The ghost of Minnie Quay is a legend in the local folkore of Michigan. The legend stems from a small foresting town in the eastern region of Michigan, known as The Thumb, called Forester.
Legend
In 1876, the Quay family, father James and mother Mary Ann, lived in the busy lumbering town of Forester. Their daughter, Minnie, was only 14 at the time. She had given her heart to a young sailor whose ship would dock in Forester often for either shipping or merchant reasons. Not much is known on the gentleman, only that Minnie had fallen in love with him. Many in town warned her about this affair. Her own mother would often yell out loud enough for others in town to hear that she would rather see her dead than with this man. In the early spring of 1876, word came back to Forester that his ship had gone down in the Great Lakes of Michigan. Minnie was torn, as her parents had not allowed her to say good-bye the last time he had left town. A few days later, on May 26, her parents had given her charge to watch her younger brother, Charles. As the infant was sleeping, she walked into town, and passed by the town inn, the Tanner House. People sitting on the porch waved to the young girl as she passed them and walked to the pier. The onlookers watched as she jumped off the pier, into the cold and deep waters of Lake Huron. As fate would have it, the young lovers were not reunited. Her ghost has been said to roam the beaches of Forester. Some have said that she just walks, waiting for her lover to dock, while others have stated that she has tried to beckon young girls into the waters to their deaths.
Forester
Forester does not officially exist as a community, as the town was never incorporated into a city, township, or village. To the north of Port Sanilac, the cemetery and a few buildings remain. There also exists a tavern (Bill Clugston's Forester Inn), as well as the building known as the Tanner Inn. The 150-year old Tanner Inn has remained empty for several years after its use as an inn, blind pig and a house of prostitution.
Year-round residents of the area number around 40. In the summer months, local campgrounds remain full as the region has much to offer in peace and natural beauty. Many also visit this area in search of the ghost of Minnie Quay.
The area boasts a beautiful view of Lake Huron, and is the home to a several campgrounds.
Ballad of Minnie Quay
The ballad has been popular in the region for over 100 years. It has been passed down the generations. Many versions exist. Here is one.
1.
'Twas long ago besides Lake Huron
She walked the sandy shore.
but the voice of one sweet Minnie Quay
'Twill echo ever more.
2.
Sailors still hear her crying.
Young lovers hear her, too,
As she calls for them to join her
In the waters,icy blue.
3.
Young Minnie loved a sailor.
The sailor loved her, too.
And on the shore, behind the trees
The pair would rendezvous.
4.
But gossips soon got wind of it,
And tongues begn to wag.
the tale was told to Minnie's Ma
By some old babbling hag.
5.
References
- Kuclo, Marion, "Michigan Haunts and Hauntings,"