Many Michigan high schools have their own unique ghost stories, with ghostly janitors, teachers, and even students still walking the halls. And this is one of them.
At one time, the old 1881 high school in the Ionia County town of Portland seemed to be a site that contained some paranormal activity. The legend says a fourteen-year-old female student was crushed when the gym bleachers collapsed on her. Instantly, the blame was cast upon Henry the janitor, as he had been told to fix the faulty bleachers and had not gotten around to it yet.
The reason could be the school didn’t yet acquire the implements he needed, or they had him on some other ‘errands of mercy’, but it didn’t matter. He got the blame. Not long afterward, the janitor disappeared and was never found. The rumor spread through town that the girl’s father did away with him; wanting to hide the body and any evidence, he set the school on fire. This is why some long-time residents believe the school burned down in 1918.
Download the WFMK Mobile App Now
It was re-built in 1919 and re-opened in 1920. Ever since the re-building, the girl’s apparition is said to roam the school hallways, and the spirit of the janitor remains as well…