As we have mentioned before, there is a lot of freaky stuff going on in Illinois. We're talking creepy, scary, downright terrifying happenings. Well, if you are looking for the most terrifying town, look no further than Alton, Illinois. Many places here are haunted and have very creepy backstories. We are profiling five of these locations.
1. McPike Mansion
The McPike Mansion may be one of the most haunted places in Alton. Anyone in the paranormal investigation world has heard about it. This house was built way back in 1869. It once featured 11 marble fireplaces. But it hasn't been occupied since 1950. Orbs, balls of light, and figures are very common occurrences in this home. What's freaky is that they will appear after the photos have been developed, and the people taking the pictures knew that they weren't there when the photos were taken. Exactly who the ghosts are is unclear, although there is speculation that they are the ghosts of the people who lived here and the servants who worked here.
2. First Unitarian Church
The Unitarian society was founded in Alton in 1836, and the church was built in 1878 (and rebuilt in the early 1900s after a fire). Things were fairly uneventful until one of the pastors, named Phillip Mercer, decided to take his own life at the church. His suicide did not make sense to anyone who knew him, and that raised questions. Since then, the building has been host to weird occurrences. Doors seem to lock and unlock on their own. There seems to be a male presence who wants people to leave.
3. Mineral Springs
The Mineral Springs Hotel opened in 1914 and it was advertised as the largest swimming pool in Illinois. The waters were said to have healing powers. The swimming pool is in the hotel basement, and it is totally creepy. You'll hear the sound of hard shoes hitting the pavement when there is nothing to make the sound. One account is that a couple was having an argument and the husband fell into the pool, drowning. He is said to be waiting by the pool to get revenge on his wife.
4. Lewis and Clark Community College
Lewis and Clark is said to be host to the ghost of Harriett Haskell. Haskell was a force at what was formerly Monticello, a matriarch for the women in attendance. She eventually passed, but her spirit is said to linger. Among things she is credited with, her ghost is said to have knocked down the largest tree on campus. There was no storm or other cause, leading people to believe that it was in fact Haskell's ghost that was responsible. Haskell is also supposedly in the library, at least once grabbing the shoulder of a librarian.
5. The Milton Schoolhouse
Located on the east side of Milton, the Milton Schoolhouse is said to be haunted. No one can find newspaper accounts of this event, but the story goes that a little girl from the school, Mary, was attacked and murdered by the janitor. When he was suspected, he took his own life. Their ghosts are said to linger around the school.
Are you convinced? Do you have any ghost stories from these places?
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