BOB KING
By
The Celebrities Psychic
NANCY BRADLEY
BOB KING, manager and head photographer with GOLD RUSH GHOSTS INTERNATIONAL PARANORMAL INVESTIGATIONS, and a seasoned investigator with the television show INVESTIGATING THE UNKNOWN WITH GOLD RUSH GHOSTS has a history of ghosts and other strange occurrences finding him. The 40 year old ex navy officer and cop is a no nonsense type of guy. But there are some things he just could not explain away from many years ago, and that triggered his wanting to be a part of a paranormal group looking for answers. We assured him that some people are just ‘magnets’ for spirit communication, and that he just happens to be one of them. Starting from his teenage years.
Greenwood Road is the only major road that runs through Garden Valley , California where Bob grew up. The tiny little hamlet consists of two small lanes that weave their way through the woods to the next little town and then to Hwy 193, which after many miles takes you to, well, OTHER little towns. Bob and his family growing up lived on Greenwood Road , right behind the remnants of the Gold Rush Days 1800s Rosecrans (Z) gold mine. Lost through time we do not know why the mine was named the Rosecrans. The upper building was made in the old tradition of cement and wood and was originally three stories high. Time, as with all things, by the time Bob and his family moved there had taken its toll on the Rosecrans. Each year it crumbles further, courtesy of the rains and wind that come in the fall and winter. If you could get up closer, you would know for certain the rotted base will also soon give away. The remaining Rosecrans will then cease to stand, because like all other things abandoned and forgotten, it cannot survive without proper care and maintenance.
In its heyday, this mine was not a hearty producer of gold, especially in comparison to other mines in the area. Its major accomplishment was in 1888, when it hit its peak by producing $21,000 in gold ore, yielded per 10 ton. Originally it was worked to an inclined depth of 200 feet, and then it closed down. It reopened for three years, from 1936 to 1939, and then, right there in the middle of the woods, it ceased operation for good. Records show that no further substantial find was pulled from the earth in the vicinity surrounding the Rosecrans Mine.
What sets this mine apart from the others is that, as far back as the community can remember, strange perverse sounds and flickering lights had been observed from the abandoned edifice. On summer evenings, in the stillness of the forest, banging can be heard, as if someone is still working the mine. Busy laughter fills the air. Ah, it takes just one authoritative voice, and the laughter stops.
Sheriffs are often called as hammers pound invisible nails. No one is there and nothing seems moved or altered, as years of dust and debris remain on the ground untouched. No timbers have fallen and there are no footprints in the dirt.
Enter Bob.
“When a teenager I had heard the stories about the abandoned mine right behind our cabin in the woods. For those of us who thrive on adventure, there is no reason to be frightened by the unknown. Obviously it did not take much coaching for my friend Eric to get involved, he and I were always up for an adventure, damn, there was very little to do in this tiny community. We decided to take a trip to the mine.”
King stopped to remember and then began his story again.” A long dirt path exists through the woods adjacent to the Rosecrans. It is, as then, overrun with brush and fallen trees, but we were game to go back there. We had our flashlights with us, and we picked up three other students, friends, to enjoy this adventure with us. My friend brought along his German shepherd, a very well-trained dog and we headed down the long path through the brush. The dog strutted ahead of us. Occasionally he would chase a squirrel through the woods and then reappear. All was going rather well.”
Bob King and Liz Harrison of Gold Rush Ghost checking out the tunnel under the Folsom Hotel.
And then they heard it.
“The dog repositioned himself before us, trying to stop us from going any further. He refused to go any further on the path, and in fact, took his masters sleeve in his mouth and growled at us when we started to move forward. His fur rose on his back, and he circled us, pushing us back.
“Naturally as crazy kids, fearless and showing off for the girls, we wanted to know more”, King continued “In front of us we heard the sound of earth moving. It was like something collapsing. And then we heard clanging and one loud bang. We clearly heard the sound of someone working at that old abandoned mine.”
Over the years GOLD RUSH GHOSTS has questioned King and all of his companions of that day. Their story has never altered. “There was hammering and voices, and then it all faded away, getting softer until we couldn’t hear it anymore. The dog seemed confused as to what was going on as were we.”
“In that split second, the dog did something he had never done before, or since, he put his tail between his legs and took off for home. We were not far behind him.”
Before they left the site of the mine however, they also saw the mysterious light which shows itself at all times of the evening, in any time of year, and in all weather, but statistically mostly in the fall. We at GOLD RUSH GHOSTS have found that it can be elusive, but most always hovers to the left side of the mine head and crasher section of the old edifice.”
These days we have the occurrence on tape.
But back to Bob. On another occasion he had to go to the abandoned mine he heard a man screaming for help because he was drowning. There is no water there at all……currently. Of course it is known that years ago, open stopes were used all along the old shaft, both to the north and south of it, and the holes are now filled in with water and debris yielded by the forest. Many people disappeared at the time of the Gold Rush and some mysteriously. Few records were kept. “We wonder who this is, and we will continue to look into the phenomena until we find out who this suffering ghostly soul is” King said.
This old abandoned mine started the pathway to King’s addiction to the strange and unknown. He spoke about another interesting thing that happened.
“Another incident was when my mother and I were driving up a country road a few years ago” he told us. “There were mountains and trees all around us on this winding road. Overhead about 200 feet, we saw an object hovering completely still and silent. It was about 50 feet long, and was dark colored and had 4 bright lights extruding from it. It was soundless. We stopped and looked at it, wondering how it could be there and not making a sound. And then without warning it took off with tremendous speed. We knew it was a UFO, and we called every agency that we could find. No one admitted to knowing about this craft.
While I was in the military, I had the opportunity to travel the world, visiting numerous countries and have observed many strange happenings.
Today besides my paranormal work, I attend college studying Government Contracting. My life consists of many hours spent studying on the computer and finding time to take out my boat. Other than paranormal work my hobbies are fishing, boating, scuba diving and gold hunting. I content myself with always thinking of new ways to dig into the unknown.
The very popular Bob King is another amazing hunky man from GOLD RUSH GHOSTS INTERNATIONAL PARANORMAL INVESTIGATIONS, looking for truth and finding it. Stay tuned!
More about BOB KING at: WWW.GOLDRUSHGHOSTS.COM
Copyright 2009 @ NANCY BRADLEY
