Have you heard the saying "if the walls could talk?" This is the perfect ghost story for that.
Let me take you back to 1894 (according to the earliest discovered records), a house was built in Mitchell, Indiana, that is now reported to be severely haunted. According to some reports, the house was first owned by Dr. George and Sarah White. By 1899 (or 1901 according to some sources), Dr. John and Jessie Gibbons bought the house and moved in. It is reported that they were known to adopt abandoned/orphaned children. Dr. Gibbons was a prominent doctor in town. His office/practice was in the 1st floor rooms of the house. Given the time period and medical field, it would not be surprising if many patients died there during his practice of 26 years.
One of the first deaths reported in the house is the adopted daughter, Rachael Gibbons, aged 10 or 11, in 1912. She had gone downstairs around Christmas time to check on some gifts when she caught fire from the candles lit on the Christmas tree. Which, honestly, whoever thought candles on a tree was a good idea? Anyway, a fire started in the front parlor (how fun is it to say front parlor for those of us - me - who have a 2 bedroom, 1 bath house) and Rachael was badly burned. She died two days later in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Many people claim to hear Rachael and seeing her running around the house.
Reports say that their infant daughter, Elizabeth (or Sarah Elizabeth found on some sources) died at the age of 10 or 11 months old, unknown causes, in the master bedroom - either in 1932 or 1934. Over time, people have reported smelling baby powder in sometimes hearing the cries of an infant.
About two weeks after Elizabeth died, research states that Jessie Gibbons died in the same bedroom as Elizabeth after a bout with double-pneumonia. The gravesite for Jessie does show the death year of 1934, so if the story is true, Elizabeth would have died in 1934. No further information can be found. Guests have reported when sleeping in the master bedroom waking up to labored breathing and coughing sounds. Some have reported feeling like someone is sitting on their chest (to which I say "no thank you!"). The most common reported paranormal activity in this room is the closet doorknob frequently jiggling for a few moments, stopping suddenly, and then the closet door will pop open. The maximum reported count for the closet door opening repeatedly is five times within a couple of minutes.
It's also been reported that a son, Ennis, Jessie's father, Thomas Casteel, and Dr. John Gibbons died in the house as well. Minus the patients that may have died in the house, the family losses, itself, is quite a bit all on its own. Of course, I can't imagine how many patients may have died in the house and my research has not been able to find that type of information.
New owners took over the house around 1937. It was divided into apartments and used as a boarding house for years. There are reports of a man in the 1950's or 1960's that died in an upstairs bathroom. Other reports state that a young boy died from falling down the front staircase (unknown timeframe).
Word is that there are four graves in the backyard. Not sure if this is true, but it would not surprise me as back in the day many people were buried on their own property. Psychics who have visited this home have claimed that there is a "pit-grave" which contains amputated limbs, internal organs, aborted fetuses, etc. Again, is this 100% true? No idea, but looking back at how things were done in the mid to late 1800s, early 1900s, it wouldn't surprise me.
A claim has been made that there is a portal/vortex which runs up through the house from the front parlor into the third floor room/attic. It is said that the third floor room is the 'heart of the house'. Guests who have slept in the third floor room have reported nightmares and sometimes hearing "something" trying to get in the room via the door - lots of door knob jiggling. Anyone else bothered by the word 'something' being used? Not a person, a spirit, or even maybe a cat...'something'. I don't think I like that and am probably going to have to watch a funny cartoon pretty soon.
Visitors have reported seeing a shadow, which has been named 'Big Black' - insert your own dirty joke here if needed (I will try to behave myself). Psychics have reported that the shadow "is not of this world" (great - making a list of funny cartoons to watch). The shadow has been seen mostly in the doctor's room, but others have seen it throughout the house. Well...that's just lovely!!!
Guests have reported feeling earthquake-like tremors while in the doctor's bathroom. I have no idea if the tremor experiences are personal or spiritual and I could not find any more explanation. All I'm going to say is...when you gotta go, you gotta go...spirits or no spirits.
A lot of EVP sessions have revealed multiple entities in the house at any given time. Again, with the amount of deaths in the house, I'm not surprised. Many women have said that they believe Dr. Gibbons has whispered in their ears, sometimes going so far as to grab/grope them. Ummmmm...no thank you! Keep your hands to yourself and if you have something to say, say it out loud. Respect my personal space, please!!! Creeper....
Some guests have claimed to see beds and couches shake. Some guests have had the bed or couch shake that they were actually laying down in. Well...that's nice and freaky!!! Some guests have tried to sleep as close to the front door as possible, just in case they decide to leave a bit early.
Investigators have come in and done 'rounds' throughout the house at different times through the night. It's been noticed when leaving the servant's quarters that the solid, heavy wooden door will slam with unrestrained force by an unseen presence. Perhaps they don't like anyone in their area and try to close it tightly after the living leave their space.
Guests have mentioned noticing the pleasant smell of baby powder throughout the house, but they have also noticed strong smells of cologne/aftershave, cigar/tobacco, rancid meat/cabbage, dirty medical bandages, and other unpleasant smells. Not sure what I think about smelling dirty medical bandages and rancid meat...does that bother me more than the actual hauntings? I think it's 50/50 right now.
There have been reports by some guests that their recording devices had been moved by someone/something that is not visible to them, causing them not to get on film what they wanted to.
In the early 2000's, a man named Jarret Marshall purchased the house and started renovating. Mr. Marshall heard loud pounding on the front door, heard a child's voice, singing, and footsteps early on in his renovations. The woman Mr. Marshall purchased the house from mentioned "the little girl who haunts this house". A contractor, who claimed to be a skeptic, experienced temperature drops and hearing a child say "mommy". On two different occasions, Mr. Marshall noticed water leaking into the downstairs and discovered a cast iron claw-foot bathtub upstairs turned upside-down and water pouring from severed pipes leading to the tub. Twice! He claims that happened twice! How amazing...or freaky...is that? Mr. Marshall has woken to nauseating smells of smoke, fire, and burning flesh days before Christmas. Is that Rachael? Most would probably think so. The house was opened to guests and they reported hearing disembodied voices whispering in their ears. Hence, the house became known as "Whispers Estate". Mr. Marshall listed the house for sale in 2006. At that time, cops came to the door to inquire if there were children in the house as there were calls made to 911 dispatch from the home and 911 operators hearing a child scream. Great...now the ghosts are causing the police to arrive! A couple touring the house thought they saw Mr. Marshall's "daughter" upstairs and did not feel she was happy with the house being up for sale as she would not speak to them.
A man names Van Renier purchased the house in 2008 and continued the restoration work. He opened the home to the public and rented it out for paranormal investigations. Renier experienced hearing howling, an old woman's cackle, a strong medical smell, along with hearing a child singing when purposefully asking about Rachael. On the first day of owning the house, Mr. Renier experienced a sudden flash of blue light and all the bulbs in a chandelier blew out at once.
Over time, the main activity is reported to be Rachael. The girl can be heard - and seen - running around the home. Some visitors have left dolls upstairs in "Rachael's room". One story is of a doll that went missing from the room. The woman who left it came back at a later date and asked aloud if she could see the doll again or what Rachael looked like. A bit later, people heard the sound of something being thrown down the stairs. A doll, now scorched, was found at the bottom of the stairs. The burned doll was then kept on a bureau in the bedroom.
People have reported auditory phenomena such as an old-time radio, Sara Elizabeth's cries, Dr. Gibbons' laughter. Toys have been witnessed to be tossed down the stairs. People have received scratches and bites...which makes me wonder about the "something" that was mentioned above...and I still don't like it!
In January 2020, Whispers Estate was listed for sale at $130,000. A Chicago Tribune article wrote about the house being for sale with their article titled as "Whispers Estate in Indiana for sale for $130,000, ghosts included". That's pretty catchy, in my opinion! Through my research, I have not seen that the house has sold, so there's still a possibility that you could be the next owner of a beautiful house and many "roommates" whom you may or may not see.
--Audre
Sources:
Chicago Tribune
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