The History:
Long before it took on the mantle of a lavish hotel, the building was home to the Henderson Sugar Refinery. This institution played a pivotal role in the bustling sugar industry of the city. For many, the refinery was more than just a workplace; it was a place where sweat, dreams, and aspirations blended, much like the molten sugar that flowed through its vast machines.
Like many industrial places of its era, the refinery witnessed its share of accidents, misfortunes, and tragedies. Over time, tales began to emerge of spectral figures seen wandering its vast hallways and rooms.
Workers often whispered of encounters with apparitions, believed to be the spirits of departed colleagues who once toiled alongside them in the sugar industry.
These spirits, it is said, still roam the halls, perhaps searching for solace or yearning for the camaraderie of their bygone days. Rather than eliciting goosebumps and screams, the ghostly encounters have routinely been described as startling but still “sweet”.
The Accident:
On December 2, 1948, the upper floors of the renowned Henderson Sugar Refinery, Inc. were shaken by a powerful explosion, leaving two workers with serious injuries.
August Voiron, a dedicated 43-year-old laborer, bore the brunt of the devastation, sustaining fractures in his right leg and arm, while enduring extensive burns from head to foot caused by scalding hot syrup. Ollie Soumas, a 41-year-old elevator operator, also felt the impact, suffering from burns inflicted by the hazardous incident.
The force of the blast was so tremendous that it ripped apart the bottom of a massive hot syrup vat, resulting in a harrowing 75-thousand-pounds of the liquid coursing through the building and cascading down the elevator shaft.
These spirits, it is said, still roam the halls, perhaps searching for solace or yearning for the camaraderie of their bygone days. Rather than eliciting goosebumps and screams, the ghostly encounters have routinely been described as startling but still “sweet”.
The unfortunate duo’s injuries were sustained when a filter on a sugar vat tragically exploded, triggering the catastrophic release of hot syrup down the elevator shaft, catching them inside the ill-fated elevator.
This tragic event remains etched in the history of the Henderson Sugar Refinery, recounting a tale of resilience, danger, and the haunting memories that linger within the refinery’s walls.
