Seth Bullock
The Man, The Legend, the Ghost
Part Two (The Bullock Hotel)
The Bullock Hotel rose from the ashes of a fire, like the mythical Pheonix which rose from the ashes of it’s own demise. Standing at 633 (Lower) Main Street in Deadwood, South Dakota, the Bullock Hotel is considered by many to be one of the most famous hotels in the Untied States and has been featured on a number of programs relating to the paranormal, including Unsolved Mysteries and the Ghost Adventure’s crew. And one of the ghosts which has been said to haunt the stately hotel is none other than the hotel’s namesake, Seth Bullock.
The ground on which the hotel currently sits was purchased by Bullock and his business partner, Sol Star for what was in those days, a grand sum of money which totaled $1,000.00 and was the original site of the Star & Bullock Hardware store, which first opened it’s doors (so-to-speak) on August 1, 1876, with the erection of a large canvas tent. And then later on the two men constructed the wood framed building and a warehouse. the business did quite well and both men prospered, investing their money in various ventures. However, in 1879, just three years later, a fire of unknown origin occurred and the hardware store was again, rebuilt. But in 1894, a second fire occurred which completely destroyed the building. It was then that Seth Bullock decided instead, to build himself A grand hotel the which of like no one in the territory had seen before! Construction of the hotel began in 1895 and was completed a year later in 1895. When it was completed that year, it was equipped with a restaurant, a lobby with lush red velvet carpeting, offices, a sample room for salesmen, brass chandeliers, a Steinway Grand Piano and 63 furnished rooms with skylights, bathrooms, steam heat in the winter months, a library and a parlor for the guests to use. In 1900, Bullock purchased a second property a couple of doors down and turned it into what he called, “A Gentleman’s Bar.”
The hotel has enjoyed much success in it’s time and with the exception of a period between 1976 and 1990, when it’s owners converted the hotel into a Hardware Store. But in 1991, it’s present owners renovated the building and in 1993, once again opened it’s doors as the hotel it had been before.But the Bullock hotel these days is not just frequented by living guests, but by the dead as well! A tall, ghostly figure has been seen throughout the hotel, presumably that of Seth Bullock himself. He’s also been spotted in the restaurant which is located in the basement of the hotel. In one instance, a child became lost in the hotel and was escorted back to his room by a mysterious stranger. When his family and he passed by a picture of Seth Bullock, the boy exclaimed, “That’s the man who helped me back to our room!”
But nor all encounters there at the hotel have been pleasant. It’s been reported that a woman staying in room 313 awakened during the middle of the night to find the apparition of a cowboy standing at the foot of her bed, watching her as she slept. She was so terrified that she ran out of the room screaming and that the hotel staff had to retrieve her belongings from her room while she waited in the lobby.
The hotel’s restaurant is supposedly one of the most haunted parts of the hotel, with restaurant staff reporting that they’ve heard the piano playing by itself with no one near it. Glasses and dishes, along with other items, have been known to be tossed through the air without any explanation while in one instance a decoration on top of a wedding cake repeatedly fell off, despite the many attempts of placing it firmly and carefully back into place. Guests reported that they heard the sound of a young girl laughter when this occurred. Lights throughout the hotel, as well as numerous appliances have been known to actually turn themselves on and off by themselves, unseen ghostly hands flipping the switch. And number rooms on the second and third floor of the hotel have had some kind of paranormal activity occurring,including items belonging to guests moving from one place to another. Guests and staff have often felt the tapping of a ghostly finger on their shoulder and in a number of photographs snapped by guests of the hotel have produced anomalies on them.
Hotel staff have reported their cleaning carts moving on their own and toilet paper unrolled to the floor in empty rooms, and one staff member who was cleaning a bathroom in one of the rooms had the shower mysteriously come on spraying her with water. It does seem that the ghosts who haunt the Bullock Hotel have a sense of humor when it comes to showing the living that they’re around. And in room #305, there is a none working antique clock which, when staff members enter the room, will chime out regardless of the time of day.
Still open today, the oldest hotel in Deadwood has been completely restored and according to guests and staff alike, not a day goes by when something strange doesn’t take place within the old hotel... So if you’re a fan of the wild west and the gold rush era, or even if you just would like to run into a famous ghost or two, go out to the Black Hills and book a room at the Bullock Hotel. You’ll find it at the very least, a vacation to share with your friends and co-workers when you return...
Thank you- See you soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment