Dorchester's Spookiest Places

Halloween season is fast approaching.

Back in 2007, the Times started publishing reports on the Dorchester area's haunted places. Here's an update on the latest reports regarding our area's spooky spots.

Gilbert's Graveyard: The most famous of Dorchester's "haunted places," Gilbert's Cemetery -- the final resting place of the family of John W. Gilbert -- continues to draw attention from inside and outside Saline County. (There's even this video of some brave souls who went into the graveyard at night for electronic readings.) Click here to see some of the stories left about Gilbert's Cemetery on a site called "Haunted Places."  Another report on the pioneer cemetery came from a website called  "Hauntings" (no longer active), which featured a "pre-haunt interview with the locals" in Dorchester. The site recounts some of the history behind Gilbert's Graveyard and its namesake, using historical accounts published by this blog and the 1981 Dorchester Centennial book. As Hauntings reported, "a number of strange events have been reported here. Among them, strange noises and the movement of tombstones. ... Sadly, this location has been host to vandalism and disrespect for some of the area's earliest pioneers. If you plan to visit this location, think on how you would want your remains and the stone markers of your final resting place treated."

The website also featured firsthand accounts from those who have visited the cemetery. One visitor named Chris wrote the following: 

"The first trip we had made (to Gilbert's Graveyard) I ended up in tears; just the feeling of being there was enough to make you sick. We started to drive through the graveyard, and someone pointed at a tree that was knocked down over a grave, and when I looked over there I saw a black fog coming up from the grave, we decided to leave. As we left the graveyard, we looked over to the graveyard and about nine-plus flashing lights came up from the graveyard and seemed to follow us. I was the driver and I looked in my rear view mirror to be horrified to see a older lady staring at me in the mirror, then scream and then I began to cry uncontrollably. I stepped on that gas and swore I would never return. But consequently we did, and the second time it was more calmer then the first, not much happened except for hearing footsteps in the distant, and the feeling of you being followed closely."

Former 'Squeaky Bridge': According to GhostsOfAmerica.com, the site of the former ''squeaky bridge'' over Turkey Creek, south of Dorchester, is "extremely haunted" (County Rd. 1500 between county roads G and H). "According to legend several men were hanged on the bridge, which was closed and removed in or around 1994. However the ghosts still appear on a routine basis at night. They are transparent figures hanging by a noose right where the bridge once stood. Some have said the hanged men will occasionally look up and stare at observers."

Specter of Highway 33: For years, we've heard reports of a "man" who supposedly walks on Highway 33 as you near the west edge of Crete. People have reported seeing him on the road, or just off to the side, and swerve to miss him.  When they look back, he is gone. The Times has investigated the story further. Some say the apparition is that of a Dorchester lad who died decades ago in a very bad accident a mile west of Crete. Others say it is the ghost of an Oregon Trail pioneer who lost his way and died on the journey.  

Second Floor Above the Village Office:  According to GhostsOfAmerica.com, "there have been many reports of figures or shapes moving around in the second floor of the village office building" on main street Dorchester. The website claims to have a picture of the ghostly figure taken with a cell phone in 2009.

Dorchester School Boiler Room: We can confirm that the boiler room of the 1927 Dorchester School building is no longer haunted, if it ever was. The old school building was torn down in 2008 to make room for the current DPS campus. But when it existed, there were reports that in the late 1920s a child "locked himself in the boiler room and died." According to the old stories, school janitors in the modern era sometimes heard yells coming from the boiler room during the night -- and "when they went down into the boiler room, they didn't find anyone." So convincing were the reports that the Lincoln Journal Star in 2006 wrote a story on the the old boiler room.  The story quotes former school secretary Joyce Karl and former custodians Ron Sehnert and Sharri Kasl, who said: "I never go down there in the mornings if I’m ever here by myself." Another publication ranked the Dorchester boiler room the second-most haunted site in Nebraska.

Doane College Library: Doane College's old library seems to be haunted by a woman in a white dress, according to some reports. On a full moon, she will appear in front of one of the windows. She has been reported to roam about the basement as well.

Former Resident, Village Board Chair Bill August Passes

Bill August, 79, of Lincoln, formerly Dorchester, passed away Oct. 23, 2023.  

August was a former village board member, including board chair during Dorchester's 1981 centennial year. He is a 1962 graduate of DHS.

A celebration of life ceremony will be held Friday, Oct. 27 at 11 a.m. at Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete. 

No visitation. Memorials are in care of the family for future designation to the Dorchester Community.  

A more detailed obituary will be posted here.  

Arrangements entrusted to Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Village Board Chair Resigns; Seat Must Be Filled

Pracheil Resigns From Village Board: For the second time in just a few months, another member of the Dorchester Board of Trustees has stepped down. Andrea Pracheil, who had been serving as board chair, announced her resignation, which took effect on Oct. 10. Now the village is in need of a qualified registered voter, who lives in the village limits, to fill the vacant seat for the remainder of the four year term, which ends Dec. 9, 2024. If you are interested in being nominated to fill the vacancy, drop off or mail a letter of interest and resume to the Village Clerk, 701 Washington Ave., PO Box 287, Dorchester, NE 68343. Letters and resumes must be received by 4 p.m. on Nov. 9, 2023.

Volleyball Team Concludes Regular Season, Prepares for Sub-Districts: The DHS Volleyball team hit a rough patch at the end of the regular season, dropping six of the final nine contests and going one for three in the CRC tournament. The Lady Longhorns can be proud, however, compiling a 16-10 regular season. Now the Orange and Black Attack must focus on staying alive in the post-season at the Class D1-1 Sub-District Tourney at Johnson-Brock High School. The third-seeded DHS will face No. 2 Diller-Odell (18-9) at 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 23. The winner will most likely face No. 1 Johnson-Brock (21-6) on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m.

DHS Football Plays Final Game of 2023: Dorchester High School football finished the season just 1-7, falling to Pawnee City 25-52 Friday, Oct. 20. This isn't the first time Dorchester's football program has endured a period of tough luck. In the early 1970s, the DHS football team endured three straight seasons without winning a single game. When the boys finally broke their losing streak in 1975, the Longhorns were presented an autographed football from the University of Nebraska football team, hand delivered by NU fullback Tony Davis. (Keep in mind that the losing streak came immediately after Dorchester had fielded an undefeated team in 1971 under Coach Jack Guggenmos. That squad was considered the best in Class C by many experts.)

Jirsa Named to All-State Chorus Again: Congratulations are in order for Ashton Jirsa, a DHS senior who has been selected to the Nebraska Music Education Association All-State Chorus for the fourth consecutive year. The NMEA all-state event will take place Nov. 16-18 in Lincoln.

Bob Duchek Celebration of Life, Oct. 21: There will be a celebration of life event held Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Dorchester American Legion from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Please feel free to wear Husker attire; Bob was a big fan of the Big Red -- and the game will be on.

John Howlett Passes: DHS alumnus John Michael Howlett, 77, Martell, passed away Sept. 15. He was the son of Fred L. and Beulah (Formanek) Howlett and grew up in Dorchester. He graduated in 1964 from DHS, where he lettered in three sports, played the baritone sax in the band, and attended Boys State. Growing up, John followed the footsteps of his brothers and delivered the Lincoln newspaper in Dorchester. He also worked with his father at Dorchester's Howlett Produce Station (south of the city park), delivering feed and picking up eggs. Read Howlett's obituary.

Looking Back: Pleasant Hill One Of Nebraska's Most Notable Ghost Towns

In 2019, the Lincoln Journal Star published a list of 15 well-known Nebraska ghost towns. Saline County's Pleasant Hill made the list. 

This was a big deal considering Nebraska once had more than 1,100 towns -- many more than today's roughly 530 cities and villages. So the Cornhusker State has its share of ghost towns.

Sometimes referred to as Dorchester's sister community, Pleasant Hill replaced Swan City as the county seat following an 1871 countywide vote. (Dorchester had also been in the running to become the county seat.)

"Already the county's biggest and most prosperous town after its platting in 1867, with a state-of-the-art mill and at least one store, its offer of land and cash for a courthouse no doubt encouraged voters," the Journal Star reported.

The newspaper continued with its report: 

"Within a couple years, though, Crete and Wilber had grown and sought to claim the courthouse as their own. State law required them to wait five years before bring the matter to a vote. Like its successor, Pleasant Hill finished last in a tight election won by Wilber, where the courthouse remains to this day.

"Getting the county records from Pleasant Hill, however, wasn't a given. It took 160 wagon teams and 300 people projecting force from Wilber before the papers were handed over.

"Like many other towns, its demise was sealed when the railroad by passed the former county seat. That first courthouse, used first as a poor house and then as a community hall, burned down prior to World War I. The final straw, though, was the fire that destroyed the mill in 1930."

Read the Times' 2008 article on Pleasant Hill's history here.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Trick Or Trunk Set For Oct. 29

Trunk or Treat, Oct. 29: Get ready for Dorchester's annual Trunk or Treat, coming to the school parking lot on Sunday, Oct. 29, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. For businesses and organizations that would like to take part in Trunk or Treat, arrive by 12:45 p.m. An awesome hayrack ride will be available for the kids in costume. Both events are sponsored by the Dorchester PTO.

DHS Sports Teams Wind Down Regular Season: Now at 15-8 on the year, the Dorchester High School volleyball team is nearing the conclusion of its regular season. The Lady Longhorns are preparing for the multi-day Crossroads Conference at the York Auditorium/York High School. Action gets underway Saturday, Oct. 14. Meanwhile, the DHS football team (1-5) will take on Parkview Christian (4-2) at Nerud Field tonight. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Dorchester Blood Drive, Oct. 25: On Oct. 25, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., a blood drive will take place at Dorchester Public School. Donors should report to the school multi-purpose room. Call 800-RED-CROSS to schedule your appointment to be a contributor to this important cause. Your kindness counts.

DHS Grad Spotlighted in Imperial: Jason Jensen, a 2018 DHS grad, is beginning his teaching and coaching career as a faculty member at Chase County Schools. Jensen is featured in this article in the Imperial Republican.

Dorchester Students Shine in Language Arts: Two Dorchester students were recognized earlier this fall for their language arts ability. In a contest at the Nebraska State Fair, Annaleah Tellez took home the second-place award in penmanship, while Javier Cornejo earned honorable mention in poetry. Congrats to these young Longhorns!

OUR VIEW: NU Football Needs A Boost From High School Football

If you're like most readers in the Cornhusker State, you are hoping to see the University of Nebraska football program quickly restored to its former glory -- specifically to the level of dominance NU demonstrated from 1964-2000.

For the past two decades, Nebraska football has been only a shadow of its former self. There are several factors for the downward spiral, but a key ingredient has been the statewide decline in high school football participation.

Based on information from the Nebraska School Activities Association, Nebraska high school football has seen more than an 18% decline in player participation over the last 20 years. Over the past 30 years, it's likely closer to a 30% dip.

Here's the breakdown:

• In the autumn of 2002, there were 14,544 boys out for football at Nebraska high schools across all classes (including 11-man, eight-man, and six-man).
  
  
• Over the next five years, participation held steady with 14,452 out the fall of 2007. But by autumn 2012, participation dropped to 13,243.
  
  
• By 2017, the number fell to 11,995. 
  
  
• By 2022, it was 11,919.
  
  
• While the NSAA doesn't publish participation numbers from the years prior to 2002, we've been told the participation rates of the late 1980s and early 1990s were closer to 18,000. Of course, during those years, the University of Nebraska's football roster featured more players from Nebraska, including in its starting lineup. That's not a coincidence.

The University of Nebraska's football program is not only facing a talent deficit, it's also facing a culture problem. 

Football is still a game Nebraskans love to watch, but they want to watch others' kids take a hit on the gridiron, not their own. Never mind the teamwork and leadership lessons learned on the field, or the toughness the game instills in young men.

Fewer high school football players means less competition for starting positions. It means a decline in the quality of play between opposing teams. 

And fewer participants equals a smaller talent pool from which NU can recruit. (Passion for Big Red football spirals significantly once outside the state's borders, especially after 20 years of mediocre football.)

While other states have also seen a decline in high school football participation, Nebraska is a small population state -- the 11th least populated state in the nation. We simply can't maintain our tradition of college football excellence if it's not sufficiently rejuvenated by in-state talent.

Athletic Director Trev Alberts and other NU football leaders need to spend as much time connecting with the state's boys and their parents as they do with the mega-wealthy donors who will finance the makeover of Memorial Stadium over the next few years. 

Ironically, when Memorial Stadium's makeover is complete, its capacity will be reduced by 12% to 15% fans, from around 86,000 today to the low 70,000s, according to reports.

All the signs tell Nebraska football fans: You're going the wrong way.

Gold Fever Struck Our Area 128 Years Ago

Gold is currently fetching nearly $1850 an ounce. If you believe some of the critics of the U.S. government's current fiscal policy, it could soon be going for twice or three times that as the federal debt nears $34,000,000,000,000.

Is it time to start panning Dorchester area rivers and creeks for the yellow metal? That might be a stretch, but there are folks who believe you should try. Watch this video by a guy who touts a successful prospecting trip near the Niobrara River. 

Gold in the western part of Nebraska has been found in rivers that flow from Colorado and Wyoming. Gold in the eastern part of Nebraska has been found in the glacial gold sources around the Nebraska-Missouri border, where it has been trapped, sliding and settling in the flatland. Nebraska isn't exactly California 1849, but experts say there's still gold to be found here, even in areas like Saline County.

Nearly 130 years ago, believe it or not, there was a short-lived gold rush in the Dorchester area.

The Oct. 7, 1895 edition of The New York Times reported: "A raging gold fever has settled down on this section of country over a startling discovery" of gold just north of Dorchester.

According to the publication, the primary source of speculation was a gravel pit near Milford, said to be "rich in gold dust." The pit had been used by Burlington Railway in the construction and upgrade of its rail system.

The Times noted that there was "great excitement in the vicinity of the reputed find" and that speculation was active. 

But if you are too skeptical to go panning for gold on the West Fork or Turkey Creek, just take the advice of another YouTube star: Look for buried treasure in old outhouses.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Crete Rotary Gifts Dictionaries To Dorchester Students

Village Board Meeting Is Oct. 9: Dorchester's monthly village board meeting will be held Monday, Oct. 9 at the Dorchester Community Hall.  The Times has been sent an anonymous email said that a change could be coming to the village board, but no details were given. (As a reminder, the village board recently voted to move its monthly meeting to the second Monday of the month.) Board agendas and meeting minutes are located here.

DHS Grad Named to Homecoming Court at Morningside: Dorchester High School alumnus Ridge Hoffman has been selected to the homecoming court at Morningside University (Sioux City, Iowa). Ridge is a double major in special education and elementary education. He is set to graduate in May 2024 hopes to land a teaching job in or near Dorchester. 

Register for 3-on-3 Volleyball League by Oct. 9: Those wanting to play in Dorchester's 3-on-3 volleyball league have until Monday, Oct. 9 to turn in their team roster. Turn in this completed form to the village office along with the $30 fee.

Food Trucks Coming to Main Street: Downtown Dorchester will play host to several food trucks over the coming days. On Oct. 8 (from noon to 5:30 p.m) and on Oct. 9 (3:30 to 7:30 p.m), catch Chi Style Kitchen. Amigos will be available Oct. 10 (11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.). Catch Dar's Kitchen on Oct. 16 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.). And visit Pork's Done on Oct. 23 (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Menus will be posted at the bank, post office, at Village Hall.

Crete Organization Provides Dictionaries to Longhorns: In an act of kindness and generosity from our next-door neighbor, the Crete Rotary recently donated new dictionaries to every Dorchester third grader, according to DPS social media.

Former Dorchester Resident Dinah Cannon Passes: Diana Cannon, a former resident of Dorchester who was married to longtime Dorchester maintenance supervisor LeRoy Vyhnalek, passed away Sept. 25. After moving away in 1988, Dinah returned to Nebraska to be near friends and family. She loved volunteering at the Dorchester Public Library. Her obituary can be read here.

October Fun at State Parks: Nebraska Game and Parks wants Times readers to know that many state parks will be hosting family-friendly festivities throughout October. Check out the schedule of events and plan your opportunity for fun, whether that's carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating, or a haunted hayrack ride.