) to petition

Congress for a separate “Columbia Territory” covering the area between the Columbia River and 49th

parallel. The petition was reaffirmed by 44 delegates who met in Monticello on November 25, 1852.

Congress approved the new territory on February 10, 1853, but changed its name to “Washington.”

President Millard Fillmore signed the bill on March 2, 1853, and Olympia was named the Territorial

Capital and has remained the capital of both Washington Territory and State since 1853. President Franklyn

Pierce named Isaac I. Stevens as the first governor of an area that included northern Idaho and western

Montana until President Abraham Lincoln established Idaho Territory on March 4, 1863.

Washington’s non-Indian population grew steadily to more than 300,000 over the

following decades. Its residents began petitioning for statehood in 1881, and Washington

was admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, with the signature of President

Benjamin Harrison.

Thirty federally recognized sovereign Indian tribes and reservations occupy substantial

areas in Washington, and there are an additional seven unrecognized but culturally distinct

tribes. Native American Indian tribes have occupied this area; now know as Washington State for over

10,000 years and have a rich history in culture and survival. By the 1850s, when the first Euro American

settlers arrived at Alki Point and along the Duwamish River,

diseases had already taken a devastating toll on native peoples

and their cultures. During the 80 year period from the 1770s to

1850, smallpox, measles, influenza, and other diseases had killed an estimated

28,000 Native Americans in Western Washington, leaving about 9,000

survivors. Historian Robert Boyd conducted extensive research on the effect of

European diseases on Northwest coast Indians. In his book, The Coming of the

Spirit of Pestilence, he states that the 1775 Spanish expedition led by Bruno

Hezeta, commander of the Santiago and Juan Fracisco de la Bodega & Quadra, commander of the

Sonora was the most likely carrier.

6

7

The History and Expansion into Western Washington

The first settlement in the Puget Sound area in the west of what is now Washington was that

of Fort Nisqually, a farm and trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company, in 1833.

Washington's founder, the black pioneer George Washington Bush and his Caucasian wife,

Isabella James Bush, from Missouri and Tennessee, respectively, led four white families

into the territory and settled New Market, now known as Tumwater, Washington, in 1846.

They settled in Washington to avoid Oregon's racist settlement laws. Eventually, many more

settlers, migrating overland along the Oregon Trail, wandered north to settle in the Puget

Sound area.

In 1852, people from all over what was to become Washington state gathered in Monticello

(now Longview) to draft a memorandum to Congress. The memorandum expressed their

desire to be granted statehood under the name of Columbia. This meeting came to be known

as the Monticello Convention. The desires of the Convention were met favorably in

Congress, but it was decided that a state named Columbia might be confused with the

preexisting District of Columbia. In a manner which strangely enough did not solve the

problem of being confused with the nation's capital, the state was instead named

Washington in honor of the first U.S. president. Washington became the 42nd state in the

United States on November 11, 1889.

The heavy rainfall to the west of the Cascade Range produced dense forests, and the ports

along Puget Sound prospered from the manufacturing and shipping of lumber products,

particularly the Douglas-fir. Other industries that developed in this portion of the state

include fishing, salmon canning and mining.

In the spring of 1853, Congress authorized a US Army expedition made up of engineers and explorers and

led by Isaac Ingalls Stevens, to survey a route from the Missouri River to the

Columbia River suitable for building a railroad. Stevens assumed the task, but also

kept in mind that the route should be suitable for a wagon road. The 25’ wide road was

so called because its purpose was to connect Fort Walla Walla east of the mountains to

Fort Steilacoom along side the Puget Sound. The road was built from Fort Steilacoom

and then, following an ancient Indian path known as the Naches Trail, it crossed over

Naches Pass and down to the Naches River east of the mountains. The road then

followed the river to Yakima. The

trail roughly follows the present

day State Route 410 which instead

goes up and over the Chinook

pass, a little south of the original route, to Naches and

on to Yakima.

8

9

History of Stanwood Washington Coast Salish people of the Stillaguamish Tribe had an encampment near the site of the first trading post and

other villages upriver and along the shoreline of Port Susan. The word Stillaguamish means “people of the

river.” Neighboring tribal groups were the Kikiallus at Conway and on Camano Island, and the Skagit

people and the Snohomish people to the south, among several others. They, both men and women, were

often crucial in transporting early settlers and their belongings to every area of the Puget Sound using their

expert canoeing skills.

The area that later became known as Centerville was first settled by Saxton Hale in 1848. Slowly, farmers

and loggers began staking claims in the river’s rich delta. In 1870 the first post office was established

followed by a trading post at the mouth of the river. The settlement was officially designated Centerville.

In 1877, D. O. Pearson arrived with capital and goods for the first community store. Pearson also built a wharf

allowing steamboats to dock along the Stillaguamish River. After Pearson became the Postmaster he changed

the name of the town to “Stanwood”, his wife Clara’s maiden name.

By 1895 the Stanwood Cooperative Creamery was started and built its building on the highland east of the

depot, beginning the story of the two towns, Stanwood and East Stanwood.

Five years later, in 1903, the Town of Stanwood and the Stanwood Lumber Company were incorporated.

Stanwood Lumber Company was located at the mouth of the river where the river forks north to Skagit Bay and

south to Port Susan. Associated with the mill was the boom company that handled logs coming down the river.

East of the mill was the granary. Near the depot (the future East Stanwood one mile east) the People’s Union

operated a general store and meat market. In 1904, The Bank of Stanwood was incorporated and the H & H

Railroad Co. was built. To make use of the Great Northern, the H & H Railroad was established to connect

Stanwood mills and passengers with the depot one mile east. With H. C. Anderson as a primary investor and the

Stanwood Lumber Company as its major early customer, it carried passengers and products between Stanwood

and the Great Northern Depot in East Stanwood. About 1941, it became the Twin City Grain Company.

On the east end of the waterfront, the Irvine Slough entered the river. In the early days, the slough carried logs

and barges from the uplands and shingle mill at East Stanwood.

In East Stanwood, after the establishment of the People’s Union, the community slowly began to grow. In 1906,

Francis Giard registered the plat of East Stanwood adjacent to the depot and just east of his large farm.

In 1922 that East Stanwood became an incorporated town with Giard as its first mayor.

At that time the mile of road between Stanwood and East Stanwood (271st Ave NW) was paved with the first

hard pavements of vitrified brick laid in Snohomish County. In the 1920s the Pacific Highway was built,

bypassing Stanwood east of the depot.

With road improvements, East Stanwood could grow. That same year, 1914, the East Stanwood Post Office

was established and the town began to come into its own. When the high school building was completed

next to the North Street School in Stanwood it drew students from the surrounding communities of East

Stanwood, Camano Island, Cedarhome, Florence, and Norman.

10

11

The History of the Historic Stanwood Hotel & Saloon

The Stanwood Hotel & Saloon was built in the late 1890s, and is one of the oldest buildings

in town. Although it has been changed and added to, it is essentially the same structure that

housed loggers, mill workers, hunters and tourists for many years. The mill workers

purchased meal cards to eat there. It became a tavern with a card room after Prohibition.

Hotel Stanwood was a mecca for travelers from the busy Stillaguamish River waterfront. As

the waterfront declined in later years, it acquired a somewhat seedy reputation. Long-time

Stanwood residents remember as children they were not allowed to go near the saloons in

those days.

Over the last 110 years the building has had numerous owners, but it still remains a favorite

gathering place for the residents of Stanwood. Some of the previous businesses that have

occupied the building included bars, restaurants and bordellos. Most of the previous owners

of the building ran their business on the main floor and had rooms available for rent on the

2nd floor.

PIHA became interested in scheduling a paranormal investigation of this historical building

for these reasons:

1. Being a local community gathering place usually means that there were a lot of happy

times shared by many of the residents over the years.

2. Being used as a bar and bordello usually means a strong attraction remains with the

building by previous tenants.

We have found that these factors can play a significant role in possible paranormal activity

in a historical site. And usually not by one or two spirits, but by many spirits. This theory

was reinforced by the numerous EVP’s (Electronic Voice Phenomena) digital recordings

obtained as evidence on other Grey Teams investigations.

Today, the present owner of the Stanwood Hotel & Saloon, Marilyn Guthrie, maintains the

same friendly atmosphere and still provides a gathering place for the local residents and

visitors of Stanwood. It is no wonder that Marilyn and her employees and patrons have

reported strange activities since she has owned the building. It still remains a happy place

and as such, there’s really no reason for the past spirits to leave.

12

13

The PIHA Grey Team’s Paranormal Investigation

On December 10th, 2010 the PIHA Grey Team scheduled paranormal investigations at the

historic Stanwood Hotel & Saloon in Stanwood, WA and came away with some interesting

results indicating that possible paranormal activity does exist. These are the results of the

PIHA Grey Team’s investigation.

The PIHA Grey Team’s Lead Investigator, Debbie Knapp was joined by Marilyn Guthrie,

Stanwood Hotel & Saloon owner and manager.

As is the usual practice, the team first completes a scan of the area to be investigated. They

use their EMF (Electromagnetic Field) detectors to locate any abnormal electronic energy

that may exist.

Next, the Grey Team sets up their camcorders to video tape any shadows or strange

movement that may take place during their EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) session.

Finally they position the PIHA “Parabolic Dish” that they use to record any noises or voices

that may or may not be heard by ear. The parabolic dish also has a headset attached

allowing an investigator to hear any voices or noises that cannot be heard naturally by the

other investigators during the EVP session. This has proven to be a valuable tool to validate

anything recorded during the EVP session that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Vaughn has concluded that if ghost actually exist, they can be seen, heard and felt anytime,

day or night with the lights on or off. The main reason that most paranormal organizations

investigate late at night is that there are fewer people in and around the area or building

being investigated and the same is true for vehicle traffic. All of these factors can

contaminate the electronic recordings being made during the actual investigation. Basically,

the quieter it is the better chance of

recording possible evidence of

paranormal activity. But, if someone just

wants to have a paranormal experience

or possibly see a ghost, they’re chances

are probably better during the day than at

night. There are many more encounters

told by ordinary people of seeing or

experiencing a ghost during the day and

fewer at night. You could have

something standing right next to you in

the dark and you may never see it, but

during the day you will.

14

Results of the PIHA Paranormal Investigation

This paranormal investigation yielded some fascinating evidence of paranormal activity

throughout the entire early morning hours. Employees and visitors had reported numerous

activities in this area over the years.

At 2:24 AM, the Grey Team began their EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) session in the

hotel rooms on the upper floor of the building led by Dave (PIHA’s EVP Specialist). An

EVP session is when a series of questions are asked and recording devices such as digital

recorders and the PIHA parabolic dish are set to record any noises or responses. The Grey

Team also uses the Sony hand-held I.R. video camcorder to help document these sessions.

Shortly after Dave began his EVP session, the motion detector located in the hall by room

#9, was activated by something unseen. The detector went on and off numerous times for no

apparent reason before finally stopping for the rest of the night.

About 43 minutes into recording, Dave and Robin hear someone say Robin’s name

About 33 minutes into recording-Debbie hears and records a faint whisper

Debbie feels like the small hand of a child grasp her leg

Robin was sitting in room #5 with an EMF CellSensor and after about 30 minutes, it was

activated by some unknown energy source and remained active for about 10 minutes and

then suddenly stopped. There is no electrical power installed upstairs.

At 3:30 AM, the Grey Team moved into the bar/dining room area using an EMF (Electro-

Magnetic Field) detectors and video recorders. An EMF devise indicates any energy fields

that are present during an investigation. Many paranormal investigators believe that this

type of energy field could mean the presence of a spirit or ghost.

Just as Debbie is starting the EVP session a voice is recorded saying “HI”.

About 28 minutes into recording-Dave gets an answer “I Am” to his question “Is your name

Charlie Gibbons” that was killed by a motorcycle accident.

After Dave makes the statement “We will let the others know if we find out you were here

with us” he gets an answer “Good” that sounds like a child’s voice.

Later Dave states “Again, I’m trying different ways for you to let us know that you are here

and a female voice is recorded saying “I’m OK”.

After our investigation PIHA has determined that the Stanford Hotel & Saloon is haunted!

15

The History of Paranormal Activity There have been many reports of staff and patrons hearing footsteps being heard upstairs

when no one else is in the building. A long time employee witnessed an apparition

accompanied by an odd smell. People have witnessed the apparition of a woman wearing

period clothing and believe that she is overseeing or protecting the premises. The current

owner and manager Marilyn Guthrie has captured what appears to be an apparition type

cloud moving behind the bar on her surveillance system. Men sitting at the bar tell of

feeling the sensation of a woman walking up and pressing her breasts ever so flirty onto

their back, only to turn and find no one there.

Paranormal investigators have recorded unexplained voices and sounds during their EVP

sessions. Investigators have also used EMF meters (K-II devices) to communicate with a

spirit. They ask a spirit to respond by blinking the light on their K-II meter for a “YES”

answer and don’t blink the light for a “NO” answer.

The first owner and barkeeper of the Saloon have made his presence known to the female

staff on occasion. Women have reported having glimpses of him wearing black pants, tie,

and black vest over a white shirt with garters on his sleeves. Some of the female bartenders

report having their hair stroked lovingly while working behind the bar. There is also

evidence of a mist forming and moving behind the bar that was captured on the Saloon’s

surveillance camera.

Margret another spirit that is often channeled may have been the Hotel's Manager and/or

Madam to some of the women working as ladies of the evening in the earlier days of the

upper class Hotel. Margret is seen as a tall blonde mature woman whom presents herself as

being very business minded while having that air of being distinguished. It is thought that

she spends many hours in the original Old Hotel Lobby now turned into an office, while

Marilyn is working.

Charlie Gibbons was a regular of the Saloon in the 1970's. It is believed that he died in a

motor cycle crash when his bike hit a slick spot on the highway between Mt. Vernon and

Stanwood. One paranormal group managed to record an EVP of him stating his name. This

file is unedited except for the loop and volume making it a Class "A" EVP. Carl, a young

red headed man may have suffered a head injury that caused his death. Some believe that he

has difficulty walking. It is reported that Carl is usually on or around the dance floor.

Female staff has reported that feeling of not being alone while working in the backroom

storage area just off the dance floor. This area is also next to the ladies room. Some believe

him to be the whistler responsible for the recording made in the ladies powder-room.

Another resident spirit named Lily is a young beautiful woman with long flowing dark hair.

It is believed that Lily was an early resident and working girl that made her living in the

front upstairs of the Hotel, known as the white section.

16

On behalf of the volunteer parOn behalf of the volunteer parOn behalf of the volunteer parOn behalf of the volunteer paranormal investigators of PIHA, weanormal investigators of PIHA, weanormal investigators of PIHA, weanormal investigators of PIHA, we invite you to experience invite you to experience invite you to experience invite you to experience Washington State’s amazing historical sites and museums like never before. PIHA has Washington State’s amazing historical sites and museums like never before. PIHA has Washington State’s amazing historical sites and museums like never before. PIHA has Washington State’s amazing historical sites and museums like never before. PIHA has created a program unlike any created a program unlike any created a program unlike any created a program unlike any other in Washington State. Through our prother in Washington State. Through our prother in Washington State. Through our prother in Washington State. Through our process of networking ocess of networking ocess of networking ocess of networking with local historical swith local historical swith local historical swith local historical societies, museums and ocieties, museums and ocieties, museums and ocieties, museums and community leaders, community leaders, community leaders, community leaders, PIHA hopes to help educate PIHA hopes to help educate PIHA hopes to help educate PIHA hopes to help educate the public of our state’s exciting history and the prothe public of our state’s exciting history and the prothe public of our state’s exciting history and the prothe public of our state’s exciting history and the process and technology utilized in cess and technology utilized in cess and technology utilized in cess and technology utilized in paranormal researcparanormal researcparanormal researcparanormal researchhhh....

The The The The PIHA PIHA PIHA PIHA “Grey Team” is made up of dedicated “Grey Team” is made up of dedicated “Grey Team” is made up of dedicated “Grey Team” is made up of dedicated paranormal investigatorsparanormal investigatorsparanormal investigatorsparanormal investigators with a passion with a passion with a passion with a passion for history and a curiosity in the paranormal phenomena.for history and a curiosity in the paranormal phenomena.for history and a curiosity in the paranormal phenomena.for history and a curiosity in the paranormal phenomena. Our Our Our Our approach, equipment and approach, equipment and approach, equipment and approach, equipment and procedures to paranormal investigating are primarily based on procedures to paranormal investigating are primarily based on procedures to paranormal investigating are primarily based on procedures to paranormal investigating are primarily based on research research research research and logic inand logic inand logic inand logic in obtaining evidence of possible paranormal activity.obtaining evidence of possible paranormal activity.obtaining evidence of possible paranormal activity.obtaining evidence of possible paranormal activity.

The PIHA Approach to Paranormal InvestigationsThe PIHA Approach to Paranormal InvestigationsThe PIHA Approach to Paranormal InvestigationsThe PIHA Approach to Paranormal Investigations

PIHA PIHA PIHA PIHA never use mediums, psychics or Ouija Boards in our investigations. Many people who never use mediums, psychics or Ouija Boards in our investigations. Many people who never use mediums, psychics or Ouija Boards in our investigations. Many people who never use mediums, psychics or Ouija Boards in our investigations. Many people who think that something paranormal exist, physics and logic can debunk.think that something paranormal exist, physics and logic can debunk.think that something paranormal exist, physics and logic can debunk.think that something paranormal exist, physics and logic can debunk. That said, That said, That said, That said, occasionally PIHA obtains evidence that neither physics nor logic applies. When this occurs, occasionally PIHA obtains evidence that neither physics nor logic applies. When this occurs, occasionally PIHA obtains evidence that neither physics nor logic applies. When this occurs, occasionally PIHA obtains evidence that neither physics nor logic applies. When this occurs, we classify it as paranormal evidence and let each individual decide for himself what to we classify it as paranormal evidence and let each individual decide for himself what to we classify it as paranormal evidence and let each individual decide for himself what to we classify it as paranormal evidence and let each individual decide for himself what to believe or not believe.believe or not believe.believe or not believe.believe or not believe.