Ghost Renovation

By: Associated Press

Updated: Thu 2:58 PM, May 13, 2004

The Grand Army of the Republic Hall in downtown Grand Island has more than just a history. It also has what some believe is a ghost.

The old hall was built by Union army veterans in 1886. Over recent decades, it has been a post office, a piano and organ store, a cash register business, and a cigar factory. More recently, the hall served as a bar, an antique store and currently is home for a marketing firm.

Grand Island's Community Redevelopment Authority recently awarded businessman Steve Rasmussen a $50,000 grant to help renovate the hall.

But no one is quite certain how the remodeled digs will sit with the unseen resident. Rasmussen says there are just a lot of highly unusual consequences and occurrences in that old two-story brick building.

Doors open when no one is around. Pictures blow off the wall.

Rasmussen says the ghost was once challenged to turn on the lights at midnight if he was there. Rasmussen says they were left speechless when the lights went on at midnight.

But the ghost seems to pull the most pranks when construction is under way. Rasmussen says for the most part, the ghost is a jokester in the little things done.

No one seems to know who the ghost might be, however.

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