Dismal Little River Town
While I found Alton, Illinois to be quite a charming and pretty place to visit, Mark Twain once dubbed it “a dismal little river town”. He likely had done some homework to come up with this description of Alton. Founded in 1814 and plagued with floods, fires, the Civil War, and disease, Alton has seen its fair-sure of misfortune. A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to attend the “Haunted America Conference” and take a ghost tour with Luke Naliborski, of Alton Hauntings. Luke has been doing these tours for thirteen years and I found him to be incredibly interesting and knowledgeable.
Our first stop on the tour was 325 W. 3rd Street, which is now an apartment building, but also served as a TB hospital, and as part of the Underground Railroad. An estimate of 1000 people have died inside this building. The current residents never stick around for very long. They report a variety of noises, shadows, bumps, sights, sounds, and disturbances. We were fortunate enough to enter the building and visit the tunnels that were once used to hide slaves. Luke turned out all the lights and talked about strange things that have happened to people who visit: cold drafts, sounds, shadows, and tugs at their clothing. More than one visitor has reported the sensation of a child reaching out to hold their hands. Pretty creepy, right?
Next we walked down to the Quaker House, built in in 1904, right around the time of the World’s Fair in nearby St. Louis, in what is known as the Pennsylvania style of architecture. The building has changed hands many times over the years, and quite a few businesses have called it home.
Currently it is a candy store, and many “weird things” go on inside. Since there was an event going on outside the building, it was fairly loud the night we were there, so we continued walking to one of the tour’s highlights: The Mineral Springs Hotel Building.
The Mineral Spring Hotel has a lot of activity. Many ghost investigations are done there; in fact, there was one being done the night of our tour. The most common area for “weird things” to happen would be the pool area. Wet footsteps appear. The sound of running water is prevalent. People often see a little girl playing with marbles. She was in her happy place. There was no documentation of a drowning, but perhaps she died after her family had stayed there on vacation and then she returned in the afterlife, because she felt joy at the Mineral Springs. Makes sense, right? Why would a ghost want to creep around an old, dingy, dusty home when you could haunt a hotel. (FYI- if I ever become a ghost, I’ll be poking around Maui…..) Another haunted part of the hotel is the back stairwell, where a white figure is often seen. At one point a domestic argument happened in this stairwell and someone was either pushed, or fell down those stairs. Another story suggests that a traveling doctor murdered two people in the hotel. Or maybe it was a traveling salesman…..I don’t know for sure, and I’m not sure if anyone does. But what we do know is that many souls linger here. Gangsters are known to haunt the hotel, as well. Mineral Springs took a hit around the time of World War Two. No one was spending money on luxury anymore. Today the hotel houses boutique specialty shops….and paranormal activity…..
Other highlights on the tour included the Meridian coffee house, which later was sold and became a business called Piece of Cake, a venue hosting themed parties. Whomever was lurking there liked girls with pony tails, as they were often yanked. Also interesting was the site of the former Illinois penitentiary. Conditions were so bad that Dorthea Dix herself came to shut it down. Eventually it moved north, and 5 years later reopened. The government agreed to allow space for for St. Louis overflow. It was still bad. Everyone was dying. Rats and other vermin ran amuck. Eventually it was set on fire. Across the way, we could also see where “Small pox island” existed. If the name weren’t obvious enough, it’s where they sent those suffering from disease to heal and get well, but it really was a dreadful little place. Years later, they tried to build it up and welcome tourists to visit this little island in the Mississippi, but visitors could hear dying men sobbing for help. Haunted. No one wanted to go anymore. Eventually the remains washed away.
The last stop was one of the highlights: The First Unitarian Church. Built in the 1830s as a Catholic Church, it burnt down. It was rebuilt and eventually sold to Unitarian religion from the Catholics.
Low and behold there was a second fire, and the church was burning once again. The most well-known minster was Phillip Mercer in the 1930s. He was a well-liked and very charismatic guy, albeit a bit quirky and even a little mysterious. One day he was found hanging from the transom. His office had been ransacked and disheveled. Was he murdered? No one knows. And the parishioners never found his family. In fact, they wondered if Philip Mercer was even his real name. His spirit is still there in the church. Many people have seen him and heard him. Also, reportedly people hear a piano playing and doors slamming shut. Hushed whispers are heard throughout the building. The basement is particularly active. After our tour, there was a private ghost hunt for the conference. If I visit here again, I would really enjoy participating.
Alton charmed me. I really hope to come back for the Haunted America conference again. There is an air of sadness and mystery, hanging over the town like a cloud, and I think there are many more secrets to unlock.
