When Sandie LaNae and Marilyn Laffoon walked into the historic general store building in Old Town Dayton, you could feel their excitement. They looked like a couple of kids in a candy store. But they weren't looking for candy -- they were looking for spirits of Dayton's past.
LaNae and Laffoon are partners in Thin Veil Investigators, a business that as LaNae's business card aptly puts it, involves "Discreetly encountering your ghosts."
The pair, along with a third partner, John Martinez, investigates historical buildings and cemeteries while seeking to make a connection with the spiritual world.
What the ghost hunters found in the general store at 65 Main St. were more than 40 spirits, some of them children, said Laffoon.
LaNae said she believed that the spirits were congregating in the store because of the high level of construction activity that the area of Old Town is experiencing lately: the Corner Bar is being completely gutted and renovated, the Odeon Hotel is being readied to become Chuck's Old West Grill, and the Union Hotel is being worked on to become a bed and breakfast.
Claude Sapp currently owns the general store and agreed to have Thin Veil investigate the spirit history of his building. Sapp was particularly interested in finding out who J A Bonham was. Bonham had signed a ceiling beam in heavy pencil in the stone basement on July 1886.
In LaNae's report of their experience in the old building, she said, "This is always an impressive little town for spirits. I'd been anxious for weeks about investigating this fabulous building."
She went on to explain that while waiting on the front stoop of the general store she noticed that the building across the street, the old Corner Bar, was notably haunted with piano music.
Once inside the quaint building, Sapp gave everyone a tour, and the investigation began: Laffoon, Martinez and LaNae began placing recorders in strategic locations to capture sounds that are called electronic voice phenomenon (EVP), and took photos throughout the investigation.
In her "Spiritual Encounter" report, LaNae wrote, "Down the wonderful steep staircase we go, how fascinating." In the basement, the report pointed out a number of spirits gathered: a balding old man wearing a printed shirt, a Chinese fellow named Quin and numerous others huddled in the corner.
The three partners investigate the paranormal and try to catch a glimpse of something or someone on film or on audio recordings that are believed to be spirits or ghosts. When talking to the other worldly entities, investigators talk in a soothing, calming tone, always introducing themselves, reassuring the spirits that they are just visiting and indicating they want to communicate. They always thank the spirits for allowing them to intrude.
LaNae said many people are skeptical and even fearful because they are afraid to believe there is something more out there.
On the other hand, she said, sometimes the spirits make it obvious that the investigators are not welcome. She said investigators then oblige the sometimes not- so-friendly warnings.
Laffoon's report says the building from the front appears to be small. But once inside the long floor plan opens up to a surprising size. She said she could feel the many spirits in the stone basement.
They said Sapp was a good sport and they valued the experience of investigating the historic building, even though he did not get to find out who J A Bonham was.
Are there ghosts and spirits in Old Town Dayton?
Thin Veil Investigators says yes. The team has conducted investigations in a number of Old Town Dayton locations as well as Carson City, Virginia City and Genoa. They are members of the Northern Nevada Ghost Hunters Society, and welcome inquiries from people who want to learn more about ghost hunting.
Ghosts Dayton Nevada
Ghosts Dayton Nevada
