WYOMING's
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Image: Martin Kraft (photo.martinkraft.com)
License: CC BY-SA 3.0
via Wikimedia Commons
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History
This hotel was founded in 1800 and was located near the famous Bozeman Trail.
It quickly became one of the best and well known hotels in the State. It’s famous guests from the Old West period include Buffalo Bill Cody, Calamity Jane, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Frank Canton and even Teddy Roosevelt.
Eventually, the hotel was expanded and by the 20th century it was attracting guests from all over the world.
The Great Depression of the 1930’s began the hotels downfall as everyone’s money become to dry up. By the 1980’s the hotel had become run down and seemed to be destined for nothing more than the wrecking ball.
In 1997 Dawn Dawson bought the hotel and changed it’s fate. Over 10 years she not only restored it but got the hotel placed on the National Historical Register.
David and Jackie Stewart – who became managing partners in 2008 – took over ownership of the hotel in 2015 and remain so.
Today to step inside the hotel is to step into the Old West; even the bullet holes in the saloon are left from that time. All the suites and rooms are decorated in period style and filled with antiques.
Modern amenities are also included like free wifi, AC and private baths.
Paranormal Activity
This hotel tops many lists as the most haunted hotel and place in the State.
The hotel hosted ghost tours pre-Covid; hopefully they will return again soon.
While historians argue over whether the hotel was ever used as bordello there is a Bordello Suite in the modern hotel. The building’s most famous ghost, Emily, is said to have been daughter of one of the ladies of the night and keeps her haunting close to this room.
The room she is said to have passed away is now used a break room and is a small room right next to the Bordello Room.
Emily is a young girl said to have died of cholera in the early 20th century. She said to be painfully thin with long dark hair and wearing a white gown.
Emily is a mischievous ghost who likes to play with the guests. She is known for tapping you on the shoulder or pulling on your shirt. She also likes to appear at the foot of beds in rooms near the Bordello Suite.
She will also move furniture around in your room.
Teddy Roosevelt has been seen in the upstairs library.
The apparitions of cowboys have also been seen in the public spaces of the hotel.
Other Reported Activity: shadow figures; cold spots; disembodied voices; unexplained noises and feelings of not being alone.
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History
This building was originally built in 1887.
When it was first constructed the first floor was used as a candy and tea shop while the second and third floors functioned as an office building.
In 1907 the first floor was converted into a 404-seat theater for vaudeville acts. In 1929 it was converted into a movie theater that had many ups and downs until the mid-1950’s when it was closed for good.
In 1961 it was converted once again into a bar and live music venue called The Pink Pony Nightclub. Unfortunately, the nightclub only lasted 2 years before going out of business.
By the late 1960’s the unused building was beginning to show it’s age and was becoming unsavable. The Cheyenne Little Theater Players put shows on in the building starting in 1966 and then bought the building in 1971. By 1973 it was on the National Register of Historic Places list preventing any future owners from being to tear the building down.
The theater company has worked tirelessly to restore and update the building since; thus saving it for future generations.
Paranormal Activity
The building is home to 2 recognized but unidentified ghosts.
There is a story of a reverend who killed his wife for playing outside the marriage sandbox before killing himself although in modern times no one really believes it anymore. There is no historical proof that it ever happened.
Other stories include a fatal fire on the second floor and a mother and child dying of exposure while sheltering her from Wyoming’s brutal winter. Again, this story cannot be proven historically.
The ghosts of this theater are also said to be happy and mischievous which does not fit the usual pattern of restless spirits of a murder and suicide victims.
Although they are unidentified the 2 ghosts – who are both more than happy to interact with the living – are known to be a female and a male spirit.
The male ghost is said to be a prankster who causes objects to disappear and reappear as well as playing practical jokes on the acting company. He’s also known for strange noises and playing with the electricity.
The female ghost – she often appears in white in the building’s windows when it is closed – is only occasionally seen but is a much more quiet and calm spirit.
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History
Originally called the Wyoming Insane Asylum this institution was established in 1886 – 4 years before Wyoming became a State – by the Wyoming Territorial Government.
The asylum was built on 160 acres of land with the original Kirkbride Style building being constructed between 1887 and the mid-1890’s; this building burned down in 1917. Once the building was constructed money was set aside to landscape the grounds creating gardens and lawns.
In 1897 the facility changed its name to the Wyoming State Hospital for the Insane as it was thought the word asylum brought of images of restraints and a prison-like atmosphere.
In 1923 came the final name change to just Wyoming State Hospital.
As the 20th century began to reach its mid-point new treatments began to put into place like electro-shock therapy, insulin shock, psychotropic drugs and lobotomies. While these treatments are considered inhumane today it is important to note they were considered state of the art at the time and truly thought to help the patients.
After the 1950’s treatment was switched more toward outpatient programs and reintegrating the patients back into society; this was happening all over the Country. Since the 1980’s this program has been helped immensely by the improvement in psychiatric medications.
The hospital is still open today – it is the only large-scale psychiatric hospital in the State – and does have a permanent population (about 100 patients) of those unable to live in society including the criminally insane.
Unlike many of the other former asylums this facility never went through a period of abandonment so the surviving historical buildings are still in good shape.
Paranormal Activity
One of the old historical buildings has a sheet hanging over one of the upper story windows. While this is rather curious its why its there that’s truly disturbing.
There is the apparition of a young woman who hangs herself in that window so frequently that the local authorities got tried of fielding large number of calls regarding it. Understandably, most people think it is a real incident happening in real time. It is unknown who this woman was.
Other Activity (mostly reported by staff as this is an operational psychiatric facility): objects moving there own; unexplained lights appearing in places where either everything is turned off or there is no electricity running; other light anomalies; electrical disturbances; rocking chairs rocking on their own; disembodied voices; cold spots and feelings of being watched.
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History
This library was opened in 1980 and not a single person has passed away within the library or on the surrounding land. Yet this location is one of the most active on the website.
This location is the perfect example of a haunting due to the land’s former usage.
In the late 19th century this land was used as a cemetery. The cemetery was moved in the 1920′s however, surprise surprise, they neglected to move the bodies with the tombstones.
Coffins began to rise in the 1940′s but the problem was put to rest – so to speak – until the 1980′s. In the 80′s coffins began to rise again including one in 1985 of a child.
Paranormal Activity
Typewriters and computers working on their own; electrical disturbances of every kind imaginable; disembodied voices including a tape recorder that turned on its own and recorded a young girl yelling “hello”.
Balls of light have been seen traveling through the art gallery at night after the building is closed.
The sound of loud breathing and loud popping sounds have been heard with no source. Doors have opened closed on their own as well as swinging violently after the building has been emptied.
Books fly off of the shelves on their own.
An apparition has been sighted in the maintenance room that flies up to the ceiling before disappearing.
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History
This 8,000 square foot historic mansion was built between 1899 and 1903 by the Wyoming businessman George Ferris. Mr Ferris was the sole owner of the Ferris-Hagerty Copper Mine
Unfortunately, Ferris did live to move into his mansion; he was thrown from a runaway carriage near his mine and killed in 1900.
His wife, Julia, and their 7 children did move into the mansion when it was completed.
Shortly after moving in her youngest son – Cecil - was killed when his older brother accidentally discharged a gun.
Julia would lose 2 more children in the house – Delia aged 1 year and Edna aged 10 years – before she passed away herself in 1931 aged 76 years.
In the 1940’s the house was divided up into apartments and by the 1970’s it was in a state of considerable disrepair. In 1978 David and Janice Lubbers bought the house and began an extensive renovation. The Lubbers were granted Wyoming’s first bed & breakfast license in 1986.
The house has a had a few different owners since then and was turned into an AirBNB (rentable by rooms) sometime in 2018.
Paranormal Activity
Many believe this is the most haunted location in Wyoming.
The workmen who converted the house into apartments in the 1940’s are reported to have had numerous experiences with the paranormal including apparitions, disembodied voices and objects moving and disappearing.
Its even been said they were chased out of the building more than once by whatever is in the mansion.
Another report says 2 of the men died on site under “mysterious circumstances”.
The residents of the apartments also told stories of encountering ghosts and other paranormal activity in the house. Stories with more details that match what people and investigators have encountered in modern times.
The mansion is considered to be haunted by 3 ghosts.
The full bodied apparitions of 2 young boys are seen in the house; one is believed to be Cecil Ferris who was killed accidentally by his older brother (see above).
A woman – thought to be Julia Ferris - in a Victorian white night gown is also seen throughout the house – most commonly in the kitchen seemingly still doing her motherly duties – mostly re-enacting what she did in life.
One recorded conversation with a female entity who was asked which room was her favorite? She answered it was the green room which has been identified as Julia Ferris’ bedroom. Numerous other EVP’s have been captured on investigation.
Other Reported Activity: an apparition has been captured on camera; shadow figures (most commonly seen in front of a room where a death is to believed to have occurred); phantom footsteps; disembodied voices and whispers; unexplained knocking sounds (usually in the hallways); electrical disturbances including flickering lights and lights turning on and off on their own; light anomalies and feelings of being watched and not being alone.
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All Photos Courtesy of Cold Spot Research Paranormal
History
This location is Wyoming’s first State Penitentiary. The cornerstone was laid in 1888 but due to financial and climate issues it took 13 years to build the prison.
In December of 1901 the Prison opened with no electricity, no running water and an inadequate heating system. There were only 104 cells in what is now called Cell Block A. 32 cells were added in 1904. In 1950 a more modern complete Cell Block (B) was added. A maximum-security Cell Block (C) was built in 1966 with 36 cells for the worst of the worst.
Until 1909 women were housed in the prison as well as men.
Until 1936 the State’s method of execution was by hanging. 9 men in total were hung. After 1936 executions were done by Gas Chamber. 5 men met their end in the Gas Chamber.
The prisoners were most commonly punished by either solitary confinement in the dungeon or being handcuffed to a punishment pole and whipped with a rubber hose.
The prison closed in 1981 – replaced by a more modern penitentiary in Rawlins – and sat abandoned until 1987 when it was used as a film set. In 1988 it became the museum it is today.
Paranormal Activity
Numerous prisoners and at least one guard committed suicide on the grounds.
A total of 200 prisoners died in the Prison by execution, suicide, prisoner on prisoner violence and natural causes.
As with most prisons this one has a larger than average amount of negative energy. When the prison first opened Wyoming had a large population of strong and rough people settling the area. Some of these people that came to the frontier were rougher than most and ended up being locked up here. Some of them are still in the prison.
In one particularly disturbing incident, a prisoner out a parole went after a sweet lady who was baking pies and bringing them to the prison. He raped and murdered her and was sent right back to the prison. Other prisoners, upon finding out about his deed to someone who had been kind to them, dispensed their own justice – the man was hung from the second story cell blocks.
This left a residual haunting and many people see this deed played out before their eyes.
The apparition of a man wearing a wide brimmed hat is seen in the room where prisoners who executed by hanging. Some people have felt a weight on their chest and an increased sense of unease in this room.
Apparitions of former prisoners are most commonly seen out of the corner of your eye. They are seen both in the halls and in the cells. An unidentified ghost who is said to angry to the point of insanity occasionally makes his presence known in the cell blocks.
Other Activity: disembodied voices and screams, feelings of being watched, being followed and not being wanted.