America’s Haunted Hotels: The Alaskan

Ah Alaska, a state well known for it’s breathtaking natural scenery, nipple hard frozen tundra and God Forbid, the home turf of the future Vice President of the good old U S of A. Long before Alaska became the final note in the long held policy of American manifest destiny, the largest state of the Union was a virtual frozen wasteland where only the Russians dared to tread that is until the early years of the twentieth century when a few brave souls struck gold in the mountains and streams and those who wished to strike it rich came running.

Practically overnight towns and cities popped up populated by those who wanted a piece of the gold action. One of those cities was the future capital of the state, Juneau. When the population of Juneau began to swell the town fathers felt it necessary to build a grand hotel to house the many miners who became rich over night and the visitors who wanted a taste of the beauty that Alaska had to offer and the Alaskan Hotel was born. In 1913, James and John McCloskey were hired to design and build the hotel to receive all those who were curious about what Alaska was all about. Like most hotels of it’s day the Alaskan did not just offer cheap rates for the weary travel to lay his head but it also offered something much more sensual, the Alaskan was also the largest Brothel in the new city and it is from this brothel that gave birth to the tragedy that would cause the soul of a beautiful young woman to be caught forever behind it’s walls.

The historical record of the name of the young lady is unclear but those who work and stay at the hotel know for a fact that her sad lonely spirit haunts it’s halls for many attest to be witness. Shortly after the hotel opened a miner and his wife traveled to the new city looking for fame and riches and took up residence in the Alaskan. The miner and his wife were newlyweds and didn’t not a penny to their name when they arrived, however the miner knew that striking it rich in gold ore was an absolute certainty and left his wife, for what he said would be a three week trek into the mountains to pan for the precious metal. The wife stayed behind and promised to wait patiently for her man.

Three weeks had come and gone and the miner’s wife became desperate, the hotel had threatened to throw her out on her keaster due to failure to pay the rent. Believing that something bad had found her husband and her desperation to pay the bills the Miner’s wife found work in the oldest profession known to man, she had become a prostitute and now was one of the many painted ladies that called the hotel home.

A few months had passed and the miner returned from the hills tired, haggard and deperate to be rejoined with the love of his life unfortunately what he found was his wife made up like a common hooker and selling her body for rent. The miner flew into a rage and dragged his wife back to their room and an intense and violent argument broke out an argument that the entire hotel heard. As their voices grew to a cacaphonous level a single gunshot rang out and the voice of the miner’s wife was silenced forever. The historical record is unclear whether or not the miner ever faced the hangman for his murderous deed, however one thing is certain the spirit of the wife was released and became a permanent resident of the Alaskan Hotel.

The Alaskan is considered to be the longest running hotel in the history of the state and those who have worked at and stayed at the hotel have become witness to the only ghost that calls the hotel home, the Miner’s Wife. Those guests who have stayed in the room where the wife met her fate, room 218, have called down to the front desk many times to claim that they had seen the apparition of a young woman in white. Male Witnesses have said that as they slept they were awakened by the sensual caress of a feminine hand, when they came to they witnessed a beautiful young woman sitting on the edge of the bed when they went to ask what she was doing there she would let out a small laugh and vanish. I can assure you those gents did not stay long after witnessing such a sight.

The miner’s wife does not just show herself to the guests of room 218. over the years Many who have been employeed by the Alaskan claimed to have seen the miner’s wife on numerous occassions. Bartenders in the bar area have claimed to see her apparition walk into the bar and vanish before she sits down at the bar. Housekeeping have witnessed the image of the miner’s wife in the mirror at the top of stairs as they cleaned and polished it’s reflective surface. Housekeeping has also claimed to hear strange noises coming from room 218 and claimed that when they brought items such as towles and soap into the room they quickly disappear as if the miner’s wife is playing a mischievous game of hide and go seek with the hotel’s amenities.

Skeptics claim that the ghost and the legend of the miner’s wife is just that a charming but sad tale to keep the hotel in business. This may be true, however guests and workers will go on record as saying the legend is true and the sad spectre of the Miner’s Wife does indeed walk the halls of the Alaskan Hotel now and forevermore.

Rick E. Hale

t_seeker@hotmail.com