Date: September 9th
Investigators: Alisha, Sandy, Amanda, Rich
Equipment: Digital voice recorders, Mel Meter, K2 meter, SB7 Spirit Boxes, EMF Tripwire, REM Pod, cat balls, Geophone, EDI Meter, FLIR
Investigators: Alisha, Sandy, Amanda, Rich
Equipment: Digital voice recorders, Mel Meter, K2 meter, SB7 Spirit Boxes, EMF Tripwire, REM Pod, cat balls, Geophone, EDI Meter, FLIR
History
An act of legislature in 1885 established the Wisconsin Child Care Center in Sparta, Wisconsin. The State Board of Supervisors selected 165 acres in the city of Sparta. The facility was named the “State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children.” Only three buildings were built in the beginning. In 1886 the Child Care Center became under the control of State Board of Supervisor of Wisconsin Charitable, Reformatory and Penal Institutions. Four years after opening the school had 2,221 children who had come through its doors. Some stayed for a few weeks, others for months, or even years. Many children were placed in homes. Some were indentured to work for families, others were fostered out, while the most fortunate were adopted by loving families.
The school was only meant to be a holding place for children who had been neglected, abandoned, or were needy. The ages of children who were admitted to the Child Care Center at this time ranged in age from 3 years to 16 years. It was important for children to receive education for the mind, body and soul. While at the Child Center, children received a regular school education. School was from kindergarten to grade nine. Older girls learned cooking and sewing. Older boys were taught farming. Children reaching sixteen years old, who had not been placed in a home, were sent back to the area they came from. All children admitted to the Child Care Center became dependents of the Board of Supervisors. Their parents were no longer their legal guardians. Because of this, teachers and matrons were carefully selected to help provide a home-like atmosphere for the children housed at the Care Center.
By 1887 the school had already run out of space to hold the growing number of children in its care. Between 1887 and 1889 two more cottages were built. Also added was an administration building, a school building, a separate laundry, an engineer’s residence, and a boiler room. The number of the classrooms doubled to six by 1909. In 1889, the Child Care Center bought and remodeled a building to be used as a hospital. Nine years later, in 1898 an additional hospital was built. Even with all of the buildings in the early years, the buildings or residents’ cottages as they were called housed more than twenty, and sometimes between fifty and sixty children at one time. All these children were cared for by one matron. Children slept in large rooms called dormitories.
By June of 1920 there were 256 children who lived at the Child Care Center. Reports were sent to the State Board of Control that the school was overcrowded. Part of the trouble was that many of the children who had been boarded out or placed out were being returned to the Center. Most would then remain until they turned eighteen years old. Unfortunately, the actual adoption of children was very small compared to the number of children that were coming into the Center. The Child Care Center officially closed its doors on July 1, 1976, after serving the state for 89 years. The Child Care Center and its remaining buildings were sold to the city of Sparta for $650,000. Children remaining at the center at the time of closing were placed in foster care. Some of the buildings have been demolished to make way for progress, a few are still in use.
The school was only meant to be a holding place for children who had been neglected, abandoned, or were needy. The ages of children who were admitted to the Child Care Center at this time ranged in age from 3 years to 16 years. It was important for children to receive education for the mind, body and soul. While at the Child Center, children received a regular school education. School was from kindergarten to grade nine. Older girls learned cooking and sewing. Older boys were taught farming. Children reaching sixteen years old, who had not been placed in a home, were sent back to the area they came from. All children admitted to the Child Care Center became dependents of the Board of Supervisors. Their parents were no longer their legal guardians. Because of this, teachers and matrons were carefully selected to help provide a home-like atmosphere for the children housed at the Care Center.
By 1887 the school had already run out of space to hold the growing number of children in its care. Between 1887 and 1889 two more cottages were built. Also added was an administration building, a school building, a separate laundry, an engineer’s residence, and a boiler room. The number of the classrooms doubled to six by 1909. In 1889, the Child Care Center bought and remodeled a building to be used as a hospital. Nine years later, in 1898 an additional hospital was built. Even with all of the buildings in the early years, the buildings or residents’ cottages as they were called housed more than twenty, and sometimes between fifty and sixty children at one time. All these children were cared for by one matron. Children slept in large rooms called dormitories.
By June of 1920 there were 256 children who lived at the Child Care Center. Reports were sent to the State Board of Control that the school was overcrowded. Part of the trouble was that many of the children who had been boarded out or placed out were being returned to the Center. Most would then remain until they turned eighteen years old. Unfortunately, the actual adoption of children was very small compared to the number of children that were coming into the Center. The Child Care Center officially closed its doors on July 1, 1976, after serving the state for 89 years. The Child Care Center and its remaining buildings were sold to the city of Sparta for $650,000. Children remaining at the center at the time of closing were placed in foster care. Some of the buildings have been demolished to make way for progress, a few are still in use.
Personal Experiences
Two investigators were both stopped in their tracks upon entering the children's cemetery and overcome with chest pain, heaviness and shortness of breath. They decided they would not walk among the rows of headstones as they felt it was inappropriate but were overall very uneasy being there.
Empathic investigator picked up on the following spirits while in the building:
Empathic investigator picked up on the following spirits while in the building:
- 14 year old boy - skinny blond with jeans and overalls who showed himself running. When investigators tried to communicate with him he intelligently interacted with cat balls, K2 and EMF tripwire.
- Young man 18-20 named Tom or Thomas - During an Estes Method session we confirmed the name Tom and the fact he was 20 years old. Other responses included that he worked there and was sick with some throat issue. He did not need any help moving on, it was his choice to be there.
Audio Evidence
While in the basement Sandy and Alisha caught two unexplained whispers on the recorder. The first is after Alisha speaks the first time and the second before she asks "Is that Rich?"
Alisha is sitting on a bed in one of the rooms and hears a whisper, the audio recorder picks it up faintly.
This audio is from the basement static recorder. No one is down there at the time and we get a voice say "hey."
The next clips are several interesting moments captured during Estes Method sessions. Both Rich and a guest, Allie, went under for the Estes Method essions.
Both of the following clips were voices caught on the static recorder in the basement when no one was down there.
During a session in the basement investigators get a hit on the REM Pod in response to a question they asked.
A static recorder in one of the rooms picks up a faint whistle