According to the book “Haunted Hotels” by Robin Mead, now out of print, the spirit of Floyd Carothers, famous for training Strolling Jim, the first walking horse world champion, has haunted the historic building in years past. Carothers and his wife Olive operated the hotel from 1933 until 1958.

At the time that Mead’s book was published in 1995 the hotel had been closed and was slated to reopen as the Hotel Overall, after its original name from the late 19th century by its builders, Jesse and Nora Overall.

The owner at the time was George Wright, whose grandfather was Floyd Carothers’ business partner, and he said at the time that the entire property was guarded by the former owner’s ghost.

In 1991, Wright showed Mead a photo taken in the hotel dining room in the early 1980s. The photo had been originally intended for the hotel’s brochure and showed Wright and a guest, Edwina Chilton, seated at a dining room table.

However, the image also contained “two indistinct, slightly glowing figures” standing behind a chair. Another photograph that was shot of an empty table set for four revealed a quartet of apparitions, one behind each chair.

Wright said at the time that “these photographs confirmed our conviction that the hotel is occupied by spiritual entities.”

Wright apparently had other proof for the author, claiming that Floyd’s spirit was interfering with the hotel security cameras and pestered the new owner all through 1991 when Wright was busy.

“Eventually, Wright succumbed to the spectral pressure and went across to the stables,” Mead’s book read. “He found his prize walking horse mare, who was about to foal, having difficulties.” Professional help was summoned and Lucky Chance was born. Wright attributed the ghostly notice to saving the newborn horse.

Wright claimed in the book that when Olive Carothers passed away, the alleged activities by Floyd’s spirit “abruptly ceased.” He claimed that there had been no ghostly sighting since that time.

However, Mead suggested that another spirit may walk the halls of the historic hotel. The author related the tale of how the Wright family had suffered a loss when George’s brother was killed in active service with the U.S. Navy.

The Wrights would hold a family dinner at Christmas or Thanksgiving and left an empty space at the table for George’s brother. One family portrait shows “a clear outline of a man in naval uniform,” the book said..

“...I have little doubt that there are spirits ? albeit quite modern ones ? who still inhabit the Walking Horse Hotel as it undergoes metamorphosis back into the Hotel Overall,” Mead wrote.