The Ghosts of Brumder Mansion

When we were first contacted by the owners of Brumder Mansion, I started researching the location and found breath-taking photos of rooms that looked more like a museum than a bed and breakfast. My 7 year-old daughter, the junior ghost hunter, saw the photos and said "Oh Mommy! That place is too lovely to be haunted!" She couldn't have been more right, or more wrong. When we first entered the Brumder, it was like stepping through a time warp. We left the noisy Milwaukee streets behind and entered into a gentler, Victorian era. It was difficult to focus on the task at hand, my eyes kept wandering to the detailed woodworking and the antiques that filled each room. Somehow, the idea of bringing computers and electronic equipment into this building seemed almost sacrilege. A séance of Houdini proportions, complete with silk table cloths, candlelight, and a colorful medium with a crystal ball to entice the spirits to rap once for no, twice for yes, seemed much more appropriate than our technical investigation. But I had to put nostalgia aside and focus on what we were brought in to do- find the ghosts of the Brumder.

The mansion was built in the early 1900's by German publishing tycoon, George Brumder for his family. It was later sold to Samuel Picks, a reported Chicago mobster who hosted prohibition parties in the basement speak-easy. Considering his ties to the Chicago mob, many wonder if Capone himself did not use the mansion as a retreat. After that the mansion served many purposes, it was a boarding house, then owned by a local Lutheran church who used the grounds for youth groups, home for the pastor, and offices. It was later purchased by Carol Hirschi who spent countless hours restoring the mansion and searching for the perfect antiques to fill it.

Present owners Tom & Julie Carr invited Northern Alliance of Paranormal Investigators and experience the building. The mansion is warm and inviting. At every turn elegant woodworking delighted us and carefully chosen antiques filled every space. The space was filled with furniture, photos, dolls, and clothing, many elegant and most likely cherished by previous owners. Because nothing in the building's history suggested any reason for a haunting, we immediately wondered if the activity could be tied to the treasures within

Claims of activity tend to be more friendly and playful. While unnerving because they are unexpected, they are not threatening. Most were harmless and included items being moved, sounds of footsteps, talking etc. One member of the cleaning crew has had the vacuum unplugged on several occasions, once right before his eyes. One closet, in the George room, does give Julie a sense of unease, but overall, it is a charming building.

The basement, home of Pick's speakeasy, the former Catacombs coffee house and future home to some exciting entertainment plans courtesy of Tom & Julie, does tend to give you the "heebie jeebies"- especially the tunnel areas that just scream out bootleg booze storage. An antique wheelchair sits at the end of one tunnel, and it was easy to imagine, that at any moment, it would roll silently towards us.

During the preliminary investigation, two EVPs were recorded. While Julie was relaying a tale of a missing belt that mysteriously reappeared, a voice loudly said, "It was us" and later a strange whistle was recorded. Several more EVPs were recorded during the actual investigation, including a whisper that sounded like, "Don't leave, help me" and the sounds of a cello.

Julie assisted with the manning of the monitors, and several times throughout the evening, we felt an extreme chill. When we checked the temperature with a non-contact thermometer, we noticed something odd- the cold spot was between us & the monitors. Could some curious spirit have been joining us to watch the investigation? Also during the investigation, one investigator felt a gentle hand on his arm while he was sitting in a chair in the Blue Room.

The Brumder does appear to have paranormal activity. It is a perfect haunted get-away for those who enjoy elegance and are looking for a friendly encounter with the paranormal. Bring a camera, but don't expect to sleep much, it is said the ghosts like to stay up late talking.