PARANORMAL & MONSTER LEGENDS

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

TRUNKO

On the night of November 1, 1922 a mysterious corpse washed ashore along the beaches of Margate, South America. Measuring a little over 47 feet long the creature, dubbed Trunko, possessed a 10 foot tail and was covered in 8 inch long white fur. The creature also appeared to have no head but instead possessed a 5 foot trunk like appendage, hence the name, Trunko. Furry "sea monster" corpses, such as Trunko's, normally prove to be the decomposed bodies of sharks in which the fur is really exposed tissue fibers, However, the only known shark species able to reach 47 feet long or bigger was the Megalodon. Modern science tells us that the Megalodon went extinct some 1.6 million years ago in the Pliocene period.

Shortly after the discovery of the creature reports came in that earlier that day several eye witnesses reported witnessing an extraordinary battle between two whales and a yet unknown marine animal covered in snowy white fur. One of the witnesses, Hugh Ballance, described the animal as looking like a "giant polar bear." The fight reportedly lasted 3 hours and unfortunately for the mystery creature, the whales proved to great a challenge and its poor choice in adversaries cost the creature its life, not till later that night would people see how truly strange the creature would turn out to be. The corpse of Trunko spent 10 days on the Margate beach in which no scientist gave it the time of day, on the tenth day the sea reclaimed the body, and taking with it a possible scientific treasure. There is no known animal which resembles Trunko, and since the 1922 sighting no other sightings of similar beasts have been reported.

On March 8th 2006 marine biologists discovered a crustacean in the South Pacific that resembles a lobster or crab covered in what looks like white silky fur. Kiwa hirsuta is so distinct from other species that scientists have created a new taxonomic family for it. Though much smaller than 47 feet long, this new discover does place some validity on the existence of a marine animal covered in white fur. Read More Here.

The Evidence
There remains no physical evidence of the creature known as Trunko. Though the body rested on the shores of Margate, South Africa for 10 days not one skin, hair or bone sample was taken for future study.

The Sightings
The only documented sighting of Trunko is the original 1922 sighting in which the creature fought a losing battle with two whales, its body would later wash ashore only to be reclaimed by the sea 10 days later.

The Stats (Where applicable)

• Classification: Unknown
• Size: 47 feet in length
• Weight: unknown
• Diet: unknown
• Location: Margate, South America
• Movement: Swimming
• Environment: Oceans

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

LEGEND OF THE MICHIGAN DOGMAN



http://www.michigan-dogman.com/

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

THE WHITE WITCH OF ROSE HALL

Rose Hall

Annie May Palmer



Her Tomb

In the 1700's a young woman, named Anne came to Montego bay from France to marry John Palmer, the wealthy owner of a huge successful sugar plantation. Everything was strange and new to her but she soon became acquainted with her new found home. There were slaves galore and though this could have been a wonderful life for her it is said she was bored and missed the bright lights of Paris and wasn't too thrilled with this laid back Island living. Soon she became quite nasty and very mean spirited to her slaves and all who worked on the plantation.


She would have some of her slaves whipped for just about no reason, often in public to show the others just what they had in store if they disobeyed her orders in any way...She had a dungeon built and would put them in there and tortured as punishment for the slightest infraction of her orders, some she would even have executed...What her husband had to say about all this is unknown. Every morning she would stand out on her balcony to give her orders for the day to assembles slaves below ...Yes she was a tyrant in every sense of the word.


Out of boredom she started taking slaves to bed with her, when she tired of them she would kill them, then have them buried in unmarked graves on the grounds...It is not known if her husband found out or what, but it is also said she murdered him in bed one night, then had him buried as well... Why wasn't this death investigated? Nobody knows... but the island then was pretty much lawless...In any event his death just went unnoticed and she became the mistress of everything.... Yes, there certainly were many unmarked graves on those grounds, are those some of the spirits that are said to roam the estate now?


It wasn't too long before she wanted to study Voodoo...Now this practice had long been established on the Island so it wasn't difficult at all for her to find out the ways and wherefores of this very strange phenomenon...She was a fast learner and soon knew the magic she sought after, using it in vile and despicable manners...She would have babies sacrificed to strengthen her powers then have them buried also in unmarked graves. Her slaves taught her all they knew hoping they would be favored by her and not sacrificed, as had so many others. She married two more times and it is said she got rid of those husbands in the same manner as the first, acquiring their fortunes as well.


Soon she became known as the "White Witch", with a reputation as being ruthless and evil to everyone in the area. Even the pirates who frequented the area stayed away from her.


Things went along that way for a while, until one day, she happened to see a young slave she coveted and had him brought to her bedroom that night...For some reason she murdered him that evening instead of a few nights later as she normally did, also buried in an unmarked grave...But this time she made a mistake. This young man had been in love with a young girl who happened to be the daughter of the overseer of the estate. They were to be married and the girl was heartbroken...the overseer also was a high priest of Voodoo, something he didn't want Annie to know. ..He was furious at this action on Annie's part and decided to do away with her using his magic against hers. He prepared a special grave for her with specific markings and designed it so that she would be unable to rise from the dead. He then went into the house and engaged in a battle to the death of both of them fighting both physically and with all the magic he could muster from his years of practicing this very strange voodoo religion.. They then buried her in the grave he had prepared for her and that was supposed to be that!


But was it? Now it is said the rituals and spells that were to be preformed over her grave weren't done in the correct manner and she did rise, now roaming the great halls once again. There are so many sightings noted it is hard to discount them...Even some tourists who go there say they've captured ghostly images in mirrors and other places with their cameras while taking the tours of the house.. There have been paranormals who have been there recording strange and frightening sightings as well... And her grave, well, that is indeed an eerie sight, a big curved stone with a cross engraved on the front.

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

THE VAMPIRE GHOST OF GUADALAJARA

Maria was always an inquisitive girl. She liked to poke and prod around everything she encountered ever since she was a young child. Her family had lived on Nardo street in Guadalajara, Mexico all of her young life.
Like most of the children in her neighborhood the streets were their playground and she had explored every nook and cranny of the streets that surrounded her home. One spot that truly fascinated her was the cemetery that was only a few blocks away, El Panteon de Belen. It is an ancient cemetery with many supernatural ghost legends surrounding its occupants. Maria was only two years old when she first went there on November 2nd during a festival for the day of the dead. The cemetery had been turned into a museum long ago and the day of the dead celebrations would go on into the night with puppet shows and plays preformed throughout the graveyards property. She didn't know when she first heard the story of the Vampire's ghost grave, it seemed as though it had been a part of her experience of El Panteon de Belen for as long as she could remember.




The story is told that long ago there was a vampire ghost who stalked the countryside of Guadalajara in the early 19th century. Livestock and newborn babies were attacked in the middle of the night and all of their blood was drained from their lifeless bodies. The local citizens were on alert and during the dark hours of early morning a man was seen skulking back into his house after another reported attack of El Vampiro. A mob was formed and they burst into his house and killed him while he lay in his bed. A crude wooden stake was driven through his heart and he was buried unceremoniously in El Panteon de Belen. The stick was fed by his preternatural blood and soon it grew into a massive tree that burst open the tomb of El Vampiro. Legend has it that if you cut a limb from the tree you will see blood mingled with the sap ooze from the stump. An old prophecy claims that one the tree completely overgrows the grave and pushes the coffin up to the ground, El Vampiro ghost will be free to rise again and take his revenge upon the citizens of Guadalajara.
This story fascinated and frightened Maria, and she would often stare at the opened hole of the crypt of El Vampiro ghost whenever she visited the cemetery. Sometimes she was sure she thought something moved in the shadows, but her mother told her that her imagination was overactive from watching too many movies on television. But as she grew, the fascination with the crypt and the certainty that something was moving in its stygian darkness motivated her to visit the grave more frequently.

When she was 11 she her curiosity about the site was peaked and she decided to investigate the grave up close without anyone to bother her. After her parents had gone to bed she snuck out of the house after midnight and stealthfully walked the busy streets of Guadalajara and climbed the walls of El Panteon de Belen. The caretaker was usually guarding the grounds with his dog but luckily for her they had retreated to some location or another and she was not harassed as she made her way through the moldy and decaying crypts to the great tree. When she arrived at the grave of El Vampiro ghost she stood undecided for a few moments as fear gripped her heart, but she then cast these feelings aside and boldly skirted the makeshift fence that was erected to keep out the curious and vandals during normal visiting hours.

The cracked top of the crypt seemed like a bottomless pit as she carefully crawled toward it. She saw no movement now, only a gaping black pit where nothing was discernable. Fear once again seized her heart, but she once again pushed these emotions aside and moved on with sheer determination.

She let her legs drop down into the hole and took out the small candle and lighter that she had tucked away in her dress pockets. With a quick flick she lit the wick and the small illumination gave her just enough light to find a footing in the crypt. She lowered herself down only to find herself in a cramped oblong tomb not much larger than the metal casket she stood upon. There was just enough head room for her to slouch while on her knees as she beheld the old iron casket in the dim light. The metal was thin and very rusty, and it seemed to give a little as she distributed her weight on its lid. There was some writing on the lid at the head and she scooted herself to get a closer look. When she did so the metal began to buckle and flake as the corroded metal gave way and a small hole began to form at her knee no bigger than a baseball. She shifted her weight away and leaned to read the writing, but it was too rusted and the lighting too dim for her to distinguish what the old lettering actually said.

It was then she felt something touch her leg.

It was ghost that was coming out of the coffin.

She screamed and bumped her head on the inner lid of the crypt, but the daze that overcame her did not prevent her from quickly making her way out of the crypt's hole with remarkable speed.

She ran all the way home, and it was not until she opened the door did she see the blood.

It was trickling down her arm from a cut on the top of her head, and she had bled so much that the top half of her dress was a crimson stain. She managed to sneak in her house undetected and quickly disrobed and washed the cut on her head, luckily it did not seem that bad and the blood had stopped flowing. Her hair would hide it as it healed, and she washed her dress in the sink to hide all evidence of her nightly excursion.

She did not sleep at all that night though, for at every slight sound in the night or movement on the street outside of her window she was brought back to the terror she experienced in the crypt. She was sure El Vampiro was after her. After all, not only did something come out of the coffin and touched her, she had bled in the vampire's crypt. Surely once he tasted her blood he would want more.

She felt sick the following day partially because of the lack of sleep and partially because of the throbbing headache she felt from the wound on her head. But she did her household chores without complaining or telling her parents what had transpired the night before. And even though exhausted from the previous night without sleep and a full day of work, that evening she could not rest but instead lay rocking in her bed for hours fearful of the thing in the crypt. Finally she succumbed to exhaustion and fitfully fell into a half wakeful slumber. She awoke to see a dark figure standing over her bed. It was a tall man with no discernable features who just stood there watching. Maria screamed and her parents ran to her bedside.

As soon as the lights were turned on the figure vanished, but the young girl was hysterical. In tears she confessed to her parents of the previous nights adventure and the thing she had seen at her bed. They were terrified, not because of the dark figure but at the fact that the young girl had been roaming the streets in the middle of the night and had hurt herself. They calmed her down and assured her that it was just a figure of her imagination. The next day they brought her to a doctor who tended to her wound and found that there was a slight infection. He too assured little Maria that the specter at the end of her bed was just an illusion from her wound and lack of sleep.

But the dark figure returned the next night. Maria awoke to pain on her head and the dark figure was leaning over her. The girl's screams alerted her parents, and this time when they came into her room they found her pillow had a spot of blood on it. Maria's wound had seemed to open once again. The girl was sure that it was El Vampiro ghost taking another drink of her blood, and after they once again dressed her wound the girl refused to sleep alone in the bed, so her mother sat by her resting in a chair.   

For two nights the mother slept in the room and even though she slept soundly the girl seemed to weaken. The wound also refused to heal. The doctor had no idea why the wound would seem to heal during the day but reopen during the night. Maria was adamant that it was the work of the vampire ghost that attacked her, but her parents just regarded this as foolishness. That all changed on the third night after Maria's fateful excursion. The mother sat with Maria for a while, until she fell off to sleep. Then she made herself ready to retire into her bedroom, but first stopped in the bathroom to freshen up before bed. On her way to her bedroom she quickly checked on Maria. Peering through the half opened door she saw her daughter lying asleep in bed and what looked to be a man standing over her in the darkness. She screamed for her husband and burst the door open and in the half second before the specter disappeared she swore she saw at look up at her with glowing eyes of fire. And once again the wound on Maria's head was bleeding. The family was now convinced they were dealing with no normal wound, but they had no idea what to do.

While Maria's family was not religious, Maria's grandmother was a stout Pentecostal and she asked her minister for help. Although he had no formal training in such matters he did believe in the supernatural powers of darkness and decided to help anyway he could. Rev. Guivez visited with the family one night and talked at length with Maria. He anointed the wound with oil and prayed over her and the family in her bedroom. Immediately a porcelain doll flew off a nearby shelf and crashed into the wall just above the Reverend's head. The minister was shaken up but still having his wits about him immediately demanded that the activity cease and the entity that was appearing and causing the harm to the girl immediately leave the room. Within seconds the room became cold and a mist began to swirl next to Maria. Every person there swore it looked like it was taking the shape of a man. Reverend Guivez immediately invoked the name of Christ and demanded that it cease and desist, and to his surprise the mist began to fade. With new found authority he demanded again that the ghost entity leave the house immediately; and suddenly they heard the house cat in the next room screech in terror. The father turned to see it run frantically around the house as if insane and then jumped out an open window, and into the heavy traffic of Nardo street. It was run over and killed instantly.
The apparitions stopped and within a few days Maria's wound began to heal for good. She never again went to El Panteon de Belen, not even to celebrate the day of the dead. She grew up to be a well adjusted young woman with a fantastic story to tell. After everyone in the church and the neighborhood heard of Maria's tale, Reverend Guivez soon was called to many people and places where spiritual deliverance was needed. He quickly found himself doing more exorcism than marriages in his ministry at the Pentecostal church.

[Toy Ranch]

Loving the beasties, ghosties, and whatnot, Dr T!  Thanks for posting them.

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

Loving the beasties, ghosties, and whatnot, Dr T!  Thanks for posting them.

Thanks, and I love this stuff to, it makes it more enjoyable, since Halloween is close at hand

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

THE GRINNING MAN   

One night in October 1966, two boys, James Yanchitis and Marvin Munoz, were walking home along Fourth Street in their hometown of Elizabeth, N.J. They soon reached a corner that runs parallel to the New Jersey Turnpike. A large wire fence ran along the edge of the other street below where the boys were walking. It was young Yanchitis who first saw what has become known as the Grinning Man. And even though it was dark, he could clearly see the weird figure, according to a Web site.

"He was standing behind that fence," Yanchitis later told investigators. "I don't know how he got there. He was the biggest man I ever saw."

Yanchitis then nudged his friend and pointed out the weird entity. Munoz later stated, "I looked around and there he was behind that fence. Just standing there. He pivoted around and looked right at us. Then he grinned a big old grin."

The two boys had heard about a resident of the neighborhood being chased by a "tall green man" down that same street. The frightened boys got out of there quickly.

Three days later, John A. Keel, a well-known author and paranormal investigator, visited the two boys

...

Keel talked to the two boys separately and both gave the exact same story.

They both described the humanoid creature as standing more than 6 feet tall and dressed in a sparkling green coverall costume. The street lights were reflected off the shimmering outfit. A wide black belt was fastened around his waist.

"He had a very dark complexion, and little round eyes, real beady, set far apart," said one of the boys.
But the strangest thing about the Grinning Man was he did not have any hair, ears or a nose
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In November 1966, Woodrow Derenberger of Parkersburg, W.Va. was driving home in his truck after a hard day of work. As he drove up a hill, he heard a loud crash. Then all of a sudden, a vehicle zoomed up behind him, quickly passed his truck and then slowed down. But this was not a car, truck or motorcycle.

He reported it looking like "an old-fashioned kerosene lamp chimney, flaring at both ends, narrowing down to a small neck and then enlarging in a great bulge in the center." This weird vehicle stopped in front of Derenberger and blocked the road. All of a sudden, a door slid open on one side. Then, a tall man stepped out. He stood more than 6 feet and his skin was heavily tanned. The weird man wore an outfit made out of some sort of "glistening green material," similar to the one worn by the other Grinning Man encountered in Elizabeth, N.J. by the two boys. And like that one, he had a big grin on his face.

Derenberger would report that the Grinning Man communicated with him telepathically and asked him a series of strange questions. However, the Web site account does not go into details about their conversation. The weird entity revealed that his name was Cold. He then said he would visit Derenberger again. He got back into his craft and left.

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

ANNIE'S ROAD


According to an urban legend, the road is haunted by a "Lady in White", or a girl in a blue or white dress. Throughout all stories of Annie's Road, one thing is agreed upon; [a girl named] Annie is said to have been killed on the road. After that, however, the story has evolved into versions ranging from the girl being killed on her wedding night and then being dragged along the road to her being decapitated on her prom night causing her ghost to return seeking her lost head. One story tells of Annie being stood up at her prom, and in her dismay decided to get drunk and walk along the road; soon, however, she is said to have been hit by a car full of drunk students returning from prom. Locals have many different versions of Annie's story.

Alongside of the road is a guardrail painted red, where she died. Local's stories say that on the eve of her death every year her deranged father returns to paint it, supposedly because he wants to be with his daughter once more.

Every time a person passes by Annie's Road at midnight they will supposedly see her ghost walking along the road, and she also is said to appear every year on the anniversary of her death. One witness described seeing Annie as: "When you see her she appears to be a rather short girl who is dressed all in white who usually wisps away shortly after appearing." Right beside the road at the east end is a cemetery where Annie is allegedly buried.

Legend has it, she comes out on Halloween as well, but you can only see her or hear her if you drive down this street with your headlights off, old music playing, and your windows down. Supposedly, you would see her on the side of the road or hear a scratching or thumping on the door. But be careful - the police check this road every Halloween for disorderly driving. Another word of caution; the Passaic River is right next to the road (some versions claim that Annie's body was hurled into the river from the force of her being hit,) and people do live on this street.

[Zhacarius]

I aswell accept in ghosts and I accept had a few experiences.


________________
private labeling

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

THETIS LAKE MONSTER






Thetis Lake is near Cottonwood, British Columbia, not far from Victoria, Cadboro Bay, off Victoria and Vancouver Island, (and) is well known for the perennial sea monster 'Cadborosaurus.' So understandably a new creature in the neighborhood would be grouped under the same type of facade by the press. But the Thetis monster appears to be something else altogether.

"On 19 August 1972 Gordon Pike and Robin Flewellyn said a five-foot-tall animal appeared on the surface of Thetis Lake AND CHASED THEM FROM THE BEACH. Flewellyn was CUT on the hand by six razor-sharp points atop the monster's head. A Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer was quoted at the time as saying: 'The boys seem sincere, and until we determine otherwise we have no alternative but to continue our investigation.'

"The next Wednesday afternoon, 23 August, the Thetis Monster was encountered again. Mike Gold and Russell Van Nice said they saw 'it' around 3:30 P.M. and on the other side of the lake away from the recreation area of its first appearance. Mike Gold noted: 'It came out of the water and looked around. Then it went back into the water. Then we ran!' He described the creature as 'shaped like an ordinary body, like a human being body but it had a monster face, and it was all scaly (with) a point sticking out of its head (and) great big ears.' It was silver.






The following edited report is from Haden Blackman's article on The creature that has been seen in Thetis Lake, in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia.

For centuries, Native Americans have reported encounters with various races of cannibalistic humanoids inhabiting lakes, rivers, and oceans. Such monsters have reappeared in modern times; one such beast is the Thetis Lake Monster, which was first reported in the 1970s.

The Thetis monster is similar in appearance to the gilled, manlike creatures reported in South America, made famous by such films as The Creature from the Black Lagoon or The Swamp Thing. These creatures generally have bodies entirely protected by tough, silvery scales, and sometimes have a razor-sharp fin, or crest, projecting from the top of its skull. They have large, webbed ears, and webbed, clawed hands and feet that allow it to move through the water at amazing speeds. Their eyes are dark, fish-like, bulbous orbs, capable of penetrating the depths of even the murkiest lakes.

The Thetis Lake Monster appears to be able to extract oxygen from both air and water, allowing it to live on both land and in the water and, although it appears to be mute, the monster does make harsh, gurgling noises, presumably as a result of forcing air through its waterlogged lungs.

The first recorded Thetis Lake Monster sighting occurred on August 19, 1972, when two teenagers on the shores of the lake observed a scaly, humanoid form suddenly rise from the water. The terrified teens fled the lake, but the beast pursued the pair and lacerated one boy's hand with the vicious, barbed fin on its skull. The boys immediately took their harrowing tale to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), who were so impressed with the sincerity of the witnesses that they launched a complete investigation into the attack. They found little evidence to corroborate the boys' story but, just four days later, two more witnesses were also frightened by the monster, and the RCMP were forced to increase their efforts. After weeks of vainly searching the lake and the surrounding environs, the RCMP quietly halted the investigation.

Although the creature has not been seen in the area for some time, any research into this particular beast should begin at Thetis Lake. Researchers should look for evidence of the creature's existence in the form of footprints or discarded scales and, if you do come across it, remember these kind of creatures are all considered extremely dangerous.

In the event that the creature attacks, one method of dissuading it might be the use of fire. No water or semi-aquatic creature likes naked flame so the interested monster hunter should perhaps carry a flaming torch when looking for the Thetis Lake monster.

[Unknown Primate]

That "Ginning Man" deal is creepy!

[Unknown Primate]

GHOST AVENUE

This is an area on the outskirts of Muncie, Indiana that is situated on the southwest edge of the Prairie Lake Reservoir.  For years & years, this was "off the beaten path".  Thick woods with trails for hiking and motorbiking.  Even had one particular steep hill we'd use for motorcycle climbs.  In the mid-60's, a young woman's body was found out there.  I believe she had been stabbed to death, but possibly strangled.  I just can't remember for sure.  My teenage friends & I didn't start hanging out there until the early 70's, but we had heard the stories about the horrifying screams that people reported hearing, supposedly the screams of the murdered woman's ghost.  There was an old restroom built from concrete blocks that set next to one of the paths.  This was supposed to be where the woman's brutalized body was discovered.  Whether or not, this was where she was actually murdered, we didn't know for sure.  Either way, it was pretty creepy, just knowing what had happened, plus hearing the reports of her screams & death moans.  To top it off, the structure (about 8' x 6') was painted BLOOD RED!  Talk about eerie!  Still, since me and my pals were generally partaking of such vices as Boone's Farm Country Quencher and of course, nature's wondrous herb, we didn't have the time or wherewithall to get spooked too often.  Every so often though, we'd hear about reports of screams and even a few wispy apparitions, but none of our gang ever really experienced anything firsthand.  Besides, it was a great place to take members of the opposite sex, and if they were too scared, they wouldn't go with us to Ghost Avenue at all!

My friends and I hung out there off and on from 1971 to around 1974/'75.  My girlfriend(s) & I hiked a few times in the area for the next couple of years, but all in all, Ghost Avenue was all but forgotten.

But, I revisited the Legend Of Ghost Avenue a few years later...  And that's where things get a little creepier.  That will be in my next installment.  I'm gonna call some old friends to verify the happenings at GHOST AVENUE in the 80's.

Till next time...  Pleasant nightmaressssss!

[CreepysFan]

    BATCHELOR'S GROVE CEMETERY

     Bachelor's Grove is located in the middle of the Rubio Woods Forrest Preserve in Midlothian, Ill. outside Chicago.  The site was set aside as a cemetery in 1864, and the last burial was in the sixties.  Some of the reported occurances within the cemetery have been blue orbs and red steaking lights (both seen with the naked eye), faces appearing on headstones, a childlike crying, and a blue fog appearing on photos taken inside the cemetery gate with photos outside being normal.  The hauntings could be the result of it's bad history.  Sometime in the sixties the place was severely vandalized.  Headstones were knocked down, broken, and spraypainted.  A couple of graves opened and the bones strewn about.  In the sseventies remains of dead chickens like in a Satanic ritual were found.  Less than half of the headstones are still present as most have been stolen over the decades, the rest are badly overgrown making it hard to find the remaining ones.  The fence surrounding the cemerey is also in bad shape where trees have fallen on it and people have destroyed the gate.  Anyone found in the Rubio woods at night will be procecuted, and it's patrolled by Forrest Rangers and Police.  At the edge of the cemetery is a pond with a history.  In 1870 a farmer drowned in it, and it was a popular dumping ground for bodies by Chicago gansters.  The overgrown dirt road leading to the cemetery is also a place of an odd occurance.  A phantom Farm House has been sighted since the early fifties.  It's always described as a white two story with wooden pillars, porch swing, and lights in one window.  As you approach it becomes smaller and smaller before fading away.   

[CreepysFan]

Bachelor's Grove cont.

   

  Local urban legend says if you should ever enter the house, you'll never be seen again.  Reports of the house have been recorded both at day and night since the fifties.  There are no offical records of a house ever been built in the Rubio Woods.  Official records of the area go back as far as the late 1700's.

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery part 2


This enigmatic site has been a thorn in the side of southwest suburban officials since the closing of the old Midlothian Turnpike in the 1960s, which barred the one-acre cemetery from vehicle traffic and simultaneously created the most legendary lovers lane in the metropolitan area.

Part of the Rubio Woods Forest Preserve, Bachelors Grove (also known as Batchelor Grove, Old Bachelor's Grove, Bachelder's Grove, Batchelor's Grove, English Bachelor's Grove, and others) was founded in the mid-nineteenth century as Everdon's Cemetery, hosting its first burial when Eliza Scott was interred in November 1844. For many years a placid place where families picnicked on Sundays and fished in the site's quarry pond, the burial ground began its aesthetic decline in the 1950s and '60s, when teenagers enjoying the surrounding woods initiated reports of mysterious flashing lights and a "magic house" that would appear and disappear from a clearing in the forest.

Since these earliest reports of a haunted Bachelors Grove, myriad tales have taken root in the area's fertile soil, which is credited as the place of origin of a number of popular modern American folktales; for example, these woods are supposed to have been the site where the original "Hooked Maniac" of urban legend preyed on lovelorn victims after escaping from a mental institution. In addition, numerous other phantoms have joined the magic house in haunting the grove, including a two-headed man, a woman in white called "The Madonna of Bachelors Grove," ominous, darkly-hooded figures, and a man in a yellow suit who is reputed to appear and disappear in a shower of sparks.

Fueling the imaginative fire here are the ongoing reports of Satanic worship alleged to have occurred at Bachelors Grove since the 1960s. Far from unfounded, such reports were authenticated with some frequency during the '70s, when hooligans in search of kicks routinely dug up graves and rearranged tombstones, some leaving animal remains and other grisly tokens as calling cards.

Though Bachelors Grove is a heart-wrenching mess of a place these days, there is hope that local frustration at the continued ransacking of the site will inspire a renewed effort to restore to the cemetery some its former dignity.

Originally settled in the early 1830s by British migrants from New England, a second influx of German settlers traveled to the Bachelors Grove area during the 1840s. Though local popular history traces the site's name to four single men who migrated to these woods during the first phase of settlement, resulting in the designation as "Bachelors" Grove, local researchers now believe that the true spelling of the place name was Batchelder, and that the Grove was named for the family that had settled in the area in 1845. Still, the popular name of Bachelors Grove persists, despite the more common historical use of the hybrid "Batchelor" Grove name, among others.

Though anywhere from 150 to 200 persons are estimated to have been buried in this tiny enclosure, fewer than 20 headstones remain. Fortunately, largely owing to the efforts of historian Brad L. Bettenhausen, a plot map was compiled in the mid-1990s, which was published along with background notes in the Fall 1995 issue of the South Suburban Genealogical and Historical Society's journal, Where the Trails Cross. Gathering research from area maps, students of Bremen High School, and members of local historical societies, Bettenhausen matched up burial records and plot locations to create a picture of the true Bachelors Grove, despite the vandalism, missing stones, and waist-high foliage of recent years. The result is an intriguing tale of settlement and growth and, sadly, of decline.

The last known burial of a body at Bachelors Grove took place in 1965; the last burial of ashes was recorded in 1989. Burials after 1950 are rare, and many remains have been disinterred and moved from Bachelors Grove throughout the century as a result of the migration of families, the need for larger plots, and, later, the horror of families at the desecration of the grounds. Still, a search for the origins of Blue Island should begin by walking the few hundred feet down the weed-choked road to the grove, where many of the area's earliest and most influential settlers have, in recent decades, endured a less than peaceful sleep.