Jeff Morris - Chicago Haunted Handbook: 99 Ghostly Places You Can Visit in and Around the Windy City

C HICAGO H AUNTED H ANDBOOK

2013 by Jeff Morris and Vince Sheilds

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any fashion, print, facsimile, or electronic, or by any method yet to be developed, without express permission of the copyright holder.

For further information, contact the publisher at:

Clerisy Press

306 Greenup Street

Covington, KY 41011

www.clerisypress.com

A division of Keen Communications

CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA IS AVAILABLE FROM THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

ISBN 978-1-57860-527-9; eISBN 978-157860-528-6

Distributed by Publishers Group West

Printed in the United States of America

First edition, first printing

Cover design by Scott McGrew

Text design by Annie Long

Cover and interior photos provided by the authors unless otherwise noted.

WE WOULD LIKE TO START by thanking all of the behind-the-scenes people who made this book possible. During our countless hours of research into this vast array of haunted locations, we were helped by so many people who either wished to remain anonymous or whose names we never learned. It almost seems unfair that those who have helped us so tremendously not be individually mentioned in this section. For this reason, we feel that these particular folks should be acknowledged first. You have our most sincere apologies for not mentioning you by name, and you have our equally sincere gratitude for your insights.

Next, we would like to thank a few people and organizations who helped us with the daunting amount of research necessary to complete a book of this breadth. Without these dedicated individuals, this book would not have been possible. The Chicago Public Library and the Elgin Public Library provided not only assistance with our research, but also the necessary resources to complete it. Also, we thank David Scott from Ipra Illinois Para for making us aware of the fascinating stories behind the Manteno State Hospital when we ran into him at Scarefest.

Finally, we would like to extend individual thanks to our family, friends, and associates.

Vince: First and foremost, my old man and my grandfather, you helped with this book more than you could know. I can still hear Grandpa saying, Walk softly, and carry a big stick.

Steven Fuller, Frank Rosko, and Tiffany Sawczenko: You all helped lay the foundation for, and I could not have asked for better pals with which to conduct, our paranormal investigations. I would also like to thank my friends Dylan Raye and Darleen Schillaci.

Tim McCauley: Out of all of my friends, Ive known you the longest. And that probably gives you the most reasons not to be my friend anymore. Its this fact that makes me appreciate having you around even more.

Steve and Chris: Youre my two favorite brothers. Thanks for being around.

Kelsey Tate: Ill never forget what you said to me one day. You said, Vince, youre an idiot. But then, shortly after, you told me to not be afraid of being an individual. I would like to think that I have taken your advice, so thanks.

Mom and Mike: Stay weird. I love you guys, and I never would have been involved with this book if it werent for your guidance.

Jeff: I cant express my gratitude enough toward people like you who have encouraged and supported me throughout the creation of this book.

Amy, Koen, and Koda: As my family, you have allowed me the necessary time to both work on the book at home and travel to Chicago for research. Its essential to also note that my parents have been very generous and supportive during the writing of this book, and they also deserve my most sincere thanks.

Garett Merk: The coauthor of two of my previous books, you drove me to Chicago to visit many of the places that would eventually end up in this book. Thank you. Ryan Vehr also tagged along and was gracious enough to take the floor while Garett and I slept on the couch and chair.

Archer Woods Cemetery ()

IMAGINE.

IMAGINE YOU HAD THE ABILITY to go to any place in the world at any time in history. To walk the streets of Jerusalem in Biblical times. To sit in the stands at the Roman Coliseum while gladiators dueled below. To watch any great battle of history from the sidelines. To experience any great disaster or event and to see it as it really happened.

Where would you go? When would it be?

If I had the ability to transport myself to any place at any time in history, I would go to Chicago in 1893. This was the year of the Worlds Fairprobably the greatest Worlds Fair in historywhich occurred in Chicago in what is today Jackson Park, on the shores of Lake Michigan.

They called it the White City. The buildings, temporary, were meant to survive for only the duration of the event, and all were painted white. At night, electricity lit the fairgrounds. At the time, onlookers described it as magical. Few of these folks had electricity themselves. Some had never seen electric lights illuminate a building. The fairgrounds appeared as bright as if it were daytime. The future had arrived in Chicago; the warm glow of the lights symbolized brighter times to come, as a new age arrived in one fantastic event.

Incredible sights that would become staples of the approaching decades were first exhibited at the fair. The first Ferris wheel towered over the Midway. The first functioning zipper was showcased at this fair. So was Juicy Fruit gum, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, and Cream of Wheat. During this extravaganza, a newspaper writer coined the term Windy City to describe Chicago, a name by which it is still known today. At the same time, pillars of the past were represented at the fairmost notably Buffalo Bills Wild West Show.

Perhaps the most exciting battle taking place at the fair was that between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. Edison championed his direct current technology, while Tesla promoted his safer, alternating-current technology, which, due to a win in a bidding war, ended up powering the lights at the fair. Still, Edison and Tesla maintained their own exhibits at the fair, where they demonstrated their individual electric technologies as the awed masses watched in wonder.

If I were transported to this place, I would feel as if I were standing at the threshold of the future. Its people didnt know it yet, but the world was about to change. At last, our planet was coming of age. Technology would begin to increase exponentially.

People who lived in the world before the fair wouldnt have been able to fathom the world we live in today. Sure, they could anticipate what the future might bring, but they couldnt predict such boundless change. Imagine walking among those very buildings that contained the technology that would build our world. Imagine watching the people who were tasting the foods that would become the staples of our modern diet, or seeing the technology that would one day govern our lives. As you can tell, history fascinates me. And I cant imagine a more fascinating moment in history than Chicago in 1893.

This book presents a similar portal into the past. Upon reading this book, you will have the opportunity to delve into, and even experience, the past in a manner similar to traveling back in time. No one is sure what a ghost is, not even those who have seen and experienced them firsthand. Some argue that a ghost is just a form of energy that is left behind when a traumatic or important event occurs. Others say that a ghost is a person in a different form, living on after his or her mortal body has passed.