Haunted Chicago

Haunted Chicago
by Theresa Carter

Chicago is not only popular with tourists and business travelers; apparently it's also popular with the undead. Whether it's due to tragedies such as the Eastland Disaster and the Great Chicago Fire, or untimely deaths caused by the likes of Al Capone, Chicago is considered one of the most haunted cities in America.

Following are just a few of our famous residents and landmarks of the paranormal.

Water Tower Ghost

If you're walking up Michigan Avenue and see a man hanging from the top of the Water Tower, it's probably not necessary to call the police. Legend has it that a lone man remained in the tower during the Great Fire of 1871 to keep pumping water. Ironically, considering the tower was one of the few structures to survive the fire, the man hung himself rather than be burned to death.

Eastland Disaster

What started off as a fun outing for employees of Western Electric and their families on July 24, 1915, quickly disintegrated into a nightmare. The Eastland Streamer capsized on the Chicago River between Clark and LaSalle Streets. Even though people onlookers and nearby boats desperately tried to save them, a total of 835 people died, including 22 complete families. Over 200 of the victims were taken to the 2nd Regiment Armory on West Washington Street. It seems that they never left. The armory is now home to Harpo Studios, Oprah Winfey's production company. Employees have reported a “Gray Lady,” doors shutting all by themselves, children laughing, footsteps, sobbing, and voices. And visitors to the Clark Street Bridge sometimes hear screams, cries and moans.

Al Capone and the St. Valentine's Day Massacre

The government may have had to use tax fraud to finally imprison Al Capone, but one of his victims punished him in a much more appropriate way. Capone engineered the St. Valentine's Day Massacre to rid himself of Bugs Moran, one of his biggest competitors. Capone's henchmen descended upon a planned meeting of Moran and his goons, but Moran's tardiness that day saved him. James Clark, Moran's brother-in-law, was not so lucky. But he got his revenge by haunting Capone to end of his days and some say, causing his insanity. The site of the massacre itself, 2122 N Clark St (now a lawn with five trees, the center one marking the spot), spooks animals as they pass by and people have heard screams and machine gun fire.