Irish-American ghost haunts Downtown Fort Lauderdale

A ghost is haunting downtown Fort Lauderdale. Located on the north bank of the New River, next to the US Route 1 highway tunnel, the historic Stranahan House is haunted by the ghost of its builder, Frank Stranahan.
In 1893, Frank Stranahan, a 28-year-old Irish-American steel-worker from Youngstown, Ohio, moved to the frontier of South Florida’s New River to manage the overland mail route from Lantana to Coconut Grove. He established a trading post and ran the ferry service crossing the New River. By 1895, Stranahan’s Trading Post was a South Florida landmark.
In 1899, 18-year-old Ivy Cromartie moved from Lemon City to the New River settlement to become its first school teacher. Frank Stranahan and Ivy Cromartie married in 1900, and went on to become the pioneer business and social leaders of the fledgling town of Fort Lauderdale. Due to their extraordinary efforts and generosity, the Stranahan's are considered the founders of Fort Lauderdale.

Read Full Article