THE STORY
Reported Haunting
The old Navajo County Courthouse in Holbrook is said to be haunted by several spirits, including George Smiley, the only man executed on the courthouse grounds. Visitors and museum workers have reported unexplained footsteps, strange noises, doors moving on their own, displaced objects, and apparitions inside the historic building.
The Navajo County Historic Courthouse in Holbrook, Arizona, now home to the Navajo County Historical Society Museum, has a long history of reported paranormal activity. One of the spirits most often associated with the building is George Smiley, who was convicted of murdering a railroad foreman and sentenced to death. His execution became notorious after Sheriff Frank Wattron mailed unusually cheerful, gilt-edged invitations announcing the hanging. The publicity drew criticism, and President William McKinley intervened, delaying the execution. A second, deliberately somber invitation was issued, and Smiley was ultimately hanged on the courthouse grounds on January 8, 1900. Historical records confirm that Smiley was the only person executed there. Over the years, museum workers and visitors have reported unexplained footsteps, strange noises, doors opening or closing without apparent cause, and objects moving on their own. An apparition of a woman has also reportedly been seen looking from the courthouse windows after dark. Local tradition attributes some of the activity to Smiley, while other stories suggest that former Sheriff Frank Wattron and unidentified spirits may also remain in the building. The identities of the reported apparitions have never been conclusively established.