The Ghost of Grant Street

In May of 1919, the people of Wausau enjoyed a thrilling few days of considerable excitement, surrounding the sighting and subsequent hunt for what was believed to be a genuine "ghost."

The whole thing appears to have started in the evening of Tuesday, April 29th. Accounts of the "lively encounter" were collected the following day by a reporter at the Wausau Daily Record Herald and found print in the issue from Thursday May 1st.

HAVE YOU SEEN WAUSAU'S GHOST
Wausau Nocturnal Visitor Is Mystery to Many Who Have Seen It

"Boy, page Mr. Sherlock Holmes. We 'gotta' have him quick in Wausau. We claim to have the one and only, original ghost and we need expert aid in corralling the visitor."

Following a lively encounter, which proved to be not much of an encounter, after all, two Wausau swains and their young lady friends, beat a hasty retreat from the scene of action Tuesday night. It is rumored that the young ladies did the best they could in the way of speed but their escorts had it on 'em and came in under the wire a good two blocks in the lead.

This all happened on Grant street near Seventh at about eleven o'clock. "We were walking along," said one of the party, "when we noticed a black form moving towards us from the side of a house. It jumped directly in front of us and stopped, unbuttoned a long black cloak which it threw back revealing a white dress or robe and crouched down apparently awaiting our further approach. We left by the side door."

Returning in a little while with renewed courage, the two male members of the party again sighted the enemy, but beat a hasty retreat at the latter's counter attack. The young man interviewed declined to state positively that it was a ghost he saw, but expressed the opinion that if it wasn't, it looked a lot like one.

Many others report a sight of the supposed spiritual visitor which, it is said, confines its operations to Grant and McClellen streets. The stories conflict in some instances, some saying that it takes the form of a man and others declaring it to be a Lady Ghost.

One of the teachers of the high school, who was one of those who got a peep at it describes it as follows:

"We first saw this figure on McClellan street about a quarter of ten. It appeared to be a woman dressed in a long black cape. He or it, or she, whoever it was, was a little ways in front of us. First it would wobble around on the side walk, then dart behind trees and then out into the road. The last we saw of it was down near the St. Paul depot."

Among others who are said to have seen the nocturnal prowler is a local man who describes its costuming as similar to that seen by the teacher and who says that the "ghost" was carrying an umbrella. The umbrella, which was closed, was held by the top and in a position as if prepared to strike something.

Now, no one knows for sure; maybe this "ain't" a ghost at all, but you'll have to admit that the evidence is damaging.

Wausau Daily Record-Herald, 1 May 1919, page 3

Understandably, this article created considerable excitement among the people of Wausau. And that evening many residents went out into the night to catch sight of the apparation for themselves. The Wausau Daily Record-Herald again covered the affair, and told its readers all about the antics of these ghost hunters the following morning.

WAUSAU GHOST STILL ROAMING
Several See the Visitor--More Stick For Hours Without Success

The Wausau ghost is sure elusive. May residents of Wausau from "kids" to graybeards indulged in "watchful waiting" until the wee small hours of this morning in and about the haunts of the visitor and although there were some that claim to have seen it during the evening, in the main, the watchers were disappointed.

One local man, while on his way home last evening, says he cast his optics on the "critter," but that he didn't stop to make any exhaustive examination or inquiry. This was at about eleven o'clock near the St. Paul depot. Several others report a sight of it at about the same time and in the vicinity of the depot.

Those that went to look for the ghost didn't go alone. They arrived early on the scene in crowds numbering all the way from a half dozen to thirty-five or forty. One of the larger aggregations took up a post on McClellan street. The members came prepared. The ladies brought their knitting and the more musical male members were equipped with ukeleles[sic] with which they entertained the ladies as well as the residents of the district for several hours. Although it would seem that such perseverance should be rewarded, the party reports an unsuccessful quest.

Also on the West Side
The west side, not to be outdone, is also reporting a ghost from its limits. Whether or not it is the same ghost that works on the east side has not been determined but it is presumed that it is as there is no reason to suspect that Wausau would be so singularly honored as to have two ghosts at the same time.

The east side ghost, (if it is a separate and exclusive from the west side one,) appears to be quite versatile. Not content with scaring the general public it has "swiped" some butter from the back porch of a McClellan street residence, although what a ghost wants with butter is beyond comprehension.

Chief of Police Thomas Malone states that business in his department is "picking up". Telephone calls at all hours of the night, disturbed the official slumbers. All those that saw the ghost and a lot of those that didn't called the chief, doling out information as to its whereabouts, how it should be captured, etc.

However, after all is said and one, the ghost still roams the streets at will but there is hope that the "ukes" will be left at home when the watchers arrive for their all night vigil tonight.

Wausau Daily Record-Herald, 2 May 1919, page 3

The accounts don't say whether the knitting and ukeleles stayed home or the extent to which the police got involved. But the newspaper did give an update on the ghost of Grant street.  

THAT GHOST--There was another large outpouring of people last night along Grant and neighboring streets and about the Milwaukee park to watch for the "ghost" which has caused general excitement throughout the city. It failed to appear, however and common report has it that the ghost, which is said to be more substantial than a mere apparition, was detained at home by other members of the family. The police have made no announcement, but it is possible that the supposed mystery will be solved within a short time by official action.

Wausau Daily Record-Herald, 3 May 1919, page 2

By the following Monday, the excitement over the ghost had died down--although the newspaper reporter did try to keep his humor in a short follow up.

Darn it all, just when life is beginning to get interesting, something comes along and spoils it. We refer to the unmasking of the Grant street ghost. We were hoping he was a real one, so we could have him in to dinner, and find out the political situation in the great Beyond.

Wausau Daily Record-Herald, 5 May 1919, page 4

So it turned out that Wausau did not end up needing Mr. Sherlock Holmes after all, it was clear that the "ghost" had been caught. Contemporary sources don't say who the prankster was, it seems to be understood that he had been caught and given a talking to by the police and family. And so ended the brief excitement over the Grant Street ghost.

Most folks took the cue that there was no need to take to the streets at night to catch a glimpse of the ghost. But the reporter could not help but make one more brief observation about how the city's children continued to holdout hope that the ghost was still out there.

While many children, feeling confidence in numbers, are reported to have gathered in the vicinity of the ghost walk to see what could be seen Thursday evening, in more remote parts of the city it was amply demonstrated that evening that a good, reliable ghost beats a curfew law when it comes to sending the children home before dark.

Wausau Daily Record-Herald, 6 May 1919, page 4