Reid School in Bend, OR
The Herstory
Opening it's doors in 1914, the Reid School, was the first "modern" school in Bend, OR. It was in operation for 65 years. In 1979, it was leased to Deschutes County Historical Society soon to become the museum it is today.
The school was named after Bend's first high school principal, Ruth Reid. This badass Canadian woman was not only a well-liked educator, she also founded Bend's first high school. Reid created as well as taught the curriculum after hours without the school board's approval. Her passion for education was so well received, the school board elected to use her maiden name in recognition of her many accomplishments as an individual, which was revolutionary for it's time. For more information about Ruth Reid, check out The Bend Bulletin and the Deschutes Historical Museum.
The Haunting
According to Vanessa Ivy, the manager of the museum, there are two spirits that haunt the building. George Bernard Brosterhous ran the construction company that built the school in 1914. He fell to his death through a hole where the staircase is located now. Visitors have reported seeing him watch them.
Less is known of the young girl that haunts the museum. She is described as a 10 year old wearing clothing from the 1910s-1920s. It is possible she was a pupil at the school and could have died during the influenza outbreak of 1918. She's been heard giggling and running through the museum and enjoys hiding documents from staff. For more about these stories and other haunted spots around Bend, checkout The Bend Bulletin's Historical Haunts article.
Exhibits
This museum is filled with amazing artifacts that take you back in time. It's a beautiful collection with lots of historical information. From the creaking wood floors to the old medical equipment, there is something to chill (and fascinate) just about anyone's bones. Since we visited incognito, we didn't try to communicate with any spirits there. We ran the EVP and took photos throughout the museum.
Home Sweet Home...or is it?
The first room we entered upstairs was setup like a house: a child's room, full of dolls, rocking chairs, a crib, etc, a kitchen with an old oven and cooking utensils, and a bedroom with a vanity and bed. The display that caught my attention was the child's room, because there seemed to be movement there. Since that doesn't make any kinds of sense, I video taped the area aaaaannnd low and behold we caught something on tape!
I didn't see it initially, but there is an unexplained bump and glitch kind of bit just after Loren asks if we should leave the room. Again, I only started filming because I felt something was there we couldn't quite see. If we had of seen the video at the time, we definitely would have stayed and tried to communicate. The EVPs we got in this room were all within 2 minutes and were WIFE, FINGER, LIKE, HAPPY.
Classroom
The next room was a classroom. Let's face it, an old empty classroom is hella creepy itself. Filled with old books, empty desks, lesson plans, and even the conditions of employment for teachers at the time (which is possibly the most chilling part of the museum). This room really gives a clear picture of what life was like for women and children in the early 1900s. The EVPs in the room were within 3 minutes and said DISCUSS, TWO, JANELL.
Equipment Room
The last room we entered had film equipment, uniforms, and lots of old medical equipment. If you made it through the old dolls, rocking chairs, and the creepy classroom unscathed, this medical equipment has to evoke some emotion. I did see an orb in my camera, but when I looked back at the photos it didn't show up. BUMMER! We only had one EVP reading and it was the name WILLIE.
Investigation Summary
So...is The Reid School haunted? With all of the individual accounts, the footage, and EVPs we got, it's likely there is some unexplained energy here.
We rated our "paranormal experiences" based on our personal perceptions. Visual activity include: apparitions, shadows, things caught on the cameras, objects moving, etc. Auditory activity include: voices, sounds that can't be explained and sounds recorded on audio. Physical activity include: any presence we feel being in the location or being touched/pushed/etc. Other activity to report would be anything experienced which would not fit into any of the above categories.
Visual: There was an unexplained glitch/bump in our video of the toy/home exhibit. I felt as though I could see some movement which is what prompted me to record here.
Auditory: We did pick up some EVP readings, however this was not the focus as we weren't trying to communicate here. EVPs: WIFE, FINGER, LIKE, HAPPY, DISCUSS, TWO, JANELL, WILLIE.
Physical: Not active.
Other: Not active.
If you're in the area, ghost enthusiast or not, we definitely recommend stopping by to absorb some history. If you have a ghost story, we'd love to hear it! Leave us a comment below and subscribe to receive updates.