Haunts at the Dude Rancher Lodge
It was 1950 when a trailblazing couple named Annabel and Percival Goan constructed this Hollywood-western-style motel in Billings, Montana. The Dude Rancher Lodge quickly earned itself a reputation as one of the most unique stays in the city.
The Lodge is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it’s one of the most charming motels this side of the Mississippi — however, some of the Lodge’s guests seem to have never checked out — the Dude Rancher Lodge is rumored to be haunted, and the stories behind the rumors are pretty compelling.
Why is the Dude Rancher Lodge haunted?
While there are several entities that haunt the Lodge, the most prominent is that of former owner Annabel. Read on to find out why she may never leave and who joins her in the afterlife. Want to learn more about America’s most haunted locations? Check out our location page to find a ghost tour near you!
History of the Dude Rancher Lodge
Named Billings’ most unique motel, the Dude Rancher Lodge was built with a Hollywood-western theme and countless custom features, most of which are original to the building and still exist today.
The motel was constructed under the supervision of Percival and Annabel Goan, who hired the Cushing and Terrell Architects and the Riedesel Construction Company to build the property. Everett Terell was the building designer, working from the Goans’ conceptualization. They broke the newly warm ground in April 1950 and opened for business in December of that same year.
The building is a two-story ‘Motor Inn’ with a central courtyard-style parking lot. The bricks used on the exterior of the building were salvaged from several recently demolished Billings structures, including the former Washington Public School and the old St. Vincent’s Hospital.
To keep with the rustic nature of a dude ranch, the motel’s mason was even asked to apply mortar in a rough and rustic fashion called ‘weeping’ mortar. Annabel designed the interior with help from her daughter. The walls are paneled with knotty pine, and the carpets have cattle brands woven into the design. A rope was used as a handrail on the stairs, and a small lounge in the lobby with exposed fir ceiling joists and a fireplace finished the look.
The Dude Rancher Lodge Corporation was formed in 1949 by the Goans, with Percy as the President and Annabel as the Vice-President of the family corporation. Their three grown children, J. Philip, William, and Nancy were directors and held preferred stock. The corporation also sold 1,500 shares of common stock to help finance the facility. Though local stories say that five area sheep ranchers helped put up the capital for construction, the common stockholders included many members of the local community, including “ranchers, stockmen, retail merchants, wholesalers, bankers, industrialists, insurance agents, doctors, and private investors.”
Percy died in 1962 following a car accident; Annabel became President of the family corporation following his death. She remodeled two rooms at the motel into an apartment for herself and lived at the motel from 1973 until 1982 when she moved into assisted living, where she died in 1983. After Annabel died, the family continued to operate the motel until 1992, when they dissolved the family corporation.
The second and current owner of the Dude Rancher is Virginia Carlsen, who purchased the motel in 1992. Carlsen was originally an engineer and purchased the motel to have her own business. Of the 53 motels and hotels in Billings as of 2008, the Dude Rancher is one of only ten that is still owner-operated.
Prior to his venture as a motel owner, Percival was a successful Billings businessman — he owned a car dealership, a beverage distributorship, and several other successful businesses. When plans were announced for the building, considerable press attention was paid to the Goan’s ideas for a unique and innovative motel. The use of hot water, heat, and air conditioning in every room was considered ‘novel’ in several respects.
Ghosts of the Dude Rancher Lodge
The motel is allegedly haunted by the ghost of Annabel Goan. She is said to watch over the facility and help out around it. Andrea Williams, an employee of the motel, states that Annabel is one of the most prominent entities of the motel—although she isn’t the only one.
Employees report seeing dark shapes flying along a basement maintenance corridor. Williams said she also began to see the ghost of a man in a blue shirt in 2013. The man usually would walk down a hall toward the kitchen and disappear. Speculation is that the ghost is “Bob,” a former cook at the restaurant who had a penchant for making himself late-night snacks.
Staff and guests have reported lights and televisions turning on and off for no apparent reason, knocking on doors with no one present, and sounds and voices with no one present. Ghost investigators say that reports of hearing children running down the halls could be attributed to “residual energy” from the recycled brick used in constructing the building, which came from the elementary school.
The Dude Rancher’s website states that room 226 is said to be a particularly active area for strange phenomena. It was Annabel’s favorite room and still contains all the original furniture. Annabel’s grandson also lived in that room when he took over the operation of the motel after her death. Two neighboring rooms have also had reports of activity. The Dude Rancher’s ghosts are described as ‘benign entities… who love their former business, home, and place of work.’
Haunted Montana
Montana is filled with locations brimming with spirits of its colorful past. Keep reading our blog to uncover more haunted locations in America. And keep checking our location page to be the first to book a local ghost tour in Montana opening soon!
Sources:
