Creepy Cowboy Chronicles: Characters of the past still haunt the Occidental Hotel
At the base of the mighty Big Horn Mountains, the historic Occidental Hotel (the Ox) stands tall in the heart of Buffalo like a time capsule of the Old, Wild West.
Steeped in history and legend, the Ox has welcomed outlaws, authors and presidents alike and saw some of the rowdy frontier’s wildest years come and go.
Today, time doesn’t move quite the same within the hotel’s century-old, bullet-pocked walls, where the past still stirs and some visitors refuse to check out.
Rich history
The Ox was erected in 1880 along the ruts of the Bozeman Trail, and with a widespread reputation for unbeatable hospitality and fine food, it quickly became known as one of the most renowned hotels in Wyoming.
In fact, the Ox served as a reliable watering hole and rest stop for many a wary traveler, including some of the most notorious characters of the Wild West.
Among them were big names like Buffalo Bill Cody, President Teddy Roosevelt and Calamity Jane; famous cattle detective Tom Horn and legendary lawmen Frank Canton and “Red” Angus.
Many sources also note Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid rode to the Ox from their nearby hideout at Hole in the Wall, and Owen Wister, author of “The Virginian,” spent many hours in the hotel lobby and saloon, creating characters based on the cowboys and gunslingers he observed there.
Over time, the Ox underwent grand renovations, including elegant décor and finer service, luring cowboys, businessmen and tourists from across the Cowboy State and around the world.
But when the Great Depression hit and people were forced to tighten their belts, the owners of the Ox struggled to keep its doors open. By the 1980s, the hotel was run down and seemingly destined to be lost to history.
Instead, the building was purchased in 1997 by Dawn Dawson, who spent a decade restoring it to its former glory and getting it placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Local legend
Today, stepping through the doors of the Ox is like stepping back in history.
The building boasts its original embossed ceilings and bar, which were transported to Buffalo via horse-drawn wagon over 100 years ago, and ancient bullet holes can still be found decorating the walls.
However, the hotel of today isn’t just known for its impressive preservation of history. It seems pieces of the past still linger here, and legend has it, the hotel has experienced its fair share of paranormal activity, earning the title of “the most haunted hotel in Wyoming.”
While historians dispute whether the hotel served as a brothel, many claim the scuffed-up stairs at the back of the building are hard evidence it did, and some argue one of the brothel’s residents never left.
Emily, the seven-year-old daughter of a prostitute who operated out of the Bordello Suite, is perhaps the most well-known spirit said to haunt the halls of the Ox.
Although it’s unclear if Emily died on the upper floor of the hotel from cholera or typhoid in the early 1900s, many know her now as a thin, dark-haired apparition with a pension for mischief.
It’s said Emily enjoys playing pranks on hotel guests, and some have reported feeling a small hand tapping on their shoulders or pulling on their pant legs. However, once they get a glimpse of the little girl, she’ll disappear with a mischievous smile.
According to a July 14, 2022 Ghostlandia article by Deborah Cobb, another specter who roams the halls is that of Margaret, the former lady of the house. Guests have described Margaret as a tall, imposing figure dressed in vintage Victorian garb, floating down the hallway as if on patrol.
Sources further note shadows of outlaws and cowboys have been reported leaning against the walls, then disappearing with nothing more than the jingling of spurs on the staircase. Some have reported the smell of perfume, cold spots passing through the hallway and doors opening and closing on their own.
In a Sept. 16, 2023 Cowboy State Daily article, Renée Jean reports one of the bartenders at the Ox has frequently witnessed bottles of whiskey and wine flying off of the shelves or popping their corks on their own and glasses breaking for no obvious reason.
In February 2011, Black Hills Paranormal Investigators (BHPI) were invited to confirm activity taking place in the hotel.
“After our two-day investigation, we began the long process of reviewing our evidence,” BHPI notes. “We obtained a few pieces of audio evidence in the form of electronic voice phenomenon, as well as a video of the door opening in room 19.”
“Based on the evidence and our personal experiences, there is no doubt some form of paranormal activity taking place at the Ox,” the investigators continue.
For modern-day travelers, it is common to leave a stay at the Ox with more than just a full belly and a good night’s rest. They may also take home a story of whispers in the dark or the unsettling sense the walls themselves were breathing with someone just out of sight.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
