I have had several unexplained paranormal experiences and would like to share one of them with you. When my son was very young, around three or four, his great nana passed on. Shortly after, we would sometimes see him playing in his room and having conversations with someone unseen. When we would ask him who he was talking to he would simply say that he was talking to his angel. We never thought much about it until one day my mother-in-law sent us a picture of my wife and her nana, which she thought we should have. When my son saw the picture, he pointed to his great nana and said that was his angel. He had never seen her before.
A poll has revealed that around 45 percent of Americans believe in ghosts or that people’s spirits can return in certain places and situations. That number becomes a little higher when you add other crypted creatures in, around 65 Percent. The reality is, many folks have had experiences that they just can’t explain or have witnessed mysterious, eerie sights, sounds and sensations that could only be a paranormal. If you’re one who would answer yes when asked if ghosts are real, what’s your reason? Is there proof? What else could explain sudden cold spots, disembodied voices and footsteps, floating orbs appearing in photographs and the sensation that something is touching your shoulder when no one is there. Spooky as it may be, the world of the paranormal still has an enticing allure for us. Horror movies and paranormal TV shows are widely popular, and who hasn’t swapped a ghost story around the campfire? Today, one can even participate in “paratourism” and visit sites with ghostly history for thrills of one’s own. Here are a few places here in Wisconsin worth checking out, if you dare…
Shaker’s cigar Bar
Shakers Cigar Bar Milwaukee might have the creepiest histories of any restaurant in the city. A former brothel and hideout for Al Capone, Shaker’s Cigar Bar is one of the creepiest places in Wisconsin and was even featured on Netflix’s documentary show, “Dark Tourist”. Today, Shakers Cigar Bar is well-known for their hand-rolled cigars and impressive drink list. However, those aren’t the only spirits you can find here. Shakers comes with a long history. The current building was constructed in 1886, and now stands on a former cemetery.
The first death reported to have occurred at Shakers was before the building was even constructed. Sometime in the 1850s, a young girl named Elizabeth apparently fell out of an apple tree behind the cemetery where the cigar bar now. Ever since, the ghost of a small girl has been spotted wandering the rooms and the lady’s bathroom.
Then In 1922, Shakers opened as a speakeasy owned by notorious gangster Al Capone. The establishment was frequented by all the seediest characters in the city and had a reputation for illegal dealings. In fact, the “soda distribution company” Capone ran out of the building was actually a front for a liquor running operation. At least two mob-deaths are suspected to have occurred during this time. Chillingly, there is a 7-foot by 3-foot rectangle in the foundation of the building that most assume is the final resting place of a murder victim.
The establishment was also a brothel on the second and third floor. Local lore says that an unfortunate prostitute was hacked to pieces by a disgruntled client. Now employees of the current bar refuse to enter the room where the murder occurred, claiming that the aura of the room is incredibly oppressive and uncomfortable. Bones have also been discovered hidden in the walls of the establishment, presumably those of unfortunate homicide victims. Some say that the ghost of Al Capone himself has popped up to say hello now and then.
Ghost of Elk Lake
While the Elk Lake Dam may not be cursed itself, the surrounding area is. In 1974 the body of 25-year-old Mary Schlais was found in a snowy ditch 90 miles east of the Twin Cities in Dunn County, WI. Three hours after she left her apartment hitchhiking to an art show in Chicago.
Mary had been stabbed several times in a brutal attack. An autopsy showed that she had defensive wounds on her hands suggesting that she struggled with her attacker. A witness reported seeing an orange or gold colored compact car leaving the scene of the crime; however investigators were unable to identify the make or model. This same witness called police after observing the suspect dispose of her body in the snowy ditch and then flee the scene. To this day her purse and coat still have not been found.
There have been many strange occurrences around Elk Lake, according to multiple reports. One such includes two fishermen who were on the dam when one said, “There is a glowing white woman behind us.” “I know,” the other man replied, “But I’m not turning around.” others claim to have seen the ghost of Mary at and near the site that her body was found on 408th Ave. The ghost has been seen as both full and partial manifestations of a young woman said to match the description of Mary. It is really not possible to determine if any of the sightings of phantom female forms seen around Elk Lake are Mary Schlais. Maybe if her murder were to be solved and the apparitions are no longer seen, we would know that Mary Schlais has found peace at last.
Siren Bridge
Legend says a family – mom, dad and a young daughter – slipped on icy roads and crashed their car over a bridge in the 1980s in Siren WI. Ghost hunters have researched this incident in Siren, WI and found the actual accident. it was Rick and Rose Kringle and their daughter Jody.. One night during a Halloween Blizzard the Kringle family was driving on County Highway B when the Rick lost control and drove the car into the swamp below, and the whole family perished.
Residents alive at the time say the accident happened on a small strip of land crossing a marshy creek off county Hwy. B, and although there’s not actually a “Siren Bridge.”, There was family that had an accident and were trapped and they died in the car. Now motorists say when they are driving down this strip of road, people sometimes say they hear a little girl crying through their radios, “Mommy help me, I can’t get out.” Regardless of the details, there are enough facts to this story that make it even more creepy, far away, but if you dare please go and check it out.
Kate Blood
Riverside Cemetery in Appleton is home to one of Wisconsin’s most notorious legends: The grave of Kate Blood. Visitors have reported seeing blood dripping from the gravestone on a full moon nights. Some have touched the stone and felt it to be warmer than other nearby markers. All are drawn to the grave by the stories that Kate Blood was a witch who murdered her husband and children with an axe and still looks for victims. But the truth is a whole different story Kate Marcia “Kitty” Blood Miller was a beloved member of the community and was just 23 when stricken with tuberculosis, and moved south to stay with family in a warmer climate, where She soon dies in Lawrence, Kansas, and her body was brought back to Appleton and a grieving community. she left behind a 2-year-old daughter and husband George Blood later remarried and His second wife is buried in the same plot.
The fact that the grave is a bit off the beaten path and you probably could not find it unless you know where to look this has no doubt helped perpetuate the myth While most legends have some basis in fact, the myth surrounding Kate Blood seems to be entirely unwarranted and some Appleton residents have made it their mission to clear her name. Even if the Kate blood story is untrue The Riverside Cemetery in Appleton is still known to haunt visitors who claim to see a hooded figures running around and vanishing into thin air while others say they have seen blood ooze from her tombstone so go and visit if you dare..
The Butcher Of Plainfield
Small towns often get a bad rep for being a little creepy, but sometimes it’s for good reason. Located less than two hours from Milwaukee, you’ll find the tiny town of Plainfield is filled with some insane paranormal activity. In the Plainfield Cemetery you will find the sight where not only the serial killer Ed Gein the “Butcher of Plainfield” a grave-robber, murderer, necrophile and serial killer. Ed Gein’s grisly crimes have been the inspiration behind many horror characters including Buffalo Bill, Norman Bates, and Leatherface.
Ed Gein exhumed the corpses of freshly deceased women who reminded him of his mother to fashion himself a “woman suit” to re-animate his beloved dead mother. Here in the Plain Field Cemetery Gein is buried, along some of the women he would dig up. People have reported hearing women cry seeing apparitions and faucets turning themselves on. With everything that happened here in this town it’s no wonder there is so much unrest and if you resemble Ed’s mother beware.
We have looked at some interesting stories some close, some far. Famous people and unknown, but all with a creep factor. A wide variety of phenomena are attributed to ghosts, from a door closing on its own, to missing keys, to a cold area in a hallway. is such phenomena even possible, simply because they did not see something doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Most are still convinced that they had experienced something mysterious, or eerie.” Thus, many people who go on record as claiming to have had a ghostly experience didn’t necessarily see anything that most people would recognize as a classic “ghost,” and in fact they may have had completely different experiences whose only common factor is that it could not be explained. Part of the difficulty in investigating ghosts is that there is not one agreed-upon definition of what a ghost is. Some believe that they are spirits of the dead who for whatever reason get “lost” on their way to The Other Side; others claim that ghosts are instead telepathic entities projected into the world from our minds. Still others create their own special categories for different types of ghosts, such as poltergeists, residual haunting’s, intelligent spirits and shadow people. Although not all of us believe that the paranormal is real, sometimes it’s just about the journey. It can be fun to go and try to experience or debunk something unexplained. maybe you and some friends want to go and check out some of these places for yourself.
RIPE Magazine | Volume 1 