Do you love ghost stories?
Are you curious about the paranormal? Don’t be left out. Come join us for this year’s Ghost Walks. As many of you know the library has been hosting true paranormal investigations for many years now. Once again staff at the Sweetwater County Library are planning their programs for 2015.
There will be a few changes this year. By special request we have slated an evening in May and October for the regular tours. Please note, tickets will sell for $5 each (you can thank library director Jason Grubb for lowering the price). Also there will only be two tours per night. Times will be as follows: Tour No.1, 9 p.m.-10:30 p.m. and Tour No. 2 2-11 p.m.-12:30 a.m. As always, you must be 15 years old or older to attend.
For anyone that does not know the history of our local library, let me enlighten you.
The site, at 300 North 1st East in Green River was established as the city cemetery in 1892. In 1926, a federal CWA project moved the bodies and old grave markers to the Riverview Cemetery just up the hill. In 1930 the town used the site as a park. During 1944, a veteran’s housing site was built on the site, due to the return of the veterans. During the construction, several remains were found and moved to Riverview Cemetery. The identity of the remains was unknown.
In 1978, during the construction of the library, 12 unknown graves were found. In 1983, during landscaping of the grounds, more graves and remains were revealed. This renewed the fear of a historic epidemic of smallpox and the re-introduction of the disease. Since 1985 unexplained occurrences have been reported at the library. The library in Green Rivers is listed on the famous list of the ghost and haunted places in Wyoming.
In 1989, “Ghosts on the Range: Eerie True Tales of Wyoming” by Debra D. Munn was published. Included in her book was the story of the Sweetwater County Library, titled “The Library Built over a Cemetery.” Munn visited the library the following Halloween and do a reading from her book. Story has it that several loud noises were heard from the stage area and eager listeners reportedly wondered out-loud if the “ghosts” were upset about the reading.
In 1993 the Ghost Log was started to record the unusual happenings. As something unexplained happened it was written in the log. The log is still in use and available at the circulation desk, but is not available for check out.
During pipeline construction in August 1996, remains were unearthed just outside the library by the lower parking lot. Sweetwater County Coroner Dale S. Majhanovich said wood chips were found by construction workers digging under North First East. Charlie Love, of the Western Wyoming Community College Archaeological Services Department, examined the find and determined that the bones were of two people. Two wooden coffins and their contents were within a couple feet of the pipeline that was being worked on and one coffin had actually been nicked when the line first went in. The bodies were interred at Riverview Cemetery.
On a personal note, I would like to say I have never felt threatened while working at the library. I have been startled and felt apprehension, I have heard voices and even felt a touch once. I have many personal accounts listed in the Ghost Log. There is nothing like going to work and actually seeing a full apparition. I have seen three within the last couple years. For some reason they seem to come around me while I am here. This is not something that ever happened to me before working at the library. For some people they never seem to have activity and others, well we seem to get our share. For me, there are times things happen and there are times when nothing happens. Just remember, there is no reason or rhythm to the activity we have recorded. If the spirits want to interact with us they will, if not we get nothing. It is all up to them.
Last but not least, don’t forget to save the date for the annual Ghosts of Christmas past which will be Dec. 5. More information will be announced when it is set.
Thank you to all those that have come out previously and to those that will join us this year. We hope you find the answers you are looking for.
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