Humboldt Paranormal investigators report intermittent visual and audio anomalies at Samoa Cookhouse

Paranormal investigators from the volunteer group Humboldt Paranormal reported intermittent visual and audio anomalies during an overnight investigation at the Samoa Cookhouse in Samoa, Humboldt County, on March 10, 2023.

Investigators said they used multiple consumer and prosumer detection tools — including an SLS (structured light sensor) camera, a Flux 2 response device (a handheld green/red indicator used in the transcript), a Ghost Tube/SLS app and a spirit-box-style AM radio sweep — and that those tools and the teams’ video and audio captured transient events that the group interpreted as “responses” or evidence of presence.

The group reported several recurring observations. Multiple investigators described transient SLS camera images described as a “stick figure,” a child-sized figure seated near chairs in the Hammond Room and a partial upper-torso apparition that appeared and disappeared on camera. Team members also reported a sudden loud hissing/pop sound while they were on the second floor and, later in the investigation, what several people described as the sound of someone “playing the spoons.” One investigator said the spoons sound came through a device and that it stopped when investigators mimicked the sound.

Investigators also described EMF spikes and repeated local signals on their apps and field detectors concentrated near doorways and a back corner of the First Floor. One investigator described a pattern of three distinct signals appearing in a row on a field device and said those signals “corroborated” what several team members were feeling physically (cold spots, a tingling/pressure sensation).

During a recorded session using the Flux 2 device, investigators asked binary yes/no questions and reported that the device repeatedly registered changes (green/red) they interpreted as responses. Later they ran a spirit-box session on AM sweep and reported audible fragments that some team members interpreted as names and answers; the investigators cited one name rendered in the audio as “Drew” and said a voice or impression identified as male described having worked in lumber and enjoying poker.

The team discussed historical impressions while on site. One investigator described seeing a young woman in a satin dress in their impressions and connected that to earlier remarks from a different team member who said a witness had suggested a historical pot-breaking game and a possible past incident in the building. Team members explicitly noted uncertainty about historical claims: one investigator said eyewitness memory and secondary accounts were “vague” and that reported details (including whether a hanging or suicide occurred in a particular room) were not confirmed by the group.

The investigators recorded and saved video and audio for later review; in the transcript members repeatedly said they would review and share footage. The group also said they intended to post an episode of the investigation to a public YouTube channel and to analyze captured device logs and camera footage more closely before drawing conclusions.

The Samoa Cookhouse building and the investigators’ interpretations were described as the subject of the team’s inquiry; the team did not present corroborating archival documentation, law-enforcement records, or independent forensic analysis during the recorded session. The investigators repeatedly distinguished between what their devices showed, what they felt physically, and what they interpreted as historical backstory, and they acknowledged areas of uncertainty and disagreement.

Footnote: direct quotes used in this report come from recorded remarks by investigators during the session. For example, investigator Kristen identified the handheld camera device in use and said, “It’s a kind of camera.”

What’s next: investigators said they will review video and audio recordings, process device logs and upload a recorded episode to their channel; they did not state any formal notification to museum staff or local authorities on the recording.