The Ghosts of Wauconda, Illinois

Whispers of the supernatural echo through the centuries-old streets. Tales of ghost and eerie occurrences have been passed down through generations, each one carrying a grain of truth, witnessed by those who dared to wander after dark.

Two stories, all from one location but at different times.

Let's begin with Garrett Turner, Wauconda, Illinois.

Wauconda, Illinois, is a village in Lake County, Illinois. The name Wauconda is believed to be named after an indigenous chief whose name is translated to "spirit water." There are two fascinating stories in this area, and I'll begin with the George Stickney House. The house was built in 1865 by spiritualists George and Sylvia Stickney. In order for them to carry out their spiritualistic practices in peace and invite friends and family to their howling seances, which were in the building's grand ballroom on the second floor, they selected the isolated area of Bull Valley because it is said that their interest in spiritualism stemmed from the deaths of seven of their ten children, and they held seances to attempt to communicate with them from beyond the grave.

The house is unique in that it was created specifically to help the Stickney's contact the dead. They believed that spirits would become stuck in 90-degree corners, drawing the attention of evil spirits. It was a popular belief in spiritual circles at the time, so they designed the house with no interior or exterior, 90-degree angles between the walls, and everything rounded. Needless to say, the house has a reputation for being haunted. Today, the Bull Valley Police Department occupies the building, and officers have reported numerous unexplained paranormal events, such as hearing human-sounding voices and noises on the second floor, as well as the toilet flushing on its own. Bull Valley Police Chief Norbert Sores described his personal experience at the Stickley Mansion in 2005, claiming to have seen objects move around on his desk, lights turn on and off, doors appear to open on their own, and voices emerge from thin air. He once heard a shout in his ear when no one was around. Another officer in Bull Valley claims to have seen a ghost of Stickney's father-in-law.

The next story is about Private James A. Davis of the 19th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment. James Alfred Davis was born in October 1843, the second youngest of six sons born to James Sullivan Davis and his wife Paulina Davis. The family initially lived on the Wakanda township farm before purchasing a second property on Franklin Street in Birmingham. When the Civil War broke out in 1861 and President Lincoln issued a call for troops, seventeen-year-old James Arthur and a neighborhood friend mistaken for Franklin Appleby fled and enlisted in the 19th Illinois at Camp Douglas in Chicago. Both boys lied about their ages, claiming they were 18. On April 17, 1862, James Alfred's mother was in the front room of the Franklin Street residence. The front porch was perfectly visible from the room, and while she sat there gazing out the window, she saw James Alfred, her beloved son, walk onto the porch dressed in his uniform. She got up excitedly and told the rest of the family that James had come home from the war. Her husband and their youngest son, Herbert, who was nine years old, hurried to greet him, but James was not there. She was certain that she had seen her son, even after they frantically searched the house and were unable to find him.

A few weeks later, James Arthur's commanding officer sent her a letter. It said, "I regret to notify you that while on picket duty just east of Tuscumbia, Alabama, on April 17, your son, Private James Alfred Davis, was shot and killed by a Confederate scout." Alfred passed away at the regimental hospital on the same day he was shot, according to U.S. Army records. Later, during that summer, Alfred's friend and comrade, believed to be Frank Appleby, paid the Davises a visit and related the final moments and death of their son. It was the same day and time that Paulina Davis, his mother, had seen her son come on to the porch of the family home. The family thought it was James Alfred's spirit paying them a visit right before he passed away. Anson, Davis's second-oldest son, passed away in Montgomery, Tennessee, a mere six weeks after James Alfred's passing. The death of a second son at a pow camp came next. Even though Paulina Davis lived to be 92 years old, she continued to insist her son had visited her on the day of his death until her death in 1898. The Franklin Street home has since been destroyed, and a car dealership now stands in its place, but Herbert has continued to tell the story of the spectral soldier, insisting that his mother saw his brother's return that night and that at the time she had no idea he was dead.

I hope you enjoyed those two tales and come back for more.