The Haunted West

Our third and final field trip with the TMCC Paranormal Series was held on October 30, the night before Halloween. We were scheduled to investigate the St. Mary's Art Center (SMAC). The Daughters of Charity, also known as the Sisters of Charity, served the mining town of Virginia City from 1864 to 1897. Led by Sister Frederica, Sisters Xavier and Mary Elizabeth traveled to the Comstock in 1864 with the directive to open a school and hospital in Virginia City. Other sisters soon followed. The Sisters of Charity established a small boarding school and orphanage that constantly struggled to keep up with the demand of the community. Within the first year, occupancy of the institution rose to 25 residents and 112 students, all the while maintaining a small number of sisters, only sixteen in 1880. The orphanage largely subsisted on contributions from local citizens who donated money, food, and clothing to the convent. In 1876, along with the support of Father Patrick Manogue, the

I'm seriously behind on my blogging, so I sat down at the computer with all good intentions of catching up. I wanted to check on a few historical facts relating to one of my blogs, and the next thing you know, I'm surfing the web! Amazing how one can get swept away. Needless to say, I never did find what I was looking for. I did however, find some information on a couple of paranormal events happening in our area in the new year. I'm posting two of them to illustrate how these sort of things have become quite a money making venue for some. The first event I ran across caused my jaw to drop. It is a 4 day event, advertised as "A Paranormal Interest Retreat". It is limited to 30 guests, all who will be staying at the St Mary's Art Center (SMAC). Other investigation sites include The Old Washoe Club, Piper's Opera House, and the Peace Officer's Museum. Sounded interesting, until I saw the cost...close to $400! Yikes! Now in defense, the organizer posted