The strange stories of Mouth Cemetery – Michigan

Mouth Cemetery in White River Township, Michigan was established in 1851, even though it is believed that an unknown number of men and women were buried in unmarked graves throughout the area beginning in 1830.
History apart, the cemetery and surrounding area are known for having a history of strange occurrences. Not far from the shores of Lake Michigan, popular for its countless shipwrecks and clear waters in spring, the cemetery is surrounded by dense trees in a somewhat remote area. At a little over 165 years old, however, it has fallen into disrepair over the years and appears to be mostly overgrown. Based on its remoteness and neglected appearance it’s not hard to see how this cemetery has gained the reputation of being one of Michigan’s most haunted locations.

Nothing original: visitors to the cemetery have reported seeing strange mists among the bushes and trees, hearing the sound of footsteps behind them yet turning and finding no one, seeing a young girl in a classic old-fashioned white dress, as well as the spectral figures of numerous other unidentified men and women and disembodied sounds of crying and screams.
Located near the mouth of the White River, Mouth cemetery got its name from an old town nickname. Locally the town was often referred to as “the Mouth” or simply “Mouth”, due it was near the mouth of the river and the nickname stuck for the cemetery, but also for one of its first schools.
Long before White River Township existed, there was a large Native American village at the mouth of the White River. According to stories passed down through the years, and a few historical records, an attack by an enemy tribe killed off most of the villagers in the mid-1600’s, on the land where the old cemetery now sits.

While many of the people buried at Mouth Cemetery have been lost to time, one of the most talked about graves here belongs to Captain William Robinson, even if his ghost has reportedly been seen and heard over the years, but not at Mouth Cemetery. The ghost of Captain Robinson and his wife Sara are said to haunt the nearby White River Light Station. The man maintained the lighthouse from when it was built in 1875 until his death 45 years later in 1919.
He was not ready to retire, despite the fact that he was 87 years old!
Eventually, he was forced to retire due to his age and the responsibilities of keeping the lighthouse fell to his grandson. Many at the time felt that he died from depression over having to leave the place that he loved so much but, in any case, Captain Robinson died before he was set to leave the lighthouse.
The staff of the White River Light Station, report hearing the sounds of footsteps and the thunk of a cane after the lighthouse is closed for the night, and in fact, towards the end of his life, Captain Robinson used a cane to get around. But this is another story!

In any case, not only is Mouth Cemetery rumored to be one of the most haunted cemeteries in Michigan, it’s also home to an urban legend. As story goes, a young man sat in a chair that existed in the old cemetery. It was exactly one year after he sat in the chair that he died in a car accident. The legend of the cursed chair brought so many people to the cemetery that local police removed the chair to deter further legend tripping!

Images from Web- Google Research