The Legends and Lore of Illinois

Dug Hill Road – Jonesboro, IL
By Michael Kleen

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Both Haunted Illinois (2004) and Field Guide to Illinois Hauntings (2001) erroneously place “Dug Hill Road” (it’s actually called Dug Hill Lane) off of “State Highway 126.”  It is, in point of fact, located off of Highway 146 in the western portion of the Shawnee National Forest, nearer to the tiny town of Berryville than Jonesboro.  To be fair, Highway 127 (not 126) splits off from 146 in the vicinity of that point, so there may have been some confusion over the numbers.

At any rate, this serial isn’t about cartography, it’s about ghosts.  To picture what this road must have once looked like at the time of the hauntings would take an active imagination, since the banality of its flowering fields, woods, and serine pond seem to evaporate any sense of foreboding.

There are several strange stories concerning the area.  The first is a classic haunting, and according to Beth Scott and Michael Norman’s Haunted Heartland (1985), it is “the most notorious ghost in Southern Illinois.”  As they describe the incident, Union army deserters ambushed and killed a provost marshal named Welch in 1865.  There are two versions of the story, one involving three deserters, the other involving a dozen or so.  In the second version, Welch’s own friend betrayed him and led him into the ambush.

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Legends and Lore of Illinois Vol. 1 – on Kindle!

Or, order all 12 issues of the Legends and Lore of Illinois from 2007 for only $5.00 in a special Kindle edition. Places covered in Vol. 1: Bachelor’s Grove, Greenwood Cemetery, Devil’s Gate, Chesterville Cemetery, Dug Hill Road, Resurrection Cemetery, “Cemetery X,” Shoe Factory Road, Ridge Cemetery, Cuba Road, Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, and St. James-Sag!

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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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