Museum of North Idaho, CDA, ID

I recently made a brief visit with fellow paranormal investigator Eric Crabtree (Spookan Spirit Seekers) to the Museum of North Idaho, located at the base of Tubbs Hill in Coeur d'Alene, ID.

The newly renovated building, built in 1903, was once the home of prominent businessman J.C. White {1865–1953}, who owned most of the steamboats on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

The museum has three levels that visitors can explore, with great exhibits telling the history and culture of the region, artifacts, lots of information to listen to and read, a wonderful gift shop on the main level, and, on the third floor, archives with thousands of digital images in photo collections that are also available online at history@museumni.org.

As Eric and I were on our way to the basement, we got a voice response on the voice recorder.

Psychic Medium Jennifer Von Behren saw a male spirit at the base of the staircase who said that he had drowned over a gambling debt.

As we walked toward the Fort Sherman exhibit, there was a sword in a case on the left.

Jennifer Von Behren felt that it was not a Fort Sherman sword. She could see a Native American male spirit standing next to the case who was saying that "it was ridiculous how much Indian blood was spilled with that sword." We don't know if he had been one of the victims. The sword was found at the Fort Sherman dump site.

Jennifer could hear someone making noise in the basement but couldn't see who. It was most likely residual energy.

By the sword exhibit, there is a tree stump. It is the last surviving route marker that John Mullan marked while constructing the military road. He marked trees with "MR" every two miles.

Jennifer Von Behren could see several Native Americans standing around the tree when it was still at its original location on top of Fourth of July Pass.

Once the military road was finished, many Native Americans moved elsewhere from the area due to the heavy traffic.

At the other end of the basement, there is a replica of a fire lookout shack. Someone kept playing Jennifer the song "Love Shack" and kept calling the replica a love shack.

Life as a fire watcher could get lonely, so they each had their own entertainment to pass the time.

Some of the old fire lookout shacks were also rented out to people to stay the night in.

On the main level, you will find a beautiful fireplace that came from the original F.A. Blackwell {1852–1922} house, which was next to the J.C. White house on Eighth Street.

Jennifer Von Behren feels that something is hidden in it, and the front feels to her like there should be a mirror there.

When the fireplace was donated to the museum in 2002, some of the decorative pieces were either missing or broken, according to Dorothy Dahlgren, a volunteer collections manager.

The house itself doesn't have much activity. The energy is good. We did get two other voice responses in the basement area.

There are no tours inside the museum, but you can check out their website for Cemetery Walking Tours, which run through Nov. 1.

For more historical information, please read the captions under the pictures.

The museum still has more renovations to do, including adding another wing in order to display more exhibits.

The work they do is important in keeping the history of the region alive and ensuring it is not forgotten by future generations.

If you can, please help the museum by donating to a great cause.

Donations can be made online at museumni.org, by mail to P.O. Box 812, or in person at 720 E. Young Ave., CDA.

I want to thank Deborah Mitchell at the archives and Dorothy Dahlgren in the collections for all of their research help.

To view the full collection of photos, please visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02Q295LVUhpiMfBKNibt2vLTbxWFx6jxmMTRmz5FXneELA8nPKJLYNBB6bGDfx4HUHl&id=100064414460875