The Haunting of the Old Jesse Lee Home for Children

Old Jesse Lee Home for Children – Kenai Peninsula County, Seward, Alaska

Photograph ©Seward Historic Preservation Commission

Address:
Seward, Alaska 99664
Website


In 1890, the Women’s Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church opened their doors to provide educational services. As time went on the school became a safe haven for unfortunate children. Many of the children that came there were from broken homes or orphaned. Many of the orphaned had lost both of their parents to a widespread flu epidemic. In 1925, the school/orphanage was moved to the outskirts of Seward, where it was home to more than seventy children and at least ten caring employees.

In 1927, one of the Jesse Lee students, Benny Benson, entered a contest to design Alaska’s state flag and he won! Benny was thirteen years old at the time. In August of that same year, Benny’s flag was raised for the first time in the state at the Jesse Lee home.

In 1964, an unexpected earthquake occurred. This is said to be the worst earthquake to take place in the state of Alaska. The Jesse Lee home was hit hard and the school suffered extensive damage. Worse than that, more than a dozen of the children were killed by the natural disaster, leaving sadness in the hearts of all who remained and marking the land with grief.

With most of the school too damaged to use and beyond repair, the Jesse Lee home was then moved to Anchorage where it is now known as the Alaska Children’s Services. However, the old home still stands, broken, battered and empty of life, outside the town of Seward.

The reports of paranormal activity at the old home are uncountable! Many who step onto the old grounds report the feeling of melancholy. The sounds of children giggling can be heard all over the grounds but no living child is ever found to be the source. Others have claimed to hear the sounds of a jump rope tapping on the sidewalk.

Many visitors have reported hearing the sounds of little feet running past them and then the sound of cheering follows, as if these lingering apparitions are still playing the games that they enjoyed in life.

The children’s lives at the Jesse Lee home were good and they were nurtured, happy and well taken care of. I suppose that is why these little souls have made the old home and its grounds their eternal play area.

As for the structure, all hope is not lost. Apparently, several of the children who resided there, as well as, several organizations, are trying to raise the money to refurbish the buildings. Their goal is to turn the old home into a museum so that everyone can learn about its history and enjoyment may still be found there.

The Haunting of the Golden North Hotel

Golden North Hotel –Skagway Hoonah Angoon County, Skagway, Alaska

Photograph ©Picture Ninja

Address:
Corner of 3rd and Broadway
Skagway, Alaska 99840
(907) 983-2451

This three story hotel and sports center is said to have spirits haunting rooms 14 and 23.

Room 23 is reported to be haunted by a young female apparition that has been nick-named “Mary” by the hotel staff. Mary died in the building of pneumonia while she waited for her lover to return from the gold fields.

Mary has been said to stand at the window in room 23, starring intently out, and waiting for her lover to return to her. This apparition has fully appeared to several of the hotel’s employees and was even caught in a picture taken by a tourist.

Some guests of room 23 have complained of the feeling of being choked; a symptom that might coincide with the symptoms of pneumonia.

Mary has been known to haunt room 14 as well and some have reported seeing a gray light formation moving around the room at night. Mary has also appeared fully in this room to unsuspecting guests.

Some guests of this room have complained to feeling really sick and nearly losing consciousness but when the gray light appears and then disappears, they say they instantly felt alright.

The Haunting of the Red Onion Saloon

The Red Onion Saloon – Skagway Hoonah Angoon County, Skagway, Alaska

Photograph ©Tara Long Lawner, 1999-2007

The Red Onion Saloon was originally constructed to be a bordello in 1898. Many of the apparitions that haunt the building were from that same era and came to Alaska during the gold rush. This period in time is riddled with shootings, accidents and incurable diseases. One such disease, diphtheria, had made its way into this Alaskan town during this period and killed many children.

Today, the second floor of the Red Onion is definitely haunted by restless spirits who are determined to make their presence known.

Guests and employees have made reports of footsteps going upstairs. No one lives upstairs and footsteps should not have been heard. One employee heard these footsteps, in addition to running and pounding noises coming from the second floor and called the police. When the police and the employee investigated, a shadowy figure was seen going down the hall and into one of the rooms. When they entered the same room, nothing was there.

Other reports of the second floor include; cold spots, the strong smell of a woman’s perfume that moves down the hallway and a shadowy apparition roaming around. Also, and this is kind of odd, it has been reported that someone, or rather, something, waters the plants on the second floor!

Address:
205 Broadway Avenue
Skagway, Alaska 99840
(907) 983-2414
Website

The Haunting of the Alaskan Hotel

Alaskan Hotel – Juneau County, Juneau, Alaska

Photograph ©Amanda Gragert, Capital City Weekly

Address:
167 South Franklin Street
Juneau, Alaska 99801
(907) 586-1000
Website

Built in 1913 by the McCloskey brothers and Jules B, the Alaskan Hotel is a byproduct of the Gold Rush that took place between the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

The hotel is only known to have one unsettled spirit roaming its halls; an apparition by the name of Alice. Apparently, in life, Alice was the wife of one of the miners seeking his fortune in gold. Alice’s husband went off to the mines one day and didn’t return when expected. Alice ran out of money and believed that her husband was not going to come back. With this in mind, Alice turned to prostitution for money and solicited her goods in the Alaskan Hotel. Apparently Alice’s husband did return some weeks later and when he found out what she had been doing, he became enraged and killed her in the hotel.

Since that day, many guests and employees have reported seeing Alice’s apparition throughout the hotel, especially in room 219. Guests repeatedly ask to be moved after being assigned to this room. Some have reported seeing Alice sitting on the bed there. Others have claimed that she touched them. Alice’s spirit has also been seen in the bar, in the hallways and in mirrors.

One very odd paranormal incident happened to a woman who had just recently begun working at the hotel. The woman went into one of the downstairs bathrooms and found it to be beautifully decorated in vintage nineteen-hundred, Victorian style furnishings. When the woman returned to the same bathroom later, the décor was modern and totally different than the first time she entered!

Even today, guest still make their claims and employees still find themselves looking over their shoulders, feeling someone might be there with them.