Although Ashmore Estates gained notoriety during the time it was a psychiatric facility and later abandoned, for most of its history it was known as the almshouse on the Coles County Poor Farm. The Coles County Poor Farm sat on the same property outside of Ashmore, Illinois for 89 years, between 1870 and 1959. The current building, as it stands today, was built in 1916. At any given time, the building was home to between 30 and 40 “inmates,” many of whom, because of the age at which they came to the farm, died there. It is estimated that over 100 inmates died on the farm in its 89 year history.

My article, “From Poor House to Haunted House: The Coles County Poor Farm,” was recently featured in the August 2011 issue of Historic Illinois, a publication of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. It is a shortened version of a paper I read at the 2010 Conference on Illinois History in Springfield, and it chronicles the history of the poor farm from 1870 to the present day. To download and read the article in .pdf, click on the cover image or click this link (pdf will open in new browser window).

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Ashmore Estates is just one of many strange and fascinating places in Coles County. Read about them all in Tales of Coles County, Illinois (2010) by Michael Kleen. Join me as I weave four tales around events like the Charleston Riot, the Second Battle of Blakeman Mill, and the Airtight Bridge Murder. Plus, read the story that inspired some to believe that the ghost of Elva Skinner haunts the halls of Ashmore Estates!

This edition of Tales of Coles County also contains a new section on the legends and lore of Coles County. There, I reveal over a dozen hidden stories from the area’s past and present. What is the history of Coles County’s ghost towns? Does a werewolf stalk the Charleston Stone Quarry? When did a poltergeist terrorize one rural family in Pleasant Grove Township? Is there buried treasure in Coles County? The answers to these questions and more can be found in this definitive volume. Go here to order in paperback and Kindle.

Tonight on the Travel Channel at 8pm central/9pm eastern time, the season premier of Ghost Adventures will feature Ashmore Estates, a former almshouse and psychiatric facility in Coles County, Illinois. All this week, trueillinoishaunts.com has featured interviews, videos, and information about this strange and fascinating place. Before you watch the show, you should familiarize yourself with the real history, myths, and legends of Ashmore Estates. Now, there is a new book that does just that exclusively for Kindle and Nook users: Ashmore Estates: The Myth and the Legend. Click here to purchase the book for Kindle and here to purchase the book for Nook. For those of you without a digital e-reader, there is a comprehensive chapter on Ashmore Estates in the book Paranormal Illinois, also by Michael Kleen (your’s truly).

I have been exploring, researching, and writing about Ashmore Estates since a friend of mine took me there in the winter of 2000/2001. By that time, it was already a popular legend around the area. When my friend was a freshmen at Eastern Illinois University, two of her fellow students (the “Men of Adventure”) wrote a satirical piece for the Halloween issue of the Verge section of the Daily Eastern News on how to make Ashmore Estates into a “highly illegal” Halloween escapade.

“No one is really sure what this building once housed,” they wrote. “But there are stories.  These tales revolve around pagan rituals and dismembered bodies. We aren’t sure if any of them are true or not, but they sure do make for three floors… of unadulterated fun.” The two also described “possibly” encountering a severed pig’s head in the stairwell. Like countless others had done, my friends and I parked along the side of the gravel road a few yards away from the building and walked through a thin layer of snow on the fallow corn field. Like the “Men of Adventure,” I knew nothing about what this building was or what it had been. As we carefully explored its interior, any story about it seemed possible, severed pig’s heads and all. It was years before I knew anything about its real history.

After months of painstaking research, I wrote about the building in an issue of a digital newsletter I had created called the Legends and Lore of Coles County, Illinois. Not long after I predicted a dismal end to Ashmore Estates in the June 2006 issue of the Legends and Lore of Coles County, a man named Scott Kelley, who owned a local computer company, contacted me and informed me that he had plans to rent or even purchase the property. Scott first became interested in Ashmore Estates around ten years earlier. Scott, a longtime operator of haunted attractions including the local haunts at Elsinore Farm and Rockome Gardens, believed the institution would make an excellent haunted house. He purchased the property from Arthur Colclasure in early August and immediately began renovating. To finance the project, he offered flashlight tours of the interior for five dollars a person, and volunteers helped clean up the property and the interior of the old almshouse. While the risk of arrest always accompanied my earlier visits, Scott gave me free run of the building.

That October, for the first time in its history, the doors of Ashmore Estates were opened to the general public, and people who had swapped stories about the building for over a decade lined up to get a look inside. On June 8, 2007, the Kelleys asked me to come and speak about the history and folklore of Ashmore Estates at an overnight event. That was my first real speaking engagement. I stayed for pizza and the movie White Noise, but I left before midnight. Although I was forced to move up to Rockford in June 2008, Ashmore Estates had become something of a phenomenon in the ghost hunting community. Consequently, I found myself returning to the area to be interviewed for several documentaries. The first was the Booth Brother’s Children of the Grave 2. The other was an episode of American Horrors. Then, this past spring, I returned once again to be interviewed for Ghost Adventures.

It’s been a long road, and who knows what the future will have in store for Ashmore Estates. I, for one, hope my readers have enjoyed everything I have written about it over the years. It is indeed a fascinating place!

For information on and directions to these and other haunted attractions in Illinois, visit HauntedIllinois.com

Former Eastern Student Details Grisly History

By Jose Gonzalez
Senior Verge Reporter

Illinois’ has a reputation for haunting legends and folklore, and in Coles County, this is no different.

Eastern Illinois University alum Michael Kleen graduated with a degree in philosophy in 2006, and quickly became a local historian after receiving his masters in American history in 2008. While at EIU, he often visited places like Ashmore Estates and Airtight Bridge.

“I do not consider myself to be a paranormal investigator,” Kleen said. “I am a folk historian. I look at folklore and ghost stories and see what they have to tell us about an area’s culture and history.” Sometimes, his trips have included interesting encounters. “On one nighttime trip out to Airtight Bridge, I passed a man wearing a gown who was standing on the side of the road in the dark without a flashlight.”

Kleen’s research on Ashmore Estates, the almshouse on the Coles County Poor Farm, earned him a spot on an episode of Ghost Adventures, and his article on the poor farm was the cover story for the August 2011 issue of Historic Illinois, according to his biography on his official website.

Kleen is also the founder of Black Oak Media, an alternative outlet for Middle American art and culture. His books often touch on the more obscure side of history, which would include things like “The Mad Gasser of Mattoon,” in his book Tales of Coles County.

The Mad Gasser of Mattoon

According to Kleen’s book, the incident of the “Mad Gasser of Mattoon” occurred at the tail end of World War II. Somewhere on Marshall Avenue in Mattoon, Elsie Kearney and her daughter Dorothy were preparing for bed.

As Mrs. Kearney was lying sound asleep, she started smelling an overwhelming scent, which she assumed was coming from her flowers, until she began to feel limp and then cried out to her sister Martha for help.

Kleen’s book said Mr. and Mrs. Urban Reef suffered the same attack during the previous evening, and the Daily-Journal Gazette reported an “aesthetic prowler” had been responsible for the attacks and that the Kearney family was his first target.

A police report by then Chief Cole said the reported attacks were caused from mass hysteria resulted from odors from industrial plants. No explanation of hysteria caused by the Second Great War had ever been indicated as the real cause ever since the attacks happened almost 70 years ago.

A book written by Scott Maruna titled The Mad Gasser of Mattoon: Dispelling the Hysteria theorized a disgruntled University of Illinois chemistry student named Farley Llewellyn as the perpetrator, because Llewellyn was bullied and grew up in Mattoon.

Maruna discovered some of the victims lived near Llewellyn, but his theory had never been proved to be true.

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Jose Gonzalez is an Eastern Illinois University student and Verge Reporter for The Daily Eastern News.

Sorry guys, this page is copyright by the author, 2011. You do not have permission to copy this for any reason. Please learn how to cite your work.

Between 2007 and 2010, 47 issues of the Legends and Lore of Illinois were released. Each issue discussed an allegedly haunted location in Illinois and featured the continuing adventures of a mysterious team of paranormal investigators called The Fallen. Reviews, interviews, letters from the readers, trivia, and “ghostly games” were also irregular features. Places as diverse as Cahokia Mounds, Western Illinois University, and Aux Sable Cemetery were all explored, but which issue has proven to be the most popular of them all?

10. Volume 3 Issue 9 – Ashmore Estates

Released in September 2009, this issue of the Legends and Lore of Illinois concerns Ashmore Estates, the old almshouse on the Coles County Poor Farm. Ashmore Estates has gained notoriety lately because of its appearance on the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures. In this issue, The Fallen arrive to investigate the alleged hauntings at the location, but instead encounter and expose a disgruntled clown who was creating disturbances in order to scare everyone away. He would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for those darn kids!

Click here to download the entire issue!

9. Volume 1 Issue 6 – Resurrection Cemetery

The first year of the Legends and Lore of Illinois was filled with some of the most well-known haunted places in Illinois, so it comes as no surprise that our June 2007 issue on Resurrection Cemetery would make the list. In this issue, The Fallen retreat to Chet’s Melody Lounge after their questions are rebuffed by an annoyed employee at the cemetery visitor center. At Chet’s, they meet an inebriated Polish gentleman who tells the team about his own eerie encounter with Resurrection Mary.

Click here to download the entire issue!

8. Volume 2 Issue 11 – Hartford Castle

The November 2008 issue of the Legends and Lore of Illinois concerned an abandoned mansion opposite of the Mississippi River from St. Louis. While this “Hartford Castle” attracted some curiosity seekers in its heyday, people really began to take notice after the mansion mysteriously burnt to the ground in 1973. Visitors to these woods encounter old stone gazebos and statuary, as well as overgrown gardens. In this issue, The Fallen’s investigation is interrupted by a group of zealots bent on uncovering the location of an astral portal.

Click here to download the entire issue!

7. Volume 1 Issue 10 – Cuba Road

Cuba Road has long fascinated residents of the north Chicago suburbs, so it comes as no surprise that our October 2007 issue would make the list. A vanishing house, phantom automobiles, a cemetery filled with ghost lights, and more are all said to haunt the roadway. There was also said to be an abandoned insane asylum along a side street off Cuba Road. It turns out this “asylum” was nothing more than a large farmhouse, but in this issue of the Legends and Lore of Illinois, a group of zealots attempt to trap Mike and Aurelia with accusations of Satanic worship in this very farmhouse. Can they escape?

Click here to download the entire issue!

6. Volume 1 Issue 8 – Shoe Factory Road

The haunts along Shoe Factory Road are obscure compared to the others on this list, so the popularity of this issue is somewhat perplexing. Never the less, Shoe Factory Road’s abandoned schoolhouse and farm have attracted strange tales for years. Shortly after this issue of the Legends and Lore of Illinois hit the web in August 2007, the old schoolhouse was torn down to make way for yet another subdivision. Luckily, The Fallen were able to conduct an investigation there just before the demolition, and as they left, they encountered the zealots for the first time. Will these zealots be successful at beating them to the astral portal?

Click here to download the entire issue!

5. Volume 1 Issue 1 – Bachelor’s Grove

Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery is the most famous haunted place in Illinois, so it was a natural choice for the very first issue of the Legends and Lore of Illinois. With a vanishing house, ghost lights, a weeping woman, grave desecration, and even rumors of a two-headed monster, Bachelor’s Grove has attracted a lot of attention over the years – both good and bad. In January 2007, The Fallen ventured out to this foreboding place to capture evidence of paranormal activity. Instead, they stumbled upon the foundation of a house that may have been the historical basis of its phantasmal counterpart.

Click here to download the entire issue!

4. Volume 2 Issue 9 – Blood’s Point Road

A creepy name alone was enough to bring curiosity seekers out to this road and cemetery, but it was rumors of witchcraft, curses, phantom trucks, a bus accident, and a dog with glowing red eyes that turned the area into a local legend. Before Blood’s Point Road was featured on Fearnet’s “Streets of Fear,” however, it was visited by The Fallen, who experienced a harrowing encounter with a phantom vehicle. But this near-death experience wasn’t enough to keep them from their ultimate goal – stealing the bones of Big Thunder!

Click here to download the entire issue!

3. Volume 2 Issue 3 – Bartonville State Asylum

Also known as Peoria State Hospital, this old abandoned mental hospital has attracted a lot of attention in recent years as efforts have been made to restore its administrative building to its former glory. When The Fallen came here in March 2008, however, they had a different agenda. The previous month, Emmer had discovered that a mad scientist was trying to create a more ferocious kind of guard dog by cross-breeding various domesticated dogs with wild coyotes. The Fallen had reason to believe he was committed in the state asylum in Bartonville. Will they find the evidence they were looking for?

Click here to download the entire issue!

2. Volume 3 Issue 3 – Manteno State Hospital

In 1939, Manteno State Hospital was struck by an outbreak of Typhoid fever that resulted in the deaths of over 47 patients and staff. It was called the “Manteno Madness,” and the resulting scandal unseated the state director of public welfare. After the hospital’s closure in 1985, curiosity seekers began to explore the buildings and the mysterious tunnels that connected them. In our March 2009 issue, Aurelia encounters something sinister in these tunnels after arriving separately from the rest of the group.

Click here to download the entire issue!

1. Volume 3 Issue 6 – Chanute Air Force Base

Thanks to the thousands of Air Force veterans formerly stationed at Chanute Air Force Base, this has consistently been the most popular issue of the Legends and Lore of Illinois by far. Chanute Air Force Base served Illinois from 1917 until its closure in 1993. Soon after, people began to report seeing phantom airmen strolling the grounds, and in 2001 a police dog leapt to its death off the roof of White Hall. In this issue, The Fallen are joined by their friend Misa, who helps them rescue Davin from the clutches of a group of acolytes. The acolytes have Davin tied up in one of the old hangers. Will they get there in time, or will their friend be saved by some unseen interlopers?

Click here to download the entire issue!

Sorry guys, this page is copyright Black Oak Media, 2011. You do not have permission to copy this for any reason. Please learn how to cite your work.

You heard me, a man that goes by the name ZombieMutts has created a post-apocalyptic model of Ashmore Estates entirely out of Legos. This has perhaps combined two of my favorite things in the world. When I was a kid, I used to love playing with Legos, and as an adult and student at Eastern Illinois University, I loved exploring Ashmore Estates. I don’t even want to guess at how many hours it took to make this, but check out some of these pictures:

See the whole collection of photos on Flickr!

In the lore of Coles County’s infamous Ashmore Estates, no tale stands out as much as the tragedy of Elva Skinner. In Michael Kleen’s book Tales of Coles County, Illinois, Elva – having died in the first almshouse on the property – appears in a short story as a ghost.  Since then, she has captivated visitors to Ashmore Estates, yet few know the facts behind this girl and her tragically short life. Michele Watson-Baker joins us today for this exclusive look at Elva’s life, and death, at the Coles County Poor Farm, long before it became known as Ashmore Estates.

The Tragic Story of Elva Skinner
By Michele Watson-Baker

1880 Mortality Schedule. Family number 335, line 12, Elva Lowduskey Skinner, 4 years, 11 mos, 2 weeks.

Official records, emotionless and brief, do not hint at Elva’s short, trouble filled life.

Adam and Lucinda Skinner were married February 2nd, 1860. They welcomed Elva into the world on February 28th 1875.

Elva had a sister and a brother, Martha and Benjamin Skinner. At some point between 1875 and 1880, Adam Skinner, a Civil war Veteran, passed away, leaving the family penniless and bound for the Coles County Almshouse.

Monday, February 15th, 1880, Elva slept in. The others living in her quarters had gone downstairs, save for one other little girl. Elva awoke, and went to stand by the fire to dress. In the process, she got too close to the fire, her clothes caught, and she perished from her burns that day.

Two weeks after Elva’s death, Lucinda Skinner remarried to a man named John Sherman. Elva is listed twice on the Mortality schedule, once from the Almshouse, and once from Mr. Sherman’s household. Most likely, this was a marriage of convenience – to protect her children from life in the poor farm, after such a horrific and tragic accident.

Elva Skinner, in her short nearly 5 years, lost her father, became a poor farm inmate, and then gruesomely lost her life. Stories like this are never easy to tell, but history is worth writing about. Elva deserves to be remembered.

Special thanks to Alicia Woolridge Morgason for all her research and hard work, and to Tanya Kelley!

When not writing, Michele Watson Baker enjoys historical research, as well as paranormal research.  She is the case manager and public relations liaison for Mid Illinois Ghost Society (MIGS), and volunteers at Ashmore Estates as much as she can.

Ashmore Estates the morning of January 30, 2013. Photo by Scott Baker.

Breaking news from Ashmore, Illinois. Ashmore Estates, a former almshouse and hospital for the developmentally disabled, was heavily damaged by a tornado last night. Since 2006, the building has been operated by Scott Kelley as a haunted attraction and has been featured in television shows and documentaries.

Last night, a storm came through and devastated the property. The storm tore the new roof, which the Kelley’s had installed several years ago, clean off and destroyed several structures on the property. Thankfully, Scott and his family were unharmed, but the losses are staggering. Without power, they relied on friends to communicate their call for help on Facebook.

Here is what they requested: 1. repost that we are selling all the props, costumes, and other haunt paraphernalia asap. 2. Come over any time today, and bring your gloves, mud boots and muscles. We need to move a lot of things very quickly. 3. Bring us cardboard cartons and boxes. “Our grief and shock over these losses is eased by how you, our community of friends and loves ones, are reaching out to us,” they said.

If you are reading this and are able to help or are interested in purchasing props and other items, please reach out to the owners at 217-512-9499 or spookmeister@ashmoreestates.net

This page is copyright Black Oak Media, inc., 2013. You do not have permission to copy this for any reason. Please learn how to cite your work.

Ashmore Estates is set to appear on SyFy Channel’s Ghost Hunters tonight. The episode, which will air at 9/8pm central, is titled “Permanent Residents” and will also feature the 1890 House Museum & Center For Victorian Arts in Cortland, New York.

Last week, Ashmore Estates, a former almshouse and hospital for the developmentally disabled, was heavily damaged by a powerful storm. The storm tore the new roof, which the Kelley’s had installed several years ago, clean off and destroyed several structures on the property. Volunteers have been working daily for the past week to help clean up the rubble. Several collections have also been started to help pay for the damages.

This is the second time Ashmore Estates has appeared on national television. In 2011, it was featured on Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures.

Ashmore Estates April 2013. Photo courtesy of Bauer Auction Service.

Ashmore Estates, a former almshouse and hospital for the developmentally disabled, was sold at auction over the weekend. Since 2006, the building has been operated by Scott Kelley as a haunted attraction and has been featured in national television shows and documentaries. On Friday, April 26, it sold to a four member partnership for $12,700.

Since its closure in 1987, Ashmore Estates has captured local and regional attention for its variety of legends and ghostly tales. In the past few years, it has risen to national prominence as its owners opened its doors to the public for tours, paranormal investigations, and as a full-fledged haunted attraction. Its new owners intend to keep its spirit alive and continue to offer paranormal-themed tours and events.

The purchasing partnership consists of four individuals from central Illinois, including painter, pigeon racer, and musician Robert Burton, band manager and song writer Ella Richards,  electrician and entrepreneur Jerry Fegget, and registered nurse and mother Nancy Meier. The was a small crowd at the auction, but in the end, it came down to just a handful of bidders. The auction was conducted by Bauer Auction Service from Windsor, Illinois.

“We have met so many wonderful people,” Robert told us. “There is a magnificent support group behind Ashmore Estates. The previous owners have done a wonderful job.” The new owners plan to add events and programs including a graveyard scene to the front yard, more tours, and a monthly haunted attraction every full moon.

In January of this year, Ashmore Estates was damaged by a tornado that destroyed its roof. Funds raised to repair the roof were given to the new owners, so that they could choose a suitable replacement. There will be more fundraising events in the near future to cover the full cost of the new roof.

The new owners are hosting a potluck informational/organizational meeting for all past present and future individuals who are interested in the restoration development and continuation of Ashmore Estates on Saturday, May 11th at 1pm at Ashmore Estates (22645 E CR 1050N Ashmore, IL 61912).

This page is copyright Black Oak Media, inc., 2013. You do not have permission to copy this for any reason. Please learn how to cite your work.

Ashmore Estates, a former almshouse and hospital for the developmentally disabled, has reopened for paranormal investigations after several months of cleanup. As a haunted attraction, the former almshouse became widely known after appearing on television shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures, as well as in documentaries like Children of the Grave 2.

In January of this year, Ashmore Estates was damaged by a tornado that destroyed its roof. On Friday, April 26, it sold to a four member partnership for $12,700. Since then, two of the four buyers have sold their portion to the other partners, Robert Burton and Ella Richards. Robert and Ella have held several fundraisers to raise money to repair the roof, including “Cruisin’ to Raise the Roof,” which was held last weekend and featured food and live entertainment.

The new owners have reopened the building to paranormal investigations. An exclusive investigation will cost $600 dollars for ten people or less ($50 for each additional person) and will include twelve uninterrupted hours, plus a free hour for set up and take down. Non-exclusive investigations are $400 for ten people or less and $30 for each additional person. For more information, including who to call to set up an investigation, visit www.hauntedashmoreestates.com

This page is copyright Black Oak Media, inc., 2013. You do not have permission to copy this for any reason. Please learn how to cite your work.

Today and tomorrow (Saturday/Sunday) are your last days to pre-order Tales of Coles County, Illinois. Pre-orders will be signed by the author and shipped on Monday August 5th.

The 10th Anniversary edition of Michael Kleen’s classic Tales of Coles County, Illinois combines both the original book and the Legends and Lore of Coles County, with updated content and additional legends.

First published in 2004, Tales of Coles County, Illinois takes an entertaining look at local history through vivid historical fiction. When four students from Eastern Illinois University are stranded during a violent storm, they seek shelter with an elderly couple who give them more than they bargain for. After one night, the four will never look at Coles County the same way.

In the Legends and Lore of Coles County, Michael Kleen reveals over a dozen hidden stories from the from the area’s past and present, leaving no stone unturned. What is the history of Coles County’s ghost towns? Does a werewolf stalk the Charleston Stone Quarry? When did a poltergeist terrorize one rural family in Pleasant Grove Township? Is there buried treasure in Coles County? What is the real story behind the “Mad Gasser of Mattoon”? The answers to these questions and more can be found in this definitive volume.

Pre-Order

Pre-order Tales of Coles County, Illinois today and get it as soon as the book is released! Pre-orders will be accepted until July 29, 2013 and books will be shipped on August 5th. Use the Paypal button below to secure your copy of Tales of Coles County; or download, fill out, and mail this order form along with your check. Please make your check out to Black Oak Media, Inc.

I hope you enjoy the new edition of Tales of Coles County!

Jamie Davis and Sam Queen are lifelong travelers and enthusiasts of the paranormal. While planning a trip to Western New York, they discovered by happenstance that a local asylum offered public ghost hunts. Jamie searched for a guidebook of other locations that offered public ghost hunts. When she couldn’t find one, she set out to write one herself. She enlisted Sam to accompany her on an adventure across the country to explore and ghost hunt along the way. The result was their first book, Haunted Asylums, Prisons, and Sanatoriums.

Please tell our readers a bit about yourself and your interest in ghost stories and the paranormal. Why did you choose to focus on haunted asylums, prisons, and sanatoriums for your first book?

Jamie:  I had a natural curiosity. When I was a kid I would check out every book I could find from the local library on the subject, and watch every scary movie that I could.  I remember being obsessed with old, abandoned homes as early as the age of four.  I would make my father stop the car so we could go take a look at whatever house caught my eye.  If he didn’t, he would just be driven crazy by my constant chattering about whatever “spook house” had become my latest focus.  He soon learned it was easier on everyone to just go along with me the first time.  Also, at the age of four, my uncle Paul died.  He was the youngest of the Sanford children – in his early 20’s and still living with my grandparents at the time.  The first Christmas without him, my father caught me staring up at the balcony.  Although I don’t remember it, I am told that I was staring because Paul was leaning on the railing watching us open our presents (my father saw him too).

Sam and I focused on asylums, prisons, and sanatoriums because we happened upon a public ghost hunt at a well-known former poor house in Western New York. Before then, we never realized that the public could actually buy a ticket and explore these institutions! We were blown away by our experiences there. We loved the tour before the ghost hunt began, and we loved exploring the historic buildings. When we left, I wanted to find a travel guidebook for other locations that offered public ghost hunts, but there wasn’t one. So we set out to write one!

Sam:  I have always been a paranormal enthusiast. Growing up, I loved television shows like “In Search Of” and “The X-Files”. When “Ghost Hunters” debuted, I was immediately hooked. I never knew that there were people who actually “hunted” ghosts.  Of course, this fascinated me. Are ghosts actually real? You see the evidence that they present on all the shows. You really don’t know that it’s real, unless you experience it yourself.

What was the most compelling place you visited while researching your book Haunted Asylums, Prisons, and Sanatoriums? Did you have any unusual experiences there?

Jamie:  For me, I would say that my experience in Tooele Hospital out in Utah was life-changing. I truly believe I was having a “God” moment out there. Whatever was happening to me, it was so real at the time that I was convinced I was in touch with something angelic. The flashlight sessions are on Youtube at:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtKsqLQwh38 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2heayDoPQg

Sam:  The two for me were St. Albans & Missouri State Pen. At St. Albans, I saw an apparition. At Missouri State Pen, a “shadow person” walked right up to me. As you can imagine, both of these personal experiences were beyond exciting. Actually, we enjoyed visiting, touring and investigating each location in the book. They all offered something different. They all have a rich, fascinating history, as well as a haunted history.

What is the style of your book? Do you focus a lot on the history and folklore (or ghost stories) of each location, on paranormal investigations conducted there, or a little bit of both? What kinds of sources did you use to flesh out the book?

Jamie:  The book is written in an informal, conversational style. The formula for the chapters is:  historical briefing on building/architecture/people of note; legends in news/media; highlights from ghost tours/staff members; my own personal experiences of what it is like to visit; and a stats page for the location.  Sources consulted included local newspaper archives, and several books pertaining to each location such as works by Michael Kleen, Sherri Brake, Jonathan Clemins, and Patti Starr.  General ghost hunting books were consulted as well by Troy Taylor, Michelle Belanger, and Christopher Balzona.

The first chapter of your book talks about Ashmore Estates, a place very familiar to our readers. Why did you choose to make it the focus of your very first chapter? What stands out to you about this particular location?

Jamie:  I think Ashmore went first by complete happenstance!  We were fascinated about the history of Ashmore being a county poor farm.  The characteristics of the building were very similar to what we initially found so fascinating up in Western New York.  It may sound hokey, but I think the history of sadness and struggling is still very much evident within the walls.  The energy resonated there still.

Tell us a little about your experiences at Ashmore Estates. Where did you first hear about it, when did you visit, and what did you take away from your experience there?

Jamie:  Ashmore probably first came to our attention from being featured on Ghost Adventures.  Our visit was back in February of 2012, and it was freezing cold out there!  Our tour guides told us about a room on the top floor that had a history of a child being seen standing in the window by those passing by on the road.  They opened the door for us, and we peeked inside.  Later that evening, we could not get the door to open for us again.  It wasn’t locked. It felt as though something very heavy was on the other side preventing us from opening the door and entering the room.   Our camera batteries were repeatedly drained throughout the night.

We were also told by one of our guides that after a personal experience of being touched by something in the boiler room, he would not go back down there.  The boiler room was where we got our best piece of evidence:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqQx96KGMJs

Reviewing our voice recorder, I said to Sam “The dark is playing tricks on my eyes.  You know why?  Because I’m looking at that light, and it seems to get dimmer.  Or just the area in front of me or something?  Blacker than black, I guess is how to describe it.”  I said out loud to whatever or whoever I thought I was seeing:  “Am I looking at you, am I seeing you?”  And then back to Sam:  “It’s too dark, I don’t like it.”  Within thirty seconds, Sam and I were gasping because the flashlight turned on, and Sam claimed that the flashlight was rolling back and forth.

Can you give us a sneak peek at your next project, America’s Most Haunted Hotels? Are any Illinois locations covered in the book?

Jamie:  I do not have any Illinois locations just yet for the book, but would certainly love to!  I am particularly captivated by The Congress Hotel and the rumor about inspiring Stephen King’s short story “1408.”

So far, I am focusing on the 1866 Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, AK; Louisiana’s Myrtles Plantation; The Eldridge Hotel out of Lawrence, Kansas; and the St. James out in Cimmaron, New Mexico.

Sorry guys, this page is copyright Black Oak Media, 2013. You do not have permission to copy this for any reason. Please learn how to cite your work.

Charleston, Illinois — Michael Kleen, author of Tales of Coles County, Illinois, will tell “The Legend of Pemberton Hall” and other local ghost stories at a special presentation on Thursday, October 24, 2013. The multimedia presentation will be held in the Paris Room of the MLK, Jr. Student Union at Eastern Illinois University from 7-8:30pm. This event is sponsored by the EIU Creative Writing Club.

Come for haunting stories & strange tales, speak with the author, and have an all-around good time!

In addition to telling tales, Kleen will show pictures and video from some of the most interesting places in Coles County. Some of these places will include EIU’s Pemberton Hall, Airtight Bridge, Ashmore Estates, “Ragdoll” Cemetery, haunted houses, and more. Attendees will come away with a richer understanding of the history, folklore, and events that make this area so unique.

Michael Kleen has spent the better part of a decade researching the folklore and ghost stories of Coles County. His article “The Legend of Pemberton Hall,” which has been offered as a PDF at www.michaelkleen.com since 2008, has been downloaded over 2,100 times.

Michael Kleen lived in Coles County from 2000 to 2008 and received his BA in philosophy and MA in history from Eastern Illinois University. He currently lives in Rockford, Illinois where he owns an independent publishing company, Black Oak Media, Inc. He has written several books, including Haunting Illinois: A Tour Guide to the Weird and Wild Places of the Prairie State.

Cassidy Rae  is 15 years old and has been using her gift as a spiritual medium to enlighten and help people across the country.  She assists in paranormal investigations, provides readings, and speaks at various events about her experiences, para unity, and her double life as a teenage medium. Recently, she has starred in the web series “Dead People See Me.”

Please tell us a little about when you started developing your abilities. Was it something that you noticed when you were growing up, or was there an incident that triggered them?

I was never fully aware of my abilities until Halloween of 2011. I was at the MacArthur Inn in Narrows, Virginia on my first ghost hunt ever. There was a lot going on, paranormal wise and with actual people. I started seeing lights, shadows, mists, hearing people say my name, basically everything that comes along with my gift hit all at once. Before this night, there were a few incidents were I pondered the possibility of having a gift, but I had always brushed it off as my imagination or coincidence. Nothing major had ever happened to make me think, “Yes, I can see spirits” until that night.

What kind of response have you gotten from your paranormal web show, Dead People See Me? What is the most interesting place you’ve investigated?

I’ve met a lot people who I now consider family through the web show. I’ve also been asked to come to numerous places all over the country, which is something that a lot of people my age don’t get to do. The most interesting place I’ve investigated, in my opinion, is Hale’s Bar and Marina in Guild, Tennessee. That was the first location where there was scientific evidence to support my ability, which were Flir camera images of my brain patterns during communication with a spirit.

Have you ever encountered anything on an investigation you felt you couldn’t handle? What do you do if/when you encounter a hostile entity?

There have only been three times which I have experienced what consider demons. They were all by complete accident, situations where we were roped into these investigations. We are very cautious and careful about where I investigate. When I come across these spirits, I put the client in contact with a person of more capabilities to help than I have. Minor hostile spirits, the more angry ones, I can handle myself by coming to either a compromise with to help families, or I can smudge and bless the house.

You recently visited Tinker Swiss Cottage in Rockford, Illinois – what was your impression of the museum, and did you get in contact with any of the spirits there?

The Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum was very interesting. The objects in the house hold a lot of residual energy, as well as the house itself. I was lucky enough to be in the house when a train passed, so I got to experience the residual energy change within the whole house that accompanies the train. I also came into contact with Mr. and Mrs. Tinker while in the house.

What did you encounter during your investigation at Ashmore Estates in Ashmore, Illinois? How many ghosts do you believe haunt the building? Do you believe (as some TV shows claim) that there is a negative presence there?

There were a lot of energies in Ashmore Estates, most of them residual. I feel like the spirits really do not like people being in there, as a lot of them hid while we were in there. We did get some responses from a little girl using a doll and cradle we brought as trigger objects in the form of EVPs. As for the negative presence, I did sense it, but it was very negative so I didn’t focus on it or really go near it while we investigated. I also got chased out of a room, which successfully freaked me out, hahaha.

How do you balance your personal and school life with your Internet-TV program, appearances, and investigations? Are your friends at school generally supportive of your interest in the paranormal?

My good friends at school are very supportive of what I do, they’ve even been on events with me. Being in high school, you naturally have the talk but I’ve never had anything said to my face about it. As far as traveling with appearances go, I’ve managed to keep my grades up despite being gone a lot. We also schedule appearances only on weekends so I’m not missing a lot of days.

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Read about this location and more in Legends and Lore of Illinois: The Definitive Collection

Ashmore Estates looms large in the minds of many Coles County residents, even if they have only heard the stories. It stood abandoned for nearly twenty years, until its new owners opened it as a haunted house in autumn 2006. Since then, the building has been scoured by paranormal investigators and will soon be featured in several television programs, including American Horrors and the Booth brothers’ Children of the Grave 2.

The building (known as an almshouse) began as a part of the Coles County Poor Farm. It was built after the Auxiliary Committee of the State Board of Charities condemned the first almshouse. In January 1915, bids were placed for the construction of a fireproof building on the location. The contract for the new almshouse was awarded to J.W. Montgomery in March of 1916 for $20,389, and the cornerstone was laid on May 17, 1916. L.F.W. Stuebe was the architect who designed the building.

The modern poor farm operated for over forty years, until attitudes regarding public welfare began to change. Many of them were demolished and the land sold off to private farmers, but others were privatized as care facilities. Coles County sold its almshouse to Ashmore Estates, Inc. in February 1959. That corporation opened the building as a private psychiatric hospital, but it suffered from financial difficulties from the very beginning. In May of 1979, the Illinois Department of Public Health ordered the building closed after finding twenty-two safety code violations, but it remained open until November after a judge found progress in fixing the problems.

In the early 1980s, the building was used as a home for the mentally and developmentally disabled. The Times-Courier described it as a pleasant and caring environment where residents were happy, had their needs taken care of, and even pursued artistic interests. Ashmore Estates finally closed its doors in 1987. A few years later, Corrections Corporation of America wanted to buy the building for use as a mental health clinic for teenage boys, but the Ashmore Village Board denied them a zoning variance. There was also public resistance to the idea because area residents were concerned about what would happen if some of the boys escaped.

Unclear of the actual owner (a Champaign County resident named Paul Swinford had owned the building, but he released the deed to a real estate broker), and facing possible condemnation, Ashmore Estates went up for sale at auction in the summer of 1998 because of delinquent taxes that went back for two years. Arthur Colclasure, a Sullivan resident, bought the building for $12,500 and planned to turn it into his home, but vandalism thwarted his efforts.

In the summer of 2006, Scott Kelley purchased Ashmore Estates and opened it as a haunted attraction. For years, local kids had risked arrest to explore the building, finally they were able to venture inside and see the things they feared lurking there come to life. In recent years, Ashmore Estates has become something of an obsession for the paranormal community, but most are content to just sit back and swap stories about this fascinating building.

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Legends and Lore of Illinois Vol. 3 Digital Edition

Order all 12 issues of the Legends and Lore of Illinois from 2009 in a special digital edition for your favorite e-readers. Places covered in Vol. 3 include Lebanon Road’s 7 Gates to Hell, Ramsey Cemetery, Elmwood Cemetery’s Violin Annie, Manteno State Hospital, the Hatchet Lady of Moon Point Cemetery, Chanute Air Force Base, Ashmore Estates, Aux Sable Cemetery, Ax Man’s Bridge, and more. Plus, read letters from our readers, adventurer’s logs, Paranormal 101, and put your knowledge of these locations to the test with challenging trivia questions. Don’t miss these classic issues.

Order it today for Kindle.
Order it today for Nook.
Order it today for Kobo.

Follow actors / investigators Willy Adkins & Wolf McKinney as they investigate some of the worlds most haunted locations with a very unique approach. The two actors bring to life dramatic scenes within these haunted locations in hopes of encouraging responses from beyond the grave!

We are seeking one Executive Producer ($200 buy in), four Walk On Role contributions ($120 buy in) and two Associate Producers ($75 buy in) for our Pilot episode of “Spook Show Paranormal”! We film next weekend at Ashmore Estates in central Illinois! If interested in backing this series, please contact me! Here are additional perks:

Executive Producer – $200 contribution – Credited on Film and IMDb as “Executive Producer”, Personal invite to be on set during filming (possibly included in the show on screen, this does not include travel/lodging), get a copy of the entire first season upon completion on DVD, Get a poster autographed by both Willy Adkins & Wolf McKinney.

Associate Producer – $75 contribution – Credited on Film and IMDb as “Associate Producer”, get a copy of the entire first season upon completion on DVD, Get a poster autographed by both Willy Adkins & Wolf McKinney.

Walk On Role As Guest / Investigator – $120 contribution – Credited on film as part of episode cast, come take part in production as an actor/investigator (no experience necessary). Get a signed poster & copy of entire first season upon completion on DVD. (if you do well, this could lead to a personal invite to future investigations / episodes).

Contribution money is invested into raw materials needed for production & craft services for our pilot episode “Ashmore Estates”.

Please contact Willy Adkins via the Spook Show Paranormal Facebook fan page if interested or have any questions!

www.facebook.com/spookshowparanormal

Robbin Terry has had an interest in the Paranormal since purchasing the R Theater in 1999. He has been in the insurance business for over 35 years, 20 of which he has been President of Midwest Classic Insurance. He currently owns a small collection of cars which includes the Mystery Machine from Hanna-Barbera Studios. He has coached youth sports for most of his adult life and works as a volunteer EMT with the local ambulance service. He is married with two children and two grandchildren, as well as a couple of “adopted” daughters he has had haunting his building for 10 years. In May 2014, he purchased Ashmore Estates.

How did you become interested in haunted places, and what brought your attention to Ashmore Estates?

I have always been fascinated by the old architecture in buildings. There is just that mystique about what if the walls could talk. I purchased the R Theater in Auburn. I was at Ashmore Estates a few years ago with a tour group and thought the building was very unique and had a great feel to it. I didn’t get a chance to enjoy the building that evening like I wanted and thought some day I would get back to it.

Please tell our readers a little about the Auburn Haunted Theater in Auburn, Illinois. When did you acquire the building, and what kinds of activity has been experienced there?

The R Theater in Auburn was built in 1946-47 and was owned by the Mitchell family. I purchased it in 1999 after it had sat vacant for the better part of 5 years. When purchasing it you knew early on that you were not alone in the building, there was always someone with you. The building was named the R due to all of the Mitchell family names starting with a R. Since it was built almost all owners names have started with a R. We first used the building as our our office, Midwest Classic Insurance, then my wife and I decided it was the perfect place to build a house so we built our home inside it with the help of some friends and family.

I have referred to the R Theater as a paranormal playground. I have been told by psychic friends the reason for this is we donate all proceeds from investigations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the spirits like that. Not many places can you say the spirits come to perform but it seems once I announce a team is there to investigate and they have made a monetary donation to do so, it is on. We have received the quickest EVP after the announcement at less than 5 seconds and have caught over 20 in a 45 minute walk through tour. It’s a great place for teams to train new members as they do not get discouraged when they are listening to audio. Besides the EVPs we have caught a few pictures in the building of masses, mists, a cat, and thermal images. We have seen with our own eyes shadow figures, apparitions, and a cat. The R generally does not let you down.

What was your first impression of Ashmore Estates as you entered the building? Have you experienced any unusual activity on subsequent visits?

I first did a walkthrough at Ashmore Estates the beginning of April. When we opened the door it was obvious this place needed help big time! The building was cluttered with lot of areas unavailable for entry but the entire time I was there I felt like I had people pulling at me. It was like the spirits of the building knew what I wanted to do and wanted me to buy the building and help make it better for them. I have had psychic friends tell me there are a lot of spirits always following me around so I got the feeling at AE the spirits from the R were saying something like “you should see what he did for us”.

We have had a lot of people helping use with the building since I bought it. We have had some personal experiences in the building while working, which again proves you do not have to investigate at night. The first day I bought it I was in the building alone cleaning out some debris and numerous times I felt I had someone walking up behind me and could hear movement. A few weeks later when my son was coming up the ladder to the roof he saw someone walk behind a door into a room. He got off the ladder and found that the door they walked behind led to a dead end and there was nobody there.

Later that same day we had another person there experience the same thing at the same room. The same day a young girl that was with her mom wanted to know why the little girl kept coming out of the building and disappearing. I personally was walking out of an area and thought I stepped on a lose shoe string as I felt my foot stop from moving but when I looked down they were tied and nothing around should have held my foot from moving. I also experienced a conversation the other day when I was the only one in the building. The spirits of AE are there and ready to talk with those that enter.

In terms of the paranormal, which would you say is the most active of your two haunted buildings and why?

That’s a great question and I don’t know that I can give a good answer. The two locations are kind of the best of both worlds. For the person that is uncomfortable with going “ghost hunting” they are very comfortable coming into the R Theater as we live and work here. Who would think there was as much activity as there is. No creep factor in the building. For the person that wants to feel the true “TV ghost hunt” Ashmore is probably more their style. It is a creepy looking almost 100 year old building that has had it’s known deaths, and frankly, who doesn’t like to investigate a psychiatric hospital? I think I am fortunate to own two of the more active locations in Central Illinois area and anyone in the paranormal would love to experience them.

Ashmore Estates has suffered a lot of damage in recent years, first from the storm that destroyed its roof and then from exposure to the elements and neglect. What steps have you taken to stabilize and restore the building?

There has been a lot of damage and neglect to Ashmore. Sometimes I think I am trying to stop the bleeding with a Band-Aid, but with the help that I have had we managed to make great strides and continue to make improvements to the condition of the property. Do I ever think AE will ever be back to it’s original self? No, the cost would be prohibitive. What I think I can do is turn the building back to something that will make it easier and better for individuals and teams to experience.

We have cleaned all of the old lumber and left over haunted attraction items from the building. We have swept the floors, replaced some windows, pressure washed areas, brought water to the property, brought in electrical, put on a rubber roof, cleared all debris from the old porches, cleaned the grounds, and just some general work. We will continue to clean and replace windows. We also plan on putting up guttering and replacing roofs over the porches and the old kitchen. We are also building a small stage area in the back for outside speakers and events.

What are your plans for Ashmore Estates in the future? Will it remain a haunted attraction, or will it just be open for tours and investigations?

I have no intentions in building a haunted attraction at the location. I plan on using it strictly for the paranormal by virtue of private investigations and public and private tours. I have a couple of great people that will be helping me with these as well. We will also be open for any ideas such as events, photo ops, movies, or even weddings if someone is interested. The prices we will be charging for these will be less than the past and very fair in today’s market.

How can our readers contact you if they would like to know more about either the Auburn Haunted Theater or Ashmore Estates?

We can be contacted by calling 217-899-9978 and a message can be left if we are not available. You can also call my office weekdays at 217-438-6235. We have two Facebook pages under Ashmore Estates and you can reach out to us there. Our website is being completed and worked on but it will be www.hauntedashmoreestates.net.

Sorry guys, this page is copyright MysteriousHeartland.com, 2014. You do not have permission to copy this for any reason. Please learn how to cite your work. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are courtesy of Robbin Terry.

David H. Lowery is a life-long paranormal enthusiast now devoting his life to its study and documentation. Known in the field as The Paranormal Highwayman, He is preparing to embark on an adventure on the highways of America, seeking out the paranormal in all forms. Be it cryptid, ghost or UFO, David has the knowledge and experience to investigate and attempt to find the truth. You can participate from home through David’s website www.paranormalhighway.com. David welcomes you to follow along and watch as BlackBird, his rolling paranormal lab/RV, travels wherever something unknown beckons!

What got you interested in the paranormal? What is it about the open road that appeals to you, and how does it relate to your interest in the unknown?

I have been interested in the paranormal pretty much all my life, as a child , as soon as I learned to read I began to go through as many books as I could find on UFO’s and watched the night skies for one. As a teenager I hunted birds and small game, so my attention turned to Bigfoot and other cryptids. I tell people that I am not scared of any ghost or demon, but Bigfoot scares me to death! It has been said that possibly my fear comes from a mentally blocked I encounter when young that frightened me so much. I dismissed it til I heard a report the other day that said one had been seen on the farm next door to where I used to search. Maybe so. Then at 17, Rudy, a famous local ghost at the now gone Lake Club, piqued my interest in ghosts and I have researched and investigated at various levels since then. About 6 years ago it went beyond to obsession level when I developed the Highwayman concept for my future.

David Lowery, Paranormal Highwayman

You call yourself the Paranormal Highwayman. How did you come up with this nickname and what is it’s significance?

About six years ago or so, I looked at my life and compared it to that of my deceased father, who was an Illinois deep coal miner. He worked in that dirty, dangerous black hole for twenty five years, retiring finally and pronounced astoundingly healthy without a bit of the dreaded “black lung” from coal dust. Four years into retirement, an undiagnosed Aortic Aneurysm took him from us very unexpectedly. I decided that I was not going down that way, and was going to do what I wanted to do no matter what with the rest of my life. I was divorced, children grown, basically no responsibilities, and it was time to get it started. I dreamed up a plan to RV travel, which I love, and investigate the paranormal found near the highways of America. Friends and I coined the name “The Paranormal Highwayman,” I proceeded to register the domain names paranormalhighway.com and paranormalhighwayman.com and it was on. I began to follow my dreams and do exactly what pleased me and anyone interested could follow my adventures. I found it struck a cord with many who wanted to do the same, but could not leave the rat race. As an example, I always wanted to be a cowboy, so I took on that persona. It makes me happy and I feel I am like the 1800’s cowboys exploring the west. That set me on the idea to follow Route 66 for its very large numbers of paranormal legends.

You recently wrote a blog calling the paranormal “one of the most exasperating pursuits one can follow.” What did you mean by that?

In the state of the paranormal today, we cannot prove what is going on, what is real, if your evidence is proof, or anything concrete for that matter. Since we really have no idea what we are dealing with, everything one comes up with is subject to discussion and “debunking.” We are a long way from becoming a legitimate field of scientific study verified and certain of its content and substance. We need organization, method of research standards, proper peer review, etc. Until that happens we are just taking part in the infancy of a scientific study. I, for one, am okay with that. It is still possible to “leave your mark” by being diligent with documenting your research and findings and verifying results as much as possible. Maybe we all need to work towards the future together by sharing results and data in some form of structure. Not my field to develop such, but would be happy to participate.

What do you think are some of the challenges facing the paranormal community today?

I see the biggest challenge to our community right now is; the human ego. Like I have said before, since we have no idea what we are really dealing with, it is easy to pronounce oneself and “expert” or a “professional” It is not even an established study, therefore these two titles do not even carry standards, so irrelevant and plain bogus. Every one wants to be a TV star too, and so many use that as a goal and do not even pay attention to the real purpose of finding the truth about these subjects and yes, I think it applies to all disciplines of the paranormal. I tend to be rather outspoken about the subject. For example. After 40+ years as a Professional Photographer, and student of lens design, I feel I can look at a photograph and 90% of the time, figure out if it is something paranormal or not. Does this make me a paranormal photography expert? No way! I also hate the drama created when so called “experts” just are flat rude with novices about their evidence. Contrary to popular belief now not every “orb” is dust or bug, some can be something paranormal. Again, I am not always right even about that work, I was handed an embarrassing reversal of my decision on a picture the other day when proof of a cell phone app showed it fake. When they get good enough to make me question myself with my career and knowledge level; we have a problem there. Remember, no experts and every opinion matters when no one knows what is real. Result? Exasperating!

How did you come to live on the Ashmore Estates property, and what do you hope to accomplish there?

It has taken six years to prepare for my Route 66 adventure because of so many uncontrollable setbacks. I have taken it upon myself to rebuild my vehicles (a motorhome and four-wheel drive SUV) and that takes time and money, and I am by no means a rich man. Plus I have cheated death twice now: On Halloween weekend of 2011, I suffered a simultaneous brain stem stroke and a heart attack. By the Grace of God and great doctors I survived, but had many months of recovery. Then on Halloween of 2012, doctors repaired a growing aortic aneurysm, the same type that killed my father. More recovery time. Fast forward to May 13th 2014, and I am feeling very unfocused and burnt out, about to let the dream slip away. I saw an opportunity to refocus with a distraction. My good friend Robbin Terry had just purchased the very haunted Ashmore Estates, and I knew instantly the help he would need in its renovation as a paranormal investigation venue. I seized the moment and suggested I move into the old mobile home on the property and maintain the grounds and help him with the work needed. Plus my girlfriend Melanie was now ready to move from Wisconsin to be with me and it all seemed like a great fit. It is going very well and Ashmore Estates is an amazing place and getting better everyday! Now too I have some time to refocus on my dreams.

Please tell our readers about some of the projects you are currently working on. How can they get in touch with you if they are interested in learning more about you and your work?

I always give my projects names to bring me closer to them and to do my best. My paranormal lab/RV is Blackbird, a name revealed in a dream before it was even bought. My 4×4 SUV is Shadow since it will be towed behind the RV (BlackBird’s little Shadow.) Shadow will be towed on a two-wheel dolly, appropriately named, Dolly. Now we are also remodeling the poor old trailer at Ashmore Estates too. As far as paranormal projects, I have been doing a study for some time now on EVPs/AVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena/Aural Voice Phenomena) and energy in the area of ITC (Inter Trans-dimensional Communication). It can be read more about on my website with much more to come. Living 24/7/365 at a haunted location should add much to my work.

Do you have any other areas you are interested in?

I am involved with the National Stroke Association every since my own stroke in 2011. I have been and shall continue to raise funds and educate stroke awareness in everything I do. This silent killer needs to be stopped and education is the key.

Sorry guys, this page is copyright MysteriousHeartland.com, 2014. You do not have permission to copy this for any reason. Please learn how to cite your work. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are courtesy of David H. Lowery.

As MysteriousHeartland.com and MichaelKleen.com prepare for the upcoming release of the new edition of The Legend of Pemberton Hall, I thought it would be of interest to my readers to share with them the story of how I became fascinated with Coles County, Illinois. Most of you are familiar with Coles County either through my book, or because Ashmore Estates has been featured on TV shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures. Less well known is the story of how places like Ashmore Estates rose from obscurity to capture the imagination of people all over the United States. Join me for this three part article and take a journey through the recent past.

I have always thought Coles County was a unique and fascinating place, but even I was surprised when in June 2010 CNN rebroadcast a WTHI Channel 10 News in Terre Haute report on Lerna’s “world’s fastest pop machine.” Purchased in the late 1970s by Ivan Thompson for his welding business, the faded, clattering soda machine has become something of a tourist attraction in this village of 300 in Pleasant Grove Township.

Friends enjoy a visit to Lerna’s “fastest pop machine.” Photo by Michael Kleen.

As a student at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, I often brought my friends to it while I showed them various sites around Coles County. They never failed to be amazed by how quickly the cans fell into the delivery tray. Like the independently-owned Burger King in Mattoon, the “world’s fastest pop machine” adds to the charm of life in the county, a charm that has not been lost on the outside world.

I first laid my suitcase down on the bare mattress of my dorm room on the seventh floor of Carman Hall on August 17, 2000. I never thought I would spend the next eight years at Eastern Illinois University, but as a senior in high school, EIU had been my first and only choice. My parents had met there. My mother attended Eastern from 1965 to 1966, and my father attended from 1963 to 1967. My great-uncle John Kleen also attended EIU.

You could say the university was a bit of a family tradition, but the circumstances that led me to stay for the better part of a decade were unexpected and unplanned. Looking back, I find myself missing the ivy covered walls of Old Main, Chubby’s Pizza, and the wooded ridges and ravines of Fox Ridge State Park. Most of all, I miss the friends I made and the people I met along the way.

I still remember when Hardees sat on the corner of 4th and Lincoln where a brand new Jimmy John’s sits today, and when Jimmy John’s (the original!) was located in a small shop in the alley behind 4th Street Records. I remember every abandoned restaurant along Lincoln Avenue (How Yall Are?), late nights at Lincoln Gardens, lunch at Boxa, Campus Perk in the basement of Thomas Hall, and when the Panther Paw was called Styx.

A typical weekend at college. Photo by the author.

I turned 19 my freshman year of college, and as I tasted my first real experience living on my own, I made it my mission to explore every nook and cranny of Charleston and Coles County—my new home. I hoped that former students had left behind something for me to discover, even if it was only a name carved into a study carrel in the library. I imagined I might have even found my dad’s name among the colorful tapestry of signatures imbedded into the cedar, like a time capsule reaching out from one generation to another. In return, I hoped to leave something of myself behind, so that one day, perhaps my own son or daughter would find something to remind them that I once walked those same halls.

But time moves inexorably forward, and so I found myself caught up in the day to day drama and intrigue of college life. I was plagued with indecision and all the troubles of an uncertain future. I took a semester off, changed majors, and dropped one too many classes, until I found myself an undergrad for six long years. Rather than leave Eastern, I decided to earn my graduate degree there. I knew the professors, and Coleman Hall, where I took endless philosophy, history, and creative writing classes, was like a second home. I finally left in the spring of 2008. Over the years, however, I had become familiar with Coles County in ways I never anticipated. Charleston was no longer like a second home—it was home, and by the time I said goodbye, I knew a great deal about the history and the people of Coles County.

Local Legend Tripping

Many hours of research were sustained by Chai and Scone

It started with one abandoned building the winter of my sophomore year. My roommate had mentioned it—“that abandoned insane asylum out in the country”—but it wasn’t until I came back from winter break in January 2001 that I learned that place was called Ashmore Estates. Two friends, Monica and Oona (both seniors), took me out there. When Monica and Oona were freshmen, Mike Rice and Matt Fear, the “Men of Adventure,” wrote a satirical piece for the Halloween issue of the Verge section of the Daily Eastern News on how to make Ashmore Estates into a “highly illegal” Halloween escapade. “No one is really sure what this building once housed,” they wrote. “But there are stories. These tales revolve around pagan rituals and dismembered bodies. We aren’t sure if any of them are true or not, but they sure do make for three floors… of unadulterated fun.”

The two also described possibly encountering a severed pig’s head in the stairwell. Like countless others had done, Monica, Oona, and I parked alongside the gravel road a few yards away from the building and walked through a thin layer of snow on the fallow corn field. Like the “Men of Adventure,” I knew nothing about what this building was or what it had been. As we carefully explored its interior, any story about it seemed possible, severed pig’s heads and all. It was years before I knew anything about its real history.

Leading a tour at Airtight Bridge. Photo by the author.

In the meantime, I began to search for other ghost stories and legends in and around the area. There were a few listed on the Internet, but other than Mary Hawkins and Pemberton Hall, none of them had appeared in any books on the subject. Slowly but surely, I put together a list: Ashmore Estates, “Ragdoll” Cemetery, St. Omer Cemetery. As was often the case with information online, it was not very helpful when it came to locating these places. I was deep into the search for St. Omer Cemetery when, at a cookout outside the University Apartments, a friend introduced me to a young woman named Jennifer.

Jenny had lived in the area since adolescence and was also interested in ghost stories. She was more than happy to show me both St. Omer and “Ragdoll,” and she introduced me to a few more places as well, such as Airtight Bridge. Airtight Bridge was particularly fascinating, but what happened there—why locals talked about it in such hushed tones—remained a mystery. There were the usual tales of phantom automobiles and vanishing or odd characters, but there were also rumors of a murder. After speaking to a number of local residents and professors at EIU, I learned that a woman’s body had been found near the bridge sometime in 1980. So, I did what any good historian would have done: I sat in front of a microfilm reel of the Charleston Times-Courier for the year in question and scanned the headlines every day until I came across one pertaining to the Airtight case…

Join us on Wednesday, October 8th for Part 2 of “The Weird and Wild Side of Coles County”!

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