Paranormal investigators record orbs, voices during multi-night visit to Samoa Cookhouse in Humboldt County

Investigators with Humboldt Paranormal and several witnesses reported audio and visual phenomena during a multi-night investigation of the Samoa Cookhouse in Samoa, Humboldt County. The team said the sessions, conducted in February 2023, included spirit-box responses, recorded orbs on full‑spectrum video, and what participants described as a loudly repeated sound coming from the cookhouse second floor.

The investigation "took place over 4 nights," the group's narrator said, and "every night, things were happening." That narrator described at least three spirit‑box sessions and "very clear responses" during those sessions. Anthony Coe, identified in the investigation as a dishwasher at the cookhouse, told the group he had seen "like, shadows" moving through the building while working late.

Why this matters: the Samoa Cookhouse is both a local historic restaurant and a former company dormitory; the building's age and continuous public use make reports of recurring experiences notable to staff, visitors and local historians. The investigation also recorded accounts that participants linked to a 1904 roof fire described in a contemporary Humboldt Times article, which Raymond Hillman, a professional historian from Eureka, cited during the walkthrough.

What investigators and witnesses reported - Visual recordings: Investigators said Kristen, one of the investigators, captured bright and dark orbs on a full‑spectrum smartphone camera and on a ghost‑detection app. Kristen described a moment during the session when "I just got very, very cold." The team also recorded a stick‑figure output on an app shortly after speaking about offering the spirits dinner downstairs. - Audio and ambient phenomena: Multiple participants described hearing footsteps, creaks and one "loud, unexplained noise" that two witnesses (Sheila and Kristen) reported as originating on the second floor. One investigator called that noise "the most overt paranormal experience I've ever had in my life up to this point." The dishwasher, Anthony Coe, reported seeing shadows on at least two occasions while preparing the back room before opening. - Spirit‑box and response devices: Investigators used a spirit box (a radio sweep device) and a Flux 2 response device with motion detection. The Flux device registered a green beep during the session; the team posed questions aloud and reported receiving short spoken fragments and single‑word responses during spirit‑box runs. - Historic impressions: During a guided second‑floor walkthrough, historian Raymond Hillman described the cookhouse's development (first built in 1893 and expanded circa 1910), the cookhouse's role for mill and railroad workers, and a 1904 roof fire reported in the Humboldt Times. Participants suggested that some recurring impressions — a frenetic table clearing and rush described as "a thing that imprinted" — matched the historian's account of the historical fire.

What the site is and relevant background The Samoa Cookhouse, built beginning in 1893 and expanded in the early 20th century, originally served the John Vance Mill and Lumber Company and later the Hammond Lumber Company. The team noted the building seated up to 500 people in its heyday, has a museum of local logging artifacts, and was temporarily closed for renovation in 2023. A cookhouse manager told investigators there is no equipment or activity on the second floor that would explain the particular metal‑on‑metal noise the team heard, according to the investigators.

Limits and context Investigators and witnesses described what they observed and recorded; the group explicitly used tools such as spirit‑box sessions and mobile apps that produce visual outputs under some environmental conditions. Witnesses and the historian acknowledged natural explanations for some noises — wind, settling wood, or loose window sashes — and the team took steps to isolate at least one loose window to reduce false positives. The article does not attempt to prove or disprove paranormal explanations; it reports statements, the devices used, and the historical details cited during the investigation.

Local accounts and personnel Dishwasher Anthony Coe, who said he has worked at the cookhouse since June/July of the previous year, told investigators he had twice observed "a shadow" near the back room before opening. Raymond Hillman, a historian and Eureka resident, walked the team through second‑floor dormitory rooms and described company‑town history and the 1904 fire; he said the building had been expanded around 1910 and that the south end was historically the men's dormitory. Investigators also referenced former steward Eddie (short for Edwin) Hemingway when a name surfaced repeatedly during spirit‑box exchanges and investigator impressions.

Next steps mentioned by participants Investigators recorded additional audio and video for later review and said they planned further analysis of the recorded spirit‑box audio and Kristen's full‑spectrum footage. Participants also noted the building's planned post‑renovation uses had been discussed locally; the team said they were glad to document conditions before any further changes.

What was not established The investigation team reported recordings and personal impressions; the cookhouse manager denied structural explanations for the metal‑on‑metal noise on the second floor but the manager did not offer a definitive technical analysis. The historian confirmed a 1904 fire account and other historical facts but did not link those facts scientifically to the recorded phenomena. The article does not make claims beyond what witnesses and historical sources said during the session.

Ending Investigators characterized the visit as both an effort to document purported phenomena and an attempt to collect material for a public episode about the cookhouse. The Samoa Cookhouse remains a locally significant historic site in Samoa, Humboldt County; staff and historians said the building's documented past — including dormitory life, a 1904 roof fire, and decades of continuous operation — is part of why investigators and witnesses considered the site compelling for study.