Stairway To Hell - Grand Haven, MI

Stairway to Hell - Lake Forest Cemetery, Grand Haven, MI. 
All photos on this blog are by J. Moyer
Wednesday, July 14, 2021 

Stairway To Hell is one of the famous urban legends in Michigan.  WZZM13 News listed Lake Forest Cemetery as one of the "nation's most haunted [cemetery] in the entire country (Brent Ashcroft published October 30, 2017).  This stairway is also listed on MLIVE's "West Michigan's Most Haunted Places" posted on October 27, 2016.  One thing for sure, this Stairway to Hell has sparked interests in others to come out and view this stairway.  

  THE LEGEND:

            After someone dies and is buried in Lake Forest Cemetery in Grand Haven, their soul will travel up the stairway.  As the soul nears the top a bright light will appear and their soul is welcomed into heaven. 

To the right of the stairs you can see the remains of the older cement staircase. 

       However, if a light does not appear then the soul has to make its way back down the stairway, down to the realms of hell.   Sometimes the souls are not willing to make the trek back down the stairs.  The displaced souls stay on the staircase looking for a living individual to take their place in hell.  

THE HISTORY:

        Lake Forest Cemetery started back in 1872 when the city had to move the old cemetery from now Central Park to its current location.  It is said that the first burial is that of Jeremiah Smith who died aboard the steamer Ironsides.  He is buried in Potter's Field September 17, 1873,   Since then, the cemetery has made multiple additions, such as Babyland, Sunken Garden, Columbarium, and natural areas.  

        Ferry Hill, which is atop of the "Stairway to Hell," is dedicated to a Presbyterian minister, William M. Ferry, founder of Grand Haven, also father of Ottawa County, as well as establishing other smaller towns.  Only members of the family are buried upon this hill.  William Ferry made his way from Massachusetts, established a Christian mission of Native Americans on Mackinac Island in 1825, where he met Rix Robinson who was a respected fur trader.  Robinson had land rights to the area of Grand Haven and encouraged Ferry to help establish the area.  

"Rev. Mr. Ferry was a man of medium height. He was a rather quiet, taciturn gentleman, more inclined to listen than to talk. Simple in his habits and tastes, he made no display of wealth, was strong in purpose, and persevering in his course. The new school building was used as the place of public worship and a Presbyterian Church was organized. It was at first known as the "Church of Christ." The original members were Rev. William M. Ferry, Mrs. Amanda W. Ferry, Mary A. White, Pierre C. Duvernay, Mrs. Julia Duvernay, (Indian woman), Caroline M. White, Nehemiah Hathaway, Mrs. Lucretia Hathaway, and Charles Duvernay, (Indian). Pierre C.Duvernay was made Ruling Elder." - Historic Grand Haven and Ottawa County by Leo C. Lillie.  

"The influence of Amanda W. Ferry in the new settlement was second to none. She was a woman of uncommon intellectual and moral worth and was dearly loved and respected by all with whom she came in contact. Much more could and should be said concerning this lovable character whose life was so closely associated with, and it might truthfully be said, sacrificed to and for, the early development of Grand Haven." - Historic Grand Haven and Ottawa County by Leo C. Lillie 

This is located at the base of "Stairway to Hell" 

A little trinket we discovered next to the stairs. 

 

An Gorta Mor - Potato Famine Memorial

Pictures on this post were from J. Moyer
October 28, 2020

    

     The An Gorta Mor is Irish for The Great Hunger or otherwise known as the Irish Potato Famine.  This memorial is located in Brooklyn, Michigan, In Lenawee County, on US 12 in the Irish Hills district.  It overlooks Iron Lake and shares its home with the St. Joseph Shrine Church.  This area is knows as Irish Hills due to the number of Irish who settled in this area of Michigan.  The rolling hills and lakes reminded them of Ireland and they decided to call this area home.  

An Gorta Mor was dedicated on September 19, 2004 by the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) of Lenawee County.  AOH is the oldest and largest Irish Catholic Organization in the United States dedicated to preserving Irish heritage, and in honor of the Great Hunger, work towards fighting hunger across America.  

Sculpted by Kenneth M. Thompson, who has been making sculptures for over three decades now, has a studio in Blissfield, Michigan.  As of 2019 he has completed more than 50 large scale sculptures across the country, such as Reclamation Archway for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan in Detroit, Peach Arch for the city of Toledo in honor of those who fought in the Vietnam, and Ferris Arch outside of the Rankin Student Center on the campus of Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan.  

     The Lintel, or the horizontal block that spans across the two vertical supports, is the step that formed the Penrose Quarry in Cork Harbor, which is the southern shore of Ireland.  For many, this was the last piece of Ireland they touched before making their way to the ships that sailed to America.  This is the same harbor that the famous ship Titanic stopped at before its journey across the Atlantic Ocean.  

    The empty bronze bowl on the bottom represents the famine that took place across Ireland between 1845 and 1852.  Surrounding the sculpture is a small wall of cobble stones from Donegal, Ireland to represent the the migration from Ireland to the United States.  

          On the 10th anniversary of the An Gorta Mor, four flagpoles were installed.  From left to right is the American Flag, Irish Flag, Papal Flag, and the Michigan Flag.  

The platform that the sculpture rests upon are 32 paver stones.  The four corners is the names of the four provinces of Ireland and the Coat of Arms.  The 32 paver stones represents the 32 counties of Ireland.  Beneath each paver is a stone from that county.  

  

What is the Great Potato Famine?

     In the 1840's, about a third of Ireland's population was dependent upon the potato crop.  Phytophthora infestans, also known as potato blight, ruined the potato crop.  It shrinks the size of the potato and rots out the inside of the potato making it inedible.  For seven years this lasted in Ireland.  Over 1 million people starved to death, and over 2 million left their home as they migrated elsewhere around the world, shrinking Ireland's population by 20% to 25%.