The Midwest is famous for having some truly unique and unusual ghost stories. In the state of Iowa you’ll find everything from haunted cemeteries to ghostly spots.
First up is the Stoney Hollow, an area also known as Mossy Glen. This area is famous for some unusual stories and disappearances, some of which led to its haunting. A traveling salesman was supposedly killed by locals for his products or at least that’s what the legend claims. Another man headed out towards the area and disappeared. Some believe he was involved in the death of his wife and chose suicide, while others believe the ghost of his dead wife drove him insane.
There’s also the Shine murder. Pearl was a young and attractive woman who decided to marry Dan Shine though he was older and significantly less attractive. She and her lover later murdered the man and were sentenced to life in prison. Many people claim the woman’s ghost now haunts Mossy Glen, doomed to walk eternity for her sins.
Or you can visit the Grand Opera House in Dubuque, Iowa. The building opened over a century ago and it’s had a variety of ghostly visitors every since. Employees have spotted apparitions, while guests have heard strange laughter or people talking when there was no one around. You can also stop by Cedar Rapids and check out Voorhees Hall at Coe College. Supposedly a female student died there years ago and now walks around the halls where she makes strange noises and generally bothers those living there.
Of course you may want to visit Indianola, Iowa and the ghost of their Simpson College. The Old Chapel is one of the oldest buildings on campus and according to local legend, numerous students have died there over the years. They now manifest themselves with the sound of footsteps, strange orbs and even dark shadowy figures walking around inside at night.
Decorah, Iowa is also home to a haunted school: Luther College. Stories of the ghost in Larsen Hall are so popular that the students have even named her Gertrude. The ghost sometimes steals the clothing of female students, likes to move things around and is also prone to pulling the fire alarm late at night.
If a haunted tour of Iowa is your mission, then you must stop by the haunted Amana Colonies in Amana. When the town was founded in 1854, the Lutherans living there were hoping for a quiet and peaceful existence, but found ghosts instead. One area they even named Ghost Corner due to the shadowy figures they constantly encountered. The nearby Sprague Cemetery is also haunted by a strange blue orb, while the Indian Dam is haunted by the ghosts of the Native Americans who once lived in the area.
Dubuque is home to the haunted Mathias Ham House. The beginnings of the house appeared in the 1840s and the original owner began to add to it, creating new rooms and living spaces as his wealth continued to grow. Eventually only his daughter Sarah lived there, the only one left of the Mathias Ham family. The woman killed a man who broke into the house one night, but he still managed to make his way to a nearby river. Now people notice a light near where he died and hear some strange sounds and someone walking around inside the house.
You also have to add the Old Pottawattamie County Jail in Council Bluff to your list of haunted hotspots in Iowa. People claim that the jail is haunted by the ghost of an old superintendent as well as two inmates who died there. Or stop by the Mars Hill Cemetery in Ottumwa. Supposedly the site is used for occult meetings and has a haunted bridge nearby as well.
There’s also an interesting historical antidote in Iowa regarding a poltergeist that may or may not have been real. During the late 1950s the small town of Millville was rocked by rumors of a ghostly spirit right in their backyard. On Thanksgiving night a local couple found grey soot covering one of the windows in their home. Later they started hearing odd noises and something that seemed to shake the whole house as well as seeing things move on their own.
It’s worth noting that just before the strange things began, a teenage relative had moved in with the family. Only one event occurred when the boy was actually gone from the house. That time something managed to knock over a refrigerator in the house. The family finally moved out of their house, but when another member went back to check on the house he found that the doors would come unlock when he tried to leave them locked up. Those who attempted to stay in the house included friends and relatives, but they all experienced the same strange things.
The stories of what was happening in the town spread far and wide, with television shows, newspapers and even radios doing special stories on it. People tried to stay in the house and all fled in the middle of the night. Upper Iowa University even sent a team of paranormal investigators out to the house. The investigators eventually determined that they found nothing in the house nor did they believe it was haunted. That didn’t deter the crowds though that continued to gather at the house and even on the road leading to the house, hoping to catch a glimpse of something unusual.
Even today people argue over what happened in Millville, Iowa. There are some that believe water under the house caused the strange behavior, while others maintain the house was haunted. There are even some who believe the family somehow made the things happen to gain a little publicity. They point out that the man of the house was injured and had no idea if he’d ever work again and that the family was in desperate need of money. However no one was ever able to explain what exactly did happen that winter in Millville.
Now that you know the haunted hotspots in Iowa, maybe it’s time for a road trip...
Sources:
http://theshadowlands.net/places/iowa.htm
http://www.prairieghosts.com/hauntia.html
