Ep. 100 - The HAUNTED History of Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery

Summary

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Episode Summary: Ep. 100 – The HAUNTED History of Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery

Podcast: My Victorian Nightmare
Host: Genevieve Mannion
Release Date: June 22, 2026

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Episode Overview

For the landmark 100th episode, Genevieve Mannion blends gratitude, theatrical storytelling, and immersive historical research as she explores an iconic site of paranormal legend: Chicago’s Bachelor's Grove Cemetery. Along the way, she revisits favorite macabre moments from Victorian crime tabloids and welcomes listeners on a darkly whimsical journey through eerie stories, touching on both personal growth and Victorian morbid fascinations. The episode’s heart—and hair-raising highlight—is a meticulously sourced deep dive into the legends, hauntings, and real history of one of America’s most notorious graveyards.

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Personal Reflections and Show Milestones

[01:02–05:45]

• Genevieve opens with heartfelt gratitude for the listeners who have supported her since the first episode. She reflects on the personal transformation the podcast has provided:
  • “I have had to burn my whole life down and rebuild it with the ashes since that first episode. And I can hear in my voice now a resilience built from scratch… born out of the creation of this show.” (Genevieve, 02:09)
• She shares a touching listener letter about finding solace in the podcast’s dark storytelling:
  • “I have felt like I have truly had a healing friend by my side during my recovery time… Your listening to my stories and telling me these sweet things has helped me reclaim an art form and a way of expressing myself that I have always loved.” – Erica, read by Genevieve (03:40)
• Genevieve thanks her audience, especially Patreon supporters, for making her creative work possible.

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Victorian Crime Tabloid Highlights and Immersive Era Storytelling

[05:45–20:32]

Gruesome and Absurd – Tales from the “Illustrated Police News”

• Genevieve revives the tradition of reading bizarre Victorian newspaper articles, weaving the listener into quirky and chilling first-person vignettes:
  • Resurrected – Man Awakens in the Morgue:
    “Pierre Ducis fell into the water at Melun and was fished out for a dead man… he awoke to find himself among corpses. Society he had to endure.” (07:19)
  • Reflection on Chopin’s Last Wish:
    “It kind of makes me sad… that his last thoughts were fearful ones. But he got his wish. Hopefully that brought his spirit some solace.” (08:01)

Immersive “Night Wanderings” through Victorian Cities

• In her signature narrative style, Genevieve takes listeners on an imaginary nighttime romp through gas-lit Victorian locations, encountering thieves, skeletons, and historical figures:

  • The Burglar Bitten by a Skeleton:
    She reenacts an 1874 tabloid story about a hapless burglar who faints after being bitten by a skeleton in a doctor’s closet. (09:47–11:50)

• Meeting “Old Cunny,” the Body Snatcher (13:15–13:51)

  • Revisiting a favorite character from episode 34—a seasoned grave-robber known for transporting corpses as paying “passengers.”
    • Old Cunny: “That’s old dead man to you. King of the ghouls.”
    • Genevieve: “He’s surprisingly educated for a godforsaken body snatcher!” (13:45)

• Prankster Victorians at St. Julian Hotel (15:13–16:34)

  • Declamation of a raucous, cross-dressing party that scandalized New York, as reported with signature Victorian moral outrage.
    • “The order of the day was disguise your gender and at the time referred to a more tipsy, bedraggled, unkempt and riotous crowd never was congregated in any place in the City…” (15:40)

Humorous Historical Mishaps

• Duck Hunters Blown into a Lake (19:22–20:09)
  • Remembering a slapstick report of two hunters who accidentally blow up their own boat (ducks unharmed).
    • “They just blew themselves up. They're fine… Meanwhile the ducks looked on and smiled.” (19:38)

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Main Feature: The Haunted History of Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery

[21:09–41:48]

Origins and Evolution

[21:09–23:50]

• Genevieve draws from the exhaustive research of Pete Krapje (Bachelor's Grove Cemetery and Settlement Research Center), whose work provides detailed historical and paranormal documentation.
• Early Settlement:
  • First official record in 1864; burials as early as 1838.
  • Populated initially by English, Irish, Scottish, and later Germanic settlers, many involved in the timber industry.
  • The name comes from original settlers (Bachelders), later changed by a group of unmarried men (“bachelors”).
• Normal Victorian Adversities:
  • High infant mortality, workplace accidents, drownings—little overt tragedy, but saturation with Victorian-era peril.

Dark Turn: Decay, Desecration, and Crime

[23:51–25:46]

• By late 19th/early 20th century, nearby railroads sapped the area’s population.

• The cemetery became abandoned; some families exhumed relatives and moved them elsewhere.

• Rumors of Gangster Dumping Grounds:

  • Notoriety increased in the 1920s–30s with local legends of Al Capone dumping bodies in a nearby pond (unsubstantiated).

• 1960s–1970s Vandalism and Satanic Panic:

  • Local teens used the overgrown cemetery for parties, vandalism, and supposed occult rituals.
  • Reports of headstones thrown into the pond, physical desecration, and graves disturbed.

  “No matter how bad I was in my dark goth, angry girl phase… never, not once would it have ever entered my mind to desecrate a grave, to seem cool.” (25:22)

The Legends and Documented Hauntings

[25:47–41:48]

1. The Caretaker

• Recurring Specter Since the 1960s:
  • Apparition of an elderly man, sometimes with a lantern or shotgun, warning trespassers.
• First-Hand Account Example:
  • Two students see the caretaker on a path; he yells, then cryptically offers to “show them” the mysterious haunted house, but vanishes when they turn.
• The “Living Caretaker” Rick:
  • Modern man known for inexplicably appearing/disappearing across great distances—multiple witnesses, even security footage appears to confirm his “bilocation.”
    • “During the discussion with Rick, Pete turned to put his bag down… When he looked up, Rick was standing in the cemetery about 500 yards away, talking to other people… Security footage showed Rick had already been there.” (30:10–31:10)

2. The Man in the Yellow Suit

• Paranormal researchers describe a silent, semi-opaque man in a glowing yellow suit appearing and then vanishing by a tree.
• “A single tree began to shake. Frantically, they grabbed their equipment and ran.” (33:37)

3. The Madonna of Bachelor’s Grove

• Legendary woman in white holding a baby, sometimes seen near the “infant daughter” headstone (Marcia May Fulton).
• Photographed in 1979 and in the 1990s; always appearing during a full moon according to some witnesses.
  • “Some believe the apparition is the mother of Marcia May carrying her infant daughter around the cemetery at night.” (35:54)

4. The Disappearing House

• Dozens of visitors since the 1950s report seeing a Victorian/early Edwardian house (porch, picket fence, swinging seat) on or near cemetery grounds, which vanishes as one approaches.
• House is documented in some early photos; genealogy research links it to several real (now vanished) houses in the area.
  • “When they walk closer to it, it appears to shrink and then disappears from view... An aerial photo from 1951 even shows a blurry ‘house’ shaped shadow where no house was standing at the time.” (38:54)
• Genevieve links the house’s visual vanishing to the “shrinking” effect of the teleporting caretaker “Rick.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You have given me the ability to create work that comes from my heart, my dark, cobwebbery heart." (Genevieve, 02:57)
• "If edibles just made you feel good instead of too high… Consistent, mellow, and super delicious, Lumi Gummies…" (Genevieve, 05:45)
• Old Cunny: "That’s old dead man to you. King of the ghouls." (13:17)
• "We better run out into the hallway. Evening officers. Burglar bitten by a skeleton just yonder." (11:49)
• On cemetery vandals: "How better to show anyone around you how weak and pathetic you are. Anyway…" (25:23)
• "A swing hanging over the porch, wooden pillars, a small picket fence… Some say you can only see her on moonlit nights, specifically only on full moons." (38:23)

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Episode Timeline (Key Segments)

| Timestamp | Segment | |---------------|-------------------------------------------------------| | 01:02–05:45 | Personal reflection, gratitude, listener letter | | 05:45–08:20 | Tabloid horror: awakening in the morgue, Chopin | | 09:47–11:50 | Burglar bitten by skeleton - immersive story | | 13:15–13:51 | Meet Old Cunny, legendary Victorian body-snatcher | | 15:13–16:34 | Drag party at St. Julian Hotel | | 19:22–20:09 | Duck hunters hoisted – mischievous news | | 21:09–23:50 | Bachelor’s Grove: Founding & history | | 23:51–25:46 | Abandonment, gangster legends, 1960s-70s desecration | | 25:47–31:10 | The Caretaker (ghost and “living” versions) | | 33:36–34:12 | Man in the yellow suit apparition | | 35:47–36:29 | The Madonna in White apparition | | 38:23–40:58 | The Disappearing House phenomenon |

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Closing and Outtakes

[41:48–End]

• Genevieve delightfully includes a montage of humorous outtakes—mispronunciations, tongue-twisters, giggle fits, and stray Victorian absurdities—demonstrating both her authenticity and playful spirit.

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The Takeaway

This 100th episode encapsulates the soul of My Victorian Nightmare: a deeply personal, irreverently witty, and hauntingly researched celebration of Victorian morbid history. Through narrative time-travel, tabloid absurdities, and thorough reportage (with first-hand documentation), listeners are treated to both an intimate community experience and a spine-tingling tour of America’s most haunted patch of ground.

For anyone bewitched by the intersection of historical darkness and paranormal legend, this episode is a must-listen—and a perfect tide mark for 100 episodes of cobwebby delight.

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Transcript

[Narrator/Announcer]

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[Genevieve Mannion]

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[Genevieve Mannion]

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[Genevieve Mannion]

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[Narrator/Announcer]

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[Genevieve Mannion]

Hello and welcome to My Victorian Nightmare. I'm your host Genevieve Mannion, and I'm here to talk about mysterious deaths, morbid fascinations, disturbing stories, and otherwise spooky events from the Victorian era. Because to me there's just something especially intriguing, creepy and oddly comforting about horror and mayhem from the 19th century. So listener discretion is advised. Hello friends and welcome to this, my 100th episode. What is even going on? I feel like I've been doing this for only 7 days, but also 10 years already. It's just kind of surreal. Just for fun, I went back and I listened to my very first episode. I do this from time to time and I am kinda shocked how different I sound. I've told my little story so many times before. I was in a really not great place when I started this show and I've mentioned how I was just trying to get my voice back, but I realized something after listening to that first show. Again, I don't think that is what actually happened. I think about halfway through this journey, maybe it did. But since then I have developed a whole new voice. While creating this show, I have had to learn so many new ways of surviving, so many new skills. I have had to jump from frying pans into fires, back into frying pans into jars of grape jelly and completely reshaped my life. I know from your end I'm just talking about spooky stuff, so it might not seem so dramatic to you, but there has been a lot going on behind the scenes. I had to burn my whole life down and rebuild it with the ashes since that first episode. And I can hear in my voice now a resilience built from scratch that was born out of the creation of this show. And it is new. It is not a voice I've ever had. And without you, without you sweethearts tuning in, especially you folks who subscribe to the Patreon, I would not have been able to do this. Not like this. I may have gone back to a career that I wasn't getting any real fulfillment out of. I would not have had the opportunity to. To build the pride that I feel. You have given me the ability to create work that comes from my heart, my dark, cobwebbery heart. And so I am so grateful to you. Thank you for listening to me speak about what comforts me, these terrible, terrible things. I find it so touching when you guys reach out and tell me that you get a similar kind of comfort from listening to the show. And a gal named Erica reached out this week. She's been home recovering from surgery for two months. Oh God, it's such a rough situation. And she said, quote, I just want you to know what joy you have brought to my heart. In listening to your voice, your love of telling a tale, and the great respect and dignity that you show to all of the stories that you tell, I have felt like I have truly had a healing friend by my side during my recovery time. I have been told in past relationships that I didn't know how to tell an interesting story. I have been called too much, too meandering, too dark, too dramatic. And for a while, I really took that criticism to heart and found it so hard to speak at all. Your listening to my stories and telling me these sweet things has helped me reclaim an art form and a way of expressing myself that I have always loved. And maybe I am dramatic, maybe I am dark, maybe I am meandering, maybe I cry when I tell some of these stories. But you guys have made me feel safe too. So thank you. What a weird and wonderful journey this has been. Imagine if edibles just made you feel good instead of too high. Consistent, mellow and super delicious, Lumi Gummies are specifically designed to make you feel good, not stoned. Whether you're looking for an end of day de stressor, a midday mood boost, or help getting the best sleep ever, Lume Gummies has a strain that's right for you. I have made their plumberry Runts gummies a consistent part of my evening routine. I get to work around 10 o'.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Clock.

[Genevieve Mannion]

I dive into terrible stories from the 1800s for eight to nine hours pretty much straight. And when I'm done, my brain will not stop. Lumi gummies have really helped to gently force myself to calm the hell down. Just relax, quiet my mind, and then get the best sleep ever. I personally hate smoking weed. I hate even being around it. It makes my anxiety unbearable, so I don't go near it anymore. But Lumi Gummies are different. If I'm stressed, which I often am, the hybrid strawberry cookies gummies take me from like a 10 to a 5, which is monumental for me, by the way. But that's the thing. I don't want to be zonked. I just want to feel okay. It's that simple. Lumigummies are available nationwide. Go to lumigummies.com that's L U M I gummies.com and use code victorian for 30% off your order. Again, that's lumigummies.com code victorian lumigummies.com code Victorian for today's 100th freaking episode, I have decided to do a few things. I was very concerned last week that I wouldn't know what to cover, but you guys gave me some great ideas. I thought that I would pull out the Illustrated Police News Law Courts and record everyone's favorite diabolical, insulting, pearl clutching, blood soaked tabloid from the 1800s and read a few choice articles. I haven't done that in a while and I thought that we would also revisit a few of my favorite articles in a very fun way. And I will also discuss one of my very favorite topics, a Haunted Victorian Graveyard. We will discuss the history and hauntings of Chicago's Bachelor's Grove Cemetery. But first, first listen to this horrible and wonderful little article from 1872. It is simply called Resurrected and it reads Pierre Ducis fell into the water at Melun and was fished out for a dead man. The body was carried to the morgue and laid on a slab safe and sound. Next morning the keepers were scared on finding the corpse walking about. He had had a fit of lethargy which passed off at midnight, and he awoke to find himself among corpses. Society he had to endure End quote. Oh marvelous. Whose society he had to adore. I could find no more information about this particular gentleman, but I imagine despite his having to endure the society of corpses for the night, I'm sure he considered himself lucky that he woke up when he did. I've mentioned that one of my favorite last words from this era are that of Frederic Chopin, which were make sure they cut me open so that I may not be buried alive. And indeed he was. His heart was removed. His sister put it in a jar with cognac, took it from Paris to Poland and had it sealed inside a pillar of the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw. The rest of his body was buried in Paris. Kind of makes me sad, though, that his last thoughts were fearful ones. But he got his wish. Hopefully that brought his spirit some solace. What a kind and heavy thing to do, taking your brother's heart on a train trip. When I read these stories and learn this history, I often try to watch for when I jump too quickly over the dark things or focus only on the seemingly macabre aspects to bypass the complicated, though deeply beautiful and painful ways of leaning into grief that so many of these folks practiced. I try to take a little reverence and honor the beauty of things like that. Or maybe she hated him for it and was like, God damn, I gotta bring his heart in a jar to Poland. Now, I may also be projecting a bit. Who can? I still think it is a precious gesture, regardless of any other details that I may or may not know. Now, if you would follow me up these creaky old spooky stairs, I want to show you something. I'm gonna be a little all over the place today. There's a lot that I want to pack in. It is June 27, 1874, almost exactly 153 years ago. Just this Saturday. We are in an apartment building, although there are some offices here. Oh, I love these dimly gas lamplit Victorian stairwells. All we need is a little thunder and lightning to make it extra special. Oh, how nice. Some of the homes in this building adjoin the offices. For example, we are going to discreetly use a credit card to unlock this door here to a doctor's office. But we need to be extra quiet because the doctor lives just through the adjoining residence. He is currently peacefully asleep, but he will not be for long. We are going to tippy tiptoe and nestle behind this desk here because one of my favorite events of all events that happened in this era is soon to occur, and I thought it might be nice to secure us a front row seat. You might recall back in episode 41, I read a story about a guy. Oh, shh, shh. Okay, we should be able to see from here. Here you shimmy forward a bit. I think you should have the better view. These guys are not patients of the good doctor. They are burglars. And they're here to burgle. In episode 41, I read a certain story in the Illustrated Police News about a certain burglar who is just now making his way to A closet. And he has been bitten by a skeleton. He has fallen to the floor. He has also fainted. That's his burglar buddy screaming. And that's the doctor now in his night shirt chasing the guy out of the room. Here, let's go check on our passed out friend. At least maybe pry the skull off his hand so he doesn't lose a couple of fingers. If you recall, the skeleton had a wire keeping its jaw open. And when our friend here reached into the closet, he stuck his hand right in the mouth. The wire snapped and I'm just gonna give the guy a little slap. Hey, hey buddy. You were just bitten by a skeleton, but you will survive to tell the tale. Are you okay? Did you hit your head? Okay. Well he's fainted again. It is a real skeleton. I ain't be scared too. Least in the paws free. Oh, and that sound out the window is the doctor leading police to this very room. So we better run out into the hallway. Evening officers. Burglar bitten by a skeleton just yonder. Alright then. That's literally all I wanted to show you. Let's make our way back down the stairs and into the night air. Hasn't started raining yet, luckily. I know we usually make our way back after these run ins, but it is our 100th episode together. I thought we'd stay here for a little while longer, see who else we might run into. Here, take my arm. It's about 2am in Cincinnati. Not the safest streets that you'd find in the Victorian era, but. And I almost forgot, but I brought us both hat pins. Aren't they lovely? Yours has like an emerald green stone at the end. It's a little hard to see in the moonlight, but I thought it was so charming. I know we don't have hats for them but. But it's better to keep these drawn rather than tucked into a hat at this hour. Anyway, this way. Alright. You see that there? The carriage approaching. I hope it's who I think it is. Looks like there's two folks. Maybe it's not him. Here, stand back. Keep your pen clutched.

[Old Cunny (Body Snatcher Character)]

Well, I'll be damned.

[Genevieve Mannion]

Evening to you, old cunny.

[Old Cunny (Body Snatcher Character)]

That's old dead man to you. Top of the evening to you two.

[Genevieve Mannion]

Who's. Who's your friend there, Cunny? A little late for a spin around town.

[Old Cunny (Body Snatcher Character)]

Well, this old stiff, this is Jake. He's lucky to be up and about recently. Came down with a terrible case of something. Was rather cooped up. Simply dying for some fresh air. Thought I'D oblige.

[Genevieve Mannion]

How nice. Connie, my friend, you are a ghoul.

[Old Cunny (Body Snatcher Character)]

King of the ghouls.

[Companion/Sidekick]

Yes.

[Old Cunny (Body Snatcher Character)]

Now get off the street and keep your noses clean. I'll see you at the pub. This.

[Genevieve Mannion]

Yeah, I'll be there. I heard the topic is 18th century opera. You better do your homework, you bastard. We've got a bar trivia league going. He's surprisingly educated for a godforsaken body snatcher. Just in case you don't recall, in episode 34 I introduced us to that guy, the most prolific body snatcher in Cincinnati, who allegedly sold his own body to the surgeons for 50 bucks right before he he died so he could treat himself a bit before ensuring that his body was delivered to the dissecting table. I thought it was a made up article and maybe it was. But the guy, as you can see, was real. When I dug deeper into the topic of old cunning, I learned that he was quite popular around town. That was a dead guy in his carriage, if that wasn't obvious. He was known to dig fresh bodies out of their graves, dress them up, make them look like passengers, and then drive them to the surgeons without raising a single suspicion. I think that article was one of the first ones that I found when I first cracked open the Illustrated Police News and I fell in love with the publication. Alright here, let's make our way back. I gotta share another hilarious article. Another from 1872. It is a crowd of disreputable men and women take possession of of a New York hotel and it reads, Several days ago, persons who passed the St. Julian hotel, corner of 86th street and the boulevard, New York City, had their attention directed to a most unusual sight and noises which proceeded from a congregation of the most disreputable men and women who had taken possession of the place and had been holding high carnival. The first arrival discovering that mine host for a consideration consideration would allow license to run riot brought in their friends and the scene at 7pm was perfectly indescribable. During the night some of the women, as a practical joke, suggested that the joy would be supreme if persons of opposite sexes changed toilettes. And the consequence was that a dozen men, half intoxicated, rigged themselves up in flounces and fur bellows, and an equal number of lorettes sported cutaway coats and pantaloons. Newcomers caught the infection. The order of the day was disguise your gender and at the time referred to a more tipsy, bedraggled, unkempt and riotous crowd never was congregated in any place in the City Superintendent Welling was notified that matters were in such a condition at the place that robbery was extremely probable if visitors to the place did not keep a sharp lookout, and that the preponderance of the dangerous classes rendered it possible that in the event of resistance to predatory attacks, weapons would be used. Unfortunately for the captain, when he made a descent on the place, the disorderly crowd had received information that its atmosphere was unhealthy and no arrests were made. Yes, I am sure that the crowd of men and women in drag were most likely to attack people with knives and clubs. There's no explanation why whoever contacted Superintendent Welling thought that these folks who were having the best time, it sounds, might attack people. I've mentioned before how hilarious it was that this newspaper was simultaneously the most offensive, bloody, gory, salacious newspaper, while also being the most judgmental of anyone being improper. And what could be more improper than half intoxicated men in flounces and furbellows? Heavens, what I wouldn't give to have a time machine and travel to parties like these. Okay, once again, won't you follow me down this lovely street in Milwaukee? It's a beautiful summer afternoon again in 1872. We are actually going to catch the trolley to a nearby lake, Elkhart Lake. There is an event that I would like to see that I discussed in episode eight that I think we will both very much enjoy. Here we are. Just wait on the line here, Jimmy. Hello there, loves. What are you doing in a trolley in Milwaukee in 1872? I'm taking Fifi to the lake. Oh, hi, Fifi. I wish I knew you were going to join us. I would have brought Toby. We'll just pay our fare and then we will sit right beside you. Okay, Watch your step. Give this man this penny here. Just. I just have to tie my shoes. Wait, wait.

[Companion/Sidekick]

Oh, no. Hello, darling. Have a seat. Looks like we've lost her. Oh, never fear. I'm sure she'll catch up. The like is the very next stop. Well, since it's just you and me, allow me to take the opportunity to say how lovely I think it is that you join our friend on all her terrible trips. I can't always be there. And she's lucky to have a friend like you. A good goblin is odd to find. She's lucky indeed. Ah, there we are. Thank you, doctor. Darling. After you, my love. Idea. She comes.

[Genevieve Mannion]

How did the driver not see me? I was just tying my shoe.

[Companion/Sidekick]

I'll be honest, he did give me a cheeky little wink on my way in. Might have thought you were my wife. So he left you behind.

[Genevieve Mannion]

You are such a flirt. Let me catch my breath.

[Companion/Sidekick]

Are the fireworks about to start?

[Genevieve Mannion]

Yes. Any moment now. You will want to focus your eyes in the center of the lake.

[Companion/Sidekick]

There.

[Genevieve Mannion]

See two men duck hunting not too far from the shore. Peppered with people, as you were allowed to do back in these days. Fire guns wherever, whenever. But luckily for the ducks.

[Companion/Sidekick]

Good God.

[Genevieve Mannion]

Oh, they just blew themselves up. They're fine. They were simply hoisted, as it were. In episode eight, I read an article called called Duck Hunters Hoisted near Milwaukee. Apparently one of them just dropped a gun that fired directly into a can of gunpowder. And to quote the article, blowing the boat to pieces and lifting the gentleman into the water without however seriously injuring them. Meanwhile, the ducks looked on and smiled. End quote. And indeed, the ducks do look happy to me.

[Companion/Sidekick]

I would say so.

[Genevieve Mannion]

I don't think they will be doing any more duck hunting today. That's. That's all I wanted to see. I didn't expect to have to run as well though. Could have done without the running.

[Companion/Sidekick]

Oh, you're fine.

[Genevieve Mannion]

You and Fifi have a lovely day. Lakeside. It is always wonderful to see you.

[Companion/Sidekick]

And you, my love.

[Genevieve Mannion]

We gotta get back and talk about a horrifying cemetery.

[Companion/Sidekick]

Oh, how nice. You two get back safely. I'll see you at the next horrifying situation. Then.

[Genevieve Mannion]

It's a date, my darling. Okay, off we go. I love that guy.

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[Genevieve Mannion]

Okay. I cannot wait to discuss the history and hauntings of Bachelor's Grove Cemetery in Chicago. For a number of reasons. But the main reason is because a man named Pete Krapje, the founder of the Bachelor's Grove Cemetery and Settlement Research center, has done an astounding job of researching the many haunting accounts that have allegedly taken place in this cemetery. He has interviewed dozens of people. He has dug into so many historical documents. And on the official website for the cemetery itself, he has compiled documents hand drawn Sketches from witnesses, photographs of specters that folks have taken as far back as the 70s that explain all of this phenomena in extraordinary detail. And he is linked to so much of it. So I have so much quality information to pull from, not just legends retold and retold. He got to the roots and they are fascinating. I put the link to the bachelorsgrove.com website where you can find all of his incredible research in the episode. Notes Bachelor's Grove Cemetery first appears in an 1864 record of a land sale, specifying that one acre of land is to be set aside for a cemetery in the settlement of Bachelor's Grove. But it appears that it officially began accepting occupants in 1838. In the late 1820s, there was a migration of mostly English, Irish and Scottish immigrants to Illinois, not from their native lands, but New York, Vermont and Connecticut. But a bit later, mostly Germanic folks made their way there. In the 1840s, a number of large families traveled together and landed there, and the surrounding areas are still named by those settlers. Gooding's Grove, Walker's Grove, Cooper's Grove, Blackstone's Grove. These were all the names of families who traveled there to get in on the timber business. The Bachelder family were the most prominent to settle in this particular area. But then a group of dudes rolled in unmarried bachelors who settled where the Bachelders had originally settled, and they chose to update the name to match their marital status. And that's how it became Bachelors Grove. Much of the history of the cemetery isn't particularly tragic. Apart from being a cemetery built in times with high infant mortality, rampant disease outbreaks, again, this was a timber manufacturing is that what you call it? Area. A lot of falling trees, a lot of saws, sharp objects, rivers nearby, drowning deaths. A great deal of infants are buried in that cemetery from this time. So much of the darkness related to the cemetery in the early to mid 19th century is related to just the terrible hardship of the folks who lived in the surrounding area. But by the late 19th century and 20th century, that's when things started getting serious in terms of creepiness. A railroad development in the later part of the 19th century shifted commerce and population away from the area, and Bachelor's Grove became something of a ghost town and the cemetery became a ghost cemetery. I don't think that's the proper description, but as families began to move away, a number of them disinterred their family members and took them with them. As the cemetery was becoming overgrown throughout the early half of the 20th century, the cemetery lay undiscovered, disturbed, slowly continuing to grow over graves long forgotten. And allegedly, the adjacent quarry pond, next to the cemetery, became a dumping ground for gangsters in the 1920s and 30s. There is no evidence for this, as gangsters were known to get rid of that sort of thing as best they could. But folks in nearby towns swear that Al Capone himself was seen dumping bodies into that pond. By whom? No one can say. But alleged dastardly deeds aside, there were plenty of well documented dastardly deeds perpetrated between the 1960s and 1970s in the cemetery. In the 1960s, the cemetery was becoming a favorite hangout for naughty youths to come smoke their weeds and drink their soda pops and worship Satan. There was a good deal of satanic graffiti and satanic ritual artifacts turning up in the cemetery. Stones were being terribly vanished, vandalized, broken, and numerous accounts of coffins being dug up and bodies removed have been recorded. Many of the broken stones were being thrown into the nearby quarry pond, and some would be found and returned only to disappear again. No matter how bad I was in my dark goth, angry girl phase in high school, which I never grew out of, I'm just talking about when I was in my teens. Never, not once would it have ever entered my mind to desecrate a grave, to seem cool. I cannot wrap my mind around how picking on any defenseless animal person, or perhaps the very most defenseless the dead, could be seen as anything other than the weakest imaginable loser est thing to do. How better to show anyone around you how weak and pathetic you are. Anyway, despite the tiny 80 plot cemetery's seemingly quiet history, Satanic rituals, alleged mob ties, and disinterring of bodies throughout the late 19th century aside, this place is considered one of the most haunted cemeteries in the United States. And it has been considered as such since the 1950s. So let's discuss these thoroughly researched legends, strange occurrences, and paranormal activity that folks have claimed to experience. First, there is the caretaker. This one seemingly goes back to the 1960s. Folks claimed to see a man who claimed to be the caretaker in the cemetery, who sometimes carried a shotgun, sometimes carried an old timey lantern. Different folks have seen different things. And this man, as the legend goes, the caretaker of the cemetery, lived in a house just off the main path. When this caretaker lived there, it depends on who you talk to. It's up for debate. But this man went insane. He murdered his entire family. And after he killed his family, he then took his own life as well. And ever since, he has been Seen roaming the grounds of the cemetery with, again, a shotgun or lantern, and he tells people to get the hell out of there. Dozens of folks have a story about running into this man. But this man who compiled all of this fabulous information that I'm pulling from, found a recording and transcript of a local school teacher explaining what two of their students told him about their experience with the caretaker. He said that these two students told him that they were walking along a narrow path between the quarry pond and a creek and saw a man in his mid-70s walking, walking toward them. They were college students, and it was at dusk. The man, they said, had a globe lantern emanating a yellow orange glow. And as they approached, he started yelling at them to get the hell out of the cemetery. But they yelled back that they were actually there to see if they could experience some of the paranormal activity that they heard so much about. Specifically a house that seemingly hundreds of people have seen that disappears and sometimes reappears elsewhere. I will get to that later. But the student said that the man stopped screaming, screaming and said to them, ah, yes, I can take you to see it myself. It's a perfectly normal house. Nothing strange about it at all. He pointed ahead of them and told them to lead the way, Simply walk forward. And after a few feet, they turned back and he was gone. Now, that is spooky. But the single weirdest situation related to the caretaker, like goosebumps up and down my body situation, is there's a guy who folks started calling the caretaker in the early thousands, a totally living guy named Rick. His last name is not given. He was, or perhaps still is, a local resident, and he spends a lot of time in and around the cemetery. People would claim to see him walking along the banks of the pond, blink, and then see him in the cemetery a few hundred yards away. Numerous people standing together in groups have all claimed to see the same thing. Often folks would then approach him and ask how he did that, and he'd say, he doesn't know what they're talking about. He had been in the cemetery all along. This exact situation with this guy was experienced by so many people that a YouTube video was made about him in 2009, and the video went viral. Pete Crapien, the founder of the Bachelor's Grove Cemetery Settlement Research center, the guy who was compiling all of this information info, he personally would see this guy all the time, too. And one day, he was photographing the cemetery from afar, and Rick came up to him, and Pete mentioned that he saw the viral video, and he asked him what he thought of being referred to as the caretaker. He thought it was silly. He said now, there were a few people in the cemetery at the time while Pete was photographing it. And then during the discussion with Rick, Pete turned to put his bag down on the ground. And when he looked up, up, Rick was standing in the cemetery about 500 yards away, talking to the people that were there, allegedly. Now, Pete said that he ran over to the cemetery and asked him, how did he do that? How did you get there? In an instant, all of the people that were there swore that they had been talking to him for a while. He hadn't left them. Rick said that he had been there all along. Numerous groups of people have claimed to see this man do this. They see him appear far from the cemetery. Then in the blink of an eye, he's standing inside the cemetery. And this is the craziest part. As the founder of the Bachelor's Grove Cemetery Settlement Research Center, Pete had easy access to security footage of the cemetery that became highly monitored to prevent any more vandalism over the years. He claimed that he checked the video and at the time time he was talking to Rick, Rick was indeed already in the cemetery. But this isn't the only disappearing reappearing event to happen in this area. There are a few other cases of people claiming to be with their friends, like camping, and then someone would appear and reappear before their eyes somewhere else. There's one story that I saw where one gal told her friend that she wanted to get a lighter from her car, so she walked off toward the parking lot. Ben, her friend, who was sitting by the fire, looked and saw her friend standing about 50ft away in the opposite direction that her friend just went, wearing different clothes and waving to her, appearing to be calling to her, but no voice could be heard. And then just as she was trying to understand what she was looking at, her friend walked up behind her, lighter in the hand, and the other her had disappeared. This reminds me of the astral projecting teacher Emily Saguy that I talked about in episode 74. This was a woman who allegedly would be seen in two places at the same time, like literally gardening outside the window of a classroom that she was sitting in. Teens share everything that may include the bacteria that can cause meningococcal disease known as meningitis. Even if your teen's been vaccinated in the past, that could still be missing meningitis vaccinations. Ask your teen's doctor or visit meningitis.com today. Sponsored by GSK There is a man in a yellow suit that has also been claimed to have been witnessed by numerous people. He stands in the cemetery by a tree. He doesn't say a word. In fact, he doesn't do much more than that. But two paranormal researchers from the Ghost Research Society in Oak Lawn, the president and a researcher, Dale Kaczmarek and Norman Basile, claimed to attempt to spend the night in the cemetery. But they didn't make it because this man in a yellow suit, in his 40s as they describe him, appeared standing against a tree, semi opaque but glowing in yellow, and then quickly disappeared. But when he did, they both witnessed red stream reeking lights and watched in disbelief as a single tree began to shake. Frantically, they grabbed their equipment and ran. A few more attempts have been made to document this man in yellow. And Mr. Crappie posted a few that have been taken. He admits that some barely look like anything at all, but one is pretty striking. They're all going on Instagram. A more famously witnessed apparition is actually a woman in white that allegedly, allegedly walks the cemetery with a baby in her arms. She is often referred to as the Madonna of Bachelor's Grove. A photograph was allegedly taken of this apparition in 1979. She is described as a monk like figure that was seen standing near the cemetery fence. And she appears to be holding a baby in her arms. Some have also seen her just sitting without the baby. And another, another photograph was allegedly taken in the 90s. Some say that you can only see her on moonlit nights, specifically only on full moons. The Ghost Research Society in Oaklawn, Illinois have done a good deal of research in the cemetery. Not just about the hauntings, but they have tried to find out who the apparitions might be. And they believe that the spirit may be related to a very sad headstone that says simply infant daughter. In the Fulton family plot. An infant daughter is buried there by the name of Marcia May, who belonged to Bertrand Fulton and Catherine Voigt. This apparition is mostly seen in this area and some believe that the apparition is the mother of Marcia May carrying her infant daughter around the cemetery at night. So that is also spooky, but by far apart from the astral projecting situation. My favorite supernatural event that dozens and dozens of people have experienced in this cemetery and swear by it is a disappearing house. A very specific style of house has been witnessed since the 1950s in different locations around the cemetery by again dozens of people. It appears and then, then disappears before people's very eyes. Sometimes it's there when people arrive at the cemetery and they don't think much of it. But when they leave, the house is gone. It's always described in a similar an 1850s-1890s style home. A swing hanging over the porch, wooden pillars, a small picket fence. And most folks report a bright flame light shining through a window window on the second floor. For some, the house appears solid and real. Nothing strange other than the placement of a house on the cemetery grounds. But others say that it appears semi transparent. And this is the wildest description to those for whom it appears transparent. When they walk closer to it, it appears to shrink and then disappears from view. And I find it really interesting that. Remember that guy Rick who appears and reappears elsewhere? A few descriptions of exactly what folks see once he's reappeared far away from them is that he appears to shrink as they approach him to ask how did you get 500ft away before he disappears again? So that's a really interesting similarity to me. Some folks see the house over off the old Middleothean turnpike near the south and southwest area ends of the cemetery. Some see it on the west side near the creek. And a few reports claim that the house was within the walls of the cemetery itself among the graves. And this is such a strange detail. There was an aerial photograph that was taken in 1951 of the area at the time where there was nothing. But the cemetery homes were no longer there. The area was just wide open prairie at the time. But in the photograph you see what appears to be a large house like structure casting a long shadow. To be fair, it's a bit of a blob. It's hard to make anything out really, but I'll also put that on the Instagram. Apparently there is no physical evidence that any structure ever existed there. Luckily, some folks have done some serious research about this house and to see if there was ever a house that looked like this in the area. And a family whose genealogy goes way back in the area submitted photographs to a a researcher trying to get to the bottom of all this. A man named Richard Crowe. There was indeed a real house that existed a short distance east of the cemetery that was still standing in the 1890s. And they provided a photograph. The house is no longer there. However, it didn't fit the description that witnesses had been sharing. So the family kept digging. And they later found another photo of another house that they claimed was right after outside of the cemetery. A photograph that was dated 1914 with a family that was standing in front of it that has the same picket fence, the same kind of porch, and the same pillars that folks describe when they see the disappearing house. That house is also no longer there, and it's unclear what happened to it. Local legend says that a house burned down in that area a long time ago, but there isn't any record of this. However, that actually wouldn't have been so strange. Apparently there are records that some homes were demolished in the area by doing controlled burns of abandoned homes to make way for farmland, just not which homes were burnt down. Remember how I said that this area had turned into a ghost town around the end of the 19th century? If a family was still living there in 1914, odds are there wasn't much around them left in 1914, and they may have picked up and left not too soon after their home may have been destroyed, but somehow managed to stick around in spectral form. And those are just a few of the spooky facts about Bachelor's Grove Cemetery. Okay, before we go, a few of you have asked to hear outtakes. I mentioned that the raw string outs of recordings for the show are full of struggles burps, me not being able to pronounce things no matter how hard I try. So the next two minutes minutes are a few that I dug up. I didn't even have to go back and listen to that many episodes to find more than enough horrible struggles. Sometimes I'll burp, then recover, then moments later start laughing because I remember how funny that burp was and just entertain myself like a lunatic. Sometimes I get the giggles at how insane the words are that I am reading. The audio quality is going to vary a bit. I went back to the originals for some of these so you'll get get to hear how my audio sounds before I sweeten it up in audition. It will not sound sweet though. It's a disaster. Anyway, you have been forewarned. Happy 100th episode, everyone. Enjoy. They discovered that when carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin in the blood to hemoglob hemoglobin to hemoglobin in the blood, it creates carbon Box him o golobin. Whose girls are they? The many frequenting the streets after nightfall. We do not allude to those whose evil occupations are notorious. It is a remarkable fact that nearly all the preternaturally intelligent and animals of America spring from Kalamazoo. Cats which can do everything. Cats which can do Cats which can do Cats which can do everything but Cats which can do everything but talk and dogs with more than human abilities. Five legged sheep and two headed calves are the natural products of the soil. Gehenn. Gehenn stunned her and then smothered her with a feather bed. Oh God. Okay, a crazy patient in the smallpox hospital, New York on the 13th ran out a crazy patient in the smallpox hospital, New York ON the 13th ran out of the building, jumped into the east river and was drowned. Christ. Oh my God. Get it Together if you enjoyed this podcast and would like to hear more, please rate the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Leave me comments because I love them so much and for ad free listening, true crime extras, dark poetry and witchy content. Join the patreon [e-mail] Be kind to yourselves and I will see you in your nightmares.

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