HAUNTED MICHIGAN: The Noisy Ghosts at Michigan Bell, Grand Rapids

As I continue counting the Haunted Places in Michigan…here's another:

The Michigan Bell Telephone Co. in Grand Rapids is considered by many haunted web pages to be one of the Top Ten Haunted Places in Michigan...and for good reason.

Google Maps

This building was built in downtown Grand Rapids, on the grounds of a demolished extravagant mansion, the Judd-White House. It was purchased from the previous owners by Warren Randall & his wife, who soon experienced bad luck.

According to the "Ghosts and History" site, “Warren Randall, a railroad brakeman, lost his leg while on the job and had it replaced with a wooden prosthetic. This led to feelings of insecurity on Warren’s part, and he soon accused his wife Virginia of having an affair. Their marriage was no longer happy and arguments were often overheard from the street. After noticing a pungent odor emanating from the mansion, workers in the building next door contacted officials to investigate. The two were found dead in the house; Warren had allegedly beaten Virginia to death with his wooden leg before slitting his own throat.”

To clarify this story somewhat:
Warren was actually run over by a train; his life was spared but not his leg. He not only began feeling insecure, but paranoid; he started accusing his wife Virginia of having affairs with men who "had more legs" than he did. The cops would be called by neighbors to stop the loud arguing from the house; one of those times, Warren was arrested after chasing Virginia down an alley, wielding a straight razor, threatening to kill her.

Virginia ended up leaving him but in 1910, Warren coaxed her back. Once there, an argument ensued and Warren wound up taking off his wooden leg and beating her to death with it...then he sliced his own throat using the same razor he previously chased her down the alley with.

Weeks went by and the smell coming from the house brought police, who could only identify the rotting corpses by Warren's wooden leg.

Since then, the strange occurrences began:
1) Screams were heard, said to be Virginia's, as she begs Warren not to kill her
2) Strange lights
3) Thumping of Warren's wooden leg
4) Miscellaneous sounds and noises

The house was purchased by the Michigan Bell telephone Company in 1920 and their new building was erected in 1924. Since then, residents have been the recipients of prank phone calls in the middle of the night; upon investigation, these calls were traced back to the telephone company. No doubt it was the ghosts of Warren & Virginia bothering the neighbors, so they say.

Got guts?
Pay it a visit...located in Grand Rapids' old east end, at the corner of Fountain and Division Street, Grand Rapids.