Messages From The Heartland

[David In Indy]

Well, since we're all talking about it, here's another one for ya, Kerry and Shasta....

I rented a house that was built in 1902 (this is a different house than the one I was just telling about about with Mary Worth) and it was located two streets down from Oakhill Cemetery (one of the largest cemeteries in Southern Indiana). Just as I was moving in, I asked my Goddaughter and her friend if they would come over and help me unpack some of my things. The girls came over and later that evening Kathy went upstairs to unpack some things up there. Suddenly she came running down the stairs and told me she had just seen someone in the master bedroom. I went upstairs and looked, and of course there wasn't anyone there. I asked Kathy what the person looked like and she said it looked like a teenage guy with long blonde hair. She said he was wearing 1970's clothing and he was carrying a knife. She also said it looked like he was weeping.

Well, soon I forgot all about what Kathy saw. But I remember I always felt very depressed downstairs. It had a sad feeling. But upstairs I felt very safe... almost protected.

A few months after I moved in, my sister came down to visit me. She brought my niece Christy with her and Christy's boyfriend Glenn. Susan decided that they would all stay at my house that night. Susan went upstairs to use the bathroom and then change into her pajamas. We were going to watch a movie and then go to bed. Susan suddenly came running down the stairs. I asked Susan what happened. She said she went into the bathroom (Susan doesn't normally close the bathroom door when she uses the bathroom as long as she knows everyone) and while she was in there she saw someone run from the guest bedroom across the hall and into the master bedroom. I asked her what the person looked like. She said it was a teenage guy with long blonde hair dressed in 1970's clothes and carrying a knife in his hand.

The scary thing  is, Susan and Kathy have NEVER met each other before. This was Susan's first visit to Evansville (she lived in Indianapolis at the time) and Kathy had lived in Evansville her whole life. They never met each other, nor spoke to each other on the phone. Yet, they both saw the same guy upstairs.

Susan, Christy and Glenn all packed up their things and checked into the Holiday Inn that night. 

Now that I think about it, there were some other strange things that happened in that house too, such as the garbage lid jumping off the can (and when I say jump, it literally would jump 2 or 3 feet in the air and then land on the kitchen floor. I alwaysr snapped the lid on tight too, becuase I was afraid of having roaches in the house, so it wasn't like the lid popped loose). A couple of times when I would leave the house and return home, the cushions on my couch would all be piled on the floor. Sometimes I would hear someone throwing rocks or stones down in the basement (It was a dry basement with a cement floor and it  had an old coal chute on one side).

If you ever move to Evansville, stay AWAY from 1345 Illinois street. It's a very haunted house. 

[David In Indy]

I have heard of the Mary Worth thing, but I'd never do it. I am always tooooo chicken to do stuff like that. I don't blame you for moving out asap, David!!

I went to high school in Missouri. On a dirt road outside Senath (where our high school was) there was said to be "The Light". People always tried to get me to go, but I WOULD NOT!!!! You wouldn't catch me there even in daylight. Here's an article I found about it on a myspace page.  

"The Senath Light located just outside of Senath Mo, has been a haunted attraction for many many years. It is rumored to be the ghost of a woman who is carrying a lantern down the old sandy road looking for her husband, who she later found hanging in a tree. (Which is where the hanging tree came into play). Once arriving at the light you are to honk your car horn 3 times and flash your lights 3 times. You may have to wait anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to see it. Some nights it doesnt appear at all. Once it appears it will seem to be near the end of the road and a yellowish color, it then begins to bounce back and forth getting closer to you the longer you sit and watch. If the light gets too close to your car , your car is rumored to not start and you must wait it out. Several people have different stories about the occurances at the light. Please leave your stories about the light under comments. Here are the directions to the light. Turn on C highway just off of 412 outside of Senath. Go 2 miles down C. Once you hit the T intersection cross over to the gravel road and go straight about a 1 1/2 mile. Turn right onto a sandy road between a field and a grey siding house with a red shed. This is the light road. Continue on to the spot where the trees meet and form a tunnel. This is where you want to stop and wait. Good Luck"

Whoo! That gave me chills when I read that Shasta! Now I want to go check it out sometime!!

This makes me think of the Avon bridge on the west side of Indianapolis. It is haunted and I have been there at night too! A woman and her 4 year old son were killed by a train on that bridge. If you go there on the 24th of each month, at 3 am you can hear their screams just as the train struck them. I have never worked up the nerve to go there on the 24th at 3 am, but that bridge is plenty creepy for me any time of the day or night.

Some of my friends have been there during those times though, and they swear they heard those awful screams coming from that rickety old bridge late at night.

And then there is Old State Route 335 in Princeton, Indiana. But that is another story.....

[Kerry]

And then there is Old State Route 335 in Princeton, Indiana. But that is another story.....

Tell us, David! Pleeeeeease tell us! 

[Shasta542]

Susan, Christy and Glenn all packed up their things and checked into the Holiday Inn that night.

I woulda been with them!! That is really spooky, David. The cushions, trashcan, and sightings. Did you ever hear about any history of that house? I wonder why you felt differently about the upstairs and the downstairs?

The bridge thing is scary too. Senath also has Crybaby Bridge where you are supposed to be able to hear a baby crying because its mother threw it off the bridge. I won't be investigating.

[Shasta542]

Tell us, David! Pleeeeeease tell us! 

Yeah!! TELL. 

[ifyoucantfixit]

Wachin K'sapa Yo Alex Hau Slol Yapi Wahi Was'te Wasin Ni Wochangi!!!


Wonderful news, and you did say he was going to stay through the holidays, right?


Have a wonderful time guys,,,,,,,,,hey Alex..nice to know you.  Any friend of Davids...you know the rest....!!!!

[David In Indy]

I woulda been with them!! That is really spooky, David. The cushions, trashcan, and sightings. Did you ever hear about any history of that house? I wonder why you felt differently about the upstairs and the downstairs?

The bridge thing is scary too. Senath also has Crybaby Bridge where you are supposed to be able to hear a baby crying because its mother threw it off the bridge. I won't be investigating.

Hi Shasta!

I think that house was inherently evil. But I also believe that the spirit upstairs (the spirit of the boy) was good. So, when I was upstairs I felt safe, and when I was downstairs I felt threatened.

I think the boy might have committed suicide in the house. This would explain the knife, but I'm not sure. No, I never did any research on the house. I only lived there a year and once the lease was up, I moved out.

The house on Illinois street is a different house than the one where I encountered the mirror witch. Both are in Evansville, but they are two separate houses.

[David In Indy]

Wachin K'sapa Yo Alex Hau Slol Yapi Wahi Was'te Wasin Ni Wochangi!!!


Wonderful news, and you did say he was going to stay through the holidays, right?


Have a wonderful time guys,,,,,,,,,hey Alex..nice to know you.  Any friend of Davids...you know the rest....!!!!

Yup! He sure is Janice. Alex will be here throughout the holidays!

[David In Indy]

Tell us, David! Pleeeeeease tell us! 

I never experienced the Princeton hauntings personally Kerry, and it is a scary tale. I'll tell it to you directly.

Not tonight though. It's 5:30 am in Indy, and I should get my ass in bed.

[David In Indy]

Old State Route 335 (renamed the west 241 extension in the 1990's) is a stretch of road which runs from Vincennes, Indiana south through Decker before turning westward to Cypress Pond. Cypress Pond, just as the name suggests, is located in a large cypress swamp. It is in this particular area that a creature named the Decker Swamp Devil lives. Decker is just a little town (about 500 people) in southern Knox county, about 35 miles north of Evansville, Indiana, or about 10 miles north of Princeton. It is famous for its watermelons, cantaloupes, honeydews and other types of melons, and less famous for its swamp devil legend. Most of the townspeople have managed to keep this legend under wraps. I'm not sure if this is due more to embarrassment or fear, but for whatever reason, most will not talk about it. Since I lived in the area for many years, I became privy to the legend. Please remember, I have never seen this creature. I have only heard about it, but several of my friends firmly believe they have seen it whilst driving down old 335.

First of all, out of fairness, you must understand the area where this swamp devil has been supposedly seen. Huge knotted cypress trees are found growing everywhere. Very few people live in the area, and with the exception of 335, no roads run through there. Spooky animal sounds can be heard during the day and night. You get the idea....

According to legend, the Native Americans tribes living in the area had to battle the swamp devil for a couple of centuries, and when their magic no longer worked against him, they moved west into Illinois seeking a much holier place to live. The swamp devil is described as a large 9 or 10 foot creature (3 meters) with pointed ears, red-yellow glowing eyes and large leathery looking wings. Some describe the devil as hairy, while others say he has skin or scales. Nearly everyone says he is grayish in color. The locals will tell you some people have gone deaf from his shrieks and screams and those blood curdling screams can be heard for miles. He lives in the swamp feeding on fish and wild animals... or the occasional human who just might stray in his direction.

If you are driving along 335 late at night, and suddenly encounter a fog bank, you are probably in big trouble. The devil almost always appears in the fog, and many say their cars have stalled as the creature approached them, leaving them forced to take off running on foot, only to find deep claw marks scratched into their vehicle's paint upon their return.

I have several friends who tell me they have seen the swamp devil, and one even claimed to take a picture of it. I've seen the picture, but I couldn't decide if it was the swamp devil or perhaps a tree. What ever it was, it sure looked spooky, and you won't find me driving near that area. Not if I can help it.