Email: "Hauntings in Iowa By: Sue Eckhoff, Grundy County Heritage Museum"
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Looking at the natural beauty of Iowa, one’s thoughts are not usually of hauntings, but there is a rich history of ghostly occurrences in our peaceful state. Books have been written about the hauntings, based on lore and local history. Iowa has had its share of scorned lovers, and vigilante justice which gave many ideas for folklore. Add to that the hushed stories told in University dorm rooms and frat houses, and Iowa’s haunted places reach a new richness and diversity. (Remember, I’m a chicken, and haven’t checked out any of these myself!) Here are some of the hauntings that have been known around our area. Hazel Green Cemetery in Ackley. It’s an old cemetery about 5 miles south of Ackley. At one time there was a gazebo there and it’s said people could see an old lady sitting in a rocker holding a baby. Oak Hill Cemetery in Cedar Rapids. It’s said that “Tillie” a small Czech girl can be seen at night carrying a flickering candle, and according to lore, she has tried to pull people into a nearby mausoleum. Parkers Grove Cemetery, Cedar Rapids. There’s a gravestone with a carving of a face and when you go there at night you can see the face cry and his eyes are wet. The Ham House in Dubuque. This is said to be one of the most haunted places in Dubuque. It was once a private residence, but is now a museum. People have experienced the classic encounters such as cold breezes, strange voices, and chills running down their spines. Several of the caretakers have reported objects out of place and lights flickering, as well as eerie cries coming from the servants house, the master bedroom, and the nursery. Colleges are notorious for ghostly tales and the University of Northern Iowa has it’s fair share. To those that believe in hauntings, Bartlett Hall shows all the signs of being haunted. At one time an extremely hush hush haunted house was held in the attic of Bartlett. While setting up, students endured flickering lights, doors shutting, and vast temperature changes. It got to the point that they were ready to stop their set up! Subsequent trips to the attic yielded nothing in comparison to that October 30 haunting. Also at the University of Northern Iowa, Strayer Wood Theater is supposedly haunted by a ghost known affectionately as “Zelda” who apparently haunted the old theater building before moving right along with the music department into the new structure when it was built. Many theater students have reported strange noises, including mysterious piano music (when no one else was in the building), and equipment that has mysteriously worked by itself. At the University of Iowa loyal alumni and naïve underclassmen keep the ghostly legends alive. Slater Hall was home to more than a few ghostly residents. Footsteps and screams supposedly accompany the story of a student’s suicide jump from the 9th floor. The CY Stephens Auditorium at Iowa State has its theater loving ghost also. This male apparition can be seen sitting in the 3rd floor balcony on show nights, and is associated with unexplained cold spots and the sounds of footsteps throughout the auditorium. And, Drake University Observatory in Des Moines is said to host the spirits of the first chairman of the Astronomy and Physics Department, Dr. Robert Morehouse. Both Morehouse and his wife are interred in the walls of the entryway of the building, and students there report an eerie feeling of being watched, unexplained noises in the basement, and sometimes even the helpful presence guiding their notations in their logs! Stores and businesses it seems are not immune either. Supposedly the Carlos O’Kelly’s in Marion has had too many odd things occur, including unplugged blenders going off, flickering lights, and plates falling off racks for no reason. Iowa has many ghostly encounters to explore. Almost every county or college has a story to tell.

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