Ghosts of Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Haunted America

by Jennifer Billock

A Michigan writer recounts the chilling tales of the UP’s spectral history.   Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula plays host to some of the state's most spine-tingling ghost stories. At Old Victoria, a ghostly apparition continues to rock in her favorite chair. Visitors can still hear the screams of miners trapped and killed in the wreckage of the Mansfield Mine disaster. Trampled to death over false claims of fire, the victims of the Italian Hall Disaster linger on in Calumet. And Mackinac is home to more than one hundred ghosts, making the island one of the state's most haunted places.

Genres: Nonfiction

115 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 27, 2013

Reviews

[Crystal Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't bad, it read more like a history book though. I found myself skimming a bunch. However, there was some parts that were really interesting to me. Mostly places I have been or know of. Living in the UP, I have heard some of these, but this went into depth. Thank you to the Author for all the time and research she put into this.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The historical aspect of this book is pretty good - everything seems to be well-researched. (I will nitpick and say that on page 78, it wouldn't be the "ocean floor" - "lakebed" might be more accurate.) As far as the ghost stories go, it's hard to be factual... Many of them are based on hearsay or one person's account. (The Mackinac Island ghost stories in particular don't always have basis in fact: a lot of them don't seem to have any historical evidence to back them up, such as the story about Harvey, or as the author even admits, the "drowning pool.")

I do wish there had been a conclusion as the book ended abruptly, but it was still an enjoyable read overall.

[Jess - The Hexed Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a non-fiction, I didn't use my typical rating scale.

This was an interesting collection of GHOSTS OF MICHIGAN'S UPPER PENINSULA some stories have been debunked and discuss the debunking, others are left for you to decide.

What kept this from being a 5 star book is that it felt more like a history book than a ghost book. We were given paragraph upon paragraph of the history of where the ghost sighting took place and then just a bit about the ghost (in most cases). Which, to be fair, I love history so I did enjoy the book, I just wish it had been a bit more spooky.

[Xanthe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, broad overview of the stories and legends of Michigan's Upper Peninsula organized by region. I visited the UP for the first time earlier this year (shameful, I know) so I was eager to be able to place a lot of these stories to places I had visited. While covering shipwrecks, mining disasters, and mysterious deaths, I was surprised that none of the hauntings covered were in St. Ignace. The writing at times was confusing, though I appreciated that the research and interviews included multiple interpretations for the ghosts, this book definitely suffered in comparison to Ghostland which I read right before. Still a decent dip into the history of the UP and its spooky stories.

[RumBelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fascinating. I know next to nothing about Michigan's ghosts, so reading about all their varied hauntings was so interesting.

It seemed like so many varied places in Michigan are the subject of hauntings. From mine shafts, to houses to public buildings. Also for so many varied reasons. Deaths, love, revenge and more. What I particularly liked reading about where the lighthouse ghosts. Those stories seemed so much more intense to me.

Any ghost story fan would enjoy this book.

[Walker James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very well-written example of this type of book. It has excellent research, and relates the ghost lore without crossing over into melodrama.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun accompaniment to my UP vacation. Visited some of the sites. Alas, no ghosts to write home about.