HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
+ 1 further entry on record
1912 Sierra Foothills Inn at the Gateway to the Giant Sequoias
35634 CA-190, Springville, CA 93265
Research updated May 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Room rates and dining vary; check inn website. Restaurant is open to the public.
Access
Limited Access
Some interior steps in the historic structure
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1912 · Sierra Nevada Logging Heritage · Giant Sequoia Gateway
The Springville Inn opened in 1912 in the small Tulare County town of Springville, located at the entrance to what is now the Giant Sequoia National Monument. The inn served the early logging trade and travelers heading into the Sierra Nevada foothills, an economy that eventually shifted toward forest tourism.
The property has remained in continuous operation as an inn and restaurant for more than a century. The restaurant — known as Frank's — accommodates up to 250 guests and operates a full bar. The inn stands at 35634 California Highway 190 and is listed on Trip Advisor as a regional attraction in addition to its lodging function.
Sources
Staff at the Springville Inn have given names to four recurring figures associated with the original portion of the building. The most-frequently-seen is described as an older gentleman who watches activity around the kitchen dumbwaiter, a service shaft connecting the lower kitchen to the upper service area. He is reported by both staff and longer-term guests.
The second figure is described as a younger man, often called the 'logger.' Local accounts hold that a logger was shot in the street in front of the inn over a romantic matter and was carried inside, where he died of his wound. He is most often reported in the bar area of the original building, with patrons describing the sensation of a cold touch on the shoulder or back while waiting for drinks.
The last two figures are reported less often but more vividly: a young girl, perhaps seven or eight years old, who is sometimes felt as a small cold hand grasping a guest's hand on the way to the restroom, and an attractive woman in turn-of-the-century dress seen briefly in different locations. Reports of phantom whispers, touches, and self-propelled kitchen utensils round out the inn's collected accounts. None of the figures has been photographed.
Notable Entities
Stay in the original 1912 portion of the Springville Inn, where four named figures appear in staff and guest accounts: an older man who watches the kitchen dumbwaiter, a younger logger associated with the bar, and a young girl and a woman in turn-of-the-century dress.
On-site restaurant and bar in the historic inn, capacity up to 250 with full bar. The bar area is the most-cited site of accounts involving the logger figure and cold touches reported by patrons.
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