DEVIL'S BAKE OVEN

The Devil's Bake Oven is in Grand Tower, Illinois, near the Mississippi River. Due to all the legends surrounding the town it has become a well known landmark. Native Americans believed that the hills had evil spirits and the settlers named the rocky ridge Devil's Backbone. At the edge of the ridge is a steep gap and beyond that is the Devil's Bake Oven.

One group of settlers headed for Kaskaskia were assaulted and killed by the Indians near the southern edge of the ridge. There was only one survivor, a boy that hid in the rocks. After burying his family he went on to Kaskaskia and vowed to avenge his family. One by one he killed all those who had participated in the raid.

When the iron workers came to Grand Tower a number of fine homes were built for the executives of the company. The one for the director was built on top of Devil's Bake Oven. Whats left of this house can be seen on the east side of the hill. This is where the lonely ghost of his daughter appears. It is said that you can hear her voice echoing throughout the remains of the house.

She was very pretty but she had a sheltered life and her father kept her away from the men that worked at the foundry. To the father none of the suitors that wanted to marry her were good enough. She, however, did fall in love with one of them but her father wouldn't let her see him anymore. She defied her father and went out during the night to be with him. She got caught and her father comnfined her to the house.

Her suitor got tired of waiting for her and moved on. Due to either grief or an illness brought on by despair she died.

Her father felt so guilty about the incident that he comitted suicide. After the foundry closed the house was destroyed except for the foundation, the wood was used to build a railway station.

The girl's spirit still remains at the Devil's Bake Oven, and many people have seen a strange, misty shape of the girl walking on the path and then disappearing in the rocks. After she disappeared you could hear moans and wails, which turned into screams during thunderstorms.

There are only a few houses left in Grand Tower and the ghost of the girl who died from a broken heart.