The Legends and Lore of Illinois

  Sunset Haven – Carbondale, IL
By Michael Kleen

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Up until around the mid 1950s, people who couldn’t take care of themselves; orphans, the elderly and infirm, epileptics, and alcoholics, often found themselves on a county farm known as a “poor farm.”  A superintendent and his family would look after the residents while the residents earned their keep by farming the land, if they were able.  Most of these institutions closed down when our modern welfare system came into maturity.  The land was sold and the buildings were often turned into psychiatric hospitals or homes for the developmentally disabled.

Sometimes poorly managed, and not very profitable, those institutions frequently closed their doors and were taken over by vandals and thrill seekers.  Sunset Haven, or “Building 207” as it’s known today, is one such place.

The Jackson County Poor Farm (its original name) has a somewhat unique history.  According to Troy Taylor’s Haunted Illinois (2004), it became known as Sunset Haven during the 1940s before it was converted into a nursing home.  It was finally closed in 1957 when Southern Illinois University purchased the property to expand its agricultural program (p.42).  It then became known as the Museum Research Corporation.

What happens next? Click here to download the entire issue (.pdf) and find out!

Legends and Lore of Illinois Vol. 2 – on Kindle!

Or, order all 12 issues of the Legends and Lore of Illinois from 2008 for only $5.00 in a special Kindle edition. Places covered in Vol. 2: Archer Cemetery, Sunset Haven, Peoria State Hospital (Bartonville Asylum), Airtight Bridge, University of Illinois, Calvary Cemetery and ‘Seaweed Charlie,’ Lakey’s Creek, Peck Cemetery, Blood’s Point Road, Old Union Cemetery, Hartford Castle, and more!

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Legends and Lore of Illinois: Case Files!

Or, order our book, Legends and Lore of Illinois: Case Files Vol. 1 to get two years of the Legends and Lore of Illinois (2007 & 2008) in one paperback volume (8.5 x 11, with 140 pages and 24 haunting photographs).

With this new collection, you may enjoy the past two years of the Legends and Lore of Illinois distilled to its very best, featuring updated content. This unique look at Illinois ghostlore is presented in a fun, entertaining way that sheds light on the dark recesses of our imagination.

But that’s not all. Delve into the secret history of your favorite paranormal adventurers with two rarely-seen stories from the early days of The Fallen. Plus get a special preview of their next adventure: Black Willow Grove. This is the Legends and Lore of Illinois as you have never seen it before!

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