According to some people, Napa River Inn is haunted
By Matthias Gafni/Times-Herald, Vallejo
TheReporter.Com

On April 1, 1912, Albert Hatt Jr. hung himself from a wooden beam in his
family's warehouse.
According to some, the building on the banks of the Napa River in the
city's downtown district has never been the same. In fact, they say it's
haunted.
Nearly a century later, the old feed store serves as the Napa River Inn,
a charming hotel in the heart of wine country. Ironically, its haunted
mystique has actually helped business, said Sara Brooks, the hotel's
assistant general manager.
"We get quite a few people specifically requesting to stay in a haunted
room and then we get quite a few people specifically requesting to stay
out of a haunted room," Brooks said.

The Napa River Inn is one of many so-called haunted landmarks throughout
the region that you can reach on a tank of gas.
Jonna Miller, a paranormal researcher and author of the historical
fiction novel "Haunting for Time," has cataloged many local places that
claim to be haunted.
"You live in a very interesting area. I'd love to have more time to
research your area," the Fresno author said in a recent phone interview.
She too had heard of the Napa River Inn and the sad tale of Hatt Jr.
When he hung himself at the age of 46, Hatt Jr., a recent widower with
five children, suffered from poor health and business troubles. The
somber site of his death now houses Sweetie Pies Bakery.

Room 208, the room directly above the bakery, and its neighboring rooms,
have seen numerous reports of paranormal activity, Brooks said.
"A few people say they've seen people dressed in period garb and try and
go talk to them and then they disappear," she said.
Most of the comments are from guests who say something mysteriously
moved items in their room, Brooks said.

Some guests have more intense experiences.
Recently, two women stayed in a room and complained that in every photo
they took in the hotel, one woman's face would appear blurry. The women
came to the front desk, showed Brooks 15 pictures on their digital
camera and left.
"They really flipped out," she laughed. "They checked out a day early."

Not everyone is cut out for ghost hunting, says Miller, but for those
who want to travel to different haunts and experience it properly they
must keep an open mind. And bring a camera.
"I never go anywhere without my camera," Miller said.
Even Vallejo has its haunted areas, especially Mare Island, Miller said.

She's recently been contacted by a Vallejo woman who lives in the new
housing on Mare Island.

"She's seen some military ghosts," Miller said.

"On the causeway bridge, people have seen different people walking
across and then they've just disappeared into the mist."