The Old "New Lincoln School" Mini Investigation
This blog post was written by Sierra Swan, one half of Two Halves of a Soul.
East Junior High School, formerly known as “Lincoln School”, was built and dedicated in 1931 by Mayor George Mead. The new 3 story School was built next to the original Lincoln School building, which was later torn down, and is located at 311 Lincoln Street in Wisconsin Rapids, WI. It became a staple in Wisconsin Rapids, with thousands of students walking the halls day after day for 87 years before the doors were closed after the 2018 school year.
The first large addition was built in 1958, connecting Lincoln School and Witter Vocational school, which more than doubled the size of the school building. The second large addition was a large wing that provided 15 classrooms as well as extending and refinishing the fieldhouse flooring, completed in 1961. Student enrollment continued to skyrocket, and the school was operating at full capacity. Due to the influx of students over the years, the city was preparing to build a new larger school on 16th Street. The new Lincoln High School building on 16th Street opened its doors in 1979, housing grades 10-12, and Lincoln School was renamed “East Junior High School”. East Junior High housed grades 7-9 for students living on the East side of the river, until 2010 when the school district combined the two junior high schools for grades 8-9 at East Junior High, and grades 6-7 at the former West Junior High School. The doors were sadly closed to students at the end of the 2018 school year.
I was fortunate enough to walk those very halls at East Junior High from grades 7-9 in the years 2008-2011. At the time, I was completely oblivious to the energy and spirits around me as I had repressed my abilities at a young age. That didn’t stop the spirits from trying to communicate with me. I always had an eerie feeling in the locker rooms located in the basement level of the school. I heard my name called several times in completely empty stairwells, never felt alone in the elevator, and always had a deep fascination with the tunnels below the school. I remember my band teacher, Mrs. Olson, catching me several times lifting the trap door in one of the practice rooms trying to get a better look and find a way down. They eventually turned that practice room into a break room for the music teachers, probably to keep us curious kids from trying to venture down. It was always a goal of mine to go into the tunnels with one of the janitors I befriended (up until I graduated), but sadly never got the opportunity. Aside from the tunnels, there were always rumors of an upper gym and pool that were closed, however I have never been able to find proof of these rumors. Since moving into the paranormal world, it has always been a dream of mine to have the opportunity to investigate the empty, brick walls of East Junior High School, but unfortunately will not have the opportunity. That never stops true paranormal investigators, though.
On the evening of Tuesday, August 16th, 2022, Whitney and I decided to investigate the perimeter since we were denied entry. We were not prepared for the number of intelligent responses and the activity we would capture that night. We began by feeling out the energy around the building, and inviting the spirits to share their stories or communicate with us and explaining how to use the iOvilus device. They began trying to figure the device out, choosing somewhat random words such as “similar”, “cells”, “digital”, and calling us “geeks”.
We began walking the entire perimeter of the building, starting at the front doors, walking counter-clockwise. The seemingly random words continued, but slowly began making more sense and aligning with the questions we were asking. As we approached the back of the school, by the gymnasium and weight room, we started receiving communication hinting towards the tunnels under the school. The words read:
BELOW. ENTIRE. HUNDRED. CLOISTER. HOLLOWED. RAPTURE. RON. BASEMENT.
“Ron” is the first name we received on the device. We continued asking Ron questions, and he gave us the word “visit”. Instantly, I knew he recognized me from my time at the school, and had always had an inkling that whoever was trying to get my attention all those years ago was a male energy. After this, communication halted, so we decided to take a few more photos out front, and a brief break ourselves. Little did we know, we would capture an orb with a distinct face leading into the hallway that connects the main building to the Home-EC/Music department wings. At first, we brushed it off as a smudge on the glass, until we realized it morphed and disappeared in the two photos taken after. You can clearly see a male facial structure, including two eyes, a nose, and what appears to be an open mouth (as if trying to speak).
Now, to paint a better picture of the school’s layout for you; the main entrance and 3 stories of the school held all the “typical” gen-ed classes (math, science, english, language classes, theater, etc.). The gymnasium, Home-EC classes, and music department were all their own separate wings of the school, with the boiler room connected to the Home-EC department wing on the back/south side of the school. The cafeteria and School District offices were located on the north/back side of the building. The Home-EC and music departments are where we were focusing our attention for the investigation due to the activity we were experiencing.
Although this was only a mini investigation considering we have yet to gain access inside the legendary building, we still attained compelling evidence even from the outside. We’re not quite sure what resides in those tunnels in the basement, but we are hopeful that one day we’ll be given the opportunity to find out.
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