Whiskey Pete’s Hotel & Casino in Primm, Nevada, is shrouded in a captivating legend – the tale of a haunting by none other than Whiskey Pete himself. Visitors and staff members have often reported an unsettling sensation of being watched, quickly followed by glimpses of an elderly man in old western attire who vanishes as quickly as he appears. The persistent rumor suggests that Pete’s restless spirit lingers because his original burial site was disturbed during the resort’s construction, and his spectral presence serves as a constant reminder that he’s still keeping a watchful eye on his property.
Initially, this story seemed like nothing more than an entertaining urban legend. The lack of specific details – who witnessed these apparitions and when – contributed to this skepticism. Furthermore, the very existence of “Whiskey Pete” as a real person seemed questionable, adding to the folklore-like nature of the tale. However, the truth is often stranger than fiction. Whiskey Pete was indeed a real individual, and his grave was, in fact, disturbed, lending a surprising degree of credibility to the haunting legend surrounding Whiskey Pete’s Hotel & Casino Nevada.
The Real Whiskey Pete: From Bootlegger to Legend
Long before the towering hotels of Primm, Nevada, became landmarks along the interstate, a modest service station named State Line Station stood as a solitary outpost. This station was managed by Pete McIntyre, a notorious moonshiner known throughout the region as Whiskey Pete. Pete was known for his cantankerous nature and no-nonsense attitude. His reputation extended to Las Vegas, where opinions of him were divided; some admired his audacity, while others believed he operated outside the bounds of the law.
Tracing Whiskey Pete through historical records proves challenging. He remains absent from the U.S. Census records of 1900, 1910, and 1920. However, records from the Tulare County jail reveal his arrest in January 1918 for running a “blind pig,” a term for an illegal speakeasy. Although sentenced to 30 days, Pete served over two months due to initial bail issues. Jail documents list his birthplace as Arizona, conflicting with later census records, and his occupation as a miner. By 1922, Pete’s bootlegging activities led to another arrest, this time in Nevada, resulting in a six-month jail term.
The 1930 U.S. Census finally places him in Crescent, Nevada, a small mining town near the California border. He is listed as the proprietor of a service station. His first mention in Las Vegas newspapers dates back to 1928, triggered by a letter read by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. A woman recounted stopping at Whiskey Pete’s gas station around 11 p.m. for oil, water, and gas. Upon realizing the car only needed water, Whiskey Pete reportedly became “abusive and threatening,” refusing to provide water and forcing the woman to drive to the next station with an empty radiator and overheating engine. The Chamber of Commerce noted receiving similar complaints from tourists traveling between Las Vegas and California for months. Some complaints escalated to accusations of Whiskey Pete shooting at or threatening to shoot at travelers. These incidents were forwarded to the Las Vegas sheriff for investigation and intervention.
While Pete’s behavior may have temporarily improved, by March 1931, he faced serious charges of assault with a deadly weapon for shooting Elgin postmaster Rube Bradshaw in the shoulder. Predictably, their accounts of the event differed sharply. Bradshaw claimed he stopped at the gas station with his sons and found Pete already “surly.” When Bradshaw requested coffee, Pete allegedly became enraged. Bradshaw stated he decided to get coffee elsewhere and began to leave. As he reached the door, Bradshaw claimed Pete hurled a “vile name” at him, and upon turning around, he was shot in the shoulder with a pistol.
A preliminary hearing ensued, where Pete pleaded not guilty and was released on bail. He defended himself to reporters, expressing resentment over his negative reputation and emphasizing the necessity of being armed in his remote location. He also claimed to be covering all of Rube Bradshaw’s medical expenses. Ultimately, the charges were dropped when Bradshaw failed to appear in court on three separate occasions.
In early 1932, Pete married Lauretta Frances Enders. However, by October, their marriage had deteriorated to the point where Lauretta sought to have him declared insane in court. Physicians determined Pete was mentally sound but physically failing due to “miner’s consumption,” likely meaning a lung disease like silicosis or tuberculosis. Mrs. McIntyre, the sole witness against her husband, testified that he would “fly into a rage every time he sees me and accuses me of all sorts of things.” Pete readily admitted to his temper but countered with accusations of his wife “running around naked in the hills with other men.”
Pete recounted that Lauretta had previously taken him to the Stillwell Sanitarium in Banning, California, to care for him. However, upon showing signs of recovery, she allegedly left him. Lauretta was supposed to manage the service station, but upon his return, Pete found it neglected and claimed she was “running around with other men.” The judge dismissed Lauretta’s petition for commitment, and she disappears from historical record thereafter.
Defiant even in the face of illness, by December 1932, Pete declared himself “too busy to die” and claimed to be four months past his predicted death date. By September 1933, he was back at Stillwell, reporting his health as stable. Whiskey Pete McIntyre finally passed away on November 11, 1933. The announcement of his funeral in Las Vegas marked the beginning of another unusual chapter in his story.
Buried Standing Up: Whiskey Pete’s Unusual Last Wish
Before his death, Whiskey Pete expressed a peculiar wish to his friends: to be buried standing upright near his beloved service station. His exact, colorful instructions were, “Bury me up on the hill, standing up facing the valley so I can see all those sons of bitches goin’ by.” Honoring his request, his friends used dynamite to create a six-foot hole in the limestone cliff overlooking Highway 91, behind his service station. Over time, the exact location of Whiskey Pete’s grave was lost, and repeated thefts of his grave marker led to its eventual disappearance. His service station changed hands several times before the property was developed into Whiskey Pete’s Casino in 1977.
On February 2, 1994, construction workers were grading land for a railroad track to connect Whiskey Pete’s to Buffalo Bill’s, located across the freeway. While working near the original State Line Station site, their equipment struck a decaying wooden coffin. Inside, they unearthed the skeletal remains of Whiskey Pete himself. Contrary to some legends suggesting he was buried with a ten-gallon hat, six-shooters, and a jug of whiskey, they found only his bones, some hair clinging to his skull, dentures, and a few shirt buttons. [^1]
The coffin, reportedly about 80% intact, was buried at an angle facing the highway. The project manager stated they knew Whiskey Pete was buried in the vicinity but lacked precise location information. “The tractor caught the edge of the box and the skull popped out. There was Whiskey Pete staring at us.”
While the resort announced plans to rebury Whiskey Pete on the property with a memorial, no memorial seems to have materialized, and the exact location of his reburial remains unknown. Rumors persist that his remains were reinterred in one of the caves he once used for moonshining. This disturbance of his final resting place is widely believed to be the catalyst for the ghostly activity reported at Whiskey Pete’s Hotel and Casino Nevada. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the story of Whiskey Pete adds a unique and intriguing layer to the history of this Nevada landmark.
[^1]: Remains of Whiskey Pete found – Las Vegas Review-Journal – February 5, 1994
