The S.P.I.R.I.T.S. of St. Petersburg

Location: Haslam's New & Used Bookstore
Date and Time: 02-8-01 - 7:00 p.m.
Weather: a clear night
Team Members:  Lee and Karen West Brandy Stark
Equipment used: EMF meters, temperature sensitve gauges, black & white film and color film 400 to 800 speed, tape recorders, digital cameras (including a polaroid/digital camera combo called the i-zone) and video recorders.
Contact Name:  Brandy Stark
Email:stark_brandy@hotmail.com
 

For those residents who enjoy haunting Haslam's New & Used Bookstore looking for little known literary treasures, know that you are not alone.  Haslam's has its own supernatural book lover who haunts the store in his own special way.

Haslam's books was begun by John and Mary Haslam in 1933, during the Great Depression.  Mary sold handcrafts, roses and doilies, as well as used magazines.  As the store's reputation grew, so did its merchandise.  New books were added to the shelves during the 1950s.  Haslam's moved to accommodate its growing bulk of books, settling in its current location in
1966.  In the late 70s, the owners expanded into the People's Gas building next door.  Later they bought the building and combined the two buildings into one, making Haslam's one of the largest new and used bookstores in the Southeast.  This was also the time that the staff began to experience unusual phenomena in the store.

Customers and employees began to comment that they sensed someone behind them, but when they turned no one was there.  On occasion, some felt an invisible hand tap them on the shoulder.  Even Ray Hinst, who currently co-owns and manages Haslam's, has come across sporadic cold spots in the building.

Sometimes, books mysteriously fell off the shelves.  Several of those who know of the ghost legend believe that the spirit of Jack Kerouac was responsible for the disturbances.  Kerouac was a writer who spent the last years of his life living in St. Petersburg.  He was infamous among the staff for coming into Haslam's and moving his books to locations that he felt
better displayed them.  He often moved them to a higher spot, eye-level to patrons, so they would be seen.  This, however, ran contrary to Haslam's style of arranging books in alphabetical order. A few times, Charles Haslam, Hinst's father-in-law, would talk with Kerouac about not moving the books.  Kerouac, it seems, was little deterred.  After the writer died, Hinst often
thought it was his spirit who returned to Haslam's to rearrange the books as he had in life.

The S.P.I.R.I.T.S. team set out to investigate.  Immediately upon arrival, shortly after the store closed to the public, Lee and Karen West were drawn to the southwest section of the building.  Prior to the walk through, and arrival of other teammates, both of the Wests heard noises coming from the area they were drawn to.  Yet, they confirmed with the manager that no one
else was in the store.

The southwest section of the building houses the How To., Careers, Business, and Liberal Arts books.  Through out the investigation, this room provided the most activity.  The S.P.I.R.I.T.S. team picked up several high EMF (electromagnetic field) readings near a table containing do-it-yourself home improvement books.  There were no electrical conduits in the area, nor any
reason known to explain these readings.  Karen West also obtained a drop in temperature using the digital thermometer, which showed a decrease from 73 to 67 degrees.

"I felt extremely cold and got goose bumps," she said, "This lasted for approximately 2 seconds, then the thermometer registered 73 degrees again."

The digital camera produced several light streaks and rainbow auras in many of its photographs.  The images remain unexplained, as there were no light sources capable of producing such strong and well-defined lighted areas.  The video taken of the hunt also recorded up to 18 orbs of light.  Images also appeared on 35 mm 400 speed black and white film.  One of the most notable images is a slight fog produced in the southwest room.

Some also believe that the metaphysical room has attracted the attention of some supernatural being.  Though this area did have high readings of EMF, the readings were explained by the presence of circuitry boxes located on the outside wall to the metaphysical room.

The members of the S.P.I.R.I.T.S. team all sensed the presence of a male entity and agreed that he seemed to have died during his mid-40's to late-50s.  This does coincide with the death of the author, .Kerouac, who was in his late 40s when he died, though whether it is the author's ghost remains unknown.

The spirit appeared to be enjoying the attention received by the ghost hunters, and may have followed us throughout the old People's Gas side of Haslam's.  He seems to be benevolent, and simply enjoys observing those who come into the store.

"I'm glad to hear there is no lingering malevolence and that all appear to be positive and even happy.  That can't be beaten these days," Hinst says of the ghost. "We have a live and let live attitude.  After all, there are many things that cannot be explained."

Our procedure:

Brandy usually sets up the cases and gets directions.  On the appointed night, those who can attend meet in a central location and go to the haunted area.  The group does a general walk through, using the instruments, making notes of the impressions they receive and where they receive them.  A group interview is conducted with the owner(s) of the property.  As much information is gathered as possible about the experiences, the history, and the person experiencing the phenomena.  The group then gathers the instruments and takes readings around the area. Even MORE notes are made. Afterwards, the group meets at a local eatery to discuss impressions. Later, additional research is done into the area of the haunting which includes any information found within old city records and newspaper archives.  Each person submits a report of their experiences, then the haunting is written up by Brandy for publication in Bayside News and on the website.


Back to Ghost Hunters at Work

back to The Shadowlands: Ghosts and Hauntings

© 2001 davejuliano@theshadowlands.net