Beyond Spirit Tailings: Montana's Mysteries, Ghosts, and Haunted Places

About the Book

Montana is alive with things that go bump in the Big Sky night. A World War II serviceman who lingers in a Billings business, a dearly departed priest who still hitchhikes around Helena, and a Hamilton socialite who adorns her mansion with the scent of roses--these are a few of the creepy tales from across the state collected in Beyond Spirit Tailings. Passed down through generations, these "spirit tailings" illustrate the subtle presence of the past in the everyday lives of modern Montanans.

Ellen Baumler has again traversed the state, interviewing and researching to present history with a ghostly twist. Her first book, Spirit Tailings, introduced Montanans to their haunted past. Beyond Spirit Tailings again offers ghostly encounters from Montana's heritage places, but Baumler also branches out to explore such historical mysteries as the monster said to lurk in the deep waters of Flathead Lake, the power of an ancient object revered by native peoples, and a possible explanation for the suspicious death of Thomas Francis Meagher. Richly embroidered with Montana's unique historical legacy, these eerie and mysterious tales will leave you looking over your shoulder, sleeping with the lights on, and always craving more.

Get your copy: Amazon | B&N |  Montana Historical Society | Audiobook

A Reader's Opinion

I met Ellen Baumler at an event in Cut Bank, Montana, which is also where I purchased a couple of her books that she wrote for the Montana Historical Society Press. This book caught my interest because I've always had a fascination with ghost stories and haunted houses, and of course the setting is one of my favorite places--Montana. "Beyond Spirit Tailings" really is as interesting and fascinating as the title sounds. This is a collection of stories and tales that informs, fascinates, and makes one want to look in their closet or under the bed before they go to sleep. Definitely worth checking out. 4 1/2 stars.

- MK