Over 550 books on ghosts from around the world, Invisible Ink--Books on Ghosts & Hauntings: Illinois 1

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Item #770

Agatha's Journey, 1828-1998, Sandra Penrose, 1998, 198 pp $11.95

Can an obsession overcome death itself? The author’s family thinks so. In 1980 they moved into a Naperville, IL house populated with spirits, some terrifying, some unnerving and some comforting. One of the spirits, Agatha Wilson, chose to stay and tell her story, waiting more than 160 years for the opportunity. This is the story of the author’s family and how they came to meet Agatha—and Agatha’s own story of survival and obsessive determination that reach across time.

Item #425

Chicago Haunts: Ghostly Lore of the Windy City, Ursula Bielski, 1997, photos, biblio, notes, index, 265 pp $15.00

I was bowled over by the exceptional quality of the writing and research in this book. No dreary recounting of the same old Resurrection Mary and Devil Baby of Hull House stories, but a skillful blend of history, legend, and contemporary stories. Bielski’s degree is in history and I always say that is terrific training for a ghostwriter. The vanishing house at the decaying and haunted Bachelors Grove Cemetery. The phantom hearse of Archer Avenue, its cargo the glowing casket of a child. Old and new haunted houses, the Devil in Chicago, ghostly remnants of past crimes and tragedies, school legends, religious phenomena, the many ghosts of the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. An absolutely first-rate book!

Item #426

Chicagoland Ghosts, Dylan Clearfield, 1997, photos, 104 pp $12.95

A workmanlike compendium of Chicago-land ghosts, an area the author defines as "the City of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs…approximately a one-hundred-mile square region." The ghost of John Dillinger (or was it a small-time hoodlum named James Lawrence shot in Dillinger’s place?) who haunts the alley by the Biograph Theatre. The unhappy ghost of Louise Luetgert, whose body was disposed of by her husband in an unspeakable way at his sausage factory. The spirit at the Castle Pub who still helps himself to whiskey—and redheaded women. Father Kellen Ryan, prankster priest, still playing tricks from beyond the grave. The singing ghost (or was it a living convict?) of Old Joliet Prison. Al Capone’s haunted yacht.
The inevitable cemetery ghosts and some short takes on the multitude of Chicago-land mysteries. A few of the stories are a bit thin, but there are some very satisfying tales here which I had not previously heard.

Item #207

Ghosts of Galena, Daryl Watson, 1995, photos, 94 pp. $12.95

A nice mixture of modern hauntings and historic tales drawn from old newspapers. The Historical Society building itself may be haunted by a deceased distiller who didn't like the spirits served at a gala. A house haunted by the sound of bagpipes. (Many people's idea of hell!) The ghost that was solid enough to appear in silhouette against a hall light. A friendly ghost-nun.

Item #430

Item no. 430 Ghosts of Little Egypt, Ghosts and Hauntings of Southern Illinois, Troy Taylor, 1998, map, photos, 56 pp THIS BOOK IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. ASK US TO FIND A NICE USED COPY FOR YOU.

Mostly historic and folkloric ghosts from the rich and strange lands of the southern tip of Illinois. The Old Slave House, full of the spirits of tortured slaves from its horrific past. A phantom funeral procession. Spook lights, Indian curses, ghost dogs, and pioneer tales. This book is an admirable way to sneak local history past the history-phobic!

Item #429

Ghosts of Springfield, The Haunted History of Abraham Lincoln and the Spirits of the Prairie Capital, Troy Taylor, 1997, photos, 238 pp THIS BOOK IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. ASK US TO FIND A NICE USED COPY FOR YOU.

The first is a new series, "Ghosts of the Prairie," this is another book from the prolific pen of Troy Taylor, President of the Ghost Research Society of Central Illinois, editor of Ghosts of the Prairie Magazine, and leader of the Haunted Decatur tours. Taylor is a history buff and it shows in the large and detailed chunks of Springfield history included with his haunted house stories. The lengthy section on Lincoln, which seemed to cover every supernatural angle possible, was terrific! I would have liked to see a larger quantity of houses from Springfield, although the end selection was very good. There was a heavy concentration on the Dana House, which, while an interesting read for Frank Floyd Wright fans, fell a little short in the hauntings department. I liked this book best when it focused on contemporary sightings of ghosts in historic places.

Item #208

Haunted Decatur, Troy Taylor, 1995, maps and photos, 188 pp THIS BOOK IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. ASK US TO FIND A NICE USED COPY FOR YOU.

The decaying Voorhies Castle, haunted by a deformed child and an artistic female ghost painting at a ghostly easel. The tortured slave ghosts of the Old Slave House at Hickory Hill. One chapter features the atmospheric stories of ghosthunter Frank Ward from Depression-era Decatur, like the house where shotgun pellets fell from the ceiling until the mummified body of a young boy, shot in the chest, was found above the rafters. The mangled ghost of a woman in a corset and torn skirt, run over by the Diamond Special train. Greenwood Cemetery, city of the Dead. The Legends of Hell Hollow. Taylor devotes an overly-long chapter to a true crime story, but the rest of this oversize paperback book is full of ghostly tales you won't find any where else and won't want to miss!

Item #427

Haunted Decatur Book 3, Ghosts of Milliken, The Haunted History of Millikin University, Troy Taylor, 1996, photos, 93 pp THIS BOOK IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. ASK US TO FIND A NICE USED COPY FOR YOU.

Starting with a fascinating rundown of haunted midwestern colleges and universities, this third in the Haunted Decatur series then segues into the many haunts of Milliken University and snippets of other Decatur haunts. A murderous ghost at Albert Taylor Theatre who nearly killed a young actress. The ghostly "Nathan" of Kappa Sigma who seems to resent the current residents. The female suicide of Aston Hall, who walks through wall after wall after wall…. Taylor mentions discusses the many electronic glitches accompanying his researches and theorizes about ghosts and electrical energies.

Item #209

More Haunted Decatur, Troy Taylor, 1996, maps and photos, 195 pp THIS BOOK IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. ASK US TO FIND A NICE USED COPY FOR YOU.

The hideous smell at the empty Avon Theatre where "someone had just opened the window curtain and a face had looked out at them." Haunted Springfield, including the sobbing noises and mysterious footsteps in the vault where Lincoln's body is (perhaps) entombed after a grave-robbing attempt. A fascinating piece about "Devil's Chairs" in cemeteries. Updates on some stories from Haunted Decatur. I skipped the lengthy chapter on Hell's Half-Acre: crime, corruption and bootlegging in historic Decatur. And the author/publisher got a little type-happy when designing the book. Still, this entertaining book covers a much-neglected area of ghost-lore.

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