Spooky Stays Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Late this summer, I had the opportunity to spend nearly two weeks in Michigan’s scenic and remote Upper Peninsula. My trips were work related, centered around speaking engagements, festivals, conferences and paranormal research. One three separate nights, I threw caution to the wind and checked into the “haunted rooms” of historically notable hotels and inns to see if I could meet the spirited residents who are said to still be eternal guests.

Wednesday, August 28, 2023
The Ojibway Hotel, Sault Ste. Marie

I arrived in town mid-afternoon after driving easterly across the UP from Iron River. Sault Ste. Marie is Michigan’s oldest establishment dating back to its discovery in 1668 by Father Jacques Marquette. Its most noted feature is the Soo Locks, opened in 1855. The Ojibway Hotel sits adjacent to the locks and all day, and night, massive freighters are seen and heard as they travel the St. Mary’s River to and from Lake Superior.

In August 1926, former Michigan Governor Chase S. Osborn (who served from 1911-12 and is the only person from the U.P. to serve in that position) donated the land and $50,000 for the construction of a hotel. It formally opened on New Years Eve in 1927. Leon Deglman, and his wife, Beatrice, were hired to manage the hotel and eventually bought it in 1947. Over the years, the couple also operated hotels in other U.P. towns, including The Landmark in Marquette (see below). After Leon’s passing, Beatrice ran the hotel until her own death. Her suite is now room #616 where the spirit of a woman is often seen and heard. There is also an unidentified spirit of a “man in a suit” which could be either Leon or Governor Osborn.

A great deal of effort was made to secure a reservation for the haunted room #616, but when I checked in the front desk clerk was well aware of my mission (she even offered to share stories with me later that night, but I had a more pressing commitment). As soon as I checked in, I unpacked my “ghost hunting kit” – which is minimal at best. I turned on my voice recorder and spirit box and started talking to Beatrice – hoping that she would respond. When I left for my reception, I left the recorder on…for hours…in case she showed up. Zilch. What a bummer. Not a single ounce of activity by the time I checked out the next morning.

While I didn’t encounter any ghostly activity at The Ojibway, it did create some interesting conversations at the Michigan Paranormal Convention where I spoke the next day on “Dark Tourism in Michigan.” By then, I had checked out of 616 and relocated to the Kewadin Hotel where the paracon was taking place. Later that evening I ran into the couple who had checked into 616 after I left (they had missed my presentation but heard about it from others). As far as I know, they didn’t have any experiences with the resident ghost(s) either.

Footnote: Several notable individuals have stayed at this hotel over the years, including former President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush, in 1992; boxers Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis; hockey great Gordie Howe; and the cast of Ghost Hunters, in September 2022.

Tuesday, September 3, 2024
Nahma Inn, Nahma

We had high expectations for this overnight at Nahma Inn (between Manistique and Gladstone on Big Bay de Noc), given the experience we had in October 2019 when we first stayed. Actually, it was only my boyfriend, Greg, who had the night-long encounter with Nell Fleming – one of as many as five ghosts at the 1909 inn.

A bit of the backstory…Nell, who lived in room #16 of the then boarding house, had an on-again-off-again affair with Charles Good, who resided for a time across the hall in the room #17. Charles was President of the Bay de Noquet lumber company and in her 20s, Nell was hired to work in the office. For 38 years 1914-1951) she was Charles’ personal secretary (and head of the stenography department).

According to local stories passed down, Nellie was madly in love with Charles – but, ironically, neither ever married (each other or anyone else). It is said her heartbroken spirit remains in her corner room overlooking the main road in Nahma. Charles’ ghost also makes himself known on occasion…I guess the two still are carrying on.

When we first learned of Nell’s ghost story, we knew we had to check it out for ourselves. Reservations for Nahma Inn are done online – and you can see pictures of all the rooms, except #16. You have to actually call and request it (which we did, for both stays). Ironically, both our stays were in the offseason when there were hardly any other guests.

In 2019, we woke up after our first of two nights and my Greg told me how he was paralyzed all night with Nell sitting on his chest staring at him! He couldn’t move, couldn’t speak…could just lay there and play victim to her wrath. He said he couldn’t even move a finger to try to wake me – with hopes that she would vacate. He was a bit apprehensive about going to sleep the next night, but by then she had moved down the all to another room. Upon checkout, the only other overnight guest apologized for the loud raucous in the middle of the night (which we did not even hear). Apparently a large antique mirror that had been firmly affixed to the wall in his room came crashing to the floor, shattering to pieces. Whether it was Nell, Charles or one of the other spirits we do not know, but it was definitely a strange and unexplainable occurrence.

Our second stay this year was a bust. Nell apparently no longer had an interest in Greg – although the furniture in the room has been rearranged upon check-in, so maybe that had something to do with it. We did spend time reading through the journal in the room where countless other Nell seekers had stayed…some with colorful stories to share about their experiences with the long-lost soul and some still waiting to meet Nahma’s most famous resident spirit.

You can read the detailed history of Nahma Inn here: Lost Love & Found Spirits in Nahma – the Heart of the Hiawatha.

Wednesday, September 4, 2024
The Landmark Hotel, Marquette

Almost any write up about haunted sites in the UP mentions the “Lilac Room” inside The Landmark Hotel in Marquette. As I was gathering intel for my paracon program, I emailed the Marquette County Convention & Visitors Bureau which proudly shares a variety of paranormal stories on its website (you’d be surprised how many communities are afraid to talk about their dark side, even with the continuous rise in paranormal tourism around the word). I was curious if they had any information or statistics about how many people the area I search of ghosts and the unexplained – like at the 1866 Marquette Harbor Lighthouse (which is featured in my book, Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses). I also wondered how often people called The Landmark and asked to stay in the haunted room, like I was doing. They weren’t able to give me a definitive number, but many staff, guest and residents are familiar with the paranormal stories (and I was hoping to discover them myself during our stay).

The idea for this grand hotel in Marquette was first conceived in 1916, but it was four years before the foundation was laid. It wasn’t long before the money ran dry and work was halted. After securing funding, the owners resumed construction on April 1, 1929, and the Northland Hotel finally opened on January 2, 1930.

For about four decades the Northland operated overlooking Lake Superior (see list of notable guests below) but in the 1970s, it fell into a state of disrepair and in 1982 it was closed. Christine and Bruce Pesola purchased the delipidated property in 1995 (for a mere $103,000) and began to lovingly restore the stately building. It was opened in 1997 as the 66-room Landmark Hotel.

Stories of strange activities have been circulating for years – most associated with room #604 known as The Lilac Room. Some guests have reported finding screws in the bed in this room. The front desk answers calls from the room, even when no one is staying there. Guests wake up in the middle of the night when someone sits on the bed, but no one is there. The culprit is believed to be a woman known as “The Librarian” – whose one true love was lost at sea (aka Lake Superior) leaving her to stair aimlessly out the window of her room (this room) waiting for his return.

Upon check-in, the front desk clerk confirmed the stories and wished us luck in our search in room #604 (which was just down the hall from The Crow’s nest bar, how convenient…maybe a nip of spirits would help us connect with the resident “spirit”).

We settled into what appeared to be a newly renovated room with crisp white bedding and bright floral paper adorned with lilacs of course. After grabbing a snack from a goodie bag left for us by the CVB, we took a few pictures and tried (unsuccessfully) to make the acquaintance of “The Librarian.” Even after nightcaps that evening at The Crow’s nest, we were unable to lure her out. We checked out the next morning well rested, which ironically isn’t what we were hoping for!

Footnote: Throughout its history, the hotel has hosted many celebrities and historical figures including Maya Angelou, Amelia Earhart (who stayed in room 502 in 1932), Abbot & Costello (1942), astronaut Jerry Lineger; author Jim Harrison; U.S. Congressman and wildlife photographer George Shiras; and the crew of the 1959 movie Anatomy of a Murder which was filmed throughout Marquette, Big Bay, Ishpeming and other area locales.

June 29, 2016
Thunder Bay Inn, Big Bay

It wasn’t until a few years after this visit that I learned this historic inn was also haunted. It was built in 1911 as a company store for the Brunswick Lumber Company. In the early 1940s, American industrialist and auto leader Henry Ford purchased the majority of the property in the community of Big Bay (west of Marquette) including the Thunder Bay Inn.

Henry Ford owned significant property around the Upper Peninsula, where he ran lumbering operations to support his “woody” sided vehicles. Years earlier, in 1923, he purchased the town of Pequaming, just north of L’Anse, for nearly $3 million. Traveling this route today, you’ll still find a giant FORD emblem adorning the grass near a lake just off the main road. He also owned an expansive 5,000-square-foot Hebard Bungalow summer home overlooking the bay, which was last I knew a vacation rental which can sleep up to 16.

Ford once stayed for several months at the Thunder Bay Inn while in town on business and today, you too can sleep in the second-floor room which bears his name. But, keep an eye and ear out for the resident ghost—a female said to be rocking her baby to sleep.

Sometime in the early 2000s
Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B, Big Bay

Just down the road from the Thunder Bay Inn sits the Big Bay Point Lighthouse. I stayed there one night more than two decades ago, after giving a presentation at the Peter White Library in nearby Marquette. That was an interesting 24-mile rural drive, after dark, pre-GPS!

Big Bay Point Lighthouse was built in 1896 atop a bluff overlooking Lake Superior. It operated with an active keeper until 1941, when it was automated. Since the mid-1980s, it has been a bed-and-breakfast—currently, the only one in the state of Michigan. The seven guest rooms are named after former keepers, assistants or helpers at this stately light: Keepers James Bergan (1901-1915), John McDonald (1915-1927), John Dufrain (1927-1933), Assistant George Temple (1918-1924), Assistant George H. Beamer (1898-1899), Helper Fleury (no person with this name shows up in records) and Helper Brown (perhaps Ferdinal J Brown, listed as a second assistant keeper in 1928).

Interestingly enough, there is not a room named after the light’s first keeper (and its resident ghost)—H. (Harry) William Prior (also sometimes spelled Pryor). Prior began his lighthouse career at the Stannard Rock in 1889 and over the years he worked up the ranks from third assistant to principal keeper, where he earned a healthy salary of $800 a year.

In 1896, William transferred to the new Big Bay Point where he worked until summer of 1901. Among his assistant keepers was his son, Edward George (also sometimes printed George Edward) who recorded about 15 months of service in 1900 and 1901. Sadly, the summer of 1901 was tragic for the Prior family. In mid-April, 19-year-old George fell while on the job, cutting his leg and exposing the shin bone. He was taken to the hospital in Marquette where he died two months later from an infection. Within a couple days after his son was buried at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Marquette, William was seen walking into the woods near the light with a gun, rope or maybe both. He was never seen alive again. The following September, his remains were found hanging from a tree—the result of suicide.

To this day, overnight guests report seeing a man dressed in a keeper uniform walking the grounds. Prior is also known to frequent the kitchen in the wee hours of the night, banging cupboard doors (maybe he’s hangry)? You can learn more about this light and the Prior family by reading Chapter 6 of Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses.

Big Bay True Crime Connection

While in Big Bay—whether staying at the Thunder Bay Inn, Big Bay Inn or just passing through town—be sure to stop by The Lumberjack Tavern. It’s the notorious site of a 1950s murder which lead to the trial, book and movie Anatomy of A Murder—the common individual in all three was attorney, author and UP native John Volker (who wrote under the pen name, Robert Traver). Several sites in Big Bay, Marquette and Ishpeming were used as film locations and you can take a self-guided tour to check them out for yourself. Download this Michigan Film & Digital Media Guide for details.

House of Ludington, Escanaba

One other haunted inn is on my radar, although I haven’t yet stayed or even been to the restaurant/bar, and that is Escanaba’s House of Ludington. Opened as the Gaynor House Hotel in 1865 it was torn down and rebuilt in 1883 and rebranded as the New House of Ludington. It’s affectionately called “The Great White castle of the North” and the “Lady on the Lakefront.”

The hotel’s second owner, John Christie, expanded what had been a wood structure and by 1911 he had added a downstairs ballroom, more upper floor guest rooms and a gift shop. He also covered the façade with brick. A hidden stairwell was also strategically placed between windows, with views of the sheriff’s department and courthouse. Why is that important? Well…

Boston born Harold Clement “Pat” Hayes bought the Ludington in 1939 and turned it into a regional destination working as a host, chef and manager. One of Pat’s buddies was Chicago mobster Al Capone. According to a 1999 article in the Petoskey News Review, “Rumors abound of bootleg whiskey smuggled into the hotel via underground tunnels from a nearby Lake Michigan dock.”

When I wrote an article about Capone and his rumored ties to Michigan for the summer 2019 issue of Michigan BLUE magazine called “Capone (may have) Caroused Here” I contacted an Escanaba authority to get confirmation of the gangster’s affiliation with Pat and his hotel.

“There is absolutely nothing to suggest that Capone ever was here or had any business activities here,” says historian Charles Lindquist. “What we do have, though, is actual evidence that someone who seems to have had a connection to Capone during Prohibition bought a hotel here in 1939 (six years after Prohibition ended) and ran it until he died. As far as a tunnel goes, the soil near this hotel is very sandy—not so good for tunnels.”

Now, I beg to differ about the tunnel part at least, because I once saw a bricked-up entrance to one underneath the Mantuary Cigar Shop downtown. I’m not sure how far the “tunnel” went or what it was used for, but it certainly was some type of system under the building!

Pat Hayes died on January 28, 1969 but his ghost still haunts the restaurant’s kitchen ready to cook up a meal for guests! Hopefully someday, I’ll find out for myself!

Footnote: Other famous overnight guests during Pat’s 30-year reign at the House of Ludington were Jimmy Hoffa, Henry Ford, John Phillip Sousa, Guy Lombardo, Johnny Cash, Patricial Neil and Prince Bertil of Sweden.

Some parting thoughts…

Did anyone notice that all three rooms I stayed in this summer have 6 in them (616, 16 and 604)? And that The Ojibway and The Landmark each have 6 floors? Even the Big Bay Lighthouse chapter in my book is #6! This left me with an uneasy feeling…until I went searching for more information:

• Number 6 is the symbol of luck, the highest number of the dice.
• The number 6 is the symbol of Venus, the goddess of love.
• The number 6 is associated with harmony, balance, nurturing, and service to others.
• “The sixth sense” refers to extra sensory perception (ESP).

Thankfully, none of the rooms were #666…