Michigan’s First State Prison (Jackson, MI)
Some of Jackson's most-troubled early residents stayed on Mechanic Street in the state's first prison.
Citizen Patriot storyteller says some original inhabitants still creep around the old Jackson prison at 634 Mechanic St.
It's now home to Art 634 and Armory Arts Village, but some of those original inhabitants still call the place home, says Judy Gail Krasnow, a storyteller who lives there and gives tours.
The tunnels and bare cells in solitary confinement below are the "hottest" for paranormal activity. People hear voices, screams and calls for help and music from an old prison band.
One of the spirits there is likely Hannibal the Bear, a tall, heavy, hairy man with a bad temper and a growling voice, who was incarcerated in 1878 and spent the equivalent of four of his eight years in prison in solitary, Krasnow says.
Another is probably John Norris, a cruel and sadistic warden who was employed there from 1870-75. He ox-whipped prisoners long after it was outlawed and tied them to a cross with wet raw leather straps that tightened as they dried.
Norris was eventually turned in, tried and convicted of cruel and unusual punishment. He was told to leave Jackson and never return, but Krasnow is sure he's back now.
"These walls are still talking," she says. "The feelings are so strong that some of the people who go down there have actually started weeping."
Sleepy Hollow is a State Park, so either a Michigan DNR Recreation Passport or a small fee is required to enter the park in a motor vehicle.
Please also be aware that hunting is allowed in this park certain times of the year, so please be careful and dress appropriately when hunting is allowed.