Red Garter Inn

2 • Alaska

The Historic Anchorage Hotel

Anchorage, Alaska https://www.historicanchoragehotel.com/

The best ghost stories are always steeped in history. And what’s better than a ghost who seemingly returns each year on the anniversary of his death? Such is the case with the Historic Anchorage Hotel and the spirit of one Jack Sturgus, who was shot in the back and killed just a few feet from the door of the hotel. At the time, Jack (known as Black Jack to his friends) was in charge of the local police, and most believe his spirit is still looking for his killer.

Considering this hotel first opened its doors in 1916, long before Alaska was even a state (that didn’t happen until 1959), it has certainly survived harder times than the murder of the city’s police chief. In fact, when the hotel was being built, the town of Anchorage was barely more than a tent city that was in service to the local railroad system. But as the town grew, so did the Anchorage Hotel, and a new section was added on in 1936. It would be in 1964, though, when the biggest disaster would strike.

On Friday, March 27 of that year (Good Friday no less), a 9.2 megathrust earthquake struck. Lasting more than four and a half minutes, it is still the most powerful earthquake recorded in North American history. Massive fissures opened in Alaska, including in Anchorage, swallowing up buildings and collapsing structures across the state. It’s estimated that approximately one hundred thirty people died during the quake, and most of the downtown area was destroyed. But through all of this, the Anchorage Hotel survived.

Over the years, there have been changes to the hotel, though. The name has been shuffled around, the original part of the hotel was torn down, and

for a while the place stood in disrepair. This all changed in 1989 when new ownership took over. A massive renovation was done to the building and decor, and the hotel became, once again, a spot of luxury in the city.

Now, let’s get back to the ghosts of the hotel. In addition to the ghost of Sturgus, there are two more stories worth mentioning here. The first involves the spirit of a young boy who’s been seen in various parts of the hotel and heard playing in the hallways. Some believe this boy is the son of the first owner of the property, Frank Reed, who used to send the child to help carry luggage for customers. Whether he is or not, he is a commonly reported entity in the building.

Another well-told tale at the hotel involves a ghost who appears to be a young bride. The story goes that she was jilted by her lover and was either left at the altar or abandoned soon after the wedding. In despair, she hanged herself in the hotel. She now wanders the halls and rooms on the second floor.

Rooms 215 and 217 are said to be the most active, but she has visited almost all of the second floor at one point or another. Usually she just messes with clothes in the closets, turns faucets on and off, and generally looks for attention by moving things around, but a few have seen her pale apparition passing through a wall or door as she makes her rounds.

As you can tell, a trip to the Historic Anchorage Hotel is an exciting one (especially since it’s in a great location for restaurants, nightlife, and souvenir shopping). Just be sure to check out the logbook at the front desk if you want to read about ghostly encounters that have happened at the hotel. And maybe think about visiting the hotel on February 20, since that’s the date when Black Jack Sturgus was killed—and when he’s said to roam the area, still looking for the person who murdered him.

Personal Story Historic Anchorage Hotel While visiting the Anchorage Hotel with the team from Fuji TV, we had a personal experience with the spirit of the young bride. As is always the case when shooting an episode of Sekai no Nanda Kore: Mystery, we secured one of the most haunted rooms in the hotel for us to place an unaware guest in for the evening. We then put cameras in various parts of the room to capture any paranormal activity that would happen during the night.