Tag Archives: ghost hunters

Bay City’s past has left the Michigan city with some haunting tales

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There have been reported hauntings on USS Edson, which is located on the Saginaw River in Bay City. (Public domain)

By Wayne Thomas
Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters

In the late 1800s, Bay City was considered the “Lumbering Capital of the World.” In her book “Haunted Bay City, Michigan,” Nicole Beauchamp describes a six-block red-light district known as ‘Hell’s Half Mile,” which was characterized by violence, gambling, and, prostitution. This scene would recur each spring when between five to ten thousand rowdy lumberjacks would come to town. Apparently it was not uncommon to see bodies of murder victims floating down the Saginaw River. According to Beauchamp the brutal beginnings of brawling, boozing, and brothels, left a paranormal imprint on the Bay City area. Theoretically a brutal tortured existence can lead to unrest in the afterlife. Reported ghost activity includes a “sinister Victorian lady” who scares visitors on the upper level of Bay City Antique Center and a little ghost girl roaming Sage Library.

Chapter one in Beauchamp’s book, titled “The Gray Ghost,” outlines the historical significance of the USS Edson that is now docked on the Saginaw River. Visitors to the Edson tell of various paranormal experiences that have included the barking of a canine spirit and pictures of Paul, a former caretaker who loved his job so much that his spirit still strolls the decks, playing pranks on patrons. The Gray Ghost/USS Edson was featured in a 1963 “Twilight Zone” episode called, “The Thirty-Fathom Grave” where they used video from inside the ship.

 

Beauchamp’s chapter titles are cleverly worded and the text is full of supernatural insights and historical highlights of locations like Tummy Ache Candy Store and Sage Library, the oldest public library in Michigan. In 2009, Beauchamp founded the Tri-City Ghost Hunters Society, a paranormal research team. Equal to the group’s passion for the paranormal is its support for historical preservation, giving thousands of dollars to fully renovate antiquated buildings.

 

As the big trees disappeared from the surrounding Saginaw Bay area so did the thousands of seasonal roughneck lumberjacks that created Hell’s Half Mile and gave birth to the haunted history of Bay City, Michigan.

You can learn more about Nicole Beauchamp and Tri-City Ghost Hunters Society on Grand Rapids Ghost Hunter Podcast episode #32, which features Beauchamp as a special guest.  

Haunted tales of Muskegon featured in upcoming book set to release in fall of 2022

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Some people believe that Muskegon founder Charles Hackley still walks the halls of Hackley library. (Public Domain)

By Wayne Thomas
Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters

“Please keep an open mind about things that you might not easily believe, as we explore the mysterious.” The Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters Podcast opens each show with this same declaration.

On episodes 26 and 41, we featured Marie Cisneros with an impressive resume of spookiness. Astrologist, numerologist, and ufologist tops her list of accolades. Cisneros was also an investigative reporter and journalist for Paranormal Muskegon on the Muskegon channel.

So what is next for a highly intelligent person who blends two science degrees, more than 10 years as a Michigan MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) field investigator, Tarot reader, wedding officiant, and CEO of Cygnus Research? She is getting ready to add published author to her resume. “Haunted Muskegon” by Marie Cisneros is scheduled for release in the Fall of 2022, to be followed by her first sci-fi novel, “Sequence 17.”

Marie Cisneros

What might be included as some of the chapters of a book entitled, “Haunted Muskegon?” No spoiler alert here, but as Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters we did investigate a brewery in Muskegon with ghostly activity. Out of respect for the people involved and in consideration of the emotions that can live forever in our hearts and homes, those names shall remain anonymous. Brandon Hoezee and Kent County Paranormal did investigate the Torrent House and we also interviewed at the Hackley Public Library.

 

On January 10, 2020, Cisneros interviewed Mallory Metzger, the Hackley library program and marketing coordinator. Often general managers and people in charge are more concerned with doing their jobs and it’s just easier to deny any paranormal activity. Metzger on that day offered straight forward answers to what must have been difficult questions. These reports are difficult to substantiate; unexplained sounds and voices, and multiple incidences of books flying off shelves. More sensational accounts describe an apparition of an elderly man dressed in Victorian style clothing, appearing and disappearing. The reflection of a face seen in the bathroom was later identified as the man who donated the library to the city, Charles Hackley, one of the founders of Muskegon.

Different reports have Hackley’s ghost haunting several locations in and around Muskegon. Why not? Hackley practiced a philosophy proposed by Andrew Carnergie, “Die rich…die disgraced.” In that respect, Hackley felt obligated to give back to the community “to improve the quality of life.” Hackley gave his heart and soul to the city, donating towards schools, hospitals, parks, museums, and the Hackley public Library. It is estimated he gave back more than one third of his acquired wealth. Not sure Cisneros included Hackley’s haunted adventures in her new book, but I am sure her attention to detail will define “Haunted Muskegon.”

The ghosts of summer: hauntings at Mackinac Island

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By Wayne Thomas
Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters

It’s been said, “No man is an island” but they probably haven’t met Mackinac Island’s haunted historian expert Todd Clements. Clements authored “Haunts of Mackinac: Ghost Stories, Legends & Tragic Tales of Mackinac Island,” and followed it with his second book where he added “The Next Chapter” to the title.

Author Todd Clements

“Haunts of Mackinac” is also the name of Clements’ nightly Haunted History Tours on the island. These 90-minute guided tours start in May and run until late October. It’s about an hour walk ending at Mission Point. It’s family and pet friendly and is filled with ghost stories and tragic tales of the islands history.

Clements” books offer pictures, descriptions, actual addresses, and maps to the islands’ haunted locations. Each ghost story location is provided with a “Haunting & Ghosts Activity Scale” to measure the level of intensity or strength of activity, the regularity or frequency of activity, and the time scale or most recent activity. Either, one, two, or three stars, with 3 stars being the most recent, most intense, and most frequent. Several locations received three stars in all three categories on the list of most haunted, including: Mission Point Resort, Rifle Range Trails, Fort Mackinac, St. Cloud Dormitory, and Pine Cottage & Chateau Lorraine. 

The Grand Hotel has been rumored to be a “hot spot” for paranormal activity with an “Evil Entity,” a black mass with glowing red eyes. Other haunts have a ghost playing piano man wearing a top hat and a woman in Victorian clothing roaming the halls and getting into beds. The Drowning Pool has a tragic story of seven women/witches, who as a test to determine if they were witches, had rocks tied to their feet and were thrown into the pool to see if they would float. They sank and drowned. Visitors say they see these seven women floating and splashing in the Drowning Pool. Mission Point has its resident ghost, “Harvey” who either died of a suicide or was murdered, “Harvey” likes to pinch and poke people.

 

Todd Clements’ book “Haunts of Mackinac: Ghost Stories, Legends & Tragic Tales of Mackinac Island”

Mackinac Island is a perfect storm for paranormal activity. The surrounding water currents create electrical magnetic fields which ghost are able to use to help them manifest as apparitions. The huge limestone cliffs can store residual energies created during wars and play back these tragic events as ghost activity. Combine these factors with the history of some of the oldest residential and private homes in Michigan and you have the catalyst for paranormal calamity.

Clements was the guest on the eighth episode of Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters Podcast and we featured him on Cryptic Frequencies episode 12.  

The un-x-plained files with the Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters

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Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters host Wayne Thomas with co-host Brandon Hoezee

By Wayne Thomas
Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters

On our WKTV podcast we asked viewers and listeners to keep an open mind about things they might not easily believe as we explore the mysterious. Some of the areas that we have examined include astronomy, cryptozoology, demonology, numerology, ufology, reiki, tarot reading, witches, psychic mediums, seers, coptic healers, and ghost hunters. Many of our podcast guests are multifaceted with complicated layers and simple labels can’t adequately describe them. Mama Mary Bassett falls into this category of spookiness.

For Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters episode no. 2,  we welcomed Mary Bassett and step daughter Sara Bassett. This unique duo works together ghost hunting and podcasting as Paranormal XL with their alias names Mama Mary and GG. During this episode of our podcast, we examined some crystals and discussed the seven Chakras or energy zones with Reiki Master Bassett. Mama Mary offers meditation for spiritual awakening and a monthly astrological forecast. Bassett’s mission is to bring love, light, and healing to those who need it most.

Mama Mary Bassett

During episode no. 25, Bassett offered predictions of a New World Awakening, demonstrated her Hang Drum, and did a Tarot reading for co-host Kim Kolean. On episode no. 36 we revealed how Bassett became “a light to my path” after cancelling six consecutive WKTV podcasts due to COVID pandemic restrictions.

Reaching a point where everything seemed trivial to surviving the virus, questions of whether we should shut down the show emerged. Mama Mary sensed my despair and wasn’t having any of it. She suggested we move forward and start a Blog Talk Radio show. She would set it up, produce it, and co-host. My job was to find spooky people to interview and host the show that became known as Cryptic Frequencies, which currently has 13 episodes into it now. Bassett produces other podcasts on her page Spiritual Voices Across the Golden Veil.

Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters podcast featured Bassett as our special guest on episodes no. 21 & 25, and recently on episode no. 36; she also joined us as a guest co-host on episodes no. 28 and 37. Bassett describes herself as a psychic channeler that she achieves through meditation, automatic writing, and messages from Spirit Guides, angels, and loved ones. If that’s not spooky enough, she is a Reiki Master, energy healer, and has been doing Tarot readings for more than 20 years. Her wish is to help people feed their soul so they can grow spiritually.

 

On episode no. 36, Bassett introduced us to her Singing Chakra bowls that she uses to help clear certain energy centers so people might integrate with their true self. Bassett has made some bold predictions on imminent alien encounters. If you’re looking for help with your path to enlightenment, visit Bassett’s shop in Hastings. 

Felt Mansion, LST 393 are just some of the places Darren Dykhouse has investigated for paranormal activity

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Darren Dykhouse of the Lakeshore Paranormal, sits down with the Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters. (WKTV)

By Wayne Thomas
Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters

Darren Dykhouse, founder and lead investigator of (LSP) Lakeshore Paranormal has appeared on four episodes of Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters Paranormal Podcast and was the Grand Rapids Ghost Hunter’s first guest on Cryptic Frequencies, my Blog Talk Radio show. We open every show with a literary reference significant to each guest and so Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” has become LSP’s signature opening.

 

Dykhouse mostly explores local urban legends and suspected haunted locations in Michigan, but he also investigates private homes and provides smudging and blessings on request. He tediously edits and regularly posts his 10-15 minute video blogs to YouTube where viewers are able to see different haunted sites through the camera lens. On the list are: The Felt Mansion, The Old Allegan County Jail Museum, Joliet Prison, The Old Stimpson Hospital, and these ships rumored to be haunted; the Coast Guard ship USCGC Acacia and the S.S. City of Milwaukee both docked in Manistee, and the USS LST 393 in Muskegon.

  

Darren Dykhouse of the Lakeshore Paranormal

This list is incomplete as additional videos spotlight haunted trains, woods, piers, many cemeteries, and an Alien connection. Dykhouse is perhaps the king of cemetery sessions with reports from The Old Beaver Dam Cemetery, Nunica, Woodville Lake, the Ada Witch/Finlay Cemetery, Bath Cemetery, and others. Bath being the location of the worst school massacre in U.S. history.

 

Darren uses a simple approach to investigating the supernatural, asking a minimal number of questions with only one or two investigators. Collaborations have included Robert Walker of Michigander Man, scuba diving specialist Taff Williams, Brandon Hoezee of Kent County Paranormal, Jamie Rae Wonders, myself and others. He currently has been teaming up with Ali’s Vlogs T.V.

 

Dykhouse likes to keep it basic but does experiment with some modern devices and techniques, using his P-SB11 Spirit Box, proximity pods, Spiritus Whispering and Necrophonic phone apps, and on occasion utilizing the Estes Method. You can find his videos on You Tube and conversations with him on our show G.R.G.H.P.P. episodes 7, 14, 18, & 31 and Cryptic Frequencies’ first episode.

 

Dykhouse is empathic and like the rest of us he is sometimes haunted by doubts, sorrows, fears, and even loved ones. The ghost of Edgar Allan Poe’s lost love “Lenore” would have us believe, “’Tis the wind and nothing more.”