Haunting History

Haunting History

Iowa's history runs deep, but some of the stories can spook — reader beware.

By Gretchen Westdal Centers

There’s a sudden chill. Your skin prickles. All your senses are at full attention. Any sound has your heart racing. Your mind runs wild.

You’re spooked.

Some people love the sensation. Some people avoid it as best they can. From ghost stories around the campfire to gory horror movies, humans have been intrigued by that which can’t always be explained.

There’s a psychological response from being scared that releases cortisol and adrenaline. When the threat is gone, a rush of dopamine — the feel-good hormone — can be released, giving the person a rush or high.

Like most everything, a healthy scare or feeling spooked can be exhilarating when done in moderation. And, as fall creeps its way in — daylight receding, the trees shedding their leaves to reveal skeletal branches, the cool air — it’s the perfect time to find a spooky spot to explore.

Luckily, Iowa has some infamous, and some lesser-known, haunts that will leave you looking over your shoulder. So, pack up the car with your favorite snacks, flashlights, and your courage to explore and learn about the spookier spots around Iowa.

Edinburgh Manor is known for its significance as a former poorhouse.

Photo credit: Edinburgh Manor

Edinburgh Manor — Scotch Grove

In the early 1800s, life on the farm was not for the fainthearted. Farmers today know the stress and work of maintaining a successful operation. So, many can only imagine the toil that came when work was done by only hand and skill.

And for those who weren’t able-bodied or didn’t have the skills available to farm, life was even more difficult. In those times, county poor farms were established across rural U.S. communities as places for those classified by the time period as “poor, incurably insane and disabled” to go and work. Those who lived in these houses were given food and shelter in return for labor.

Edinburgh Manor in Jones County was established in 1840 at section 36 in Wayne Township, where it was described as a comfortable retreat for “the lazy, ablebodied and willingly dependent applicants.” Comfortable may be a stretch as residents were referred to as inmates. They were free to come and go as they pleased, but with no other option for those who were experiencing severe mental illness, homelessness or those who were disabled, where could they go?

Many didn’t go anywhere. Over the years it was in operation, from 1840 up until 2010, it’s purported that Edinburgh Manor saw more than 230 deaths on the property. And many visitors say those souls still haven’t left the property.

Today, the building still stands and has the relics of previous occupants and workers. Edinburgh Manor is now privately owned, and the operators allow a set number of tours and overnight visitors during the year. For those who’ve gone, many recount stories of hearing far-off singing and coughing when they are the only humans present. People report seeing faces — not belonging to anyone in the visiting group —spooky sights, you’ll be enjoying a historic haunt of Iowa.

The Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial was sculpted by American artist Daniel Chester French, and is his only work in Iowa.

The Black Angel Statue — Council Bluffs

Legends and lore can cast a shadow over sacred places and give people an unsettling feeling. As with any location that has endured heartbreak, loss or a turbulent event, reverence and respect should be paid to the area.

The Black Angel Statue of Council Bluffs was commissioned by the daughters of Ruth Anne Dodge, wife of a Civil War general and railroad builder, upon her death in 1916. The story goes that Ruth Anne experienced three dreams on the three nights preceding her death. In those dreams, she said an angel appeared and comforted her. To honor their mother, her daughters wanted an angel constructed to stand as the same comforting symbol their mother saw in her dreams.

Daniel Chester French was the artist commissioned for the work. He also sculpted Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. and created other significant monuments. French used a woman named Audrey Munson as the model for the angel. Munson was considered the first U.S. supermodel. She sat and posed for many sculptures and works of art throughout the U.S.

Everything from Council Bluff’s Black Angel to sculptures atop state capitol buildings to coins minted by the U.S. treasury. But, her life story is traumatic and troubling. She spent her later years in obscurity and poverty, confined to a psychiatric hospital until her death. Legend says she haunts the statues for which she modeled.

Originally cast in bronze, the Black Angel has patinaed to a rich black green. This only adds to the local lore around it. Whatever visitors may experience while there, it’s piece of art from a significant sculptor who contributed to some of the nation’s most famous landmarks and memorials, and the statue serves as a reminder of hope in troubling times.

The Villisca Ax Murder House is notable for its original condition, with many items from the night of the murders still inside.

Villisca House — Villisca

Arguably the most notorious of Iowa’s spooky spots, the Villisca House has a dark and unnerving history. On the night of June 12, 1912, eight people were tragically murdered. There are still unanswered questions about what happened to Joe and Sarah Moore, their four children, and two additional kids who were all sleeping in the home when a distraught individual came in wielding an axe that would end all their lives.

The family had no known enemies and were well-liked around town, so it was even more shocking when the gruesome scene was discovered. What sent the town into an even greater despair was the perpetrator was never found. Suspect speculation ranged from a deranged, traveling preacher to a prominent state senator. The mystery is still unsolved to this day.

In its 112-year history, Villisca House has been privately owned, but many of the occupants reported strange and frightening incidents. Today, Villisca House claims to be one of the most haunted places in America. The house was restored to what it looked like in 1912 and piques the interests of history buffs, true-crime fanatics and those interested in the paranormal. Visitors can go on tours where the paranormal may occur or, if they are really brave, stay overnight.

The children's room upstairs in the Villisca Axe Murder House.

Messages From Beyond

Iowa is filled with interesting and curious history. Taking the time to reflect on where we’ve been can help us look to the future with greater knowledge and appreciation for how far we’ve come and where we want to go. And, maybe, we’ll see signs from those who’ve come before us on the direction forward.

Nine more Spots for Eerie Encounters in Iowa

1. Hotel Ottumwa, Ottumwa

2. Farrar Schoolhouse, Farrar

3. Stony Hollow Road, Burlington

4. Mason House Inn, Keosauqua

5. Cresco Theatre & Opera House, Cresco

6. Mathias Ham House, Dubuque

7. Malvern Manor, Malvern

8. Squirrel Cage Jail, Council Bluffs

9. Hazel Green Cemetery, Ackley