Peace River Ghost Tracker Cedar Key Inn Hotel ghost investigation

History of Haunting:

* There is the story of the small black boy, about nine years old who died before the end of the Civil War. The way the story goes--this small boy was hired by the manager of the general store and post office to sweep-up and help around the property. Apparently the manager spotted the little boy putting something in his pocket and thinking he had witnessed the boy pilfering something, chased him out the back door. The boy was never seen or heard from again. About a year later, while cleaning out the basement water cistern, a five-foot deep 2,500 gallon cement tank, in preparation for liming (lime was painted in cistern tanks to help keep the water from souring), the workers discovered the skeletal remains of a child. It is said the boy climbed into the cistern to hide from the manager, where he drowned. The basement is accessible through a trap door in the very back of the hotel. It is dark (some say as dark as the inside of a black cat) and eerie, with uneven floors and low beam supports. Down in that basement it is said that the ghost of that scared little boy hides. . .
* There is the story of the Southern Army private soldier who stands guard on the second floor. No one seems to know the reason or the whole story, but sightings of this apparition out-number all of the others. It seems that every morning just as the sun begins to rise guests can see what appears to be a soldier in a Southern Army uniform standing guard at attention just inside the doors leading to the balcony. The vision lasts just a few seconds but has been seen by dozens of guests over the years. * Simon Feinberg who was poisoned by the hotel manager is now called the "wandering ghost" who is seen around the hotel at night.
* There's another story of the ghost who visits guests staying in rooms 27 and 28. This spirit is said to be that of a murdered prostitute. . . an undocumented event that occurred during prohibition times when the hotel was a speak-easy and brothel. This shy ghost is quite friendly. She simply sits on the bed in the middle of the night and kisses guests on the cheek, then disappears in a smoky haze.
* Bessie Gibbs, who lived here for over 26 years, is said to move around the hotel rearranging furniture, pictures and closing doors. It seems her favorite trick is to lock a guest out of his room as he steps out for a moment. Guests have also seen a ghostly apparition walk through their room and through the walls in the middle of the night.
* There is evidence that, in addition to those ghosts listed above, two Native American Indians, a fisherman and an unidentified tall, thin man are also making the hotel their post-earthly form home.

Personal Experiences:
* We entered the basement at 4:30pm and was also accompanied by Derrick from channel 20 news out of Gainesville. The basement had a lot of dust so any pictures from down there are hard to prove. Scott did have a heavy feeling at one point near the cistern where a 9 year old boy had drowned in the 1860’s. Scott had to remove himself for a moment from that area. Sprout also felt the heavy feeling in her chest and also chose to leave.
* Sprout was entering the room behind the bar at around 1:30am which was where a man had died of a knife stabbing. While entering I had a very cold breeze sweep over the top of my left hand and could fine no explanation for it.
* At 2:15am Toni, Sprout, Janice and Scott where in the kitchen using dowsing rods to communicate with a man who is connected with the pantry. Many staff have seen and felt his presence for many years. We were standing in the order stated above when the activity occurred. Janice was facing the pantry and using the dowsing rods, she asked where the spirit was and the one rod swung around and pointed behind her. When Janice asked for the spirit to move in front of her Toni said “here it comes”. Toni said she saw a dark shadow of a figure of a man coming towards her then making a sharp turn in front of all of us. One at a time we all said “oh” as the coldness swept passed us. I saw Janice shaking from the cold and Scott said it went down his arm.
* Scott’s camera at 2 different times had taken pictures and his flash did not go off. Once in the basement and once in the lobby. This in not normal behavior for his camera.

* We had laid down for bed at 4:30am and shortly after I (Sprout) heard what I thought to be the piano down in the lobby. It was about 7 or 8 hits on the high notes of the keyboard then Lori started to talk. (her first time in a haunted hotel she was a bit nervous ) then I heard it again about 4 hits this time. That's when I asked Scott if we would be able to hear the piano in our room. He said he hopes so because he had just heard it. Didn't get up cause we were pooped and had enough for the night. I can say I believe we were the last to go to our rooms for bed and didn't hear anyone else up and moving about the hall.
* In the morning we were getting the 2 sets of keys together for check out but could only find one set. The key was finally found in the Velcro sealed left pocket of a pair of shorts in the suitcase. They were Scotts shorts and he does not use the left pocket they were also folded up and unworn shorts. Lori watched her video from the night before and saw Scott take the key out of the door. He put almost everything on the dresser so it was assumed that is where he set the key. There were several incidents of room doors being unlocked by themselves told to us by other investigators. Sprout even witnessed room 23’s door unlock twice by itself. The occupants of the room were inside during the first time and were sitting on the opposite side of the room when the door unlocked.
* Lori sent us her video that was done in our room. At one point Scott is communicating with a dowsing rods and a spirit is thought to be in the corner of the room that is being video taped. During this time the video is having a hard time focusing, until Scott said “where did you go”. Knowing the spirit had moved from that spot. At this time the camera functioned properly.