Haunted Macomb

by Garret Moffett

The Illinois town of Macomb is the perfect example of an old prairie town that has grown from an unforgiving frontier into a modern and diverse community in the twenty-first century. Since 1828, spirits of departed citizens have stubbornly remained dead above ground within the county. Meet the Woman in Black, who gave the coal-mining community of Colchester an additional burden of dread to the one they faced every day beneath the earth. Both kindness and suffering indelibly mark the old orphanage where the unselfish hands of Josie Westfall still care for unseen children. And then there's the presence of Belulah Wagle, the brutally murdered wife of a bootlegger, in the cemetery where her remains were finally laid to rest. Garret Moffett will guide you among witches and poltergeists in this expert tour of Macomb's haunted history.

112 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2010

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel that this book took me forever to read. With my work schedule being a bit crazy that's the reason why. I did enjoy this book. The stories of hauntings are very informative. All of these locations are well known around Macomb and it's refreshing to know where all of them are having gone to Western Illinois University for my bachelor's degree. It's nice that the authors did incorporate the University into this book. A pleasant read. Read in October 2023.

[Norma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written

Being from Illinois, I'm always interested in stories from my home state that haven't been told and retold so I go out of my way looking for books like this. I found the stories interesting and the history compelling.

[Lindsay · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book presents regional ghost stories relating to McDonough County, Illinois. Chapters focus on the hauntings at Simpkins Hall on the Western Illinois campus, Vishnu Springs, and Macomb's fire-starter girl to name a few. While I appreciate the fact that the author was trying to write a ghostly book for a popular audience, I don't appreciate the way he sensationalizes local stories. Noting a massive lack of evidence or links to testimony from supposed eye witnesses, this book reads like a grade school essay on local lore. There is little effort put into the meaning of the stories themselves beyond what can be gleaned from historic local newspapers, a few popular legends, and the author's own interpretations from ghost tours he offered.

The author offers nothing new as to why these stories persist in the popular imagination or what these tales mean for locals. As somebody who is not native to Illinois, I thought developing the cultural importance of these scary stories is important. The fact that the author didn't do that was a big disappointment. Unfortunately, the poor presentation of each story is also matched by bland writing. The book frequently recycles the same tired cliches to explain phenomena that are calling out for more creative re-tellings. As much as I wanted to like this book, I just simply can't. While I enjoy having the legends and lore of Macomb compiled together in this way, this book is a second rate summary rather than a creative synthesis. The vibrant supernatural heritage and folklore traditions of McDonough County deserve better.

(No offense to the author. I understand he is a wonderful tour guide who offers haunted history tours in Springfield. I don't doubt your passion or talent in other regards. I'm just not a fan of this particular book!)