I did absolutely no background research before staying overnight at The Historic Occidental Hotel. The 1880 hotel boasts distinguished and infamous guests such as: Buffalo Bill Cody, Teddy Roosevelt, and Calamity Jane. Is it haunted? I was drawn to two areas: the back staircase and the library. I later learned that the apparition of Teddy Roosevelt has been spotted in the library, and that the back staircase is another area notorious for ghost sightings.
A Tale from “Echoes of the Past:”
In the heart of downtown Buffalo, Wyoming, there stood a historic hotel with a secret. The locals whispered about its haunted halls and the cursed library that resided within. No one dared to venture into that part of the hotel after sundown, for fear of encountering the spirits that were said to roam freely among the books.
One chilly evening, a young traveler named Emily arrived in town, seeking refuge from the relentless winter winds. She was drawn to the old hotel by its rustic charm and the promise of a warm bed for the night. Unfazed by the ominous tales whispered by the townsfolk, Emily checked into a room on the second floor of The Historic Occidental Hotel, just down the hall from the infamous library.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows through the hotel’s creaking corridors, Emily’s curiosity got the better of her. Armed with nothing but a lantern and her courage, she slowly made her way down the hall to the haunted library. The air grew colder with each step, and the wood floors groaned under her feet.
Pushing open the heavy oak door, Emily found herself in a room straight out of another era. Dusty tomes lined the shelves, their leather bindings cracked with age. The air was thick with the scent of paper and something more elusive—a hint of lavender and pipe tobacco, as if the ghosts of long-gone readers still lingered among the stacks.
Emily wandered the shelves, running her fingers over the spines of the books. She paused at a particularly weathered volume bound in faded black leather. As she reached out to touch it, a chill ran down her spine, and she heard a whisper—a soft voice, barely audible, calling her name.
Startled, Emily spun around, but the library was empty save for her. She shook off the sensation and continued exploring, drawn deeper into the archives and forgotten stories. Every so often, she thought she caught glimpses of movement out of the corner of her eye—a fleeting shadow, a flicker of movement among the books.
Just as Emily was about to leave, she stumbled upon a desk tucked away in a secluded corner of the library. On it lay an open book, its pages yellowed with age. The title was “Echoes of the Past”. Intrigued, Emily began to read, losing herself in tales of love and loss, of triumph and tragedy, all set against the backdrop of the Old West.
As she turned the final page, a soft light began to glow from within the book. The room seemed to shimmer, and suddenly, Emily found herself surrounded by the characters from the stories she had just read—ghostly figures in old-fashioned attire, smiling and nodding as if they had been expecting her.
They spoke to her in hushed tones, recounting their tales and sharing their wisdom. Emily listened intently, captivated by their stories of life in the Old West, of hardships endured and dreams pursued. She lost track of time as the night wore on, the spirits fading back into the pages of the book as the first light of dawn crept through the library windows.
As Emily emerged from the library, her heart was filled with wonder and awe. She knew that she had experienced something extraordinary—a glimpse into the past, brought to life by the magic that lingered within the haunted library of The Historic Occidental Hotel.
Jamie Davis Writes 