Vishnu Springs is a place that time seems to have forgot. While ghost towns exist around the country, and even around the world, this little ghost town in Illinois has a history that almost seems to echo through time.
Vishnu Springs began during the middle of the 19th century, but it really reached its height during the 1880’s. This was when locals began to tout the virtues of their water, and the supposed healing power of the water. People came from all over the country to drink the water and to bathe in the water to cure their pains and problems. Some of those people were so impressed that they took water home in jugs, bottles, gallons, and anything else they could find.
The town was officially named in 1889, following a particular meeting that brought thousands of people to the town. Visitors and locals could purchase lots in the town for a small price. A local man by the name of Hicks spent most of his adult life building the town and encouraging people to come.
The people did come to Vishnu Springs, especially after it was labeled a heath resort. Hicks purchased a plot of land and had a large hotel built in 1889, to capitalize on those tourists. He watched with delight as people began buying land to build their own houses and stores. By the end of the 19th century the town had a post office, and a handful of residents but was far from a prosperous place to live. Even at the height of its popularity, Vishnu Springs never had more than 80-100 residents.
A carousel was built in the town, but this children’s ride would soon lead to horror. As the ride was full of small children, a man was pulled inside the ride and crushed to death. The event troubled the small community, and they never quite seemed to bounce back from it. Hicks’ wife died later that year during childbirth, and some claim the event actually happened in the hotel he had built. Sadly, his daughter died during the birth as well.
Hicks himself left town and embarked on a relationship with a widowed woman. After she became pregnant and he refused her advances, she underwent an abortion. While recovering in the hospital, the woman threatened to expose their relationship. In response, Hicks went home and shot himself. Though he described why he committed suicide in his note, it was clear that he would rather have people speak ill of him in death than to live through the talk.
Vishnu Springs struggled to find its footing following his death, but the end was coming. This small town was removed enough from larger cities that criminals felt comfortable staying there. Before long the town was more known for the unsavory characters living there, than its healing waters.
Locals tried to find ways to keep the town afloat, but nothing seemed to work. During the 1930’s a man came forward to purchase large portions of the town. Though he worked his hardest to bring back some luster to the town, he never saw any real success. When he died in 1951 and his kids left town, the hotel was left to rot as was most of the town.
One of the more interesting periods in the history of Vishnu Springs came during the 1970s when it served as a commune for Western Illinois University alumni. This large group moved into the old hotel and began holding festivals in the area. They raised their own food and seemed to enjoy their time at the old hotel, but eventually they too left town.
Vishnu Springs was little more than a ghost town. The owner of the land is in dispute, meaning that no one can actually buy the property and even if they could, there aren’t many potential owners out there. There are not any buildings still standing, and what was once there has been left to rot. Of course future owners would also have to contend with the multitude of ghost stories as well.
Those who have ventured into what’s left of Vishnu Springs claim to hear people talking and laughing, as well as music playing. That’s a fairly odd occurrence considering that the town itself has no electricity. Then there is the ghostly woman who many people have seen wandering through the old, run down streets. The woman quickly disappears when they try to approach, leaving no trace that she was ever there.
Vishnu Springs is a nothing more than an old ghost town in Illinois. You may be lucky enough to see what is left of the old hotel, or stumble across a few foundations, but that’s about it. What was once a small town is now on private property and closed to the public. Maybe someday it will be opened back up so everyone can enjoy this little community.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu_Springs
http://www.unsolvedmysteries.com/usm428075.html
