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Haunted Utah

Kay’s Cross: The Legend, the Cult, and the Mystery

by Jennifer Jones
written by Jennifer Jones

The infamous Kay’s Cross (or what’s left of it) is located on private property in Kaysville, Utah. The site has historically been farmland for more than a hundred years. A large stone cross stood on the property for years before mysteriously turning to rubble in February of 1992. Despite the cross being almost entirely destroyed, the legends of its haunted nature still run rampant.

You might have seen Ghost Adventures link the cross to a dark, satanic force. Of course they did. Kids, don’t believe everything you see on TV, okay?

Since the late 1970s or early 80s, teenagers have snuck onto the property to see the cross themselves. Surrounded by trees and once considered remote, the trek felt undeniably creepy. Cutting through Kaysville Cemetery to reach Kay’s Cross made it even eerier. Legends about the cross grew and changed over the years, drawing in more curious kids.

The Legends…

If you want to explore more legends about Kay’s Cross, just do a quick Google search. I’ll share the most well-known story. A polygamist who owned the land killed seven wives and buried six around the cross. He buried one standing upright in the cross’s base and encased her heart in its center. As penance for his crimes, he hung himself from the cross.

And then, most likely due to the Satanic Panic of the 1980’s, there are the rumors that Satanists used the cross as an altar for their satanic rituals including sacrifices. Funny how Satanists seem to pop up at every haunted site in Utah. Didn’t realize they had so much free time!

Let’s be real for a moment. Would Satanists really trek to Kay’s Cross, haul ritual gear, and risk getting caught? Or is it more likely that bored kids snuck out at night to spray-paint satanic symbols?

K For Kingdom?

Like with other legends, the truth is often stranger than fiction. The real history of Kay’s Cross involves polygamists and a religious cult with a random connection to Charles Manson.

Anyone who has done basic research on Kay’s Cross knows that the mystery of who built the cross hasn’t been that much of a mystery since 1992; shortly after the cross was blown to smithereens. On April 5, 1992, the Deseret News reported on an interview conducted by a local historical society with a man who claimed he helped build the cross in the summer of 1946. The man’s name was Merlin Kingston.

The parcel of land that the cross is on has been owned by the Kingston Family since at least the early 1900’s. For those of you outside of Utah, the Kingston Clan is a well known polygamist family in Utah. So, K for Kingston, mystery solved, right? Well, not really.

According to Merlin Kingston, the cross was built in honor of Krishna Venta according to plans Venta himself had drawn. The large K at the top of the cross stood for Kingdom, a word that played a prominent role in Venta’s speeches. The arms of the cross were to be covered in glass and hold scriptures.

Original plans for the cross
Krishna Venta and his second wife

However, Venta left the area before completing the cross. So who was Krishna Venta, why did someone honor him with a stone cross, and how did he meet Merlin Kingston?

Francis Pencovic aka Krishna Venta

Krishna Venta, born Francis Pencovic, was a religious cult leader who gained popularity in the 40’s and 50’s. He also just so happened to have lived in Utah for a few years. And he became acquainted with Merlin Kingston’s brother while serving in the Army. 

Venta was your classic cult charlatan. He was born in San Francisco in 1911. By the time he turned 30, he had amassed a long record of arrests for petty crimes, including sending a letter to the President of the United States that authorities perceived as threatening.

By 1941, he was well on his way to becoming a cult leader. That year, he traveled to Alaska with his first wife, their two children, and his secretary. The passenger manifest listed his occupation as “MD.” Another record lists his occupation as “writer”. I couldn’t find if Venta graduated high school, or if he attended college, but he definitely was no doctor. By 1944, he divorced his first wife, most likely after she caught him having an affair with his secretary, whom he married almost immediately after finalizing the divorce.


From Scammer to Savior? Krishna Venta’s Reinvention

He was living in Salt Lake City following his second marriage and enlisted in the Army at Fort Douglas as a conscientious objector in 1945. The Army assigned him to the Medical Corps. However, that didn’t last long as he was back in Salt Lake City by 1946. By now he was using the name Krishna Venta and was making money as a traveling lecture hall minister. Following his “lectures” which were free, he would offer “private classes” for $50 per person. 

The Kingston’s and Venta had a lot in common, they were both about money, sex, and, to a lesser degree in Venta’s case, power.


Krishna sports short hair, likely because the army recently discharged him.

According to Merlin Kingston’s 1992 interview, he and his brother invited Venta to hold outdoor lectures on their property in Kay’s Hollow in the Spring and Summer of 1946. During this time, Venta and the Kingstons erected Kay’s Cross. Their association strengthened when Krishna Venta referenced the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods in signage and materials. The Kingston’s, practicing sectarian Mormons, most likely had some part to play in this by  “laying of hands” to imbue Venta with this designation and affiliation between their respective cult belief systems.

But How Does Charles Manson Play Into This?

Turns out 1946 was a pivotal year for Venta. He became fascinated with Mormonism (especially the Melchizedek priesthood), and by 1947 had legally changed his name to Krishna Venta and left Utah.

Upon leaving Utah, Venta gained notoriety and followers (eventually around 100 give or take) and started the Wisdom Knowledge Faith Love (WKFL) Fountain of The World cult. They lived on 25 acres in Box Canyon in California where they built a monestary in 1948.


Fountain members mostly kept to themselves, always walked around barefoot, and wore long, flowing robes. Not only were they non-violent, but they would help people in the nearby community, including saving victims from a plane crash in the hills near their compound. The Fountain welcomed visitors and invited the local community to watch their plays.

A Prophet or a Fraud? The Cracks Begin to Show

All was not perfect at The Fountain, however. The court jailed Venta for 10 days after he refused to comply with child support orders.His defense of non-payment was that The Fountain members shared all of their assets so none of the money was just his. He frequently traveled to Reno and Vegas, driven by his penchant for gambling. There was also the world travel such as the time he went to London and Rome to try for an audience with the Pope. For a man with no money of his own, he sure seemed to live quite well!

Venta’s grand cult plans came to a shocking end in December, 1958. On the evening of December 10th, two ex Fountain members who had become tired of Venta’s hypocrisy regarding money, (and the fact that he was sleeping with their wives), confronted him to try and get him to confess to crimes while one of them taped the conversation with a hidden tape recorder. Plan A didn’t work, as they figured it wouldn’t, so they decided to go with Plan B and blow themselves and anyone else close enough to bits by detonating a bag full of dynamite.


The explosion killed Krishna Venta and seven other cult members, including women and children.

Venta’s Legacy: From Cult Leader to Manson’s Influence

Despite Venta’s death, the Fountain of The World survived and by 1968 Charles Manson, along with a few of his followers would stay at the monastery off and on for a few months. After Manson began scaring the Fountain of the World members, they forced him and his followers to leave. Even though Venta died a decade before Manson ever made it to the Fountain of The World, he seems to have had an impact on Manson. Manson adopted many of Venta’s prophesies and twisted them into his own, much more violent, Helter-Skelter.

If you want to read more about Krishna Venta and Fountain of The World, Shawn Sutherland’s blog does a great job of covering it.

Krishna’s wife and kids eventually left California for Alaska taking a few of the cult members with them. Some of the others decided to join The People’s Temple led by Jim Jones, and we all know how that ended.

What Happened To The Cross?

In the years after Venta’s lectures at Kay’s Hollow, the large stone cross became a challenge and source of intrigue for local teenagers. It evolved into an urban legend with a haunted history. The thrill of visiting Kay’s Cross likely stemmed from two things: eerie tales of spirits and ghouls guarding it at night, or the real danger of trespassing and facing an angry property owner with a gun.

On the night of February 15, 1992, someone blew up the cross, but the motive remains a mystery. I suspect the Kingston family played a role, possibly out of frustration with constant trespassers on their land. After all, who else had the motive — and the means — to haul 80 pounds of dynamite to Kay’s Cross?


Have you ever visited Kay’s Cross or heard its legends firsthand? Share your experience in the comments!

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Haunted Utah

Haunted Wendover Army Airfield: Ghost Stories from a WWII Base

by Jennifer Jones
written by Jennifer Jones


Most people visit Wendover, Utah/Nevada, for the casinos or the otherworldly landscape of the Bonneville Salt Flats. But just outside of town lies a relic of war, secrecy, and sacrifice—the Haunted Wendover Army Airfield. Once one of the largest bombing ranges in the world, it played a crucial role in World War II, training thousands of airmen, including the infamous 509th Composite Group, the unit responsible for dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

But Wendover’s history isn’t just one of military might and wartime innovation. It’s also a place where those who served and trained here lived, worked, and, in some cases, never left. Even now, echoes of its past still linger in the crumbling barracks, and forgotten corridors.

A City of War in the Desert

In 1940, the U.S. Army sought an isolated location to train bomber crews. Wendover, Utah—remote, barren, and with ideal flying conditions—was chosen . Construction began in September 1940, and by 1943, Wendover was home to over 18,000 military personnel and 2,000 civilian employees, making it one of the largest air bases in the country.

At its peak, the base had more than 668 buildings, including a 300-bed hospital , barracks, a mess hall, a gym, and a Service Club, where airmen could briefly escape the pressures of war.

Despite its size, life at Wendover was anything but easy. The desert climate was freezing in the winter, unbearably hot in the summer. The barracks were poorly insulated, and those stationed there were far from home, bound by secrecy and long training hours. The only entertainment options were the Service Club, occasional USO performances, and gambling across the Nevada border. But even these brief distractions weren’t enough to erase the looming reality of war.

Secrecy, Isolation, and a Mysterious Escape

Wendover wasn’t just a training base—it was a place of high-stakes secrecy. Those stationed there were preparing for missions they couldn’t talk about, adding to the psychological strain. In one strange case, secrecy gave way to outright desperation.

On July 25, 1944, five armed prisoners escaped Wendover’s military guardhouse in a stolen garbage truck, forcing a soldier to drive them to Knolls before releasing him. Their run for freedom was short-lived—they were caught less than an hour later in Grantsville after crashing their vehicle and fleeing on foot, abandoning three M1 Garand rifles. Military officials withheld key details, fueling speculation about a possible inside accomplice and the true nature of the escape .

With its isolation, high-pressure environment, and the secrecy surrounding its operations, Wendover Airfield holds an atmosphere that seems almost designed to leave an imprint on history—and perhaps something more.

Shadows of the Past: Paranormal Encounters at Wendover

When Matt and I visited the airfield, we weren’t necessarily looking for ghosts. We had checked out of our hotel and with our friend Helmey decided to stop at the Wendover Army Airfield. After a short drive, the massive, aging hangar loomed in the distance as we approached the old airfield.

Inside the old Service Club, where soldiers once gathered to unwind, the atmosphere still hummed with history, like the place was just waiting for the music to start up again.

That wasn’t the only strange experience I’ve had at Wendover. During a public ghost hunt, a group of us were cleaning up the Service Club at the end of the night, putting chairs and tables away. The second floor of the building held a few small rooms where historic items were stored, including an old radio that, when a button was pressed, played speeches by FDR.

When History Speaks

As I stood near the foot of the stairs, I suddenly heard a man’s voice. At first, I assumed guests from our event were still upstairs, so I went to check. But there was no one there.

Yet, the radio had turned on by itself.

Whether it was an electrical glitch or something unseen replaying history in its own way, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t alone.

But Wendover’s ghostly reputation extends beyond the Service Club. It wasn’t uncommon to hear disembodied footsteps and the sound of people talking in the hospital and nurses’ quarters. With so many men injured or lost in training accidents, it’s easy to imagine echoes of the past lingering in those rooms.

One of the eeriest stories comes from the firehouse building, which was once used by the Civil Air Patrol. The upstairs portion was occasionally used for overnight stays, and on one particular night, a guest woke up to the sound of quiet footsteps moving between the sleeping bodies. Thinking it was just someone from their group, they didn’t think much of it—until the figure they saw simply vanished into thin air.

A Midnight Visitor

And sometimes, the past still lingers in plain sight.

One night, a member of the Historic Wendover Airfield staff walked into the Service Club to check that everything was secure before locking up for the night. As he made his way through the auditorium section, he caught sight of something unusual—a man in uniform standing on the upper level, calmly tapping his fingers on the bannister, looking down at the floor below. When the figure on the upper level noticed that he was being watched he looked at the staff member and slowly faded away.

This was the same place where wartime dances were once held—where soldiers and their sweethearts shared stolen moments before deployment, where music filled the air, and where memories were made.

Had he walked in on a ghostly observer from decades past, still watching a dance that only he could see?

Echoes from the Enola Gay Hangar

Some places at Wendover don’t let go of their past so easily. Inside the Enola Gay Hangar, in what was once Col. Paul Tibbets’ office, strange activity has been reported.

People have heard the sounds of someone working in the empty space—papers shuffling, the faint clink of metal, and the low murmur of a conversation just below the threshold of understanding. But when they check, the room is always empty.

Not everything at Wendover hides in the shadows, though.

During our final annual ghost tour, my group was gathered inside the massive Enola Gay Hangar, its towering rafters disappearing into the darkness above. As we talked, someone pointed upward.

High above us was a beautiful white owl perched in the rafters, watching.

For a few long seconds, it stayed there, completely still. Then, without a sound, it flew from its perch, gliding effortlessly through the massive hangar. It swooped down, passing silently over our heads before landing on top of an aircraft.

Not a single sound. No rustle of wings. No rush of air. Just completely silent.

A coincidence? Maybe. But in a place like Wendover—where history lingers and strange things have a habit of happening—it felt like something more.

Final Thoughts: A Place That Remembers

Haunted or not, Wendover Army Airfield is a place with a heavy past. It’s a place where history was made, where men trained for war, and where many never left. Whether the ghosts of Wendover are real or just echoes of history imprinted on its walls, one thing is certain—the airfield is not as forgotten as it seems.

If you ever find yourself in Wendover, take a detour past the slot machines and visit the airfield. Walk through the silent hangars, stand in the old Service Club, and listen.

You might just hear the past whisper back.

Have you ever visited Wendover Army Airfield? If so, did you experience anything unusual?

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Forgotten HistoryUrban Legends

The Witch of Parley’s Hollow

by Jennifer Jones
written by Jennifer Jones

Urban legends often revolve around harmless dares and thrill-seeking rituals. But sometimes, these stories take a darker turn—turning real people into targets of fear and speculation. Such was the case with the so-called Witch of Parley’s Hollow, a woman known as Crazy Mary or Bloody Mary. From the 1930s to the 1950s, parents warned children to stay away from Crazy Mary’s house.

So it naturally turned into a challenge to see if they could spot the Witch of Parley’s Hollow. She was a recluse, and from the stories I found she had very eccentric behavior. One lady told a story of going to her house at midnight and watching her wildly playing her piano. The legend’s goal seemed simple: to spot her. Since people knew little about her, they spread rumors and branded her as crazy or even a witch. So who was Crazy Mary? And how did this legend surrounding her grow?

Dudler’s Inn

In 1864 the Dudler family built their homestead where Parley’s Historic Nature Park stands today. The family included Joseph Dudler, his wife Elizabeth (who went by her middle name, Susan), and his 7 children. Joseph was a carpenter by trade with a talent for brewing beer. He built a two-story home with a stone foundation and framed upper floor. By 1870 Joseph had extended the house into the hillside behind it, which included a brewery. The lower floor contained a stone “wine cellar” that served to keep things cool. You can still see this cellar along with pieces of the original foundation today.

Mr. Dudler’s beer business quickly took off and by 1892 he owned one or two saloons in Salt Lake City as well as a The Philadelphia Brewery Saloon in Park City. Travelers passing through Parley’s Canyon stayed at the homestead, which also operated as an inn. By the early 1900s, it had become a saloon.

The Dudler Inn

Death & The Dudler Family

Joseph Dudler died suddenly on the 21st of October, 1897. The responsibility of running the brewery and maintaining Dudler’s Inn fell on his wife and children. It seems they were a feisty bunch and were definitely up to the challenge. In 1898, the Salt Lake County Sheriff arrived at the property in the middle of the night to shut off access to a canal the Dudlers had built to supply their brewery with water. Mrs. Dudler was not having it and along with her sons and Loretta, kept the canal open and the Sheriff left embarrassed. The dispute escalated into a major legal battle when Salt Lake City sued Mrs. Dudler, claiming she had taken water she wasn’t entitled to use.

Mrs. Dudler repelled the suit successfully and was able to maintain her claim to water rights of the canal. Just a few years later on December 26th, 1904, Mrs. Dudler succumbed to pneumonia and died at the family homestead. Joseph and Susan Dudler had three daughters: Amelia, Louisa, and Loretta. Louisa was the only one who appears to have had a “normal” life. She married, left Parley’s Hollow, and started her own family

Troubled Lives and Tragic Fates

Amelia Dudler was a popular girl in her teenage years. She along with Loretta spent a lot of time in Park City, and both attended St. Mary’s Academy in Park City. Loretta mastered the piano and organ, earning awards for her musical talent and beautiful singing voice. Amelia Dudler married but eventually fell into addiction, relying on morphine and cocaine. She spent most of her adult life cycling in and out of jail and prison. Newspapers frequently reported on her, detailing her involvement in fights, arrests for drug use, and charges of disturbing the peace. In 1906 she was even a suspect in a murder case. She died on October 30th, 1907. The death certificate lists her death as natural, and specifically states she “was morphine and cocaine fiend.”

Loretta Dudler

And then, there was Loretta. Loretta also called Retta or Mary moved back to the homestead after she finished school. Starting when she was 16 she began suffering from anxiety and severe depressive episodes. She met her husband, Harold Schaer while living in Park City, and they married in July 1907. Harold was a miner by trade, but after marrying Loretta he began work at the family brewery.  In May 1908 their first child, Harold was born.

Life, at this point, seemed to be going pretty well for Loretta.A year later, Loretta lost another loved one, when her sister Louisa died at the age of 49. And three years after that, on July 26, 1912, her favorite brother Frank died from kidney disease.  In a span of just a few years, she lost her mother and three siblings. Anyone would have struggled with this loss, but Loretta’s depression and anxiety made it even harder for her.

Loss and the Breaking Point

In March 1911 Loretta and Harold’s second son, Charles was born, but things were not going to stay relatively normal for Loretta for much longer. On October 18, 1912, Charles Schaer died at the age of 19 months from convulsions at the Dudler homestead. Loretta was devastated, and from all accounts, she was never the same after his death.

By 1930, Loretta’s husband had moved to Los Angeles, leaving her and their son, Harold Jr., behind in Parley’s Hollow. At 21, Harold Jr. inherited his mother’s musical talents and worked as a musician. In February 1933, he married and moved to California, where he spent many years as a studio musician for Paramount Pictures. Loretta was now living alone at Parley’s Hollow.

This is when the legend of The Witch of Parley’s Hollow got its start. Loretta didn’t leave the house much, and no one really came to visit her. By 1940, her house had fallen into severe disrepair, fueling the rumors that surrounded her. I’m sure many of the local people remembered the stories of her drug-addicted sister and the mother’s fight with the city over water. Many locals resented the Dudler family’s long-standing claim to the canal’s water, a conflict that had already painted them as outsiders. As the years passed, these lingering tensions helped fuel the legend of Loretta. Parents warned their children to stay away from her house, and soon, stories spread that the strange woman living there was a witch.

The Abandoned House

By the mid-1940’s Loretta was living in a nursing home near 2nd North and 5th West. Her house sat abandoned, and her son left all of the antique furniture, including Loretta’s beloved piano inside. On the evening of October 18th, 1952, the 40th anniversary of her son’s death, Loretta’s house went up in flames.The fire was determined to have been caused by vandals. In the years it sat empty the house of legend had turned into a party spot for local teens. The house wasn’t completely destroyed, but all of the antique furniture, including the piano was a loss. The house was now more derelict and creepy than ever.

Death of A Legend

Early in the morning of March 22nd, 1959 an older woman who had lived a long yet difficult life died at the nursing home in which she had been living for years. Her siblings and estranged husband had all died before her, and her only living son lived in Las Vegas. Loretta Dudler Schaer lived to be 88 years old.  Her obituary was very simple, and she is buried in an unmarked grave in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. Was she estranged from her son as well? It seems so but has been impossible to fully determine given what little information is available so far.In 1963, Salt Lake County set the Dudler house on fire and demolished it. They needed the land for the new freeway (I-80) that was going in.

If you ever visit Parley’s Historic Nature Park, take a moment to walk to the old Dudler wine cellar. Stand in the silence, where echoes of a long-forgotten legend linger, and pay your respects to a woman who was never a witch—only misunderstood.


Legends of witches often blur the line between history and folklore. While the Witch of Parley’s Hollow is shrouded in local myth, the tragic fate of the Doruchów Witches in Poland was all too real. Their trial and execution marked the last witch hunt in the country, proving that fear and superstition have long shaped the stories we tell. Read about the haunting history of the Doruchów Witches here.

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Haunted America

Officer William E. Stark: More Than a Ghost Story

by Jennifer Jones
written by Jennifer Jones

The Queen Mary is one of the most famously haunted ships in the world. Guests and staff alike have reported seeing a man in a Cunard officer’s uniform, walking the decks as if still carrying out his duties. Some claim he appears confused, still searching for something. The stories are chilling, but who was this man before he became a legend? Let’s uncover the life, and lingering presence, of Senior 2nd Officer William E. Stark.

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CemeteriesUrban Legends

The Vampire of Gibson Cemetery: Fact, Fear, and Folklore

by Jennifer Jones
written by Jennifer Jones

What do World War I, anti-immigrant hysteria, and a vampire have in common? As strange as it sounds, they all converge in a forgotten cemetery in Park Hills, Missouri. This is where the legend of the Vampire of Gibson Cemetery comes to life.

Tucked away beneath layers of dead leaves and tangled brush, Gibson Cemetery barely looks like a cemetery anymore. Time and neglect have broken or scattered most of the headstones, wearing away the names.If you didn’t know better, you might not even realize you were standing among the dead.

And yet, there’s a story buried here—one that involves an accused vampire, an iron-barred grave, and a town gripped by fear.

A Cemetery Lost to Time

Gibson Cemetery dates back to the 1820s when the Gibson family first settled in the area. Originally a family burial ground, it eventually expanded to include others from nearby mining towns like Flat River, Rivermines, and Elvins. No one has determined the exact number of people buried here, but most graves date back to the early 1900s, when this part of Missouri became known as the Lead Belt.

Mining was the lifeblood of these small towns, and the industry drew a flood of immigrant workers, many from Hungary. These men took on the most grueling and dangerous jobs, often working as shovelers deep in the mines. Locals derogatorily called them “hunkies” and paid them a measly thirty cents an hour for backbreaking labor.

The Lead Belt community hardly welcomed their presence.

Pictures above Courtesy of The State Historical Society of Missouri

The Lead Belt Riot of 1917: Fear Turns to Violence

By 1917, tensions between immigrant miners and local laborers had reached a boiling point. World War I fueled a wave of xenophobia, and many viewed Hungarian miners as foreign threats, making them easy scapegoats.

Then came the riot.

On July 14, 1917, a mob of American miners, waving American flags, stormed the homes and boarding houses of Hungarian workers. They looted, beat, and chased them out of town.1Macon Chronicle-Herald – Fri, Jul 20, 1917 | Pg 1 Newspapers at the time described the event bluntly:

“Flat River Miners Eject Foreigners.”

But not all of those forced to flee were foreigners. Many were naturalized American citizens, legally entitled to live and work in the Lead Belt. In their desperate escape, some left behind everything—homes, businesses, even their wives and children. The violence was so extreme that Hungarian-American organizations called for a congressional investigation, demanding answers from Washington about how such an event could happen on U.S. soil.

Years of Rising Tensions

The 1917 riot wasn’t an isolated event—it was the violent climax of years of tension. As early as 1913, company officials and anti-union groups targeted Hungarian, Bohemian, and Italian miners for their union activities. The situation turned deadly when mining company guards opened fire on striking workers, injuring two and escalating the conflict into a near-militarized standoff.

In response, 500 miners blockaded the mines, stopping and searching vehicles to prevent strikebreakers from getting through. What happened in the Lead Belt was part of a broader pattern of anti-immigrant violence across the country, but it left a lasting mark on the people—and the folklore—of Missouri. By 1917, these tensions had already boiled over once before. Just four years earlier, the Lead Belt saw gunfire, barricades, and a full-scale labor war.

The same fears that fueled those clashes—fears of foreign workers taking jobs and gaining power—escalated into violence. Rioters didn’t stop at homes—they dragged Hungarian workers into the streets, beat them, and set fire to their belongings. Rioters looted businesses, destroyed shops, and drove entire families to flee with only what they could carry. By the time it ended, mobs had herded over 700 Hungarian miners onto trains, exiling them from the very town they helped build. As violence spiraled out of control, state officials sent the Missouri State Militia to restore order. Soldiers patrolled the streets of Flat River, but their presence wasn’t just to stop further rioting—it was to ensure that the mass expulsion of Hungarian miners remained permanent.

The Aftermath of Expulsion

By the time the dust settled, many of those forced onto trains would never return. Some, like a Russian immigrant and his family, barely survived the journey. After mobs drove him to St. Louis, he returned to salvage what remained of his home—only to receive a telegram informing him that exposure had killed two of his children.The riot hadn’t just displaced people. It had killed them.

Women didn’t just stand by during these clashes—they fought, too. In one 1913 incident, a female striker nearly attacked a company lawyer with a rock, a visceral reminder that these weren’t just labor disputes; they were full-scale community struggles.

The High Cost of Striking

The strikes weren’t just violent—they were financially devastating. With a large portion of their workforce gone, several mining operations slowed or shut down completely, costing the region over $100,000 a day in lost wages and damages. The Lead Belt depended on its mines, and now, thanks to fear and violence, the industry itself was beginning to collapse.

Some merchants even refused to extend credit to striking miners, effectively starving them out to force them back to work. Desperation, distrust, and fear of outsiders — the perfect storm for a legend to be born.

The Vampire of Elvins

Between 1910 and 1920, an unsettling number of children in the area died. In an era before vaccines and antibiotics, disease took many young lives, and in 1917, a diphtheria outbreak devastated the region. But medical explanations didn’t always satisfy a grieving community looking for someone—or something—to blame.

Soon, a rumor began to spread.

A Hungarian miner living in Elvins was accused of being a vampire. Locals whispered that he lured children to his home… and ate them. Depending on who told the story, the man was also said to be an albino, his skin deathly pale, his hair bone-white, and his eyes red as blood.

When he died, the townspeople refused to let him be buried among their dead—especially not near the children’s graves. Instead, his body was placed at the far edge of Gibson Cemetery, enclosed by a wrought iron fence lined with crosses. The belief? Even in death, the barrier would keep him from rising from the grave.

Unlike many urban legends, this one had a physical marker. The wrought iron fence was real. The crosses, placed to prevent his return, were real. And according to local records, his grave was surrounded by the small headstones of children—further fueling the belief that he had preyed upon them in life.

And from there, the legend of the Vampire of Gibson Cemetery was born.

Folklore, Fear, and the Power of Stories

Was there really a vampire buried in Gibson Cemetery? Of course not. The accused man was just another immigrant caught in the crossfire of prejudice and paranoia.

And the dead children? They died of disease, not supernatural horror.

But history has a way of shaping legends. In 1917—the same year the Lead Belt Riot erupted—the Washington Times ran a full serialization of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. In a town already primed with anti-immigrant fears and real-life violence, it’s not hard to imagine how the folklore took hold.

A foreigner. A pale-skinned outsider. A town full of frightened people looking for someone to blame.

A vampire was the perfect monster.

Gibson Cemetery Today

Today, Gibson Cemetery has been swallowed by time, its iron fences rusted and its gravestones shattered. No one knows exactly where the so-called vampire was buried, but it is rumored he was buried within the cast iron fence. Maybe he’s still out there, hidden beneath the overgrowth, his grave forgotten.

Or maybe he was never there at all—just a name lost to history, twisted into a monster by fear.

Either way, the legend remains. And in a place like this, some stories never stay buried.

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Haunted AmericaHistory

Ghosts of The White House – Willie Lincoln

by Jennifer Jones
written by Jennifer Jones

One of the first ghost stories I ever read was about Abraham Lincoln’s spirit knocking on a White House bedroom door at midnight. Though I’ve forgotten the book’s title, I never forgot the eerie image it left behind. Lincoln’s ghost is one of the most famous White House hauntings, often the first story people come across when searching for its spectral past. But he’s not the only lingering spirit tied to the Executive Mansion. So, I’m diving into the haunted history of the White House, starting with the Lincoln family.

And if the rumors are true, Lincoln’s presence is still felt in the White House today….

The Death of William Wallace Lincoln

Willie Lincoln - The Dead History

The middle child of President and Mrs. Lincoln, Willie Lincoln was said to be a very friendly and happy child; he was also the son with whom Lincoln was closest to. Willie and his younger brother Tad both became ill in early February 1862 with what is believed to have been Typhoid Fever. 1Family: William Wallace LincolnHe lay very ill, in the Lincoln Bed, in what was an upstairs guest room of the White House. This room is now called the Private Dining Room.

On February 20th, 1862 he passed away, throwing the Lincoln’s (especially Mrs. Lincoln) into an inconsolable grief. The picture below, taken in 1908, is the room Willie Lincoln died in, which at that time was the McKinley bedroom. 2Family Residence Dining Room

A Funeral in the White House

When Willie Lincoln’s body was laid out in the Green Room, visitors noted how peaceful he looked, dressed in a black jacket and pants, white stockings, and low shoes. His white collar and wristbands were neatly turned over his dark jacket. Though death had left its mark, his expression remained calm, as if merely asleep. The Green Room was Mrs. Lincoln’s favorite room up until this point. In 1861 she went to great lengths redecorating it and was very proud of the purple drapes.3Green Room History

Grief and Mourning in the White House

The White House was draped in mourning. Black cloth covered the mirrors in the East Room and reception areas, a common practice meant to prevent the deceased’s spirit from becoming trapped. Willie’s body remained in the Green Room for the entire funeral service, as the family could not bear to move him. Mrs. Lincoln came to view her son’s body only once. She laid a piece of laurel on his chest and then quickly left the room. She never set foot in the room again and did not attend his funeral. But if White House lore is to be believed, Willie Lincoln never truly left the Executive Mansion. His presence has been felt by those who followed—from grieving family members to startled presidents and their staff.

The White House Private Dining Room in 2017, featuring blue-striped wallpaper, a crystal chandelier, a round wooden dining table with leather chairs, and a fireplace with a gold-framed mirror. Originally a guest room, this space became historically significant as the room where Willie Lincoln died in 1862.
The Green Room in the White House, featuring an ornate crystal chandelier, antique furniture, and green walls adorned with gold-framed paintings. Once Mary Todd Lincoln’s favorite room, it later became associated with the tragic death of her son, Willie Lincoln, whose body was briefly laid here before burial.
A 1908 black-and-white photograph of Mrs. McKinley’s Bedroom in the White House, featuring a large wooden wardrobe with a mirror, a metal-frame bed, a chandelier, rocking chairs, and a central table with a lamp. Originally a guest room, this space became historically significant as the room where Willie Lincoln died in 1862.

At 2pm on February 24th, 1862 in the East Room, the Rev. Dr. Gurley led the funeral service as government officials, military officials, and foreign dignitaries gathered to pay their respects. The weight of grief in the White House was palpable. Though his father, President Lincoln, was known for his composure, those close to him would later recall that Willie’s death had shaken him to his core. After the service, the small casket was carried to Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown where Willie was laid to rest. Mrs. Lincoln remained at the White House, in bed.

Seances In The White House

White House Ghosts - The Dead History

Grief-stricken and desperate for connection, Mary Todd Lincoln turned to the growing spiritualist movement. She attended séances across Washington, hoping to reach her lost son. But at least once, she didn’t have to leave home—she hosted a séance inside the White House, with President Lincoln himself in attendance. They referred to the seances as “calls to the dead” and Mrs. Lincoln’s favorite medium was Cranston Laurie. 4First Ladies & The Occult Shortly after she attended these seances she began to talk of both of her dead sons (Willie, and a son Eddy who died years before). She told friends that Willie would come and stand at the foot of her bed in the middle of the night.

Ghostly Sightings of Willie Lincoln

The first published mention of the White House being haunted that I could find comes from The Washington Critic on April 22nd, 1883 and is titled “Is The White House Haunted?”. However we’ll get to that article in a future post because it does not involve a Lincoln ghost.

Grant Administration – 1869 – 1877

Ulysses S. Grant was in the White House from 1869 until 1877.  In the 1870’s, a member of Ulysses S. Grant’s staff reported he had a conversation with the ghost of Willie Lincoln. Members of the Grant Administration also said that his ghost was spotted throughout the White House from time to time. I found a couple of vague newspaper articles that all mentioned the same thing. However, no one was ever quoted by name.

Taft Administration  – 1909 – 1913

The first direct Willie Lincoln ghost mention comes from someone pretty well connected to the White House in his day, Major Archibald Willingham Butt. What a name huh? Major Butt, a trusted military aide to Presidents Roosevelt and Taft, took White House ghost stories seriously. But his own time in history was cut short—he perished aboard the Titanic in 1912.

In July 1911 he wrote a letter to his sister stating “It seems that the White House is haunted.” He went on to detail an event where he overheard a few of the servants talking about some ghostly activity. Maj. Butt relayed the gossip to President Taft who “went into a towering rage”. Taft threatened the staff saying the next person to talk about ghosts again would be summarily fired.

Noting the President’s reaction, he waited for him to calm down before asking about the ghost stories. A short while later Major Butts and President Taft talked about the servants being upset over the ghostly activity. The President said the ghost was felt more than seen, and staff believed it was Willie Lincoln’s spirit.

They told him that more than one person has felt a hand placed on their shoulder when they’re alone working in the White House. They said it felt as if someone was trying to look over their shoulder to see what they were doing. 5The Brooklyn Daily Eagle · Thu, Sep 4, 1930, · Page 6

Eisenhower Administration 1953 – 1961

During an event at the White House in the 1950’s, the young daughter of a Belgian Ambassador was seen playing peek-a-boo with an unseen playmate. When her parents asked what she was doing, she explained she was playing with a boy. She described him in detail but no one else had seen any other children. At the Smithsonian, she pointed to a boy’s picture, saying he was her White House playmate. It was a picture of Willie Lincoln.  6Arizona Republic 31 Oct 1978, Tue  • [First Edition]  • Page 20 Had she been interacting with the ghost of Willie Lincoln?

Johnson Administration 1963 – 1969

The last reported sighting of Willie Lincoln took place during the John Administration. Lyndon Johnson’s daughter, Lynda Robb was staying in the room in which he died. Not only did she report seeing his ghost, but she also spoke to him. I would love to know the details of this encounter, but that brief mention is all that I could find. 7Ghosts of Presidents Past

I reached out to Lynda Robb, hoping she’d share her story. To my surprise, she called just days after receiving my letter. She said that upon moving into the White House, which she considered a great honor, she eagerly researched its past residents.

So she began to ask around and no one really could give her answers prior to the Eisenhower Administration. That wasn’t good enough for her! So she began to research and found all the macabre history of her room. She said her research over the years was misinterpreted as seeing and speaking with Willie Lincoln.

“Unfortunately,” She said “I never saw or spoke with Willie Lincoln. I wish I had a better story to tell you!”

White House Ghosts - The Dead History

So there you have it! Reports of ghostly activity at the White House seems to have dwindled since massive reconstruction was done in the 1950’s. The ghosts may have calmed down over time, or perhaps people now ignore the strange things they notice. Maybe Willie Lincoln’s ghost still wanders the Executive Mansion, but his story no longer escapes those historic walls.

The most famous White House ghost is next, the one who walked its halls in life and, some say, never left. Could Abraham Lincoln himself still be watching over the Executive Mansion?

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