Mouth Cemetery
History
No one knows who the first burial was, all records from 1848 to 1859 are missing, possibly even destroyed. The oldest verifiable grave is Sarah Jane Beatrice, who died on February 28, 1851. While the oldest person to be buried here was Quis-Mo-Squa, whose birth is believed to be in 1787, and died on December 12, 1897, at 110 years old.
In the 1800s, 39 people died from an unknown epidemic after traveling on a ship across Lake Michigan. Many were buried at the Mouth Cemetery, however most gravestone markings have been lost, with the wooden crosses having since rotted.
In 1987, an iron fence was constructed, attempting to keep out vandals, but proved to be ineffective.
Paranormal activity
Mouth Cemetery has had many alleged incidents of paranormal activity over the years. It may even be considered one of the most haunted cemeteries in the state of Michigan.
Karen McDonnell, a staff member of the White River Lighthouse, takes care of the lighthouse to give tours. She has reported that she's heard footsteps inside the lighthouse, possibly belonging to the spirit of William Robinson, the original maintainer of the lighthouse. Karen even asked her friends to take care of the lighthouse. Without informing them about the paranormal sounds, they would still ask whether she's heard a ghost walking upstairs.
References
- ^ Jones, Jennifer. "The Strange Tales of Mouth Cemetery". The Dead History. Archived from the original on 2022-08-15. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
- ^ "Muskegon County". Muskegon County Genealogical Society. 2017-07-22. Archived from the original on 2017-07-22. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
- ^ Robinson, John (2022-09-27). "Mouth Cemetery, Muskegon County: Michigan's Hidden Historical Site". 99.1 WFMK. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
- ^ mellowhummer (2007-04-26). "Still on Duty at White River Light". Absolute Michigan. Archived from the original on 2019-10-19. Retrieved 2023-04-10.