For mid-November, the weather is really holding out in my hometown of Lawrence, Kansas.  Fall has been hanging on for dear life, and we are just now getting in to temperatures that make you want to curl up with a nice cup of hot chocolate.  As I’m no fan of freezing temps, I’m taking advantage of every second of decent weather we have before old man winter sets up shop for several months.  That, and a nice lunch with my brother and sister-in-law, was what took me to downtown Lawrence today and passed me by our own local haunted inn, The Eldridge Hotel.

You cannot study local history in this town and not come across the Eldridge.  The somewhat nondescript building that stands on the corner of Seventh and Massachussetts Streets in Lawrence has had, to say the least, a turbulent history.

Early settlers to the area came here bound and determined that Kansas would enter the union as a free state, and anti-slavery sentiments ran high.  The New England Emigrant Aid Society, then, built the hotel in 1855 as interim lodging for those who were building their homes in the area, and aptly named it The Free State Hotel.  It was only one short year later when the hotel was attacked by a pro-slavery militia, headed by Sheriff Sam Jones.  The Free State was burned to the ground, but was rebuilt bigger and better by Colonel Shalor Eldridge, who swore he would build and rebuild the hotel, no matter what came. 

The Eldridge Hotel and Massachussetts Street after Quantrill’s Raid

What came was the infamous Quantrill and his raiders in the year of 1863.  Lawrence was burned to the ground, including the Eldridge Hotel.  Over 150 people were dragged from their homes and stores and were murdered.  The town and those who stood up for the freedom of all mankind, were left in ruins.  Colonel Eldridge remained, however, and true to his word, he rebuilt the hotel.

It was this tragic event that is immortalized on the Seal of the City of Lawrence: a phoenix rising from the ashes.  Lawrence was rebuilt, and thrives as a university town (Go Jayhawks!) and a center for the arts.

Due to deterioration, the Eldrige was torn down and rebuilt in the 1920s.  Then, in the 1970s, it closed down entirely, as cheap motels sprung up and made the accommodations at the Eldridge somewhat obsolete.  The hotel was renovated into an apartment complex until 1985, when it was renovated once again back into a 48 room hotel, and major updates were made once again in 2005, which restored to hotel to the luxurious appointments it had in 1925. 

The Restored Lobby of the Eldridge Hotel

Mounted by the front desk is a picture of the ghost.  Many believe it is Colonel Eldridge, who still lurks in his beloved hotel.  Room 506 is purportedly a hotbed of paranormal activity.  Lights turn on and off, doors open and shut, and someone’s ghostly breath fogs the mirror from time to time.  Some believe the fifth floor hosts a portal to the spirit world, allowing spirits to drift in and out.  Apparitions have also been seen on this floor, and the elevator is known to make unnecessary, frequent stops on floor five.  This same elevator has also been known to cause camera malfunctions.  Others notice that the hotel seems to have a number of “cold spots,” which is often an indication of a visitor from the other side.

The Eldridge has occassionally played host to ghosthunters.  For some pictures and a link to a Channel Six report on the paranormal occurrences at the Eldrige, click here.

Yours in this life and the next -

GhOsTwRiTeR KiM