Montana is a state with a rich and diverse history, from the Native American tribes that inhabited the land for centuries, to the explorers, miners, cowboys, and outlaws that shaped its frontier. However, not all of the stories that Montana has to tell are pleasant ones. Some of them are downright terrifying, and they have left behind a legacy of hauntings, curses, and mysteries that still linger to this day.
One of the most haunted and creepy places in Montana is the Dumas Brothel, an abandoned building that once housed the oldest operating brothel in the United States. Located in the historic mining town of Butte, the Dumas Brothel was built in 1890 and operated until 1982, serving thousands of customers from all walks of life. The brothel was notorious for its lavish and decadent interior, as well as its dark and violent history.
The Dumas Brothel: A Place of Sin and Suffering
The Dumas Brothel was not a place for the faint of heart. It was a place where men could indulge in their wildest fantasies, but also a place where women were exploited, abused, and sometimes killed. Many of the prostitutes who worked at the Dumas Brothel were immigrants, orphans, or runaway girls who had no other choice but to sell their bodies for survival. They faced harsh conditions, diseases, drugs, and violence from their clients and their pimps. Some of them committed suicide, some of them were murdered, and some of them simply vanished without a trace.
The Dumas Brothel was also a place of corruption and crime. It was involved in various illegal activities, such as gambling, bootlegging, and smuggling. It was also a frequent target of raids, robberies, and fires. The brothel was connected to a network of underground tunnels that allowed the prostitutes and their customers to escape from the law or from rival gangs. The tunnels also served as a hiding place for stolen goods, contraband, and bodies.
The Dumas Brothel: A Place of Ghosts and Paranormal Activity
The Dumas Brothel is now a museum that offers tours and paranormal investigations to the public. However, many people believe that the spirits of the former prostitutes and their clients still haunt the building, and that they are not happy with the intrusion of the living. There have been numerous reports of strange and frightening phenomena at the Dumas Brothel, such as:
- Hearing voices, whispers, screams, moans, and laughter
- Seeing apparitions, shadows, orbs, and mists
- Feeling cold spots, touches, pushes, and scratches
- Smelling perfume, smoke, and blood
- Experiencing nausea, headaches, and dizziness
- Having nightmares, visions, and flashbacks
- Witnessing objects moving, falling, or disappearing
- Capturing EVPs, photos, and videos of paranormal activity
Some of the most haunted areas of the Dumas Brothel are the basement, where the tunnels are located, the third floor, where the most luxurious rooms were, and the Elinore Knott room, where a pregnant prostitute was found dead in 1955.
Conclusion
The Dumas Brothel is a place that reflects the dark and tragic side of Montana’s history. It is a place that witnessed the rise and fall of a booming mining town, and the lives and deaths of countless women who were trapped in a cycle of sin and suffering. It is also a place that is haunted by the restless souls of those who died there, and who still seek to make their presence known to the living. The Dumas Brothel is a place that is known as one of the scariest places in America, and for good reason. It is a place that will chill you to the bone, and make you wonder what secrets and horrors lie beneath its walls.