The Spooky Urban Legend in Iowa That Still Haunts Locals Today

Like any other state, Iowa has its share of urban legends—tales passed from older siblings to younger, generation to generation, that have somehow managed to withstand both the passage of time and healthy doses of skepticism. These, of course, include yarns about ghosts, hauntings, grisly murders, and even cryptids. Take, for example, the Van Meter Visitor.

First reported near the turn of the 20th century, the Visitor was a creature with wings like a bat and a single horn on its head that emitted a bright white light. Sightings initially occurred in the small town of Van Meter, west of Des Moines, over several nights in 1903. Over the years, additional sightings have been reported, and the town hosts an annual event every September to commemorate the creature's visit.

Another urban (or in this case, rural) legend that endures in the Hawkeye State is that of Stony Hollow Road, near Burlington. According to the legend, in the 19th century, a woman named Lucinda awaited her lover along this dark, curvy road. After he didn't arrive at the appointed time, she went to the top of one of the limestone cliffs lining the road and hurtled herself to her death. Her lover eventually arrived, his wagon having become stuck in mud, but he was too late. Lucinda's soul haunts a stretch of Stony Hollow Road to this day, and if you say her name three times, she will appear. Beware, though: If she drops a rose at your feet, you, too, will be destined for a tragic ending.

I think the best urban legend in Iowa, if not the most famous, though, is that of the Black Angel in Iowa City. Perhaps it's because I spent a good deal of my childhood there, but the Black Angel's story is one that's really stuck with me throughout the years. You'll find this beautiful, haunting creature at Oakland Cemetery on Iowa City's north side.

Teresa Dolezal Feldevert commissioned the statue in 1911 to memorialize her late husband and her son, Eddie, who had died 20 years earlier at the age of 18. Eddie had already been interred at the cemetery, his grave marked with a striking headstone in the shape of a broken stump. When Feldevert's husband died, however, she had Eddie's remains and headstone moved to a plot at one of the cemetery's highest points and re-interred next to those of her husband.

The bronze statue was cast in Chicago by Czech-American artist Mario Korbel and delivered to Iowa City by rail in 1912. The angel was placed atop the grave of Feldevert's husband, and her right wing extends outward to shield the grave of Eddie. Almost immediately upon being erected, the statue oxidized and began to darken.

People noticed that, unlike most memorial angels, who cast their eyes upward and extend their wings to guide the souls of the dead toward heaven, the Black Angel looked downward with her wings lowered. Rumor has it that Feldevert was displeased with Korbel's work and refused to pay the remainder of the commission. The dispute ended in court, but the angel remained. When Feldevert herself died in 1924, her ashes were laid to rest beneath the Black Angel, as well.

In the ensuing years, the Black Angel is said to have been possessed of dark powers, and there are rules about interacting with her. For example, kissing the angel means instant death, and if you touch her at midnight on Halloween, you will die within seven years. Pregnant women should not pass beneath the Black Angel or they will miscarry. There are others, but too many to list here. With each passing Halloween, however, the angel grows a shade darker as a reminder of the people who have met their demise at her hands.

This is why I only visit the Black Angel from a respectful distance. Have you visited her at Iowa City's Oakland Cemetery? What are some other Iowa urban legends? We'd love to hear about your favorites.

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