Mason House Inn – Steeped in History

End of July 2017, Jeff and I were at the Mason House Inn, located in Bentonsport, Iowa. The place has an amazing history dating back to at least the mid-1800s. Located on and surrounded by a region the Keokuk Indians called home, the building originally served as a hotel to steamboat travelers riding the waterways from St. Louis, Missouri to Fort Des Moines and Fort Dodge, Iowa on the Des Moines River. The structure has survived 6 major floods, the most recent being the flooding of 2008.

Wounded soldiers stayed at the Mason House Inn during the Civil War as the building served as a holding hospital as the men waited for trains or boats to carry them to the hospital in Keokuk, Iowa. Serving as a station on the Underground Railroad, the owners recently discovered a pair of old shackles while having some excavation work done in the backyard. During the early 1900s, the Inn served as a tuberculosis sanitarium until the sanitarium relocated to Des Moines, Iowa as they needed a larger building in which to care for the ill.

Today, more than half of the historic Mason House Inn is furnished with the original antiques purchased by the Mason family in 1857, and the current owners, Chuck and Joy Hanson, continue to locate other original pieces that had been sold in the past. Situated on the river (not to mention all of the limestones in the area!), the place is an amazing little getaway.

The rooms (and the Inn!) are nothing short of exquisite, with some of them sporting massive 9-foot tall walnut headboards, 9-foot tall mirrors, and more. Give the ivories a tickle on the Estey pump organ from 1882 or enjoy the Kimball 1905 piano in the formal parlor and prepare to enjoy an amazing full country breakfast in the morning! Be sure to check out their website for a lot more information and to schedule an overnight stay.

A Haunting We Will Go

Ghost Box Session: Unexpected Results

The weekend we stayed at the Mason House Inn, Chris Moon – Psychic and Paranormal Researcher – was there. After we all had dinner and learned more about the Inn, some of the experiences the current owners and past guests have had, and watched a short film, we all moved to the 2nd floor where Chris Moon set up his Ghost Box, which allows for people to communicate with the dead.

I had no intention of asking any questions to the Ghost Box. To be honest, I wasn’t sold on the idea that this thing was legit. After my experience with it, I cannot say with 100% certainty if I believe it works or not, but I can say that my level of skepticism toward it has been greatly reduced. I don’t know how the box works, so I’m on the fence. I am open-minded toward it, though, and I wouldn’t mind having a longer and private ghost box session with Chris & Mama Moon in the future.

As mentioned, I had no intention of asking any questions. I was quite content to stand there (near a portal, mind you) and listen to others ask their questions and to hear the answers. I don’t know what compelled me to blurt out my question, but I blurted out “Is my brother okay?” The spirits on the other side asked for my brother’s name. I replied, “Brett C*******” (name protected). The spirits said that yes, he was happy and healed and that he was with God.

I left the room in tears, but they were tears of many emotions. Love. Relief. Freed from guilt. I was told when I returned to the room that my brother came through the box and insisted “She has to know.  Chris assured my brother that he would make sure I knew and then thanked him and sent love his way. The only people in that entire room who knew my brother had passed 3 years ago were me, my husband, and our 2 friends; none of us said anything about this to anyone else before even making the trip. There was no reason to.

Now, here’s the thing: To be 100% honest about this – I have only felt the sense of love and peace that washed over me once before in my entire life. I still cannot say if my personal experience with the Ghost Box was real or some extremely elaborate hoax (I have very strong doubts about it being an extremely elaborate hoax), but I can say this…

I slept extremely well that night. Except for the time, I felt someone (who was not there) shove my shoulder as if to wake me. I sent Chris Moon a personal message on Facebook and expressed my sincere thanks for bringing me so much peace. Whether it was real or not, I don’t care. I’m at peace with my brother’s passing. I miss him dearly still, yes, but I can smile when I think of him  – even with tears in my eyes, I can smile – because I know he’s with God.

One more note … the part where the spirits said my brother was healed? No one, other than my husband and our 2 friends, knew how my brother died or that he had Downs syndrome. For me, hearing the words “and he’s healed” pretty much solidified my belief that the Ghost Box with Chris Moon was not an elaborate hoax.

Evidence

When Jeff and I tucked in for the night, we decided to leave our recorder going all night as we slept. I did a quick listen-through on the way home and I can say that I’m very excited to get the recorded files into my Adobe Soundbooth so I can remove some of the background noise (ceiling fan, for example).

I heard what sounded like someone moving furniture above us, something hitting the wood floor, and even what sounded like someone walking on a wood floor. The thing is …. there is no wood floor above the room we stayed in. It’s just attic space.

Conclusion

If you ever get the chance to meet Chris Moon and participate in a Ghost Box session, definitely do it. Both Jeff and I highly recommend a stay at the Mason House Inn, even if there isn’t a paranormal event happening. It’s a beautiful building in a quaint town right along the river.