Things that Go Bump in the Business
By Allison P. Slep
Last May my husband and I, and our two daughters, moved into a house in Midland, Michigan. The house was built in the early nineteen-fifties and has some peculiar features. There are steel storm shutters on all of the windows that roll down manually by a rope and pulley and also by pushing a button that closes and opens them electronically. It’s the sort of thing you might see at a business in Detroit or any other high crime area, not in a suburban neighborhood. The bedroom my husband and I share has a gun safe built into the wall. I imagine it once had a large oil painting with a gold painted, carved wooden frame hung on the wall to conceal it. The basement has the most interesting feature, a full bar. I’m not talking about a bar that someone may add to their home for the purpose of entertaining a few guests; this bar is the real deal. It was built around the same time that the house was built and has everything a bar would need for the purpose of conducting business. There is a bar counter, working sinks to wash bar glasses in just underneath it, shelves to house all types of liquor, a tap for draft beer, and a special refrigerator to keep the kegs in. One wall has a classroom sized old chalk board attached to it and there is room for tables and chairs. With all of these out-of-the-ordinary things added together, it seems as though there may have been a speakeasy operation going on or possibly gambling. I can only speculate about what once went on in my home.
After moving in, I immediately began experiencing things that could be considered paranormal. There are noises that come from the kitchen every night that sound like someone is in there shuffling their feet and moving the dishes around in the sink. One night my daughter woke up and was crying, she said there were “monsters” in her room. She had never done this before and when I walked into her room there were three electric-blue balls of light near her ceiling that flickered and than disappeared. At first I attributed it to the fact that I had looked at her night light when I entered her room and the blinking lights were just an after effect of that. I thought it was similar to looking at a camera flash and then seeing spots. I tried several times to recreate what happened by opening the door and looking at the night light and then the place where I saw the lights. I could not. Even my husband, the skeptic, was awakened one night to the sound of one of our daughter’s toys repeating part of a song over and over. In order for this particular toy to do this, a button must be pressed several times in a row. The toy had been left in the bathroom, nothing else was near it, and the rest of the household was asleep. Since then the rest of the toys with batteries began acting up too. It's odd, they all play some song or phrase over and over as if on a loop. If it was a toy or two that this occurred with I wouldn't think much of it; but, it has happened with almost all of them over time. Once, two toys in two different rooms started up at the same time. There have been other things I have witnessed; a light turned on by itself. The television and a radio have too. And, on a few occasions, the sound of a billiard ball striking another despite the fact that we have no billiard table. It seems that my house could be haunted.
I decided to look on the internet to see if the sort of events my family had been experiencing were happening to other people in their homes. I found many similar stories and it gave me chills. I decided that I'd rather not know if my house is haunted. If there is a spirit lingering here it isn’t bothering us. We bought this house and, haunted or not, intend to live here for a long time.
While I was researching online, I came across a website called The Shadow Lands that listed dozens of “haunted” places in Michigan. There were places one would expect to find on a list of “haunted” areas. Cemeteries, abandoned state mental hospitals, and homes where known murders occurred are obvious for such a list. I was surprised, however, by the number of working businesses I found on the lists. The number of hotels, bed and breakfast establishments, restaurants, and working theaters was equal to the obvious places. I started to wonder if having the label of “haunted” was beneficial or detrimental to these businesses.
An abundance of shows like Paranormal State and My Ghost Story, involve the pursuit of ghosts and individual accounts of evidence to prove they exist. The paranormal is an interesting, mysterious subject to many people. The Media has made the possibility of spirits lingering after death a trendy thing to have in your home. Businesses may profit from being known as haunted. On the other hand, there may be business owners that aren’t interested in capitalizing on being an attraction of fright. To satisfy my own curiosity, I decided to find out.
I went to Barnes & Noble to find a book on the subject. There were over twenty-five books about ghosts and paranormal activity in Michigan alone. Clearly someone is reaping the rewards of a place being haunted.
One place I discovered as being rumored as haunted is the Felt Mansion, it’s located between Saugatuck and Holland (“Shadow Lands” par. 451). The home was built for Agnes Felt by her husband, and inventor, Dorr Felt, in the nineteen-twenties. Agnes died a month and a half after moving into the home (Boering par. 3). Rumor has it that her spirit never left the mansion (Stonehouse 120-21).This is not the only story about the area that I found.
The first story about Agnes is something I could be open to, but the latter of the two stories sounded a little ridiculous to me. Further research suggests that there was never an asylum on the property. In fact, there actually was a small correctional facility named Dunes near the mansion. This building is now abandoned (Stonehouse 120-21). I wondered how this sort of thing might affect the business of the newly restored Felt Mansion.
I tried to get an interview with a manager or employee of the Felt Estate. My interview was politely declined but I did find out that anyone can tour the mansion. Interestingly, they also offer “ghost tours” for a fee. I started to feel as though I was getting closer to the answer I was looking for.
My next stop was the Holly Hotel. The “Shadow Lands” website lists this place as one of the most haunted places in Michigan (par. 229). I’ve also heard that it has burned down twice in two separate years but on the same date and time. I telephoned Alex Cripps, the manager, and he agreed to sit down with me for an interview.
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| The historic Holly Hotel. Holly, Michigan |
I got there before business hours and rang the bell at the front door. Alex, who was the only employee there, greeted me and led me to the bar located off of the main dining room. He left me alone for a few minutes to go answer a phone call. There was music from the twenties playing loudly over the speakers. The place was decorated with antiques, art, and framed newspaper clippings telling the history of the hotel. Each of the tables were set with a crisp white tablecloth, crystal water glasses, and a vase holding a single red rose. I got the feeling as if someone was watching me. Maybe it was because I expected to feel that way. The building itself seemed as if it were alive.
I asked Alex if he thought the hotel was haunted. He told me that he had never believed in ghosts until he started working there three years ago. He went on to explain that he keeps the music turned up loud when he is there alone because other wise he hears footsteps and the sound of furniture moving around in other rooms. Cripps stated, “When I’m here alone, I know I’m not really here alone.”
Cripps gave me a brief history of the building and the four known ghosts that reside there. The hotel was built in 1891. The ghosts are Nora Kane whom plays the piano in the main dining room at night and gives off the scent of perfume which many guests have experienced. The previous owner John Hirst still watches over the establishment, and a little girl who was hit by a train outside of the hotel remains there in spirit. She was brought inside to get help just before she died. The fourth ghost is a dog the Hirst’s kept as a pet. It is known to hang out in the kitchen and can be heard walking on the tiles.
I mentioned the fires I had heard rumors about. I didn’t really think that information was true. Cripps told me that indeed the two fires had occurred, both on January nineteenth, in 1913 and in 1978. Both fires began between six and seven o’clock at night. The first fire was so long ago there wasn’t any explanation of how it began and the cause of the more recent fire could not be determined despite the technology firefighters had at the time to find out. I was shocked at this confirmation.
I asked Cripps if he thought that the label of the hotel being haunted generated more business or less. He told me that he didn’t think that it had much of an effect on whether or not people chose to dine there. The building no longer functions as a hotel, it is a restaurant and they also hold banquets and other events there. He did say that the Travel Channel came there and filmed a segment for their series “Most Terrifying Places in America” in 2010. After the episode aired, many customers mentioned seeing it and this continued for about three months. Cripps wasn’t sure if those customers came there specifically because they saw the show.
I found out that the Holly Hotel used to be open during the Halloween season for a haunted house tour and that did generate a lot of business. They no longer do the tour but do offer Victorian séances during the months of October and November. There are also ghost presentations and reenactments around the time of Halloween. The Holly Hotel website mentions that reservations for these events need to be made in advance as space is limited and tends to fill up (“Holly Hotel” par. 18).
I left the Holly Hotel with the hairs on the back of my neck standing up and also a sense that having a resident ghost or four is definitely not bad for their business. While Cripps couldn’t be sure of the amount of people that came there specifically because it is haunted and couldn’t determine the amount of money that was contributed by patrons seeking the paranormal, it’s clear that the establishment has benefited from it. I think that the free advertising and publicity they get from being mentioned by so many books, websites, and television shows is incredible.
The last place my journey has led me is 24th Street in Oxford. This sports tavern used to be called Rob’s Place. Rob’s Place was listed as haunted, the current business was not. (“Shadow Lands” par. 385). I figured, since it was the same building, the same ghosts would be there regardless of what kind of food they were serving. I called the tavern and spoke with Stacy Williams, an employee. I asked her if the place was haunted. Williams’ answer was surprising to me. She told me that the owner doesn’t think it’s haunted. She didn’t mention whether or not she thinks it is. Williams went on to explain that there had been several “ghost busters” that wanted to come to the tavern and investigate for paranormal activity. The owner allowed one company to come in and investigate and they did not find any evidence of a haunting. I asked her if she thought that being listed on websites as a haunted building brought in business. She said something similar to what Alex Cripps told me; sometimes people mention it when they come into the establishment but she wasn’t sure if the patrons came there just because it’s labeled as having ghosts. Williams emphasized the fact that the owner did not believe his restaurant was haunted and had never experienced any paranormal activity. I hung up the phone feeling satisfied that I had found my answer.
It’s evident to me that being labeled as “haunted” is financially beneficial to a business. While some business owners use the ghosts in their buildings as a way to boost clientele, others clearly deny the rumors and still generate business because of them.
I really enjoyed searching for the answer to my question. This experience was both fun and extremely interesting. I enjoy learning about many different subjects and gaining knowledge. Things that have to do with the paranormal have sparked my curiosity since I was in elementary school. Finding out about how ghosts may affect a business was a different perspective for me. I don’t have any specific plans for using the new facts I’ve learned, but I will have something to add to a conversation should the subject come up.
Resources:
Boering, Brooke W. “History: The Mansion.” The Felt Estate. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jun 2011.
<http://www.feltmansion.org >.
Cripps, Alex. Personal Interview. 22 Jun 2011. “Ghosts of the Historic Holly Hotel.” The Holly Hotel. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jun 2011.
<http://www.hollyhotel.com>.
“Haunted Places in Michigan.” The Shadow Lands. Dave Juliano. Jan. 2010. Web. 20 Jun 2011. <http://www.theshadowlands.net/places/michigan>.
"Holly Hotel Holly". Photo. Water Winter Wonderland.com 1996. Oct. 2 2011.
<http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com/images/hotels/Holly%20Hotel%20Holly.jpg>
LaVey, Myke. “The Legend of the Melon Heads.” Weird Michigan: Your Guide to Michigan’s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets. Comp. Linda S. Godfrey. Ed. Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman. New York: Sterling, 2006. Print.
"Melon Head Illustration". Picture. Michigan's Other Side.com June 2011. Oct. 2 2011.
<http://www.michigansotherside.com/Pictures/melonhead2.jpg>
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. “Hydrocephalus Fact Sheet.” National Institute of Health. Feb. 2008.Web. 22 Jun 2011.
<http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/hydrocephalus/detail_hydrocephalus.htm>.
Stonehouse, Frederick. Haunted Lake Michigan. 1st ed. Duluth: Lake Superior Port Cities, 2006. 120-21. Print.
Williams, Stacy. Telephone Interview. 26 Jun 2011.
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