Paranormal Activity in Chicago

Geared towards the spirit of Halloween, I thought it was appropriate to write a hub about places that are haunted. The Chicago area is home to many haunted places. I am going to briefly discuss some of the more popular spooks.

First on the list is Harpo Studios which is the home of Oprah Winfrey. There is some history about this location that should be mentioned. On July 24, 1915, the Eastland Steamer capsized into the Chicago River, killing 800 passengers. Almost 200 of those bodies were transported to a nearby warehouse that served as a morgue shortly after the disaster.

 Nearly 80 years later, Oprah built her famed Harpo Studios on that same land. Employees have stated that they have heard phantom laughter during night shifts, and one ghost has been spotted on a regular basis. In fact, the employees have nicknamed the ghost, “Gray Lady.”

When the Eastland Steamer capsized into the Chicago River in 1915, the former Chicago Historical Society Building, which now houses Excalibur and Visions nightclubs, also served as a morgue for the victims. Ever since Excalibur opened its doors in 1989, employees have reported an array of strange occurrences--from glasses falling without reason to roaming cold spots and mysterious voices to a floating woman in a red dress.

Next up is Resurrection Cemetery and the legend of Resurrection Mary. As legend has it, after a fight with her lover at the Oh Henry Ballroom, young Mary stormed out into the cold where she was killed by a hit-and-run driver. For more than 70 years, there have been police reports from men that say they have picked up a blonde-hair, blue-eyed girl in a white party dress along Archer Avenue. Supposedly, she asks drivers to drop her off at Resurrection Cemetery, where she then proceeds to disappear into the night.

Along the other side of Archer Avenue, St. James Sag has had several sightings of ghastly monks chanting in Latin, throughout the years. This seems odd because the church and cemetery sit above an ancient Native American trail that is known for its mystic qualities. The monks were considered to be urban folklore until 1977 when a Cook County deputy sheriff reportedly chased eight floating figures in monk robes into the night. The deputy sheriff never found the ghostly figures.

Mount Carmel Cemetery is a predominant Italian cemetery that is known for the many gangsters that are buried there, most notably Al Capone. The story that makes Mount Carmel so creepy is “The Italian Bride.” Julia Bucoola Petta died in 1921 due to childbirth. She was buried at the cemetery in her wedding dress. Shortly after, her mother experienced dreams that indicated to her that Julia was still alive. Six years after her death, The Italian Bride was dug up from her grave where it was discovered that the casket had decomposed but Julia Buccola Petta’s body had not.

The Jane Addams Hull House has not one but three myths that haunt that location. Some people believe in the legend of the Devil Baby, the deformed child of an atheist who came to the house to be baptized in 1913, only to be buried in the garden next to the house. Other people believe that the land that the house sits on has been cursed by a Native American ghost dance. Years before Jane Addams worked at the Hull House, former residents claimed to live among a sad, but not frightful ghost. This ghost was believed to be Mrs. Charles Hull.

During the great fire of 1871, the Water Tower famously became the only building in Chicago to survive the disaster. Legend says there was a worker in the tower who heroically manned the pumps instead of fleeing for his life. Instead of letting the flames devour him, the man hung himself before they could reach him. Tourists have spotted the shadowy figure of the hanging man dangling through the upstairs window of the Water Tower.

The eerie statue that sits inside the Graceland Cemetery was said to be a life-size representation of Inez Clarke, a six-year-old girl who died after being struck by lightning on a family picnic in 1880. Throughout the years, stories have surfaced from people claiming to have seen Inez walking outside of the monument, playing in the graveyard during thunderstorms. The only problem to this legend is that she didn’t exist! Records indicate an 8-year-old boy named Amos Briggs is actually buried where the monument sits.

Known as the city’s most haunted location, Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery is the home to more ghost sightings that any other location in the Chicago area. In fact, It ranks among some of the most haunted places in the world. If you ever decide to visit this cemetery, make sure that you bring your camera with you and snap as many pictures as you can. Look through the prints to see if any orbs appear. This location is deemed to be the home of many disgruntled spirits.