Читать книгу Chicago Haunted Handbook - Jeff Morris - Страница 16

EVANGELICAL CHURCH CEMETERY

3724 Washington Street, Oak Brook, Illinois 60523

directions

From the center of Chicago, take I-290 West for a little more than 13.5 miles to Exit 15A, I-294 South. Follow I-294 South for a little more than 3.5 miles and take the US-34 West exit. Turn right onto Ogden Avenue and then turn right onto North York Road after a little less than 0.5 mile. Take your second left onto Spring Road and then your first left onto Washington Street. The Faith Fellowship Church will be on your right. The cemetery is just to the west of the church, on the other side of the church from the road.

history

In 1852, a water-powered gristmill called the Graue Mill was constructed in Oak Brook. While on the outside the mill seemed unassuming, the building was actually used for secret but noble causes. This building was an important stop in the Underground Railroad, and countless escaped slaves would stop here before heading to Canada.

Unfortunately, many of these slaves did not make it to their final destinations. Some were caught and killed. Others succumbed to the brutal Chicago winter. Others simply committed suicide. While many used the mill as an important stepping stone to freedom, many more had experienced too much hardship by this point and could not make it farther. Many of the fleeing slaves who died in the area were buried in what is today the Evangelical Church Cemetery.

The cemetery became official in 1877, as burials were first officially recorded here. The Faith Fellowship Church next door was built in 1881. Today, the Graue Mill is a museum.

ghost story

Although not the best-known haunted place in the Chicagoland area, this cemetery is considered by those who know it to be one of the most haunted in not only the city, but the entire country. The cemetery is haunted by the ghosts of slaves who died in the area and were buried here.

Often, people who photograph the cemetery capture strange balls of light or inexplicable fogs in their photographs. People who enter feel an intangible energy within the cemetery grounds. They report that the atmosphere within the cemetery simply feels different from the atmosphere outside of the cemetery. Some people feel uncomfortable. Others feel like they are being watched or feel overcome with despair and hopelessness.

Apparitions are often seen in the cemetery. These apparitions take the form of escaped slaves. People commonly see emaciated and frightened African Americans within the cemetery who simply disappear, leaving witnesses wondering if they had even seen the figures in the first place.

visiting

Although there are no hours posted at the cemetery, the staff at the Faith Fellowship Church advise that the cemetery is only open from sunrise until sunset. The cemetery is not visible from the street after dark, so you will have to approach the cemetery during daylight hours. However, the apparitions in the cemetery are not often seen in the bright daylight hours. Your best chance of seeing them without trespassing is to go to the cemetery right at sunrise or sunset, or during a dreary, rainy day.