Join us on December 18th as we speak with Jefferson Davis – No, not THAT Jefferson Davis… This one is an author, historian, paranormal investigator, world traveler, and more!

Tune in at 7:00 pm Pacific, 9:00 pm Central, 10:00 pm Eastern!

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About Jeff Davis

Jeff Davis has lived in the Peculiar World for most of his life. As a boy, he decided to become an archaeologist and investigate the odd and unusual after watching the original Mummy movie with Boris Karloff.

For many years, Jeff worked in the woods of Pacific Northwest’s Cascade Mountains, the home of Bigfoot. Jeff has encountered many peculiar things while traveling around the world, visiting England, Italy, Bosnia, South Korea, Japan, and Southwest Asia.

Jeff has written, edited, or contributed to over a dozen books, including military history and the paranormal. Some of his books include Weird Washington and Weird Oregon. He has been a guest on Coast to Coast AM, Haunted History, Ghost Adventures, and The Dead Files.

http://www.ghostsandcritters.com/aboutjeffdavis.html

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Jeff Davis: A Longer, Somewhat Boring Biography

Jeff Davis was born in Vancouver, Washington and grew up in the Army, so to speak. Jeff’s father was stationed at the Vancouver Barracks and Jeff grew up playing in and around the barracks. This led to his interest in a military career. This competed with his other interests, ghosts, mythology, and archaeology, which began when he spent many evenings watching old horror movies, such as the original Mummy with Boris Karloff.

Ghosts and Critters Career

Jeff was interested in the paranormal since childhood, but because of job and military commitments, was limited to short investigations and research projects. However, in the late 1990s, during a lull in work and military assignments, Jeff published his first book, Ghosts and Strange Critters of the Pacific Northwest. He wrote this book, and his later manuscripts with a focus on the historical context of hauntings, the who, what, where, and WHY a location might be haunted. Because of his anthropology background, and a natural suspicion of the government, Jeff was also interested in mysteries and conspiracy theories, strange animals, and forgotten facts. He included those in his books as well.

Jeff has written, edited, or contributed to over a dozen books on military history, and the paranormal. Some of these books include, Weird Washington, Weird Oregon, A Haunted Tour Guide to the Pacific Northwest, Ghosts, Critters and Sacred Place of Washington and Oregon, Volumes I – III, and many others. He has been a guest on Coast to Coast AM; and, the History Channel series, Haunted History. Jeff has also been a four-time guest expert on the Travel Channel show, The Dead Files, and two-time guest on Ghost Adventures.

Television Show Appearances

Haunted History was a UFA/Cafe Productions series exploring the supernatural. The American version of the show also debuted in 1998 (as a special) with the same premise of exploring the world to investigate the “haunted history” of reportedly haunted locations. Jeff was the historical consultant and witness for the episode, Northwest.

The Dead Files is an American paranormal television series that premiered on September 23, 2011 on Travel Channel. The program features psychic medium, Amy Allan, and former NYPD homicide detective, Steve DiSchiavi, as they investigate locations that are reported to be haunted.

The Dead Files Episodes

Final Curtain Call: Season 2, Episode 5, air date 18 May 2012. Amy and Steve travel to Vancouver, Washington to investigate reports of frightening paranormal activity at the historic Victorian-era Slocum House Theater, which was the oldest community theater in the area. Amy discovers secrets hiding in the dark corners that include the spirits of children and the ghost of Laura Slocum inhabits the theater, especially when children visitors are present. Jeff was a historic witness/consultant for this episode.

House of Mirrors: Season 6, Episode 3, air date 9 May 2015. Amy and Steve head to Oregon when a man calls desperate for help due to bizarre activity in his home, his partner and son are also victims of the more malevolent activity that occurs in the home. Steve’s research details the past events that had occurred on the land where the property currently sits and Amy’s walk involves sinister entities referred to as “Tricksters” whom seem to have a diabolical purpose for the residents. Jeff was a historic expert for this episode.

The Whispering: Season 7, Episode 12, air date 18 June 2016. Steve and Amy investigate a woman’s claims that the activity in her Concrete, WA, home will kill her. Steve unearths the genocide of a local Indian tribe, while Amy encounters a powerful energy barrier constructed by the dead. Jeff was a historic expert for this episode.

While the Children Sleep: Season 8, Episode 7, air date 5 August 2017. A mother claims malicious paranormal activity is directed at her children and elderly mother. Steve learns of a deadly explosion that killed nearly a dozen people, and Amy encounters a vengeful murder victim. Jeff was a historic expert for this episode.

Ghost Adventures is an American television series about the paranormal that premiered on October 17, 2008, on Travel Channel. Produced by MY-Tupelo Entertainment, the program follows ghost hunters (Zak Bagans, Nick Groff (until season 10), and Aaron Goodwin) as they investigate locations that are reported to be haunted. The show is introduced and narrated by Zak Bagans.

Ghost Adventures Episodes

During Season 16, on all four Saturdays of October, 2018, the Ghost Adventures show aired a four-part mini series filmed in and around Astoria, Oregon. Behind the scenes, Jeff helped located venues and witnesses for each episode. He appeared in two of the episodes as a historic consultant.

Graveyard of the Pacific: Commander’s House: Located in Warrenton, Oregon, aired 20 October 2018. Zak and the crew continue their investigation of the Graveyard of the Pacific at a former military installation near Astoria, Oregon, that’s haunted by a tragic past and home to an aggressive entity.

Graveyard of the Pacific: Cape Disappointment: Located in Ilwaco, Washington, aired 27 October 2018. Zak and the crew conclude their investigation of the Graveyard of the Pacific with a visit to Washington State, where they explore a lighthouse that bore witness to some of the most tragic shipwrecks on the Pacific Coast.

Military Career

While still in high school, Jeff joined the US Army Reserves and spent 32 years in the US Army and Army Reserves. He started off as a private in the infantry and went on to serve three years on active duty. He spent 18 months in Italy, where he helped guard nuclear weapons and the other 18 months at Ft. Lewis, WA, where he served with the 9th Infantry Division. While there, his less pleasant job was as the gunner of a 90mm recoilless rifle. After his three-year hitch, Jeff went to college, went through ROTC, and received a commission along with his Bachelor’s degree.

Jeff ‘branched’ military intelligence and served with several units in the National Guard and Army Reserves. He went on overseas training missions to Japan and Korea, and eventually was mobilized and sent to Bosnia. In Bosnia, he served as a Civil Affairs officer. His most worthwhile duty was organizing a troop of soldiers who volunteered to put on puppet shows for Bosnian orphans in their off-duty hours.

After Bosnia, Jeff received assignments as a military historian. After September 11th, he was mobilized twice as a military historian. He spent most of this time in Southwest Asia and Florida. His duties included conducting interviews with Special Operations forces and writing reports on their actions. After his mobilizations, Jeff became historian for the 104th Division, of the Army Reserves, and unofficial army historian for the Vancouver Barracks. He eventually retired with the rank of Major after 32 years of military service.

Archaeology and Historic Preservation Career

Jeff received a BS in Anthropology from Portland State University, in Portland, Oregon. Between Army and Army Reserve work, Jeff worked for several years as an archaeologist. He worked at the Mt. St. Helen’s National Volcanic Monument, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Mt. Hood National Forest, Umatilla National Forest, and Boise National Forest.

In the 1990s, Jeff lived in England for nearly a year while he studied archaeology at the University of Sheffield. He eventually received a MA in Archaeology and Prehistory, after completing his thesis on the Vikings in Greenland.

Following his several mobilizations during the global war on terrorism, Jeff did not return to archaeology as a full-time job. Instead, he concentrated on the military history and heritage of the Vancouver Barracks and the Pacific Northwest. He and others formed the Vancouver Barracks Military Association (VBMA). Jeff combines his love of military history, the Vancouver Barracks, and the paranormal by giving regular Spirit Tours of the Vancouver Barracks.

Books on the Paranormal

Ghosts and Strange Critters of Washington and Oregon, Norseman Ventures Publishing

Ghosts Critters and Sacred Places of Washington and Oregon I (Revised) Norseman Ventures Publishing

Ghosts Critters and Sacred Places of Washington and Oregon II Norseman Ventures Publishing

Ghosts Critters and Sacred Places of Washington and Oregon III Norseman Ventures Publishing

Haunted Astoria (Revised) Norseman Ventures Publishing

Haunted Tour Guide to the Pacific Northwest, with Janine Davis (Revised) Norseman Ventures Publishing

Portland Rose City Ghosts Volume I Norseman Ventures Publishing

Vancouver USA Ghosts, Volume I Norseman Ventures Publishing

Weird England, Sterling Publishing. Jeff contributed two stories to this book.

Weird Hauntings, I contributed three stories to this book.

Weird Oregon, Sterling Publishing. Jeff co-authored this book, which mixes the unique history of Oregon State with its oddities, and significant people places and things.

Weird Washington, Sterling Publishing. Jeff wrote nine (9) of the 12 chapters in this book, of true stories of the odd, unusual, and unique heritage of Washington State. I focused on many places with archaeological and historic appeal. The Washington State Librarian recommended it for educators teaching introductory classes in Washington State History.

Archaeology and History Books

1995, A Macrobotanical Analysis of the Remains from the Middens of the Norse Greenland Farm Complex of Sandnes (v51) Unpublished master’s thesis, submitted to the University of Sheffield, UK. This document was a mix of historic research using translated documents, archaeological reports, as well as laboratory analysis to try to find what happened to the Norse settlers who disappeared from Greenland in the Middle Ages

1995, Nothing in Hell…The Story of the 104th Division Timberwolves in World War II. Unpublished manuscript, submitted to the Commander, 104th Division, Vancouver Barracks, WA, January 1996.

2011, History of the 75th Division 1943 – 2012 (Revised). Jeff was the principal author of several chapters detailing the history of this US Army unit, and edited chapters from the previous edition.

2014, Custer’s Other Brother-in-Law, the Fred Calhoun Log Book. (Editor) This is a copy of a 19th century book kept by Lieutenant Frederick Calhoun. He was stationed at the Vancouver Barracks for several years. It includes a bio of Calhoun, and overview of his life and times.

(In progress)- Custer’s Niece, the Household Account Book of Emma Reed Calhoun. This book is an annotated copy 19th century account book kept by Mrs. Frederick Calhoun. She was G. A. Custer’s niece, and married Calhoun after the Battle of Little Bighorn. She and her husband were stationed at the Vancouver Barracks for several years. It includes an overview of her life and in what was the western frontier.