Get Out!
Volstead House
163 Ninth St
Granite Falls, MN
Museum
As I organize my cases that I will be using for my book, I am aware that a special chapter is needed for the Historical Locations that I had gathered evidence of a haunting at. Minnesota has a rich history full of men and women who had helped make Minnesota the great state that it is. Historical locations could not only be people’s homes, but battlefields, forts, settlement locations as well as prehistoric locations.
Last year I had e mailed several places asking if I may look into their location to see if there is any evidence of spiritual activity. A few people had answered me. Not all locations had produced evidence such as photos or evp’s that I could use.
Late last year I was invited to look into the Andrew J Volstead house. In a e mail that I received, Mary, one of the volunteers who work at the Volstead house, had said that she did not think the house had a spirit in it. But I was welcomed to check the house.
Andrew J Volstead was born in Minnesota on October 31, 1860, the son of Norwegian immigrants. He was a lawyer and served as a prosecuting attorney from 1887-93. He served on the school board. Andrew Volstead was elected as Mayor of Granite Falls in 1895- 1903. In 1903 he was elected to Congress and stayed until 1923. During his terms in Congress Volstead was chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary.
Andrew Volstead was truly the people’s representative and deeply cared for the people. He always had their best interest in mind. Though he was best known for his unpopular The Volstead Act — also known as the National Prohibition Act, his other Acts in congress had reached out and changed the lives of not only the people in Minnesota, but through out the country for the better. He had the courage to take a stance arguing for enactment of federal legislation outlawing lynchings. Before leaving Congress he spearheaded The Capper-Volstead Act — which is still in effect — enabled farmers to form combines without fear of prosecution under the Sherman Antitrust Act. Volstead explained at the time: "Business men can combine by putting their money into corporations, but it is impractical for farmers to combine their farms into similar corporate forms. The object of this bill is to modify the laws under which business organizations are now formed, so that farmers may take advantage of the form of organization that is used by business concerns."
Andrew J Volstead returned to Granite Falls when he returned to practicing law until the age of 83. He died a few years later in his home in 1947 at the age of 87.
What a remarkable man, I thought as I read his bio. I felt honored to look into his home. I didn’t know if I would find anything at The Volstead house. The house was over 100 years old and had been occupied for most of its years. I felt it was worth a try. Not all houses that have spiritual activity are older. Contemporary homes also may have activity. It depends on the situation.
First visit
The drive to Granite Falls was a long pleasant drive. I had a chance to pass through several small towns on the way. Each of them had their own personality and history behind them. We finally reached Granite Falls and drove up to the modest Victorian home. It was lovely to look at, a green and white 2 story home on a large lot. The 2nd floor had a balcony and down stairs had a wrap around porch. As you entered into the home, you were greeted with a lovely staircase leading up to the 2nd floor. There are 2 entrance doors from the foyer. One door opens into Mr. Volstead’s study, the other into the parlor. We meet the volunteers who work there. Each of them has a passion for the house and has been working diligently to restore it back to the way Mr. Volstead had it. They still had a long way to go for the house was converted into a rooming house after Mr. Volstead had died. They are searching for furniture that Mr. Volstead may have owned or at least furniture from the right time period. They accept donations.
We toured the house and interviewed the volunteers. On this first visit, none of the volunteers there had many strange experiences. One guide had said her son and his fiancé had felt a presence in the house when they had visited.
Looking for the heart of the house isn’t always easy. Though each of the members of the Minnesota’s Beyond the Veil group had independently came up with the main staircase as a important place to investigate. We were pressed for time, and we needed to set our equipment up, video camera and tape recorders, in a few key places. Laura’s ( Mr. Volstead’s daughter ) bedroom, and the parlor where Mr. Volstead was laid out for his wake. We felt these places needed to be look at first. We took emf readings through the house. Surprisingly hardly any reaction was indicated. Only at the lamps and electrical outlet. However at one time one of the volunteers wanted to try the emf meter and walked around the parlor near a rocker the emf meter off. This was surprising, as it was not near any lamps. Laura’s bedroom was cold. It was colder then any of the other rooms in the house.
Now all we could do is sit back and wait. Every so often a small group of us walked through the entire house taking photos and doing readings. At one point while Pat and I was in Laura’s bedroom, Pat smelled muffins. I did not smell this, but he insisted he smelled it. I had experience with aromas before in a location and therefore knew that this was meant for Pat and no one else. Christina, while walking down the back stairs felt a slight push as though someone was traveling past her. While I was in the basement in one location I felt a falling feeling. I had a feeling of standing on a well. During one pass, while Christina was standing at the top of the back stairs kept seeing a shadow walking from the basement into the kitchen then back again. With her sightings and the feeling of being pushed we set the camera looking down the stairwell.
We finally wrapped it up about 9pm and said our good bye’s As Pat was in the foyer getting ready to leave he heard a woman’s voice say in his ear “Get out!” I remember standing in the den area heading to the doorway when I saw a look of surprise on his face and he quickly walked out the door. When I reached him out side he told me what he had heard. “I can kick myself for turning off the tape recorder before I left the house” he said. The voice was plane and very clear and loud.
We had a lot of evidence to go over and it would take a while before we could get back to the people who allowed us to investigate the Volstead House.
Our findings were very interesting. Our still photos showed orbs and by now you know that orbs could be a number of things not only spirit activity.
We did capture some strange evp’s on that first day.
Pat had heard a woman tell him to get out. But I captured a man’s voice saying the same thing
I also captured the sound of sheets rustling in Laura’s bedroom. This was very strange as there is no forced air in the house nor was any windows open to move any of the drapes.
The sound reminded me of someone tossing in bed, or perhaps it could have been the sound of a long skirt and slip rustling while someone moved around. But no one was in the room at the time.
Day 2
When we mentioned the sound in Laura’s room, One of the guides had said that one day when she came to work she had found the sheets on the bed rumpled as though someone sat on the side of the bed. This is impossible for any one to sit on the bed as it is a fake bed and any pressure would break it.
Another volunteer had said one day when she came to work, she brought her little boy. It was only her and her son in the house at the time and she was washing the outside windows on the second floor, her young son kept going in the house and was talking to someone. Every time she brought him out side with her so she could keep an eye on him he kept telling her that he wanted to go back in.. He would tell her. “I’m going back to talk to that man mama.”
While we were there they had discovered the pillow on Laura’s bed was all rumpled up.
As we all went up stairs to look at it, I captured on my tape the ruckus of us going up stairs, but another voice popped up on the tape, a woman saying, “I’ll stay right here”
A woman saying “I’ll say right here
Also Antwane captured a very strange photo in the hall
you can see this light reflecting off the walls. This should not have happened.
Here is the next photo taken seconds after
As I was taking photos around the house I saw a shadow pass by the doorway. I quickly checked if anyone was there and then I asked the guides if any of them were in the other room. No one was in the room where I saw the shadow moving.
On our second visit, we were able to capture more evp’s
Here is a woman saying “Help me stop it”
Is Mr. Volstead haunting his home or is it someone else? I can see Mr. Volstead coming to visit to see how things are going. He did love the people of Granite Falls and cared deeply for them.
Whoever it was telling us to get out was eager for us to leave we may have stayed longer then expected. After all, when the last person leaves at the end of the day, it is once again their home.
The Volstead house is open to visitors and you too may tour this great man’s home. If you do, take a tape recorder with you. You never know what or who you might pick up on tape.