This is Possibly the All-Time Creepiest Michigan Haunting

I have written hundreds of posts about haunted locations throughout Michigan…and believe me, there are many more. Because of these, I’ve had numerous people ask me what I feel is the creepiest urban legend or haunted tale in the state.

There are notorious haunted locations like Pere Cheney (called the “Most Haunted Town” in the state), the Traverse City Asylum, Hatchet Man Road, Crybaby Bridge, endless cemeteries, etc. The typical haunting involves noises, things moving on their own, footsteps, whispers, cold spots, and an occasional encounter and/or sighting of a real apparition. But one of these hauntings that really stands out in my mind is a tale that has been around since the early 1960's: "The Horrible Hag of Detroit," alternately referred to as "The Demon of Detroit."

According to motorcityblog.blogspot.com, there was a family by the name of Adams that moved into a house on Martin Street. This house had a back bedroom that was so small it only had room for a bed and a makeshift closet. The father worked 3rd shift at the nearby Cadillac plant and would come home & sleep in the back room so he wouldn't be disturbed.

However, his children and the family dog soon sensed there was something else occupying that back room; the dog would absolutely NOT go into the room and the kids avoided the area altogether. Adams soon began having grotesque nightmares from sleeping in that room. He was quoted in the Detroit Free Press, saying "(the dreams) would leave me limp with fear, because they were so real. I would find myself sitting in the bed screaming, till my throat was sore. One of the dreams was when I found myself opening a door and a mutilated body fell out."

When the nightmares would not stop, he went back to sleeping in the master bedroom. After his bad dreams ceased, he realized that something in that back room was causing his ghastly nightmares. Granny Adams came up from Georgia to stay with the family in 1962 and the family put her up in the back room. After continuously experiencing weird noises and uneasiness, granny packed up and went back to Georgia.

The Adamses had another guest visit, an old family friend from Georgia. They decided not to tell him about the happenings in the back room and put him in there as a kind of test. He was in the bed for only a few minutes, laying on his side, facing the wall. He then felt something roll him over. He was quoted as saying, “It rolled me over, & then I saw it standing outside the bedroom door. At first I thought it was (Mrs. Adams), but I started to tremble. It was a woman with long hair, & she had her back to me, looking into the kitchen. She was wearing a short fur coat, & a kind of blue dress."

After screaming and running out of the room, he ran into Mrs. Adams in the kitchen and began telling her what happened. Before he could finish, they both witnessed a rancid odor and a "terrible wailing---a mournful, half-human, half-animal sound, that left both of them speechless with fright".

When Mr. Adams got home from work, the two told him what happened. Now he'd had enough. He was determined to stay in that room again and defeat whatever was in there once and for all. After lying down on the bed, he sensed a presence but thought his wife was still in the room. According to Mr. Adams, "the face was inches away from me. It was the most horrible thing I have ever seen. The eyes stared past me, & the mouth moved to talk, but only a hissing noise came out--- and a terrible stench!"

An hour later, the house was empty, as the Adamses got the heck out of there for good. Curious relatives of the Adamses who attempted to investigate this for themselves ended up hearing unimaginable groaning but refused to disclose what exactly was seen in there. Paranormal investigators attempted to find out what was going on but the owner/landlord of the house absolutely refused to let them investigate.

It has never been determined why this “horrible hag” haunts the back bedroom of this particular house. A few years ago, someone bought the house…..I wonder if they’re still there?

For me, this has to be one of the most frightening of all the creepy haunted tales in Michigan.