Hickory Hill (aka Old Slave House) Junction, Illinois - high 6/6 score!



I'd never actually heard of this haunted place. Some just don't get the press they deserve. After doing my research on this location, I've decided this has some of the best elements for a haunting so far.

"Hickory Hill" (also known as Old Slave House) in Junction, Illionois was built in the 1830s on a hill above the Saline River. Legend says a tunnel went from the basement to the river -- what a conduit! The owner, Crenshaw, worked in the slave trade and had very questionable practices. He kept the slaves chained up in tiny cells in his attic. He got caught stealing a freed slave and his business went downhill. Karma got him when a slave attacked him and he lost his leg.

Here's how this amazing haunted place scores:

1. The land is limestone/shale.
2. The house's foundation is stone.
3. It's close to a railroad track.
4. It's on the river.
5. It's older than 50 years.
6. It has a history of trauma.
(optional: It's near a cemetery)

Being near a cemetery, having the basement tied to the river, and emotional agony within the walls for long periods of time in a state with a good deal of limestone seems to be a perfect haunting setup.

When I'm done with my 50-place study, I hope to give the places a rating on a scale of 1-6 on how much proof of haunting over time that they have. Hopefully, that number can be compared to the number of the haunting conditions the place has, and then we can have some serious scores that hopefully line up. If we find that a place has a low proof of haunting score but high conditions, it might be time for someone to step in and seriously study the place--it really should be haunted.

Thanks for sticking with me during my research. It's great to get your feedback.

Comments

  1. How frightening! I don't think I could sleep in there! I'm a chicken lol

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  2. Yeah, the guy who ran the place during the slave trade had an opening in the back of the house for carriages to roll right up and dump off the slaves. It's really creep-o-rama. I can't imagine any worse vibes.

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  3. What a cool blog you have! I love it! Do you research those places yourself?

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  4. Greekwitch;
    It began as a curiosity. I've been to so many haunted places and I've noticed things I've come to expect of those places, like nearby train tracks and waterways. I began to wonder if the land might have a hand in the hauntings, as well. I randomly took 50 haunted places and made a list. I began to research their location and makeup and history. And, I've come to find some similarities that make me wonder if things in nature make certain sites ideal conduits. It's ongoing research and right now I'm just finishing up scoring the 50 places as far as how many of the six features they have. When I'm done with that, I hope to find out the level of hard evidence they have of hauntings and see if the best documented haunted places have the highest scores in ideal location/situation. Keep following and you'll learn along with me. It's an interesting thing, but I've always felt it's sort of like Stonehenge and leylines--some places are just perfect for hauntings.

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  5. Have you looked into other mineral deposits? Limestone is pretty ubiquitous, I wonder if there may be some other connection?
    Interesting that the city is called "Junction", as in "where paths intersect". Crossroads have always had magical signifigance, and place names seem to have a relation to paranormal phenomena.
    An aquaintence of mine once had a Bigfoot encounter near his hometown of LaPorte IN ("the door"!)
    Keep up the research!

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  6. Gummerfan;
    Thanks. Yeah, limestone is really connected to the haunted sites. I'm hoping when I'm done with this to list some cities/states that would be ideal for hauntings, given their dramatic history/geology/waterways.

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  7. Pretty scary place. I actually haven't heard of it so I'm glad you added to your list.

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  8. I visited The Old Slave House when I was kid. It was about 2 years before the place was closed. Pretty cool. I was upset when I found out that it was closed to the public. I was really looking forward to visiting the place again as an adult. They used to offer money to anyone who could stay the night if I am not mistaken. At least that is what I remember, could be wrong. Love your site, by the way.

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