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| Door-Kewaunee County Normal School before 1937 |
Door-Kewaunee Normal School was the scene of a 1923
Halloween party few ever forgot. It was said that spooks, graves, a corpse and everything
supernatural was there. Being aspiring teachers, it was Shakespeare in the
casket and lighting was just right to cast a creepy feeling across the room. The
adjacent room was the cemetery, filled with tombstones of those long departed, epitaphs
in verse describing their lives. There were many a shivering spine among the would-be
teachers, faculty and the invited high school seniors.
The students celebrated Halloween that year, however there
were many years when Kewaunee County residents wondered if it was the jitters
on a spooky All Hallows Eve, or if it was truly the supernatural. Then again, the
supernatural isn’t confined to Fright Night.
Although it was an unusual time of year for such things –
early December 1926 – the Majestic was the site of a complete spirit séance featuring
the likes of Sir Conan Doyle and Sir Oliver Lodge. Doyle was famous for
Sherlock Holmes and physicist Lodge’s work in electromagnetic radiation would,
generations later, enable radio shows such as The Creaking Door and The
Shadow. In that lyceum program, the presenter promised to demonstrate
how “ridiculously simple” the supernatural really was. But, did anybody really
buy that thought? Algoma had supernatural stories that lived.
In 1895, the paper’s editor wrote that the city never really
had a ghost before then. Later it was said the ghost of Henry Schmiling roamed the brewery. And, what about Martin Klotz? Who'd worry about him when late that 1895 September, the populace of Ahnapee was in a dither discussing the ghost seen on the streets for weeks? The ghost was not the normal white-appearing graveyward specter, rather a tall, stately-looking visage dressed in black. Leisurely parading through the streets and alleys after dark, the manifestation closely tailed men on their way home for work, or frightened young lovers walking along the beach. Women and children were not miiune from the woman in black.
Ahnepee’s ghost was said to be a link between the past,
present and future. It was also said that the spirit followed those who would
flee while disappearing if any tried to follow it. As the story goes, the
ghost vanished the night a man, in wait for a Goodrich steamer, saw the ghost
and raised his hat to it. The ghost disappeared into an alley and was never
seen again.
About 10 years earlier – in early November 1886 – a supernatural
event took place at the Langemak home. As the family was visiting neighbors one
evening, they were surprised to see their home lit up by bright lights shining
from every window. As the family expected guests, Mr. Langemak felt they’d
arrived early and were making themselves at home. Going home to welcome them,
Langemak was astonished to see every light go out. The house was dark, and
doors were locked. Neighbors witnessed the ghostly happenings that night and
felt that some ancient pedagogue wanted to find out about living in the world
of a modern school master. How else could it be explained?
During the fall of 1867 Martin Klotz’ body was found near
the boom at the sawmill along the Kewaunee River. Klotz drowned, and it was assumed he came upon a burglary and
was over-powered by the burglars. Although there was indeed a burglary that
night, others felt the drowning was accidental. Whatever the case, those who lived
in the area were felt to be superstitious, telling weird stories about the
drowning. Then one night Ben Boutin reported seeing a ghostly thing in white
moving near the river bank. Boutin took to his heels and began yelling. When
others heard the story, it spread quickly. It was more than a few nights before
folks would pass the mill later in the evening. Later it was learned that two
Kewaunee men developed the hoax as a way to scare area fishermen from their
nightly carousings in Kewaunee’s saloons.
Back in the days when Rio Creek was known as Kirchmann’s
Place, a part corduroy, primitive road ran between Ahnepee and Kirchmann’s. Just
east of the new St. John’s church on the hill was Dettmann’s swamp. The lonesome
road also led to the cemetery on the hill next to the church. The road was a place
of melancholy and fear. The three Dettmanns in the area – Johann, Wilhelm and August – were
called “Dutchmen” by their English neighbors a few miles to the east. The
Dettmanns, who lived adjacent to the swamp, worked hard clearing land, building log homes and making wooden
shingles.
They were honest men and their credit was good with Ahnepee merchants such as Swaty, Boalt and
Knipfer. They were known to stop at Feuerstein’s or George Laux’s, and when
they left town, townsfolk knew they had enjoyed some of the local brew.
One night the men unloaded their shingles, bought supplies and
were hurrying to get through the swamp and home as quickly as possible. A ghost
had begun appearing in the swamp and several had seen it. The tall white ghost
was known to have come down from the cemetery. It was reported to have jumped
on sleds, causing the drivers to faint and be carried home unconscious by their
team. Noises of all sorts were said to come from the swamp. It got so bad that
the Dettmanns began staying close to home, wondering if they should sell out.
That was when they decided to see Squire Elliot to bring a suit against the
ghost. A lawsuit against a ghost?
Squire told the men there were no such things as ghosts, but
they knew what they saw and heard. Finally, Squire said he’d go out and have a
look. Maybe Squire scared off the ghost because it was never seen again. But,
just to be sure, whenever Johann, Wilhelm and August went to Ahnepee, they were
certain to get through the swamp before nightfall. More than likely, Laux and
Feuerstein lost a little business on the days the men brought in their shingles.
Some say the local ghosts are real. Others disagree. Some say
the ghost of Henry Schmiling inhabits the brewery. Maybe the best ghosts are found
in spine tingling haunted houses.
Sources: Ahnapee Record/Algoma Record Herald. The postcard is from the blogger's collection.
Note: The city now known as Algoma was Ahnepee until 1873 when it was renamed Ahnapee.
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