Calling Pere Cheney a small town would be a bit of a stretch. In fact, Pere Cheney isn’t even a town anymore. This ghost town is abandoned, except for the alleged ghost sightings at the cemetery. Whether you believe in spirits and specters yourself, there are certainly a lot of tales about this spot. Witches, curses, and ghosts aplenty are all attached to the lore of this abandoned town lost to time. It may be one of the most haunted spots in all of Michigan. Do you dare to visit?
Vandalism of any kind is not encouraged or supported. The cemetery here is open from dawn to dusk, but there are posted rules to follow while you visit.
Pere Cheney is a tiny spot on the mitten, somewhere around the knuckle of your middle finger. Back in the 1870s, this was the location of a lumber town that attracted settlers who wanted honest work and a place to call home.
WikimediaCommons | Alexrk2 However, in 1893, diphtheria spread through the town, decimating the population.
Two years later, after a second wave of the same disease, the town was nearly wiped out, the last survivors moving elsewhere for safety.
Haunted Mitten Podcast Facebook Rumors began to spread about a curse on the town, leading some to believe that witches or burial grounds had something to do with it.
One terrifying tale tells the story of a scandalously unwed mother, accused of being a witch and cursing the village with plague.
Shrshwa'79-‘92/Google They allegedly hanged her from a tree in the cemetery, only to bury her at the base in an unmarked grave.
Another version of the tale changes the story, where the same unwed mother was instead banished to the woods, causing her to curse the people in the village.
Eugene Kim/Flickr Both involve the same element of a village cursed, so there may be some truth to an exile of a resident.
All that’s left of the town is the Pere Cheney cemetery, which you can visit to this day.
Lou Schultz/Google Paranormal investigators have reported everything from orbs and cold spots to screams and visible forms of past residents. That sure is spooky!
It’s forbidden to visit after dusk, but a trip through this haunting area is sure to spook even the best of us.
Teri Sharp/Google Whether it’s a witch’s curse or just disease, we’ll never know.
How much do you think these tales are true? Even if the cemetery is haunted, Michiganders love history no matter what. Adventure awaits you!
WikimediaCommons | Alexrk2
However, in 1893, diphtheria spread through the town, decimating the population.
Haunted Mitten Podcast Facebook
Rumors began to spread about a curse on the town, leading some to believe that witches or burial grounds had something to do with it.
Shrshwa'79-‘92/Google
They allegedly hanged her from a tree in the cemetery, only to bury her at the base in an unmarked grave.
Eugene Kim/Flickr
Both involve the same element of a village cursed, so there may be some truth to an exile of a resident.
Lou Schultz/Google
Paranormal investigators have reported everything from orbs and cold spots to screams and visible forms of past residents. That sure is spooky!
Teri Sharp/Google
Whether it’s a witch’s curse or just disease, we’ll never know.
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Address: Pere Cheney, MI 48653, USA