Haunted Tales from The Region:: Ghosts of Indiana's South Shore (Haunted America) by Dorothy Salvo Davis

by Dorothy Salvo Davis

South Shore lights blaze through the night, warding off restless spirits that slink among shadows. Join paranormal researcher and author Dorothy Salvo Davis as she reveals the legends and ghouls that haunt this generally peaceful area. Journey to deceased pop legend Michael Jackson's home in Gary and experience a chill as the unexplained dances before you. Does a chimp's apparition play among the walkways and cages of the Washington Park Zoo? Dare to discover. And visit John Dillinger's ghostly gang hideout in Hammond and the uneasy Hoosiers of LaPorte, who suffer the shrieks emanating from wicked Bella Gunness' ever-tortured victims. Cut the lights at your own peril, because the ghouls of the South Shore won't soon find solace.

Genres: Nonfiction

Mass Market Paperback

First published September 24, 2010

About the author

Dorothy Salvo Davis spent her earliest years in New England and moved to South Florida when still a child. Raised in an Italian American family, Davis is very open minded and Ft. lauderdale's many cultures are reflected in her writing.
Her first book, "Ghost Stories of White County" set her on a path to document the paranormal. Currently she is promoting, "Haunted Lafayette" well she works on her next books, "Broward County Florida Haunts" and "Indiana's Paranormal Encounters". A true love for history, Davis claims she feels that it is important to remember those who created the world we live in as it is today. When researching the history of a paranormal site, she does so with respect for the locations past.She resides in Indiana and enjoys researching the paranormal and events of those who lived long ago. Her favorite Author is Edgar Allen Poe and she finds a kindred spirit in his poetry.

Reviews

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone from the Region, I appreciated this book for what it was and with a blend of eerie entertainment, a few truly haunted places, and a lot of real, recognizable locations. The Michigan City Lighthouse stood out the most to me. It’s a real place with a long history and consistent reports of paranormal activity, which gave that story more weight. The Belle Gunness farmhouse in LaPorte also felt legit and her crimes are well-documented, and the ghost stories tied to the site feel like a natural extension of that dark history. The John Dillinger locations in Hammond had enough historical presence and lingering lore to make the haunting claims feel believable too.

The rest of the stories leaned more into folklore and local legend. They were fun to read, but they felt more like campfire tales than actual hauntings. That’s not a bad thing, but it just depends on what you’re looking for. I enjoyed the entertainment value, especially knowing so many of the places mentioned are real and close to home. That grounded the stories, even when the hauntings themselves felt more speculative.

[Djrmel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is a story a legend if only one person has told that story? In several of these tales, only one person seems to have experienced the manifestation, and by their own admission, they'd been drinking a bit (The Boats, as we of The Region refer to them, are an apparent hot bet of hauntings, especially after you've done the welcome drinks bit).

The one story that did pique my interest was the relationship between an long serving Michigan City Lighthouse keeper and her companion, Salvo Davis includes many of the obituaries and memorials of both ladies, proving that people have always been capable of seeing they best in people, even if they wouldn't or couldn't agree with all of their choices.