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Haunted America
Michigan's Haunted Lighthouses
Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state, with more than 120 dotting its expansive Great Lakes shoreline. Many of these lighthouses lay claim to haunted happenings.
Former keepers like Captain Townshend at Seul Choix Point and prankster John Herman at Waugoshance Shoal maintain their watch long after death. At White River Light Station in Whitehall, Sarah Robinson still keeps a clean and tidy house, and a mysterious young girl at the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse seeks out other companions. Countless spirits remain between Whitefish Point and Point Iroquois in an area well known for its many tragic shipwrecks. Join author and Promote Michigan founder Dianna Stampfler as she recounts the tales from Michigan's ghostly beacons.
Former keepers like Captain Townshend at Seul Choix Point and prankster John Herman at Waugoshance Shoal maintain their watch long after death. At White River Light Station in Whitehall, Sarah Robinson still keeps a clean and tidy house, and a mysterious young girl at the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse seeks out other companions. Countless spirits remain between Whitefish Point and Point Iroquois in an area well known for its many tragic shipwrecks. Join author and Promote Michigan founder Dianna Stampfler as she recounts the tales from Michigan's ghostly beacons.
144 pages, Paperback
Published March 4, 2019
34 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 22, 2019
It was a really short little book but filled with really good information about, and photos of the many allegedly haunted lighthouses that cover my beautiful state of Michigan. It's divided by the lighthouses locations on 3 of the 5 Great Lakes...Michigan ,Superior and Huron. I believe she has another book that covers the Upper Peninsular. I was surprised to see that I had visited 5 of these lighthouses and plan to see the others in the future. Proof that ghost story enthusiast will go out of their way to pursue a good haunt.
June 18, 2019
Fun book! Lots of great Michigan history!
October 23, 2022
Thought this would be a fun spooky read for Halloween but it ended up being so historical interesting
August 26, 2022
I didn't find this book until a few months after I had completed a trip to Michigan and had visited a few of these locations. Would have been nice to have had it on the trip with me.
The book is organized well and there's a nice map provided at the front of the book. Some of the pictures are good, but others don't work well in a black/white format.
I don't believe in ghosts but do enjoy history and a good ghost story. The majority of the ghost stories in this book were NOT good. The author really stretches to find stories to fit her narrative and many of the stories appear to be made up by the author herself.
She has done some valid research and many of the lighthouses she writes about she could find stories of who the lightkeepers were and how they or their family members died. That information was interesting. However, she forces these deaths to fit with any mention of suspicious ghost-like activity. Someone heard footsteps? It conveniently HAS to be the ghost of the one lightkeeper she had information about from that location! If the author found no deaths at the lighthouse, she then would find a nearby shipwreck or basically any other death in the area whether it was related to the lighthouse or not.
One lighthouse had the ghost of a boy named Jesse but the only death of a lightkeeper's child the author could find there was of a little girl named Cecilia. After throwing out some other silly theories, the author eventually states the factual information she found in her research must be wrong! hahahaha
One lighthouse she mentioned had zero reports of paranormal activity but a clairvoyant visited in the 1990s and said there was a spirit of a girl there. The author found a story of a little girl being killed by a bear a few miles away in the 1940s and said that HAD to be who was haunting the lighthouse. Because the little girl HAD to have visited the lighthouse at some point and it made an impression on her which is why her spirit stayed. Quite a stretch.
The most horrifying example was a lighthouse where the author insists on spreading a ridiculous theory that one of the female lightkeepers was a black widow who murdered both of her husbands. Her only "proof" is that the woman had two dead husbands (as if that wasn't a fairly normal occurrence in the 1800s). No motive other than the woman must have been upset that she didn't get to keep the post of lightkeeper after she remarried. But the author says about her black widow theory that "you can't help but wonder". I disagree. Her disgusting theory is downright insulting. I can't imagine what the descendants of that woman would think about this "theory".
This is not the best book for someone interested in the actual history of the area. I have a degree in history and know how to properly research a topic. The author does not. Her degree was focused on journalism and broadcasting. We all know how journalism has moved away from the integrity and fact checking of Woodward and Bernstein to the promotion of propaganda, lies and misinformation all in the name of entertainment. The truth is too boring and does not sell.
ALL of the author's resources are internet websites and she adds a note at the end justifying the stories she invented by stating that "the details are not always consistent" but since ghost stories are "subjective" they may not be considered "factual by all individuals". Wow, seriously? Admit you made things up and then basically say "tee hee it's ok cuz haters gonna hate". Gross.
I also find it incredibly inappropriate for the author to be able to rate her own book with five stars. Not cool. Why is this allowed?
The book is organized well and there's a nice map provided at the front of the book. Some of the pictures are good, but others don't work well in a black/white format.
I don't believe in ghosts but do enjoy history and a good ghost story. The majority of the ghost stories in this book were NOT good. The author really stretches to find stories to fit her narrative and many of the stories appear to be made up by the author herself.
She has done some valid research and many of the lighthouses she writes about she could find stories of who the lightkeepers were and how they or their family members died. That information was interesting. However, she forces these deaths to fit with any mention of suspicious ghost-like activity. Someone heard footsteps? It conveniently HAS to be the ghost of the one lightkeeper she had information about from that location! If the author found no deaths at the lighthouse, she then would find a nearby shipwreck or basically any other death in the area whether it was related to the lighthouse or not.
One lighthouse had the ghost of a boy named Jesse but the only death of a lightkeeper's child the author could find there was of a little girl named Cecilia. After throwing out some other silly theories, the author eventually states the factual information she found in her research must be wrong! hahahaha
One lighthouse she mentioned had zero reports of paranormal activity but a clairvoyant visited in the 1990s and said there was a spirit of a girl there. The author found a story of a little girl being killed by a bear a few miles away in the 1940s and said that HAD to be who was haunting the lighthouse. Because the little girl HAD to have visited the lighthouse at some point and it made an impression on her which is why her spirit stayed. Quite a stretch.
The most horrifying example was a lighthouse where the author insists on spreading a ridiculous theory that one of the female lightkeepers was a black widow who murdered both of her husbands. Her only "proof" is that the woman had two dead husbands (as if that wasn't a fairly normal occurrence in the 1800s). No motive other than the woman must have been upset that she didn't get to keep the post of lightkeeper after she remarried. But the author says about her black widow theory that "you can't help but wonder". I disagree. Her disgusting theory is downright insulting. I can't imagine what the descendants of that woman would think about this "theory".
This is not the best book for someone interested in the actual history of the area. I have a degree in history and know how to properly research a topic. The author does not. Her degree was focused on journalism and broadcasting. We all know how journalism has moved away from the integrity and fact checking of Woodward and Bernstein to the promotion of propaganda, lies and misinformation all in the name of entertainment. The truth is too boring and does not sell.
ALL of the author's resources are internet websites and she adds a note at the end justifying the stories she invented by stating that "the details are not always consistent" but since ghost stories are "subjective" they may not be considered "factual by all individuals". Wow, seriously? Admit you made things up and then basically say "tee hee it's ok cuz haters gonna hate". Gross.
I also find it incredibly inappropriate for the author to be able to rate her own book with five stars. Not cool. Why is this allowed?
July 20, 2019
If you are a person who loves the paranormal you will love this book. Stories of ghosts and spirits abound in the pages of Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses. Hence the name. Personally, I’m not a big believer in ghosts and spirits. It did make for a good read and I will say that I was very impressed by the depth of research that Dianna and those who assisted her put into the writing of this book. I’m sure it took a lot of time and quite frankly, it must’ve been a lot of fun to do it as the history of Michigan is incredible and to see that on these pages was worth the read in and of itself. Well done Dianna!
November 17, 2025
I'm not quite sure what I was expecting from this book, considering it's about haunted lighthouses. I really enjoyed all the information on the lights, especially because a lot of it wasn't necessarily about them being haunted. I also really loved all the research that the author went out of her way to do, including tracking down so many grave sites of the deceased. I guess I mostly just felt like some parts could have been written better or clearer & some chapters seemed to really lack substance & I feel like they could have been left out or been honorable mentions at the end. While I didn't read this intending to creep myself out at night & in the dark, it definitely did the trick!
November 26, 2018
I hope you enjoy my first book, focused in on 13 of Michigan's haunted lighthouses. I've been researching and writing about these lights for nearly 20 years - in magazines, blog posts and public programs. I'm excited to reveal some new information in this title from The History Press due out in spring 2019.
August 8, 2020
Filled with lots of great information on Michigan lighthouses, although disappointingly, I feel more skeptical than normal (which, admittedly is probably less skeptical than most will own up to) about finding any of the spooky residents mentioned.
November 25, 2019
My husband and I loved this book! Initially purchased for the ghost stories, but read for the fascinating (and impressively researched) Michigan history.
November 25, 2019
Loved it so much!!! Clung to every word, and was so happy-sad to finish it! I didn’t want it to end, but I couldn’t put it down!
March 8, 2020
Great history but I was expecting a bit more haunting.
August 24, 2021
Really good information; makes me want to visit these beacons. Didn't have as much ghostly stories in it as I would've liked.
November 12, 2021
Entertaining read, rewarding for Michiganders. Fun for both lighthouse and Halloween fans, and for students of local history. Recommended.
December 15, 2021
Great book to read about the history of the light houses here in Michigan. I really enjoyed reading this book right before Halloween.
August 12, 2022
Some of these stories are repeats, but there were new ones including White Fish Point and Bertha Endress Rollo. What a life they led! Not too spooky, mildly spooky.
January 16, 2023
I enjoyed that the author put so much history in the book. I really love learning about each beautiful structure and the inhabitants, however I just wish there had been more about the hauntings.
November 27, 2023
Interesting stories of Michigan lighthouses and those that kept watch. How their ghost may or may not still live on today at their respective lighthouses.
October 15, 2024
This was a nice overview of the history of some of Michigan's oldest and most suspected haunted lighthouses. The author was descriptive and honest. There was no wild assumptions or speculation.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews