"…it is magic in that soil, in the plains, the borders of forest, the oak trees on the hills…" - Edgar Lee Masters
The Sangamon River flows through central Illinois along a twisted, unusual south to north course. It's meanders through fertile farmlands and the woods were our pioneer forefathers once lived and, before them, the natives hunted. And, in the earliest times, the mysterious mound builders lived and vanished.
For me the river has taken on an almost mythical quality, probably more so than is deserved but there is an air of romance here yet. The spirits of the Sangamon still walk here and they are constantly trying to get our attention. They are among us even if we can't always see them. But there are those who look. The spirits, like the river, hold an unusual power over me.
For many years, more than a decade as of this writing, I've prowled old graveyards and abandoned buildings. I've visited historic sites and people's homes; all in search of these spirits and their stories. I've seen and experienced some weird things and I've met a lot a great people. What I've found is that "ghost hunting" is not for me, I don't have the patience. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for the investigators that devote their time and resources to the quest for the truth but, for me, the story's usually enough.
I still travel to these strange places and I always hope to experience the ghost activity that has been reported but I don't take equipment of any kind save a notebook and a camera. I want the stories and if a ghost shows up it's so much the better! History to me is a passion...ghosts are an added bonus.
So...here there be ghosts. And monsters. And strange, dark history. All of that and, honestly, no small amount of pointless rambling in what lies ahead. It's all an experiment after all. For now I'd like to add some links to some stories I've already written.
These, you might notice, are links to the pages of the American Ghost Society and American Hauntings. I'm a tour guide for the long-running Haunted Decatur Tours in Decatur, Illinois but I can also be found volunteering at the Vachel Lindsay Home in Springfield (more on him later no doubt) and, when it's open, the Long Nine Museum in Athens (the "A" is long...no one knows why). I'm an officer and area rep. of the AGS. I've been involved in ghost research groups, haunted tours and TV and radio. Some of those things went better than others but I've yet to find reason to regret any of it.
All of that, no doubt, will come into play as time goes by but, for now, the links...
The Loomis House, Carlinville, IL http://www.prairieghosts.com/loomis.html
The Van Noy Murder, near Athens, IL http://www.illinoishauntings.com/van_noy.html
The Houlden Murder (only hanging in Menard County), near Petersburg, IL http://www.illinoishauntings.com/houlden.html
New Salem, IL http://www.illinoishauntings.com/new_salem.html
Stealing Lincoln's Body (my 2007 article...lots of new stuff by others since but I really like this one) http://www.illinoishauntings.com/tomb.html
The Sangamon River flows through central Illinois along a twisted, unusual south to north course. It's meanders through fertile farmlands and the woods were our pioneer forefathers once lived and, before them, the natives hunted. And, in the earliest times, the mysterious mound builders lived and vanished.
For me the river has taken on an almost mythical quality, probably more so than is deserved but there is an air of romance here yet. The spirits of the Sangamon still walk here and they are constantly trying to get our attention. They are among us even if we can't always see them. But there are those who look. The spirits, like the river, hold an unusual power over me.
For many years, more than a decade as of this writing, I've prowled old graveyards and abandoned buildings. I've visited historic sites and people's homes; all in search of these spirits and their stories. I've seen and experienced some weird things and I've met a lot a great people. What I've found is that "ghost hunting" is not for me, I don't have the patience. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for the investigators that devote their time and resources to the quest for the truth but, for me, the story's usually enough.
I still travel to these strange places and I always hope to experience the ghost activity that has been reported but I don't take equipment of any kind save a notebook and a camera. I want the stories and if a ghost shows up it's so much the better! History to me is a passion...ghosts are an added bonus.
So...here there be ghosts. And monsters. And strange, dark history. All of that and, honestly, no small amount of pointless rambling in what lies ahead. It's all an experiment after all. For now I'd like to add some links to some stories I've already written.
These, you might notice, are links to the pages of the American Ghost Society and American Hauntings. I'm a tour guide for the long-running Haunted Decatur Tours in Decatur, Illinois but I can also be found volunteering at the Vachel Lindsay Home in Springfield (more on him later no doubt) and, when it's open, the Long Nine Museum in Athens (the "A" is long...no one knows why). I'm an officer and area rep. of the AGS. I've been involved in ghost research groups, haunted tours and TV and radio. Some of those things went better than others but I've yet to find reason to regret any of it.
All of that, no doubt, will come into play as time goes by but, for now, the links...
The Loomis House, Carlinville, IL http://www.prairieghosts.com/loomis.html
The Van Noy Murder, near Athens, IL http://www.illinoishauntings.com/van_noy.html
The Houlden Murder (only hanging in Menard County), near Petersburg, IL http://www.illinoishauntings.com/houlden.html
New Salem, IL http://www.illinoishauntings.com/new_salem.html
Stealing Lincoln's Body (my 2007 article...lots of new stuff by others since but I really like this one) http://www.illinoishauntings.com/tomb.html
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