Mary's Ghost of the Golden North Hotel - Skagway, Alaska

Around the end of the 19th century, one of the first hotels known in the Alaskan wilderness was built in Skagway, Alaska.  A young gold prospector and his fiancé Mary came to the area looking for fortune.  He got Mary a room at the Golden North Hotel until he could find enough gold to establish a homestead of their very own.  That unfortunately, would never happen.

The ghost of Mary, a bride to be, haunts the Golden North Hotel where she died waiting for her fiancé to return from a prospecting trip.

After Mary's fiancé headed back out to collect his fortune in gold, she became very ill with pneumonia.  She languished in room 23, waiting for her love to return, but tragically she passed away before he did.  The two lovers would be forever parted.

From that point on, many guests in the hotel that stayed in room 23 have awakened with the sensation of being choked as if by some unseen hands.  Others have actually seen the apparition of a young woman dressed in turn of the century attire, standing in the room with them.  The ghostly figure would then disappear.

Below in room 14, there are other unworldly experiences reported by guests.  Most refer to a bizarre light they have seen floating around the room which seems to be shimmering.  Many witnesses describe it to be in the shape of a ball.  Whether it is related to Mary's ghost, it is unknown.

The Golden North Hotel building still stands to this day, however it is no longer operating as a hotel.  The hotel sign still remains, but the building contains shops and the upper floors remain unoccupied.  Except for Mary that is...


Location:
3rd & Broadway
Skagway, Alaska

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Ghosts of Thornewood Castle - Lakewood Area of Tacoma, Washington

Chester Thorne was one of the founders of Tacoma, Washington.  In 1907, as a gift for his bride, he purchased an English castle which was physically located in England, and had it dismantled and shipped brick by brick to the shores of American Lake where it was reassembled into what would become Thornewood Castle.  Chester put so much time, effort and devotion into his new mansion that some say he is still there.

Thornewood Castle under construction in 1910.  It would later be feature in the Stephen King film Rose Red. In real life, the ghost of the former owner of the stately mansion is said to walk the grounds to this day.

If you recognize this castle, it may be because it was the mansion featured in the movie based on the Stephen King thriller "Rose Red". It was also used in the prequel to the movie "The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer".  Although the real hauntings of the castle are a bit different than that of the movie.

Over the years, some of the staff at the castle has claimed to see a man dressed in turn of the century riding attire walking about the lawn. Chester Thornewood liked to ride of course and many who have seen this figure believe it is the ghost of Mr. Thornewood himself.  He has also been seen inside the mansion on occasion wearing the same riding outfit.

Chester's wife Anna Thornewood has also been reported as being seen in the old castle. She has mostly been seen standing in the windows of what used to be her old bedroom.  Guests of the mansion's bread and breakfast have been walking in the gardens and have seen the figure of a woman in period clothing peering out of the windows.  Perhaps she is waiting for Chester to return from his horse back ride.

The spirit of Mr. and or Mrs. Thornewood showed itself during a major restoration project at the castle. It seems that either Chester or Anna fussed over the lighting and glassware choices made by the current castle owners.  It seems that in the evening, he would break light bulbs and glassware as if to say he did not like them.  After a change was made, the disruptive behavior stopped.  There are occasions when glass can be heard breaking, but no evidence is ever found that there was any physical damage done.  Perhaps it is the ghosts of the Thornwoods letting everyone know who is in charge. It sounds tempting to book a room and see if one can catch a glimpse of the Ghosts of Thornewood Castle.

Location:
The Lakewood suburb of Tacoma
Latitude  47.130094, Longitude  -122.551252
8601 N Thorne Ln SW
Tacoma, WA 98498

References:
http://www.thornewoodcastle.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thornewood_Castle

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Phantom Miner of Slaughterhouse Gulch - Battle Lake, Wyoming

During the 19th century, the hills near the Wyoming/Colorado Border were bustling with mining activity.  Many made their way into the mountains near Battle Lake to work in the copper and coal mines to seek their fortunes. However, one miner who had been working in an area known as Slaughterhouse Gulch was not so fortunate.

A depiction of how the phantom of Slaughterhouse Gulch may appear if he is encountered in the mountains near Battle Lake, Wyoming.

The miners, as many did in the day used explosives to speed up their efforts. One day things went awry for one particular fellow and he managed to blow himself up along with the mine. There was nothing left of him to even bury.  It was over the time period after that which led to stories coming in of strange encounters with a man resembling a miner wandering the trail between Encampment and the ghosts town of Battle.  This phantom became known by locals as The Ghost of Slaughterhouse Gulch.  One stage coach driver claimed that he approached a stranger on the road and his horses went berzerk.  They were deathly afraid of the man.  He walked right at the front of the team and coach without wavering and strolled right through the horses and into thin air!

In the early 1900s, a group of forestry workers were camped out along the trail in Slaughterhouse Gulch warming themselves by their campfire when suddenly they saw a man wandering down the road in the darkness in the light of the fire. He just strolled on by, it appeared that he had no supplies and having been a long walk to the nearest town, didn't even stop and ask for food or drink.  Those at the campfire found this very bizarre.  And what they found even more strange was that not only did he not knowledge that they were there, they didn't hear his footsteps as he walked by.  The Ghost of Slaughterhouse Gulch had made another appearance it seemed. Some say that he wanders the hills and trails for all eternity searching for the peace that he never received from receiving a proper burial.

Battle Lake is nestled in the Sierra Madre Mountain range in Carbon County, Wyoming near the Colorado border.  Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/carboncountywy/

Slaughterhouse Gulch lies in the mountains of Carbon County, Wyoming just north of the Colorado Border in the Medicine Bow National Forest. Easiest access is via Highway 70 that crosses the Sierra Madre.  However, it is closed in the winter. Battle Lake is near latitude: 41.159130, longitude: -107.008708 along highway 70.

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