THE PARANORMAL WORLD DATABASE       MINNESOTA   CALUMET HISTORIC HOTEL (PIPESTONE) BACKGROUND: The first grand hotel was located one block north of the present structure. The 60-room facility was built by the Close Brothers, English land agents, at a cost of $25,000. The wood and veneered brick structure was destroyed in two hours Dec. 15, 1886 by fire. Townspeople wanted a grand hotel to serve the trains which were the lifeblood of the early community. Two bankers announced plans to build a new bank at the corner of Hiawatha Avenue and Main Street, the present Calumet location. It was decided to include the hotel with the bank and east and north doors would be for the hotel. Construction began in the spring of 1887 on the 50x100-foot building. The grand opening was Thanksgiving Day in 1888. In 1900 a large addition to the rear of the building was added. In 1913 a fourth floor and 30 rooms were added. PHENOMENA: The hotel is said to be haunted by spirits of some who lost their lives in the fires that occurred here. In room 308, which was the room one Charles Herschberger lost his life in, has claims of lights and TVs that will turn themselves on and off and a feeling of a presence among the living. Housekeepers report finding items moved inside the room while they are cleaning. Calls from 207 to the front desk requesting toiletries, etc. will result in delivery of those items to an unoccupied room. The apparition of an older, well-dressed man is sometimes seen sitting in the lobby but will vanish when approached. Some claim this is spirit of Rev. Alfred Orthcutt who also died in a fire there. The same is true of a ghostly woman in a bright, red dress who walks the halls but will disappear when noticed. Guests report the sound of piano music coming from such an instrument in the dining room, but no one can be found playing it. CHASE ON THE LAKE (WALKER) BACKGROUND:  On June 8, 1922, nearly 400 guests came from all over the state, arriving by train, car, and even seaplane to attend the grand opening and official dedication ceremonies of the New Chase Hotel on the shores of Leech Lake. The hotel was touted as the future of Walker, as large and modern as the vision of its builders and proprietors, longtime Walker residents Bert and Louisa Chase. The Chases, who had for 20 years owned and run the more modest Hotel Chase in downtown Walker, had really outdone themselves this time.  just one week prior to the grand opening of the hotel, Loren passed away after battling a bad case of  pneumonia. What was supposed to be a happy and celebratory grand opening for the Chase family, was replaced by sadness and mourning. http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/61/v61i06p272-283.pdf PHENOMENA: Both staff and patrons have experienced disembodied voices, phantom footsteps and doors opening and closing on their own among the  other strange occurrences at the hotel. Calls to the front desk from guests concerning adjacent rooms creating a noise nuisance have often resulted in the discovery that they are quite unoccupied. The bowling ally and banquet room are particular hot spots with guests snapping a picture of a female apparition in the bowling ally. There are claims of odd noises, disembodied footsteps and voices, and shadowy figures making the rounds in these areas. Ghostly children playing in the hallways, unplugged phones ringing, and the grandfather clock in the lobby spitting its key from its lock are also of note. It’s surmised the activity could be caused by members of the Chase family, soldiers who died in the 1898 Battle of Sugar Point or Native American spirits indigenous to Leech Lake. FIRST AVENUE (MINNEAPOLIS) BACKGROUND: The building opened in 1937 as a Greyhound bus station. It was noted for its art deco style and amenities of air conditioning, shower rooms, and public telephones. The transformation from a closed bus depot into a concert venue was developed in 1968 by local rock & roll performer Danny Stevens and Elizabeth Heffelfinger, the original financial partner of the project and wife of wealthy businessman Frank Peavey Heffelfinger. When Mrs. Heffelinger fell ill midway through the development of the project in 1969, Stevens brought in an outside investor, Allan Fingerhut. Stevens, who owned the class-A liquor license from the nearby Hotel Hastings and contributed the initial investment capital, and Fingerhut, heir to the Fingerhut catalog company, opened the newly transformed venue named The Depot on April 3, 1970, to showcase a two-set evening with Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen. PHENOMENA: The most notorious ghost here in “The Blonde Lady”, who is said to be a distraught woman who hanged herself in the bathroom after learning her boyfriend was killed in WWII. She is often seen in or around the 5th bathroom stall wearing a green coat with her neck horribly wrenched to the side, the result of her fatal injury. She’s also seen, sans legs, enjoying herself on the dance floor, sometimes accompanied by other  legless spirits of the homeless who have also died in the former bus station. DJs working the Record Room hear strange noises resembling growls or screams over their headphones and have had their equipment inexplicably thrown to the floor while working. TRIVIA: During the 1980s, local artist Prince helped put it at the forefront of Minneapolis music venues by using it as the location for many scenes in his movie Purple Rain, while also recording the song "Purple Rain" and other songs from the movie and Purple Rain album live at the club in 1983. The nightclub has been the starting point for many bands that have come out of the Twin Cities, including Prince, The Revolution, The Replacements, Hüsker Dü, Soul Asylum and Semisonic. FITZGERALD THEATER (ST. PAUL) BACKGROUND: The oldest active theater in Saint PauL and the home of American Public Media's Live from Here (formerly A Prairie Home Companion).  It was one of many theaters built by the Shubert Theatre Corporation, and was initially named the Sam S. Shubert Theater. In 1933, it became a movie outlet known as the World Theater. The space was purchased by Minnesota Public Radio in 1980, restored with a stage in 1986 as a site for Prairie Home, and renamed in 1994 after St. Paul native F. Scott Fitzgerald. PHENOMENA: The activity that occurs here is said to be directly related to a former stagehand named Ben who died in the 1940s. He has been known to move antique liquor bottles and his shadowy form is often spotted up in the rafter area. Set builders have claimed their tools were moved around or missing entirely. A cold chill is felt near an entrance that was blocked from access many years ago. Rumor has it that he almost killed two workers by dropping a huge chunk of plaster near them from the catwalks. When they shined their flashlights upward, they reported seeing Ben’s shadowy figure before he disappeared entirely. There is also a female ghost named "Veronica", perhaps an actress who once performed there. She can be heard singing at night, after the theater is closed and no one else possibly responsible is anywhere in sight. FOREPAUGH’S RESTAURANT (ST. PAUL) BACKGROUND: Years ago, the current restaurant was Victorian-era home in St. Paul that was built in 1870 by a man named Joseph Forepaugh for himself, his wife and two daughters. Forepaugh was a senior partner in the largest wholesale dry goods company in the Midwest. Legend has it he engaged in an affair with a young maid named Molly and when his wife Mary caught them in the act, he agreed to end the relationship. Molly discovered she was pregnant and despondent, hung herself in a third floor room by tying a rope to a chandelier and jumping out the widow. In 1866, the mansion was sold to, General John Henry Hammond and the Forepaugh family moved to Europe. By 1889 they returned and another grand house was built for them while their old one had already become a bustling restaurant. In 1892, Joseph, for reasons not quite clear, shot himself in a nearby park. He was 58 years old. PHENOMENA: It’s said Joseph’s ghost has been seen by customers and staff walking through the dining rooms dressed in period clothing with a self-satisfied demeanor. The basement is active in the form of lights turning on and off by themselves and various cold spots and odd sounds. Molly is also said to haunt the place of her demise and is both seen and heard on the third floor in proximity to where she killed herself. One morning, employees opening for the day heard footsteps and movement on the third floor and, fearing an intruder, called the police. They arrived with a K-9 officer to investigate, but the animal had to be coaxed up the stairs. When they finally arrived there, the sounds had stopped and no one could be found. At a function where staff dressed in 1800s clothing, an unknown woman, similarly dressed, was seen walking down a hallway and abruptly dissipating into a wall. She seems to favor weddings and social receptions in which to make an appearance. GIBBS FARMHOUSE (ST. PAUL) BACKGROUND: The site was once the farmstead of Heman Gibbs and Jane DeBow, first built in 1854; the existing farmhouse includes the small, original cabin. An open-air museum, the Gibbs Farm features an original farmhouse, barn, and school house, as well as a replica sod house, bark lodge, and tipi with replica Dakotah furniture, clothing and tools. The museum focuses on the story of Jane, who was taken at age six or seven from the neighbor's home where she was living due to her mother's severe illness near Batavia, NY in 1833 by the Stevens, a missionary family. They eventually brought Jane west with them where they were assigned by the American Board of Missionaries to bring Christianity to the Dakotah people living near Lake Calhoun, Bde Maka Ska in what is now Minneapolis, Minnesota and Lake Harriet.  Jane attended the missionary school with the part Dakotah children of the soldiers stationed at Fort Snelling and traders and learned to speak their language.  She eventually met and married Heman Gibbs in Galena in 1848. PHENOMENA: Tragically, Heman and Jane lost their 9-year-old son William to smoke inhalation trying to put out a grass fire in 1867. Both tour guides and police have witnessed strange occurrences such as disembodied footsteps in hallways and toys that were locked in rooms arranged as if they had been played with. Doors and cupboards will open and close by themselves. It’s further said the apparition of of a small boy has been seen throughout the house or staring through a window. GLENSHEEN MANSION (DULUTH) BACKGROUND: The mansion was constructed as the family home of Chester Adgate Congdon. Construction began in 1905 and completed in 1908. The home cost a total of $854,000, equivalent to $22 million today. It is has been operated by the University of Minnesota Duluth since 1968 as a historic house museum. At the time, Elisabeth Congdon (Chester Congdon's youngest daughter) was given a life estate, allowing her to occupy Glensheen until her death. In 1979, two years after Elisabeth's death, the mansion opened to the public. For years, the third floor and attic were closed to the public due to safety concerns over limited access, but both areas were opened to small group tours in 1992. Glensheen is noteworthy for the murders of Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse, Velma Pietila, on June 27, 1977. Roger Caldwell, the second husband of Elisabeth's adopted daughter, Marjorie Congdon LeRoy Caldwell Hagen, was convicted of two counts of first- degree murder and received two life sentences. Marjorie was charged with aiding and abetting and conspiracy to commit murder but was acquitted on all charges. In 1982 Caldwell's conviction was overturned by the Minnesota Supreme Court. He was set to be retried but pleaded guilty and submitted a full confession. He was later released from prison, and in 1988 he committed suicide. In the intervening years, Marjorie Congdon Caldwell Hagen was twice convicted of arson, for which she served 12 years in prison, and was once wanted for bigamy in North Dakota. PHENOMENA: For three-plus decades, the apparitions of Elisabeth and Velma have walked the hallways. Staff and visitors report shadowy figures in the halls and basement and the weird sensation of being observed. Lights flicker on and off by themselves and there are claims of seeing both women looking out a window at the lake. It’s also been said screams of agony sometimes resonate through the house. GREY CLOUD ISLAND (WASHINGTON COUNTY) BACKGROUND: Grey Cloud Island has a long history of human habitation. Archaeological surveys have found evidence of villages that date roughly to the early Woodland period (about 2100 years ago). In the early 1830s, Medicine Bottle led a small group of Dakota from Kaposia and built a village on the island, but they had to move to comply with the Treaty of 1837. Fur trader Hazen Mooers and his son-in-law Andrew Robertson, moved into the houses abandoned by the Dakota. Robertson named the island after his mother-in-law, Margaret Aird Mooers, aka Marpiyahotawin (Grey Cloud Woman); she was the granddaughter of the famed Dakota leader Wabasha. Joseph Renshaw Brown built a house on the southern end of the island in 1838. He set up a dairy farm, grew wheat and veggies, had a trading post, supplied wood to steamboats, and served as Justice of the Peace, presumably in his spare time. Brown also made a decent amount of money selling whiskey to the soldiers at Fort Snelling and would later play a role in the founding of Stillwater before helping to write the state constitution and serving as Indian agent. A small community grew on the island, many of them former voyageurs with Dakota wives. Grey Cloud City was platted in 1856 but there were few takers and the 1857 economic panic pretty much finished it off. It is still largely rural today, even after Cottage Grove annexed the southern part of the island in the early 1980s. PHENOMENA: Urban legend alert >> One of the legends surrounding the island concerns a green lantern that is often seen that some say is being carried by the spirit of an Indian Chief while others claim it to be just an anomalous light. It’s also said that Grey Cloud Woman wanders the island though in actuality she is buried on the Sioux Reservation with her mother, the original Grey Cloud Woman. Some insist hearing the sound of drums beating or coyotes baying at the moon.  There are stories of a phantom white truck that chases people around and simply vanishes or in another variation, has no driver. The same is said of a ghostly motorcycle. A common cemetery legend also exists here in the form of counting tombstone in one direction that changes upon return the opposite way. One mother in a group testing the story claimed she saw her son being followed by a ghostly young boy, upon which they immediately left the area. People hear disembodied voices and a woman’s screams in the cemetery as well as a transparent man wearing a red flannel jacket with an orange hat carrying a rifle. One woman claimed he appeared in their backseat as they drove away after encountering him. There is also the usual report of car failure when driving up to the cemetery boundaries. GREYHOUND BUS MUSEUM (HIBBING) BACKGROUND: Located where Carl Wickman and Andrew "Bus Andy" Anderson started their first bus service in 1914 transporting fellow miners in a 1914 Hupmobile. The museum opened in September 1989 in the Hibbing Municipal Building under the name Greyhound Bus Origin Center. It was the dedicated work of one man, Gene Nicolelli, a local resident, who found a plaque in the abandoned local Greyhound Terminal honoring the town as the birthplace of the bus industry. The museum has since acquired a number of buses associated with the Greyhound Line operation. The exhibits also tell the story of the company, its contribution to the World War II efforts and display memorabilia from its history. PHENOMENA: This museum is rumored to be haunted since it is right next door to a cemetery. Staff members have said that bus windows open and close on their own and visitors have reported seeing suspicious shadows that disappear. Employees have reported strange shadows on the “Nine bus” especially and the voice of a little girl ringing out at night. GRIGGS MANSION (ST. PAUL) BACKGROUND: The site overlooked the town, where owner James Crawford Burbank's steamboats and stagecoaches carried mail, passengers, and goods. Burbank had come to Saint Paul from Vermont in 1850 and built a financial empire from scratch, then reorganized the Saint Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company and served as its president. He was active in civic affairs, founding the chamber of commerce, establishing Como Park, and constructing a streetcar system. He served in public office as a Ramsey County commissioner and state representative. In addition to Burbank, the 1864 house is named after two important owners who led the early growth and development of the capital city: Crawford Livingston and Theodore Wright Griggs. In 1968, Mary Griggs' daughter Mary Griggs Burke donated the house to the Minnesota Historical Society and the Saint Paul Junior League, which operated a house museum for many years with the assistance of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. In 1996, the Burbank–Livingston–Griggs House was sold and turned into three separate furnished apartments, once again becoming a residence. PHENOMENA: The 4th floor is said to the the place where a maid hanged herself in 1915. Staff and occupants report hearing phantom footsteps walking up and down stairs and a strong sense of fear and unease. The ghost of a tall, thin man wearing a dark suit and top hat has been seen on the second floor and is a bit more bold, as he appears at the foot of beds, physically touches people and has been known to disappear through walls. Back years ago, people claimed to see the image of a young boy’s head hovering over them at night. Windows and doors open and close themselves, light bulbs explode for no reason and items have been known to fly off shelves. HEFFRON HALL (WINONA) BACKGROUND: This is the story: In the early morning of August of 1915, bishop of the Winona diocese, Patrick Heffron, was celebrating mass in the empty chapel at St. Mary's College when he heard someone entering the chapel. It was Father Laurence Lesches, who then fired a gun striking Heffron once in the thigh, then once the the chest, with a third bullet hitting the altar. Lesches ran with the Bishop pursuing him before collapsing in the doorway. Father Thomas Narmoyle had watched Father Lesches fleeing and went on to the chapel to find Heffron lying there. Just minutes later, Lesches was apprehended in his room by police with gun in hand. It was revealed by Heffron from his hospital bed that the two had not really gotten along well. Heffron was a respected figure and a great fund-raiser, but often treated colleagues with disdain if they did not live up to his own lofty standards. Father Lesches was one of those and also a very arrogant man in his own right. He stood trial in December with Heffron testifying that Lesches was mentally unstable. Two days later the jury acquitted Lesches on the grounds of insanity and he was remanded to the State Hospital for the Dangerously Insane in St. Peter. Lesches was eventually found to be in otherwise sound mental health, but after Bishop Heffron’s death, his successor, Bishop Francis Relly, refused to sign off on his release. After 29 years of residency, Lesches died in the hospital in 1943 at the age of 84. http://www.prairieghosts.com/stmaryc.html PHENOMENA:  Shortly after Father Lesches’ release was denied, a maid at St. Mary's found the body of another priest, Father Edward Lynch with his  body and his Bible burned as if they had burst into flames. Nothing else was damaged including the sheets upon which his body was lying. This was apparently a case spontaneous human combustion, but it is noted that Lynch and Heffron had been good friends and neither got along with Lesches. leading some to believe he had put a curse of Lynch. In time, students living in the hall reported phantom footsteps in the night, tapping sounds and cold chills and drafts on the third floor. One student claimed to be restrained by an invisible force while another came face-to-face with the ghost of Father Lesches himself. He struck the entity in the jaw and broke nearly every bone in his hand. KAHLER HOTEL (ROCHESTER) BACKGROUND: The Kahler Grand Hotel has a rich tradition and history beginning with the Mayo Brothers. The Mayo Brothers wanted to build their hospital in Rochester and being a small country town, it at first could not offer enough places for patients and hospital workers to stay, creating a demand for real estate development in the hospitality field. As a beginning effort, the Mayo Brothers asked John Kahler, of The Kahler Corporation (formed in 1917) to build them a hotel/hospital to be the starting home of this grand, medical vision to offer care to people. In 1921, Kahler Grand Hotel started as Rochester's landmark property, known then as The Kahler Hotel. This unusual building was a hybrid, one of its kind. The eleven-floor structure not only offered services of an up-scale hotel but also was the beginnings of the Mayo Clinic Hospital, originally called "The Sanatorium." Six floors of the building were used for hotel purposes and five floors for hospital services, including three operating rooms and several laboratories. The new Kahler Hotel was designed following John H. Kahler's unique way of providing hospitality. In 1953, hospital functions were phased out of The Kahler Hotel. The Kahler Corporation sold all of its hospital holdings, including the Colonial Hospital, The Worrall and Kahler Hall nurses home, to the newly expanded Methodist Hospital. PHENOMENA: In 1977, Brach candy heiress Helen Voorhees Brach, 65, visited the Mayo Clinic in Rochester for a checkup. The doctors found her to be in good health, she paid her bill, checked out of her room at the Kahler Grand Hotel, made some purchases at a gift shop, and then left. This was the last time that anybody had seen her. In 1984, Brach was declared to be legally dead but over time it was discovered she was the victim of a hit put on her by an organized crime syndicate in relation to a race horse selling scam. Still, to this day, people report seeing Brach riding the elevators and vanishing before their eyes. It’s also said the hotel is haunted by the spirits of former Mayo clinic patients. MINNEAPOLIS CITY HALL (MINNEAPOLIS) BACKGROUND: Groundbreaking took place in 1889, and the cornerstone was laid (a story off the ground) in 1891. Construction did not officially end until 1906, although the structural exterior was essentially complete by the end of 1895. The structure has served as mainly local government offices since it was built, and today the building is 60 percent occupied by the city and 40 percent occupied by the County. When constructed, the building claimed to have the world's largest four-faced chiming clock. At 24 feet, 6 inches, the faces are 18 inches wider than those of the Great Clock in London (which houses the famous hour bell Big Ben). PHENOMENA: Those working the night shift; security guards, custodians and deputies, believe the building to be haunted by the ghost of John Moshik, the only person ever hanged in the building. Moshik shot and killed a man named John Lemke who refused to help him pull off a robbery. His apparition has been seen on the fourth floor and peering in a window of the common room on the 5th floor by former inmates that were held there. Reports abound of pictures falling off walls, lights flicking on and off and doors and windows closing and opening on their own. A night custodian back in the 1980s was vacuuming up fallen plaster and dust in the ceiling area when he heard a voice say,”What are you doing up here?”. MOUNDS THEATER (ST. PAUL) BACKGROUND: The Mounds Theatre was originally built in 1922 as a venue for silent movies and live entertainment. It was renovated around 1933 and 1950 before closing in July 1967, and used as a warehouse until December 2001. In 2001, the theater was donated to the Portage for Youth by George Hardenbergh to address unmet needs of youth and families on St. Paul’s East Side. Portage director Raeann Ruth led the renovation project and, with the help of a STAR grant through the City of St. Paul and a donation from an anonymous donor, the Mounds Theatre became the art deco landmark it is today. Renovations now completed, the theater is used for plays and other types of live entertainment, movies, concerts, weddings and receptions, educational activities and neighborhood gatherings. Work began on the building in late 2001 and was finished in October 2003. http://moundstheatre.org/about/about-the-theatre/ PHENOMENA: Once the theater reopened in the 2000s, staff and visitors began to experience some strange things. Numerous people have seen a ghostly little girl named “Mary” who has been spotted on stage bouncing a ball and generally performing for her audience. Another spirit p[resent is an usher named “Jim”, who walks up and down the aisles and is said to be looking for his love. One entity that isn’t as benign is named “Red”, who was the theater’s longtime projectionist. He has a quick temper, curses frequently, and is known to touch or grope female staff members. It’s known he spent a large part working in the projection booth during the theater’s initial run from 1922 to 1967. One legend says he had a crush on a lady moviegoer, which prompted him to jump from the balcony to the aisle to impress her. Instead, he broke his leg. Red died one year after the theater shut down. OLD JAIL BED & BREAKFAST (TAYLOR’S FALLS) BACKGROUND: In 1869, the Schottmuller brothers built a one-story stone structure with a cave connecting it to their brewery further up Angel Hill and opened it as a saloon, storing beer in the cave. They then purchased a two-story stable and livery, built in 1851, from the Chisago House Hotel and set it on top of the saloon for living quarters. Since its days as a saloon, the “Cave” has housed a surprising array of businesses including a general store, a chicken plucking operation, a beauty shop, and a mortuary. The Taylors Falls Jail was built next door to the saloon in 1884 (merely coincidental?), at a total cost of $311.76. It originally had four jail cells and is unique for its outer walls which are constructed of stacked 2x4 boards. The village sold the structure in 1923 and it was used over the years as an ice house, a shoe repair shop, and a garage. Historian Helen White restored the “Jail” and opened it in 1981 as Minnesota’s first licensed bed & breakfast. http://www.oldjail.com/history.html PHENOMENA: There are said to be at least three ghosts who reside here. The first being a phantom cat that people sometimes feel jump onto their beds in the middle of the night. When the startled lodgers get up to look for the cat, they find there is no such creature anywhere. The other ghosts are a young boy and an older woman, sometimes seen together in the building and often accompanied by an orb of light. It was once reported that the young boy told a guest, “Don’t be afraid. We are here to watch over you.” The owner’s granddaughter and several guests have also claimed to have seen him, with one guest reporting the boy was upset her family was staying there. There are also claims of an old steamship captain who walks from room to room smoking a cigar and the spirit of a former prostitute wearing very strong perfume who will sometimes take the curtains down. PALMER HOUSE HOTEL (SAUK CENTRE) BACKGROUND: The Palmer House was built in 1901 by Ralph and Christena Palmer on the site of the Sauk Centre House, the city's first hotel, which had burned down on June 26, 1900.[6] It was ideally situated in the heart of Sauk Centre's business district and just over a block from the train station.[2] The Palmer House was the first building in Sauk Centre to have electricity. The Palmers lived on the premises with their two children, and were assisted in running the establishment by Christena's mother and brother. The Palmer House catered especially to traveling salesmen, arriving by rail, who found not only overnight lodging but meeting space and after-hours relaxation at the hotel. Local residents also used the hotel as a gathering place. When it first opened, the Palmer House contained 24 guest rooms. In 1916 the hotel's second owners hired architect Roland C. Buckley of St. Cloud, Minnesota, to expand the building with a rear addition containing another 20 rooms.[2] Guests originally shared a common lavatory off the hall. PHENOMENA: Various people have reported paranormal activity at the Palmer House. Guests and staff have reported disembodied voices, rapid temperature shifts, and doors slamming shut on their own. One of the more common accounts the sound of a child bouncing a ball or running in the hallway. TRIVIA: The young Sinclair Lewis worked two summers as a desk clerk at the Palmer House. He later used it as the model for the "Minniemashie House" in his 1920 novel Main Street, set in a town modeled in turn on Sauk Centre.  The Palmer House is featured in the fourth episode of season 7 on Ghost Adventures and in episode 4 of the tenth season of The Dead Files. PIONEER PLACE ON FIFTH (ST.CLOUD) BACKGROUND: Pioneer Place on Fifth was originally built as an Elks Club in 1913. The grand granite pillars and regal steps made the building a landmark for the time. On the facade of the building you will see two clocks carved in stone that are permanently rested at 11 o’clock, the time when Elks were to have a moment of silence for their fallen brothers. Also inset in stone are the letters BPOE, which stood for the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.The upstairs of the building originally housed chambers, which were small rooms where fellow Elks could spend the night. Each chamber had running water, hardwood floors and individual radiators for heat. PHENOMENA: It’s believed there are three different spirits in the building. An older gentleman in a black suit has been seen upstairs who favors the men's restroom, but has also been spotted on stage. The other is a woman in her mid 30's who frequents the basement and moves things around, slams doors, and plays with the building’s electricity. PIPESTONE NATIONAL MONUMENT (PIPESTONE) BACKGROUND: The catlinite, or "pipestone", has been traditionally used to make ceremonial pipes, vitally important to traditional Plains Indian religious practices. The quarries are sacred to most of the tribe of North America, Dakota, Lakota, and other tribes of Native Americans, and were neutral territory where all Nations could quarry stone for ceremonial pipes. The Sioux tribes may have taken control of the quarries around 1700, but the Minnesota pipestone has been found inside North American burial mounds dating from long before that, and ancient Indian trails leading to the area suggest pipestone may have been quarried there for many centuries. The land was acquired by the federal government in 1893. In 1928, the Yankton Sioux, then resettled on a reservation 150 miles away, sold their claim to the federal government. The National Monument was established by an act of Congress on August 25, 1937, and the establishing legislation restored quarrying rights to the Indians. PHENOMENA: There are legends of “Little People” at the quarries, who are known to be pranksters, and stories of Indian children seen playing or heard talking in a nursing home on the former site of an 1890s Indian boarding school. There are claims of war drums, shadowy figures and disembodied footsteps and voices. REDWOOD COUNTY MUSEUM (REDWOOD FALLS) BACKGROUND: On July 31, 1884, Redwood County Commissioners purchased 160 acres and a 9-room house for $3,000 from J.M. Little for use as a county poor farm.  Previous to that time persons unable to care for themselves were boarded out as paupers. In January 1899, the farm was sold and Redwood County was without a poor farm until June 22, 1907, when 55 acres on the west edge of Redwood Falls were purchased from A. Alexander for $3,000. In 1908 a Spanish-style home was built by Weilandt & Stevenson for $16,450.  It was known as the most beautiful poor farm in the state!  It later became known as the Redwood County Nursing Home and finally the Redwood County Museum in 1978. http://redwoodcountyhistoricalsociety.com/museum/ PHENOMENA: It’s thought that the old pioneer school is the most haunted part of the complex with ghostly students reciting their teacher’s name (Ava) and disclosing their favorite subject (math) to investigators. There are also ghosts of residents who hanged themselves in despair and a man who was sentenced to be executed by hanging, but it had to be repeated when the first attempt failed. https://www.redwoodfallsgazette.com/news/20160725/apparently-haunted-psychic-investigator-presents-early-findings-of-county-museum- study ST. JAMES HOTEL (RED WING) BACKGROUND: Red Wing was the world's largest primary market for wheat in the early 1870s, with a warehouse capacity of over 1,000,000 US bushels in 1873. As a result of the city's wealth, and with a need to house businesspeople and tourists visiting the city, eleven prominent businessmen invested in the construction of the hotel. It opened with a grand ball on Thanksgiving Day, 1875. It was one of the most elaborate hotels along the Mississippi River and served the city during its heyday as a commercial center and a steamboat stop. The hotel was purchased in 1977 by the Red Wing Shoe Company and renovated. It was also given two additions, a shopping courtyard and a new section for offices and hotel rooms. PHENOMENA: One member of the staff and at least one paranormal investigator has seen the floating head of a Native American in the basement which is interesting as the hotel is said to have been built on ancient burial grounds. It’s thought that the ghost of former owner Clara Lillyblad still haunts the property. At one time, she waited tables at the hotel back in 1914 and eventually married the owner, Charles Lilyblad. She makes her presence felt in the dining room and her old bedroom - room 310 - where she will move objects around to her liking. A large walnut table in the dining room has been seen moving of its own accord and lights go on and off with no explanation. Footsteps are heard throughout the hotel. People have witnessed a child bouncing a ball and laughter and singing emanate through the hotel with no visible cause. In the main lobby and dining room, staff and guests have heard sobbing, crying and unhappy sighs. SOAP FACTORY (MINNEAPOLIS) BACKGROUND: Built in 1892, The Soap Factory is the oldest unconverted warehouse space in the Minneapolis Riverfront District. It was said to produce soap from animal carcasses, some from domestic pets who were taken and killed. It’s further said that before that. the factory manufactured artificial limbs for Civil War casualties. Since 1995 the former home of the National Purity Soap and Chemical Company has been a nonprofit art gallery catering to younger emerging contemporary artists. The art venue currently owed around $1.2 million to an investment firm after attempting to finance a reconstruction project. If the Soap Factory fails to pay off its debt to the investment company by the summer of 2019, the company will take over the building's title. PHENOMENA: The creepy site is said to smell of sulphur and be full of demonic entities, some of which may take over the actors in the annual “Haunted Basement” Halloween attraction as they perform or physically attack visitors. THAYER’S BED & BREAKFAST (ANNANDALE) BACKGROUND: The Thayer Bed n’ Breakfast, dates all the way back to its predecessor, the Charles Hotel, originally built in 1888. The Charles Hotel was built with substantial funding from the Minneapolis and Pacific Railroad Company, now known as the Soo Line Railroad Company.  The Charles Hotel proved to be an important asset to the city of Annandale, serving as a railroad hotel for guests that traveled either through or to the city by railroad. Unfortunately, the Charles Hotel would have a short existence as the building burned down in a fire that swept through part of the city in 1894. While the fire only claimed one of the two existing hotels, Annandale was unable to support the flow of guests from the railroads with just the one hotel. One year after the fire, in 1895 the Annandale House was rebuilt, again through funding from the railroad company and by Albert Augustus “Gus” Thayer. The newly built hotel was named the Thayer Hotel. https://www.thethayer.org/ PHENOMENA: It’s said that Gus and Caroline Thayer still reside in the current B&B and are tho0ught to be more than helpful to the current staff. Gus will leave pennies in rooms, greet (along with Caroline) guests and on occasion, appear at the foot of their beds doffing his hat in welcome. Women who would “entertain” the men who passed through the hotel are said to remain in spirit at this haunted bed and breakfast. These female apparitions are seen throughout the building and are known to disturb the belongings of female guests. There are also ghost cats that sometimes roam through the building along with a handyman who seems to be going about his daily business. It’s further said an old seaman makes himself known by the smell of fish and odd noises like footsteps and bangs are heard. WABASHA STREET CAVES (ST. PAUL) BACKGROUND: An event hall built into the sandstone caves located on the south shore of the Mississippi River . The caves have been home to mobsters, speakeasies, and in more recent years have begun hosting a "Swing Night" on Thursday nights with live big-band music. The caves, which technically are mines because they are man made, are carved out of sandstone and date back to the 1840s. Throughout history the caves have been used for a number of different activities, including growing mushrooms, storage of food and belongings, music, and dancing. In the 1920s, the caves were used as a restaurant and nightclub venue known as the Wabasha Street Speakeasy. The speakeasy was said to have been frequented by gangsters such as John Dillinger and Ma Barker, however there is no evidence that these visits occurred; thus, these stories are considered legend. On October 26, 1933, Josie & William Lehmann opened the Castle Royal, which was built into the side of the caves. Castle Royal was closed in the late 1930s due to the start of World War II and went back to primarily being a place to grow mushrooms. Some time in the 1970s, Castle Royal 2 was opened as a venue for Disco music. The caves have also been used as a place of storage for debris and belongings that were washed up from flooding. Some of these things can still be found in the caves today. PHENOMENA: In the 1920s, St. Paul was a sanctuary city for gangsters who could “vacation” without fear of arrest from law enforcement and it’s often said that 4 gangsters were sitting and playing cards in the Fireside Room and listening to a band when one asked the musicians if they could knock off early. One waitress remained as everyone left and while in the kitchen she heard shots ring out and found 3 men dead and a man carrying a case with an accomplice leaving the establishment. When police arrived, they were in no hurry to arrest anyone and in fact, threatened the waitress for even filing a report. Today there is a man wearing a Panama hat seen inside the caves as if he’s going about some unknown business. A ghostly couple has been seen meeting at the bar around 3 am and a male entity sits in the audience watching actors rehearsing. During the 1970s,  the manager and an employee saw a full-bodied apparition of a man in gangster attire walking toward them in the hallway. As he passed them not paying them any attention, he dematerialized through a wall. A little boy at a wedding reception told the rest of the party he was playing with some men. Likewise, in 2005, the owner’s young son was playing with a ball that bounced into the men’s room and upon retrieving it, saw a man dressed in gangster-style clothing straightening his tie in the mirror. He told his parents the man looked at him and winked. WARDEN’S HOUSE MUSEUM (STILLWATER) BACKGROUND: It was the official residence for the wardens of the Minnesota Territorial Prison, which became the Minnesota State Prison upon statehood in 1858. The Washington County Historical Society has operated the house since 1941, making it the second-oldest house museum in Minnesota. The prison was in operation for 61 years, from 1853 to 1914. In that time 13 successive wardens resided in the house, serving terms as short as five months to as long as 20 years. The first two wardens were appointed by the territorial legislature, then, for the first 40 years of statehood, by the Governor of Minnesota with State Senate confirmation. In 1889, to quell political favoritism in the choices, legislation assigned the selection of wardens to a five-person board of managers. The original prison complex closed in 1914 upon the completion of a new Minnesota State Prison just south of Stillwater in Bayport. The Warden's House then served as quarters for lesser officials like deputy wardens and superintendents. Most of the prison complex was demolished in 1936. PHENOMENA: Trudy Wolfer was the daughter of Warden Henry Wolfer and grew up in the house until she married. Eventually she gave birth to a son, but died shortly afterwards of appendicitis. Her father and mother took the baby in with them. Trudy’s spirit has been seen in the house, sometimes holding her stomach as if in pain and one young girl asked a tour guide if, “that woman” was always in the bedroom during tours.  Trudy’s ghost has also been seen staring out of the windows upstairs or rocking a cradle in an upstairs bedroom. There are also noises that resemble the shoveling of coal that come from the basement. WASHINGTON AVENUE BRIDGE (MINNEAPOLIS) BACKGROUND: An iron truss bridge was first built here in 1884, slightly upstream from the current location (connecting Washington Avenue on both sides of the river). At the time of construction, many people lived in the river flats area below, a neighborhood known as Bohemian Flats. The bridge was strengthened in 1890 to accommodate streetcars, and it made up part of the first interurban line between Minneapolis and neighboring Saint Paul (see Twin City Rapid Transit). Streetcar service ended in 1954. Construction of the current bridge began in 1962 and the 1884 bridge was torn down in 1965. The top deck on the new bridge was originally just a flat space. Traversing the bridge in the harshness of winter was very uncomfortable, so an enclosure running down the center of the pedestrian area was added by the 1970s. Originally meant to be a heated indoor pedestrian area, due to energy cost concerns, the walkway is mostly unheated. PHENOMENA: Poet John Berryman took his life by leaping from the bridge in 1972, and there’s a similar suicide every so often. It’s said to be haunted by the spirits of those who jumped to their death including professor Berryman. University of Minnesota students crossing the bridge say they often hear phantom footsteps at night and feel as though someone is watching them from the shadows. BACK TO TO PARANORMAL DATABASE
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