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Overview
Join Candice Shatkins, a founding member of the Paranormal Investigators of Kenosha, as she uncovers the spooky secrets and unlikely legends of Kenosha County. From a secret burial chamber under a library to Wisconsin’s very own Wolfman, a shipwreck on Black Tuesday to the haunted observatory tower of a former seminary and boarding school, Kenosha’s ghosts are sure to delight visitors and residents alike in this stirring account of the area’s historic haunts.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781625842404 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Arcadia Publishing SC |
| Publication date: | 10/20/2018 |
| Series: | Haunted America |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 115 |
| File size: | 6 MB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Part I
Ghosts
Early History
Kenosha County is located approximately thirty miles south of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and fifty miles north of Chicago, Illinois. The city of Kenosha is the county seat of Kenosha County, which is located in the southeastern part of the state of Wisconsin. Considered "the Gateway to Wisconsin," Kenosha has always been known for its extraordinary scenery.
Throughout history, the Kenosha area has been primarily an agricultural and manufacturing town. Its good citizens have produced an inordinate number of worldwide recognizable products. Of them, Jeffery Motors, Simmons Company (maker of coil spring mattresses), Nash, American Motors, Chrysler and Jockey International are but a few of the many businesses that have thrived in this community. Many of these factories that became household names have come and gone, leaving this community to reinvent itself time and time again.
Today, the city has a population of approximately ninety-six thousand and is considered to be a bedroom community, which means that it is used primarily for residential use, with most of the population commuting to jobs in other areas. In short, people like to make their homes here. It would seem as if some past Kenoshans felt the same way. Although they have long since passed on, they somehow still refuse to leave. But now I seem to be getting ahead of myself already; perhaps we should just start in the beginning …
After the Black Hawk War ended in 1832, the Native Americans, defeated in their homeland, moved westward. Before this time, there were scattered tribal villages in Kenosha County. Two such archaeological sites were discovered in the immediate vicinity of the area known today as Library Park.
In 1835, emigration companies formed in the eastern states, particularly the Western Emigrating Company, from Hannibal, New York. Back east, people longed to head westward, as they had been told tales of lush, green vegetation, sparkling streams and lakes, open prairies filled with wildflowers and, most importantly, vast areas of premium, fertile farmland. Because these early settlers didn't arrive until the summer of 1835, they hadn't ample time to clear the land or plant full crops for themselves. This fact would become a problem later, in the wintertime. Although Pike Creek formed a natural harbor, the mouth would become, at times, almost blocked entirely by drifts of sand. Large improvements would be necessary for the harbor to be able to receive ships. So supplies were in constant great demand.
Though most of the Native Americans had moved out of the area, there were occasional wanderers who would pass through from time to time to fish, hunt or camp in the surrounding wilderness. The Indians had strange ways, a few of which upset the pioneers. Once in a while, they would find a Native American cadaver deposited inside the hollowed-out trunk of a tree. On another occasion near Washington (later renamed Simmons) Island, the settlers found two deceased natives buried upright in the ground only to their waists. The head of one, which was in an advanced stage of decomposition, had fallen off the corpse completely. These customs may have been foreign to the settlers, to say the least, but there is no known report of violence or bloodshed ensuing between the settlers and natives. The Native Americans traveled through their former territory in peace.
That first winter was a long, hard one, and many went hungry. As beautiful as the change of seasons is in this part of the country, winters are cold, relentless and long. More than a few of those early pioneers found the hardships too great and moved back east. Eight households, however, ended up staying and resolved to make this pristine land their home.
There were disputes with "claim jumpers" as well. Western Emigrating Company soon found that others came, as everyone was free to stake a claim wherever they found one until the land titles could be documented with the United States government. There were such things as "squatter's laws," which insisted that one mark off his claim, fence it in and reside on the land while clearing it. These laws were taken very seriously, and everyone seemed to know the rules.
The town at Pike Creek was born in June 1835. Pike was the name for the settlement that would become the city of Kenosha. Most of the early settlement was located in and around the area now known as Simmons Island. Almost all of the earliest buildings were erected north of the creek. For a time, the land south of the creek was deemed undesirable. The crescent-shaped creek created a natural harbor that, if improved, would be suitable for large ships. Early on, settlers started improving the swampy low spots on the south side of Pike Creek, and not long after, the settlement shifted to the more desirable south side.
History tells us that this area was also chosen because of its natural beauty. There are many accounts that specifically mention the abundance of flowers, wild berries and grand oak trees that grew in the area. The eight-foot-tall prairie grasses, which could easily hide both a horse and a rider, are also mentioned numerous times.
Although it was beautiful, this young town had its fair share of setbacks. Fires destroyed businesses, oftentimes taking out the neighboring structures and entire city blocks as well. Diseases were spreading almost as fast as the fires, with the infant mortality rate in those days at just about 50 percent. This was partially due to the fact that there was no water or sanitation system in place.
There were even times when Lake Michigan displayed its power and swallowed up entire roads, homes and businesses, never again to be replaced. Eventually, residents grew wiser and placed large rock breakwaters along the shores to prevent further loss of land to the lake. Sometimes in the fall, storms would brew up and cause waves over thirty feet in height. Many vessels were lost on Lake Michigan during such storms.
Later, the settlers petitioned the government for help with the improvements to the harbor, and after much ado, the money was granted. In the years that followed, the name of the town was changed to Southport. It was so named because the settlement was the southernmost port of Wisconsin on Lake Michigan. When Racine County was split and Kenosha became its own county, the name was again and forever changed to Kenosha. This final name was derived from the Native American name "Kenozia," which meant "of the pike." Pike is still the name used for both the creek and the river that empties into Lake Michigan near Pennoyer Park, where the band shell is located today.
Most of the founding citizens were highly educated people. The settlers quickly established stores, schools and churches. Kenosha's first citizens put great emphasis on education. The first free school "west of the Allegheny Mountains" was established at Pike Creek in 1845. Early log-style schools in those times often pulled double and triple duty as meeting halls, social venues and church service locations. Theirs was the kind of community that truly helped one another. When the first churches were made, each denomination helped the others to build their churches. Kindness was the rule, rather than the exception, as many pioneer households, with barely enough to eat, found themselves feeding hungry strangers. The settlers also took travelers in out of the cold and shared their meager comforts with them. These people had tremendous will, however, and somehow they survived it all.
The year 1836 saw many more newcomers to the settlement. One of them was named Charles Durkee. Mr. Durkee and his wife, Catharine, were newlyweds. It is here that our stories begin …
* * *
The Library Ghost
In June 1836, violent storms drove a small group of settlers off the choppy Lake Michigan waters and onto the shore of a brand-new settlement. Among the passengers bound from Chicago to Milwaukee that day were Charles and Catharine Durkee, originally from Vermont. Mrs. Durkee had become so violently ill that she begged to be put ashore. After a few days' rest, Mr. and Mrs. Durkee grew so charmed by the beauty of the area that they decided to stay and make their home in what was then called Pike Creek. Charles Durkee built a log cabin to the south of the city, on the southwest corner of what is now Library Park, very near where the Gilbert M. Simmons Memorial Library is today. History tells us that at that time, there were wildflowers growing on the property in a magnificent display that rivaled the best gardens man could create. Although Mrs. Durkee never planted a flower on the land, there was a splendid variety just outside their door all season long. Mrs. Durkee was reportedly as happy living in that small cabin as if she were living in a fine mansion back east. By all accounts, the couple was very much in love and looked forward to what the future would hold for them. The young bride was also noted as possessing exceptional beauty and a pleasant disposition.
Sadly, Catharine Putnam Dana Durkee would not enjoy her new home for long. Tragically, she died of illness at the age of twenty-five in August 1838. She was laid to rest on a picturesque grassy knoll on the southern end of their property. That area is now known as Green Ridge Cemetery. She personally chose the grave site before her death. She remarked to her sister while walking one day that if she were to die, she would like to be buried in that spot. Catharine had loved that particular area. It is said that Charles Durkee loved this woman immensely, and that he never stopped mourning the loss of his precious Catharine. It was whispered that she may have even been pregnant at the time of her death. Charles Durkee, owning vast real estate in Pike Creek, donated large tracts of land surrounding Catharine's grave to be used as a burial ground. Not long after, he donated the land that their cabin had been on to be used toward a New England–type commons, called City Park, or sometimes referred to as the Commons. A man named George Kimball donated some land as well. That area is known today as Library Park.
At some point, the town put a white picket fence around City Park. In earlier years, cows had been known to graze there. The fence was a deterrent to keep the livestock out of the park. By the 1870s, the ancient oaks in the park were dying, and the fence was looking pretty shabby. The ladies of the city organized a park association and raised money to improve the park's condition. The fence was torn down and weeds and brush were cleared. The park was once again respectable; however, once the fence came down, boys continued to occasionally drive cows through the park, which always upset the ladies and the workers considerably. The association decided to install a pond to spruce up the park a bit. When the pond was finished, the boys still drove the cows through, and townspeople petitioned to have it stopped. In the winter of 1881, the pond was used for ice skating, and everyone enjoyed it for one season. The next summer, a large colony of bullfrogs moved into it, and their croaking became such a nuisance that the residents near the park complained bitterly. Two years later, it was filled in and a gazebo was erected in the park, where concerts were given regularly.
Zalmon G. Simmons was born to parents Ezra and Maria (Gilbert) Simmons on September 10, 1828, in Montgomery County, New York. He was the oldest son. The Simmons family traveled westward and ended up settling in Benton Township, in Lake County, Illinois, after a brief stop in Southport. At that time, Zalmon was fourteen years old. He worked for his father on their farm and taught school until he reached the age of twenty-one. At that time, he packed up his belongings and his life savings of three dollars and moved to Southport. Shortly after arriving in Southport in 1847, Simmons went to work for Seth Doane in his store. A short time later, he ended up owning that store. He married Emma Robeson, and together, they would have a total of six children. As far as business dealings were concerned, Simmons seemed to possess the Midas touch. Very few of his business ventures were failures, and he shared generously of his wealth with the community. He was bank president and served a term as mayor of Kenosha. Ultimately, he founded the Simmons Manufacturing Company, which became world famous for its coil spring mattresses. Although he did not fight in the Civil War, he was considered a friend to the Union's cause and reportedly idolized Abraham Lincoln. To each volunteer who enlisted, Simmons gave a gold coin worth five dollars. He continued his support by giving the families of each volunteer an allowance of five dollars each month.
Many decades later, in 1899, Zalmon G. Simmons offered to build for the city a much needed library. He offered this gift to the residents with only two conditions: that the city had to levy a property tax to support the cost of operations; and that he wished it to be named in memory of his deceased adult son, Gilbert Maurice Simmons, who had died of pneumonia about ten years earlier. The city quickly agreed, so Z.G. Simmons hired nationally acclaimed architect David H. Burnham to design the building. The building itself is a grand example of the Neoclassical Revival style, built with Bedford limestone and decorated with marble, bronze, mosaics and frescoes. The structure was erected in the shape of a raised Greek cross. It was proclaimed that this structure would be built to last for one thousand years and that only a nuclear bomb, or outright human neglect, could destroy the sturdy building. On May 30, 1900, the new library was dedicated with a grand celebration, and a new soldiers' monument was unveiled as part of the ceremony. The library and grounds still remain very much as it was today.
That is, except for the fact that the library now is reportedly home to a ghost. Over the years, many library employees who have worked at the Simmons branch have reported strange happenings in the evening hours. Some people have discounted these stories, claiming that they were a product of somebody's vivid imagination. Others who have experienced the activity may not be so quick to agree.
On October 26, 1997, Debbie Luebke Metro, Kenosha News journalist, reported that one summer evening, at closing time, two library employees were locking up for the night when the security system started acting up. For whatever reason, the keypad wouldn't let them key in the security code. Then they both heard the distinct sound of a wooden chair sliding across the marble floor upstairs. As one can imagine, this was very disturbing to the two library employees. Thinking that they somehow must have overlooked somebody inside, they went back up the metal spiral staircase to investigate. They found that everything seemed to be in order. They were in the process of shrugging it off when they suddenly heard a mysterious series of tapping noises that seemed to come from all directions. Deciding that they had had enough, they punched in the security code one last time and promptly left the building.
A few years later, one of the aforementioned library clerks was entering data for the Kenosha News when she entered the library on a Sunday when it was closed, taking care to lock the door behind her. Going on about her business, she heard light footsteps coming up the stairs. Later, she reported that she had heard what sounded like books falling off the shelves. Another time, an unseen woman from behind her said, "Excuse me," as she washed her hands in the sink. Reportedly, another employee was told by an unseen female, "You should leave now," as she sat and ate her lunch in the break room. Legend has it that she stayed and finished her lunch, even though she had been startled by the interruption.
At least one aide of the library, who has since transferred to a different branch, has had similar experiences. She stated in an article in the Kenosha News that the security buzzers would simultaneously go off when no one was passing through them. When she walked through the building at closing time, she felt as if someone were following her in the darkness. One night, she also heard those wooden chairs moving across the marble floor. Again, nothing was out of place when she went back upstairs to investigate.
For the most part, the Simmons Library ghost would be classified by ghost researchers as a poltergeist, which means that it is noisy and is heard more often than seen. Only one person, a custodian of the library, is reported to have seen the ghost. While changing a light bulb in the basement early one morning before the library opened, it is said that he saw a female walking down the hall when nobody else was there.
Various employees have also heard the toilet flushing in the men's room when nobody else was around. They hear rustling newspapers, books falling, strange tapping sounds and, of course, the heavy oak chairs sliding around on the marble floor. None of these things has ever been explained rationally.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Haunted Kenosha"
by .
Copyright © 2009 Candice Shatkins.
Excerpted by permission of The History Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements,
Introduction,
Part I. Ghosts,
Early History,
The Library Ghost,
The Lady of Hale-Farr House,
Bridget McCaffary's Ghost,
The Legends of Kemper Hall,
The Cemetery Phantom,
The Ghosts of the Rhode Opera House,
The Gentleman Wears Blue,
Vaj's Garage,
The Edgewater,
Part II. Legends,
Ghost in the Graveyard,
The Simmons Library Secret Tomb,
The Cries of the Unknown Souls,
The Mysterious Ball of Oakwood Cemetery,
Wisconsin's Wolfman,
Part III. Bizarre True Tales,
The First Fortuneteller,
The Tragedy of the SS Wisconsin,
Lewis Knapp, Town Blasphemer,
Powder Plant Explosions Rock Entire County,
A Mother's Love,
Local Man Invented Suicide Device,
The Magical Waters of the Bristol Soda Springs,
Bibliography,