Legend of the Platte River Death Ship - Wyoming

Along the banks of the Platte River in Wyoming, a legend has been passed on since the mid 1800s.  A legend of an spectral nature.  Several witnesses have claimed to see a phantom ship on the Platte River.  They say that an eerie mist will begin to form on the river and slowly the mist will form a bank of fog that only covers a small area.  Out of the fog will then emerge a sailing ship from days gone by, appearing grey and unnatural, manned by phantom sailors.  This vessel has become known as, "The Ship of Death".

A old sailing ship is said to appear out of an eerie fog bringing an omen of death for the lone person that lays eyes on the vessel

The ship got it's ominous name not from the ghosts that man it, but the fact that it brings an omen of death to someone known to the person who witnesses it's appearance.  The first reported sighting in 1862 was by a trapper by the name of Leon Webber who saw the phantom ship. As he got a clear view of the top deck, he saw the body of his fiancé laying on a piling on the deck. That same day, his fiancé passed away. 

Twenty five years after the Webber sighting, a cattleman was working a herd along the Platte River when he saw an unusual fog and a ship crewed by ghosts emerge. The ship seemed to shimmer as it moved through the mist.  On the deck of the ship, what appeared to be the spectral form of his wife was layed out as if sleeping.  That same day his wife died.

The last reported sighting was in 1903.  A man who lived along the Platte River was trimming and removing trees in his yard one Fall day.  He too saw the phantom ship appear in a sudden fog.  Again, it appeared to be manned by a crew of ghosts and laying on the deck of the ship was a good friend of his.  And of course, his friend passed away that day.



If you are ever along the banks of the Platte River in Wyoming and you see a spectral sailing vessel emerging from an eerie fog, avert your eyes lest someone you know be the next claimed by the Ship of Death.

Spirits of Little Bighorn - Little Bighorn Valley in Southern Montana

In the plains of southern Montana in 1876, a long and bloody war between the U.S. Army and the Native Americans of the western plains known as the Black Hills War or The Great Sioux War culminated in a battle at a valley known as Little Bighorn.  The 7th Calvary Army forces which numbered over 700 were led by General George Armstrong Custer and were grossly outnumbered by over 1800 warriors of the combined forces of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes.  

Artist's depiction of Custer's Last Stand at Little Bighorn 1876

In the aftermath of the battle, 268 cavalrymen and over 100 native warriors and many horses lay dead on he field.  Many of the soldier's were mutilated beyond recognition while the warriors were gathered up by their tribesman and taken away for a proper burial.  The natives believed that these fallen soldiers would never rest.

The aftermath of the Battle of Little Bighorn.  Remains of horses litter the prairie which were later interred along with the soldiers. A memorial marks their resting place at Little Bighorn National Monument.

Last Stand Hill in 1894

Five of the the 7th Calvary's companies were totally wiped out leaving 268 U.S. Soldiers dead including General George Armstrong Custer himself.  It is believed that in Custer's individual battle, American soldiers numbered just over 200 and encountered the entire combined Native American force.  This individual battle would become known as Custer's Last Stand.  This spot is marked on what is today known as Last Stand Hill.  It is said that a man once encountered the spirit of General Custer at this spot who spoke to him about details of the battle.  Custer's apparition has been spotted near and in the visitor's center at the foot of Last Stand Hill along with a rush of cold air.

General George Armstrong Custer who met his end at the Battle of Little Bighorn

One of Custer's cavalrymen, Second Lieutenant Benjamin Hodgson, died a terrible death near the crossing of Little Big Horn River where his body was found.  A monument marks the spot where he was found.  Hodgson's ghost has been seen in various places, but most notably in and around the stone house which now serves as the park's superintendent's quarters.  One evening it is said that a park employee awoke to find an apparition sitting at the kitchen table.  Sometime afterward, she saw a photo of a soldier who wore a long distinguished mustache, the employee exclaimed that the man in the photo was the ghost that was in the kitchen.  It was a photo of Benjamin Hodgson.

Second Lieutenant Benjamin Hodgson died a terrible death at the Battle of Little Bighorn.  A memorial marks the spot where he fell as well as many other soldiers and Native Americans who fought and died.

There have been several visitors who claim to have seen Native American warriors in full attire sitting on their horses on top of a bluff.  Some have seen them riding over the hills then disappearing into thin air.  Others have heard the sounds of battle, the shouts of the warriors along with gun fire.  Many of these occurrences have happened at the local cemetery.

Crazy Horse was one of the Native Americans who fought at the Battle of Little Bighorn.  He survived the battle.

Markers indicate where soldiers fell during the Battle of Little Bighorn

Park employees were not the fist to see the dead roaming the plains of Little Bighorn.  The people of the Crow tribe have believed for years that the spirits of the Little Bighorn would rise at night then return to the the netherworld when the sun rose again.  When the park was established, they nicknamed the park attendant the "ghost herder" symbolizing that when they lowered the flags at sundown, the ghosts would come, then disappear when the attendant would raise the flag at dawn.  This would in a sense, send the dead back to the spirit world.

Haunted Standrod Mansion - Pocatello, Idaho

D.W. Standrod was a well to do lawyer and business man in Pocatello, Idaho which is just south west of Idaho Falls.  With his wealth, in 1902 he built a beautiful Chateauesque  style mansion which was modeled after it's French counterparts. He lived in the mansion with his wife Emma and his two children, daughter Cammie and son Drew.

The Standrod Mansion - Pocatello, Idaho in the early 1900s

It is said that Cammie, who was 16 at the time, became involved with a young boy whom she fell in love with.  Her father upon hearing of her relationship with this young man who was not of the same stature as his family, did not approve.  Shortly afterward, the boy disappeared.  It is unknown what happened to him.  Cammie was distraught from the ordeal and locked herself in her room which was the turret room in the tower of the mansion.  She had been for some time already been weakened by a kidney disease. Unfortunately, she caught a cold and in her weak and distraught state, succumbed to the illness and died on April 27, 1906.

Drew Standrod had died of illness at an fairly early age as well when he was out of town.  D.W. Standrod himself succumbed to disease some years later at the age of 84 and he himself passed away in the mansion. His wife Emma lived to be 98 before she passed on.

The Standrod Mansion - Pocatello, Idaho as it appears today

After the deaths of the Stanrods, the house passed to Drew's widow who left it sit idle for many years before she finally sold it in 1957.  Over the years it passed ownership many times, including the City of Pocatello which used it to hosts banquets and such and the mansion was once even used as a furniture store.  Various occupants and visitors to the mansion have one thing in common.  As soon as they entered the mansion, they felt an eerie presence.  Some say they suddenly felt ill. Many believe this is the spirit of Cammie Standrod still trapped in the mansion due to her untimely death.  Some claim to have actually seen her apparition in the tower windows and on certain occasions lingering on the tower roof. 
Apparently, Cammie is not the only Stadrod who refuses to leave the mansion.  On a rare occasion, the apparition of an old man has been seen sitting on a chair on the side porch of the old mansion.  And there have been reports of seeing a young boy dressed in turn of the century attire sitting in the dining room.  Perhaps it is the spirit of Drew Standrod revisiting his childhood home.