Bachelor's Grove Cemetery
Midlothian, Illinois

By Daniel Cumerlato

Located just off of the Rubio Woods and very close to the Chicago suburb of Midlothian, hidden down a thin gravel path is the most haunted cemetery in the world. Bachelor's Grove is rumored to have the most ghostly disturbances among all cemeteries, boasting many different experiences never before heard of in a place of rest. A once respected site, the people of Chicago have buried their dead here since 1834 (official opening in 1864, however some graves date 30 years prior).

The History
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The name of the cemetery is almost as much the anomaly as the stories behind it. Bachelor's Grove derives from the earliest settlers to that area, most of them being German immigrants who took part in constructing the Illinois-Michigan Canal. Many of the immigrants were single, therefore bachelors, when they died and were buried in the cemetery.

Surrounding the cemetery is a small lagoon made famous by the mobsters who found this an ideal dumping ground of men who crossed the mob during the Prohibition days. Many bodies were found here on a regular basis adding to the legendary spirits that now haunt the waters.

Famous Ghosts of Bachelor's Grove
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Anybody who knows Haunted Hamilton, would know that we don't put a lot of validity on the idea of a cemetery being haunted. There is a big exception to this rule... if something tragically historic happened on the land.

Just like Drummond Hill Cemetery and the Battle of Lundy's Lane, we have the Chicagoland mobsters of the day using the pond near this burial ground for dumping bodies.

Al Capone may not have stepped foot in the grove himself, but his men most surly dumped the bodies of his enemies into that pond. One of the many reasons why this cemetery is haunted by the ghosts below...

The White Lady (Mrs. Rogers or The Madonna of Bachelor's Grove):
The lady dressed in white is known to walk the grounds of the cemetery during a full moon. The deceased woman rumored to be the White Lady is buried in the cemetery beside her son and can sometimes be seen holding a baby in her arms.

The Phantom Farmhouse:
Not all ghosts are confined to the cemetery, and not all ghost are people. On the path leading to the cemetery, a picturesque white farmhouse appears and then quickly disappears. Most reports of this phenomenon happened around the 1950s.

The Farmer and his Horse:
In the 1870's a farmer plowing the land near the cemetery got too close to the famous lagoon, proving to be a fatal mistake. The horse fell into the water first, pulling the plow and farmer in with him. Almost 100 years later, two forest rangers reported seeing the same farmer still plowing his land by the lagoon.

The Two-Headed Ghost:
No substantial information can be found on this strange apparition. The sinister background of the famous lagoon is known for making this ghost; the reason for its two heads is open to interpretation.

Lights and Orbs:
This site has common sightings of blue colored lights and orbs that fly about the cemetery. Some other accounts talk of reds comet-like lights flying over the graves.

Ghost Cars:
Drivers passing through on the turnpike outside of the gravel path will come up to a sharp curve in the road. When coming around the curve, they collide with what seems to be a vintage 1940's gangster car. What they learn after the first shock has past is that there is no damage, no pain, and no other car.

The Woman sitting on the Grave:
One of the most famous sights is the woman sitting on a gravestone. What makes this account so famous is that it was caught on camera and featured in the Chicago Sun-Times. A very real picture shows the transparent image of a woman sitting comfortably and staring away from the camera out into the woods.

A description of the experience from the famous photographer:
(courtesy of ghost-hunter.com)
Sent in from Jude Felz: "My name is Jude A. Huff-Felz and currently I live in Dixon, Illinois. I took this picture in the late 80's or early 90's at Bachelor's Grove Cemetary in Midlothian, Illinois. It is taken in broad daylight on infrared black and white film during the summer."

Jude went on to explain this photo was taken using an ordinary, late 80's era 35 mm. camera. Upon developing the film, the image of a woman was discovered sitting on a gravestone, who was NOT present when the photo was taken. This picture was also published in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Article By: Daniel Cumerlato
Founding Partner of Haunted Hamilton

Thanks to the Graveyards of Chicago website - http://www.graveyards.com/bachelors/index.html