By: Kristina Ferry & Jasmine Gage
Photography by Kristina Ferry, Jasmine Gage & Grace Gross
The day before Halloween, the History Club hosted the return of McKendree’s Haunted Tours! The tours used to be held each year, but they had fallen into obscurity. This year the History Club decided they would bring back this tradition, and it was a hit! With the turnout this year, they hope to host this event in the upcoming years!
The tour consisted of multiple stops around campus where anyone with a curious taste for paranormal activity could tag along and learn the history of McKendree’s “hauntings.” The first stop of the night was the cemetery. We stood near the New Residence Halls as Jacob, president of the History Club and tour guide, told us about the history of College Hill Cemetery. The cemetery has been here since the 1800s. Rumor has it that there is a crying statue in the area. When it rains, the statue looks like it’s crying from a certain angle. Students who live facing the cemetery have said to see shadowy figures at dusk. Have you seen anything in the cemetery?
The next stop on tour was the traditional dorms: Barnett, Walton and Baker. The next tour guide and a member of the History Club, Isabella, explained the paranormal of the dorms. Students have seen black shadows wandering the halls. In Walton, students have claimed to have vivid nightmares and woke up with bruises on their arms and legs. In Baker, there are cold spots that can be felt in the hallways. Students have also reported hearing knocking on their doors when no one is in the hallways. Some have also seen a girl in a white dress walking the halls of all the traditional dorms. No one knows who she is, where she’s from, or if she was a student here at McKendree. Have you seen her?
Photo taken by Grace Gross
From the dorms, the next stop was Holman Library. Jacob proceeded to tell us how people who work in the library late at night have heard voices whispering their names or get a weird feeling overall. He also told us how the women’s bathroom on the second floor tends to flush on its own, but since it is motion censored, we could rule that one out as paranormal. Before the tour, we had the pleasure of interviewing Jacob to find out if he had experienced anything paranormal in the library. Jacob told us that he hasn’t had the pleasure of seeing anything, but the basement of the library is a bit creepy.
Photo taken by Grace Gross
From the library, the tour continued into Voigt Science Building. The moment the door opened, you could see the eerie darkness and whatever lurked beyond those front doors. As we walked up the steps, you could hear the stomping coming from the upper floor. Hayley, the last tour guide and a member of the History Club, proceeded to tell us about the history of Voigt. It was built during the Cold War and can be a bomb shelter if needed. This is where the remains of the Native Americans that were found on campus were housed for decades. As we continued our walk through the dark halls of Voigt, the crackling sounds of electricity startled a few of the people. Are the ghosts trying to make a shocking return?
The next stop was Carnegie Hall, but not before we learned about the history of 1828 Cafe and Clark Hall. Dr. Lemons told us how those buildings were considered the original dorms before being turned into offices and classrooms.
As for Carnegie, when the building was a male dorm, a student did hang himself there. Also, the faculty working late at night have reported hearing whispering, doors slamming, and an overall uneasy feeling when in the buildings alone. The basement consists of unfinished dirt floors, and it is rumored that there are tunnels connecting all the buildings on campus. We had a chance to enter the basement. At the basement door, you could feel the heat radiating from what lurks below. Here’s a video from the basement’s heated clutches!
The next stop on tour was Benson Wood. Isabella proceeded to tell us how Benson Wood was the original library for the campus before it became the home of the art department. She then explained that when she took her ceramics class last semester, she had to go to Benson Wood to work on her projects alone. “On a few occasions, I have been in the ceramics room later in the evening, and all of a sudden, a pottery wheel would turn out of nowhere.” Isabella told us, “this happened twice, and it was the same wheel both times. I have also heard doors slam upstairs when I thought I was in the building alone.” If that doesn’t scream creepy or spooky to you, it sure does to us! Have you ever experienced anything spooky in Benson Wood?
Moving on to Old Main, Jacob explained to us the history of this building. It is known as one of the oldest buildings on campus. The Native American that was found on campus is buried in an ivy-covered mound in front of Old Main. In 1913, the skeletal remains of the Native Americans were found in the area by local children and were stored at the Voigt Science Building and the museum on campus. In 1993, the remains were buried in this mound in a ceremony led by a local Comanche Native American and have remained there since.
Photo taken by Jasmine Gage
As we moved over to the Chapel, we learned about how it has the darkest history of all. It is told that a man by the name of Lester Hickman died in the bell tower during a lightning storm. Students and residents of Lebanon have reported seeing a dark figure standing in the windows of the Chapel. There are also reports and rumors of the lantern above the chapel door shining brighter on the night of a full moon and three black ravens perching on the spire.
While at the Chapel, Anna discussed the dark history behind the Alumni House. In 1919, a man by the name of John Chamberlin hung himself within the house after his wife had passed away. This was an unfortunate passing as he was a member of one of McKendree’s founding families and had fought in the Civil War. There are also various deaths that have been rumored to occur within the house.
As the tour came to an end and everyone gave applause to the History Club, Professor Lemons, and Professor Thompson, who is known as LT, the History Club left us with this message: “Some of these haunted happenings we have told you tonight may only be rumors and urban myths; some may be true stories. Which ones will be for you to decide.”
We give a huge shout out to the History Club, Professor Lemons, LT and everyone who helped make this tour possible! You all are amazing for bringing this tradition back and hopefully we can make this an annual thing!
