Chicago's Most Haunted: The Ghosts of the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre

The St. Valentine's Day Massacre was one of the darkest days in Chicago, yet few people today seem to remember the event. For someone like me, who views the roaring 1920s as an exciting and interesting part of our past, that is a shame. The story of the St. Valentine's Day massacre is quite interesting, made even more so by the ghosts still rumored to haunt the area.

The 1920's were a strange time in Chicago's history. The city was caught in the terrifying grip of the mobsters who ruled the area with an iron first. This so-called war was made even worse by mobsters on either side of the city fighting to gain control. Al Capone was one of the leaders of the South side, while a man named O'Banion ruled the North side.

Each side was running bootleg alcohol, and each side wanted to gain control of Chicago. This eventually led to several near death experiences for all parties involved. After some time, two new leaders emerged: All Capone on the South side, and George Moran on the North side. These two men fought constantly, and things turned even darker. After Moran helped kill one of Capone's top men, Capone vowed vengeance would come on February 14.

Capone set about planning his revenge by setting in motion an elaborate hoax. One of his men called Moran to sell a large delivery of illegal whiskey. Moran agreed to the deal, unaware that Capone was behind the plan. Moran gathered a large group of his men together, and on February 14, they patiently awaited the delivery.

Oddly enough Moran skipped the meeting because he was running late. By the time he arrived at the warehouse where they planned to meet, a police car was sitting at the curb. Unwilling to take the chance of being caught, he headed to a diner down the street. What he didn't know was that the police car held five of Capone's men. The five men calmly walked inside, and opened fire.

Police arrived to find a gruesome site. The seven men had been forced to stand in a line against a wall before having machine guns turned on them. Six men were already dead, and the one man still breathing died before the end of the day. This man, Frank Gusenberg refused to give any names as to the assailants, and refused to even admit that he had been shot. Police also found one of the men's dogs, still tied to the car where his owner left him.

Capone and Moran continued to point the finger at each other for years to come. Police officials refused to blame Capone, stating repeatedly that he was out of the state at the time and could not have ordered the hit. No men were ever tried for the killings, and it served mainly to strengthen Capone's hold on Chicago.

Capone would eventually spend time in Eastern State Penitentiary where some claim he was haunted by the ghost of Jimmy Clark, one of the men killed in the St. Valentine's Day massacre. The same ghost followed him when he came back to Chicago. While staying at the Lexington Hotel, Capone often claimed to see Clark's ghost. One of his men also saw Clark's ghost, once again in Capone's room.

The building where the massacre occurred was later used for several different businesses. However, it continued to be a favorite tourist spot for people visiting the city. People were known to steal bricks and other pieces of the building, just to have something to take home with them. The building was eventually torn down, though one man salvaged some of the bricks. He later used those in the men's room of a nightclub he opened downtown.

Once the nightclub closed, the man decided to sell the bricks for $1,000 a piece. While that may seem like a lot of money, especially in the 1970's, he had a number of takers. Before long people began returning the bricks to him, without even asking for a refund. He kept hearing the same stories from his customers. They all claimed that the bricks were cursed, and that they had experienced terrible luck ever since one entered their life. No one knows exactly what happened to those bricks.

The building where the massacre occurred may be gone now, but some claim the spirits still remain. Late at night visitors claim to hear the rapid fire of old-fashioned machine guns, and the sounds of men screaming. The city planted five trees to commemorate the location of that wall. Those who walk by the place claim to experience an intense sense of dread, and sometimes fear. Dogs too are know to react negatively to the area, running in fear or barking loudly at something that isn't there.

I've been to the location myself, and I can safely say that I experienced nothing. It was interesting to see the spot for the first time, but I certainly didn't feel anything unsettling or dreadful. Then again, I've never had one of those bricks either.

Chicago's Most Haunted: Inez Clarke and the Ghost Story of Graceland Cemetery

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.

Haunted Illinois: The Culver House in Decatur

The Culver House in Decatur, Illinois is listed as one of the ten most endangered sits in the state. This gorgeous Richardsonian Romanesque style home currently sits empty and abandoned. Preservation groups have managed to save and restore the exterior and hope to get started on the interior as soon as they secure the funding. Until then the ghost stories of this building will have to suffice.

Once upon a time the land underneath the house was an Indian burial ground. That didn't deter Josiah Clokey from purchasing the land and building his own home in 1881 for a fairly small price. One day with no explanation the man up and left, abandoning the work he had started. In stepped John Culver.

Culver finished the home and quickly moved in his family. Local legend claims that the family witnessed something so disturbing that they raced from the home. One night when they sat down to dinner, a large and scary creature came right down the chimney and swept into the dining room through the fireplace. Culver's wife and children were frightened so badly that he instantly had the fireplace removed and bricked over the opening. Even today legend says that you'll find fireplaces in all the rooms on the first floor except for the dining room.

Following Culver's death in 1943 the house sat empty, but people began seeing a man staring at them from the windows. This ghost may have even stuck around for a few additional years as did a strange and mysterious curse.

The house was eventually turned into apartments, but the horrors didn't stop. A resident killed herself in the building during the 1960s and the house had severe damage after a fire broke out. The final straw came in 1988 when a resident was killed inside the building by her lover. People were already hesitant about the Culver House and after that incident, no one wanted to live there. The building was officially abandoned and at one point in recent history it was even condemned.

Today there are some who hope to change things. There has been a lot of work done on the house in recent years and even more work is planned in the future. Those who think there is nothing wrong with the house believe that the Culver family saw nothing more than a bird. Then there are those who say the house has experienced too much to ever be inhabited again.