Kathi Kresol - Haunted Rockford, Illinois

Published by Haunted America

A Division of The History Press

Charleston, SC

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2017 by Kathi Kresol

All rights reserved

First published 2017

e-book edition 2017

ISBN 978.1.43966.282.3

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017940924

print edition ISBN 978.1.46713.729.4

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

To my own children: Sarah, Brandon, Amber, Aryn and Stacy. You make all things seem possible. And all the other children who are not mine but have touched my life through the years. Thank you for trusting me with your dreams and for inspiring me to reach for mine.

FOREWORD

When one brings up the subject of ghosts in the state of Illinois, Chicago is often touted as having more supernatural tales than any other city. Move over Chicago, Rockford has made a name for itself due in part to Haunted Rockford, Illinois, by author and historian Kathi Kresol. Many in northwest Illinois call her the Ghost Lady.

I first met Kresol around five years ago, and I was deeply impressed not only by her ability to constantly and completely book up every single ghost event, tour and lecture that she was part of but as a ghost researcher, colleague and friend. Her diligence and tireless efforts shine through everything she touches and has made her one of the most well-known and highly respected paranormal researchers and ghost event planners in the entire state.

I have been privileged to have worked with her numerous times over the past several years, and every time has been very special for me. I was awestruck at the vast amount of knowledge she has acquired over the years, especially when planning something for her immensely popular Haunted Rockford Tours events. I always listened intently as she laid out not only the haunted stories associated with a location but the incredibly detailed and researched history that has to be a part of every paranormal investigation. As I have always stated in the past, history and hauntings go hand in hand. One must first grasp the history of a locale as to what may have precipitated the hauntings to occur in the first place. Kresol leaves no stone unturned when addressing the background of a haunted site.

As a librarian by trade, she spends a great deal of time delving into the past to get everything paranormally and historically correct. As a ghost researcher myself for the past forty-one years, I know from experience that the hardest and most tedious job has always been the historical research. The actual paranormal investigation and evidence gathering is by far the easier of the two. Kresol shines like a bright beacon of light in the dark cave of knowledge. Very few people that I have come across in my many contacts do it better. The information that she has amassed over the years would be fodder for a great many encyclopedias. As pop artist Carly Simon related in her popular James Bond song, The Spy Who Loved Me, Nobody does it better. And nobody does it better than Kresol.

I have waited with bated breath for the release of her long-overdue book Haunted Rockford, Illinois. While I researched the state for ghostly locations, Kresol chugged away, accumulating amazing stories in the Rockford area. These will be the subject of her second book and one that I cannot wait to read. Akin to a childs craving for candy, my craving has reached a fever pitch for the release of Haunted Rockford, Illinois.

Kresol has not simply compiled a few scary ghost tales in her book. What you will find are brilliantly researched and written cross-sections of a very haunted city, related in a fashion no one else can. Kresol is a one of a kind person who puts her nose to the grindstone and gets the job done in an unbelievable way.

If you buy only one book this year on ghosts, dont pass on this one because its a gem! The streets, alleyways and cemeteries of Rockford are indeed haunted, and you will need a guide to take you there. This is truly your paranormal map to those many famous and infamous places that lurk in the shadows of Rockford.

Haunted Rockford, Illinois already has a place reserved for it in my supernatural library, and it should also be in yours.

DALE KACZMAREK

President of the Ghost Research Society

Director of Excursions into the Unknown Inc.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to start by saying that I have been so completely overwhelmed by the support that I have received from those who read Murder and Mayhem in Rockford, Illinois! Thank you to all who bought, read, borrowed and shared my writings or took time to attend an event. I wish to thank Ben Gibson from The History Press, who showed tremendous patience during the process of collecting photographs for both books. The rest of the team was extremely helpful as well. They made the process so much easier than I expected it to be.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my co-workers at the Rockford Public Library. Besides being astounded every day with the amazing work you do for our community, I am humbled by the support you have given me through the years.

I have met many fascinating people involved in different aspects of history and the paranormal. Steve Litteral, the executive director of Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum who didnt hesitate to start down the paranormal path with me, is a wonderful historian and a fantastic storyteller. Steve and I partner to host the annual Illinois Paranormal Conference, and his incredible sense of humor makes him a joy to be around. Scott Lewandowski, the manager of the Veterans Memorial Hall and president of the Rockford Historical Society, has done so much for me. My partner in crime, Sara Bowker, psychic extraordinaire, has quirky humor and a sense of adventure that always amaze me. And the newest member of the Haunted Rockford team, Amanda Becker, is a fantastic historian and teacher. We connected over the story of a little murdered boy, Dickie Tebbets, whose death touched both of our lives.

Others who have assisted with the tours by opening their doors to my inquiry of Got ghosts? include Yolanda and Stanley Weisensel at Camp Grant Museum and Command Post Restaurant; Marty Mangas and Dee Hufstedler at the Coronado Performing Arts Center and their incredible crew of Land of Lincoln Theater Organ Society volunteers; Dr. Ray Kleinhaus, former event coordinator of the Briggs Mansion; Mike Grasso and his wife, Shari, of the Haunted Conover Square Ghost Tours; the staff at the Burpee Natural History Museum, who opened both of their historical homes; and Mark Tietz from Lucernes Restaurant, who is a complete gem to work with. I owe a special thank-you to Kreena Robbins and her husband, Ian, who own the Hope and Anchor English Pub. Kreena helped me host the first Haunted Pub Bus Tour two years ago and continues to offer support. Mike Du Pre of Der Rathskeller and Zack Rotello from the Olympic Tavern were also great hosts for the tour. Sue Lewandowksi of the Ethnic Heritage Museum heads up a crew of wonderful volunteers who always make hosting a Haunted Rockford event at their location a joy.