Things that go bump at night

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It’s almost October, and for many folks, that means apple cider, hayrides, pretty fall leaves, and cooler temperatures.

For me, that means I get to begin the countdown to my favorite holiday: Halloween.

Forget hayrides and sipping apple cider; give me a campfire and some creepy stories of local hauntings and I am a happy girl.

I’ve decided that this year I will do more than my usual Halloween preparation of reading scary stories and watching Ghost Hunters on TV.

This year, in a move that is either pure brilliance or insanity at its finest, I will be investigating some of northwest Missouri and Kansas’s most (allegedly) haunted locations.

Accompanying me on a few of these adventures will be my incredibly patient fiancée, Adam, and my equally Halloween obsessed best friend, Heather.

And like the intrepid reporter that I am, I will record these adventures for the reading pleasure of the Maryville Daily Forum’s subscribers every Friday in October.

The first place we will dare to go is the oldie but goodie, Workman Chapel.

Located near Burlington Junction, people have been venturing to Workman Chapel for years for a good scare.

People have reported seeing phantom horses, hearing church bells and horses galloping by — when there were no horses in sight, and Workman Chapel doesn’t have a bell to ring.

People have also heard whispers and seen shadows darting about in the cemetery, and a woman was reportedly hanged from a tree there

How many of these stories are true and how many are people’s imagination running in overdrive? That’s what we hope to find out when we venture to Workman Chapel.

Our next destination will be Wells Hall, located on the Northwest Missouri State University campus, and home to the School of Communication and Mass Media.

Wells Hall is reportedly haunted by a former student by the name of Amos Wong, who was killed in a car accident in 1991.

Students have reported eerie noises, creepy feelings, and even sightings of Wong while working alone in Wells Hall. As a former student who has spent a little time in Wells, I’m excited to see what this building has in store for us.

The next investigation will take us out of town to the Sunbridge Hills Conservation Area in St. Joseph where we will attempt to find Felix’s Grave.

Allegedly an early settler named Felix was driven insane by the evil spirits in the woods and murdered his entire family before killing himself.

He and his family are supposedly buried in the small cemetery located in what is now a conservation area.

I’m not an outdoorsy girl by any means, and the hike required of would-be visitors to reach the cemetery won’t be a pleasant thing for me, so don’t ever let it be said I’m not dedicated to my work.

Maybe we’ll see a Bigfoot while we’re out traipsing through the woods.

Our next trip will take us to the Shisler House of Atchison, Kansas.

People have reported hearing footsteps, feeling cold spots, seeing curtains move, and having trouble with electronics while in the house.

The Manglesdorf family built the home in the late 1800s. The eldest daughter, Anna, died in the home when she was just 16.

Anna loved to play the piano, and visitors have reported hearing the piano in the house playing while no one was sitting at it.

Others have allegedly seen a young girl in the parlor.

Will Anna entertain us with a ghostly piano recital while we’re investigating? I can hardly wait to find out.

Our final spooky destination is the John Wornall House in Kansas City.

Ghosts of Union and Confederate soldiers have reportedly been seen wandering through the house, which was used as a makeshift hospital during the Civil War’s Battle of Westport.

Ghostly high society women have reportedly been seen flitting about, and some visitors have supposedly smelled pipe smoke — even though smoking is off limits in the historic home.

Speculation is that when the smell of pipe smoke is in the air, the first owner of the home, John Wornall, is making his presence known.

Could a visit to the Wornall House be my chance to see some ghostly history in action? That would be this amateur historian’s dream come true.

Look for reports in the Forum every OctoberFriday to see if I find anything paranormal at these spooky locations.