70 replies to this topic

[earth_spirit]

First of all, congratulations, Jeff, on the release of "The World's Most Haunted Places" and may all of your future endeavors be even more successful.

I received my copy from amazon.com yesterday, and naturally, I looked to see if you'd included the Imperial Casino Hotel. It was a great writeup, and I learned quite a bit more about the history of the hotel since you were able to interview Steve Mackin. Steve's mother, Dorothy Mackin, self-published a history of the Imperial back in 1977, so I knew that George Long was a talented artist, but I didn't know that Steve owned any of George's artwork. Also, I wasn't aware that George was hearing impaired. That might explain why he always knocked on the door with such force!

If you have reason to add any material to later editions of the book, let me know, as I have some updates for you. For example, according to Dorothy Mackin, it was Mrs. Long and not the daughter that sent George tumbling down the stairs.

Does this sound like a small town coverup to you, or is it just my imagination? Despite her age, Mrs. Long could have easily ended up spending the remainder of her days in the state pen for killing her husband, so it would have been easy to cast blame on their mentally retarded daughter and then hide her away in a mental institution. Sort of like killing two birds with one stone, wouldn't you say?

Also, thanks for including a description of George. The only picture I've seen of him is the obscured photo in Dorothy Mackin's book. It was also interesting to know that the only place George has actually appeared to anyone is in the theater. I wish now that I'd been able to get more information from Nick, the porter who suddenly quit his job after seeing something in the theater that one night I mentioned on my web site.

If anyone would like to know more about the hauntings at the Imperial Casino Hotel, you can go to:

http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/divide

Jeff, can I assume Craig T. Nelson didn't want to be interviewed?

[Jeff Belanger]

Hey, thanks for getting the book and for the updates! This is exactly why I added this section to the message boards.

I tried to get in touch with Craig Nelson, but I ran out of time. It certainly would be an interesting follow-up if he also had experiences there!

[earth_spirit]

Here's my first update for you, Jeff. This is a postcard from the Imperial Hotel circa 1950 showing the bar in the Gold Bar Room. It's the spot where Steve Mackin said the ghost of George Long was standing when the actor, Pat Sawyer, saw him.

You may also remember from my web site that Nick, one of the night porters, might have seen an apparition in this very same spot. The cabinet where the porters stored their cleaning supplies was located directly across from the bar behind that pillar on the right.

Also, I believe the bartender on the right is Wayne Mackin, Steve Mackin's father and owner of the Imperial Hotel from 1946 to 1991.

[Jeff Belanger]

Great picture! Wow. I love the glimpse into the past at the Imperial.

[earth_spirit]

Here's another quick glimpse of the past for you, Jeff. It took awhile to find this, but here it is: Craig T. Nelson's cast photo from the 1966 Melodrama at the Imperial Hotel . . .

[erna_butter]

is it just me or is there a ghost in that postcard guys? look at the man all the way on the left !!!!! :o

[Cyn]

I stayed at the Imperial Hotel about 10 years ago. A few strange things happened to us. When we checked in we were informed that there was a resident ghost named George who loved to play pranks on everyone. I didn't really know George's history. Anyway, I think that he played a few little practical jokes on my boyfriend and I. We were in the Casino playing at one of the gaming tables and my boyfriend was going crazy looking for his cigarettes. He couldn't find them anywhere so he went back to the car to get some. When he got back to the table, his cigarettes were there. When we went back up to our room, I was looking for my camera but couldn't find it. I could have sworn I had it with me but my boyfriend once again went down to the car to see if we had left it there. Of course it wasn't in the car, it was in the room. George was driving us nuts (if it was actually George - maybe we were just senile). Actually, I don't know if it was because we heard the place was haunted but I had a strange feeling that someone was in the room with us. When we went to sleep (yeah, who could sleep) that night I felt something or someone tickling the back of my neck. It sent chills down my spine and my hair stood on end. I laid there frozen for most of the night. It was still in the middle of the night when my boyfriend woke up and said "What the hell is that?". He told me to listen to his pillow...it sounded like all kinds of things were crawling around inside of it. I freaked out and flung the pillow across the room. That was the extent of our run-in with George....it was a very eerie feeling.

[Cyn]

is it just me or is there a ghost in that postcard guys? look at the man all the way on the left !!!!! :o

I think I see it too. It looks like there is a transparent image overlapping the bartender. Very interesting!

[Axman]

I love old hotels, there are literally hundreds of them in the USA that are loaded with paranormal activity. Personally, I've even experienced some activity in newer hotels also.

[earth_spirit]

Cyn, you made my day with the story of your experience with George! I'm glad to hear that he's still taking care of his guests in a style that is uniquely his own. I spent the night as a guest of the Imperial several years after I quit working there, and was disappointed when nothing unusual happened in my room . . . since I worked there as a security guard (as well as a porter, cashier and slot tech) I should probably point out that George might not be the only spirit hanging around the hotel. It seems that several guests "expired" in their rooms during the three years I worked there, so there's no telling how many spirits may be lingering on the premises. But no matter what might happen, George always gets the blame

As for the postcard, since I have the original, I'll take a closer look at the image and see if anything jumps out at me. I hadn't noticed anything unusual about it . . .

[Axman]

I see the figure in the postcard but it looks to me like a shadow from the bar patron on the left.

[Cyn]

Cyn, you made my day with the story of your experience with George! I'm glad to hear that he's still taking care of his guests in a style that is uniquely his own. I spent the night as a guest of the Imperial several years after I quit working there, and was disappointed when nothing unusual happened in my room . . . since I worked there as a security guard (as well as a porter, cashier and slot tech) I should probably point out that George might not be the only spirit hanging around the hotel. It seems that several guests "expired" in their rooms during the three years I worked there, so there's no telling how many spirits may be lingering on the premises. But no matter what might happen, George always gets the blame

As for the postcard, since I have the original, I'll take a closer look at the image and see if anything jumps out at me. I hadn't noticed anything unusual about it . . .

Hi Earth Spirit,

I think that someone definitely expired in my room I just had a weird feeling all the while I was there. I am sure also that George isn't the only one to haunt The Imperial Hotel. Sorry George, didn't mean to make you a scapegoat.

When you worked there, did you experience anything strange?

[earth_spirit]

Cyn, there was always something odd going on at the Imperial, though I suppose it all became so commonplace after awhile that most of the employees never gave the occasional "bump in the night" a second thought. For a more detailed journal of my experiences, check out my web site at:

http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/divide

Sorry to disappoint everyone, but I did a quick check of the postcard shown in my previous post, and what you're seeing on the left hand side of the picture is a discoloration of the plywood and not a mist as it appears to be. The Mackins operated the Imperial on a shoestring budget for many years, so I'm sure they built that wall with whatever material they could beg, borrow or steal.

The story has a happy ending, though. Rumor has it that they sold the Imperial in 1991 for an undisclosed amount in the seven digit range and retired to Lake Tahoe . . .

[Cyn]

Cyn, there was always something odd going on at the Imperial, though I suppose it all became so commonplace after awhile that most of the employees never gave the occasional "bump in the night" a second thought. For a more detailed journal of my experiences, check out my web site at:

http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/divide

Sorry to disappoint everyone, but I did a quick check of the postcard shown in my previous post, and what you're seeing on the left hand side of the picture is a discoloration of the plywood and not a mist as it appears to be. The Mackins operated the Imperial on a shoestring budget for many years, so I'm sure they built that wall with whatever material they could beg, borrow or steal.

The story has a happy ending, though. Rumor has it that they sold the Imperial in 1991 for an undisclosed amount in the seven digit range and retired to Lake Tahoe . . .

Hi Earth Spirit,

Loved your website! I just read through the whole thing and it was really informative and interesting. I just wish that I had known all of this when I stayed there. So, George was a flirt... I guess he was the one tickling my neck in the middle of the night. I thought so. I loved Cripple Creek (so much history). Do you still live there?

[earth_spirit]

Loved your website! I just read through the whole thing and it was really informative and interesting. I just wish that I had known all of this when I stayed there. So, George was a flirt... wink.gif I guess he was the one tickling my neck in the middle of the night. I thought so. I loved Cripple Creek (so much history). Do you still live there?

Thanks, Cyn. Glad you enjoyed the web site. I have a few more things to add when I find the time. Of course, I've been saying that for the past year now!

Yes, the late Mr. Long was well known for having an eye for the ladies--and a taste for Scotch whiskey. It's said that he was quite a flirt, and more than one present day chambermaid has reported having her bottom pinched by an unseen hand while making up a bed in one of the hotel's rooms. I'm not surprised to hear that George was tickling your neck in the middle of the night.

Cripple Creek and the surrounding communities have such an incredible history--most of it violent. I can assure you that the Imperial is not the only building in town with a history of paranormal activities. If you ever make it back to Cripple Creek in the summertime, I highly recommend going on one of the walking ghost tours. As I pointed out to Jeff, the whole town--IMHO--is inherently evil, and if you're sensitive to the paranormal, you'll feel it as soon as you get your first glimpse of Cripple Creek from the top of Tenderfoot Hill.

Some of the spookiest stories I've ever read were interviews done by the local newspaper with sensitives in the area around Halloween, and with the town's bloody past, you can only imagine some of the things they described. In it's heyday, Cripple Creek averaged one homicide a day, as well as bloody battles between mine owners and labor unions that were often settled with bombs and bullets. It was definitely not the picturesque little mining town that you might think it was.

A good example of that is this picture showing how the State Militia maintained law and order during one of the many miners' strikes in the early 1900's--with a .58 caliber fanfare at a rate of 600 rounds per minute.


No, Cyn, I moved from Colorado to north Idaho about four years, but I still have family in Colorado and try to make it down that direction from time to time. In fact, the picture on page 61 of The World's Most Haunted Places was taken by my mother . . .