MONROE COUNTY — Is Monroe County haunted?
GhostsofAmerica.com thinks so. So does Jeri Holland, who wrote 2023’s “Haunted Monroe County, Michigan” for Arcadia Publishing's The History Press. She's also the author of Arcadia's “Haunted Akron."
Reporter Felix Veletanga, in a recent story posted on BetMichigan.com's website, noted that Monroe has more ghost sightings than any other Michigan city.
“In Monroe, the energy of Halloween appears to be the norm, considering it has topped this list with 49 reported ghost sightings, according to GhostsofAmerica.com," Veletanga wrote.
Coming in second on the list is Muskegon, with 44 ghost sightings. Bay City is third, with 43.
Holland agrees that Monroe has a lot of ghosts.
“I've been ghost hunting and writing about history-based hauntings for around 25 years. Nearly every city or county I've been in claims to be the ‘most haunted.’ However, Monroe has kept my attention for about 15 of those years because of the history and my experiences,” said Holland, 49, of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
“I have spent approximately two months per year in Monroe for the past 15 years. I have multiple family members who live in Monroe, including Steve and Sandy Alexander, who live in Gen. George and Elizabeth Custer's former home," Holland said.Why is Monroe County haunted? There are several reasons:
Telegraph Road
Veletanga's story says much haunting surrounds a Monroe County phantom bridge, or a bridge that was long abandoned and today is mostly gone.
“The Old Telegraph 'Phantom Bridge' in Monroe is frequently cited as the most haunted place in the Wolverine State, due to a significant number of fatal accidents that transpired there in the 1920s and '30s," Veletanga wrote.
Holland disagrees. She said Telegraph Road itself is more haunted than the bridge.
“I wrote about the Phantom Bridge and visited it twice. It's just a small bridge that went over Stony Creek; nothing awe-inspiring. They rerouted Telegraph to make it more of a direct route," Holland said. "However the 'Bloody Telegraph' itself has hundreds of deaths and was actually labeled the 'Bloody Telegraph' in the newspapers. So many people have had experiences of ghosts along the route."
The Battles
Monroe was a battle site during the War of 1812. Two battles at the River Raisin occurred in January, 1813.
According to the River Raisin National Battlefield Park's website, "The morning after the Battle, Native warriors returned to the River Raisin, plundering and burning homes, killing and scalping many of the remaining Americans and taking others as personal property. Official U.S. estimates of the aftermath include a dozen named individuals killed and up to 60 more who were probably killed in this manner. British estimates put the number at about six. The event ... became known as the 'River Raisin Massacre.'"
“The amount of blood shed (in Monroe) is similar to Gettysburg," Holland said. "The residual hauntings are throughout the entire city surrounding the River Raisin National Battlefield. It's not only the acreage the national park has roped off as the battlefield, but along Hulls Trace (Dixie Highway), which was used as a highway of sorts to reach present day Windsor, Ontario. Dixie Highway from the battlefield north through Monroe is the most interesting to me. The variety of experiences people have had range from black shadows to soldiers in uniform crossing the street and disappearing."
Angelo’s Northwood Villa
The Purple Gang from the Prohibition era is believed to haunt the local restaurant Angelo's Northwood Villa, Holland said.
"Angelo's Northwood Villa near Luna Pier is one of my favorites. I believe it has both residual and intelligent hauntings. The owners and staff embrace the building and history," Holland said. "Within minutes of walking in, I felt someone put their hands on my shoulders as I was being seated for lunch. The atmosphere adds to the experience."
Woodland Cemetery
"Within the book, I included paranormal experiences that happened 100+ years ago, for example Woodland Cemetery. There were newspaper articles written on how an older couple was chased out by an unknown spirit. Then a police officer went to check what the fuss was all about. He spotted the old man and ran out scared to death," Holland said.
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Angelo’s Northwood Villa sounds like the perfect spot for a spooky dinner. Has anyone else felt the ghosts there? Geometry Dash Lite features straightforward one-touch controls where players tap the screen to make the square-shaped character jump and navigate through various obstacles.