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The Luxurious Haunting at the Grand Hotel at Mackinac Island

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At the old and stately Grand Hotel at Mackinac Island, there are rumors about more than one ghost haunting the place. When building the hotel, they uncovered so many human bones they lost count. Some say that they are still under the luxurious hotel.

In the pristine waters of Lake Huron, between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, Mackinac Island serves as a tranquil retreat celebrated for its picturesque beauty, historic allure, and a notable reputation for the supernatural. In fact, Mackinac Island was called the most haunted town in America in 2021, with many stories having been covered over the years. And with only a full time population of around 583 people, the ghosts perhaps even outnumber the living. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from the USA

With no cars allowed and transportation limited to bicycles and horse-drawn carriages, the island offers a unique step back in time. Some come to enjoy the quiet seaside and enjoy the famous fudge. The island has become a perfect summer destination for Americans, but after the tourists leave in the fall, the fog from the Straits comes rolling in, and the leaves turn color, the ghost of the island remains to haunt it. 

A Brief History of Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island’s history stretches back thousands of years, with indigenous peoples such as the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Huron considering it a sacred place long before European settlers arrived. The island’s name itself, derived from the Ojibwe word “Michilimackinac,” means “big turtle,” referring to the island’s shape when viewed from above.

Read more: Check out all ghost stories from Mackinac Island

The French established a fur trading post here in the 17th century, and the island later became a strategic military outpost during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. In the late 19th century, it became more of a summer colony and a tourist destination that it still is. 

Mackinac Island: Cars were banned at the end of the nineteenth century due to health and safety concerns for the island’s residents and horses, as local carriage drivers said it scared their horses. This, together with the old historic houses and lush nature makes you feel like stepping back in time and welcoming old ghosts to linger.

The Grand Hotel: A Luxurious Haunt

The Grand Hotel at Mackinac Island has become an iconic symbol of the island, is as famous for its opulence as it is for its ghostly residents. Built in 1887, this sprawling hotel has hosted numerous notable guests—and a few uninvited spectral ones.

Read More: check out all ghost stories from haunted hotels

The Grand Hotel is located on Grand Avenue is one of the most recognizable buildings with its 660-foot porch said to be the longest in the world. It was built in 1887 for the rich rail and steamship passengers. 

Movies have been filmed here and presidents and celebrities have stayed here. And according to some, so does the dead. 

Grand Hotel at Mackinac Island

The Mass Graves Found on Mackinac Island

In 2011 developers of a new hotel discovered a mass grave downtown on Mackinac Island. They had a plan of  building a three storey hotel at the site. Before the hotel construction started, there was a building known as the MacNally Cottage at the location. Some think that the cottage was built on a Catholic cemetery of the St. Anne’s Catholic Church who closed the cemetery in December in 1851. where there were many native american members as well. The police said that there were some bones belonging to animals, but there were also human bones. The human bones found were likely from the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of the Chippewa natives. Many hundred bones were unearthed.

The tribal members came to reclaim and rebury the remains to give them a traditional ceremony, but the building of the hotel went on ahead as well. The next year a few bones were discovered on the site of a remodel for a Main Street store. So it’s safe to say that most of the construction work on Mackinac Island will dig up some bones. Which begs the question, what did they find when they first built the Grand Hotel in 1887? 

According to the lore, they found so many bones and bodies during construction that they were unable to keep track of them. Who were the people buried here? Were they Anishinaabe Chiefs, warring tribes, or the fallen European soldiers from the wars fought on the land? We don’t really know, because they decided to build on top of them without removing the skeletons in the ground or doing further investigations. Some say that this has angered the spirits, and awakened them to haunt the Grand Hotel. 

The Ghosts of the Grand Hotel

So what are the ghost stories inside of the Grand Hotel at Mackinac Island? According to the staff, they keep hearing and seeing things they can’t explain, when they clock in for the morning shift, they find furniture has mysteriously moved. There are many different entities that are said to be the ones haunting the Grand Hotel. Here are some of the legends:

The Lady in Black

One of the most well-known spirits is the “Lady in Black,” believed to be a former guest who never checked out. Guests and staff have reported seeing the spirit of a young woman wearing Victorian era clothing, wandering the halls, particularly near the hotel’s grand staircase or walking a large dog on the porch after dark. She has even been said to get into bed with the other living guests.

The Haunting Black Mass

Another peculiar thing that is said to be haunting the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island is a sort of evil entity, appearing for staff and guests as a black mass with glowing red eyes. 

A maintenance man was once working at the theater stage at the hotel. According to him, there was suddenly a black mass rushing after him, knocking him off his feet and out. Two days later he woke up from the fall and decided to never go back to the hotel.

Haunted Hotel: There is said to be more than one ghost haunting the hotel. //Source: Photo of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island during the late 1920’s.

Other Ghost Haunting the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island

Another frequent sighting is that of an elderly man in a top hat lingering around the hotel’s bar and piano room, smoking a cigar. Those who see him claim that he disappears when approached.

Another is the ghost of Little Rebecca, who passed away on the grounds and haunts the fourth floor, being spotted floating or walking through the halls and disappearing to nowhere.

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References:

Historic Burial Site Found During Hotel Excavation | Interlochen Public Radio

Meet America’s Most Haunted Town: 5 Ghost Stories From MI’s Mackinac Island

Hauntings of the Grand Hotel: Mackinac Island, Michigan

Another Construction Site Unearths Bones On Mackinac Island | Interlochen Public Radio

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The Soldier Ghost at Rifle Range Trail at Mackinac Island

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A soldier hanged for the murder of another is said to haunt the Rifle Range Trail at Mackinac Island in Michigan. Appearing for those venturing onto the trail where he was once hanged, he tries to plead his innocence. 

Mackinac Island, located in Lake Huron between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, is a peaceful getaway famous for its scenic beauty, historic appeal, and spooky legends. In fact, Mackinac Island was called the most haunted town in America in 2021, with many stories having been covered over the years. And with only a full time population of around 583 people, the ghosts perhaps even outnumber the living. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from the USA

With no cars allowed and transportation limited to bicycles and horse-drawn carriages, the island offers a unique step back in time. Some come to enjoy the quiet seaside and enjoy the famous fudge. The island has become a perfect summer destination for Americans, but after the tourists leave in the fall, the fog from the Straits comes rolling in, and the leaves turn color, the ghost of the island remains to haunt it. 

Fort Mackinac: The Straits of Mackinac quickly became an important French fur trading location. The British took control of the Straits after the French and Indian War and built Fort Mackinac to protect their settlement from attack by French-Canadians and native tribes.//Source: Wikimedia

A Brief History of Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island’s history stretches back thousands of years, with indigenous peoples such as the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Huron considering it a sacred place long before European settlers arrived. The island’s name itself, derived from the Ojibwe word “Michilimackinac,” means “big turtle,” referring to the island’s shape when viewed from above.

Read more: Check out all ghost stories from Mackinac Island

The French established a fur trading post here in the 17th century, and the island later became a strategic military outpost during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. In the late 19th century, it became more of a summer colony and a tourist destination that it still is. 

The Hanging of Private James Brown on Rifle Range Trail

On February 1 in 1830, there was a hanging on Rifle Road on Mackinac Island between 10 am and 2 am. There was a lot of talk in the small town about it, but if it was ever made a spectacle remains a mystery. Many say that all the locals came to see the hanging, but we don’t really know. 

Corporal Hugh Flinn had been found dead, and Private James Brown was found guilty of his murder and hanged. They had argued the day he died and Brown walked by Flinn, sitting down at the mess room of the Soldier’s Barracks at Fort Mackinac. It was December 5 in 1828 and private James Brown entered the hall. A shot was heard and Flinn bled to death after the bullet hit his neck. 

Read Also: Fort Mackinac and the Ghosts of War 

What really happened that day at Fort Mackinac? Brown confessed that the shot had come from his rifle, but claimed that it had gone off by accident. There were 15 witnesses to the aftermath, not the shooting itself, and they claimed Brown had lowered his musket as he cried out: “My God, what have I done?”

Many believed in his innocence, including Governor Lewis Cass, who even asked the president, Andrew Jackson for a pardon for him. As they tried him, they kept him in the fort’s guardhouse. 

This pardon was not granted and he was found guilty of murder and hung to death on what is now close to the Rifle Range Trail. It was the only execution of its kind here. But it was not the end of the story of Brown. According to the locals, his spirit is still roaming the island, trying to convince the people who he appeared in front of to believe he was indeed innocent.

Ghost Haunting the Rifle Range Trail: There are miles and miles of trails on Mackinac Island. Some of them, like the Rifle Range Trail where the hanging occurred are said to be haunted by the ghost of the soldier. // Source/Zachary V. Sunderman

The Rifle Range Trail Ghost

On Mackinac Island there are over 70 miles of hiking trails, one of them going past where they once built a gallow especially for James Brown’s hanging, the only public hanging on the island. This particular trail known as Rifle Range Trail is said to be the place his ghost is appearing to haunt.

For eternity, his ghost roams Rifle Range Trail between Fort Holmes and Fort Mackinac. People sometimes hear footsteps and get a feeling of being watched when they walk it. Some stories claim that he will appear to some and plead his innocence he insisted on until his death, still trying to get someone to believe in him. 

In addition to his spirit of James Brown haunting the Rifle Range Trail, there are plenty of military hauntings around the island. The sound of a fife has also been heard playing old military tunes in the morning fog close to the fort’s North Sally Port Entrance. In the end, who knows how many soldiers posted at this place is lingering as ghosts?

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References:

Fort Mackinac – Haunted Houses 

Hiking And Biking Trails – Mackinac Island 

The Hanging for the Murder of Hugh Flinn – Mackinac State Historic Parks 

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The Haunted Post Cemetery on Mackinac Island

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The cemeteries on Mackinac Island are said to be haunted, some more than others. After her children died from illness, a grieving mother is said to be haunting the Post Cemetery on the island.

In the glistening waters of Lake Huron between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, Mackinac Island is a serene retreat known for its picturesque beauty, historic charm, and an eerie reputation for the supernatural. In fact, Mackinac Island was called the most haunted town in America in 2021, with many stories having been covered over the years. And with only a full time population of around 583 people, the ghosts perhaps even outnumber the living. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from the USA

With no cars allowed and transportation limited to bicycles and horse-drawn carriages, the island offers a unique step back in time. Some come to enjoy the quiet seaside and enjoy the famous fudge. The island has become a perfect summer destination for Americans, but after the tourists leave in the fall, the fog from the Straits comes rolling in, and the leaves turn color, the ghost of the island remains to haunt it. 

Fort Mackinac Post Cemetery: Located a half mile north of Fort Mackinac, near Skull Cave, a burial site for American Indians. The earliest interments in the post cemetery likely date to the mid-1820’s and is considered haunted. The military occupation of Fort Mackinac throughout the 18th century suggests there was an earlier post cemetery, yet the location of pre-1820’s burials remains elusive.// Source

A Brief History of Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island’s history stretches back thousands of years, with indigenous peoples such as the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Huron considering it a sacred place long before European settlers arrived. The island’s name itself, derived from the Ojibwe word “Michilimackinac,” means “big turtle,” referring to the island’s shape when viewed from above.

Read more: Check out all ghost stories from Mackinac Island

The French established a fur trading post here in the 17th century, and the island later became a strategic military outpost during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. In the late 19th century, it became more of a summer colony and a tourist destination that it still is. 

The Haunted Post Cemetery

Mackinac Island is also home to several cemeteries, each with its own ghostly legends. One of them is the Mackinac Island’s Post Cemetery, the oldest cemetery on the island. It was built in the early 1800s to house both British and American soldiers who were killed in the War of 1812. After this, civilians and veterans of the American Civil War were also buried here. The cemetery’s history is closely knit together with the reportedly haunted Fort Mackinac.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from haunted cemeteries

Many have been buried here, not many are named. The wooden crosses marked with their name have long since decayed and only 39 of the 108 souls under the ground are identified with headstones. A lot of mystery lingers over the cemetery as a lot of its history is forgotten because of how bad they were at keeping records at the fort. 

The Graves: The story told about the Post Cemetery is that a grieving mother can be seen mourning over the graves. Here, the grave of Isabel Cowles and her brother, thought to be the graves the ghost mother is visiting. //Source

Visitors have reported seeing ghostly apparitions among the gravestones and hearing the faint sound of weeping, believed to be the spirits of those who met tragic ends during the island’s tumultuous history. One such story tells of the ghost of a weeping mother. She is seen over the 19th century graves of her two young children. 

The Cowles Siblings Haunting Fort Mackinac

There were a lot of children staying at the fort who died, including Josiah and Isabel Cowles who died in infancy. Could these be the children behind the haunting happening at the Stone Quarter? Could the ghost of their mother be the one said to haunt the Post Cemetery?

Mary Ella Cowles who buried her children at the Post Cemetery. Could she be the one said to haunt it?

The family had moved from post to post the last ten years and came to Fort Mackinac in 1884, a booming tourist town. Mary Ella Hitchcock was born in 1855 in Rochester New York and married Calvin Duvall Cowles six months after they met. They had children and were known to be caring and loving parents, the opposite Victorian stereotype of a strict and not very affectionate upbringing model.

The move to the island was supposed to be a fresh start, but shortly after they arrived, Josiah died, only five months old. They moved away for a while, but came back with their daughter, Isabel, born in New York. Just before her first birthday, she died as well on the island in 1887. 

Their mother never recovered and deeply mourned their passing. Although she spent the rest of her life traveling from post to post, taking care of her family, she never forgot or got over the children she lost on the island and buried next to each other. 

She died in 1906 after watching both the Spanish-American war and the Philippine-American wars from the posts. She was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

It is also said she is haunting the fort, often seen in the Officer Hills Apartment Quarters, standing helpless and watching her babies die of a sickness she no one could cure. 

Thirteen other children died at the fort over the years and were all buried at the Fort Mackinac Post Cemetery, and if the haunting is real, there could be plenty of mothers coming to mourn for their little ones for all eternity. 

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References:

Mary Ella Cowles – Mackinac State Historic Parks 

Josiah Hamilton Cowles – Find a Grave Memorial 

Isabel Hitchcock Cowles (1887-1888) – Find a Grave Memorial

Historic Cemeteries – Mackinac Island

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Fort Mackinac and the Ghosts of War

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Built to hold the British away, Fort Mackinac has seen its fair share of death, both in war times and times of peace. Soldiers dying in wars, children taken by diseases are only some of the many ghosts said to haunt the old fort on Mackinac Island. 

In the pristine waters of Lake Huron, situated between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, Mackinac Island stands as a tranquil retreat renowned for its striking beauty, rich history, and a notable reputation for paranormal occurrences.In fact, Mackinac Island was called the most haunted town in America in 2021, with many stories having been covered over the years. And with only a full time population of around 583 people, the ghosts perhaps even outnumber the living. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from the USA

With no cars allowed and transportation limited to bicycles and horse-drawn carriages, the island offers a unique step back in time. Some come to enjoy the quiet seaside and enjoy the famous fudge. The island has become a perfect summer destination for Americans, but after the tourists leave in the fall, the fog from the Straits comes rolling in, and the leaves turn color, the ghost of the island remains to haunt it. 

Mackinac Island: Cars were banned at the end of the nineteenth century due to health and safety concerns for the island’s residents and horses, as local carriage drivers said it scared their horses. This, together with the old historic houses and lush nature makes you feel like stepping back in time and welcoming old ghosts to linger.

A Brief History of Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island’s history stretches back thousands of years, with indigenous peoples such as the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Huron considering it a sacred place long before European settlers arrived. The island’s name itself, derived from the Ojibwe word “Michilimackinac,” means “big turtle,” referring to the island’s shape when viewed from above.

Read more: Check out all ghost stories from Mackinac Island

The French established a fur trading post here in the 17th century, and the island later became a strategic military outpost during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. In the late 19th century, it became more of a summer colony and a tourist destination that it still is. 

Fort Mackinac and the Echoes of War

Fort Mackinac, perched atop a bluff overlooking the island, is not just a historical site from the Revolutionary War era, but also one of its most haunted. As most haunted places in America, they believe the fort was built on top of a native burial ground.

The military fort dates back to 1779 founded by Patrick Sinclair, a British commander. Three years after its construction it was supposed to be handed over to the Americans, but Captain Robinson refused to. It was in the end handed over in 1796, but the fight of the fort was not over yet. 

Read More: check out all ghost stories from haunted forts

During the war in 1812 it was known as Fort Michilimackinac and the British returned. They came back for the fort with the help of the natives and Canadians. It was a surprise attack with cannons, and the sixty American soldiers stationed at the fort were easily defeated. 13 died during the attack and 51 injured. 

In 1814 however, it was given back to the Americans via a treaty, remaining with them without any more fights before being decommissioned in 1895. 

Fort Mackinac: The Straits of Mackinac quickly became an important French fur trading location. The British took control of the Straits after the French and Indian War and built Fort Mackinac to protect their settlement from attack by French-Canadians and native tribes.//Source: Wikimedia

Soldiers and civilians alike have reported unexplained phenomena, including disembodied footsteps, sudden cold spots, and the spectral figures of soldiers in 18th-century uniforms. There are mysterious orbs showing up in tourists’ holiday pictures. And it seems like the haunting is not only confined to one of the 14 historic buildings of the fort. 

At War: Today the Fort Mackinac is used as a museum and reenactments of the battles it used to be a part of and has shaped the many ghost stories around the island. //Source: Wikimedia

The Hospital Haunting

There used to be a hospital now operating as an exhibit within the fort, showing how it was done back in the 19th century. A doctor known as the father of gastric physiology worked here and studied in detail the digestive system after a fur trader shot a hole in his stomach and survived. Dating back to 1828, it’s the oldest hospital building in Michigan. As many who died in battle, even more died from diseases like typhoid fever outbreaks and other illnesses.

In the hospital, many visitors have felt an overwhelming feeling of sadness overcome them, thinking it has to have a paranormal source. It is also said that the sound of crying babies can be heard. Furniture is mysteriously moving around and the motion detectors in place keep going off, even when no one is there. 

There is also the mysterious case of the people claiming to have seen floating phantom limbs in the air and them showing up in pictures. 

The Children Haunting the fort

The Fort Mackinac was not only a military outpost, but also served as a home for those stationed there. At the Officer’s Stone Quarters the families of those deployed at the fort lived, including the children. It is now a tea room, and has toys for children that seem to constantly be played with after hours.

This building is said to be Michigan’s oldest building from 1780, and no wonder that ghost stories have formed inside. It’s said that a group of ghost children is playing around, leaving toys for people to find on the floor in the morning. It is believed that the children used to have a father stationed there, but do we know their names?

The Cowles Siblings Haunting the fort

Mary Ella Cowles

There were a lot of children staying at the fort who died, including Josiah and Isabel Cowles who died in infancy. Could these be the children behind the haunting happening at the Stone Quarter? 

The family had moved from post to post the last ten years and came to Fort Mackinac in 1884, a booming tourist town. It was supposed to be a fresh start, but shortly after they arrived, Josiah died. They moved away for a while, but came back with their daughter, Isabel, born in New York. Just before her first birthday, she died as well on the island. The two children were buried next to each other in the Post Cemetery.

Their mother, Mary Ella Cowles never recovered and deeply mourned their passing. It is also said she is haunting the fort, often seen in the Officer Hills Apartment Quarters, standing helpless and watching her babies die of a sickness she no one could cure. She is also said to be haunting their graves at the Fort Mackinac Post Cemetery. 

The Fort After Hours

Thirteen other children died at the fort over the years and were all buried at the Fort Mackinac Post Cemetery, so there is not really known which one of them who is thought to be playing at the fort during the night. 

As the sun sets on Mackinac Island, casting long shadows over its historic buildings, the past continues to linger in the cool evening air. The tales of Fort Mackinac and its spectral inhabitants serve as a reminder of the island’s rich, albeit haunting, history.

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References:

Fort Mackinac – Haunted Houses

Fort Mackinac

Fort Mackinac – Wikipedia

Haunted Ghost Tour – Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau 

I Was a Ghost-Tour Guide on Mackinac Island