Graceland Cemetery in Chicago,
Illinois, is home to one of the most faked hauntings of all time, and
it seemed as though everyone was taken in by the story. From ghost
hunters to locals, everyone wanted to believe.
The story of the Graceland Cemetery
starts in 1860. The cemetery itself was founded outside the city, and
had only a handful of burials every year. As the city of Chicago
slowly grew in size, it began to move north. Eventually Graceland was
incorporated into the city, and the City Cemetery was closed, the
bodies moved into Graceland. At some point in the history of the
Cemetery, the story of Inez Clarke swept across Chicago.
According to local legend Inez Clarke
was the name of a ghost that haunted this Chicago landmark. The
little girl was struck by lighting in 1880, and passed away at the
age of six. Adding to the ghost story was that this tragedy occurred
directly in front of her parents. The trio were enjoying a picnic in
the park when a sudden storm broke out. Inez Clarke's parents were so
heartbroken that they had a life sized statue of the little girl
created, sealed in a glass box, and placed on her grave. Visitors to
the Graceland Cemetery frequently left gifts for the little girl on
her grave, or brought flowers for her. Then there were the ghost
stories, and there were a lot regarding little Inez Clark.
Another version of the Inez Clarke
story states that her parents locked her out of the house as
punishment for some long forgotten deed. The storm set in, and little
Inez was once again struck by lightning. Her parents decided not to
tell their friends and loved ones of their unspeakable deed, and
instead told others that the little girl died of tuberculosis.
The first ghost story stated that the
statue would sometimes disappear from the glass box, and always
during storms. Others claimed to hear odd noises in the vicinity, the
sound of a little girl playing or someone moaning. At certain times
visitors claimed to hear the sounds of a small girl crying near the
statue. Others claimed to have seen Inez Clarke playing in the
cemetery, or their children seeing her. The ghost stories of Inez
Clarke led many to believe that Chicago's Graceland Cemetery was one
of the most haunted places in America. The problem of course is that
there is no Inez Clarke.
The location where the statue of the
little girl is, is actually the final resting place of a young boy
named Amos Briggs. A local historian thinks the statue may have been
created by a local monument maker who used it as a form of
advertising.
Of course the story of Inez Clarke is
not the only ghost story surrounding Chicago's Graceland Cemetery.
The other is the ghost story of Dexter Graves. Following the death of
this wealthy businessman, a local artist was commissioned to create a
monument in his honor. This monument is called "Eternal
Silence", but ghost hunters often refer to it as the "Statue
of Death". This large figure was once entirely black, but
exposure to the elements led to the color slowly chipping off to
reveal the green brass underneath. The only place on the figure that
still remains black is the figure's face. Legend claims that the
figure cannot be photographed, and those that try face certain death.
Others say that if an individual looks directly into the figure's
face, they will see their own death.
Graceland Cemetery in Chicago is an
interesting place to visit, even if some of its stories have been
debunked.
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