GREENWOOD CEMETERY

For one hundred and fifty years how Greenwood came to be has been a mystery. There are no records of early burials, but Native Americans did use the grounds for a burial site. It is thought that settlers in the 1820s used it as a graveyard, and there is a rumor that some captured runaway slaves were buried there in the dark of night. The only clues were many unmarked graves strewn about the current grounds.

In 1857 the cemetery was incorporated into the city of Decatur. By 1900 it was Decatur's most prestigious cemetery. But, in 1920, it had fallen into disrepair. The roads were no longer usable. Time, the elements, and vandals had wreaked havoc on the gravestones also. Many were tilted and some were damaged beyond repair.

By the time Decatur took over in 1957, it had been neglected and remembered as a "spooky novelty." The stories about Greenwood started because of the deteriorated condition of the older section of the graveyard, where it is said that people have seen wandering spirits and glowing apparitions.

On a hill at the edge of the forest is an old burial plot that belongs to the Barrackman family. If you go toward it from the east, there is a set of stone steps that lead to the top of the hill. Four rounded stones mark the burial sites of the family.

Dozens of people have said that if you stay in the cemetery until dusk you may see a spooky sight. As dusk falls a woman in a long dress appears on the steps leading up to the graves. She sits on the steps with her head lowered as if crying, but nobody has heard any sounds. Those that have seen her say that as the sun goes down she disappears. This is the only time of the day when she has been seen.

The most bizzare occurance is the ghost lights that are seen on the south side of the cemetery. They have been seen for decades.

Reportedly many years ago the Sangamon River overflowed and rushed into the lower parts of the cemetery. The water knocked over tombstones and washed away the layers of sod and dirt, pushing coffins to the surface. Many of which floated downstream.

After the water had gone down, it was many days before the coffins could be found, some of them were never found. People were finding bodies and caskets several miles down river. These bodies were buried in unmarked graves because their identity wasn't known.

Ever since then the spook lights have been appearing. Many witnesses have watched them moving in and around the old stones. Natural or supernatural these lights are a mystery to everybody.

Tale from Jack G.

Tale from David T.