The guests were complaining about their room being unusually very cold. I assured them that I would move them into a different room. Once moved, they were pleased with the new room. Later, at approximately 9 a.m., I decided to enter their room 309 that was now empty, to find the cause of the cold temperature. Room 309 operates on its own thermostat, and I thought that perhaps the temperature gauge might be broken.
As I entered the room, I immediately felt a chilling cold envelop my total body. I walked around the room looking for any open windows, or any indication of its source. Every window was shut. The air vents were closed as they were supposed to have been. Finding myself now standing in the middle of the living room, I was at a loss.
Suddenly, the window directly in front of where I was standing opened wide! I was startled, but not scared. The hotel’s windows are not spring loaded so I was most interested in finding out the cause of the window opening as it did.
I walked right up to the open window and did not see any unusual wires or loose springs. Attempting to close the window, I placed both hands on the top window frame and began to apply an even downward pressure. As I began to push down on the frame, an equal amount of pressure from an unseen force began pushing up! I actually felt the power of an invisible force that was resisting my effort to close that window!
Just then, I noticed something, a movement right next to me on my left. As I turned I saw the foggy white image of a presence—a figure! I immediately let go of the window and without giving much thought; I lifted and moved my hand right inside this hazy cloud. It felt icy cold to the touch. I removed my hand quickly!
I knew that something was very much out of the ordinary, I got an eerie feeling, and I knew that I was not dealing with a normal occurrence. I found the courage to speak out loud, “I am going to close the window—now!” Once more I placed my hands on the window frame and pushed down. This time it closed easily. Surprised by this, I wasted no time in leaving the room.
Just about a month after that incident, late one afternoon, our office had run out of computer paper. I made my way up to the 4th floor storage closet, and entered the storage closet to retrieve some paper. As I made my way out of the storage closet, I heard someone call my name, “Craig, Craig.” Thinking my name was being spoken by a co-worker I answered, “Yes?” But there was no response, and as I looked around, I realized I was totally and absolutely alone.
I quickly walked down to the third floor where a couple of workers were remodeling a room to ask if they had called for me. The men answered, “No, we’ve been busy down here making the repairs. We haven’t taken a break yet.” Then they added jokingly, “Mr. Rothen, it must have been the ghost.” Not wanting to sound too alarmed by this statement, I answered, “Yes, it must have been the ghost, thank you,” and I walked away.
Just in the first year that I’ve been employed at the hotel, I have had employees come to me with their own stories of ghost encounters within the hotel. One of the housekeepers remarked to me that as she was working during the day shift on the third floor, she saw a little boy who was wrapped in a towel appear to her, only to disappear a few seconds later. Another housekeepers reported to me that again on the third floor, the doors would open and close on their own.
“ I heard someone call my name…”
The curious thing to me is that the hotel has several logbooks of reported ghostly activities. These written reports give detailed descriptions of the ghostly events including specific dates, times. These log books date back over six years. I’ll share with you just two short written accounts of what has been recorded. A particular night auditor left the hotel shortly after he wrote the following:
June 8, 1995
“I know the ghosts are stirred up again. The phone rang and a gentleman’s voice asked for “Howard.” I asked Hector, our maintenance man, if he knew who Howard was. Hector had a stunned look on his face. When I listened to the phone once again it was dead. Rose (another employee) who was standing by me said, “It’s just Howard checking up on the hotel. Here we go again.”
“Howard pictured wearing his hat, was a front desk clerk who worked for the hotel in the year 1910.”
Another employee entry the same night...
“Guest checked out from the third floor. He was awakened by the presence of a ghost. Also, another guest checked out this morning from the third floor. He said he was awakened at 2 a.m. by a beautiful lady, dressed in black, who disappeared.”
LAURIE DOLAND’S STORY
Laurie Doland
I’ve worked for the Copper Queen now for almost a year as front desk clerk. My first ghost experience took place just three months ago in June at about 2 a.m. I decided to get a drink of water and walked into the dining room, on my way to the kitchen. As I entered the dining room I saw a strange woman standing against one of the columns. I clearly saw that she had reddish brown hair, which she wore up in a bun, brown eyes, and a healthy pink complexion. She also wore a high collar blouse and was about, I’d guess in her mid-twenties.
“As I entered the dining room, I saw a strange woman standing against one of the columns.”
Immediately I knew this woman was a ghost! I knew this since I could only see her body from the waist up! Spotting her, I stood there, startled. I had come upon her so suddenly that I felt shock, but eventually, my shock turned to an intense fear. We both stood in place staring at each other for only a few seconds, until by chance, the owner of the hotel walked into the dining room. The ghost woman must not have wanted to stay around because she then quickly disappeared! I mentioned what I had just witnessed to the owner, but she refused to believe what I told her. Since that time, I have not seen the ghost woman again. I have no idea why she chose to appear to me as she did. However, from time to time, as I’m alone in the dining room, I have heard both the footsteps, and the movement of her long, crisp skirt—as it moved across the dining room floor.
Sometimes at night, I’ll be visited by yet another spirit. I’ll be alone at the front office, working at the hotel’s computer, when I’ll suddenly feel the presence of someone walk into the office. I always can tell when this spirit enters the office because the hairs on my arms stand on end, and an obvious thick atmosphere will fill the room. I’ll begin to get a chilling feeling and soon I’m covered from head to toe in goose bumps. To date, this has happened to me about five times.
Fellow male employees have told me about seeing a woman dressed in a black dress that walks up and down the staircase in our lobby. The stairs are located directly to the front of the main desk. Interestingly enough, the woman in black chooses to make her appearances only to men. The latest incident with her took place this year, in July, at approximately 3 a.m. The employee saw the ghost walk down the stairs and enter the dining room. As she walked up to the dining room doors she disappeared! The employee described the ghost as being dressed in an early 1900s style of clothes.
A female employee also reported to me that late one evening as she walked through the dining room, she felt someone physically grab at her shoulder. When she turned around, there