Alaska is the extreme north-west part of the North American
continent and is bordered completely by Canada.
It is the largest state in the USA but is also the least densely
populated with around half of its entire population live in the Anchorage
metropolitan area. It also has a longer
coastline than the rest of the US states combined at nearly 34,000 miles.
Anchorage
Anchorage is the largest city in the state and lies on a
coastal lowland strip that extends to the lower slopes of the Chugach
Mountains. The city was transferred from
Russia to the US in 1912 with the rest of the state at which point it was a
significant mineral mining centre.
Schools
The original building of Clark Middle School was as much a fallout shelter as a school and
was designed to allow helicopters to land in the event of war. Whether the ghost comes from the time of the
original building or the newer building is unknown but she has been seen by
both teachers and students. She is a
woman in white who favours the band room as well appearing in empty hallways
and also helps out by turning off the lights in empty classrooms. She has been seen appearing through the floor
so perhaps she is associated with the old building and is walking the layout as
it was in her time.
Hanshew Middle School
is haunted by the ghost of a girl who was said to have died during the
construction of the school, though by accident or murder is unknown. She is seen early on the morning and late at
night, crying and shouting for help, her expression sad. She has been seen by children in the school
but also by janitors working there.
West High School
sits overlooking Westchester Lagoon and is haunted by a woman in white who is
seen in the old auditorium. She has been
seen by staff and children for a number of years, sometimes standing among the
seats or other times backstage or even in the halls of the basement below. There are also tales of a former janitor who
continues about his duties when no-one is meant to be in the building and may
be connected to the footsteps head in empty rooms, doors slamming by themselves
and lights which switch on and off unassisted.
Marriott Ghosts
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| Source: Wikipedia |
There are two Marriott hotels around Anchorage and both of
them have connected ghost stories. The Historic Anchorage Hotel has reports of
a young girl who is seen walking on the 2nd floor and on the same
floor, rooms 215 and 217 have reports of TV’s turning on and off as well as a
bathtub which runs itself. A man is seen
on the stairs that vanishes and, perhaps connected, footsteps are heard coming
down the stairs but no-one is there.
The Courtyard by
Marriott is known for the ghost of a man who died in Room 201. His body was not discovered for a few days,
staff say, and his ghost is often seen in the room. Another ghost wanders the parking lot and is
called Ken, though whether this is his real-life name or merely a staff nickname
is unknown. He does sometimes make it
around the to courtyard and into the gazebo too. Finally, there is a ghost cat that is most
commonly associated with Rooms 103 and 107.
University of Alaska
The Wendy Williamson auditorium of the University is a very paranormally
active spot. Props and furniture is
thrown around, stage lights have exploded for no reason, footsteps are heard
but cannot be explained and a strange shadow is seen on the walls. Three different women reported trying to
leave the bathroom to find the door being held shut but no-one is in sight when
it is abruptly released. The problems
started when attempts were made to change the layout of the auditorium but
plans were abandoned leaving a catwalk that cannot be used, an elevator shaft
without an elevator and other strange features.
There is also an aggressive ghost in the foyer of the
building that seems to have special malice for brunette women. Some have been pushed down the stairs by the
ghost and often strange reflections in the doors have been reported.
Fairbanks
Fairbanks is the second largest city in Alaska and was
founded in 1901 by Captain ET Barnette when his steamboat ran aground in
shallow water and he and his party were deposited on the spot. It is in the Tanana Valley either side of the
Chena River and is at the edge of a chain of hills that eventually becomes the
White Mountains.
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital
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| Source: Wikipedia |
The hospital is said to be one of the most haunted places in
the whole state. Rumour says it was
built on sacred Indian ground and these disturbed spirits may be responsible
for some of the hauntings. The hospital
dates from just 1972 to take over from the St Joseph’s Hotel after much of it
was destroyed in the Chena River Flood of 1967.
There are reports of the sounds of babies in an empty room
and this corresponds with a rapid drop in temperature that is recoded as low as
60 F. Ghostly children and babies have
been seen in the nursery area and there have also been reports of angels
appearing in the rooms when a baby dies there.
Birch Hill Cemetery
The cemetery on Birch Hill overlooks the city and is haunted
by the ghosts of children. A young boy
is seen walking around, dressed in clothing from the early 1900s and appears to
be searching for someone. A young girl
in a white dress is the most famous ghost and is said to be contemporary of the
boy. She was photographed on one
occasion by research Jessie Desmond.
Shadow figures are common in the cemetery as well as a
small, dark figure that floats just above the ground. There are also reports of glowing orbs that
are seen floating above the cemetery, often at the same time as the ghostly children
are seen.
Skagway
Skagway is an area on the Alaska Panhandle that is a hugely
popular tourist spot during summer months.
Its port is a frequent stop for cruise ships and the White Pass and
Yukon Route narrow gauge railroad both run from the town. It was originally a Tlingit settlement and was
settled by explorers who anticipated the Klondike gold rush.
Golden North Hotel
The Golden North Hotel was built in 1898 and is one of the
oldest hotels in the state. It was
relocated in 1908 when a third floor was added and a golden dome. There are two main hauntings mentioned in
connection with the hotel. The first is
a spirit nicknamed Mary who was engaged to a man who was searching for gold in
the area. He sent for her and booked her
into the hotel then went off prospecting but while he was away, Mary contract pneumonia. She lay in Room 23, awaiting his return and
getting sicker until she finally died before he returned. Her spirit is often seen in the room while
others have reported waking to a choking feeling as if they couldn’t breathe
properly.
The other haunting is connected to Room 14 and comes in the
form of a strange light. Sometimes it
appears late at night or sometimes just before dawn and is described as an orb
or a small sparkle. It is
non-threatening and is often enjoyed by those who witness it.
Red Onion Saloon
The Red Onion Saloon is now a restaurant-bar, as well as a
museum on prostitution but started out life as the real thing in the late 1890s. It was a renowned casino and bordello that
was later used as an army barracks during World War II, a TV station, a bakery
and even a gift shop. The second floor
has ghostly footsteps and cold spots as well as a strong smell of perfume in rooms
that haven’t been entered. Police were
even called out on one occasion when a shadowy figure was seen running along a
hall by the former Madame’s room but they could find no trace of the intruder.
If you know more about these stories, or similar ones,
please tell your tale below or alternatively if you wish to remain anonymous,
contact me directly at angelatempestwriter@yahoo.co.uk
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