FINAL INVESTIGATION REPORT

Case #: 10-W-017-PE

Investigation:             Residential                  Commercial

Location: Bone Heads BBQ and Tavern, Willis, MI

Date: August 28, 2010

Client: Patrice Elka

Time at start of investigation: 11:00 PM

Time at conclusion of investigation: 3:00 AM

Total duration at investigation site: 4 h

Investigators present:           Steve-Lead investigator, psychic

                                                Dee-Lead investigator

                                                Leslie-Lead psychic, investigator

                                                Grace-Investigator

                                                Dave-Investigator

                                                Laurie-Investigator

                                                Mark-Investigator

                                                Terri-Investigator

                                                Raven-Investigator

Forms completed and signed:          History            Release Waiver

Description of location and surrounding area: Historic restaurant on rural

            road directly next to railroad tracks. 2 story building with dining area

            on one side, bar on other side, kitchen and restrooms on the back;

            attic space on upper stairway landing; empty apartment and office on

            2^nd floor.

Area history: Founded in 1836, Augusta Township received its name from

            Judson Durkee who petitioned the government to split a potion of land

            from Ypsilanti Township. The original name for the township was

            Augusta Center, after Mr. Durkee’s former home in Augusta, New

            York. Early Augusta residents numbered around 559 and had a

            number of livestock including cattle, hogs, sheep and horses. Aaron

            Childs hosted the first township meeting at his home and, together with

            a number of other residents, the first township board was established.

            The first post office was established around 1832 at Paint Creek,

            otherwise know by the native Indians as Wejinigan-sibi. The mail

            stage, which passed between Monroe and Ypsilanti, delivered packets

            at odd intervals to the first postmaster David Hardy. Mr. Hardy

            carried the mail in his hat, and upon crossing paths with the various

            individuals in the community, he would hand them their mail.  Later,

            when John Schaffer became postmaster, the mail was delivered to his

            home, where he kept his office. When Frank Whittaker built a store,

            the post office was established therein. The building also housed a

            hotel and a dance hall on the second floor.  Residents began calling the

            settlement at Willis road and Paint Creek Whittaker Corners.  In 1880

            surveyors came to the area to select land for a railroad, which would

            stretch from Detroit to St. Louis. The railroad, completed in 1881, by

            passed the existing Whittaker Corners area. Willis Potter, a local

            farmer, owning land east of Whittaker Corners, and adjacent to the

            new rail road, donated land, additionally, Augusta residents donated

            $1500 to pay for the materials, and the new train station was built. The

            town, and post office, moved east from Paint Creek to the area

            around the station. The post office was named Newcomb, Mary

            Potter's maiden name. Residents, however, referred to the village as

            Willis, official's felt this sounded too much like the town of Willitts and

            changed it to Pottersville.  Later, when it was discovered there was

            another town of that name, they changed it back and the town was

            officially named Willis in 1889.

The Willis Creamery was a thriving business in its day, taking in as much as 50,000 pounds of milk and 4,000 pounds of cottage cheese a day. The local implement company, as equally successful, sold as many as 119 binders in a single year.

Instead of moving his store east to Willis, Frank Whittaker built a new store further south, again locating adjacent to the new railroad tracks. He built a small shed there to receive his packages, and soon a station was built, other homes were erected nearby.  The village was called Augusta Center because it was located in the center of the township. The township hall was built in 1867. There was a hotel, several stores, four blacksmith shops and a creamery. Packages shipped by train to the store were labeled F. Whittaker. Trainmen started calling the stop Whittaker. In 1887 P.T. Lambkin built a factory to manufacture broom handles, he later added a sawmill. Charcoal kilns were built and poor lumber and stumps pulled from farm fields were burned into charcoal and shipped to Detroit to be used in the blacksmith forges. Four churches and a doctor's office were added to the bustling village. Whittaker, in its heyday, was a delightful busy spot.

 Client claims: Patrice is not sure if she believes anything paranormal is

            occurring here, however, the claims of paranormal activity have

            surrounded this property for generations. Owners, staff, and

            customers report the following claims:

                 From customers via the Internet:

·         Chairs move customers across floor while dining

·         Faces appear in windows

·         Grunting, moaning, screams heard from upstairs

·         Spirits like to play tricks, but are friendly

·         Women’s restroom-when you are alone the lights flicker and you can see a woman appear in the mirror next to you

·         Phantom cat meowing, sightings of a white cat

·         Things fall off of the walls

·         Vases of flowers float across the table

     From staff and employees (see Location history):

Location history: Time does move slower here in Willis, a village formally

           established in 1887 with the arrival of the Wabash railroad. The

           original clapboard station burned down in 1904, and its replacement,

           a smaller structure, survived well into the mid-20th century. The

           community, though, long preceded the railroad. Willis traces it roots

           to land purchases made between 1825 and 1835 and is named after

           one of the original landholders, Willis Potter.

                           
Not much has changed along the village’s main street, and descendants of those early families still reside here. Trains pass by every day, and as you wait for your meal, you just might hear their roar. And if the building shakes, that’s just the train. Any other strange sounds you hear can be attributed to our resident ghost or ghosts.

Yes, strange things have been occurring at Boneheads for years. The hanging lamps in the bar have been known to swing back and forth. Lights turn back on long after the restaurant has closed. Employees have heard whispering or footsteps and turned to find no one there. Neighbors have seen someone cleaning the third-floor window. Customers have reported seeing a woman in a white dress descend the stairs. Oh, and we can’t resist sharing this one: A little girl was surprised to find more than her own reflection in the women’s bathroom mirror.

We’re not surprised we share the Boneheads with ghosts. After all, the building predates the formal establishment of the village. We believe our building was constructed around 1865. Over the years, the structure has served as a coach stop, grainery, butcher shop, ice house, post office and general store. We’re not quite sure who the ghosts are, but details make us believe the woman, whom we call Nellie, probably lived here in the early 20th century. The little girl remains a mystery.

When the building was restored in the mid-1980s [The Pickle Barrel Inn], antiques, walnut cabinets and oak trim were brought here from parts of southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio. Woodwork, lamps and trimmings were carefully selected to authenticate the old General Store appearance…Just as this building has strived to maintain its presence in the village over the decades, we too shall continue the tradition and privilege of serving you well.

Weather at time of investigation:     Outdoor temp.  62.1 deg. F

Dew point  60.1 deg. F

Humidity 93%

Precip. 0

Wind  7 mph, South

Visibility  3.5 miles, fog rolled in after

               midnight

Time of Sunset  8:14 PM

Moon Phase  Waning Gibbous

                      78% lit          

Indoor temp. averages:

Equipment used: 4 night-vision video cameras, 3 surveillance cameras

            recording to VCR’s, EMF/temperature data recorder, K-2 meter,

            EMF detector, 2 PX boxes, 4 digital audio recorders, trigger object

            (teddy bear), 6 digital cameras

Equipment placement: 1 night vision video camera on tripod looking down

            bar, trigger object on table in bar area, 3 surveillance cameras: 1 in

            attic, 1 pointed down stairway, 1 in apartment pointing down hallway

            toward bedrooms. All other equipment hand held by investigators

            throughout investigation.

Psychic/Medium perceptions during investigation: Upon arriving in the

            parking lot of Bones Head BBQ restaurant, I sensed a presence up in

            the small attic window looking down at us as we pulled our equipment

            out of the car. That window sits above the bar area of the building. I

            asked Dave, one of our techies to snap a couple of pictures up toward

            the window. As we looked back at them, a big orb of light appeared

            to the left side, just outside the window. I felt that this building wore

            quite a few faces in its day.....a tavern, Irish pub (named after its

            owners), and a general store. I learned that during the time it was a

            general store, it had also been a post office among other things. While

            entering the restaurant, I saw the presence of a male spirit in a long

            white apron, who said, "come in and welcome!! I had no reservations

            and felt quite comfortable. I sensed a lot of laughing and

            dancing.....along with a few good brawls throughout its days as a

            tavern/pub. I began my psychic walk-trough on the first floor, in the

            bar area. I saw the same man standing behind the bar as I did upon

            entering the restaurant. There seemed to be other gents sitting up at the

            bar as well, possibly who frequented the place.  As I walked through

            the kitchen, I sensed a presence that had once worked there, and still

            acts as if they're cooking up a storm. Pots and pans are most likely

            heard clanking at times when no one seems to be in the room. I first

            saw a man in there, who I thought was the cook, but was not. The

            wife of the bartender came to me, wearing period clothing and a big

            long apron as well, her hair pulled back in a bun. On to the restrooms,

            where I felt the girl who haunts the place likes to come and play games

            on people in the washroom. Also, saw the woman from the kitchen

            area, felt she is seen in the restrooms, and on the stairway. The far wall

            of the restaurant held a fireplace that is no longer there. Now on to the

            second floor, it has been changed from its original floor plan and

            added on. Ghosts walk through walls that were once doorways. The

            girl goes in the manager’s office and shuffles things around. Also the

            store owner worked up there as well and can be heard at times.

            Echoes of when the depression hit hard and the business suffered.

            Something made me look down as I passed this little whole in the wall,

            which made me think of a little kitty door. My vision of this cat was

            that of an orange tabby who still likes to haunt the upstairs, especially

            the original living room. The second floor has always been utilized as a

            home and office for the business below. On my way back downstairs,

            I opened the door to the attic and sensed a man crouching over by the

            window. He gave me the creeps, so I closed the door as quickly as I

            opened it. I felt that he lived there as a handy man (something not quite

            right and couldn't put my finger on it). Tapping/light pounding sounds

            are heard by current owners and workers. The train was a huge

            source of transportation back in the day for workers, family members,

            visitors and supplies. It has always made things tremble in the building

            such as, glasses, bottles and plates. The property also consisted of

            farm animals, mainly cow, pigs and chickens....in the early 1900's to

            late 30's. Deaths of a man and woman echo within the building, 

            different time periods. In summary, I loved this quaint setting and the

            spirits aren't so bad either!

Steve noted a young girl spirit who roams the property; a man pictured in a photo near restrooms who still lingers in the building; a spirit of a handicapped workman named Bob crouched in the attic; a tough lady spirit who possibly abused children upstairs; a man killed by a knife in the kitchen; lights flickering and shot glasses breaking in bar.  

Investigator personal experiences on site: Grace felt her rear end touched

            twice in attic space and once inside 2^nd floor apartment hallway. Dee

            and Grace felt temperature decrease in attic space on command which

            was verified by digital thermometer. Dee and Grace noted two bright

            flashes coming from hallway behind attic when no one was there. Terri

            and clients witnessed EMF detector responding to questioning in main

            dining area. Terri and clients all heard a cat meow in apartment living

            room coming from window area where cat has been seen before, but

            it was not captured on any of our recording devices. Dave and Dee

            clearly heard a whispered sentence while passing by the open attic 

            door. Clients heard a moan in upstairs apartment which was captured

            by the digital recorder. Leslie, Dave, and Mark experienced

            prolonged communication via K-2 meter in bar. Steve, Mark and

            several investigators witnessed K-2 response to joking around in

            dining room. Dave witnessed the movement of a shadow in kitchen.

            Dave noticed the teddy bear trigger object was moved slightly out of

            position in dining room, but was not caught on video.

Investigation summary: PIRCOM arrived and met client Patrice and friend

            Mary who took us on a tour of the building (excluding psychics).

            Following this tour, Leslie entered and took a tour indicating spirits

            and historical information throughout the building, followed afterwards

            by Steve conducting his own psychic tour. Team leaders and tech

            manager met for a meeting to discuss equipment set up and set to

            work installing cameras in the various hot spots. Teams were divided

            into four groups and assigned in the following manner for the first half

            of the evidence collection portion:

Team 1: Steve, Laurie, Raven (audio rec., PX box, digital 

             camera) APARTMENT

Team 2: Dee, Grace (n-v camera, audio rec., PX box, digital

             camera) ATTIC SPACE and OFFICE

Team 3: Leslie, Mark, Dave (n-v camera, audio rec., digital 

             camera, trigger object)  BAR

                        Team 4: Terri, Patrice (client), Mary (friend of client)

  (n-v camera, audio rec., digital camera)

  MAIN DINING AREA and RESTROOMS

Teams rotated locations halfway through then concluded and packed

up equipment.

Evidence review and findings: In total 7 EVP’s were found along with 1

            recorded disembodied moan.

·         EVP captured during client’s tour of the building inside apartment: at 6 min 41 sec.-indistinguishable whispering under client’s voice

·         EVP captured during client’s tour of the kitchen: at 7 min 54 sec.-says “Can they hear me?”

·         EVP captured on upstairs landing near open attic door: at 9 min 48 sec.-indistinguishable whisper

·         EVP captured inside attic space: at 14 min 25 sec.-says “Just take a picture of us” in response to Dave saying he is going to take a picture

·         EVP captured inside attic space: at 48 min, 19 sec.-says “Sorry” in response to Steve apologizing for saying the wrong information

·         EVP captured in upstairs apartment during equipment tear-down: at 6.00 sec.-says “Hurry, find…”

·         EVP captured in upstairs apartment during equipment tear-down: at 29.00 sec.-says “Light”

·         Deep moan heard in upstairs apartment is caught on digital recorder.

1 video clip of orb activity and documentation of emf and temperature fluctuations taken in attic.

1 video clip of three orbs in apartment bedroom: 24 min, 29-47 sec.

1 video clip taken from 16 minutes of K-2 communication session in bar: 14 min on tape through 30 min.

1 video clip of K-2 communication session in main dining area: 10 min 17 sec through 11 min 10 sec. followed by an orb at 18 min.

1 photo was taken of an orb inside of the attic during EVP session that corresponds with the “Sorry” EVP.

1 photo was taken of a blue orb superimposed on top of a larger white orb in main dining area where investigators sensed energy.

1 photo was taken of a first floor window from the outside that possible contains a transparent human-shaped anomaly inside.

1 photo was taken of a large orb outside of second floor attic space window when psychics felt someone was watching them from the window upon arrival at the location.

Final summary: PIRCOM would like to thank Patrice for allowing our team

            to investigate this historic building. We enjoyed our time learning about

            the history and paranormal events that have occurred over the years at

            the location. We also enjoyed having Patrice and Mary join us in our

            investigation! It is the opinion of PIRCOM that there are indeed

            paranormal happenings occurring at Bone Heads BBQ based on the

            prior reports and evidence collected during our investigation. Even

            though we were not able to witness the exact phenomenon reported

            by the staff and customers over the years, we are confident that

            unexplained happening will continue to occur for generations to come.

            PIRCOM recommends stopping in to this quaint historic site where

            there is enough food and “spirits” to go around!

Report compiled by lead investigators Steve and Dee for

Paranormal Investigators and Research Council of Michigan

(PIRCOM)

www.pircomghosthunters.com

pircomwebmaster@gmail.com