The Ghost at Bower’s Harbor

 
Just north of Traverse City is a long finger of land that juts out into Grand Traverse Bay called the Old Mission Peninsula. This eighteen mile long strip of rock and earth is a breathtaking and unusually beautiful place and it is no surprise that Chicago lumber baron J.W. Stickney and his wife, Genevive, chose this spot as a place to build a house…. a house that remains haunted to this day.

The legacy of Bowers Harbor Inn captures a time of leisure and grace. J.W. Stickney built the historic inn in the 1880’s as a family retreat. The mansion befitted a millionaire with its high ceilings, dramatic designs and elegantly decorated rooms. Genevive Stickney preserved peaches and made jams, wines and brandies on the estate. An eccentric and mysterious character, Mrs. Stickney lived in such fear of having her precious brandies stolen that she kept them buried on the property. She was an obese and jealous woman. Extremely self-conscious, one of her prized possessions was a gilt-edged trick mirror in her bedroom that made her appear thinner as she approached it.

As Genevive advanced in years it became necessary to install an elevator so that she could move between floors. Around this time Mr. Stickney engaged the service of a nurse for his wife, although it was no secret that Genevive detested the woman. Perhaps sensing opportunity, the nurse also became Mr. Stickney’s mistress. Growing estranged, Mrs. Stickney developed a paralyzing fear that her husband would bequeath his riches to his mistress. Her premonition came true -— he left his money to his lover, and only the summer retreat to his devoted wife.

The situation drove Mrs. Stickney into a severe depression that eventually led her to hang herself from the rafters of the elevator shaft. The history of the Inn was infused with ghostly stories from that moment on.

After the Stickneys passed away, the historic building changed hands many times. In 1959, the Stickney’s summer retreat was renovated and converted into a restaurant that is still known today as the Bower’s Harbor Inn. Early owners of the establishment were already complaining of strange events like lights turning on and off, glass breaking and objects moving when no one was near.

Clairvoyants, and even disbelievers, describe the apprehensive chills of Mrs. Stickney’s presence. Lights suddenly turned on, mirrors and paintings toppled to the ground. An unnoticed blurry figure has appeared suddenly in photographs when developed. During one bizarre episode, Audrey Scharling, former owner of the Inn, was going over her bills downstairs in the bar. The elevator began to move and, thinking one of her children was awake, she ran upstairs to investigate. Bruce Towner, friend of Scharling, also witnessed the elevator going up and down. Yet, they found all the children asleep and the elevator empty.

In 1964 a patron rushed downstairs shaken, her face ashen. She had been standing before Genevive’s gilt-edged mirror. “I was alone in the hallway and noticed another woman looking in the mirror too.” Her hair was pulled back in a tightly fit bun, just as Genevive had worn hers. Audrey Scharling stated, “I assume this must be Mrs. Stickney. The image in the mirror fits the tintypes we have of her.” Since that time, many other people claim to have seen the phantom woman’s image in the mirror.

Strange phenomena has continued in the building over the years, from rapping sounds on doors, walls and the inside of empty closets to locked doors opening and closing on their own. Customers claim to have encountered J.W. Stickney himself in the old elevator and although it has been out of operation for many years, occasionally it will start up by itself and slowly move from one floor to another.

Sally Jidge, a former resident, recalled when patrons were gathered in the dining room, but no one was standing near the salad bar. “Suddenly,” she said, “a bowl of food flew off the table and shattered, exactly as though it had been thrown deliberately.” Former manager, and a disbeliever in ghosts, Ernest Hall had an eerie experience. “I finished checking the women’s restroom, turned off the light and started toward the door, when it slammed shut. What’s odd about this specific door is that opening it was very difficult, since it stuck to the new carpeting. It also had a self-adjusting arm, the kind found on a screen door. There is no way a human could slam that door shut.”

Many believe Genevive’s restless spirit still walks the halls of her beloved home in search of her husband’s lost love. If you feel her presence, be kind, for she has surrendered to an eternity of discontent and sorrow.

Clues…

Past the home of Genevieve
A little white cross you will see
Along the north shore of the bay
Where Bohemian spirits lay
From the tree behind the tree
Take a read of 90 degrees
Down; Right-Left-Repeat.
Now look beneath your feet.