Hometown history
Eau Claire researcher makes stop on Saturday to talk about local paranormal activity
Janelle Gergen
Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: Showcase
Paranormal researcher Chad Lewis has traveled the world searching for the unexplainable. From looking for vampires and werewolves in Transylvania to the Loch Ness monster in Scotland and Big Foot in Canada, he has spent more than 14 years researching the bizarre history of places around the world.
This Saturday, Lewis is offering two free presentations in Eau Claire to share some of this strange history. But it won't be the history of Transylvania or Scotland or Canada - these stories will be from right here in the Chippewa Valley. Lewis said the presentations will show strange things don't happen only in far-off exotic places, but that there are a lot of interesting stories even around here.
"This presentation illustrates that there are a lot of weird things going on … in people's own backyards," he said. "The theme is the odd history … and not just odd reports in the newspaper … it's going to focus on the weird side, everything from ghosts and sea serpents to UFOs … and strange people as well."
The stories he will tell will mostly be set about 100 years in the past, but they haven't been altered. Most of them came directly out of old newspapers.
"You're hearing these stories from the town gossip or like you just picked up the newspaper from your front porch," Lewis said.
For example, in 1908, a man took a giant swordfish out of the Chippewa River, he said. Swordfish live in salt water, and so how it got into the river is a mystery.
Also, there's a story about a meteor that struck Eau Claire, and hundreds of residents saw it fall. However, no one could find it, and after days of looking, they eventually gave up.
"(The stories) are a fun mystery for anyone who maybe wants to solve them," Lewis said.
The first of the two presentations will be at 2 p.m. at the Chippewa Valley Museum, 1204 Carson Park Drive. It will be a family-friendly version, he said, because the museum attracts a lot of families with children. The presentation will be free with museum admission, which is $4 for adults and $2 for children or students.
This Saturday, Lewis is offering two free presentations in Eau Claire to share some of this strange history. But it won't be the history of Transylvania or Scotland or Canada - these stories will be from right here in the Chippewa Valley. Lewis said the presentations will show strange things don't happen only in far-off exotic places, but that there are a lot of interesting stories even around here.
"This presentation illustrates that there are a lot of weird things going on … in people's own backyards," he said. "The theme is the odd history … and not just odd reports in the newspaper … it's going to focus on the weird side, everything from ghosts and sea serpents to UFOs … and strange people as well."
The stories he will tell will mostly be set about 100 years in the past, but they haven't been altered. Most of them came directly out of old newspapers.
"You're hearing these stories from the town gossip or like you just picked up the newspaper from your front porch," Lewis said.
For example, in 1908, a man took a giant swordfish out of the Chippewa River, he said. Swordfish live in salt water, and so how it got into the river is a mystery.
Also, there's a story about a meteor that struck Eau Claire, and hundreds of residents saw it fall. However, no one could find it, and after days of looking, they eventually gave up.
"(The stories) are a fun mystery for anyone who maybe wants to solve them," Lewis said.
The first of the two presentations will be at 2 p.m. at the Chippewa Valley Museum, 1204 Carson Park Drive. It will be a family-friendly version, he said, because the museum attracts a lot of families with children. The presentation will be free with museum admission, which is $4 for adults and $2 for children or students.
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