The history of Eureka Springs, Arkansas and The Crescent Hotel go hand-in-hand as one would not be famous without the other. It’s all in the water! Over 60 springs in and around the downtown area attracted tourist in the late 19th century from all over that believed in the healing powers of Eureka’s springs. It wasn’t long before businessmen realized the opportunity to build a luxury hotel overlooking the “healing” water-rich valley below and construction of The Crescent Hotel began in 1884.
What do the waters in Eureka Springs supposedly heal?
Who first owned The Crescent Hotel?
Powell Clayton, a wealthy conglomerate, would be the first to put the wheels in motion on the construction of this infamous and once luxurious hotel that would sit on a mountaintop from which it was named after: “The Crescent.” During construction, a young worker named Michael fell to his death on a beam in what is now room 218 and said to be the most haunted room in the hotel. Curse or destiny perhaps, but Michael would be the first of many spirits said to have met their demise at the hotel and said to roam about making his presence known.
Crescent College for Women
Being in the mountains had its disadvantages as the tourist visits declined during off-seasons. They decide to open Crescent College for Women during the slow operation time in the winter season, but soon both would close in 1934 due to the great depression and hard financial times and remain abandoned for four years.
Norman Baker: the face of evil
I’ll never understand what possesses a man that is very intelligent, cunning and inventive to think up something so sinister to con innocent people out of their life savings and into certain death, but pure evil and greed (and a very lost soul) had to have been a few factors. Norman Baker swooped in and purchased the former hotel at a steal ($40,000 or about $748,000 in today’s money) in 1937 and turned it into the Baker Cancer Hospital with claims that people could be cured of their cancer without surgery, but with a special concoction of injections that “would eat the cancer without harming the surrounding tissue.”
Another very disturbing fact that was told to us on the ghost tour was that Norman Baker actually paid healthy actors to check into the hospital and pretend to be sick and then miraculously get healed to heighten morale and amongst the other patients so that they believed in the healing process. (Just another sinister plan to further his greed!) Karma came around a few years later and Baker was investigated and in 1940 was arrested on mail fraud. With also having past arrest warrants, including practicing medicine without a license, Baker was found guilty and served a four-year sentence at the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary. It was determined that Baker defrauded cancer sufferers out of approximately $4,000,000. During Baker’s time running the Baker Hospital at least 44 people were on record to die under his care and over 100 people testified that their loved ones passed shortly after leaving.
The Crescent also offers penthouse’s, the Governer’s suite (my mother-in-law stayed in this room years ago and said it was very nice and nothing spooky happened) parlor suites, balcony rooms, standard rooms and double rooms…and if you don’t want to stay in the hotel at all, you can stay in the nearby cottages.
There are lots of other restaurant options to choose from in downtown Eureka Springs such as Mexican, steakhouses, burger joints and more. A special recommendation from a family member is The Spring on Main which offers brunch, charcuterie boards, sandwiches, salads, small plates and lots of signature cocktails and beer. It has a casual and relaxed atmosphere.
Let me begin by divulging that I’ve always had a fascination with the paranormal and scary ghost tales from a young age. I would buy every book I could on ghost stories, especially the local ones from my home state of North Carolina and read them over and over again.
Do I believe in ghosts and spirits? First, let me tell you that I am a Christian and believe in God and that there is a heaven and a hell. I also believe there are unexplained phenomena and experiences that lead me to believe that possibly before the second coming of Christ and judgement day that unsaved souls are trapped in the spirit world (whether knowingly or unknowingly) Also, there might be a more scientific explanation of underlying limestone that holds energy and replays events as what is known as “the stone tapes” or residual hauntings. It is a known fact that the hilltop that the hotel sits on is predominately limestone as well as the massive 18-inch-thick stones used for the body of the hotel.
This is nearly my opinion and take it as a grain of salt if you will, but I thought some of you might wonder why I wanted to stay in a “supposedly” haunted hotel…and for me it’s the thrill and excitement of something I’m fascinated with and loving that hair-raising feeling.
There are many more ghost stories and hauntings that I did not mention. I highly recommend taking the professional ghost tour if anything, to learn more about the history of this notorious hotel and other ghost stories.