Paranormal investigators first to explore Denver restaurant, former mortuary
On Wednesday, a team of paranormal investigators became the first group of its kind to visit a historic building in Denver that once served as a mortuary.
Paranormal investigators teamed up with the Dark Side of Denver Ghost Tours and a local psychic to investigate the popular Linger Eatuaries bar and restaurant as part of their new series "Awakened." The series includes investigations into sites across the region with history reaching back to the 1800s, early 1900s and the Wild West.
Linger embraces its macabre history, with decor that gives a nod to the building's past and water served in formaldehyde bottles.
Constructed in 1909, the building served as part of the Olinger family's mortuary, which is said to have housed the body of Buffalo Bill in 1917 until his final resting place was decided. It is considered the first building designed to serve as a mortuary in the Rocky Mountain Region. George Olinger wasn't just a mortician; he was also a casket manufacturer and real estate developer who had a large impact on the development of the Bonnie Brae neighborhood.
The mortuary closed in 1999. Now, an old church pew serves as the host's stand, and large garage doors in the dining area that once allowed for hearses to bring bodies into the building now give the owners a way to open the area to the outdoors in nice weather. Below the restaurant is Colorado Athlete Physical Therapy, but the space once served as a place to embalm bodies and place them in caskets.
Linger opened in 2011, and the original sign remains upon the rooftop, slightly altered from "Olinger Mortuaries" to "Linger Eatuaries."
This long history is what caught the attention of paranormal investigators and Dark Side of Denver Ghost Tours. It made a perfect addition to the "Awakened" project.
Tour guides Rachel Beckemeyer and Dani Van Morter say Denver is full of historic buildings, and they love sharing stories of hauntings and ongoing investigations with their guests. One of the most popular stops on their tour is Union Station. Van Morter says learning about the events that have taken place at the station and the intricate underground tunnel system is one of her favorite parts of the tour as well.
Beckemeyer said finding new places to investigate is one of the best parts of the job.
"I think my favorite is always whatever I'm discovering and diving into at the moment, researching history. So, right now Linger is a pretty cool spot," she said.
Brent DeParis, James Doyle and Lead Investigator Arthur Schmidt were drawn to the restaurant's history too, particularly its connection to Buffalo Bill, and are the first team of paranormal investigators to be allowed to explore the building. They were joined by Carol White Bear, who has worked as a psychic medium for over 36 years, to look into the stories shared by staff and communicate with any entities that may be present.
"We have a beautiful relationship with a gentleman named Brook, who actually helped us get into this location that we're at right now, that has never been tapped before," said DeParis. "So our main goal is to come into this location and really understand the staff, interview the staff, individuals that have been working here for a number of years that have had some type of occurrences, and really understand those locations and then utilize our equipment to really discover and communicate with what is here."
Tools used in paranormal investigations have expanded from a simple EMF meter. Schmidt shared numerous items the team brought with them, including touch and motion sensors as well as REM pods that are supposed to sound an alarm if there is a change in electromagnetic energy or temperature. He said they also use a tool called Ovilus, which is used by paranormal investigators to detect speech and turn talk to text, and a structured light sensor camera designed to map out figures in front of the camera.
The team spent several hours inside Linger searching for measurable phenomena. "I'm hoping tonight that he'll [Schmidt] be able to get some of this on camera that I see. That's what I'm really working for," said White Bear.
Linger isn't the last stop on the investigative team's trek, and they're looking forward to exploring more locations with histories connected to settlers' westward expansion and life on the frontier. The "Awakened" team hopes that the completed series will be picked up by a major streaming service or studio and reach a wider audience.
