Summerwind

Summerwind Mansion, also known as the Lamont Mansion, was a historic 20th-century residence situated on the shores of West Bay Lake in Land O' Lakes, Vilas County, Wisconsin. Originally constructed in the early 1900s as a modest fishing lodge, it was extensively remodeled into a grand summer retreat and became infamous for a series of uncorroborated legends involving hauntings, apparitions, and unexplained phenomena that drove away successive owners over decades. All such paranormal accounts are considered urban legends without verified evidence.^[1]^[2] In 1916, the property was purchased by Robert Patterson Lamont, a prominent Chicago industrialist and future U.S. Secretary of Commerce under President Herbert Hoover from 1929 to 1932, who transformed the lodge into a luxurious family vacation home with the aid of Chicago architects Tallmadge and Watson, completing renovations around 1918. Lamont, born in 1867 in Detroit, Michigan, and educated at the University of Michigan, had built his career in the steel industry as president of American Steel Foundries before entering public service. The mansion served as a retreat for the Lamont family, but reports of eerie occurrences, such as servants hearing disembodied voices and a spectral figure appearing in the kitchen—prompting Lamont to fire shots at a basement door—allegedly led the family to abandon it abruptly in the 1920s. The property stood vacant through the 1930s before being sold in 1941 to the Keefer family, who used it sporadically as a vacation home but avoided overnight stays due to similar fears.^[1]^[3]^[1] By the 1960s, the mansion changed hands multiple times amid failed sales and growing tales of paranormal activity, including cold spots, unexplained winds, and the discovery of a hidden corpse behind a wall during renovations in the late 1960s by occupants Arnold and Ginger Hinshaw. These stories often centered on a legendary 18th-century explorer named Jonathan Carver, purportedly buried on the grounds with a cursed land deed granting supernatural ownership of the area. Despite its eerie reputation, the site attracted paranormal investigators and tourists, solidifying its status as one of America's most haunted abandoned structures. In 1988, the dilapidated mansion was destroyed by a fire on June 19, officially attributed to a lightning strike but later questioned as possible arson to prevent vandalism, leaving only its stone foundations and chimneys amid overgrown woods. In the 2010s, groups like the Summerwind Restoration Society explored rebuilding it as a bed-and-breakfast, but as of 2025 the ruins remain unrestored and continue to draw visitors intrigued by its ghostly legacy.^[1]^[2]

History

Construction and Early Ownership

Summerwind Mansion originated as the West Bay Lake Fishing Lodge, constructed around 1914 by local developer John Frank on the shores of West Bay Lake in Land O' Lakes, Vilas County, Wisconsin.^[4]^[1] The modest wooden structure served as a remote seasonal retreat for affluent Chicagoans seeking respite from urban life, primarily hosting fishing expeditions and social gatherings amid the Northwoods landscape.^[5]^[6] In 1916, the lodge was acquired by Robert Patterson Lamont, a Chicago steel executive and president of the American Steel Foundries Company, who envisioned transforming it into a family summer estate.^[1]^[3] Lamont, who later served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce from 1929 to 1932 under President Herbert Hoover, hired the Chicago architectural firm of Talmadge and Watson to oversee extensive renovations.^[3]^[6] The project, completed in 1918 at a cost of $125,000 (equivalent to approximately $3 million in today's dollars), expanded the original lodge into a two-story, 20-room mansion with a large stone terrace overlooking the lake, servants' quarters, and a basement level.^[6] Constructed largely from local timber, the design emphasized rustic elegance suited to its woodland setting, though the Lamonts used the property only sporadically for vacations before renaming it Lamont Mansion.^[5] This early phase marked the transition from a utilitarian fishing outpost to a prestigious private retreat, setting the stage for the family's more involved residency in subsequent years.^[1]

Lamont Family Era

The Lamonts utilized the property as a private summer haven from urban life, where Robert hosted influential guests reflecting his stature in government and industry.^[7] Social gatherings featured political figures and business leaders, underscoring the mansion's role as a venue for high-society leisure and networking during the 1920s. The family's daily routine centered on splashside relaxation, with servants managing household operations from a separate building.^[8] The Lamonts' tenure ended amid the economic hardships of the Great Depression, leaving the mansion largely unused through the 1930s before its sale to the local Keefer family in 1941.^[1]

Mid-20th Century Transitions

Following the departure of the Lamont family in the early 1930s, the Summerwind property experienced a period of instability, passing through multiple owners amid the economic challenges of the Great Depression and subsequent years. The mansion stood largely unused during the 1930s, contributing to initial signs of neglect as the regional economy struggled with recovery efforts.^[1] In 1941, the property was sold to the Keefer family, who acquired it as a seasonal vacation home but made limited use of the structure. The Keefers attempted some basic upkeep, but the remote location and rising maintenance expenses proved burdensome, leading to abandonment of major renovations and intermittent occupancy. This period marked the beginning of structural decline, with the mansion's elaborate features—such as its grand fireplaces and lakeside verandas—beginning to deteriorate without consistent care.^[1] By the 1950s and 1960s, Summerwind was rented out sporadically as a cabin for tourists, reflecting the Northwoods' growing appeal as a recreational destination following World War II. However, the property suffered from neglect, including roof leaks from harsh winters, intrusion by local wildlife, and vandalism from passersby, resulting in visible decay such as peeling exterior paint, broken windows, and overgrown grounds. These issues were exacerbated by the high costs of upkeep for a large, aging estate in a rural area, where professional services were scarce and expensive.^[7] The economic context of the mid-20th century played a key role in the property's trajectory; while tourism in Vilas County boomed post-WWII due to increased leisure travel and promotion of the region's lakes and forests, the viability of grand lodges like Summerwind waned due to shifting preferences toward smaller cabins and motels, alongside the mansion's substantial repair needs that deterred investors. Multiple sale attempts in the 1960s failed as potential buyers grappled with these challenges.^[9]^[1] In 1969, the property was finally sold to Arnold and Ginger Hinshaw, a young couple who viewed it as an investment opportunity for restoration into a family home or potential bed-and-breakfast. Purchased for a modest sum amid the estate's distressed state, this acquisition represented a brief hope for revival before the property's ongoing decline.^[7]

Hauntings and Legends

Initial Reports from the Lamonts

The initial paranormal reports associated with Summerwind Mansion emerged during the ownership of Robert Patterson Lamont, a former U.S. Secretary of Commerce, who renovated the property as a summer retreat in 1916. Servants employed by the Lamont family began complaining of unexplained disturbances shortly after, including the sound of disembodied voices echoing through the house during their daily tasks. These accounts marked the first documented claims of supernatural activity at the site, contributing to the mansion's emerging reputation as haunted.^[1] The most notable incident occurred one night in the 1920s when Lamont encountered a ghostly apparition, described in legends as a figure in the kitchen area near a basement entrance. Mistaking the entity for an intruder, Lamont drew his pistol and fired two shots at it, with the bullets striking the basement door and leaving visible holes that remained in the structure for decades. This event, recounted in local historical accounts, escalated the family's unease and solidified the property's lore.^[1]^[10] In response to the ongoing reports, the Lamonts initially attributed the phenomena to pranks or overactive imaginations among the staff, but the persistence of the disturbances—coupled with the shooting incident—prompted them to abandon the mansion abruptly, never returning to the property. Additional servant testimonies included sightings of a spectral figure in the dining room and sensations of sudden cold spots, though these were sporadic and not formally investigated at the time.^[7] The bullet holes from Lamont's pistol served as tangible remnants, often cited by later visitors as proof of the disturbances until the structure's partial destruction.^[10]^[7]

Hinshaw Family Experiences

In the late 1960s, Arnold and Ginger Hinshaw purchased the long-vacant mansion near West Bay Lake with intentions of restoring it. The couple, along with their six children, moved in to commence renovations, but their occupancy, lasting about six months into 1970, was marked by escalating poltergeist phenomena.^[10]^[1] Early incidents included doors and windows opening and closing on their own, disembodied voices in empty rooms, and an apparition of a woman. During renovations, the Hinshaws reportedly discovered a hidden corpse behind a wall in a closet, which later vanished, adding to the terror. One notable event involved a heavy wardrobe door slamming shut and injuring Arnold's arm. During family meals, silverware reportedly levitated from the table and hurled across the dining room. Apparitions of a translucent man in 1920s formal attire materialized in various rooms, often vanishing into walls. Reddish stains seeped from the walls, initially interpreted as bleeding, though later attributed to a burst pipe; the event nonetheless intensified fears. Kitchen cabinets were inexplicably emptied overnight, with contents scattered, and children's toys relocated themselves. These disturbances led to severe psychological strain; Arnold suffered a nervous breakdown, frantically playing the organ under claimed demonic influence, and Ginger attempted suicide. Overwhelmed, the family fled, abandoning possessions.^[10]^[7]^[1] Following their departure, Ginger's father, Raymond Bober, purchased the property intending to convert it into a restaurant and inn. Bober chronicled the hauntings in his 1979 book, The Carver Effect: A Paranormal Experience, attributing the manifestations to the restless spirit of 18th-century explorer Jonathan Carver, who allegedly sought a lost land deed granting ownership of the area, purportedly hidden in the mansion's foundation. Bober claimed communications with Carver through dreams, trances, and a Ouija board, though neighbors disputed that he lived there extensively, and no evidence supports the deed's existence. The property soon drew vandals and thrill-seekers amid rumors of its cursed history. Bober arranged for an exorcism by a local Lutheran minister, but it provided no lasting relief.^[10]^[7]

Broader Folklore and Sightings

Over time, local folklore surrounding Summerwind Mansion expanded beyond the accounts of its primary owners, incorporating embellished tales that blended historical speculation with supernatural elements. One persistent legend posits that the mansion served as a Prohibition-era hideout for gangster Al Capone, complete with hidden tunnels allegedly used for bootlegging operations and spirits tied to illicit alcohol production lingering in the structure. However, no historical records or archaeological evidence substantiate this connection, positioning it firmly within unverified oral traditions popular among Northwoods storytellers.^[7] Additional myths draw from regional Indigenous history and romantic tragedy, claiming the mansion's foundation was built over a cursed Ojibwe burial ground, awakening restless ancestral spirits that doomed the property to perpetual unrest. Another variant involves a tragic bride who supposedly drowned herself in nearby West Bay Lake during the 1940s, her apparition said to wander the shores seeking lost love, with sightings reported by fishermen and locals. These narratives trace their origins to 1940s oral histories circulated in Vilas County communities, often amplified through word-of-mouth rather than documented events.^[7] Following the Hinshaw family's departure in the 1970s, which sparked broader public fascination with the site's poltergeist activity, unverified reports from trespassers proliferated during the 1970s and 1980s. Adventurers and curiosity-seekers described encounters with glowing orbs hovering amid the mansion's decaying rooms, electronic voice phenomena (EVP) capturing faint whispers on recordings, and fleeting shadow figures darting through doorways. These accounts frequently fueled theories of demonic possession, with some claimants asserting the entities exhibited malevolent intent, such as physical pushes or oppressive atmospheres, though no contemporaneous police or official records confirm such intrusions. The legends gained further prominence through a 2005 episode of the TV series A Haunting, which dramatized the Hinshaw experiences.^[7] Skeptics attribute much of Summerwind's broader folklore to natural phenomena and psychological factors, dismissing spectral sightings as misinterpretations of wind whistling through the abandoned structure, wildlife movements in the underbrush, or collective hysteria driven by rumor. No formal scientific investigations occurred prior to the mansion's 1988 destruction by fire, leaving the legends unsubstantiated by empirical study and reliant on anecdotal embellishment.^[1]

Decline and Destruction

Abandonment Period

Following the departure of the Bober family in the late 1970s, who had purchased the property in 1977 with intentions of converting the mansion into a bed and breakfast but ultimately abandoned the effort due to construction setbacks, Summerwind stood vacant for several years.^[6] The estate changed hands amid financial difficulties, reverting to previous owner Lillian Keefer before her death in 1985, after which it was purchased in 1986 by Harold Tracy from the La Crosse area, Wisconsin, as an anniversary gift for his wife Babs, who planned to restore the deteriorating structure.^[11] These restoration attempts, like prior ones, faltered short of completion, hampered by the building's advanced decay and logistical challenges including limited funding and local zoning restrictions for commercial reuse.^[10] Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, exposure to harsh Northwoods weather exacerbated the mansion's physical decline, with the roof and upper floors succumbing to rot from persistent lake humidity and heavy snowfall, while the surrounding grounds became overgrown with weeds and brush.^[1] By the mid-1980s, the interior had suffered extensive damage, including collapsed ceilings and stripped fixtures, rendering much of the once-grand estate uninhabitable.^[12] This neglect attracted urban explorers and local youth, who frequently trespassed, turning the site into an impromptu gathering spot for parties and leading to widespread graffiti on walls and further structural harm from careless use.^[10] The surge in unauthorized access prompted Vilas County officials to classify the property as a public nuisance in 1985, citing its role as a base for vandalism and minor crimes against nearby residences.^[10] County authorities discussed demolition as a solution to curb the ongoing issues, though no action was taken before the property's eventual destruction. Amid the decay, the mansion's notorious reputation for hauntings persisted, with some trespassers briefly reporting uneasy sensations or apparitions during their visits.^[1]

The 1988 Fire

On June 19, 1988, during a severe thunderstorm, the abandoned Summerwind mansion was struck by lightning, igniting a blaze that rapidly consumed the structure. Firefighters from the Land O' Lakes Fire Department responded to the remote site, located approximately 13 miles west of town on the shores of West Bay Lake, but arrived to find the all-hardwood building—described as resembling a lightning rod—nearly fully engulfed and impossible to save. The fire left only the stone foundation and two tall chimneys standing amid the ruins. The official investigation, led by Fire Chief Sam Otterpohl, attributed the blaze to a lightning strike, supported by neighbor reports of a visible bolt near the mansion; no evidence of arson or foul play was found, though the probe continued briefly after the incident. The mansion's prolonged abandonment had rendered its wooden framework highly vulnerable, allowing the flames to spread unchecked through decayed materials and accelerate the destruction. Despite the official conclusion, local suspicions of arson lingered, with some theories suggesting the fire was deliberately set by property owners to curb growing tourism drawn to the site's haunted reputation or by vandals seeking to eliminate the eyesore. A 2017 allegation claimed the blaze was intentionally ignited at night, but contemporary photographs depict it burning in daylight, and no arrests followed. Rumors of matches or accelerants at the scene circulated informally but lacked verification in investigative records. The immediate aftermath saw the ruins deemed structurally unsafe, prompting restrictions on public access to the private property and halting physical visits to the site. This closure, while ending direct exploration, intensified the mansion's ghostly lore, transforming the skeletal remains into an even more evocative symbol of its supernatural history.

Cultural Impact

Paranormal Investigations

Following the 1988 fire that reduced Summerwind Mansion to ruins, numerous paranormal investigators have explored the site, drawn by persistent legends of hauntings. Researcher Chad Lewis, who has documented Wisconsin's haunted locations for decades, reports that hundreds of investigators visited the property in the decades after the destruction, often describing an inexplicable compulsion to return and recounting subjective experiences of unease, though no objective evidence such as photographs or recordings of apparitions was verified.^[13] In a 2019 public investigation at the ruins, members of the Paranormal Investigators of Milwaukee (PIM) used standard equipment including audio recorders and EMF meters but recorded no anomalous activity, attributing much of the site's notoriety to environmental factors like wind noise and group suggestibility contaminating results. Interviews with nearby residents during the probe revealed admissions from locals that some haunting tales were fabricated for entertainment, further underscoring the role of folklore in perpetuating the myths.^[8] Skeptical examinations have challenged key elements of Summerwind's lore, including unsubstantiated claims of ties to Al Capone as a hideout, which historians dismiss as part of broader, unverified Wisconsin gangland legends lacking property records or contemporary documentation. Psychological analyses suggest that reports of apparitions and poltergeist-like events among past occupants, such as the Hinshaw family, may stem from pareidolia, sleep deprivation, and the stress of isolation in a remote, decaying structure, rather than supernatural causes.^[14]^[8] The site remains on private land in Vilas County, closed to the public to prevent trespassing and structural hazards from the unstable ruins. Occasional permitted tours have been organized by groups like the Fox Valley Ghost Hunters, allowing limited access for investigations, but no conclusive evidence of paranormal phenomena has emerged from these efforts as of 2025.^[15]

Depictions in Media

Summerwind Mansion has been portrayed in various books as a central figure in American paranormal lore, often compiling eyewitness accounts and historical details to underscore its haunted reputation. In Devon Bell's 2016 book Haunted Summerwind: A Ghostly History of a Wisconsin Mansion, the estate is depicted as a site of demonic possession and structural anomalies, drawing on family testimonies and local folklore to illustrate its transformation from a lakeside retreat to a cursed ruin.^[7] Similarly, Troy Taylor references Summerwind in his broader works on haunted sites, such as The Haunting of America: Ghosts and Legends from America's Haunted Past, where it exemplifies early 20th-century hauntings tied to hidden secrets like the alleged ghoul in the basement.^[16] In television, Summerwind gained national prominence through dramatized reenactments of its hauntings. The 2005 episode "The Haunting of Summerwind" from the Discovery Channel series A Haunting (Season 1, Episode 2) portrays the Bober family's 1969 experiences, emphasizing psychological descent into madness amid apparitions and poltergeist activity, based on survivor interviews.^[17] This depiction, viewed millions of times across streaming platforms like Tubi, solidified the mansion's status as a horror archetype.^[18] Online media and podcasts have amplified Summerwind's myths through user-generated content and audio narratives. YouTube documentaries, such as "The Horrifying True Story of Summerwind Mansion" (2025), which has garnered over 500,000 views, recreate the estate's decline with archival photos and animations of ghostly encounters.^[19] Podcasts like The Grave Talks (2024 episode "Haunted Summerwind Mansion, Part One") and Weird Darkness (2024 episode "The Haunting of Summerwind Mansion") retell the legends in immersive formats, often incorporating Bober family experiences as plot devices for suspense.^[20]^[21] Social platforms, including Reddit threads in r/Paranormal and TikTok recreations, further viralize short-form videos of the ruins, blending folklore with modern exploration footage. Summerwind's cultural footprint extends to interactive media and tourism. The 2018 virtual reality game Ghostly Summerwind for Oculus Rift recreates the mansion's interior for immersive ghost-hunting simulations, allowing players to navigate its haunted rooms based on historical layouts.^[22] References appear in horror anthologies, such as cameos in 2020s online series, while nearby resorts in Vilas County promote "haunted history" tours, boosting local economy by capitalizing on the site's notoriety as Wisconsin's most infamous haunted landmark.^[10]