Haunted Columbia, Missouri

by Mary Collins Barile

The author of The Haunted Boonslick proves the Show Me State isn’t shy about its ghostly heritage—especially in the beautiful college town at its center.   According to Columbia ghost lore, the city’s dead only dabble with departure. The specter of Broadway legend Maude Adams checks in on classes at Stephens College, while ragtime pioneer John William Boone returns to trail invisible fingers along his grand piano. Some linger from love, like the spirit of the Osage woman who waited for a final walk with the brave she was to marry. Others remain for a reckoning, like the guerrilla stalking Brannock Hall for the Union sniper who shot him down or the murdered child discovered in the plaster of a frontier tavern. From the columns of Mizzou’s quad to the region’s winding country roads, author Mary Collins Barile explores the restless graves of Columbia’s eerie heritage.   Includes photos!

131 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 5, 2016

Reviews

[Dale Muckerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book does an admirable job of providing the history of Columbia and of nearby towns. The ghost stories unfortunately are often disappointing. Someone thought they saw something for sure but then the thing they thought they saw turned out not to be there. At times it seems the author is struggling to find material to fill the book, and presents extended marginal information about St. Louis or the life of Blind Boone. However, to be fair the marginal information is often more interesting than the ghost stories. The book does a good job of telling which buildings on the MU campus have ghost stories related to them.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read. Interesting tidbits. Lots of extra history!

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

A meandering, poorly-cited collection of stories.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

More history than ghost stories. Still spooky.