A young ghost by the name Billy is one of many resident ghost at the haunted Copper Queen Hotel. The most popular story says that Billy is a young boy who died in the early 20th century at the nearby San Pedro River. it is said that his parents (or relatives) were once long-time employees of the the hotel, and that Billy had came back to for them. Another version of the legend suggest that Billy, then 8 years old, drown in one of the room’s bath tub. To cover up their wrongdoing, the Billy’s parent allegedly made up a lie that he had drown at the nearby river.
It is now said that a mischievous spirit now hangs around the rooms on the third floor, playing pranks on unsuspecting guests. Many have reported items being hidden and the TV channel being switched abruptly. The giggling of a young boy can also be heard along the hallway on the first floor. Some guests have also reported hearing a muffled, crying sound when running water in the bath tub.
A room was aptly named BIlly’s Room in recognition of his ‘haunting’ contributions to Copper Queen Hotel.
History of Haunted Copper Queen Hotel
Located in the city of Bisbee, Arizona, the historic Copper Queen Hotel has been in operation since 1902. Commissioned by local mining firm Phelps Doge Corporation, Copper Queen was built to serve as a luxury hotel for regional travelers and dignitaries making a pit stop at Bisbee and visiting the nearby copper mines.
With its Edwardian-era decor, Tiffany chandeliers and 72 elegant, Victorian-styled guest rooms, Copper Queen has attracted a host of luminaries to visit the famed hotel in Bisbee. These include U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, legendary escape artist Harry Houdini, as well as American actors Marlon Brando and John Wayne. Many of the rooms—John Wayne Room 211, Harry Houdini Room 312, Teddy Roosevelt Room 406, and Lillie Langtry Room 409—have also been named in honor of their visit to the hotel.
Today, the hotel houses 48 rooms, each with their own bathroom. That said, Copper Queen Hotel continues to hold the claim for being the longest continuously operating hotel in the state of Arizona.
However, over its 120 years of operation, the dainty hotel has gained a notorious reputation for being one of the most haunted hotel in the state.
Hauntings at the Hotel
Any who have worked and stayed at Copper Queen Hotel would have had seen or experienced a paranormal activity at the hotel. A log book detailing all the paranormal encounters that guests had in the hotel can be found at the front desk. In fact, the ghostly experiences were so compelling that they were compiled into a book titled The Ghosts of the Copper Queen Hotel. Renown ghost hunters Zak Bagans, Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin have also featured Copper Queen Hotel on season six, episode three of Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures.
Some of the common encounters with the supernatural include knocks on the doors, unexplainable sounds in empty guest rooms and cold spots. Guests who have stayed at the hotel have also complained that their personal belongings would get shifted or had mysteriously disappeared in the middle of the night. Other The sighting of the apparition of a middle-aged man with a long hair and black beard was also reported by several guests on the fourth floor. The appearance of him is often accompanied by the faint aroma of a burning cigar.
However, the resident ghost of Julia Lowell is undoubtedly the most sighted apparition in the hotel.
Julia Lowell and Room 315
Julia Lowell and her tragic past are one of the most talked about topic at Copper Queen Hotel. The story goes that Lowell, a prostitute who used Copper Queen Hotel for her “business dealings” at room 315. Legend says that Lowell fell in love with one of her clients. One night, Lowell professed her love to him but was promptly rejected because of her profession. Heartbroken by the rejection, Lowell is said to have hung herself at room 315.
While there were no official records about Julia Lowell or her suicide at room 315, many who have seen her manifestation were adamant that her story is real.
Staffs and guests of Copper Queen Hotel claimed to have seen the forlorn apparition of Julia Lowell roaming the hallways on the second and third floors of the building. Former chambermaids have also reported hearing a soft female voice whispering “Don’t trust men” while cleaning the vacant guest rooms.
