March 2003 - El Tovar Hotel - Grand
Canyon National Park, Arizona
Legend:
In the middle of the U shaped
parking lot in front of the El Tovar Hotel, there
is a marked grave hiding in a patch of land next to
the stop sign. The grave is that of a former Harvey
Girl that worked for Fred Harvey Company. The ghost
of a black caped figure has been seen walking along
the pathway leading up from the steps just to the
right of the El Tovar Hotel all along the path, passing
the grave and disappearing behind the Hopi House.
Although most visitors are unaware, the El Tovar,
built in the very early 1900's, is home to more then
a few spirits. They say that Fred Harvey appears on
the third floor during the holidays and invites people
to the annual Christmas gathering held in the hotel.
The third floor and the kitchen are the haunted hot
spots at the El Tovar Hotel.
February
2003
I've
done a little research on Fred Harvey, the El Tovar
Hotel, and the "Harvey Girls".
Basically, Fred started a "Hooters"
for the old west. He set up his first Harvey's House
in Topeka Kansas The staff were a carefully screened
group of women serving food to Railroad travelers.
The restaurants were an instant success and soon there
were 54 of them dotting Santa Fe stops.
Eventually,
as railroad technology improved and enabled increased
train speeds and longer operating distances, pressure
on the railroads mounted to find some method for providing
meals on the train itself. The successful evolution
of dining cars gradually and, in some cases abruptly,
caused the demise of the track side eating establishments.
Fred Harvey wasn't out of ideas quite
yet, on January 14,1905 he opened a hotel that was
like no other of it's time! The El Tovar! The hotel
cost an incredible sum of $150,000 to construct and
was the most expensive hotel in the territory at the
Grand Canyon. Fred Harvey also brought along his "Harvey
Girls" to complete the ultimate vacation experience.
March
8, 2003:
We arrived at
El Tovar late in the afternoon. Before we even
checked in, we went looking for the grave. We
eventually found it after we asked someone that
worked there. It was in the parking lot, just
as the legend has said. It was in the middle
of a little island of bushes, behind a dumpster
and a 'do not enter' sign. The name on the grave
stone was Pirl W. Ward. This person died in
1934.
As we were checking in we asked about
the grave, and if it was indeed of a Harvey Girl.
It turns out, it wasn't a girl at all, but some Cowboy
or something named Pirl...and nothing weird or strange
had been seen associated with the grave.
This was a minor let down, for me
anyway, because I wanted to uncover some kind of murder
love suicide scandal or something. Anyway, we decided
to focus on the other parts of the legend, Fred Harvey
and the 3rd floor.
We found a girl in a gift shop that
had been working at the El Tovar for a long time.
She let us know that she and her boyfriend, who worked
at a nearby lodge, experienced a lot of weird stuff
late at night at the El Tovar. There is apparently
a young boy who haunts the 3rd floor, and that Fred's
painting mostly just stare at people funny, and then
they will usually see him later.
Or,
Join the discussion about this hunt
by Clicking
Here!
There is a larger painting
of Mr. Harvey right at the foot of the stair
case, and it does seem to stare at you. But
I think it's just a very good painting. The
places that you're most likely to see him
were by the staircase leading up to the 2nd
and 3rd floors, and by the fire place in the
main lobby.
Anyway, we decide to go upstairs
to the 2nd and 3rd floors to take some pictures and
video. The 2nd floor is where Fred use to throw VIP
type parties and things. There is a large open space
where people can look down on the people on the first
floor. The first group of pictures were pretty much
clear, except for a couple questionable spots.
Damon
setting up his camera on the 2nd floor. Notice
some kind of light orb in the upper right hand
side of the picture.
Here
is a shot of the same area where the orb appeared
in the photo. We took numerous shots, but nothing
ever showed up.
This
is a shot of the same area, just from the other
side. Notice the orb is back.
This
shot is from the 2nd floor looking toward the
open area that looks out over the lobby.
Here
is the portrait of Fred harvey that 'stares' at
people. This shot was taken from the 2nd floor.
This
shot was taken from the 2nd floor. Notice the
staircase to the right. It leads up to the 3rd
floor. There appears to be an 'orb' by the window.
This
shot is from the second floor looking back toward
the staircase that leads to the third. Notice
a faint hazy ball of something on the stairs.
Here
is a closer shot taken a few minutes after the
previous one. A more defined 'orb' can be seen
in about the same spot.
Looking down on the 2nd floor from the 3rd floor
at the staircase.
On
the 3rd floor looking back down the stairs. Some
people think there is an orb in the chair in the
corner.
Not
really sure what happened here, but this was taken
on the 3rd floor.
This
is a shot of another stairwell from the 3rd floor.
I don't see it, but some people think there is
something trying to form in this picture.
Another
random shot of Damon and his camera. Some people
have told me they see orbs in this photo as well.
I don't.
Now, I have to honestly say I felt
nothing on the 2nd floor, however when we went to
the 3rd I did feel find of funny. My heart rate quickened,
and the hair stood up on the back of my neck. I don't
believe it was a ghost. I really think it was the
fact that I had to walk up stairs. I'm not use to
exercise. However, Randy likes to get sick when ever
he is in a haunted place and he claimed that he felt
weird on the 2nd floor and when we sat down for a
few moments on the 3rd floor he said he really felt
bad. Because of this we went all the way downstairs
to the lobby thinking he would feel better.
Well, we were wrong. We hung out in the lobby for
a few minutes and took a bunch of photos. Randy still
felt ill, so we went to the bar. After a few stiff
drinks we all felt better. Why did Randy feel so ill?
Hopefully the following pictures will lend some answers.
The following Photos were
not altered in anyway and were all taken with
in seconds of each other. We were sitting down
in the lobby looking back up to the 2nd floor
where the open area was. I took the first three
and Damon took the last two.
Weird, huh? If that wasn't enough, take a look at
these photos. Just after taking the pictures you saw
above I a few of the fireplace. In the first photo,
If you look to the left of the fireplace you'll see
a white orb. Then look at the 2nd shot in the same
place. Some people have told me they see a dark apparition.
maybe a ghost trying to form or something. Then in
the 3rd shot, there seems to be more orbs.
Or,
Join the discussion about this
hunt by Clicking
Here!
Eventually, we
did find our way to the bar. We spent way too
much money on drinks and then hallucinated all
the way back to our room.
Now, do I think the El Tovar
is haunted by the ghost of Fred Harvey? It's
hard to say. The pictures are definitely weird,
and the people at the hotel definitely seemed
to believe it was. I think, however, it's mostly
a bunch of 'suggested' sightings and experiences.
Maybe there is some haunting going on there,
or at least there use to be, but while we were
there no hard evidence showed itself. By hard
evidence I mean something visible to the naked
eye, or a possession of one of use hunters...and
I can tell you for sure, no spooks possessed
me...
)
)
I've
done a little research on Fred Harvey, the El Tovar
Hotel, and the "Harvey Girls".
Eventually,
as railroad technology improved and enabled increased
train speeds and longer operating distances, pressure
on the railroads mounted to find some method for providing
meals on the train itself. The successful evolution
of dining cars gradually and, in some cases abruptly,
caused the demise of the track side eating establishments.)
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