The Haunting of the Osceola Inn

Osceola Inn – Osceola County, Reed City, Michigan

Photograph ©Reed City Website

History of the Hotel:

The original hotel was built in 1881 by Daniel Oaks and purchased by the King brothers. Just a few years later in 1884, the wood-built hotel burned to the ground. The King brothers rebuilt a much sturdier hotel, made of bricks and three-stories high, calling it The King Hotel and Saloon.

In the early nineteen-hundreds the hotel was sold and renamed The Osceola Hotel. In the early forties, the hotel changed hands again, this time being purchased by Ray Rogalla who renamed it The Osceola Inn.

Paranormal Activities Reported:

Upon checking into the hotel you may notice a sign at the front desk asking that all ghostly activity be reported to the front desk! Apparently the place is chalked full of paranormal activity!

Some of the “ghostly activities” reported there? Well, it’s about the norm for a haunted place; phantom footsteps, bumps, thumps and unexplainable noises. Some have seen full-bodied apparitions. Some have seen shadowy figures the moved out of the corner of their eye but, as usual, these figures disappears once they turned their head. More reports tell of cold spots and cold gusts of air, disembodied voices, lights that go on and off, doors that open and close on their own and electrical gadgets and doodads going haywire for no reason.

This building has been investigated by various ghost hunting teams, as well as, psychics who claim that it truly is haunted. Personally, I’d like to see it investigated by the TAPS team!

Address:
110 East Upton Avenue
Reed City, Michigan 49677
(231) 832-5537

The Haunting of the National House Inn

The National House Inn – Calhoun County, Marshall, Michigan

Photograph ©National House Inn

Built in 1835 by Andrew Mann, this two-story, brick colonial was originally a stage stop for weary coach travelers. By 1844 the house was mostly used as a railroad hotel. By 1878 the house was no longer a hotel, but a new use was found for it when it was turned into a factory that manufactured wind mills and farm wagons. In 1902, a man named Dean purchased the house and turned it into luxury apartments. For the next seventy-four years the house began to slowly fall into misuse and found itself in much need of repairs. In 1976 the house was purchased by Norm and Kathryn Kinney and Hal and Jacque Minick. The Kinney’s and the Minick’s restored the house and it reopened its doors as bed and breakfast that same year. It was after the restorations made by the Kinney’s and the Minick’s that the paranormal activity began.

The inn only seems to have one restless spirit roaming about its halls. No one knows for certain who this woman is or was but it has become apparent that she has no intentions of leaving.

“The Lady in Red” has appeared to employees and guests alike as a full-bodied, solid apparition as she roams the house. This lady has also been spotted looking out of windows on the second floor of the inn and she is said to be responsible for re-opening one of the guest room doors after it has been tightly closed.

Sightings of the Lady in Red are still made today. This bed and breakfast was also investigated by the paranormal investigators from Spirit Society and they have classified the entity between an “intelligent spirit” and “phantom”.

Address:
102 South Parkview
Marshall, Michigan
(269) 781-7374
Website

The Haunting of Bowers Harbor Inn

Bowers Harbor Inn – Grand Traverse County, Traverse City, Michigan

Photograph ©Bowers Harbor Inn

Address:
13512 Peninsula Drive
Traverse City, Michigan
(231) 223-4222
Website

This mansion was built in the mid eighteen hundreds by a successful Chicago millionaire and business man named J.W. Stickney and his wife Genevieve. In life, Genevieve was a jealous woman who became quite over weight and very unhappy with her appearance. She or her husband purchased a gilt-edged mirror that made her appear slimmer. J.W. also had an elevator put in so that Genevieve could make it up to their bedroom on the second floor and he also hired a nurse to take care of her.

When J.W. Stickney died, his wife Genevieve received the shock of her life; J.W. had left most of his money to the young nurse that cared for Mrs. Stickney and apparently he had carried on a long time affair with the woman. Genevieve was devastated and went into a deep depression; this depression ended when she hung herself from the rafters above the elevator.

All was quiet in the house up until 1959 when new owners, Jim and Fern Bryant, renovated the place and turned it into a restaurant. In 1964, the Bryants sold the place to Toni Scharling and Sally & Bruce Towner; warning them that strange things were happing in the house. The new owners moved into the second floor and soon found out that there were in fact strange happenings in the house.

Reports of the Paranormal:

Many here have claimed that objects were thrown through the air at them by unseen hands, doors have been reported to open and close on their own and lights turn themselves on and off.

Some have claimed to see the solid, full-bodied apparition of a woman standing behind them as they looked into the gilt-edged mirror but when they turned the woman was gone!

Those who have ridden in the elevator have been joined by the solid apparition of Mr. J.W. Stickney himself. The elevator has since then been closed but it is still said to go up and down without any help from the living.

Knocking sounds have been reported to come from inside of closets, on walls and on doors. When these sounds are investigated, no living person has been found to be responsible.

Personal items and other objects seem to disappear of their own accord and turn up in odd, unsuspecting places throughout the house. Other objects such as mirrors and wall hangings have been found on the floor but no living person had knocked them down!

Today the inn is still in business and the claims of paranormal still occur.