This introduction was taken from the library blog page with permission. The page can be found here.
The site, at 300 North 1st East, Green River, Wyoming, had previously been the city cemetery, which had been established 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 re-interned at the now current Riverview Cemetery. The identity of the remains was unknown.
In 1978, during the construction of the new facility, twelve unknown graves were found. Again in 1983 during landscaping of the grounds revealed more graves and remains. 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 Green River Library 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”. Ms. Munn was good enough to come to 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 a “Ghost Log” was started to record the unusual happenings. As something unexplained happened it was written in the log. The log is available at the Circulation desk, but is not available for check out. The ghost log can be seen here.
During pipeline construction in August of 1996 remains were unearthed just outside the library by the lower parking lot. Sweetwater County Coroner Dale S. Majhanovich said wood chips were found Tuesday 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. At least one of the wooden coffins was covered in felt with a small window. A brass plaque indicated the coffin was purchased a Beeman and Cashin Mercantile Co. of Evanston. No date was inscribed. It was determined one was a male about 45 years old and the other a female of about the same age. Both were in good health, at least one was Caucasian and both were about the same height The bodies were re-interred at the Riverview Cemetery.
UROPA arrived at the library and was told of the history of the library as well as some of the stories of the phenomena that has taken place. We were then taken on a tour of the building and then as the last patrons left, we began to set up for our vigil.
After setting up DVR system, Kelly, Traci and Dylan left to get some food while one of the library staff and I stayed at the building. It was during this time while I was taking photos by myself that I heard what sounded like someone clearing their throat in the childrens book area. I was the only person in this main room at the time and the noise was not "distant".
When the rest of the team returned we ate and began our vigil. Although I cannot say "feelings" are proof of paranormal, very uneasy feelings were felt by Kelly, Traci and myself at the bottom of a stairwell which opened up into a hallway. My experience of this was not at the same time as Kelly and Traci and I can say that I do not get "creeped out" often. It was the feeling of an unseen presence and I only felt it there the one time. At the top of the stairwell, is a photo of the library's first librarian.
In the womens restroom on the main floor where there are many reports of strange occurences, (such as a time when a patrons young daughter went in and was terrified to see what she claimed to be the angry face of a man staring at her) Dylan and myself began an EVP session. Although I am reluctant to the credibility of K-2 meters as a way to communicate, we did get a "hit" as it sat on the sink after we asked about a little girl. I did a sweep with the meter throughout the restroom before setting it down which showed no readings. We did get this possible EVP of a what sounds like a female and then a male voice. As our own voices are very loud and clear in this small restroom, we cannot verify the source of these two voices. Kelly and Traci also reported an EMF hit in the same restroom at a different time. Listen closely...
In another area of the library, which I believe is the young adult section, (we call it the mooseroom as there was a moosehead mounted on the wall) Kelly and Traci got this strange EVP immediately before you hear Kelly ask "Are you a woman"?
Dylan and myself also recorded an EVP in this same location. I asked if there was a little girl here and if so, what is her name.
The stageroom or "multi-media room" was investigated first by Kelly and Traci. Cold spots were reported and they witnessed the curtains on the stage move slightly a couple of times. Although we had a DVR camera set up in this room, the movements could not be seen due to the distance of the camera away from the stage.
Eventually, everyone met up in this room as it seemed the most active. As we sat for awhile, we began to hear faint voices. Noises soon followed from behind the cutains on the stage. Although we knew there were 5 people total in the building and they were all present sitting in chairs about the room, we looked on stage to find no-one there.
After a while of trying to pinpoint what created the noises, Dylan went through a door into a lobby area to see if he could hear anything out there. As he sat down in a chair, he heard a loud noise which he immediately assumed was one of us dropping something in the room he just left. When I stepped out to see how he ws doing he mentioned this and I assured him we did not drop anything and did not hear the noise he heard.
In EVP-4 after I ask a question, you can hear Kelly say "Thats weird" then there is what seems to be a childs voice saying something that sounds like "Bright light". Then you will hear another voice that sounds like "Of course".
UROPA is very greatfull for the opportunity to investigate the Sweetwater County Library and hope to do a follow up sometime in the future. We would like to thank Carla, Micki and Bianca for being such fantastic hosts and good people.
SWEETWATER COUNTY LIBRARY
