When AGHOST members came to the Officer’s Inn, they were looking for a little more than a comfortable bed and eggs Benedict, and they found it in the winding catacombs of the building’s basement.

Around midnight Aug. 19, the team of volunteer paranormal investigators took their equipment into the basement of the converted duplex in the Fort Stevens Area and closed themselves into one room, where they had previously communicated with a young girl dressed in clothing reminiscent of “Little House on the Prairie.”

AGHOST has spent the last six months exploring the haunted history of the North Coast. Along with independent investigator Jefferson Davis, 44, of Vancouver, Wash., they have been exploring local landmarks like the Flavel House, the Officer’s Inn and the Liberty Theater.

In November, they will host a conference at the Hotel Elliott discussing every aspect of paranormal investigation, from equipment techniques to a local look at the ghosts that haunt our area.

Davis said that everyone reacts differently to the investigations. Some have had unusual experiences, while others are skeptically obliging to the paranormal buffs.

Davis and the AGHOST volunteers understand the skepticism. They see many things that are easily explained as a natural phenomenon.

“I believe in the possibility of ghosts,” Davis said. “I believe that something happens when we die, but I’m skeptical about the evidence.”

That’s just what groups like AGHOST do: They investigate and try to separate the “facts” from the “myths.” They often question what they see, but they still believe that unusual things happen without a clear explanation.

“I’ve had too many weird things happen to not believe in something,” Davis said.

Part of the role of these investigators is convincing people that they are serious.

“They expect us to have the

proton packs,” said AGHOST’s founder, Ross Allison, 33, referring to the marshmallow-fighting Ghostbusters from the 1984 movie. Allison shares Davis’ skepticism.

“We’re not an organization that says ‘ghosts are out there’,” Allison said. “Our job is to document what we experience and what they experience.”

Rosemary Baker-Monaghan, executive director for the Liberty Theater, is one of the skeptics, and she hasn’t heard or seen anything in the building. But she still took AGHOST on a tour of the theater, where they said they met three ghosts, including one named Charlie who follows people around making sure all goes well with the restored facility. The ghosts, they believe, simply like being in the theater.

Baker-Monaghan remains skeptical, but has no problem, especially if Charlie is making sure everything runs smoothly.

“They’re absolutely welcome here,” Baker-Monaghan said of the ghosts. “I love the building as much as they do.”

Kim Nurding purchased the Officer’s Inn in December 2005, having no idea that it was such a hot-spot for the paranormal. She said she’s not sure about the existence of ghosts, but admits a few strange things have happened since she bought the building, including a scratching sound that happens around 5 a.m. each morning.

“I’m not part of that thread,” Nurding said, remaining skeptical even after her daughter came running out of the haunted basement room, terrified of some figure she saw there. But Nurding welcomes the group she calls “Ghostbusters” and said she wouldn’t mind if there were ghosts in the building.

“I don’t have a problem with it,” Nurding said.