Did You Hear Something Go Bump In The Night?

Montana is full of rich history, the stuff that movies are made of. That rich history includes cowboys and Indians, vast cattle and horse ranches and citizens flooding to try and tame the wild land that could be claimed.

That broad history also includes violence and holds the economic booms that brought money and often crime to the area. One of those time periods brought nearly 10,000 workers to Fort Peck. While it was a needed economic boom in a time where being homeless and jobless was fairly common, it also attracted a certain breed of men to the area.

The creeks and groans in the stairways and hallways of the Fort Peck Hotel has several leaving with thoughts that there could possibly be something more than just antiques left behind after the era came to a close. The hotel was featured in "Haunted Montana," a book that covers various places around the state, where stories of possible frights can be found. The book notes that the hotel was built in 1933, while the brochure found at the hotel says it was built in 1936.

One thing that is certain, the authorization of the dam was signed in 1933, with the majority of workers flooding the area around 1936. The hotel was set up to be a temporary structure to house the supervisors and management of the dam. Completion of the project wasn't finished until 1943. The hotel was originally in a U-shape, with two wings on the ends. Those wings were removed when the project came to a close.

Current owners Linda and Carl Mann said that one of the wings was taken to Glasgow and is now used as a residence. The top floor, which is not rented out to customers, is an area where folks say the creaks and groans of someone walking can be heard. The old radiators are still attached to the walls, and evidence of old furniture from the 30s can be found. Whether the workers of the past are still wondering an area that is said to house "hot cots" is a mystery that may never be solved.

Linda Mann is slightly skeptic as she said she's worked in the hotel for nearly 30 years, and has been an owner for the last six years. She explained that guests have left completely convinced that something still resides in the hotel from the past. From beds shaking to the sounds of someone walking up and down the stairs at night.

The hotel still holds several items from its past, including much of the dining room and fixtures still in place from the day the hotel was built. Linda Mann said that staff has said that items in the kitchen have been known to move on their own. She even said that as a skeptic she has at a few quiet moments alone felt like she wasn't really alone.

The Courier was unable to get staff or other witnesses to ghostly occurrences to discuss their experiences, but the interviews from the book explain that one woman had a door slam on her hand and sounds of the shutters and doors banging have been heard.

Currently the hotel is booked solid as hunting season has begun and their outfitter business is in full swing. Summers are busy as actors and other travelers come to stay and enjoy the theater, the lake and all that the area has to offer. The hotel is open seven months out of the year, with its season coming to a close by the end of November.

Linda Mann explained that curious people have frequented the hotel in hopes of find evidence of the beyond. She explained that some leave absolutely convinced that something lurks in the shadows and the sounds of bump in the night are real.