Ghostly Goings-On at the Dude Rancher Lodge

From the Dude Rancher Lodge webpage

The Dude Rancher Lodge in Billings, Montana is a unique addition to this month's Haunted America collection---it's unique because it's a relatively 'new' haunted location!

A mix of a traditional dude ranch and modern hotel, the Dude Rancher Lodge was built between 1949 and 1950 by Annabel and Percival Goan. The couple ran the lodge together until 1962 when Percival was killed in a car crash. Annabel then took over operations, and ran the hotel alone for nearly two decades. She lived in an on-site apartment, being cared for by her staff, until her health declined to the point where she needed to be moved into a nursing home. Unfortunately, she passed on February 2, 1983.

And, according to the lodge's website, that was when the paranormal activity started!

It's not uncommon for an employee to be cleaning an empty guest room and the television come on all by itself. Lights are also known to turn themselves on and off without the help of any living person. Both guests and staff have reported knocks on guest room doors. When they go to answer the door, no one is there. Guests have even complained of children running up and down the halls, laughing, even when no children are booked for that evening. 

Montana Paranormal Research Society once caught an EVP of a woman's voice in the basement area, lending to the idea that Annabel is the resident ghost. However, it's possible that her passing was just a catalyst for latent paranormal activity.  When the lodge was built, it used bricks from the old St. Vincent's Hospital, the Russell Refinery, and the Washington School. Is it possible that those bricks, especially those from the old hospital, could have been holding onto energy that was later released after Annabel's passing?

If you'd like to experience the hauntings for yourself, staff recommends booking rooms 223, 224, or 226 (which was the room Annabel's grandson stayed in when he took over hotel operations after her death). But, if you want to visit during the Halloween season, make sure you book early, as these rooms fill up fast! 

Montana's Carroll College Bathroom Ghost

Historic photo of St. Charles Hall

Like most colleges and universities, Carroll College in Helena, Montana has its fair share of ghost stories, including the apparition of a nun!  However, the most prolific haunting on campus is undoubtedly found in St. Charles Hall.

St. Charles Hall was built in 1909 as the first building on the Carroll campus and in its early years, basically WAS the college---it housed not only dormitories, but classrooms, a library, a dining hall, and faculty offices.  In fact, when the school was first established, it was called Mount St. Charles College.  Today, the imposing gothic structure serves as a freshman/sophomore dormitory in its south wing, and performing arts facilities in its north.  It's also home to the most haunted bathroom in Montana!

In February of 1962, a young man returned to the dormitory rather late, presumably after a night of partying.  As he stood in front of the bathroom sink brushing his teeth, the boy blacked out and hit his head.  He was taken to the hospital and underwent two different surgeries to repair the damage from his head wounds. He would survive those injuries, but unfortunately would pass away a couple of weeks after the incident in the hospital from pneumonia.

4th floor men's bathroom, St. Charles Hall

Almost immediately after, the sightings began.  Students standing at the sinks, washing up or brushing their teeth started reporting seeing the image of a young man in the mirror, approaching them from behind with a bloodied head wound.  From there, the reports spun out of control, with reports of heavy breathing being heard, blood pouring from the faucets, and a blood stain on the floor that just wouldn't wash away.

To quell fears, this fourth floor bathroom was boarded up.  However, tales of its haunted past are still well known, and it has become a popular stop on a campus-wide ghost tour, held at Halloween!

The bathroom photo and more information on this location can be found at the KRTV website!

(Theresa's Note: I can't help but wonder if the boy who passes away was really drunk or not, as many websites featuring this story claim.  Could it be that he actually passed out due to some type of neurological disorder, which featured in the two different surgeries he underwent? As a private Catholic school, it would be much more difficult for a student to actually sneak out and get drunk, then sneak back in without getting into trouble.  If you have any information on this story, please let me know in the comments below!)