The Tri-State Tornado of 1925 spent most of its duration along country roads. A look at how rural communities were torn apart.
Looking for the history of witches in Southern Illinois in the folklore of those who feared them
I first approached researching Southern Illinois witches the way I would any subject … by getting to know the people. Where I made my mistake was trying to focus on the witches. A mistake, but because the witches were lost in the world of folklore. Who defined a witch here, as in most places, was […]
Ghost Hunters Wanted: Looking for a creative investigation of a haunting stretching back sixty years … home sweet home!
I’ve travelled to different states and different countries in search of the paranormal. I’m not a ghost hunter, or a paranormal researcher. I’m a photographer and a storyteller. That’s an appropriate combination because when it comes to making people believe in the paranormal, nothing beats seeing it, or even a good story, well told. I’ve […]
The Old Slave House: The Crenshaw House breeds a ghost story that preserved the blackest stain on Illinois’ past. Will the state preserve the house, and the history?
The Crenshaw House, known as the Old Slave House, atop Hickory Hill near Equality, Illinois Note: The Old Slave House outside of Equality, Illinois is a decaying symbol of a sordid time in Illinois history. Its own history has been clouded over the years by folklore, and some say the tales of a huckster. But […]
Haunted Old Louisville: Is this Victorian gem America’s most haunted neighborhood? A summer photo essay
In haunted old Louisville, Central Park was once the front lawn of the DuPont family mansion, one of the earliest in Old Louisville. Uncle Vic frequented the place, but spent most of his time downtown, in the Galt House hotel. It was late summer in Louisville, several decades ago and the heat had broken. But […]
Book excerpt from The Haunted History of Southern Illinois … Christmas ghost stories on the prairie in southern Illinois
Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol was published in 1843. It’s a Christmas story, true. But take away the Christmas garland and A Christmas Carol is a classic gothic ghost story. For most people, Christmas ghosts stories begin and end with that tale. But they go much fur- ther back, and were a larger part of the Christmas tradition than […]
