Golden North Hotel on Chilkoot Trail

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Golden North Hotel on Chilkoot Trail

Golden North Hotel

[image: Harve/flickr]

The Golden North Hotel, is a quaint little hotel in Skagway, Alaska which is right along the Klondike Trail and close to the Chilkoot Pass. Although, this quiet hotel may look sweet and cozy it has a very exciting night life and not for the reasons you might believe. According to ghost story tellers, there has been numerous reported ghosts that haunt this hotel on a regular basis.

The establishment was built in 1898 as a two story hotel, later in 1908 in order to accommodate families waiting for their husbands to come home from the Gold Mines, it was moved by horse and capsten to its current location on the corner of Broadway and 3rd street. Once moved, an additional floor was added as well as the well-known Romanian style gold dome to make it easier for settlers to locate the building on their way home. Unfortunately, the hotel is no longer in business and the first floor has been renovated new businesses. However, the ghosts still haunt the 31 rooms above.

   

Scary Mary

[image: Ellie Ellis/flickr]

[image: Ellie Ellis/flickr]

The most famous of these ghosts is an unfortunate women known as “Scary Mary”. It is said that during the gold rush times a prospector known as “Klondike Ike” wandered into this hotel with his fiancée named Mary. These two spent many days in the Golden North Hotel, until Ike had to return to his prospecting ventures. He promised Mary he would return with a whopping gold nugget as he climbed over the Chilkook Pass.

Mary spent many days in this hotel waiting for Ike to return with his fortune from the Gold fields. Unfortunately, Ike never returned in time to see Mary again before something completely dreadful occurred.

Many of the stories believe that while Mary waited she came down with terrible case of pneumonia, and passed away in room 23 waiting patiently for her love. Another story on the other hand believes that Mary waited months for her to lover to return but he never did. Stricken with worry and grief she locked herself in the room and didn’t allow any company. Finally, the housekeepers got concerned and had to break down the door. Inside they found Mary had passed away on her bed wearing the dress that she had planned to get married in.

Regardless of how this actually happened several guests that of stayed in room 23 have witnessed Scary Mary’s presence. Some say that they feel a strong sensation as if they are being choked. Many said they’ve seen a ghostly figure standing in the hallway or in the room itself, others have said that they have seen a dark silhouette of a woman staring out the window watching the Klondike Pass still waiting for her lover to return.

Floating Orb

Although some believe that this could be another way that scary Mary presents herself some believe that this unsolved mystery is something totally different. In room 14 many hotel guests, housekeeper staff, and other employees have seen a floating orb of light that moves from room to room but mainly stays in room 14. They say most commonly occurs in the very late hours of night and the very early hours of the morning generally right before dawn.

Regardless if this orb is another presentation of Scary Mary or if it’s a completed new ghost all together, there is no denying that many have seen unexplainable events that occur in this particular hotel.

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