Hannibal, MO: Home of Mark Twain and many Spirits

Location: Robard’s Mansion; Hannibal, Missouri

Date: November 3-5, 2005

This was our first try at actually investigating the paranormal. We found out about the Robard’s Mansion through a local newspaper article about Hannibal and decided to give it a try while we were in town visiting a college over a four-day weekend. After all, the paper claimed that the beautiful mansion was alive with paranormal activity. 

However, when we began talking to the owners, Nedra and Leon McClellan, about it they told us that they had exorcised the house and that it was ghost free. Prior to the exorcism the owners had experienced activity such as the doorbell ringing at the same time each day, the radio coming on, having their laundry folded for them, and even guests reporting seeing a young girl in their rooms. When the owner’s health began to fail, they decided to do something about it- hence the exorcism. After hearing this, our hopes of experiencing any activity dropped… but not for long.

On the first night we stayed in a suite on the second floor. It consisted of a large bedroom, a living room, a second bedroom opposite the other one, and a bathroom off of that second room. During the night my dad, Don, awoke to use the bathroom and heard what sounded like wind above him; however, everything was perfectly still outside the tall windows. He progressed across the living room where my mom, Beverly, slept on the couch and found out that she heard the same sound once he came out of the room. Once in the bathroom the noise continued. The odd part was that it stayed at the same tone despite the door being closed and the ceilings being much lower in the bathroom. According to him, it was a steady blowing that occurred in few-second intervals all the way back to his bed. When he climbed in bed and covered up he felt something touch his leg through the covers. He said that feeling sent chills down his spine.

Imprint on the bed

The next day we went on a ghost tour of the town and heard all of the local legends. For the most part it was laughable, but we did learn to use dowsing rods. In fact, towards the end of the tour they took us to a local restaurant where a famed murder had occurred. We were told that energy still haunted the spot where a man had died, and were supposed to use our rods to find the spot. The rods didn’t cross anywhere in the room except over one table. That table was the exact spot of the murder. For us that added some credibility to dowsing rods.

Body imprint

The owners informed us later that the head of the bed was where Sarah had enjoyed sitting because she could look out the window at the town.

Later, after going to bed, many strange things occurred in that room. My dad slept in the other room while my mom and I shared Sarah’s. At one point my mom and I heard footsteps coming from my dad’s room, across ours, and into the bathroom. However, he was still snoring in his room. At another time I heard whimpering and the sounds of a child crying from an area on my mom’s side of the bed. She wasn’t awake at the time, but it seemed to be coming from beside her.

The next morning we told the owners of our experience, but Leon seemed hesitant to believe us. After all, the last time they had ghosts there his health had begun to fail. Nedra was more open to the idea, but what could possibly be done about it.

Our explanation? Self-exorcisms must not work.

Hayley.