This Spooky Small Town In Missouri Could Be Right Out Of A Horror Movie
The state of Missouri is rich in so much history, but sometimes that history holds a haunted past. Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City was once known as the bloodiest 47 acres in the United States. However, about two hours southwest of Jefferson City, lies Missouri’s most haunted small town, Potosi.
Moses Austin, Potosi's founding father, is believed to have built this shop sometime around 1798. However, it was 1932 when the store, now turned into a house, would experience its first tragedy. F.J. Flynn died of a self-inflicted wound while living there.
Paranormal investigations are on-going at the store. Visitors have reported being scratched or hearing voices. Judy Myers, a sensitive investigator with Missouri Paranormal Research, said she picked up on several spirits, including an abused child running away and a man who hung himself.
The store can be found at South Missouri Street & West Jefferson Street in Potosi.
The store can be found at South Missouri Street & West Jefferson Street in Potosi.
The source of this haunting coincidentally has roots back to the town's founding father. Moses Austin was initially buried in Hazel Run Mines, however he was dug up and moved to the cemetery in Potosi. The individuals who transported his body noted that after seven years, his coffin had disintegrated, but his body remained in an almost perfect petrified state with only his nose and fingers missing. After being reentered into the Potosi Cemetery, Moses grave was
later found dug up with the new coffin lid open. It's rumored that the culprits were the towns-people who had been curious of what they had heard about his preserved body. Regardless, many believe Austin has not been able to fully rest in peace since then.
Potosi experienced its most violent crime in 1870 when three men trespassed into the Lapine family home and murdered the entire family. They first shot the adults, then chopped off their heads. When it came to the children, they used the axe to kill them, mutilating their bodies into several pieces. What was left of the family's bodies were buried at the cemetery in Potosi.
The cemetery can be found on Old 21 and Jackson Street in Potosi.
The cemetery can be found on Old 21 and Jackson Street in Potosi.
The Long-Banta home was built by prominent business man, James Long, sometime in 1865. James, his wife Betty and all three of his daughters died within these walls.
Descendants of James Long believed their ancestor continued to haunt the house. Many reported seeing ghostly figures looking out the window, when no one was home. Others frequently heard unexplained voices.
The reported haunting led to a paranormal investigation. Investigators outside the home witnessed a ghostly shadow walking past windows and experienced unexplainable moving areas of electromagnetic fields coupled with
temperature drops on the inside. They also asked questions to the spirits which were answered by piano notes played by the
unseen and even captured the disembodied voices or what is referred to as Electronic
Voice Phenomena (EVP) on their audio recordings.
The Long-Banta Home can be found at located at North Mine Street & West Breton Street in Potosi.
The Long-Banta Home can be found at located at North Mine Street & West Breton Street in Potosi.
After learning about this town’s dark history, it’s no wonder many believe it to be haunted. If you’re brave enough to embark on a tour, the Paranormal Task Force puts on historical and interactive tours as well as ghost huntings. Click here to see their website for more details.