Originally published in The Rock River Times.

It had been a good day that Sunday, August 13, 1933.  Forty-one-year-old Earl Hanson had enjoyed the day with his 12-year-old daughter, June.  They attended church services and went to the theater.  Earl headed north on Main Street to take June back to her mother’s home at about nine o’ clock in the evening.

Earl and his wife, May Mudler, had divorced on December 22, 1932, after a 12-year-marriage.  At first, Earl believed May was happy, especially after June was born in 1922 and then little Doris came in 1923.  There was a lot of strain in the marriage especially after they realized that Doris was developmentally disabled. They made the difficult choice to have Doris placed in an institution.

So on that August night, Ed drove his little girl back to the home they had once shared.  June Hanson kissed her father and skipped into the house.  She was looking for her mother when she noticed a bright light coming from outside.

June stepped back outside and saw an image that no child should have to see.  She must have been horrified to see Earl crawl from the car completely engulfed in flames.

June’s screams soon brought neighbors running.  The first man to arrive saw a burning figure twisting on the ground.  The fire was quickly put out but there was little that could be done.  Earl Hanson was dead.

The police arrived and at first they thought they were dealing with a car that had malfunctioned.  They questioned everyone involved.  May Hanson, Earl’s ex-wife, claimed that she was in the basement when she saw a flash of light through one of the windows.

There were several warning signs to the initial police officers.  They were concerned enough to summon Chief Deputy Millard and the Coroner Walter Julian to the house. As the police explored the crime scene, a porcelain bowl was discovered in the yard, hidden in tall grass.  It was blackened and smelled of gas.

The detectives continued to search the yard and uncovered a box of matches and a gas can that contained a small amount of gas.  Police began to realize that Earl’s death was no accident.  They would later call it one of the most bizarre murders that Winnebago County had ever seen.

The first thing police officers noticed when they questioned May was that her hair, face, eyebrows and neck were singed and burned.  May explained this by claiming that she got close to the car to confirm that her daughter was not inside.

May also answered the authority’s questions in a very strange manner.  One reporter described it like May was reciting a recipe instead of describing the horrible death of a human being.  May admitted that she owned the gas can and had purchased gas that afternoon. She claimed she was trying to get her own car started.  The car had not run in over a year.

The porcelain bowl also belonged to May.  She used it earlier in the day to water the chickens.  May stated that she had no idea knowledge of how it had gotten into the yard.

The authorities began to comb through all aspects of Earl Hanson’s life.  Earl was a sales executive at Ingersoll Milling Machine Company.  He was well respected and liked at his job.  Robert Gaylord, the President of Ingersoll, handed the police what would become the main piece of evidence in the case.  It was a handwritten letter that May had sent Earl that described how much she loathed him and ended with a death threat.  The letter frightened Earl so much that he gave it to Robert for safekeeping in case anything ever happened to him.

The police knew that they had their killer but they found it inconceivable that this tiny woman would kill in such a horrific manner.  The police and coroner worked together to put together a theory of what happened that fateful August night.

Earl pulled into the driveway and waited for June to enter the house.  May hid in the bushes next to the driveway and when Earl stopped at the end of the driveway, she stepped from the shadows and splashed the contents of the porcelain bowl onto Earl.  Then she lit a match and threw it into the car.  She had no idea that the gas would cause the flames to billow up burning her flesh and hair.  May calmly moved into the yard as June came out to see her father struggling against the flames that consumed him.

State’s Attorney Nash prosecuted May Hanson in what the newspapers dubbed as the “Torch Murder”.  The trial lasted 11 days and consisted of 39 witnesses for the state and six witnesses for the defense.  The most riveting testimony came from the Hanson’s daughter, June who staunchly defended her mother’s innocence.

May was found guilty and sentenced to 14 years.  She was transferred in May of 1934 to Dwight’s Correctional Center.

Doris died in the Nebraska institution in 1940.  June was raised by May’s sister, Florence.  June would eventually marry and move to Vermont where she passed away in 1994.

Photos – Rockford Register-Republic.

Copyright © 2016 Kathi Kresol, Haunted Rockford Events

Originally published in The Rock River Times.

Isaiah and William Donley were two brothers that moved to Rockford in 1865 with their family.  They were born in Palmyra, Missouri and as the newspaper from 1890 stated, “born into bondage”.  The family members were slaves prior to the Civil War.

They came to Rockford to begin their new lives.  Isaiah was 12 and William was ten years of age.  Both would become well known and respected in this city.  They were admired for overcoming the obstacles placed before them and giving back to their community.

Isaiah was a man of many talents but was best known for his devotion to the local Rifles Unit.  He would travel with the group and assisted them as a “colored attache”.  Isaiah worked very hard to support the group and made their travels much easier.

Isaiah was known for his honesty and integrity but it was his kindness and humor that made him so well loved.

Isaiah married Ann Upsher in August of 1874.  They had a daughter, Musadora or Musie as she was called.  Unfortunately, Ann died in 1880 when Musie was only four years old.  Many who knew Isaiah spoke of his devotion to his only child.

Tragedy struck Isaiah’s family again in January 1890 when he became ill.  Isaiah died on January 16, leaving 14-year-old Musie to be taken in by his brother William.  The men from the Rifles Unit all attended Isaiah’s funeral at Cedar Bluff.  They acted as pall bearers and carried their friend to his final resting place.

William married his wife, Mary on November 23, 1882 and they bought a house on Crosby Street a few doors down from where Isaiah lived with his family.

William was even better known than his brother.  He was a cigar maker by trade and a very popular one by all accounts.  William was also known to be very intelligent and well-read.  Many of the immigrants who came to Rockford were illiterate and William would entertain them with tales of the books he read.

William was also a talented guitar and banjo player.  He would often tell his friends and family that he loved playing for others and considered it a gift when he saw others enjoying his music.

William and his wife invited Musie into their home after Isaiah died.  The churches in Rockford took up collections to help support the little girl.  A newspaper article mentioned that Musie later moved to Chicago and married a man named Anderson.

William passed away on February 16, 1916 in the family home on Crosby Street.  He was laid to rest near Isaiah in Cedar Bluff Cemetery.

These brothers are usually forgotten about in Rockford’s history.  While their contributions may seem small when to compared with other African Americans who helped settle the area, they were part of the foundation that Rockford was built on.  The family, like so many others before and after, left behind their past lives and chose Rockford as the place to call home.  Their rising above their appalling beginnings is as inspiring now as it was to the community then.

Copyright © 2016 Kathi Kresol, Haunted Rockford Events

Originally published in The Rock River Times.

The evening of April 28, 1909 was initially discussed because of the storm that swept over the area.  Folks in the village of Winnebago would remember exactly where they were that evening because of the fierce thunderstorm that brought almost continuous lightning and torrential rains.

That storm would also play a part in the worst crime in the history of the little community though no one would realize it for almost 24 hours.

Margaret Grippen was a widow who lived in a farm house on Bluff Street near the northeast edge of town.  Both Margaret and her husband, Demas were considered pioneers of the village and well loved.  Their property contained an 80-acre farm and a two-story house.  “Uncle Demas” as the townspeople referred to him, was known to be a helpful and very generous neighbor.

The couple had three children, two girls who died too early and their son, Demas Junior who lived in Iowa with his wife, Blanche.  When Demas died in 1895, Margaret was left all alone in the house they had built on Bluff Street.

On that night in April, Margaret was visiting the old farmer McDougall.  She visited the farmer to order a chicken and some milk.  McDougall offered to deliver the items the next day and loaned Margaret a coat to wear home because the storm was sweeping into town.

Another neighbor would report that she spotted Margaret walking home when she looked through the window at the storm.  The time was 6:30 p.m.  The neighbor could not know that she would be the last person to see Margaret alive.

The next day McDougall stopped by Margaret’s house several times to deliver her order before he knocked on a neighbor’s door to ask if she had seen Margaret.  Mrs George Ades was surprised that Margaret did not answer and offered a skeleton key that she knew would open the front door of the Grippen home.  Margaret had borrowed it several times since she noticed her house key was missing.

McDougall and Mrs. Ades opened the front door and later they both would state that they noticed reddish brown stains smeared all over the walls and then they noticed the body on the floor.  At first, they thought Margaret had fallen and they rushed toward her.  As they neared the body, Mrs. Ades started to scream.

When Sheriff Collier arrived from Rockford, the whole horrible truth was disclosed.  The 68-year-old woman entered the home and went to the second floor to shut a window that she had left open.  When she returned downstairs there was someone waiting in the darkness of her living room.

The intruder rushed her and hit her several times with a large conch shell that sat on a shelf.  Margaret fought hard for her life and battled the intruder up and down the hallway.  The attacker grabbed a pair of scissors and caused tremendous damage to the poor woman’s hands as she defended herself.

Finally, Margaret fell onto the floor where the savage attack continued.  She was stabbed 38 times in the face and chest before the maniac went into the kitchen for another weapon.  This time he carried a flat iron that he used to beat Margaret’s head so badly that no one would be able to identify her.

The attacker tried to cover up his crime by placing a kerosene lamp next to Margaret’s body and a shawl over the chimney.  He probably thought that setting a fire would destroy the perfect fingerprints that he left on the glass of the lantern along with any other evidence.  Thankfully, the shawl never caught fire.

After cleaning up in the kitchen, the killer walked past the body in the hall and out the front door.  He used a key to lock the door behind him.  He dropped the key in the front yard on his way through the yard.  The storm covered all the noise of the attack and kept any would be witness in their homes.

The man who slaughtered the beloved widow slipped away, most likely on the railroad that ran close to the home.  The only real evidence found were those fingerprints left on the lamp.

Experts came from all over to try to solve this heinous crime and to match the fingerprints.  Though over 400 different fingerprints were collected and compared, no match was ever made.  The murder of Margaret Grippen remains unsolved.

Margaret was buried in the Winnebago Cemetery next to her beloved daughters and her grandson.

Copyright © 2016 Kathi Kresol, Haunted Rockford Events

Originally published in The Rock River Times.

George Jacob Schweinfurth was born in 1853 in Marion, Ohio.  He had a typical childhood though his mother would later claim that she knew from the day he was born that God had a special plan for her son.

That special plan would eventually involve hundreds of followers, numerous scandals, and a 600 acre farm named Mount Zion.

George would become involved with a religious movement started by a woman named Dorinda Beekman, a wife of a preacher.  The Church Triumphant was originally based in Byron, Illinois but Dorinda’s claims soon had her followers ostracized from that community.  George met Dorinda in December of 1877 and they soon became kindred spirits.

George was a gifted speaker.  He was very handsome, some would even claim that he looked just like Jesus Christ, and he was very persuasive.  Young women were especially drawn to George and he was very quickly ordained a Bishop to the church.

Dorinda became sick and died and though she claimed she would rise after death, her body was ordered to be buried by officials after a week.  That might have been the end of the Beekmanites and the Church Triumphant if George hadn’t stepped forward to accept the role of leader.

George began to claim that he was the risen Messiah and that as such, he had unlimited powers.  He could perform many miracles including curing those afflicted with disease and even, just like Christ himself, raise people from the dead.  When asked by a reporter if he really believed himself to be Christ, Schweinfurth replied, “I am more than that.  I am the perfect man.  I am God.”

George drew more people into the faith and began to search for a place for the center of what was quickly becoming a religious movement.

It was at this time that a loyal follower, Spencer Weldon offered his lovely 600 acre farm and home to George.  In 1880, the Weldon family consisted of Spencer and his wife Agnes Kelley and their six children.

George gladly accepted the generous offer and mortgaged the farm to expand the buildings and house to better fit the expanding congregation.  The men worked the land and handled the livestock while the women worked in the house and tended the gardens. The farm grew very prosperous and George eventually expanded into horse breeding. He proved to be a keen businessman and was soon raking in the profits.

Inevitably, the word began to spread about this “Mount Zion” as the congregation called it and new followers came from all over the country.  In order to live in “Heaven”, a person needed to surrender all of their worldly possessions to the church, which in turn took care of all their needs.  Most of the men lived in dormitories in the barn and the women stayed in the house with the prophet.  Marriages were no longer acknowledged and this caused many conflicts.

The Church Triumphant numbers soon grew to several hundred.  The social status of the majority of these people was surprising.  These were not country bumpkins but highly educated, high society that included the wives of business men, lawyers, and doctors who brought their husbands into the fold.

Certain young women who were all very beautiful soon became the favorites of the self-proclaimed Messiah.  One of these “Angels” was the oldest daughter of the Weldon’s, Mary Louise.  She was around 25-years-old when the family home became Heaven. She was very beautiful and one of George’s most devout followers.

One of the fundamental beliefs of the Church Triumphant was the immaculate conception of Mary with the child of the Holy Spirit.  It was such a vital part of their belief that when certain “Angels” became pregnant all believed that they, like the Virgin Mary carried the “Children of God”.  Though the exact number of these children has been lost, at least four were born in Heaven. Two children were born to the head angel, Aurora Tuttle, one to Mary Teft, and one to Mary Weldon.

Needless to say, this caused quite a controversy and the newspaper reporters soon flocked to the farm.  The stories spread until they were nationwide.  When one of the reporters asked Spencer Weldon what he thought about his daughter becoming pregnant, he replied that he was overjoyed that she carried the child of God.

The controversy continued and charges were brought against the three Angels and George for immoral behavior.  In order to quiet some of the rumors, George married Aurora in the late 1890s though this proved to be a case of too little, too late.  Finally, in 1900 George left Heaven behind and brought Aurora and their two children to Rockford before changing his name to Furth and moving to Chicago to become a realtor.  He died there in 1915 still shrouded in scandal and controversy.

The Weldon Farm in Winnebago still belongs to members of the family and has been returned to the red color that it wore in the most prosperous days of the Church Triumphant.  Angel and daughter, Mary Weldon stayed on the farm after the prophet left.  She raised her daughter with the assistance of her family.

Copyright © 2016 Kathi Kresol, Haunted Rockford Events

Originally published in The Rock River Times.

Illinois Cottage was opened in August of 1918.  The old Lindsey Home, located on Kent Street was acquired through the Illinois Federation of Women’s Club with assistance of the Spafford family.  Its purpose was to aid single women who came from other communities while they searched for employment or girls who were found after curfew.  One such young girl came to Rockford with her new husband.  The couple had only been married a few days when they arrived and she had no idea that her husband was wanted for forgery.  She stayed at the Illinois Cottage after her husband was arrested until arrangements could be made for her to return to her parent’s home.

One article describing the home mentioned that during the time of the opening there were many young girls that followed the young men to Rockford when they were stationed at Camp Grant.  Some of these girls could not find employment and had no way to support themselves.

Later the purpose of the home was expanded to include caring for handicapped children.  The Visiting Nurses Association would refer the children to the Cottage.  Most of the children came from very poor circumstances and were handicapped due to to malnutrition or disease.  These children would receive medical care, proper nutrition, and an education while living in the home.  For some of the children this care was life changing; without it their handicaps would have made them incapable of becoming independent and able to support themselves.

The children who were able attended nearby public schools while those who were bedridden were taught at the cottage.  Clubs allowed the children to earn money for shoes or other clothing.  The Fairy Club allowed the young girls to embroider bibs, rompers, and towels that would be sold in the gift shop.

In order to continue the funding of Illinois Cottage many events and tours were held in the home.  Several famous visitors to Rockford were brought for a tour of the home.  Jackie Coogan, a child star, and Tom Mix, an actor who was best known for playing in early westerns, were both visitors.

One of the most touching stories in the history of the home involves a little boy who stayed there in 1931.  He came to the home weighing 23 pounds and horribly crippled from a severe case of rickets that had bent his little legs.

The little boy was sent to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Chicago for surgery to straighten his legs.  He was returned to Illinois Cottage where his care was continued.  Within a few months the little boy’s weight increased and he was walking normally.

There were numerous organizations in Rockford that worked very hard to ensure that the children had all they needed.  But it was during the Christmas holiday that the true generosity of the Rockford community was revealed.  Gifts of clothing, furniture, toys and fruit were delivered from all parts of the city.  Whole classrooms of children would visit to perform concerts and programs for the children.

Christmas Eve was started with a special luncheon cooked and served by local Kiwanis groups, who were major contributors to the cottage.  In the evening, the cottage sponsored a large party and opened its doors for all the neighborhood children.

In the late afternoon of Christmas Eve, a truck arrived and picked up around 70 children who then made the rounds in South Rockford.  The children and their escorts sang Christmas songs as the neighbors came outside to join them.  The newspaper stated that “the familiar music served as a beautiful reminder of the significance of the holiday”.

The truck returned the children back to the cottage for a very special meal.  Santa Claus would arrive afterward with a sack filled with gifts, the first ever for many of the children.  The gifts were donated from families, businesses, and local churches and were given to all the children including the neighborhood visitors.  Then the children were tucked into their beds with stomachs filled with food and clutching their new toys.

These stories of Illinois Cottage prove that the Rockford Community was built with the  generous, caring spirit that continues still today.  As the quote from the movie Scrooged starring Bill Murray reminds us, “It’s Christmas Eve!  It’s the one night of the year when we all act a little nicer, we smile a little easier, we cheer a little more.  For a couple of hours out of the whole year, we are the people that we always hoped we would be!”

Copyright © 2015, 2023 Kathi Kresol, Haunted Rockford Events

Originally published in The Rock River Times.

Everyone who knew Svea Olson said she had chosen the right career.  Svea was in her second year at St. Anthony’s School of Nursing.  Her roommate and patients all stated that Svea’s natural cheerfulness brightened up whatever room she entered.  Many of the bedridden patients at the hospital claimed that Svea had a special gift of bringing hope to those patients that had none.

Svea was busy with school but she always made time for her friends and family.  On Tuesday, September 18, 1923, Svea left St. Anthony for one of her regular visits to the family’s home on 9th Street.  Her parents, John and Maria Olson were well known in the Rockford Community.  They moved to Rockford in 1896 from Sweden.  John first obtained employment in the furniture factories before he and Maria opened the Olson Restaurant on 14th Avenue.

The visits with Svea’s family always passed too quickly and she seemed reluctant to leave that night.  Her sister offered to walk with her to the 7th Street car line and the girls chatted on the way.  Svea caught the 7th Street car and turned around to smile and wave goodbye to her sister, neither of them knowing it would be the last time they would see each other.

Later that evening at around 10 p.m., the staff at St. Anthony was startled by a man walking into the emergency department carrying a woman in his arms.  They questioned him about his name and the identity of the girl but he had no answers for them.  They grabbed the girl to transfer her onto a gurney and the man fled.

The girl was beyond all help and she was pronounced dead immediately.  The staff recognized her as one of the student nurses and an investigation into her last hours began.  Svea roomed at the nurse’s quarters and her fellow students were questioned.  They all stated that Svea had no enemies or boyfriends.  She was a dedicated daughter and student that spent her time with family or on her studies.

Coroner Fred C. Olson worked hard to determine the cause of Svea’s death.  There was no trace of drugs, poison, or liquor in her stomach or blood.  Her family reported that she had some issues with heart palpitations but nothing that was of any concern.  The 24-year-old girl had no marks or other signs to indicate violence.  The doctors and investigators were completely baffled by her death.

Police pleaded with the public for some information into the identity of the man in the car.  Several witnesses stepped forward to say they saw a car matching the description the St. Anthony staff had given.  They stated they saw the car stop alongside women that were walking in the area of 7th Street.  They couldn’t hear the conversation but saw the women shaking their head as if declining an offer for a ride.

Family members and friends all were certain that Svea would never accept a ride from a stranger.  The investigation into the death ground to a complete halt very quickly.  The police and coroner worked on the theory that Svea had been picked up in the car and some struggle had occurred that resulted in her death.  The family was left with only questions and no relief for their loss.

Svea’s funeral was on September 22, 1923 in her family’s home on 9th Street.  Over 2,000 people came through the house to pay their respects.  Over 1,000 traveled to the Scandinavian Cemetery for the graveside service.

Finally, in late November of 1923 police got a break.  Robert Wells came forward to testify that he was walking in the neighborhood on that night in September when he spotted a man in a car matching the description given.  The unidentified man pulled his car to the curb on East State Street just past the intersection of 7th Street.  He then jumped out and ran to the sidewalk where a figure was on the ground.  Wells approached the man to see if he could offer assistance.  The man asked Wells to help him get the girl to the car.  The rescuer stated that he saw the young lady collapse.  He offered to drive the unconscious girl to St. Anthony Hospital where she would receive medical assistance.  Wells helped the man place the girl into the car and watched him drive away.

The police and coroner decided that Wells was telling the truth and filed Svea’s death as natural though they never found the exact cause of her death or the man who brought her to the hospital.  They stated that she probably suffered issues with her heart even though they found no damage during the autopsy.  The family would never know what happened to this beautiful, young girl who gave so much to everyone she knew.

Copyright © 2015 Kathi Kresol, Haunted Rockford Events

Originally published in The Rock River Times.

“Please be assured that a continuing search by land, sea, and air is being made to discover the whereabouts of our missing personnel.  As our armies advance over enemy occupied territory, special troops are assigned to this task, and all agencies of the government in every country are constantly sending in details which aid us in bringing additional information to you.”

The letter came just a day after the telegram.  Both had been signed by Major General J.A. Ulio the Adjutant General and were addressed to Mrs. Ann Ulander.  Ann and her husband Carl Sr., had two sons, Carl Junior who was 22 years old and Robert who was just 19.

Both boys had enlisted in the service, Carl, the oldest, worked as a navigator on a B-17 “Flying Fortress” while his brother, Robert was in training to be a Flight Engineer.

Carl Junior had been born in Rockford on July 28, 1922.  He graduated from Winnebago Community High School and had been employed at Swan Peterson and Sons Florist.  Carl had entered the service on June 1, 1943.  His parents were very proud of him when he received his commission and navigators wings on April 22, 1944.  He was now addressed as Lieutenant Carl G. Ulander Jr. Robert, the younger son of Carl and Anna was stationed at Lowry Field in Denver, Colorado.  He would later serve on Saipan and Guam as a flight engineer on a B-29.

Carl Sr. and Ann heard from Carl Jr. shortly after his arrival overseas with the 8th Air Force.  He had only been there for two months and had not yet been sent on any missions.

It was on one of his first missions that Carl was part of a four-pronged Allied attack on Germany.  More than 1,100 American bombers were sent on the attack on German war factories in Magdeburg, Kassel, and Mersberg.  This attack would prove very costly for the 8th.

The 8th Air Force lost 42 heavy bombers and 16 escorting fighters during the attack.  Carl’s parents would not learn the details of his mission for many months.  His Flying Fortress participated in the air raid over Magdeburg, Germany on September 28–it was around 11:35 a.m. and the planes were close to reaching their target when they were attacked by enemy aircraft.

Carl’s plane was hit by enemy fire and left the formation.  The plane dropped its bombs and then suddenly it went into a dive.  No one saw what happened to the plane after it began its descent.

Carl Ulander Jr. was declared missing for a year.  His parents received a letter from the Commanding General of the Army Air Forces H.H. Arnold in October 1945 finally declaring Carl as killed in action, expressing his sympathy and also spoke of Carl Junior’s excellent military reputation.

Lt. Carl Ulander was awarded the Purple Heart in November 1945 for his sacrifice.  His brother, Robert would leave the service shortly after the notification came.  Robert had also been awarded an air medal and the Asiatic  Pacific Theater ribbon with two battle stars for participating in “Aerial Missions over Japan.”

The letter announcing Carl Junior’s award of the Purple Heart has the Secretary of War seal and very eloquently states, “Little that we can do or say will console you for the death of your loved one.  We profoundly appreciate the greatness of your loss, for in a very real sense the loss suffered by any of us in the battle for our country, is a loss shared by all of us.  When the medal, which you will shortly receive, reaches you, I want you to know that with it goes my sincerest sympathy, and the hope that time and the victory of our cause will finally lighten the burden of your grief.”

I received a packet of papers from Robert Ulander’s wife, Ruth.  She requested that I tell of Robert’s service and of the sacrifice of his brother, Carl.  The letters that were so carefully preserved: first by Carl and Robert’s mother, Ann and then by Robert himself, spoke so clearly of a family’s pride and grief.  Their loss, now over 70 years ago, was obviously felt and carried by each member of their family.

Copyright © 2015 Kathi Kresol, Haunted Rockford Events

Originally published in The Rock River Times.

The news that awaited Maude M. Stuart when she arrived in Rockford from Chicago was devastating.  The doctors that were treating her fiancé Harry Wellman were not optimistic about his survival. Maude and Harry were supposed to be married on Christmas Eve in 1901 but doctors now feared that family members would be attending Harry’s funeral instead of his wedding.  Maude was only 19 years old and lived close to Harry in Chicago.  The newspapers all described Maude as very pretty and extremely stoic throughout the ordeal.

Harry Wellman was only 24 years old in 1901.  He worked for the Illinois Central Railroad as a tank inspector for the water division and lived in Western Springs, Illinois.  Harry was in Waterloo, Iowa to repair a water tank when he secured a seat on the Omaha Special passenger train on December 14, 1901 to hurry home to his fiancée and his upcoming wedding.  Harry had been away from home for over three weeks, leaving Maude to work with the families to finish the last-minute wedding preparations.

Maude was with Wellman’s family when the news of a horrendous train wreck was delivered in a telegram.  They hurried to Rockford to be with Harry still unaware of what had actually happened.  Harry’s arm had been horribly mangled in a train wreck that occurred on December 14, 1901.

The newspapers called this accident the worst in Winnebago history during that time and stated that it should have never happened.  A freight train that was traveling west had a head on collision with a passenger train that was approaching from the east.  The accident happened two miles east of the city and the details of this horrific crash proved that it was astonishing that anyone survived.  The trains both caught on fire immediately after the crash and people who survived the initial impact were once again in danger.  They fled the train with clothing in tatters and terribly injured.  That December night was frigid with temperatures falling well below the zero mark adding another type of threat for the passengers.

Nine men were killed in the initial wreck and more perished from the fire.  Though the men that died that night were not from Rockford, the community joined together to care for the living and the dead.

Harry was in such excruciating pain after the accident that he begged his rescuers to throw him into the snow so he could freeze to death.  They worked to keep him alive until help arrived.  Harry was brought to Rockford with several other train wreck victims and treated in the City Hospital.  He was the most severely injured of all the survivors and doctors decided that amputation was the only way to save Harry’s life.  They amputated Harry’s arm right below the elbow.

Maude stayed by Harry’s side through his long, painful recovery, never giving up on the dream that one day they would walk down the aisle in the wedding that she had worked so hard to plan.

It took two long years for Harry to regain his health during which he fought the Illinois Central Railroad for a reasonable settlement for the loss of his arm.  They finally compromised on $12,000 which at that time was the largest sum ever paid for a claim of any kind.

The couple was finally married in 1903 and though it wasn’t quite the wedding she had originally planned, the day was a dream come true for this young couple.

Copyright © 2015 Kathi Kresol, Haunted Rockford Events

Originally published in The Rock River Times.

Fairgrounds Park was formed on land purchased around 1858 and was used for a variety of activities including a place to host the annual fair.

During the summer of 1896, the Fairgrounds Park made the newspapers for something other than agriculture.  The newspapers mentioned that the fairgrounds had become known for its ghostly encounters.  At first the reports just trickled in, mostly told by the closest neighbors to the park.  These included stories of mysterious lights, a high pitched scream that resembled “the screeching of a stabbed pig”, and loud cracks that sounded like revolver shots.

The stories soon expanded to include reports of wispy figures darting in and out of the cattle shed and the halls of the buildings on the grounds.  As the stories started to spread through the city, the numbers of the nightly visitors grew.  They were all anxious for a glimpse of the apparition.

Eventually a group of young boys banded together to investigate the claims of the supernatural sightings.  The first night, just a handful of boys showed but soon the number had swelled to over 50.  They were from neighborhoods from all over the city and differed in age, ethnicity and financial backgrounds.

These “ghost hunters” had little equipment except for lanterns.  The local papers later stated that the boys did arm themselves with “everything from toothpicks to telegraph poles”.  They hoped to use these items to protect themselves from whatever was lurking behind the high fence of the park.

Almost immediately the boys were startled by a sound much like a shot of a revolver and then the screeching that was described as an unearthly, inhuman sound.  This excited the group and bolstered their courage enough to enter the shadowy recesses of the park itself.

Their search of the grounds was in vain, however, and the group quickly grew bored with the hunt.  It was about this time that a trolley passed by the entrance and attracted the attention of the group.

The band of boys started to hoot and holler, sounding very much like the reported banshee from the park.  This startled the trolley “occupants nearly half to death.”  The noise from the group also roused the neighbors who then came to see what the hullabaloo was all about.  Someone finally alerted the police to all this commotion and they arrived in short order.  The police had no real idea what was happening but very quickly got the neighbors and the would be ghost hunters under control.  They eventually arrested 28 boys from the group and marched them double file to the police station.

When they told their story to the judge, he and the spectators in the very crowded room weren’t sure what to think.  It was the first time Judge Morrison had to make a decision on a case like this.  He addressed the crowd of boys that aged from 12 to 30 years old.  Judge Morrison decided to fine the older of the boys $5 and gave the younger boys a penance of delivering bouquets to the hospital two times a week.

The police took the ghost claim seriously and spent several nights in the fairgrounds to discover for themselves the cause of the reports.  They experienced some of the same things as the claims.  They eventually decided that these were the work of a real living being and rousted a semi-professional hobo by the unfortunate name of “Parrot Face” Tompkins.  Apparently, the police made sure he would never repeat his performance because “Parrot Face” was heard to say that he had enough of ghosts (and the police) to last the rest of his days.

That wasn’t the end of the claims from the area though.  People spoke of strange things happening well into the fall.  One man, John Hunt, described as having a “smile like a basket of chips”, was quoted as knowing for a fact that the ghost was real.  Hunt saw and smelled the phantom for himself and proclaimed that he wouldn’t go anywhere near the area after the sunset.

Copyright © 2015 Kathi Kresol, Haunted Rockford Events

Originally published in the Rock River Times.

When Sarah Burr and Marie Dobbins couldn’t reach their friend Cordelia Gummersheimer on Sunday afternoon, they weren’t really all that concerned.  The three were teachers at Rockford High School and had made plans for dinner on Sunday, December 8, 1929.  They knew Cordelia was always busy.  Besides her teaching position in the language department of the high school, Cordelia also tutored students and worked as an interpreter for local business men who dealt with foreign countries.  She was fluent in several languages.

Cordelia was not originally from Rockford but had been teaching at the high school for eight years by 1929.  She had grown up in Belleville, Illinois before attending Knox College in Galesburg.  In 1916, Cordelia, who her family described as always ready for adventure, traveled to Puerto Rico to teach languages there.  During the summer months, Cordelia attended the University of Wisconsin where she was working on her master’s degree.  She took her studies and her teaching position very seriously and was well liked by her students and co-workers.  Cordelia was also known to be a free spirit.  She had put her studies on hold during the summer of 1928 when she traveled with a tour group to Cuba to act as an interpreter.

Cordelia had a very optimistic outlook and seemed fearless to the other single female teachers at Rockford High School.  She shrugged off their concerns about living alone in the Grantway Apartments at 516 West State Street.  She liked her little home with the bed that folded down in the combination living room and bedroom. Cordelia slept with the window open even after her friends stressed for her to use more caution.  The window was easily accessed from the back porch with stairs that led to the street.

So it was not until the late afternoon on that Sunday, December 8, that her two friends really began to worry.  They finally grew concerned enough when they couldn’t reach her by 7:30 p.m.  They decided to contact another co-worker in the building, Miss Alice Walker.  Walker let them in the building and all three women knocked on Cordelia’s door.  When they got no answer, they went out the back door that led to the back porch where they noticed that the window to Cordelia’s apartment was wide open.  As they peered into the dim lit room, they were horrified to see that their worst fears had been realized.  Cordelia was stretched across the bed, dressed in a pink silk nightgown, with her head in a pool of blood.

Police officers, members of the Sheriff’s Department, the coroner Walter Julian and even the State’s Attorney William D. Knight all arrived at the scene.  It was the beginning of what would become one of the most intense and baffling investigations ever conducted in Winnebago County.

There was no easy motive determined at the scene.  Cordelia was not sexually attacked and she still wore her engagement ring and had other valuables in the apartment that were not taken thus eliminating robbery as a motive.

The murder weapon was a three-foot piece of pipe that was found on the foot of Cordelia’s bed.  The pipe that was used in the attack was determined to have come from a box of pipes kept outside a plumbing shop located at the rear of the apartment building.  The killer grabbed the pipe, climbed two flights of stairs, raised the window that was left slightly open, and slipped in the apartment where Cordelia was sleeping on her left side.  Cordelia had apparently fallen asleep reading a book by the light of the bedside lamp that was still on.

The coroner’s autopsy would show Cordelia had been struck three times with the pipe.  One blow above her right eye, the other two blows fell back further by her ear. The autopsy also showed that Cordelia had been killed at least 12 to 13 hours before her body was found.  There was no sign that anything else in the apartment had been disturbed. The neighbors were interviewed but stated they heard no noises or saw anything suspicious.

The police worked this case tirelessly.  Undaunted by the list of Cordelia’s many friends and associates which led them to not only other states but other countries, they pushed for answers for Cordelia’s family.  Her brother came from Belleville to take Cordelia home where she was laid to rest in the Walnut Hill Cemetery.

Police followed many scenarios, including relationships both current and past, and possible stalkers.  They even thought for a time that the killer could have been a woman who lost a man to Cordelia.  Unfortunately, though they worked several angles and looked into many suspects, Cordelia’s murder was never solved.  This murder was revisited by the press and police for decades always with regret that no justice could be found for this young woman who had given so much to her students and her community.

Copyright © 2015 Kathi Kresol, Haunted Rockford Events