Spooky stories? Look no further than Lansing's own Mt. Hope Cemetery

Inside the white arch and wrought iron fence near the corner of Aurelius Road and Mt. Hope Avenue lies Lansing’s Mt. Hope Cemetery. A peaceful area with walkable paths and tons of history, this 82-acre site is home to some of the most famous gravesites in Lansing — and maybe some of the spookiest stories, too.

Loretta Stanaway, the president of Friends of Lansing's Historic Cemeteries, recently hosted a State Journal reporter on a tour of the sprawling cemetery. Along the way, she pointed out a famous mausoleum, graves where hauntings are said to have suddenly stopped, gifts left and more.

Olds mausoleum grave robbers

Just inside the cemetery's gate is the Olds family mausoleum. Ransom Eli Olds is one of Lansing’s most famous historical figures, known for his role in the beginnings of the automobile industry. His resting place was the scene of a grave robbery in December of 1991. Some remains and valuables were taken from the mausoleum, but were eventually recovered. The remains of R.E. Olds were untouched. The robbers claimed they didn't know whose grave they were disturbing.

More on the robbery:Two Charged In Stealing Remains From Oldsmobile Founder’s Mausoleum

While the motive of the robbers remains unknown, it seems certain the mausoleum will not be disturbed so easily again. Since the incident, multiple reports tell of the ghost of R.E. Olds standing guard in front of his family’s gravesites, according to Stanaway.

61 unmarked graves

Further into the cemetery is a small plot of land where 61 boys from the Michigan Boys Training School were laid to rest. Created as a "house of correction for juvenile offenders," the school housed troubled youths and orphans in the area. The 61 boys buried at the Mt. Hope Cemetery all died between 1860 and 1933, but their graves remained unmarked for decades.

More history:Lansing's reform school for boys

This site was supposedly the most haunted in the cemetery, but Stanaway says the reported paranormal activity around these graves seems to have ceased following a 2019 fundraiser that allowed for the purchase of 61 grave markers. According to her, this is not an uncommon occurrence when dealing with the supernatural. Stanaway said ghosts are often just looking to be acknowledged, “to show they existed, lived, died and were buried here.”

Area residents will sometimes use the quiet cemetery as a space for reflection. Others come to show respect for those buried there, and just to spend a peaceful moment at the graves.

“We all have a common need to be acknowledged,” Stanaway said. “Acknowledging others lends substance to us.”

Toy cars on childrens' graves

In 1927 a disgruntled school board member placed explosives in the Bath Consolidated School; 38 children lost their lives and the community was forever scarred. Four victims of the Bath School disaster are buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery. The tragedy is, to this day, the deadliest attack on a school and is known as the first school mass murder in America.

See more:From the Archives Bath School Disaster

Every so often, someone drops by to leave toy cars on each of their headstones. Stanaway has spoken with the individual but declined to reveal their identity. She said the individual leaves the cars for the children because they were so young when they were killed they, “never got the chance to play.”

In 2017, the attack was remembered by community members on its 90th anniversary.

Kerns Hotel fire claims 34

Further west are several graves of those killed in the Kerns Hotel fire in 1934. The downtown Lansing hotel was a popular place to stay for state legislators and wealthy visitors to the area. It is believed one misplaced cigarette ignited the building and, due to a lack of safety precautions at the time, took the lives of 34 individuals. Five of those killed were unable to be identified and are now buried together at Mt. Hope Cemetery. The gravesite is also presumed to be haunted, according to Stanaway.

The cemetery also holds the remains of several Lansing firefighters who died in the line of duty. These graves are indicated by the presence of Alarm Box 23, which was used to call in the Kerns Hotel fire to the fire department in 1934. This box is the inspiration for Lansing's Box 23 Club, a group featuring 23 members who support the Lansing Fire Department and provide aid at fires when necessary. More information about the Box 23 Club can be found on the City of Lansing's website.

Keeping up the spookiness

The Friends of Lansing's Historic Cemeteries is a nonprofit created to, “protect, promote and prosper Lansing’s three city-owned cemeteries.” The group encourages those who are interested in the paranormal, Lansing’s history or both to come visit. Members host an annual tour of the Mt. Hope Cemetery, which was held in September this year, work to restore graves and create educational materials about those who are buried there.

“It’s fun for us too,” Stanaway said of the group’s work with the cemetery. “We find out a lot through our restorations.”

For more information on the group and events at the cemeteries, visit their Facebook page or FOLHC.wildapricot.org.

Jack Moreland is a news assistant at the Lansing State Journal. Contact him at jmoreland@lsj.com or 517.267.0479. Follow him on Twitter @JackMoreland02.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Spooky stories? Look no further than Lansing's own Mt. Hope Cemetery