Paranormal Experience at Kelly
May 1st, 2010 by John Wolfe
Here’s the strange experience I had while visiting the Kelly ghost town this past Monday: Forty minutes had passed. I assumed I was on borrowed time when it came to being completely isolated at the mine’s headframe structure and gaping mouth. With the morning growing late, inevitably, some other tourist/hiker would arrive, destroying the serenity and interrupting the flow of my ongoing EVP and photo sessions. While Kelly is at least three or four miles from the nearest house, and is neatly tucked into the mountainside, it does draw an occasional visitor or two over the course of a few hours.
However, thanks to the elevation and utter silence around the entire location, whether at the mine, cemetery or in “town,” you’re always alerted when someone has arrived. Up to that point, I hadn’t heard a single vehicle driving around or voices of any kind that would indicate I had company down below. But feeling a combination of luck and greed to have had the mine all to myself for so long, I decided to start back towards the old abandoned foundations in town.
Gathering up my gear, I reversed direction, carrying my water bottle, camera, tripod, KII meter, and digital recorders down the incline that led up to the mine. Carefully navigating the rock strewn road, in order to prevent twisting an ankle and dropping equipment, I kept glancing ahead to strategically plot my next step.
As I came within a few yards of the church (pictured above), I noticed a completely real looking young boy between six and eight-years-old riding a squatty bicycle. He rode out from behind some brush, came into clear view, did a buttonhook in the road, and went back behind the same spot where he first appeared.
In terms of perspective, the boy didn’t actually ride out of the brush, but rather, he rode out from the dirt parking area in front of the church and then rode back in. However, from where I was standing, there were a few bushes and trees between my position and his point of origin.
Though I hadn’t heard a vehicle drive up while I was at the mine, I assumed someone had slipped in and brought their kid(s) to have a picnic under the covered area near the church. A little dismayed at the idea of having an entire family to deal with while trying to shoot video and conduct my EVP sessions, I walked a few short feet off the main road to get a better look at the parking area and to see what I was dealing with—it was completely empty; no cars; no trucks; no people; and no little boy riding a bicycle. This was impossible because I had just seen the boy seconds earlier.
This revelation caused me to kick it into high gear. I got back onto the main road and quickly made my way to the church. Assuming I’d find the child and his family on the backside of the building, I knew I’d look like a complete jackass if I came face to face with someone while racing around the church, but I was willing to take that chance in order to prove to myself the boy was real.
As I rounded the corner, my mouth dropped—absolutely no one was there. I continued around the front of the building, checking all the gates and doors—gates were closed and doors were locked (from the outside with padlocks). I then began scouring the surrounding area and found no sign of anyone. The parking area only showed a few automobile tracks that appeared to be from the previous day (or older) but no bike tracks were present.
I know one thing for sure; I would have absolutely heard a car or truck start up and leave, especially considering my close proximity to the church, if in fact the boy had ridden up with someone. I also would have seen the vehicle leave, since the road I was walking down is the only accessible road in and out of the ghost town. Not to mention, several family members went with me during this trip and all were high up the mountainside with an excellent view of the entire location—not one of them saw a vehicle coming or going during the time I was looking for the boy.
So, the only other possibility I can think of outside of the paranormal was he rode up by himself. However, the washboard-like road in and out of Kelly has a significant incline to it and it’s covered in places with jagged rocks. I can’t imagine a six, seven or even eight-year-old child riding a small bike (not a mountain bike with gears) up that road for over three miles. And again, I would have seen him leaving as I was making my way to the church.
As for a description of the bike, it all happened so quickly that I didn’t get a lot of details, however, it didn’t appear to be current, yet it also didn’t appear to be something out of the nineteenth century. The best way to describe it would be somewhat contemporary, and considering Kelly was around until the 1940s; it’s feasible a boy was riding such a bike in the area during the Mid 1900s. The child had dark hair and appeared to be wearing some sort of a short-sleeved shirt and long pants.
Whether the boy was a conscious spirit or an imprint (a.k.a. a residual haunt to use the terminology of television ghost hunters), I cannot say. But I don’t believe he was a flesh and blood child in the moment when I saw him.
A little info on the church’s history: Built in 1948, it was constructed using the wood from a dismantled saloon and Kelly’s dancehall (according to New Mexico Mineralogical Record, volume 20, number 1, January-February 1989).
I’m thinking of taking out an ad in the Magdalena or Socorro newspaper (the towns closest to Kelly) asking people to e-mail or call me if they’ve had any paranormal encounters at the old ghost town. I’d love to hear what’s gone on there and if in fact anyone else has seen the little boy. If I do it, then I’ll be sure to blog about the results. The image in this paragraph is of a sign that stands guard outside the mine’s entrance. I took a shot of it because I particularly liked number nine (click on the image for a close-up view).
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May 1st, 2010 at 8:19 pm
Shivers–that was amazing! What an unusual sighting. The time period of the church seems to line up with a potential church-going kid at some event. It seems to be like that would be a residual that plays out all the time. You might be onto something. If you can collect enough stories about paranormal happenings at ghost towns in NM, you might consider assembling a book. You really have a lot of photographs and EVP sessions and if you collect other’s stories and photos of the cemeteries and all, it could be so neat. I would love to read that! Keep up posted!
May 1st, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Thanks, autumnforest. I probably wouldn’t have even thought much of the sighting had it been some man at a distance near the church, but it was so strange to see a little child riding a bike in this almost unforgiving terrain all by himself. I think that fact alone is what spurred me into action to check it out immediately. That’s a great idea about the book. We do have a couple of authors in the state who write about ghosts throughout New Mexico, but I don’t think they’ve ever focused solely on the ghost towns.
I’ll absolutely let you know what I find out if I do indeed run the ad.
May 1st, 2010 at 9:58 pm
Hi, I saw a young man on a bicycle who appeared from nowhere right outside the Kelly Church. He urged my partner and I on to the mine where we conducted a spirit rescue. The story is on my blog at http://radicalspiritualist.blogspot.com/2009_11_01_archive.html and it’s also in my book being published at the end of May. It seems that when the Spirit World wants something done they send a kid on a bicycle. It happened to me once before in England and that’s in my book “The Quest of the Radical Spiritualist.” If the kid/boy/young man appears again at Kelly ask him what he wants. There’s obviously something more there that needs attention. Blessings. Robert
May 1st, 2010 at 10:59 pm
Alright John…first Tome and now at the church? How do you do it? How is it that what most only see as some kind of energy disturbance or apparition ( the OCC mausoleum at the gate) YOU actually experience in real time with very real visuals? Out of all of my digging around paranormal websites and videos, rarely, if ever, do I hear of a spirit taking on such a real life like form and this makes twice this has happened with you in a year time line. Honestly, what’s your Mo-Jo??? I would love to have something like that happen to me, although I do believe I’ve encountered something like that with the woman in the bushes I told you about, the one with the odd looking sunglasses. Just as I back up my tracks within just moments, there was NOBODY in that bush and I’ll never forget the smile she gave me, it was very odd.
This seems to happen somewhat frequent with you though. I honestly think that the energy you exude is extra special in that spirits show themselves as if they were in real time as well as the persistent ones who seem to follow you with the sole purpose of cursing you out
A most peculiar mix my friend. Thank goodness the energy you do see are kind and calm and don’t move like that girl in that video clip that spooked me out. LoL, I bet that would even cause you to fall backwards in your step and suddenly be very alarmed.
You have incredible journeys John and I love your idea about asking others for their paranormal experiences around the mine. That would be really strange to have another person have a story about a young boy with dark hair on a bike riding around. I do believe you have found one of many “hot spots” as I call it
Excellent idea and thank you again for spoiling us once more with your creative writing skills.
May 1st, 2010 at 11:32 pm
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May 2nd, 2010 at 9:21 am
John,
thanks for sharing this paranormal experience with us. I too believe that it is more of a residual spirit , rather than intelligent spirit because it didn`t look or speak at you. I`m glad to see that you jumped into investigator mode and ran and checked things out. There are more skeptics out there and we ( paranormal investigators) or just people that are very interested in it , have to work extra hard in trying to rule out everything else before saying that it might be paranormal. I bet you were so excitted when you found that there was no one else there. I would have been. Did you stop and try another evp, KII meter session? And did you get any evps?
I would love to read your book if you where to put one together. It`s always interesting to hear whats going on around the states. I started to put a book together a few years ago , on events that happen to my family members and friends and around my city. i`m still gathering paranormal claims and weeding out the unexplained from the down right off the wall stories I got. And going back to try and investigate some of these claims.
Thanks again for sharing with us. It is great to hear from others and their experiences with out the television network behind them.
May 2nd, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Robert,
Holy cow! Really??? That’s amazing! I’m working on today’s blog entry, but as soon as I get it posted, I’m heading over to your blog to read about your experience. Thank you so much for letting me know about your post, as this could actually help corroborate my personal experience. Now, one thing that appears to be slightly different based on your comment, you said the person you saw was a young man and to me, he appeared to be a boy who was no more than eight-years-old. When you say young man, how old would you estimate he was?
Even if the age is slightly different, there is enough of a similarity in the description of a male riding a bicycle up in the high country of the deserted old Kelly mining town, near the church, to convince me something weird is going on. Thanks again for sharing that!!
Goldie,
I wish I knew how or why I’ve come across two very bizarre sightings like this in less than a year’s time. Despite my empathic nature and clairaudient tendencies, I’m very logical and grounded in my interest and “investigating” when it comes to the paranormal and I like to apply the old Occam’s Razor principle, i.e., the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. But after totally working those two experiences out immediately after they happened and checking every feasible, rational possibility, there’s no simple explanation for what I saw unless the paranormal is considered. I’m not complaining, ’cause I think it’s super cool and I’m very intrigued about visiting even more spots to do my very best to eventually capture something similar on video.
From everything you’ve shared with me, it definitely sounds like you’ve had a similar experience with the woman in the bushes. And actually, considering the smile that she gave you, the woman in the bushes has more in common with the girl and store clerk in that video “There Are Monsters” than anything I’ve encountered.
I’m glad you enjoyed my recounting of the experience at Kelly. Thanks as always for reading and sharing some great feedback.
ssflipo13,
Oh yeah, I was extremely excited! But as I was rounding the church there was also a part of me that was talking out loud saying something to the effect of ‘no freakin’ way’
I’ve run the KII at Kelly during two different visits and have yet to get anything. And, since it was daytime and the sunlight was super bright–it’s hard to see if I’m getting any responses on it so I didn’t actually try it right after seeing the boy.
After doing all my checking for him, his bike, or a vehicle, my initial response was to immediately get up the mountain/hillside and check with family members to see if they had heard any vehicles coming in or going out of the area in the last few minutes. We did do some EVP work a little later around the church and couldn’t get a definitive response regarding the boy. However, there were several light voices coming in and giving what sounds like responses that correlated to other questions being asked. Unfortunately, none were Class “A” quality. Around the mine, my recorder had a lot of precursor clicks–several stacked on top of one another in some instances a few light voices accompanying them.
When it comes to checking out the paranormal, my mom and I are a team effort. She’s been listening to the majority of the recordings and has only found one possible Class “A.” I’m going to do a little listening today and see if I can come up with anything. If there’s something really strong, then I’ll be sure and post it.
Please, let me know about your book once it’s completed and I’ll keep you up to date on my searches as well. Right now, I’m thinking of doing some blogging about the stories of the people I talk to and maybe one day that could lead to a book. I’m going to check out the price for a taking out a classified ad today and see what type of responses I receive.
Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing. I really appreciate it.
May 4th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
John, I would say they young man on a bike who apperared outside the Kelly Church was about eighteen, that’s ten years more than the one you saw. The problem with spirits is they can change shape with just a thought because they have a consciousness. It’s the “resident” ghosts, energy forms who maintain “set” images and don’t communicate. There’s something odd happening at the Mine and they are trying to communicate.
May 4th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
John,
It sounds like you are in the beginnings of starting your own paranormal investigation group. With your recorder, KII, Camera, and family members helping out. And you go to some very interesting places . The mine is a great place , I`m sure there would be some residual/ intelligent spirits there. The people that worked there went threw some very tough times and some probably died in there too.
Even if you have to clean up some Evp`s and are class B , I would still love to hear them. I find evp`s must interesting and find myself going back over the ones I have from previous investigations.
As soon as I get my book together I will let you know and probably send you a copy. Just to see what you think of it.
Keep up the great work.
Sam
May 4th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
Robert,
Based on my feelings around the mine, I’d absolutely agree about something odd and even intriguing occurring there. While the mine sets off my radar a little bit, I have to say that there is an area within the cemetery that gets to me even more. I’m pretty accustomed to visiting cemeteries and I can honestly say I’ve never quite had a feeling in any of the many graveyards I’ve visited in New Mexico that matches what I’ve felt at Kelly’s cemetery. While I can’t prove my feelings to anyone, I do still take them into consideration and the prevailing feeling is one of uneasiness around one specific part of the cemetery.
ssflipo13,
Who knows, it could come to that one day.
I’m working on piecing together even more equipment to help out in capturing our experiences too. Right now I’m looking into getting an IR illuminator for my camcorder, but it looks like I’m also going to need to purchase a new digital camcorder, as my current Canon doesn’t support using infrared, which is okay, cause I’ve been wanting to pick up a digital camcorder that films in HD anyway!
I think you’re absolutely right about the mine! Just as I was mentioning to Robert, I definitely get some “vibes” around it, and I’d really like to focus on trying to capture something around the church too.
Thanks so much, Sam.
May 4th, 2010 at 10:45 pm
HD camcorder very cool. And the extra IR light is a must. Great choices.
May 5th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Thanks. The thing I’m trying to work out right now is which HD camcorders are actually compatible with IR. From some reviews I’ve read on Amazon, it appears that the latest HD camcorders to hit the market are equipped with some sort of IR filter, preventing any form of infrared lighting to be compatible with filming.
May 6th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
You mean you can not use extra IR lighting with this type of camcorder? I don`t understand why you can`t.
May 7th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
According to the recent review I read on Amazon for an IR light, the person said IR is not compatible with the entire new line of Canon’s Vixia HD camcorders and thought this may be the case with most new HD camcorders on the market now. He or she tried using an extra IR light and it didn’t work. I’m not sure if the Vixia line is equipped with its own built in IR mode or not, but it doesn’t sound like it.
I’m very familiar with Canon and I like their products, but I guess I’m going to have to switch to a different brand. At this point, it’s going to take some research and calling different companies before I take the plunge and purchase a brand new HD camcorder, especially since I want to use it with IR.