Oregon Trail Ghost, Nebraska

The Oregon Trail Ghost is a legendary figure that is said to haunt the area near Sylvan Grove, Nebraska. The ghost is said to be the spirit of a woman who was killed along the Oregon Trail.

The story goes that the woman was traveling with her family on the Oregon Trail when they were attacked by bandits. The woman was killed in the attack, and her body was left along the trail.

Sometime later, a group of travelers were camped near the spot where the woman was killed. They were awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of a woman's screams. The travelers went to investigate, but they found nothing.

The next night, the same thing happened. The travelers were awakened by the sound of screams, but they again found nothing. This happened several nights in a row, and the travelers became convinced that the ghost of the woman was haunting the area.

The ghost is said to appear as a young woman wearing a white dress. She is often seen walking along the trail, or sitting by the campfire. Some people have reported hearing her screams, or seeing her apparition in the trees.

The Oregon Trail Ghost is a popular legend in the area, and there are many different stories about her. Some people believe that she is the spirit of a real woman who was killed along the trail, while others believe that she is a figment of people's imagination.

Whether or not the Oregon Trail Ghost is real, she is a fascinating part of the local folklore. Her story is a reminder of the dangers that early pioneers faced on the Oregon Trail, and it is a reminder of the sacrifices that they made to build a new life in the West.

Read more >>

Silkville, Kansas

Silkville, Kansas, is a ghost town located in Franklin County, Kansas, United States. It was founded in 1877 by French utopian socialist Ernest de Boissière, who named it after the silk industry he hoped to establish there. The town was never very successful, and by the early 1900s it was largely abandoned. Today, the only remaining structures are a few old buildings and the Silkville Ranch.

Silkville was originally located on a 600-acre tract of land that de Boissière purchased from the federal government. He envisioned a community of self-sufficient farmers and craftsmen who would live and work together in harmony. However, the town's location was not ideal for agriculture, and the silk industry never took off. By the early 1900s, most of the residents had moved away, and Silkville was essentially abandoned.

The Silkville Ranch was established in the 1920s by William and Mary Clair. The Clairs raised cattle and horses on the ranch, and they also operated a small store. The ranch remained in the Clair family until the 1970s, when it was sold to the Kansas Historical Society. The ranch is now a state historic site, and it is open to the public for tours.

Silkville is a fascinating example of a utopian community that never quite achieved its goals. However, the town's history is still worth learning about, and the Silkville Ranch is a beautiful and peaceful place to visit.

Here are some additional facts about Silkville:

The town was never incorporated, so it technically never existed.

The population of Silkville peaked at around 100 people in the late 1800s.

The town's post office closed in 1903.

Silkville was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

If you're interested in learning more about Silkville, I recommend visiting the Kansas Historical Society's website or the Silkville Ranch. There are also a few books and articles that have been written about the town.

Read more >>

The Lemp Mansion in St. Louis, Missouri

The Lemp Mansion in St. Louis, Missouri, is a historic and haunted house that was once the home of a wealthy and influential family of brewers. The Lemp family owned the Western Brewery, which produced the popular Falstaff beer brand and dominated the St. Louis beer market before Prohibition. The mansion, built in 1868, was a lavish and elegant residence with 33 rooms, an open-air elevator, hand-painted ceilings, marble mantels, and a glass-enclosed shower. The mansion also had three vaults where the Lemps stored their valuable art collection. However, the mansion witnessed a series of tragedies and suicides that plagued the Lemp family for decades. Four members of the family died by suicide in the mansion, starting with William J. Lemp Sr., who shot himself in 1904 after the death of his son Frederick Lemp from heart failure. His widow, Lillie, sold the brewery at auction in 1922 and moved out of the mansion. William J. Lemp Jr., who inherited the mansion and the brewery, also shot himself in his office in 1922 after losing his fortune and his wife. His brother Charles Lemp, who lived in the mansion until 1949, shot himself and his dog in his bedroom. Elsa Lemp Wright, the sister of William Jr. and Charles, shot herself in her home in 1920 after a troubled marriage. The mansion became a boarding house in 1950 and fell into disrepair until it was bought by Dick Pointer and his family in 1975. They restored the mansion and opened it as a restaurant, inn, museum, and event venue. The mansion is also known for its paranormal activity and is considered one of the most haunted places in America. Many visitors and staff have reported seeing apparitions, hearing voices and footsteps, feeling cold spots and touches, smelling strange odors, and experiencing other unexplained phenomena. Some believe that the spirits of the Lemp family still haunt their former home, unable to find peace after their tragic lives.

Read more >>

Ammons House in Gary, Indiana

The house at 3860 Carolina Street in Gary, Indiana, also known as the Ammons House or the Demon House, has been the subject of a controversial and sensational case of alleged demonic haunting and possession. Latoya Ammons and her three children, who rented the house from November 2011 to 2012, claimed to experience various paranormal phenomena, such as levitation, growling voices, physical attacks, and swarms of black flies. The family sought help from various sources, including a physician, a psychologist, a priest, and the police. The case was documented in official records, interviews, and media reports, and received national attention in 2014. 

Read more >>