Ghosts along the Canal: The Restless Spirit of Lockkeeper's Inn

N.A. Reiter, L.L. Schillig

02 February, 2002

BACKGROUND:

In late 2001, we corresponded briefly with a young woman from the Cleveland area about a haunted restaurant in Independence, Ohio, which lies south of Cleveland. In her younger years, the woman claimed she used to have to walk past the establishment late at night on her way to work and found the experience to be very unnerving. After hours, the historical landmark assumed an eerie proportion and aura. When a new job took her away from the old neighborhood, she was glad for more reasons than just the promise of better pay!

The restaurant, known as Lockkeeper’s Inn, is situated on the banks of the old Ohio - Erie Canal. Very recently, the establishment has been closed down, and the business was moved (keeping the name) to a new building across the canal on the western side. While our correspondent did not encounter any apparitions during her walks past the old Lockkeeper’s, she claimed the atmosphere of uneasiness and fear was undeniable. It was also pointed out to us that the stories of a ghost at the restaurant were known widely in the area, and quite a mystique had grown over the decades. The young woman pointed out (as we later found to be erroneously) that the ghost was the result of a murder of a woman in the 1800's.

In early January, we spoke by phone with the manager of Lockkeeper’s Inn, Bob Conforto, who graciously granted us permission to search about the old restaurant building for ourselves. He was quite familiar with the tales about his establishment, though in wise business fashion, declined any firm position as to his own belief in the resident ghost!

Our Investigation:

On January 19, 2002, we arrived in Independence as large flakes of snow began to fall from the east Ohio skies above. We had been directed to go to the new restaurant to meet with Bob, the manager, who would then take us across the canal to the old building. Upon our arrival, we found the staff and management of the new restaurant to be in the midst of pre-opening training. We sipped some lemonade and spent a short while talking with Mr. Conforto and a few of the staff, who had been excitedly looking forward to our arrival.

The new Lockkeeper’s is an immaculate gem of a restaurant, decorated in a 1920's Euro-deco style right out of "The Great Gatsby". The cuisine is Italian, and we felt that if it matched the elegance and precision of the staff and ambience; it promises to be one of the great dining experiences in Northeast Ohio.

Bob and staff related a brief history of the establishment and the story behind the ghost, while Lori distanced herself so as not to hear pertinent details before her intuitive walk through.

The first structure on the location was a small inn or tavern, built about 1830 - actually on the western side of the canal near Lock #37 where the new restaurant is. Little seems to be known about this business. In 1870, the building was moved to the east bank of the canal, and became known as Zimmerman's Tavern. Amazingly, this name remained with the business for over a century. The tavern was purchased by the current owning and operating family in 1981 and was renamed Lockkeeper’s Inn. With the change of the name, the format of the establishment changed (for the better) and Lockkeeper’s began its local tradition as an Italian restaurant.

The tale of the resident ghost began in relatively recent times, it turns out. In 1945, Zimmerman's Tavern was purchased by a maverick local business woman, Sophie Sarnacki. During this era, rumors and reputations seemed to accompany the new ownership, and Zimmerman's Tavern was viewed by many as a house of "ill repute". For whatever side ventures were being operated on the premises, Sophie appeared to have made a variety of business enemies - to a deadly degree. On May 24, 1956, Sophie Sarnacki was gunned down near the kitchen of the tavern by an unknown assailant.

It is Sophie Sarnacki's ghost that supposedly haunts the now empty restaurant. To anyone's knowledge, there were no ghosts in the building before her death.

Over the years, the primary source of reports of ghostly activity were some of the staff, as well as delivery people who frequented the location. Footsteps on the second floor, creaking stairs, moving doors and windows, and glimpses of swiftly moving figures have all been reported. One long-time employee who typically took the morning shift as opener and maintenance would often turn the bar room TV up to a high volume to drown out the unnerving sounds of walking upstairs, when no other living human was in the building.

We followed Bob across the canal bridge and began our investigative walk-through. See our photo of the old Lockkeeper’s Inn building. (click pic to enlarge)

Lori, who had not been privy to Bob's description of the restaurant's history, made her usual preliminary intuitive and dowsing walk-through. Nick followed at a distance, with both digital and film cameras and our "light assortment" of instruments (Hall magnetometer, compass, electroscope, high gain microphone, and ultrasonic sniffer).

Little was detected electro-magnetically or electro-statically. A slight and unexplained magnetic distortion was seen near the upper landing of a set of stairs leading to the basement. This same location appeared to correlate to a strong dowsing reaction on Lori's part.

Photographically, we did find a number of the digital shots contained well-defined and interestingly placed "orb" images. One of the more impressive shots is shown here. (click pic to enlarge)

Lori picked up very little in the way of intuitive imagery or psychometric impressions. She did, however, have three strong dowsing rod reactions on the main (ground) floor of the building:

1. Over a large round table in the far southeast corner of the east dining room.
2. At a point near the upper landing of the stairs going to the basement.
3. A very strong reaction at a point in the kitchen - near the stairway leading to the second floor.

It is this last impression that is most significant. Without previous knowledge, Lori in actuality correctly pinpointed (as later told to us by Bob) the location of the murder - Sophie Sarnacki's five-bullet demise!

We spent some additional time interviewing managers and accountants who were still working out of an office area on the second floor. It seems as though while many of the staff and management had encountered the activity of some unknown entity thought to be Sophie's ghost over the years, many others had not. Neither of the ladies interviewed in the restaurant offices (both long-term employees) had ever experienced anything ghostly!

By the time our departure was imminent, Bob had been called into a meeting back at the new restaurant. We paid our thanks and salutations to the well-polished staff before heading off.

Conclusions:

As haunted locations go, it appeared as though the phenomena at Lock-keeper's Inn was relatively subdued. While Lori was certainly able to pick out some locations of strong and lingering energy patterns with her dowsing rods (such as the spot of Sophie's death) there was little evidence that an active roaming spirit was present. Physically, there also seemed to be very little anomalous activity measured by our instruments, with the exception of a few interesting orb images.

Overall, while we cannot rule out that the sad and angry ghost of Sophie Sarnacki still stalks the rooms and upper halls of Lock-keeper's Inn, it is more likely the old energetic essences of the tragic events that linger on.

We regret also to note that the old restaurant may face demolition soon, now that it is being emptied. Apparently, over the decades, too many alterations and remodeled additions were made for the building to qualify any longer as an historical site. With the old Zimmerman's Tavern building gone, will the shade and essence of Sophie walk the empty bank of the canal? Or will she take up a far more plush haunt in the stylish new restaurant across the way? Only time and local legend will tell.

In closing we would like to thank Bob Conforto and the staff and management of Lock-keeper's Inn for their courtesy, interest, and time.

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