Local Legends: Stull KS

 

The gateway to Hell. A place so foul that the pope himself refuses to fly over it. Such is the reputation of the infamous Stull, KS. The legends surrounding this tiny, unincorporated town are many but the basic premise goes that a church built in the cemetery was either constructed over or beside one of the seven entrances to Hell, and that anyone who ventured over the threshold of this entrance was never heard from again. Another popular story would have it that Satan himself visits the cemetery every Halloween (or Spring Equinox, in some versions) to visit the grave of his witch wife. 

But that’s not all. Back when the church (which was razed in 2002) was still standing, rumors persisted that no rain would fall inside the crumbling remains (despite a collapsed roof), and furthermore that any glass bottles thrown against the walls of the church would not break. Allegedly there was also an old pine (which had grown through and split a gravestone) that was the site of witch hangings, and that all of this trouble can be traced back to the time when a stable hand stabbed the town's mayor to death (in a barn that eventually became the location of the church). 

And for good measure there are whisperings of Satanic and other dubious occult practices transpiring in the cemetery.

But is any of it true?

For being the powerhouse legend that it is, the true history of Stull is actually quite unremarkable. Settled in 1856 by a handful of families and named for the town’s first and only postmaster (Sylvester Stull), the only glitch in its otherwise mundane history are two slightly peculiar deaths. In one, a boy was burned to death by his father in an accident, and in the other a man went missing only to turn up later hanging from a tree. There is, however, no known incident involving a stable boy and the mayor. 

So how did these tales of Satanic intrigue spring forth? One source claims that back in the 1950s a professor at the nearby University of Kansas started rumors of a hellish gateway in Stull as a social experiment, but his story never really gained much traction until it was picked up by the student newspaper sometime in the 1970s. I can't find any more information about this alleged social experiment, but the student paper (The University Daily Kansan) does seem to be the generally agreed upon source of the legend via an article from the 1970s. After the Daily Kansan article Stull suddenly became an attraction, and kids would make a Friday night of going out to the cemetery to try and encounter the otherworldly, which in turn led to a lot of vandalism, which eventually led to the incredibly tight security the cemetery experiences today. And it is tight. If you go there you are pretty much guaranteed a run in with law enforcement (and I speak from experience). It's understandable though. After all, many of Stull's residents have relatives buried in that cemetery and they're tired of people constantly lumbering through, messing the place up and disrespecting the dead.

I have been to Stull on three occasions. First time around, the cemetery was locked so all we could do was stand outside the fence, but on my second visit I was surprised to see the gates open and my friends and I were actually able to drive in. However, we didn't get to see much as a cop drove up almost as soon as we made it in. Lucky for us we had decided against getting out of the car and were thus able to simply leave without having to actually deal with the police, but still...like I said, the place is very secure. Third time, which was in 2021, I was trying to get a picture of the cemetery for Instagram but there were absolutely no lights on in the cemetery, making it pointless to try even try and photograph the place. As for the otherworldly, none of us encountered anything even the slightest bit paranormal on any of these trips. However, with all that being said, I will concede that since we were never given the opportunity to spend any real time in Stull, it would be a bit unfair of me to fully dismiss the place.

For those who are still interested, Stull is located 10 miles west of Lawrence and 13 miles east of Topeka. We took Highway 40, which turns into N 1600 Rd/Stull Rd. Take that until you get to E 250 Rd and make a left. Stull should be around there somewhere (directions only valid if coming from the KC metropolitan area).  Oh, and while rumors of the Pope refusing to fly over the area or The Cure canceling a show in nearby Lawrence KS because of its proximity to Stull are both false, it is true that Ariana Grande claimed in an interview with "Complex Magazine" that she was attacked by demons after attempting to visit the cemetery.

Photo of Stull taken before security ran us off.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stull,_Kansas

Unfortunately my other source for this article no longer exists, but here are some other interesting sources for those invested in the legend:

https://www.theculturecrush.com/stull
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2488962/Ariana-Grande-encounters-demons-visit-infamous-cemetery.html (Ariana Grande's experience with Stull)

And feel free to leave any of your own experiences with Stull in the comments.

The Thing In the Apple Tree

 Originally posted in 2013:

           It was approximately two in the afternoon. Since my sister and father worked nights and generally didn’t wake before 3 PM, my mother was the only one around. At the time in question she was on her laptop in a chair facing the front window of the living room overlooking the old apple tree in their front yard. At some point she looked up from her computer and was sort of just spacing out when something in the apple tree suddenly caught her eye. There, up in the middle branches, sat a cat-sized humanoid dressed in a black-and-white, horizontally striped t-shirt. According to my mom the being’s features were somewhere between that of a monkey and your stereotypical garden gnome, but that the creature disappeared so quickly once spotted that any further details were lost. As for the disappearing act itself, my mother says she got the sense that the being chose to do so specifically because she had spotted it, like they were startled to realize that they weren’t invisible to her. However, my mother could also tell that the being, despite disappearing, hadn’t truly left. Whatever it was could still be observed moving about the tree by following the considerable pressure they were placing on the bows as they jumped from limb to limb. This she watched for a bit until finally movement in the tree ceased, implying the creature had finally moved on for real. 

Humanoids in miniature have been linked to a whole mess of strange phenomena, from fairy folk and their kin (gnomes, leprechauns, sprites and what have you) to extraterrestrials (such as the so-called hairy dwarves). It could've been any of these, or it could've been none of these. It could've been something we haven't even begun to speculate on or it could've been a trick of the light. Unless the entity in question makes itself known again we will probably never know and hell, even if it does make itself known again we may still be no closer to knowing just what exactly it was my mother saw hanging out in the apple tree that day.

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UFO Over Excelsior Springs

          It was the middle of the day, the sun was shining and not a single cloud hung in the skies over Excelsior Springs MO as my mother sat relaxing on the front porch of my grandparents’ home. At some point she casually glanced up, only to discover that the day wasn't quite as clear as it first appeared. There, up in the sky, making its way slowly from east to west, was what could best be described as a giant flying metallic bug. A cylindrical craft with six "legs", three to a side just like an insect. She couldn't say for sure how close it was in relation to either her or the ground, only that it was close enough to make out odd details. Her first thought was that this was some kind of avant-garde zeppelin heading to an air show, but she could tell by the extremely reflective surface that whatever this thing was it was completely metal in construction (which, you know, blimps aren't). But above and beyond its bizarre appearance, the thing that really struck my mother was the silence. Not so much as the distant buzz of an engine could be heard as this quiet voyager made its way across the Missouri sky.

Mom's depiction of the incident.

Tell me, what do you make of this? Alien craft or just alien-looking? This is definitely an unusual one in terms of appearance, and I’m having a hard time remembering if I’ve ever come across another sighting like it in UFO literature.

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Ball Lightning Strikes the Midnight Man

If I were to compile a list of the ten strangest things to happen to people I know the following would definitely be near the top of said list. It's one of those encounters that's eerie no matter the potential explanation.

It early June 2012 and my sister Hilary was hanging out with her best friend (who we’ll call Katie) when the subject of the Midnight Man* came up. For those not in the know, the Midnight Man is one of many paranormal games/rituals popularized (or more likely invented) by the internet and the once popular creepypasta genre (spooky internet urban legends). The two had been toying for quite some time with the idea of braving the notorious horror game and were finally feeling up to the task. My sister, however, wanted to first make sure both girls were properly protected. And the best way to do this? Jesus t-shirts, of course. Stored away in our parents' basement. Whatever works for you, right?

So down into the basement the two went. However, before they could get to the bottom of the stairs my sister caught something peculiar out of the corner of her eye. At first she assumed it was an eye sparkle (you know, those glittery illusions that sometimes appear when you get up too quickly) but out of curiosity turned her head anyways to investigate. And there it was, as real as you or I: An orb. A blue, baseball sized ball of light, glowing brightly yet casting no light onto surrounding objects. My sister watched in awe as it floated away from the basement's eastern wall before promptly moving back towards that same wall and disappearing. Unfortunately Katie’s attention was elsewhere at the moment and by the time my sister was able to gather her wits the orb had already vanished. Needless to say, after that my sister was too spooked to proceed with the Midnight Man.

So, what the heck did my sister see?

Over the years Hilary and I have discussed this event quite a few times and as such have developed several theories. Our first theory is the most obvious, that in the mere act of preparing to play a game that involves the invoking of dubious entities my sister and her friend actually managed to stir something up. Perhaps it was a warning, or just a wandering ghost taken in by the two girls' openness to the supernatural. Maybe it was the Midnight Man himself, getting ready for game night.

Another theory is that my sister was visited by the ghost of a recently deceased great aunt (a nun no less). But as my sister hardly knew her it seems unlikely that the nun's spirit would reveal itself to her, unless you tie it in with our first theory.

Theory #3 is that this was a case of ball lightning. Considering that the air conditioner (a major electricity guzzler) is stationed right outside where Hilary saw the orb, combined with the old wiring in our parents’ house, it does seem plausible that this was some kind of natural, albeit abnormal, electrical phenomenon witnessed at a very coincidental time. This is the theory my sister most subscribes to. As an aside however  I will note that 1) the object did not behave in the destructive way typically associated with ball lightning 2) surely even ball lightning would illuminate the surrounding area which, again, this did not and 3) I have put an EMF reader up to both that air conditioner and the area where Hilary saw the orb and got absolutely no spikes. Don’t know what the weather was like that night though. Maybe the air was exceptionally charged? Hmmm…

Several other ideas we’ve tossed around are poltergeist activity (which I’ll get into at a later date) or fairies (which I will also cover at a later date).

*For those unaware, here’s how you play The Midnight Man (also known as The Midnight Game). First off, this is traditionally a single player game. Two could play but they would each need to go through the entire process separately in order for everything to work. Next, gather a candle, a lighter, a piece of paper, something to write with, a pin, salt and the location of a closed wooden door within the house. A little before midnight you will write your full name (first, middle, last) on the paper, then use the pin to prick your finger. Squeeze until a drop of blood appears and use this blood to dot the paper. After this is done go ahead and turn off all the lights. Go to the closed wooden door and lay down your paper with the candle on top. Now light the candle. Next, knock on the door 22 times, making sure that the final knock happens precisely at midnight. Open the door, blow out the candle, close the door and then relight said candle. The game has begun. With candle in hand and your matches and salt nearby begin to move about the house. You must keep moving so The Midnight Man can’t find you, and keep doing so until the game ends at 3:33 AM. If your candle goes out you must relight it within ten seconds or else surround yourself in a protective circle of salt and remain there for the duration of the game. At 3:33 AM the game is over and you may move out of the circle and turn the lights back on. Check out Youtuber Brittney Crabb to see the game in action and read more about legends surrounding the Midnight Man here on The Ghost In My Machine. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram!

Where Hilary saw the orb.

A Creepy Encounter In Kansas City KS

Back in 2003 my father was in the process of selling my grandfather's house in Kansas City KS. Now, this place - the childhood home of my dad - had a backstory that read like something out of a horror film. Old house, once owned by casket makers and located within spitting distance of notoriously haunted Wyandotte High School. Despite all of this however, the house didn't really have a history of paranormal activity. Sure, there had always been a strange vibe to the place, but that had been about the extent of it up until the time of this story.

Eventually my dad was able to find a buyer for the home and as such thought he was finally done with the property. The house, however, felt differently. No sooner had we arrived home from Thanksgiving dinner when my dad received a strange call from the new owners. Apparently, they'd been locked out. Not in the absentminded way that one accidentally leaves their keys somewhere else. No, it seemed that the dead bolt had been set, something that could only be done from inside the house. Intrigued, my dad offered to go investigate and, equally curious, I offered to tag along. 

The house.

So, there we were, standing on the porch of an empty, possibly haunted house after sundown. We try the front door thinking maybe there's just something wrong with the new owners' keys, but as my dad tries his own key it breaks, leaving half of it stuck in the keyhole. The house just wasn't going to make it easy for us. Knowing that we needed to get inside to further our investigation, we started to look around for another way in. We tried the back door, but it too had been latched. My dad also toyed with the idea of pushing open and lowering me through one of the basement windows, but they weren't designed to open that wide. It was at this point that we turned to our next best bet: tools. With a little help from a screwdriver, we were able to take the back door off its hinges and finally get inside.

Once in, we made for the front door and sure enough, the deadbolt was locked. But as weird as it all was, there was still the matter of the broken key to tend to. My dad instructed me to wait inside and catch the severed key as he pushed it out, which in essence left me stuck alone in the living room. It was an unnerving moment, looking out over the room and wondering if something unseen was looking back at me. Luckily it didn't take my dad too long to remedy the key situation and as soon as he did, we hightailed it out of there. Let me tell you, it's been over 22 years since this happened, and we're still weirded out. My dad and I just can't figure out how both those doors could be latched without someone there in the house to do the latching. Since both lock mechanisms could only be accessed from inside, the only way for a human to achieve what we encountered would be to latch the back door, dead bolt the front and then exit through a window, which seems an unlikely scenario. Looking at things from a supernatural perspective, my best theory was that the house had a kind of sentients and wasn't ready to accept new owners (I mean, it had been with our family for many decades).

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Chicago UFO

These photographs were sent to me over a decade ago along with an explanation of what happened:

"I'm always looking for an excuse to take photos, even if it means going out in my slippers at 1:30 in the morning during a Chicago snowstorm. The only source of light was from the poll in our back alley way, and I used it to capture the snow as it fell. Nothing out of the ordinary appeared as I snapped each one, hoping to get the perfect image.

Returning indoors, I began to scroll through my snowy prints, overlooking the ones featuring the light poll (they were terrible). Right before I shut the camera off, a strange bell shape near the light caught my eye. At first I thought it was another light fixture hanging from the cable wires, but it moved around as I looked back on the other photographs. That's when I realized it was a UFO! I couldn't believe that I had missed it, or that I was prompted to take as many images as I had. Despite the near foggy sky, my camera (a Nikon D3100 with 35mm lens) caught it. And that's what happened." 

What do you think? Earthly, extraterrestrial or simply a trick of the light? 

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Ghosts of Strataca

Let me introduce you to Strataca. Formally the Kansas Underground Salt Museum, this Hutchinson KS attraction is the only salt mine in the United States open to tourists. Descending 650 ft below the Earth's surface, guests get to explore exhausted portions of the still active mine through various tours and exhibits. I've personally never been (although it's definitely on my to-do list) but my mother went a couple years back and came home with one of the greatest souvenirs I could ever hope for: a creepy story.

Upon visiting Strataca, my mom (along with my aunt and cousin) were met with several tour options, one of which was known as the Dark Ride. By opting for this tour they would be taken on a tram ride through shafts beyond the main gallery, pitch black save for the tram's narrow headlights. To them it sounded perfect.

So there my mom was, cruising along in the gloom as the guide began their tour. She wasn't really paying attention though, being that she was more transfixed by all of the eerie side passages that kept flying by. At one point the guide stopped to discuss a particular crystal formation right beside one of these aforementioned side passages. With no interest in what the guide was saying, my mother instead turned to look out into the darkness of the old shaft. As she did so, she started to see something, something that she at first mistook for pareidolia (where the mind creates a familiar pattern where none exists) but the more she watched it the more evident it became that this wasn't just some visual trick.

What she saw was the silhouette of a man some way down the tunnel, lighter than the surrounding darkness. As she sat watching this, the man suddenly charged down the shaft towards her, not stopping until he reached the mouth of the tunnel. This put only a few feet between my mother and the entity. Up close she could see that he was dressed in outdated mining gear with a strange sort of visible electric charge running through his body. The man wore a look of shock, making eye contact with my mother (though whether or not he actually saw her is unclear) before turning around and running back into the darkness from whence he came. No one else appeared to have seen the entity.

Next thing my mother knows the guide is actually driving the tram down the passage where she had just seen this apparition and he stops right around where she estimated the figure first manifested. While pointing out a barricade in the wall the guide explained that in the early days of the mine, spent veins would be blocked off with old dynamite boxes to redirect air flow to where it was most needed. Things didn't always go as intended however, and sometimes there'd be cave-ins. Upon hearing this my mother had her "ah ha" moment and was able to piece together her experience. At some point in the mine's history there must've been an accident here, and what she saw was the ghost of someone reliving that horrific moment over and over again. Now, whether he was sentient or simply a residual haunting is unclear but my mother did seem to sense a certain degree of consciousness from the entity, a very human vibe of panic and desperation. It might also be worth mentioning that at the time she had no clue Strataca was supposed to be haunted, a fact the tour guide didn't bother to mention until the very end of the ride.

Ghost or pareidolia? My mother, who has encountered full bodied apparitions before, says she has never seen anything like this and I don't doubt her in the least. Pareidolia doesn't behave this way, doesn't come rushing at you in a surge of electricity while fully dressed in old mining gear. No, I 100% don't believe my mother's mind was playing tricks on her. The fact that she was the only one who saw it doesn't surprise me either, as I can imagine everyone else was pretty focused on the tour guide (plus my mom just tends to be a little more sensitive to the paranormal).

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