Location Description and History

Clem "Pop" Shaffer was born in Harmony, Indiana on July 20, 1880 and was the 13th of 16 children of a blacksmith and a housewife. His father’s blacksmithing occupation was a common and necessary trade during the era, and his skills, he apprenticed to Pop. Pop wasn’t just a blacksmith though, he was also a merchant, horse trader, land speculator, philanthropist, patriot and more. The creative artist was a dreamer whose main efforts included materializing his dreams. In the early 1900s, Pop chose Mountainair, New Mexico as his artistic outlet. Mountainair, at the time, was a thriving community known as "The Pinto Bean Capital of the World" and was a beehive of activity and enterprise; it served as a picturesque and savvy setting that allowed Pop Shaffer’s efforts to culminate into reality.

In 1908, Pop arrived in Mountainair and tired of wooden buildings that kept burning, Pop crafted a building out of cast-concrete that he reinforced with old iron fractions. These scrap pieces soon became Pop’s Indian motif interpretation: the Shaffer Hotel. The artist didn’t finish with the impressive Shaffer Hotel however, he continued shaping and molding concrete until he circled today’s western gazebo area with an exquisite motif concrete gate.

Pop did not arrive in Mountainair alone. After his first wife died, Pop met Lena Imboden Shaffer, a Mountainair native, who eventually became his second wife. Lena was affectionately nicknamed "Ma" and is said to be "the reason it all worked." When Pop later wrote his memoirs, he said, "Lena was the most wonderful stepmother that ever was."

Jackie Hudgeons, Pop’s granddaughter, said: "She must have been a saint. She was awfully tolerant of Grandpa." Ma, Pop, and their children (two of which were from his first marriage) lived on a homestead (Rancho Bonito) south of Mountainair. Pop's Rancho Bonito, is located just south of Mountainair and is decorated as elaborately as the Shaffer Hotel. Pop’s Rancho Bonito creations are considered among the finest works of the Pueblo-Deco period and are a delight to see.

Mountainair grew with the development of the Santa Fe Railroad. The wonderful old railroad station, though no longer carrying passengers, still runs and is a delight to see. In fact, at the turn-of-the century, new railroads brought "immigrant trains" full of homesteaders who turned Mountainair’s desolate plains into "The Pinto Bean Capital of the World."

When not capturing the hearts of train enthusiasts, Mountainair, New Mexico is also appropriately sought as the "Gateway to the Ancient Cities." Here, you’ll find the remains of majestic mission churches that once footed now deserted pueblos and settlements. The ruins of ancient pueblos and grand 17th century churches, scenic mountains, unique folk-art Pueblo-Deco buildings, and a downtown right out of a Western movie, all create a rustic yet alluring New Mexico hot spot.

THE ORIGINAL HOTEL HAD 33 EUROPEAN STYLE SLEEPING ROOMS WITH NO PRIVATE RESTROOMS. RENOVATIONS WERE COMPLETED IN 2005 AND THE HOTEL REOPENED IN 2006 WITH 14 MODERN ROOMS WITH PRIVATE BATH AND 5 TRADITIONAL. FOR THE 5 REMAINING TRADITIONAL ROOMS WITHOUT PRIVATE BATHS THERE ARE 2 COMMUNITY BATHS. THE HOTEL IS A TWO STORY RUST COLORED BUILDING WITH MULTI COLORED TRIM WORK AROUND THE WINDOWS AND DOORS. PARKING IS OUT FRONT ON MAIN STREET AND ON THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING.

History from the hotel's website

The hotel is believed to be haunted by Pop and Ma Shaffer. Most reported phenomena revolves around the feeling of being watched, sensed presence and the occasional odd movement of objects.

This ghost hunt was conducted during a media gig with the Edge radio (104.1FM) and Channel 4 news.

During the evening we would get occasional short term EM emissions with a frequency of 33Hz. However nothing was captured on the X-Spectrum camera until we were upstairs on the third pass through the building. While the hallway was being filmed, the X-spectrum captured two 2 odd images in sequence. The photographs taken before and after have nothing of interest in them.

On our 5th pass, we recorded audio in the poolroom downstairs and caught the following possible EVPs.

EVP

Sample	Answer
People have been experiencing things. Are you responsible for that?
Can you tell us your name at least?

Photographs

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