Best Halloween Party Ever

In Kalispell, Montana, on the evening of October 20, 1910 Lettie Conrad and her daughter Alicia were preparing to retire for the evening when a man pounded on the door to alert them to a fire in north side of the house. While Lettie notified the fire department, eighteen year old Alicia tried to fight the fire with one of the mansion’s built in fire hoses. The fire department arrived but not before the house was damaged extensively. At first it looked like the Halloween party that the ladies had been planning would have to be canceled, instead it turned into one of the most unique Halloween parties that Montana has ever seen.
During the next ten days, workmen were busy at the mansion, but not to do repairs, at least not until after Halloween. Carpenters, electricians and others turned the disaster into the best Halloween setting ever. The damaged roof was left open, and rubble was left where it fell.

At midnight, October 31, more than five hundred masked guests were delighted to find Spanish moss, with stuffed bats hanging by threads, suspended from the rafters and banisters of the burned out main hall. To add to the effect, the bats were kept in motion by electric fans. From the un-walled inferno of the main floor, guests wound their way up a spiral staircase, built just for the occasion, to rooms decorated to resemble witches dens with steaming cauldrons, and a sign reading “All hope abandon, ye who enter here.” The third floor, which was only slightly damaged, became paradise, with walls and furniture draped with fishnets with flowers attached. In the true Conrad family tradition of generosity and gracious hospitality, nearly everyone in Kalispell enjoyed music and refreshments until dawn.