7/11 -Jaden Reese -Rush Gates house

    In this blog I will be talking to you about the Rush Gates House and the story behind it. On a corner lot along Front Street in Forrest City stands a lovely older blue-gray home, overlooking the nearby railroad tracks that once played a significant part in the town's economy. In 1906, the structure was built as the home of Dr. J.O. Rush and his family. The choice of the location of the house was a strategic decision by Rush, who served as a physician and surgeon for the railroads and felt it would be sensible to build the home near the tracks. Day and night, the home was filled with the maimed and injured, especially those involved in railroading accidents. In the decades to come, many would claim seeing strange movement through the darkened windows. Some local residents claimed that those who were brought to Dr. Rush's office for medical attention haunted the house. After Dr. Rush's death in 1961, the house stayed in the family until 1995. Over the years, Arkansas urban legends about the house continued to grow, as stories of weird occurrences and shadowy figures in the windows continued to flourish. The next thing I will be talking about is The St. Francis County Museum and how it now offers A Night at the Museum program at various times throughout the year, including Halloween. Guests come to the museum and spend several hours inside the house alongside members of the paranormal investigative team. The event starts with a history of the Rush-Gates House and museum staff share stories of strange occurrences they've experienced. Tour participants hear a series of electronic voice phenomena that were previously recorded in the house and, following a quick overview of the equipment that will be used, the visitors watch and participate as team members collect data. Before the guests leave, the investigation team scans the audio recordings that were made throughout the evening and allow participants to hear any easily recognized vocal recordings (not requiring computer enhancement) that were captured. Now I am not sure that it is still a house, I think they have made it into a hotel where you can stay at your own risk but it was pretty cool to learn about this.