The Golden Lamb: Clement L. Vallandigham

Tell someone you are planning a visit to the Golden Lamb in Lebanon, Ohio and they will probably say, “You know it’s haunted, right?!” Just like my neighbor, said to me this morning at my children’s bus stop.

As a person who grew up in a haunted home, where I had experiences that changed my life forever, I love to investigate old historic places with lots of history surrounding them and write about my paranormal experiences thrilling readers.  So I decided to visit the Golden Lamb for myself!

I never expected I would be so lucky to have such a long and intense back and forth conversation with an actual spirit at the Golden Lamb! Normally during investigations, you will ask lots of questions over a long period of time and you don’t receive many answers. But that was not what happened on this trip!

My conversation was with the spirit of a man named, Clement L. Vallandigham who accidentally killed himself in his hotel room on July 17, 1871. As soon as we entered the hotel room Vallandingham spoke right up, answering every single question I asked for a half- hour. I actually ran out of questions to ask!

He was a lawyer trying to prove that his client, Thomas McGehan was innocent and did not kill Tom Myers during a saloon brawl, but that Myers had accidentally killed himself with his own pistol instead!  While Clement was demonstrating how he believed Myers killed himself, Clement mistook HIS OWN loaded pistol for an unload pistol and accidentally shot himself.

Clement’s viewing colleagues describe the event as such: “There, that’s the way Myers held it,” Clement had said, as a loud sound and bright flash of light fired through the air. Then Clement cried out, “My God, I’ve shot myself!”

Doctors and his friends tried for 12 hours to save Vallandigham, but to no avail. Sadly, Clement died in the room where he had shot himself. Before his death, his client, McGehan was brought from his jail cell and was described as crying over his poor lawyer who had fought to defend him. His client, McGehan was acquitted shortly after Vallandigham’s death but soon was involved in another saloon shooting similar to his altercation with Myers, and was killed.

My conversation with Clement was remarkable and life changing, yet very sad. Clement told me that he did represent McGehan and that he knew, and still believed to this day, that he was innocent! He also replied when I asked him, “If he accidently killed himself in this room,” a whopping yes!! That he had killed himself by accident while trying to prove McGehan’s innocence to his fellow colleagues.

In addition, he told us that he felt he was trapped where he died. When I asked him if he wanted to leave, he stated, “Yes, that he did want to leave.”  Then we asked if he wanted us to pray to help him, to which he replied, “yes!” We all put away our devices and equipment and bowed our heads and I lead us in prayer for Clement to find his way home.

So would I recommend exploring this hotel? That would be a BIG FAT, YES and if you happened to speak to Clement L.Vallandigham during your visit please tell him I said, “Hi, and he has not been forgotten!”

The hotel’s historic beauty alone as well as its long history that still seems to LIVE within the walls and its long winding corridors are worth the trip!  I loved the Golden Lamb and my experience that I had! To be able to speak with Vallandingham himself where his accidental death took place was crazy awesome!

Walking the halls you will see all the rooms have been named after the famous celebrities and past presidents of the United States that have stayed there. Also the room where Clement died is now named after him and is used as a dining area.

My favorite room is the Charles Dickens room; of course I favor that room probably because I am a writer! Coincidence, I think not! Maybe he is still there haunting the long empty hallways at night or the room he stayed in just like Vallandigham. Go ahead and explore the Golden Lamb and maybe you will see for yourself!

©Rosella C. Rowe

Golden Lamb Website: https://www.goldenlamb.com/