It is that time of year, when all the ghosts, superheroes, and other costumes come out to play. The Halloween Season is upon us, and whether we like it or not, all of the festivities along with it. Although to be fair, I do enjoy seeing the kiddos so excited about something. In the true Spirit of Halloween, this article will take some time to look at the true spooky stories of the world around us. Now, whether you believe them or not is up to you, but it can still be pretty fun to see what kind of scary stories people can muster up in different regions of the places we live.
Around the Leavenworth area, there are a number of stories. As one of the most haunted towns in Kansas, Leavenworth is a part of the greater Kansas City metropolitan area, with a historic River Town atmosphere. The local hotel, built upon the bones of an old religious high school has plenty of stories to tell. Not to mention, around Fort Leavenworth, ghostly riders of Calvary legions have been spotted and interacted with for a long time.
Now, of course, we can’t talk about haunted Kansas without mentioning Atchison. One of these spooky places around the state, Atchison celebrates its haunting history every year. They offer haunted trolley tours throughout the town not to mention the infamous Sallie House. Stories of a young couple in the ’90s renting the house take a rather violent turn. The house is currently available for daytime visits or overnight stays. Although with all of the stories that I’ve read about it, I don’t think I would go within a block of the place after dark. The house is also been the scene of many different documentaries, and movies, although there are many accounts of cameras not working properly near the area.
Or perhaps you’re from the more urban scene of Wichita. I’ve heard lots of stories of haunted places to visit but one of the more known areas is the Drury Plaza Hotel. There are whispers of past guests being trapped in the walls, murmuring to you during your stay. Now, whether or not you actually witness anything is up for debate, but the location certainly has lots of historical significance to offer an inquisitive guest.
Now if it’s haunted buildings that you’re looking for, look no further than Topeka Kansas where the large abandoned church commonly nicknamed the “Church of the Damned” resides. The church was subject to many vandalism and graffiti until its fiery end. In 2013, the church caught flame and a pretty significant one at that. The church itself was featured on an episode of an A&E reality TV series for its uncanny ability to attract bad occurrences.
For those of you in the Hutchinson area, you know that there are plenty of abandoned and potentially haunted areas around town. One story that I particularly enjoyed was the story of the librarian Ida Day Holzapel, who moved here from California and became head librarian at the Hutchinson Public Library. Seems pretty standard right? Until she decided to take a librarian job back in California and died in an auto accident on the first day of her new job. Legend has it, that she still works at the Hutchinson Public Library. Straightening bookshelves, and silencing obnoxious individuals with a hush of the wind.
Overall, these scary stories aren’t intended for you to necessarily believe. But they are a part of our folklore, and after all, telling scary stories around the fireplace is one of our oldest traditions as human beings. And beyond that, they’re just awfully fun. Have a Happy Halloween!
