The group we belonged to at the time met at the home at seven and did a walk through with the current owners. We broke into smaller groups to take baseline photos and set up some cams in several bedrooms.

BACKGROUND

This Bed and Breakfast was formerly a privately owned Victorian home that was built in 1898 . The house was built by an A. E. Colburn who was supposedly a black Racing Jockey and later a Jeweler according to the local lore. Further due to his race it was rumored that Mr. Colburn was not able to move into the house with his new bride and that they disappeared mysteriously. C. J. Baker, a superintendent of schools purchased the house and kept it until 1977 and it has been referred to as the Baker House since that time.

ACTIVITIES REPORTED

From an investigation several years ago while some were a part of another group it had been reported that an ornate buffet table in the dining room had a habit of opening and closing on its own. Supposedly, apparitions had also been seen.

OBSERVATIONS/PERSONAL EXPERIENCES:

The bed and breakfast has changed hands since the original investigation several years ago, the ornate buffet is gone and the current owners have not witnessed any paranormal activity.

NOTES AND VALIDATIONS:

While no paranormal activity was witnessed there were a number of EVP responses to our questions which provided validations as well as debunked the mysterious disappearance.

Research on our investigations becomes an ongoing process that continues even after the investigation concludes. We still try to fill in the gaps with information gleaned from EVPs and historical data.

We uncovered no evidence that A.E. (Artemas Colburn) was a Racing Jockey. However the Arkansas History Commission had an 1893 City Directory that listed him as a jeweler. We also captured an EVP where we asked his occupation and got the reply Jewelry Repair.

Based upon the census reports 1870 US Census pg 48 Franklin County New Hampshire HH375 line 37 listed Artemas 7 years old with family, 1900 US Census Pulaski County Arkansas ED 91 Sheet 7 listed Artemas(born New Hampshire) as a Jeweler and Watch Maker living with his family and the 1893 City Directory listing him as a Jeweler, it is unlikely he could ever have had a career as a jockey. The Census data further indicates that he was caucasion.

In 2009 while reviewing old EVPs and making an attempt to resolve faint EVP answers to several questions, more information was uncovered. There were some that indicated that he left the house to take care of a sick sister in Washington. Further research yielded the following which debunked the mysterious disappearance: 1910 US Census King county Washinton ED 95 Sheet 11B listed Artemas as a Jewelry Manufacturer living with his family and 1920 US Census King county Washinton ED 249 Sheet 5B listed just his wife and daughter

To help establish a timeline we had also asked who was President at the time Mr.Colburn lived there. We got the answer "Theodore Roosevelt" and some more faint information that said "he visited here". Further research revealed that Roosevelt did visit and make a speech in the City Park in 1905. Ref: www.arkansas.com/pdf/presidential_pathways.pdf, http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=5687. The EVP also mentioned he brought his horse which we have not been able to validate yet.

CONCLUSION:

Nothing of the previously reported activity was witnessed and some of the purported reasons for the haunting were debunked. However, while we do not consider this to be a traditional haunting, there is the matter of the EVPs captured which were validated. That would seem to indicate that there is intelligent spiritual activity there.