The Spirits of Soldiers: Haunting Tales from Lewis Army Museum
Posted: 10.24.2024 | Updated: 10.24.2024
The Lewis Army Museum is haunted. But, by who, or what, has been the topic of discussion for many decades. There were tales of a silent cowboy, a flicker of a memory from the golden era of silent film. However, an exorcism released him from his spiritual chains. However, rumors persisted that the Lewish Army Museum contained more than just artifacts and memorabilia from the Great War.
Over one hundred and fifty soldiers died on the grounds of Spanish Influenza in 1918 when the museum was Camp Lewis. A young singer and starlet, Linnie Love, also lost her life to this deadly virus while entertaining America’s bravest. Could their restless souls be the reason many believe the museum is haunted?
Tales of ghost soldiers following unsuspecting visitors have been reported since the museum opened in 1972. Whoever this phantom Joe is, they are not shy. The dead do not hold the same reservations as the living. As such, many have come face-to-face with the museum’s most active spirit.
Join Seattle Terrors as we investigate the haunted history of the Lewis Army Museum and what makes it one of the most haunted places in Washington.
Who Haunts The Lewis Army Museum?
The Lewis Army Museum is haunted by the military ghosts of those who once served in the former Camp Lewis. One of the most haunted military bases in America, Fort Lewis is home to various spirits. Among the many Washington State Hauntings, the activity at Lewis Army Museum is more intrusive than others. Phantom soldiers have been known to follow visitors, and a silent and troubled cowboy terrorizes those on the second floor. The building continues to be plagued by these spirits despite an exorcism.
Camp Lewis and Greene Park
Camp Lewis was one of sixteen national Army training camps constructed in May 1917 for drafted soldiers. America declared war on Germany on April 6th, 1917, and a mobilization effort of the nation’s young men was in motion. Camp Lewis, named after Meriweather Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition, was the shining jewel of the project. In January, seventy thousand acres of land at American Lake were purchased for $2 million.
By September, 7 million dollars had been spent, and over 2000 structures had been constructed. Soldiers reported to Camp Lewis in September. Among the first to report were Washington’s finest from King County. Green Park, a series of theatres, pool halls, and restaurants, was constructed across the highway in November to entertain the soldiers.
A cemetery was built the month prior in stark contrast to the lively entertainment zone. Unfortunately, it would soon be used more than the camp was prepared for.
The first units of the American Expeditionary Force landed in France in January 1918. They were among the first to make landfall in the Great War. More troops were sent out of Camp Lewis as the months went along, but in November 1918, the war ended.
The end of the war signaled the end of life for many soldiers at Camp Lewis. Spanish Influenza was shaking up the world as the war ended. 157 deaths were incurred due to the virus at Camp Lewis. One of these deaths included a civilian singer named Linnie Love. She was merely trying to do her duty as an entertainer when she lost her life in the camp hospital.
A quick and fun tidbit about Camp Lewis: it once was home to the world’s tallest flag pole. But the 314-foot pole broke as soon as the flag was raised.
The Haunted Lewis Army Museum
Camp Lewis is still active today. More than 40,000 enlisted men and women call Joint Base Lewis-McChord Home. Armed forces from Camp Lewis have served in every major American war. But for the many deployed soldiers who lost their lives overseas or those who succumbed to disease before ever serving their country, Camp Lewis has become a permanent home. Their restless souls have been mostly witnessed at the Lewis Army Museum.
In 1919, The Salvation Army built the Red Shield Inn in Greene Park to accommodate families visiting their loved ones at camp. They sold it to the Army in 1921 for one dollar. It later became the Camp Lewis Apartments. Then, when Camp Lewis became a Fort in 1927, it was renamed the Fort Lewis Inn. This buiding became the Lewis Army Museum in 1973.
Today, visitors can see artifacts and items from across Fort Lewis's history. But many quickly find out that the museum has more than just memorabilia to remind us of these tenuous times.
The Ghost Cowboy The Lewis Army Museum
One of the most famous ghosts of the Lewis Army Museum may no longer be there, but his reputation continues today. It all started when the hotel was used to house extras and film crew for the production of the 1927 film “The Patent Leather Kid.”
Local legends state that a crewmember was murdered on the second floor. Maids soon started seeing an apparition of a man dressed as a cowboy in a white hat and a brown jacket throughout the second floor. The ghost appeared angry and was not shy about making his feelings known to those around him.
Fire alarms would malfunction, and cold chills would mysteriously fill the air. This entity would also make strange and violent noises at night. These disturbances continued and grew in aggression until 1987, when three priests were called to exorcise the man’s tormented soul.
According to legend, the man appeared before the three priests before stating how he was upset about causing his own death. He was freed from eternal bondage and disappeared between the walls. Or did he?
But to this day, there are still electrical malfunctions on the second floor. While there is no record of a murder at the Hotel during this time, there are reports of a soldier murdering another soldier in a nearby cabin.
According to the Seattle Star, Private James Oliver murdered Private George Colson in a hunting cabin. Colson had seven bullet holes in him when the third member of their party found him. Oliver had clubbed him to death before finishing the job with his rifle. The result of a drunken fight between “friends.”
Both of them and a third soldier, were stationed at Fort Lewis. Could Private George Colson be the mysterious cowboy ghost haunting the Lewis Army Museum?
Ghost Soldiers of The Lewis Army Museum
Others haunt the grounds of the former Camp Lewis Apartments. Many soldiers stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord have reported feeling followed late at night. Some have even seen the apparition of a phantom soldier right behind them. This spirit tends to follow the living around the fort until it is discovered.
One soldier had a series of eerie encounters at 2:00 AM. First, he saw another soldier walk before him and immediately disappear. Later on that night, he heard people arguing in an empty room.
It appears that the exorcism performed all those years ago was not enough to remove the spiritual energy from the Lewis Army Museum.
Haunted Seattle
Seattle is a hotbed for ghastly activities like those at the Lewis Army Museum. The chilly atmosphere of the Pacific Northwest has created some of Washington state’s most haunted places.
The next time you are in the Emerald City, join Seattle Terrors for a Seattle ghost tour! From the old Suquamish Burial Grounds to the Northwest’s first elevator for corpses, join us to experience why- and how- the dead persist in haunting our beloved Cloud City.
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Sources:
https://www.fortlewismuseum.com/pages/museum-information
https://www.historylink.org/File/8659
https://www.army.mil/article/68173/jblm_museums_tale_no_ghost_story
https://www.reddit.com/r/Veterans/comments/16pnzql/military_basesbuildings_ghost_stories/
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