FORT BENTON — Opened in 1882, the Grand Union Hotel in Fort Benton is one of the longest continually operating hotels in Montana. It’s also, supposedly, one of the most haunted buildings in the state.
"I believe all my guests and employees when they tell me their experiences,” says College Longin, owner of the Grand Union Hotel.
Perhaps the most famous ghost is the ‘Staircase Shooter’, the ghost of an old drunken cowboy who took a dare to ascend the staircase on horseback. Before making it halfway up, he was shot by an armed guard. Guests say they can hear the sound of hooves going up and down the staircase, as well as the sound of lively music coming from the nearby saloon.
“Right outside was the bloodiest block of the West. So I think sometimes we're in our sleepy little town, and we forget that this was a hub of a lot of activity,” says Longin.
At its inception, Fort Benton was a one of the last bastions of civilization ahead of the great western frontier. Thousands travelled through the town by boat on the Missouri River, and many of them would have stayed at the Grand Union. The neighboring Main Street was also the sight of many documented gunfights.
Some guests report strange orb-like lights awakening them from sleep, and the presence of a female spirit in Room 202. Housekeepers have reported making up beds only to return to find the shape of a figure’s imprint carved into the mattress.
Longin recounts one guest's story, saying, “[The guest] said he was up on the third floor walking down the hall and, that he felt something brush up against his leg, and he looked down and it was a little girl, and she brushed up against him and she was laughing. Then she ran down the hall and ran into the wall.”
The guest went on to explain he never drinks or takes drugs and that it was clear as day.
The hotel says the rumored hauntings have been good for business, with many guests specifically requesting rooms where alleged sightings have occurred. They plan on giving tours of the haunted rooms, and doling out candy to trick-or-treaters. If you’ve passed by the hotel during this Halloween season, you likely saw ghosts peering out the windows. These are tongue-in-cheek mannequins the Owner has placed to get in the spirit.
