[Jennifer]
Visions of gold spurred
to make their way west.
In a mountaintop boomtown
The American Hotel opens
But when the mines run dry,
this Wild West hotspot
one that many say
I don't go
I think all the ghosts now
[Jennifer]
new owners set out
a vacation destination.
Then...
[Man] I looked out my window
[Jennifer] A mysterious
to a pile of ash.
But before they can rebuild,
the town's bloody past
Is a vengeful spirit
haunted ghost town in America?
Or is this tale of the Old West
My name is Jennifer Marshall.
After serving in the US Navy,
I began a career
Now I'm on the trail of
You may not physically harm me.
[Jennifer] Decoding the mystery
[music]
[Jennifer] Cerro Gordo was once
most lucrative silver mines.
What's left of it is hidden
just 200 miles northeast
at an elevation of 8,500 feet.
I've come here at the request
who believes something
a series of disturbing events
Well, what can I do for you?
So about 15 miles up that
called Cerro Gordo.
It was known for being part
There were so many murders.
And there was a ton
in this town.
I'm a paranormal investigator
And I specialize in being
And that means that I feel
are feeling themselves.
Oftentimes,
and this is my first indicator
that's there with me.
I just feel exactly what
Six weeks ago,
in Cerro Gordo
The cause is still unknown,
that a vengeful ghost
The new owner is hoping
into a tourist attraction.
So I need your help to uncover
to that hotel
that from happening again.
Well, I can't be
in the paranormal realm,
but I can provide you
I can research.
And the history of it
so I'd love to accompany you.
That would be great.
So what's the deal
I know that it
There was so much violence
I mean, it's the Wild West,
There was a mine collapse.
And about 30 Chinese
And presumably their
[Jennifer] I would not be
negative residual energy
The thing I find most
is as a psychic,
I tend to work around
there's living people around.
But with Cerro Gordo,
The only energy there
[Jennifer] Cerro Gordo is
It's like being transported
Unlike most ghost towns,
Welcome to Cerro Gordo.
[Jennifer]
We're pretty much in the center
And so this is where
Right next to it was
We used to have
and the majority of them
We have about 20 left.
And so
[Jennifer] The American Hotel
in California
before it burned down.
[Brent] We thought that
was for sale,
And so the idea was
more people could come up
So any time people come to town,
it's where everybody
It's my favorite building.
And it was all original,
as it looked when
[Sierra] It's just such a shame
I was sleeping
which is a house
And right before 3:00, I heard
I came outside,
were pretty much
floor to ceiling flames.
If the fire would've
it would have caught
It could have
I'm so sorry, Brent.
And it was tough just because,
in real time your hopes,
irreplaceable history
What exact date
June 15, 2020.
Which is kind of crazy because
June 15, 1871.
So it burned down 149 years,
Which was just eerie.
Do you plan to rebuild?
Yeah, that's the goal.
You know, we'd love to
as close to original specs
Cerro Gordo isn't Cerro Gordo
Can you tell us a
paranormal experiences here?
Three or four months ago,
I was going up to watch
And as I was walking
I noticed in that
that the curtain opened.
Somebody looked out
At the time,
I put a padlock on the door
And then the next day I went by
the light in the living room
And I know that I didn't switch
Since then,
there's a sense that I shouldn't
So I don't go
Was there any type of paranormal
on the night of the fire?
[Brent] Robert, the caretaker,
of the property.
a guy turned to Robert
And Robert looked at him
If you think about
before the fire, it burning down
there's just a lot of
that happened around the hotel.
Is Robert here by chance?
Yeah, I'll have him
[Robert]
with the beautiful two benches
[Jennifer] Robert Desmarais
of Cerro Gordo
[Robert]
The main, main
Everybody wanted to come
behind the bar.
[Jennifer] It's an old building.
I would immediately think
That's a possibility.
a young man from Alaska
And I'm pointing to the stove,
and I saw the apparition
and that kid's eyes get big.
I go, well, it's something
[Jennifer] What other paranormal
Definitely in the Belshaw.
One night I was sleeping
and something jumped
knocked the wind out of me
Never could figure
Something took the whole lock
Many people, they'd put their
of the bureau in there.
it's on top of the dresser
And now the boys say there's
So prior to coming up here, did
Had you had
No. This is my first real
See, when you're living
you always have
But then when things are moved,
and a light comes on by itself.
Well, that's what's compelling
only one out here for most of
not the one moving things.
This place had been
but now that the new owners
the bed and breakfast,
that might have
I think all the ghosts
[music]
[Jennifer]
a California ghost town
paranormal activity,
behind some disturbing events.
A shadowy apparition was
the same day it burned down.
Could there be
Or is there a more scientific
Psychic Sierra Cona
were most likely
but she wants
beginning at the Belshaw House,
He controlled the silver mine
one most lucrative
He also built the first road
then charged a hefty toll
Sierra will attempt to connect
that some believe
Mr. Belshaw, are you here?
Always here.
He's just like,
He feels superior,
What did it feel like
of wealth here, Mr. Belshaw?
He would say,
Of course I had wealth.
Getting this,
like, help, help, help,
Sounds like a kid.
What children are here?
A little girl.
[girl singing, giggling]
Whew, I can't breathe.
Did you suffocate?
Mr. Belshaw doesn't want
I don't know what
I'm really sorry.
Most of the time,
and there's kind of
But with Cerro Gordo,
there's so many different
I went to the Belshaw House
and felt the presence
And he wanted just basically
He was an unfriendly guy.
And he didn't like kids.
And he actually was
Okay.
I felt that there was a spirit
And he didn't want me
And I experienced
or suffocating in there.
And I was wondering if you might
why that might have been?
Well, there were two young kids
and they died.
And there's been quite
or staying overnight
including myself.
Things being moved,
a little girl singing
I definitely think that
This spirit shook me up
and I'm a big believer
[Sierra] The little girl I
was light and playful,
but after feeling
I definitely think his spirit
I'm interested to see
paranormal hotspots in town.
[Jennifer] While Sierra
I believe the cause of the fire
So I have an electrician coming
In the meantime,
I want to research which
the numerous ghost sightings.
As a certified EMT,
I know that
can impair mental function.
So I've reached out to Chief
from the
to get his take on the
Now Cerro Gordo is
that has been associated
Carl, at what altitude
altitude sickness or hypoxia?
Well, anything above 8,000 feet,
low oxygen definitely will cause
Now, Cerro Gordo is
and it does have a pretty
What is the connection, if any,
or hypoxia and hallucinations?
In a continuous
fatigue, lack of oxygen,
it's all going to take a toll
and the brain will start
as hallucinations.
There is a theory that mold
because if you go into the town,
some of the original
[Carl] Oh, yeah, mold is pretty
That's another cause for wrong
Carl, thank you so much
and for your service
[Sierra] With everything I've
I know there are active spirits
Now we need to determine if one
And if so,
No one here has had
with these spirits than Robert.
I'm wondering if there are any
might have had cause
That's a real tough question
Why would they want
[Sierra] What about any spirits
[Robert] Well, matter of fact,
who had the
he was the town bully.
He got into a political
to be the next president
and injured John Thomas right
Such like,
underlying sadness.
[Robert] The Crapo House burned
William Crapo.
He's not happy that a place
is going to be changed.
I don't think it's
I definitely think the spirit
He's just like,
He's so smug about it, too.
[music]
[Jennifer] In ghost town
paranormal activity seems
but the mysterious fire that
raised concerns that a dangerous
from beyond the grave.
One possible culprit
former postmaster
of this mining boomtown.
After he shot mine foreman
he fled Cerro Gordo
I'm having a hard time
who exactly the spirit is.
I don't think
He very clearly
He wanted to burn it down.
[Jennifer] So far, Sierra is
from the spirits in town.
And while she is adamant
it is hard for me to rely on
If there is paranormal activity
show me the evidence.
Dr. Jonathan Vanover
who pairs recording equipment
to investigate the supernatural.
He claims to have evidence
at The American Hotel
And I want to see it.
Now what is your education
I have a doctorate degree
Using my background,
it kind of lets me be
capable of recording
and know what can cause it
I have an assortment
that I do electromagnetic
temperature, humidity.
And I have some static monitors,
and I can be able to correlate
The biggest thing is
sound like a chair sliding when
And that kind of
paranormal activity.
Is there anything that would
is paranormal activity here?
This place has been
[Dr. Vanover] A lot of people
A lot of people have died here.
All right, this video that I
in The American Hotel,
you'll see there's
But there's all kinds of
It sounds like
doors banging,
And when there's
This is the only place
that every single time,
[Jennifer] I am intrigued
but I'm still not convinced
behind the fire is paranormal.
There is another place
the one-time lifeblood
It's too dangerous
but Robert has offered to take
for a closer look.
[Sierra] Sadly,
in pursuit of silver,
which makes the mines
for paranormal activity.
This is a Joshua Hendy hoist
or the ore cart down
a little over 1,100
And there's enough timber
a wooden Empire State Building.
People got stuck on and off.
It overheats.
The shaft that it goes down
The man cage gets stuck.
And then oops,
[Sierra] The entrance of the
I feel like that's coming
the mine workers would have felt
into the mine.
Imagine how much dread you would
die at any time.
So does this shaft
with the 30-something
[Robert]
they had something
where they found
They were digging underneath
I've heard up to
But the newspaper article
and one recovered.
But they probably wanted
[Jennifer] Seeing the
brought it home how much danger
every single day,
especially for the Chinese
at the time.
We've brought in Derek Tang,
studies at Cal State Northridge,
to learn more
of the Chinese miners.
It's a privilege to be here
Chinese American.
And this is very much
They had civil unrest
So a lot of the Chinese were
seeking gold mountain
in large waves in 1849, 1850,
so there is obviously a lot of
that were already here
And unfortunately,
where they couldn't stake
so they were given very
[Jennifer] Now there was
where a number
and some sources say
How do you account
[Derek] A lot of Chinese
so it could be anywhere
like the news reports say.
People didn't care.
They were pretty much
I'm superstitious,
as many other
It's definitely possible
in this particular ghost
Chinese miners wrong
[Jennifer] With all
I have to admit that Cerro Gordo
for paranormal activity.
But I know this isn't
so I'll keep pursuing
Black mold is one possible
So I'm taking different
all over Cerro Gordo to
what is triggering
This could be the evidence
[music]
[Jennifer] The burning of
wasn't Cerro Gordo's first
Is it normal for
built in such
or is it proof
with vengeful spirits?
Sierra believes it's the latter,
and she's trying to close in on
[Sierra]
and a spirit did burn down
so far, construction tycoon
as the most likely culprit.
His spirit is
and I think he's powerful
level of destruction.
But at the same time,
I'm connecting with other
So I'm not ruling out
a veteran miner who famously
or his victim, respected mine
I'm not sensing dark energy from
or feeling a connection
So I'm ruling them out.
[Jennifer] While Sierra
her ghost suspects,
I'm testing my theory
causing people to experience
The results for the mold tests
That's really surprising.
So that's one possible
to mark off the list.
Even though I'm unconvinced
are terrorizing Cerro Gordo,
I'm keeping an open mind
And now Brent thinks that
Sierra's paranormal claims.
I got this letter
This woman wrote to me
had bought some spindle beds
[Sierra] She says,
"I've always wondered who the
and whether his death
It's definitely possible that a
to a bed if that bed held
during their lifetime.
This girl saw a ghost
even though she was
This is one of the most powerful
and he seems determined to keep
Maybe that extends from the bed
So even though I'm a skeptic,
let's just assume that the
Other than the bed,
how can you confirm there's
It wasn't just some
or the creaking of the floor.
Like, they saw a spirit
I mean, maybe they could even
I'm Hannah Race.
[Jennifer] So I reached out to
and her daughter agreed to talk
My grandfather was
and he had got these really
Cerro Gordo.
And one of them had been found
I spent the night in
I was fast asleep.
And I just woke up
You can feel someone's
That's what woke me up,
And I felt kind of scared stiff.
So I slowly turned
doorway that
And there was somebody
And I freaked out.
And he started to dissipate.
And he was gone.
I think I probably sat in bed
I just sat up straight.
I was scared stiff.
Did anyone else experience
[Hannah] One time my cousin
And when she came
she said, the weirdest thing
I woke up in the
and I thought Uncle Rick
He just kind of disappeared.
She described him,
and I thought,
After that,
and put them in the closet.
And I don't remember there
or happenings once the beds
It's almost as if he was
when they were in use.
You know, one thing I always
is what they
Are they trying
Are they trying to get things
And I just don't get
And it wasn't
It was multiple people.
It seems to me that the spirit
anyone who sleeps in that bed.
[Jennifer] As odd as it sounds,
that a ghost from Cerro Gordo
who slept in his bed.
To investigate further,
that can help us understand
to the 19th century
Would a bed like this
in the afterlife
or just another
[Sierra] Curator Jon Klusmire
So this is our
They started in 1865,
And as time went on,
they found lead.
Probably at the peak,
in Cerro Gordo.
Pretty good reputation
and for almost a shooting a day.
It's isolated up in the Inyo
So basically everything that was
with freight wagons.
We have a photo of a bed.
How prized and how rare
at that time?
[Jon] That would be a pretty
The road is 18 miles
To bring a big, nice piece
up that grade with a wagon,
that would be a
[Jennifer] I could not imagine
of material possessions
with horses.
To get a bed up here,
You have to be
You can't just be Joe Schmo
You have to be somebody rich,
[Sierra] I was the same way.
I said, how attached could
with all of these
Really attached.
Extremely attached.
You go to work
is coming back to your bed.
For the majority
it wasn't a good town to be in.
Brent, we were able to track
that had the beds
And they got rid of them
paranormal activity
We have this letter too,
and it describes
[Jennifer] It says something
[Brent]
it's kind of just
It's not more than
[Sierra] I'm hoping that
where the haunted bed came from,
then we can finally get
haunting Cerro Gordo.
That's right where
[Jennifer] It looks like it
I do feel the absence
The energy doesn't quite
[Jennifer] Interestingly enough,
Billy Crapo shot John Thomas.
Clearly, he would be able to
better than the basic package.
So it's possible
[Sierra] It would definitely
feelings I'm getting right now.
Even if I'm not welcome here,
I still want to try
and get us some answers.
[music]
[Jennifer] While investigating
in Cerro Gordo, we turned up an
A bed that was likely owned
an immigrant from Wales
by the town bully,
Could there be a paranormal link
[Sierra] It's really important
a spirit can recognize,
These objects act like a beacon,
and I want the strongest
even if it makes
[Jennifer] While Sierra
to connect with spirits,
I want to test her theory
from the time period
will attract
So I asked Dr. John Vanover
and conduct a special test.
We're going to have
do some readings in the cabin,
I'm using a data acquisition
analog sensors
And the laptop's recording
It lets me capture things
like static electricity.
[Jennifer] Professor Vanover
of the empty room,
so he can measure any changes
All right. So looking at the
it looks like the air
In what way?
The static field just
environmental signature
I don't see anything that says
It's just different.
Do you feel any different
have been placed there?
Honestly, I'd like to spend
before I totally have a read
The energy has definitely
I would like to see if I can
who I'm communicating with.
Do you know who caused
He's not mad,
He just thinks it's funny.
Like it's not
I don't think this is the spirit
I'm not sensing
I am not at all comfortable
sort of paranormal activity
But the official investigation
So I called an electrician out
and get his thoughts
[Craig] It's hard to say
These buildings have extremely
Do you know in the hotel's
if the wiring was ever upgraded?
[Craig] Not that I'm aware of
crawling through the other
They have basically almost bare
and they go to a little
It carries them up off the wood.
But over the years
[Jennifer]
Can you explain to me
as an electrical fire started
There could be a flash,
That would set off
Or if the wires are
they could heat up
And, you know, obviously that'll
In an area like this,
how long would a building have
[Craig] With this extreme
It's what?
And our nearest
probably a 45-minute response.
Well, this happened
when everybody was sleeping.
-Kind of the perfect storm.
[Sierra] The Gordon house
American Hotel in what was once
Perhaps this is the place
since his own home is gone.
Please don't give me a headache.
[sighs] You may not
William, are you here with me?
Did you have anything
Did you burn down the hotel?
[music]
[Jennifer] Our investigation
in Cerro Gordo is coming
But the question remains,
who or what burned down
After speaking with
I'm feeling even more confident
behind the fire is not
It's the 100-year-old wiring
the historic wooden building.
My co-investigator, Sierra,
believes that the angry spirit
a killer in life,
might still be wreaking havoc
in death.
[Sierra] William,
Did you have anything
Did you burn down the hotel?
So you did do it.
They're gonna rebuild the hotel.
I'll do it again.
[loud knock]
You're not gonna frighten
They wanna be here.
In an old house like that,
there's always going to be
But that noise felt intentional.
And I think Crapo was trying
He wants us out.
I talked to Craig,
And he thinks based off the
in the other buildings,
That doesn't mean the spirit
to burn down the hotel.
You can have the faulty wiring,
the spirit of William Crapo
extra little push that they
And with the timing of it,
that after all this time,
years later,
The 149-year time span exactly.
That is very interesting to me.
[Sierra] First, the good news
tons of great energy here.
The bad news is that
that caused the fire
Okay.
And he isn't happy
and all the different energy
here constantly now.
Is there anything that
minimize that energy?
He wants to feel like
And if there was anything you
for the bad guy, the part of the
[Brent]
You know, the house is
There's wanted posters around.
So I feel like he gets
definitely on the bad boy
But I'm sure we can figure
And even in the afterlife,
[Jennifer] Coming up here, you
that people went through
and you understand why they
and what they
[Sierra] Yeah. I'm really
how Brent transforms this place
and pays it the due respect
Me, too.
[Jennifer]
the fire department released
Apparently, the fire started
Somehow, I don't think Sierra
I've really tried to find
for both the fire
experiences in Cerro Gordo.
And for the latter,
the elevation keeps coming up
With all the intense energy
it doesn't surprise me that
themselves to the possessions
But you have to admit that
compelling case that the fire
the ancient wiring at the hotel.
I think the wiring is definitely
but with everything that
I am certain that
He didn't want
so he decided to take things
and settle it himself.
So let's say that
okay, apparitions can cause
It wasn't just Crapo that had
The thing is, though,
with William Crapo
and he wanted
And he didn't like that there
celebrated in the town now, too.
I heard from Brent earlier
from fire officials,
but they said they believe the
was and it spread to the hotel.
I have to admit that
perhaps coincidental,
and then we end up
I'm just happy that we
and give him some guidance.
And hopefully he can continue to
[music]