Menomonie, Wisconsin History/Keleo22
Mabel Tainter Theater, is one of the many older buildings in Menomonie, Wisconsin. This theater, built for Mabel Tainter herself, the daughter of Andrew Tainter, is now thought to have the now deceased still roaming the halls.
Mabel Tainter and the Theater[edit | edit source]
Mabel Tainter Theater is one of most commonly known places for being haunted. Andrew Tainter, the father of Mabel Tainter, had the Mabel Tainter Theater built 1889 as a memorial for his daughter Mabel after she died suddenly at the young age of nineteen. It is said that Mabel herself roams the halls of the theater still to this day. Although she is said to have died of “cancer of the side” or a ruptured appendix, it is rumored that Mabel may have actually died due to a botched abortion she got to avoid shame after her logger lover disappeared. To this day, people still say they see her roaming around the halls of the theater.[1]
Reasons why the Theater is Haunted and Experiences[edit | edit source]
One of the main reasons people may believe in this could be that they have experienced something for themselves, or they just like the idea of life after death. In the Mabel Tainter Theater, there have been multiple accounts of “paranormal activity.” Some of the workers and actors have reported different unexplained activity. Whether it be the apparition of the “woman in white,” the different lights turning on and off unexpectedly, or even the disembodied footsteps when the theater is, in fact, empty.[1] These accounts are some of the reasons why this theater is thought to be haunted. If it is true and Mabel herself does still roam around the theater built for her, then that would give a good explanation as to why these different events have taken place. Not every place may be haunted, so once one is found, it is intriguing to those who believe, even if others do not agree with us.
The Joys of the Undead[edit | edit source]
To be able to know that there are haunted places nearby can either be a pleasing or scary thought, depending on the person. There are people who may fear ghosts, but not all ghosts are harmful. One could say the Mabel Tainter Theater is harmless due to the fact that there have been no accounts of any ghost(s) doing anything that may harm someone. At this theater, the different accounts are all examples of how this ghost is harmless. This being has never done anything to major, it just mostly, by the sounds of it, wanders around, doing its own thing. This ghost being harmless can give those who fear the evil spirits a sense of comfort. For those who may just not believe in this until they see it for themselves, or just do not believe in this at all, they can always go to the theater to enjoy its beauty. This theater is not only a host for the life after death, but it is also a beautiful theater itself. This theater is not just a place to go “hunt the undead” because it is also a place to enjoy the arts. Just knowing that it was built by a loving father for his diseased daughter makes it even more enjoyable.