Is the American River Grange Haunted? Find Out Oct. 30 with Psychic Candace O’Donnell

Many people have passed through the hall of the American River Grange in its 136-year history, and this halloween, psychic and author Candace O’Donnell will stop by to find out if spirits are passing through the hall as well.

The Grange, located at 2720 Kilgore Road, will start the tours of the Grange at 7 p.m. and will conclude the evening with a private tour of Kilgore Cemetery. Shirley Thomas, the secretary for the Grange, said she is hoping O’Donnell can say, once and for all, if the Grange is haunted.

“I know I freak myself out at night,” Thomas said, but she added that she has never actually seen or heard a ghost in the Grange. “You think you see a shadow at night but there’s nothing there… I don’t know what to expect.”

Thomas also said the Grange’s connection to Kilgore Cemetery makes her wonder if restless spirits are wandering through the historic building. “We were in the path between the gold fields and Sacramento,” she said. “If a cowboy passed away on the trail they would be taken to the Grange [now Kilgore] Cemetery.”

Before going to the cemetery, Thomas said, the bodies would rest at the Grange, which was being used as a sort of temporary morgue.

Psychic Candace O’Donnell has already visited Kilgore Cemetery, so Thomas thinks the night should be very entertaining. “She said there’s definite activity out there,” Thomas said.

O’Donnell is urging attendees to bring a camera to the event, and admission is only $5 at the door. The price of admission will be going toward repairing the Grange’s dining hall floor.

To reserve your spot or find out more, Shirley Thomas can be contacted at (916) 806-7149 or at americanrivergrange@yahoo.com.