As Halloween approaches, the Times takes another look at Dorchester area locations that are rumored to be haunted.
The Times has previously reported a Web site called StrangeUSA.com. According to the site -- which bills itself as "the ultimate collection of the strange" -- the Dorchester area had been home to two "officially haunted" sites: Gilbert's Cemetery and the Dorchester School boiler room, which no longer exists following the demolition of the 1927 school. Doane College is the only other Saline County location listed as "haunted".
Regarding the old school's boiler room, the Web site says that many decades ago, a child "locked himself in the 
boiler room and died." According to the site, school janitors heard yells coming from the boiler room during the night. Is there any truth to the story? We're still trying to resolve the mystery, but it seems most who worked at the old school discount the tale.
boiler room and died." According to the site, school janitors heard yells coming from the boiler room during the night. Is there any truth to the story? We're still trying to resolve the mystery, but it seems most who worked at the old school discount the tale.Regarding Gilbert's graveyard, the StrangeUSA Web site says the cemetery is haunted by the Gilbert family and other pioneers of the late 1800s. "Strange noises and the movement of the tombstone are just the tip of this site," the site reports. Of course, Gilbert himself is not buried at the cemetery. His ashes are at Friend's public library.
For readers who do not know, John Gilbert was the son of Jonas Gilbert, one of Saline County's first commissioners. John Gilbert "never belonged to any church ... and called himself an agnostic," according to the Dorchester Centennial history book.
In the late 1800s, Dr. Frank Hamilton of Friend once asked Gilbert to embrace Christianity. That is when Gilbert allegedly "went into a seizure for about two minutes, his muscles jerked, his eyes became bloodshot, his face became congested and red, his mouth became dry, and he kept wiping his lips with his tongue. During the attack, he venomously cursed God."
Gilbert later donated money to build a library in Friend, on the condition that his anti-God books would be on the shelves.Another Web site, TheShadowlands.net, also lists both Dorchester sites on its "Haunted Places Index." Explore StrangeUSA.com and TheShadowlands.net for yourself. Undoubtedly, Times readers will have their own opinions regarding these odd stops on the World Wide Web.
And let us know what you think of the stories, or if you know about other scary places in the Dorchester area that the Web sites may have overlooked.
(This article was first published in Oct. 2007.)
you need to look at the old mason hall above city hall because i've seen movement in there at the middle of the night. a couple of weeks ago i saw a man with a hat looking out the window and i didnt recognise him. his face was very pale looking!
ReplyDeleteJonas Gilbert is buried at Gilbert/Hulse Cemetery. His stone, now vandalized says he is not scared of "heaven or hell or heavenly hosts, etc."
ReplyDeleteContrary to what many may believe, this cemetery has many Christian believers buried there. There used to be several stones which bore witness to Christ and His grace.
The place is not haunted, it is vandalized. Though I do not dismiss the paranormal, this cemetery is no more "haunted" than any other place. I have spent many hours out there fixing vandalism, and I find that it is a place of scerenity. There are four Union War veterans buried there, and one Confederate who was also and Indian War veteran. Some of the first people to turn the soil of Saline County are buried in that cemetery. Unfortunately, because of vandalism, many of their graves are no longer marked.
I believe I related this to you last year, but several years ago, I was repairing the stone of two children. For some reason, the oblisk that I was attempting to re-epoxy to the base kept spinning slowly from the position I placed it, once as far as 90 degrees. Finally in desperation, I spun it 180 degrees and it stayed put. I then realized, I had been placing it backwards. Just then, two little butterflies came flitting past me, and flew around my head a couple times then silently flew away out of sight. Coincidence?
As far as the old school being haunted, I do not believe anyone ever died in the boiler room. We did have a death on the football field though. James Cochnar passed away out there while playing football in the early 1960's. He was a nice young man, and a neighbor of ours.
Most hauntings are figments of the imagination, and legends. Many of these stories do not pass the muster of a good sleuth, but then there are others........:)
JR Wolfe
York
Nope. His ashes are in the Friend library.
Delete"Think of a peace of fifty years.
Of lives devoid of hellish fears.
Died without fears of spirits or ghosts.
Or heaven and hell and all it's hosts"
Zoinks!!! I'm scared Scoob!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis blog is only encouraging vandalism by publishing such rubbish.
ReplyDeleteYou should all be ashamed of yourselves.
Umm, just curious, anyonymous, on what level does this blog post about 'Dorchester's Haunts' encourage vandalism? I hope you're joking because otherwise you read WAY too far into things. I personally have never been real convinced of such things, but it certainly doesn't hurt to entertain the thought. Lighten up.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, several years back my boyfriend (now my husband) and I decided to go check out ol' Gilberts Grave....I was too freaked out to stay long, but I'd venture to say it's mostly in people's heads. The only 'strange' thing that happened was when my boyfriend decided to be 'funny' and shut the truck lights off as we were leaving and then pretend he didn't know why they shut off =) But, I have heard the stories from people who typically wouldn't make things up...so who knows.
Does no one remember that Gilbert Cemetery is where a lot of freshmen got left for initiation. I do!
ReplyDeleteI've seen lights appear in the rooms above the village offices late at night.
ReplyDeleteI always figured it was a local drunkard who stumbled the wrong way home after a long evening in West Side. Maybe something else is going on up there.
I live in a house in rural Dorchester where a young relative died. I often hear a little girl singing. Lights turn on and off.
ReplyDeleteWe have a closet door that opens.
Toys turn on in the night. Small shadows are seen at night. These things do not frighten me, I find my home a great place of comfort and peace. She does freak out visitors at times. We do have relatives who do not like to stay over night here, because they have seen things.
We visited Gilbert's Cemetery a few weeks ago. It is extremely sad that hoodlums have desecrated almost every headstone in the cemetery. Would the individuals that did that damage want their headstone busted up when they are dead and gone? Maybe they just think they are special and different and that would never happen to them.
ReplyDeleteI have been interested in the Gilbert-Hulse Cemetery for some time. I have a unique love for history and would like to do something to restore the history of the cemetery. I know that major physical restoration may be out of the question due to a high level of vandalism, but I have other ideas. Anyone care to help with this project? I am not a Dorchester or Friend native, but rather from York and will need help finding the correct resources. Thanks and hope to hear from you soon.
ReplyDeleteI always thought ppl that desecrate graves have a dark jinx put on them for life.
ReplyDeleteI was born in Lincoln,Moved to Crete when I was very young with my Parents.I went out to the Cementry with a friend and shut off my vehicle,but not the lights.We didn't stay long,due to the local farmer watching over the cementry,cemented, heard he was carrying a shotgun.We hurried into my truck,and it wouldn't start.It was brand new...it scared us.It started and we hauled rubber back into town we were so scared!!!!!
ReplyDelete