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The Oliver House in Bisbee Arizona is a delightful boarding house in one of the more enjoyable old west towns in Arizona. Bisbee, formerly a large mining town, the mine finally closing in the 70’s, is now a quaint and thriving artist community. It’s old world appeal of being built up on a mountainside draws in tourists, and its temperate climate, as opposed to other areas of Arizona, keeps them coming back.
The Oliver House was built in 1909 by Edith Oliver, wife to Henry Oliver, a mining executive. It was originally built as a boarding house, and its violent past has checked in several ghosts to the hotel. The murder of Nat Anderson, shot in the back and in his head outside of this room at the time, room thirteen, how unlucky for Nat. It happened in the early morning hours of February 22nd, 1920. The mystery of his murder to this day is unsolved. Nat isn’t the only one to die in the house, an alleged twenty seven people have died in the building.
Not all twenty seven appear, but footsteps have been heard in the hallway when no one is there, and doors open and close by themselves. Guests staying in the purple stage room see shutters and doors open and close on their own accord.
In the Grandma room the ghost of an elderly lady watches over the guests who stay there, protecting them in the night. She rocks in the rocking chair in front of the window, ever watchful. Don’t be afraid though, she is not malevolent, but is there to protect you, perhaps against some of the other spirits in the house. The Grandma room may be the safest room in the house.
Updated July 28th, 2009