Thirty years later, the timber industry had moved on and the area didn’t offer much in the way of supporting a prosperous town. In the early 1900’s, only a handful of people were left living in Pere Cheney. It was declared a ghost town by 1918. The only remnants left of this place are some old holes in the ground where buildings once stood and the tiny cemetery.
The current cemetery has a few scattered tombstones still standing, but most are in pieces. There were 90 people buried there. One body was moved to Chicago by family in 1945.
CREEPY LEGENDS ABOUT PERE CHENEY
Pere Cheney is a remote, spooky place and is the only remaining piece left of the town. One of the most popular legends told about the old cemetery tells of the “witch” who lived in the town and was hung from a big oak tree in the cemetery. She was then buried under the tree. Some stories say the woman of this legend wasn’t really a “witch” in the way ghostly legends like to portray — casting spells and dropping curses all day — but that she was a woman who had a child out of wedlock, something akin to being a witch back in the day. Because of how she was treated, she cursed the town.
Some legends say the town was cursed from the very beginning because it was built on sacred Native American land. Scarlet fever, smallpox, and diphtheria took the lives of many people, including children, during the few decades Pere Cheney was in existence. This sad, historical fact has given fuel to the stories and the legend of the “curse” that has grown around Pere Cheney. Searching old online message forums years ago, I found one person who confidently and matter-of-factly stated, “There are no witches buried at Pere Cheney. The townspeople would not have buried her in the town graveyard.”
Well, I guess that mystery is solved. No witches guys! Because that’s just not where they are buried.
IS PERE CHENEY REALLY HAUNTED?
Throughout the years, Pere Cheney has been a hotspot for paranormal enthusiasts in Michigan. There are plenty of stories on the Internet about people experiencing cold spots, apparitions, disembodied voices and even reports of ghost trains spotted in the area. So is Pere Cheney really haunted? The ghost town cemetery is the perfect breeding ground for legends, so most of the stories circulating are nothing more than urban legend and overactive imaginations. But many claim to have had genuine paranormal experiences while investigating. Many years ago, a former Grayling resident wrote me and had this to say:
“Is Pere Cheney Cemetery really haunted? I believe that it is but not to the extent others make it out to be. I have probably been there at least 200 times over the years and maybe ten of those times I have had something strange happen to me and others that were with me. I have had my car radio switch channels for no reason. My new car wouldn’t start once. A few times we heard children giggling very close to the car late at night.
One particular time there were small handprints all over the roof of my car after we left the cemetery and on Halloween in 2002, myself and three others saw an apparition of a woman in a light colored dress walk through the rear of the cemetery, then suddenly disappear.
I’ve never been chased. I’ve never seen a witch. I’ve never felt like someone was trying to lynch me (also one of the many Pere Cheney stories told that involves the large oak tree in the center of the cemetery). The temperature has fluctuated from time to time but it wasn’t anything worth writing home about. I do not feel an overwhelming sadness there but I do feel a peculiar energy I cannot fully explain. However, I feel this when I walk into any cemetery.”
The cemetery also attracts its fair share of weirdos and people not right in the head. According to the Crawford County Avalanche, the newspaper reported, “In 2001, a pair of Roscommon County teens were charged with disinterment/mutilation of a gravesite, claiming they were trying to find jewelry. They ultimately admitted that they were told there was a witch buried in the cemetery and they were trying to dig her up.” The two 18-year-olds got about four feet down but never actually dug up the body. They were caught by turkey hunters in the area and given 90 days in jail and community service.
As of 2015, Beaver Creek Township, who maintains the cemetery, has plans to restore the old place and is currently seeking ways to acquire the funds to cover the preservation costs.
WARNING! – Pere Cheney is in a very remote and wooded location. It’s down a dirt two-track that is not made for small vehicles and people have reported getting stuck. Please be smart if you should make a trip there. Years ago there was an actual gunman shooting at people who were venturing onto the land at night. Don’t be an idiot and get yourself shot by some weird-ass hill person. Go during the day. Visiting hours are from 9 am to sundown.
Do you have a story to share about Pere Cheney? Write or comment below.
I dont believe in ghost or spirits but when I was 17, so back in early 2014, a couple friends and their dads decided to take us to perecheny. As we are driving down the two track to get to the graveyard the headlights in the vehicle literally were flickering so bad we had to slow down to an almost crawl and make our way to the graveyard. After we made it there it was about 12 A.M. and legend is 12 A.M. to 3 A.M. are witching hours. As me and my buddy were walking through the graveyard we noticed a white orb (initially we thought it was a reflector on a tree) so we started walking towards the orb (reflector) but as we got closer to the tree line the orb was just as far as it was when we started walking towards it. We were pretty creeped out so we left. The headlights in the vehicle we were in never had a problem after that. But it was freaky.
I have went to the cemetery many of times since I was a teen. I 100% believe there is spirits out there. And I have seen the witch in her tree. But she is not buried there, she is way out in the woods. I have been out there alone, in a group, and with a paranormal team. Everytime we have gotten evidence of something. And the guy that was shooting, lives out there and protects the grounds. He was shooting at my friend’s who were completely intoxicated and being disrespectful. So, if you’re not being an idoit he won’t bother you. Itsmy favorite place to go.
The place has a vibe to it. Our cam n cellular went out. Swear there was a white figure along side the truck when we were driving off. And I didn’t believe in shit. This place is different. Will be going back soon.
I have gone to the cemetery many times…..I lived in the small town of Roscommon, Michigan when I went there. My family came with me and we took pictures of my stepbrother in the woods. Later that night when we went home we looked at the pictures and my stepbrother had weird faces around him and we couldn’t figure out why so my stepmom posted them on Facebook and a week later they got deleted from her page without her deleting them. Nobody knows her password but the pictures disappeared and we still have no idea why. My whole family has forgotten about everything that happened except for me. I remember it clearly like it happened just yesterday. While we were taking photos of my stepbrother in the woods he felt as though somebody was jamming a knife in his stomach and he threw up many times while we were there.
That’s crazy, I have been there many times as a teen. I remember one night we large group of us walked the e tire trail from the main road to the cemetery on foot at like 3 am. We saw dim lights On the trails and heard children laughing and crying near the far right back corner of the cemetery. It is a weird feeling being out there. But during the day it’s totally fine.
I live on Pere Cheney Rd very close to the old town and cemetery. First of all, I’m an atheist, so I don’t believe in God’s, demons, ghosts or anything supernatural. When people say they have seen a ghost, the first thing I ask is “how was it dressed to know it was not a regular person walking around “? Usually they say something like a civil war soldier or lady from the 1800’s and the like. I don’t believe in a spirit that can arise from a dead body. But…if one could, how can anyone explain clothing? Clothing has no spirit.
Yes this is true if their was a so called witch she wouldn’t be buried in a cemetery. Just like the bathsheba Sherman story claims of her being a witch and a devil worshipper and sacrificed her baby for the devil. She had a Obituary, and she is buried with her husband. But it is possible that the land could be cursed because it was Native Land. That I do believe.
As teenagers, we used to ride our bikes to Pere-Cheney, hide in the woods, wait for people to show up, and scare them away.
This was in the late 80s/early 90s. It’s funny to read stories online about visitors hearing children laughing, seeing lights in the woods, finding handprints on their cars (we actually started people’s cars on several occasions). I wonder how many of these stories were because of me and my friends having some fun with the high schoolers and drunks that showed up every night on the weekends?
Watching people react thinking we were ghosts, or spirits, or whatever was a laugh riot.
Thanks for the memories!
PS: I never saw a witch’s grave. Pretty sure that’s a myth. And as many times as I’ve been to the cemetery, never saw anything supernatural.
Thanks for sharing your experience from Pere Cheney!
People have said there is a witches Hut in those woods, through the thickets! Never seen anything out there 🤔🤔
As matter of fact I think the woman & baby on the gravestone is on Frank Dompiers stone (the one you have in pic above)…I would share these pics but did not see a way to on here 🙂
I have pics from Pere Cheney at night that show crazy things…It def has some spiritual activity there…The one pic I have was taken (by an unknown spirit) while the camera was turned off in my sisters pocket…The reflection in her explorer window of her friend who was behind her is not the same as her friend…The reflection is wearing a military style beret with the number 59 on it…which at one time was a number 8 in our pic but it changed! Brian was wearing a plain camo baseball hat…but as I said the cam was off & in her pocket when the pic got taken…they had just arrived & got out of the vehicle…there are orbs all over the pic…the other pic is of a gravestone that has a lit up woman’s face & a babies face below the woman’s…it was taken at night…cool but very strange place ♡