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Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Former Tulare County General Hospital rumored to be haunted


While doing some research for another article I'm working on I came across the story of the Hillman Health Clinic in Tulare County.

The set of buildings located on K Street and Bardsley Ave were formerly part of the old Tulare County General Hospital center. When the hospital moved to its current location on Cherry Ave, the buildings were converted to be used as a public and mental health clinic (with other services that occupy the second floor and maintenance housed in the basement).

Most activity seems to be centered on the second floor and in the basement. The elevator will move between floors and when the doors open there is no one inside. The evening cleaning crew refuse to work past 9:00 pm as heavy footsteps can be heard on the floor even when it's empty. And apparently a staff member was once taken to the basement even though they pressed the button for a different floor.

In the basement a maintenance worker reported seeing shadowy figures several times moving around and even walking through walls. The strangest incident was when they were asked by a supervisor to check on a room for something. As they approached the room the witness came across a nurse dressed in a white uniform and had a white cap with a red cross on it. Curious as to why a nurse would be in the basement, he turned around but she had disappeared. Upon returning to his supervisor he asked if any nurses were in the basement, but was told there wasn't any. When he described the uniform, the supervisor looked confused as she said that type of uniform hadn't been worn by the nurses in decades.

I've always wondered if hospitals were haunted, given the amount of death that must occur here as well as the amount of emotions that the place had seen over the years. Perhaps the footsteps being heard are a residual haunting, were the same event is played over and over. But what of the incidents that happen with the elevator? Someone still trying to leave the hospital even after all these years?

And then there's the story of the nurse. Obviously the worker saw someone who worked there many years ago, but why was she still there? I know most people think that a person haunts the place where they die (and this is definitely possible with a hospital), but I've always been of the belief that someone may haunt where they were most happy. And in the case of the nurse, it was where she worked (which would explain the uniform).

Whatever the reasons may be, there is definitely something wandering the floors of the Hillman Health Clinic late at night.

9 comments:

Richard G. Crockett said...

Hi,

I'm a local, and I've been searching for Fresno oriented blogs and found this one. Interesting stuff!

With regard to hospitals, all hospitals, everywhere? I cannot imagine ANY that are NOT haunted. They are, I am sad to say, after all, places where many people suffer and die.

Best,
Rick

Anonymous said...

I was admitted to this hospital recently May 2016. Tulare Reginal Medical Center. From the very moment I arrived at this hospital as I was entering the front entrance, I felt uncomfortable as if though the hospital was giving me uneasy feeling about it. My daughter came to visit me during my stay and it was weird that without me mentioning this to her she mentioned to me her feeling as she entered the hospital which was the same feelings I had. During my 2 days stay on the second floor I constantly heard a man's voice at night crying out for help which I found strange being that I was on the surgery floor and most of the patients are heavy sedated with pain-killers I didn't understand why someone would be yelling for help. Anyway, After I had surgery I was instructed by the RN that I had to get out of bed to walk. My husband and I walked down the hallway towards the elevator's and ran into a Hispanic woman standing at the elevators. She asked me if I spoke Spanish and I answered "yes". She then asked me if we could help her with the elevator because she had been pressing the buttons for a while and the doors wouldn't open. My husband assisted her in pressing the button and the doors opened. Later that evening after my husband was going home and headed towards the elevators to leave. He said he got on the elevator, pressed the button and that the elevator wouldn't move. He pressed the button several times and still there was no movement. After waiting several minutes, the elevator it began to move and instead of taking to the first floor to leave the hospital it took him to the basement. He didn't find it strange at all at the time. However, after reading this article his opinion has changed.

Anonymous said...

TRMC and Hillman clinic are 2 separate places. 1is a clinic and 1is the only Tulare hospital. I know both are haunted. But both have also been places of joy with new births. Hillman way back in the day and Trmc now.I work there nights and have seen my share of both. Death is part of life. Hauntings are expected. There's much more then just our own life... respect the unknown. Of course demise any evil. Pray homes

chris said...

My grandma was in and out of this hospital in the spring of 2017. I'd say from Feb - March 2017. She was battling cancer, a collapsed lung & pneumonia. While in the hospital, she confided to my mom/uncle (possibly her other kids; I am not sure) that she was seeing a "dark man" in the window. Mind you, she was on the second floor. She was scared of the "dark man" & my mom would close the blinds when she reported seeing him. She would say she could only see his face/head & she was unable to see any facial features, as it was all dark. But interestingly enough, she said he was smoking a cigarette. To us, it seemed like it was mocking her; she was a smoker her whole life, and her cancer had spread from the lungs to her bones & brain. Because she the cancer had spread to her brain & she was on pain meds, it could be possible that she was hallucinating I suppose. She spent the end of her life at home on hospice, and never reported seeing the dark man. My mom said she felt uneasy at the hospital as did my cousin. He described it as "energy draining". I usually am in touch with senses, but I suppose because of everything going on with my grandma, I was out of it & didnt feel anything.

Rev.Robert said...

Hello,,, I am a male Nurse, over 70 now an retired,, I stated that because it was rare in those days to have a man as a nurse,,an I am not gay by the way,, married with four kids an ten grand kids,, I also was the only male in my two year LVN an then onto the 4 year RN nursing class,,, then the RN class lasted 4 years with tons of pre-recks,,,we were real nurses an did everything needed, not like the 9 month wonder kids they have now, mostly sitting at the computer,, I worked for the The Tulare County General Hospital for many years,,, at first on the Surgery Floor then in the ER,, It was the most enjoyable time of my nursing career, I worked there during the 1970's,80.s the hospital was old even then, owned an operated by Tulare county an run quite well,, working day, PM or Night shift you could hear many sounds of people talking, bumps, machine noises,,call bells beeping when no one was in the room,, baby's being born,, sounds of old time ambulances sirens blaring, I have even seen patients walking the hall an when ask may I help you, they were not there,,, however no one seem actually sad or lonely, for they new a Nurse was always there to help an care for them,,,I later went on to get my Masters, Then Phd, But being a Regular Nurse was my favorite time,,, when I die,, maybe I will be back on duty at my favorite Hospital that I loved,,, O,, by the way Nurses an Staff always took the stairs, unless we were transporting a Patient somewhere,,,, Rev. Robert

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Unknown said...

I was employed at the hospital from 1975-1880: orderly, Lvn and RN student, premed major.

Unknown said...

Employed there 1975-1980