As you might imagine, all manner of press releases, pitches and other emails land on my desktop. This is one of the most intriguing yet...
"Historic, Haunted Hotel in Wisconsin to Be Auctioned Off on Micoley.com."
According to the release, the Kewaunee Inn, 122 Ellis St., in Kewaunee, is due to be auctioned off on Feb. 28 with many other properties in Green Bay-based Micoley.com's Q1, 2015 auction.
Folks have thought the hotel – which replaced an earlier hotel on the site that was lost to fire – has been haunted since 1966. The current building opened on Valentine's Day 1913 and was called the Hotel Karsten, in honor of its owner William Karsten, Sr.
The new place boasted 52 rooms, a 90-seat dining room and a bar with its own entrance (all mod cons at the Karsten, baby).
When Karsten died in 1940, his son – and namesake – took over and ran the place until his death 24 years later, at which point the hotel closed. New owners took over in 1966 and remodeled the hotel and it is at this point that folks think the haunting began.
"Three spirits are said to haunt what was then the Karsten Inn: Agatha, a housekeeper; William Karsten, Sr., who never has quite left the building behind; and William Karsten, Sr.’s grandson Billy, who at the age of 5 died just three weeks after his grandfather," reads the press release.
"Agatha is known to be a real hassle to the laborers at the hotel, moving their tools, turning out lights, closing doors, etc. William Karsten, Sr. has been seen on occasion at the bar, despite being dead for nearly 75 years, supposedly. Lots of kids have reported playing with a boy that matches Billy’s description over the years, as well – interestingly, he never gets any older in the reports as the years go by."
The hotel was restored in 1991 to its 1913 appearance by another set of new owners, who spent $750,000 on the project, reconstructing the reception desk, bar, Victorian look, carved staircase and lobby, and revamping the guest rooms.
The name was changed to the Kewaunee Inn in 1996, when ownership changed hands again. The place apparently does a good business and the rooms – now just 23, instead of the original 52 – are modernized and some have jacuzzis.
The hotel is listed at $795,000 but opening bid is just $475,000. However, offers can be made in advance of the Feb. 28 auction. The sellers are described as "highly motivated."
For more information, visit micoley.com or call (866) 371-3619.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
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