The International Hotel

Name:            Jason
Email:           Northpal1@Yahoo.com
Location:        Austin, Nevada USA
Anonymous:       
Type:            Ghost
Date:            Sunday, December 12, 1999
Time:            09:23 PM

"The International Hotel"

I spent this summer (1999) living in Austin, Nevada, a town of approx. 200 people located on U.S. Hwy 50, while doing research for my MA thesis. The International Restaurant/Bar (the hotel is now closed) is, I believe, the second oldest in Nevada (don't quote me on it). It was moved to Austin from Virginia City, and their business card claims that the first drink was served in 1863. The International serves as the focus of Austin nightlife (or the closest thing to it), and so of course, I had my share of good times there after long days of fieldwork. I recall being told some time in early June that the International was rumored haunted by a ghost called "Tommy", apparently a former owner or employee.

It didn't strike my as anything more than a small-town tall tale at the time, and I basically forgot about it. I was quickly reminded, however, by an experience in mid July. At about 2:00a.m. on a really warm night, the crowd at the International had dwindled to the bartender, another local and myself. The three of us shot the breeze and eventually the topic of ghosts and ghost stories came up. After we'd all told our best, someone brought up Tommy. We joked around about the alleged specter and related tales we'd heard (none present had ever experienced anything). As we sat talking, and I still can't believe this, the room became very uncomfortably cold. The bartender was wearing a skirt and I had on shorts, and we both commented that it felt like cold air (as though from a freezer) was lightly blowing on the backs of our legs. Even stranger, we were standing on opposite sides of the bar while it happened, so it was coming from several directions simultaneously. The other guy was wearing long pants, but felt the breeze on his arms. Now the door and windows had been shut for a while at this point, it was a still night, and the International has no AC system -- not to mention it had been warm and stuffy just moments before the chill hit. As the room grew cold, the lights on the back bar began to flicker. As we nervously talked, I remember thinking "this can't really be happening" , but it was! Eventually the room warmed up again, the light stopped flickering, and the other local and myself helped the bartender clean up as she was creeped out and didn't want to be in there alone. We all said "goodnight Tommy" and made our exit.

Apparently there are other spirits at the International as well. The owner claims that she occasionally hears a female voice shout her name when she's alone in the restaurant in the early morning getting it ready to open. She also says that kitchen items, silverware/utensils, disappear and reappear pretty frequently. While I was in Austin, a paranormal research group did visit and investigate the International, though I never heard what they found. If anyone out there knows more about the place, it would be great to hear from them.

Jason