The gallows were sold to Ripley's Believe it or Not a few years ago; they still have them in storage. Not much of the original was really left, though. News items when they bought it said it was the same gallows the prison had used for the Haymarket anarchists, among others, but my own research indicates that new gallows were rebuilt or replaced a couple of times in between 1886 and 1927, when the
Forum: General Discussion

By way of update, the book in question (which has plenty of cool Chicago history stuff mixed into it) is in stores now - http://www.adamselzer.com/creeps.html
Forum: General Discussion

If Indian Burial Grounds were anything like they are in "poltergeist," every archaeologist in the country would be #$%^ed. My usual experience in the ghost business is that "Indian burial ground" is the basic go-to for when you want a back story for a ghost story that doesn't really have much historical backing (it's the American equivalent of the British "former monas
Forum: General Discussion

Hi from the Weird Chicago blog guy. Just to throw some things around: It's generally agreed that the ghost, when talking to people, says her name is Mary; I think it goes back to the Jerry Palus affair. If I remember right, he said the girl to whom he gave a ride called herself Mary. HOWEVER, I would say that if the whole thing is anything more than an urban legend,(and this is a MAJOR "
Forum: General Discussion

D'oh; just noticed that someone else covered this further down the page. Apologies!
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

In addition to the many pre-1909 addresses in the Ukranian Village, I just ran across a building at Huron and Damen that had the names of the streets carved into the stone. It goes back to when Damen was still called Robey. Picture is up at <a href="http://weirdchicago.blogspot.com/2008/05/things-you-find-around-city-3-old.html">The Weird Chicago Blog</A>
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings