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Excerpts from
“The Minnesota Road Guide to Haunted Locations”
By Chad Lewis & Terry Fisk
Ghost Lore
- A young boy died while staying at the hotel, and he can be
seen and heard bouncing his ball down the hallways.
- A man haunts many of the rooms of the hotel and is believed
to throw glasses in the bar.
- Mysterious knocks have been heard from several of the rooms
in the hotel.
- The hotel is haunted by Sinclair Lewis.
- There are bodies and bones buried beneath the hotel in the
basement.
History
On corner of Sinclair Lewis Ave. and Original Main Street rests
the historic Palmer House. The original hotel, The Sauk Centre
House as it was know to locals, was constructed in 1863 by Warren
Adley. In 1867, the property was purchased by E.P. Barnum. During
this time both the staff and the locals referred to the hotel
as the Minnesota House. In 1868, the new owner, John Apfeld, changed
the name of the building to the Apfeld House. On June 26th, 1900
the hotel burned to the ground. According to all newspaper accounts,
the fire was intentional and the town seemed relieved that the
hotel was gone, as it was considered a sore on the community by
attracting devious characters. When the city council refused to
offer the funds to construct a new hotel, the Sauk Centre Herald
stepped forward with an offer of $5,000 to anyone who would build
a new hotel.
In 1901, the property was purchased by R.L. Palmer. Mr. Palmer
constructed a three-story hotel he named The Palmer House. The
hotel originally contained 38 cozy rooms with the guests sharing
a communal bathroom at the end of the hall. The concept of having
electricity in a hotel was so new, that a special contractor from
Minneapolis was brought in to do the work. On October 17th, 1901,
the majestic Palmer House opened its doors to the welcoming public.
Sauk Centre proudly boasts itself as the boyhood home of the famous
American writer, Sinclair Lewis. In 1902, shortly after the opening
of The Palmer House, Sinclair Lewis was employed as a bellhop
and night clerk. It is rumored that Sinclair was fired from The
Palmer House because he spent too much of his time writing and
not enough time working. In 1908, The Palmer House was leased
out to A.W. Austin. This trend was continued until 1916, when
Art DeBeau purchased the hotel from Mr. Palmer.
In 1921, the hotel was sold once again to a George A. Tanner.
Over the next few years the hotel switched hands often. Each new
owner would make additions and improvements as their finances
permitted.
Throughout the years, The Palmer House faded in its glory and
became more dilapidated with each passing year. However, in 1974,
two business partners purchased the hotel with the intent to restore
it to its original beauty. The partners, Al Tingley and Dick Schwartz,
had the grand idea to once again restore The Palmer House. In
addition to the numerous renovations and upkeep, Al had time to
write a book of stories from The Palmer House titled “Corner
on Main street”.
After Al and Dick, The Palmer House again traded hands quite a
few times over the years. Today the beautiful hotel is owned and
operated by the super friendly and inviting Kelley Freese and
her husband. Even though The Palmer House has come a long way,
now having 20 gorgeous rooms with four magnificent whirlpool suites,
it still hasn’t forgotten its cozy small town feel that
will leave you craving just one more night.
Investigation
We have been able to track reports of The Palmer House being
haunted back many years to when Al Tingley owned the hotel. Although
we are certain that the hotel was said to be haunted for much
longer, unfortunately no written history of it exists today. With
so many stories and witnesses, it was difficult to report them
all.
For more information on the investigation, you may go to your
local book store, or www.unexplainedresearch.com
to purchase a copy. Visit our website again to see new reports
from guests who have stayed with us.
The above have been copied from the Book with
permission.
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