True Ghost Stories: Real Haunted Cemeteries and Graveyards

By Zachery Knowles

The Sexton’s musings (spoilers are likely):

As we move forward with our “non-fiction” journey things will continue to be a little different. Knowles appears to be less travel writer and more into the actual stories connected with the locations so this should be a fun read. He explores stories from Cemeteries and graveyards from all over the world, so while there will probably be a few return visits to some American locations we have a whole new set from other countries to explore. I will continue to talk on the chapters in a similar way to Terrance Zepke’s books and will add pictures with links to sites with additional information. Hopefully we learn more about the experiences that few of us ever get to experience and have a few good chills along the way. Shall we be on our way to visit and revisit some of the world’s haunted cemeteries and graveyards? I’m feeling a bit peckish.

I enjoy the author’s introduction to the book. I think that it is well written and the style is complementary to subject matter.

Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery

Midlothian, Illinois

This is our second trip to Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery which is funny because technically this cemetery is off limits. The cemetery was once a teenage hangout, you know one of THOSE teenage hangouts. The type of hangout that can potentially get you a ticket to juvie if you’re not careful. There was everything from grave desecration, stolen headstones and evidence of occult rituals. Thus a few bad apples ruining the tranquility of the final resting place of some. Perfect storm for the creation of angry spirits. There are several spirits that roam around this location and Knowles has included several of the stories connected to these entities. The farmer and his horse is a particularly bad one for me. I hate anything where an animal gets harmed or killed. And of course I have to have some pride when it comes to the story of the caretaker that is still watching over the cemetery after being long gone himself. We are tenacious people us sextons. Other stories include, mob dumps, a phantom house and a white lady (you can see her picture on my “Spookiest Cemeteries” by Terrence Zepke post.).

Greyfriars Kirkyard

Edinburgh, Scotland

Not only considered one of the most haunted places in all of the UK but is also thought to be one of the most haunted places in the entire world. And not just haunted but haunted by angry spirits.

Once again we have grave robbers taking the bodies to sell for medical study. Purchasing a body legally would be an expense that many budding doctors could not afford so, like buying electronics off the back of a truck, they resorted to buying from unscrupulous characters that just wanted to make a buck. Or they took it upon themselves to procure their school supplies.

Stories surrounding George “Bluidy” MacKenzie and his family vault are many. According to our author a homeless man used the vault to gain shelter from a cold rain storm. He chose to break into one of the coffins to use as a bed (why would you do that, smh) and unfortunately he chose Bluidy’s. This happened in 1999 and since then the haunting of this location has not only become worse but violent as well. Our authors tells of a couple different experiences that have happened over the years.  

St. Louis Cemetery #1

New Orleans, Louisiana

This is the second time that we have visited this particular cemetery. The first time was in “Spookiest Cemeteries” by Terrance Zepke. You can’t mention this cemetery without out mentioning Marie Laveau. We know from our previous visit that Madame Laveau is thought to still be working her magic and desecration of her resting place was one of the reasons that the general public cannot visit this location without a tour guide…aka babysitter (because a few dumb shits thought it was okay to mark up the place). Honestly if I were family of those interred here I’d be pissed! I digress…people have been pushed, slapped, fallen ill, and seen full body apparitions. Apparently Marie is not fond of those she feels are disrespecting her final resting place.  

Knowles also mentions Henry Vignes. We remember Henry. The poor man who trusted the wrong person, his landlady. The only thing Henry had in his life was the knowledge that when he died he had a place for his final rest all arraigned and this witch sold the vault out from under him while he was away at sea. Breaks my black heart. The sightings of Henry describe him as being very handsome and being very much alive, but unfortunately, to the chagrin of many ladies poor Henry is not on the dating market.

Lona China Cemetery

San Antonio, Texas

The legend goes that this was originally a private family cemetery. A young man fell in love with a Chinese girl but his family did not approve of the relationship. The couple not willing to give up on seeing each other met in secret in this cemetery. One night, on his way to a lovers rendezvous, the young man and his horse were struck by lightning and killed. The young woman so distraught at the loss, she committed suicide at his grave site. According to our author there is a bit more to this story involving a father’s betrayal and an ongoing haunting. The Cemetery is still privately owned by the family.

The other story that is mentioned it that of the Donkey Lady. An unfortunate social outcast due to the way that she looked. What is this, 2nd grade? People are so cruel. Such a sad story.

Sacramento City Cemetery

Sacramento, California

Once again we have a cemetery where part of the land were sold off for development purposes and it’s caused problems. It is suspected that there are graves under some of the roads near the cemetery. In addition to that because of the cholera epidemic there were so many dead that they dug mass graves to deal with the situation. So in my mind there is no wonder that this location has a few hangers on.

Specific stories mentioned in this chapter are that of May Woolsey, a friendly pit bull that is still on guard in the cemetery, Railroad engineer William Brown, and an EVP experience.

Ross Bay Cemetery

Victoria, Vancouver Island, Canada

No dark history here. Just a regular old cemetery that seems to be a hotspot for paranormal activity. Perhaps it is just the ground itself, closer to the vail than most places. Whatever the case happens to be according to our author the most common experience are seeing full body apparitions walking amongst the graves. There is no mention of cold spots, feeling ill, or a sense of foreboding. It’s a peaceful place that just seems to attract the lingering dead.

La Recoleta

Buenos Aires, Argentina

From the description of our author this is a beautiful, intricate cemetery that is the final resting place for famous individuals like Eva Peron. It is also considered to be the most haunted cemetery in Argentina. Although it seems that Eva has moved on to her next adventure there are three spirits that our author mentions that do not seem to be at rest. Their stories are told in this chapter. Those individuals are Rufina Cambaceres, David Alleno, and Luz Maria Garcia.

God’s Acre Cemetery

Bethany, West Virginia

Also known by the names of Bethany Cemetery and Campbell Family Cemetery. Location chosen and named by Alexander Campbell after the death of his daughter Amanda. He deemed it God’s Acre. He and his brother Thomas Campbell were the first missionaries in that area. The two brothers are also interred here.

The stories told in this chapter are Don’t Fence Me In, Don’t Spend the Night (collage boys being college boys) and some reports from visitors and investigators on what they have experienced while there. Apparently the Campbell family make their presence known around multiple locations in this town. So much for the stone wall keeping spirits in.  

Valley of the Kings

Luxor, Egypt

Used as the place to bury Egypt’s royalty and nobility for hundreds of years. Best known for the Curse of King Tutankhamen. This is not the only legend that is associated with this area. Considering that this place was built around 1500B.C. it’s not surprising that there are otherworldly occurrences. Our author does speak about the curse associated with the disturbance of Tutankhamen’s tomb but there are two others that he mentions as well. Those are the hauntings of the Pharaoh’s Ghost and the ghost of Pharaoh Akhenaten. Egyptian interment practices are fascinating, and I’m not the only one to feel that way. These tombs have been desecrated by greedy grave robbers and curious archeologists alike. Perhaps it is just best to leave the dead to rest and worry more about the living.

Panteon de Belen

Guadalajara, Mexico

Taking over 50 years to build, there are several otherworldly, uncomfortable legends associated with this location. The three that our author mentions are The Vampire and the Bleeding Tree, Mad Bet, and Hanging Ghost (super interesting). Apparently the spirits of this location don’t take very kindly to having their final resting places disturbed. Best advice watch where you walk and remain respectful otherwise you may find that something has followed you home to teach you a lesson.

Camp Chase Cemetery

Columbus, Ohio

This cemetery was located at a Union POW camp. There are upwards of 2,260 Confederate soldiers buried here. However it was not just the war (horrible living conditions of the prisoners) that made this cemetery necessary. Apparently an epidemic of smallpox ran rampant among the captured soldiers, killing many of them, thus producing a need for somewhere to bury them. The two hauntings that are mentioned in the chapter are The Lady in Gray and the shadow figure. It seems paranormal investigations are allowed at this location you probably just have to get permission.

Boot Hill

Tombstone, Arizona

Ah good ol’ Boot Hill. Nothing quite like the wild west (so dusty). There is such a concentration of the roughest and the toughest here, along with many that met with a violent and premature death, that it’s no wonder that it’s haunted. As we know this location is famous for spirits popping up in guests photographs. Our author has specific example in the chapter. There are also some specific spirits that get a mention from Knowles. Billy Clanton and Dutch Annie.

Goodleburg Cemetery

South Wales, New York

This one is for us little Ghoulies. Allegedly the name means “Hill of the Ghouls”. There are also rumors that the surrounding area was a popular mob dumping ground and that the land may also be and Indian burial ground. With many of the markers destroyed by time or vandals this is the perfect spot for some paranormal activity.

Stories include: Aftermath of Dr. Albert Speaker’s Career (illegal abortionist who allegedly was not very good at his job), the token Lady in White (probably one of the victims of the good doctor), Hell Hounds (AKA black dogs, popular in British folklore as death omens, FYI that green (can be many colors including red) glow is the tapetum which reflects visible light back through the retina) and The Curse (that allegedly applies to vandals and grave robbers so keep your hands to yourself).  

Westminster Presbyterian Church Cemetery

Baltimore, Maryland

We’ve been here before too Ghoulies. This is the final resting place of Edgar Allen Poe. Poe’s story and mysterious cloaked visitor is a story we read about previously but there are two mentions that were not in the previous book. The screaming skull and of course the catacombs. Not much was said about the catacombs in our previous read. Apparently a lot of the body theft and grave desecration happened here as it was convenient and more private. In addition, interestingly enough, several individuals decided that this would be a good location to end their own lives. Suicide became a regular activity for guests. Perhaps this suicide rate is related to hearing the screaming skull?

We have an honorable (or not so honorable) mention here too Ghoulies. Apparently there have been Ghoul sightings. Reportedly this Ghoul has a drinking problem and seems to weave in between the markers in a drunken stupor.

Howard Street Cemetery

Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts

We first visited this location in “Spookiest Cemeteries” by Terrance Zepke and learned all about Mr. Giles Corey. The Mr. Giles Corey who felt the long arm of karma (in the form of large boulders) all those years ago (Knowles does not mention this but Giles turned his wife in as a witch and ended up being accused himself not long after his wife’s trial, karma’s a bitch Mr. Corey). However I will say that perhaps Mr. Corey was in fact dealing in darkness as it seems the curse he set worked. Plus who doesn’t want to be a harbinger of doom in their afterlife.

An honorable mention is a Black Dog. Black dogs, also known as Hellhounds in British mythology are essentially death omens. While I myself am an animal lover not sure that I’d really want to run into one of these pooches. Now whether this particular black dog is one of the afore mentioned who knows but combine this pooch with Giles and his curse and you have quite the pair.

Pine Hill Cemetery

Hollis, New Hampshire

Also known as the Blood Cemetery after a family who are buried there this cemetery is thought to be one of the most haunted cemeteries in New England. There are many different reports of activity at this location the following are those mentioned by our author.

The haunting of Able Blood whose marker, carved with a pictorial scene that seems to move. A ghost child that runs across the street in front of oncoming traffic, only to disappear. And a ghost cat who has been known to disappear as quickly as it is noticed.

Metairie Cemetery

New Orleans, Louisiana

Considered the most beautiful cemetery in the New Orleans area. It’s also been haunted for many moons as well. Before the land was a cemetery, in the early-mid 1800’s it was a racetrack (horses). Where there is gambling, there is financial ruin. And where there is financial ruin there is death. Suicide mostly. Perfect scenario for a haunting.

Our author talks specifically about the hunting of Charles Howard, a lottery winner who wanted nothing more than to belong in high society and was willing to kill for it. Honest Chief David Hennessy (our author spelled his name incorrectly), Chief of Police in the late 19th century who’s death resulted in one of the largest mass lynching’s in the US. And the flaming tomb of Madam Josie Arlington, born Mary Anna Deubler, Brothel Madam extraordinaire. One thing that is mentioned about this successful madam of ill repute is that her past was one of somewhat excessive violence including biting the ears and lips off of a co-worker (prostitute). We all get angry with our co-workers but this is taking it to the extreme.

Deerfield Old Burying Grounds

Deerfield, Massachusetts

The history dates all the way back to the early 1700’s when a raid on the village took place by the Indians and the French (on leap year, Feb 29th 1704 smh). An interesting mix of enemies. The villagers were either killed or became prisoners. Of course being lazy sods, most of those killed during the raid itself were buried in a mass grave. So there is a dark historical past connected with this one.

Two specific hauntings are mentioned by our author, reports of Mrs. Eunice Williams and the leap year haunting because of course this is the anniversary of the raid. At least it only comes around once every four years.

Old Jewish Cemetery

Josefov, Prague, Czech Republic

Okay this is the craziest cemetery that I have heard of to date. Body and grave desecration is serious business in the Jewish religion. They take it very seriously (as they, and everyone, should). So as to not disturb the final resting place of the interred, after running out of room and expansion options, they made the decision to bring in more soil so they could stack graves one on top of the other. Apparently there are upwards of 12 layers of the interred.

There are stories of apparitions, card game playing skeletons and the most famous story that of Josef the Golem (aka the Golem of Prague).  

Glasnevin Cemetery

Dublin, Ireland

This is considered to be the largest cemetery in Ireland. There are actually more dead buried here than there are living in the city of Dublin. There is a good reason that this cemetery is haunted. Body snatching was a common practice during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s as there were medical schools nearby. It’s my understanding the medical students were responsible for procuring their own cadaver for dissection. As we all know students are not known for have significant amounts of cash flow and buying a cadaver would cost a pretty penny. So not wanting to starve in their pursuit to become a physician they resort to stealing corpses from a grave yard. Apparently it got so bad at this location that guard towers were built to watch over the cemetery and use of force (dogs and guns) was not uncommon.

  In addition to the grave robbing medical students our author an enduring and heart breaking story about a loyal dog who stick by his master’s grave as well as the sad story of the many children, still born and otherwise, that are buried here.   

Salem Cemetery

Hendrysberg, Ohio

An interesting location with a ghost that has some true crime historical significance. Apparently the first person, Louiza Fox, to be buried in this cemetery was also interred there as she was the first known murder victim in Kirkwood Township. This happened back in the mid 1800’s but still. Although her killer, Thomas Carr did confess that he had murdered 14 other people as well so it is possible that she was not the first in that township that had been murdered.

Other haunting that are mentioned are a pack of dogs that seem to be protecting the cemetery, a random phantom house and another bum pinching ghost that has been named Alvin.

Stull Cemetery

Douglas County, Kansas

This is our second time peering through the chain-link fence to get a look at Stull Cemetery. FYI trespassers will be shot when trying to do paranormal investigations. According to our author the alleged gate way to hell has been debunked but that there is still evidence that the area is indeed haunted. Stories include those about a mysterious wind, circles of fire, areas that refuse to be made wet by the rain, people being touched and of course or witch and her infant child (rumored to be the witch that is visited by Satan as the child is his, should have gotten a better lawyer, only visitation twice a year and of course there’s the child support).

Closing thoughts:  

Knowles takes the time to actually do a closing reflection at the end of this book which I like. Kinda ties it all up. I would not consider this book to be a collection of short stories. They are a collection of experiences told in a straight forward way without elaboration or fictional elements. I like that because it makes those experiences feel more legitimate. The world of the paranormal is one that is sheathed in mystery and shadow. What happens after death is only known by the dead. I as many others do not like not knowing what awaits us after we pass but perhaps it is not for us, the living, to know. These hauntings are just glimpses into what might be. Cemeteries being haunted is not really much of a surprise. While places of peace they are also places where the living and dead feel pain, grief, sadness, depression, joy, comfort, solace, retribution, and peace. So many emotions both positive and negative in nature are bound to have an effect on the natural world.

Happy Devouring!

The Sexton