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BISBEE — People in Bisbee have long been known for their enterprising spirit whether through art, music, literature or unique businesses.
A new gig in town shows visitors another side of that cleverness — the Old Bisbee Ghost Tour.
Thanks to months of research and firsthand accounts, Renee and Peter Gardner have put together a creative and entertaining hour and a half tour that takes visitors to the haunts of some of Bisbee’s most famous and infamous ghosts.
“I couldn’t believe someone had not thought of this before. With all the ghost legends in Old Bisbee, it seemed a good idea to start a walking ghost tour,” Renee Gardner said. “So we spent months researching the sites and stories, as well as listening to firsthand accounts of current sightings of ghosts. I was amazed at how many stories there were.”
  
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Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening, tour groups are led up and down the winding streets and stairs as Renee Gardner, dressed in Victorian garb and carrying an old lantern, tells the stories behind the legends of Julia, Nat and the Lady in White, to name just a few.
The groups gather on the steps of the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum for the 7 p.m. tour. One person, usually a child, is given the duty of monitoring the “ghostmeter,” which is said to beep when a spirit is in the vicinity.
Eight-year-old Brody Schmitzerle, from Poway, Calif., volunteered on a recent Saturday evening to handle the meter.
On that tour there were 25 hardy souls who decided to forego the night spots for a brisk evening walk to have their imaginations tickled by the tales of spirits who refused to leave their favorite haunts in this 125-year-old mining town.
The first stop was the former Miners Merchant Bank on Main Street, where Renee Gardner tells of a doctor’s office on the second floor where a little boy, who had possibly died, has been seen looking out the window. A ghost dog also has been seen, and the tour guide thinks the two bonded in the afterlife as playmates.
Then it was down to the Bisbee Grand Hotel to hear about two ghosts who roam the saloon and halls. One is a woman dressed in a long flowing gown and train.
The other, a man named Jeremiah, seems to like to disturb ladies in the restroom by banging on the stall doors and turning over trash cans.
According to the story of one female bartender, he also likes to give massages. Jeremiah has been seen numerous times crossing the hall from the men’s room to the ladies room and has even “spooken” to another male bartender.
As the tour group climbed the stairs at the Grand, Brody told Gardner the ghostmeter was going off, beeping loudly. It beeped frequently throughout the tour at many different locations.
The tour also included the violent tragedies that occurred at what is now the Oliver House. Twenty-six people were murdered there. The bone-chilling stories of ghosts who disrupt the sleep of visitors and a vortex that seems to emanate from a single location in one of the rooms.
“We went into the vortex room,” she said. “We all felt it the center of the bed. It was cold and as we held our hands out, our hands got cold and tingly. I rushed out of there scared. It’s creepy.”
At the Bisbee Inn, three rooms are known for unusual activities. One is done by a ghost who likes to throw toiletries on the floor. The other is ghost who doesn’t like to sleep alone, so it crawls into bed with the guests, who claim they have seen indentations in the mattress from the bodiless spirit. The third is a ghost cat who just likes company from time to time. Guests claim they hear purring and feel a cat walking across the bed.
But one of Bisbee’s most famous ghosts, The Lady in White, with her long white hair and gown, saved the life of three youths in the 1960s. The legend says three children were playing on the stairs and walkway behind the Bisbee Inn when they saw her. She warned them away from the area just seconds before a rock slide tumbled down the mountainside. Had the children stayed where they were, they would have died. She is credited with saving their lives.
The tour winds up at the Copper Queen Hotel, where numerous ghost sightings have been reported that continue to this day. A log book in the lobby holds the accounts of guests who experienced things not of this world. The Copper Queen boasts the most ghosts including men, women and children. There’s even a family of three — father, mother, daughter — who have taken up residency from time to time.
One of the most famous is Julia, a scorned woman who had had an affair with a married man. She hung herself in one of the rooms and has yet to check out. Gardner said it appears she likes married men and will snuggle under the covers with them or dance at the edge of the bed.
Throughout the tour, Gardner asks if anyone is staying at the various haunted hotels.
Only a few were staying at the Grand, the Oliver House, the Copper Queen and the Bisbee Inn. “If any of you get to see any of the ghosts or experience the tricks they can play, please let me know. I want to hear your stories,” she said.
Want to take a tour?
Tours are on Friday, Saturday and sometimes on Sunday at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Meet on the steps of the Bisbee Mining Museum at least 15 minutes ahead of time.
Tickets are $12 for adults; $7 for children.
Reservations are necessary.
The walking tour consists of hills, steps and loose pavement, so good walking shoes and a flashlight are necessary. It is also a good idea to bring water along.
And, of course, bring your spirit of adventure.
For information, visit the Web site at www.OldBisbeeGhostTour.com or call (520) 432-3308.
Herald/Review reporter Shar Porier can be reached at 515-4692 or by e-mail at shar.porier@bisbeereview.net.
Susan wrote on Feb 18, 2008 7:17 PM:
or email me personnally. If you're having a convention in July I'd like as much notice as possible for my group to make arraigements to come up. Let me know. Thank you
Susan "