Saturday, November 5, 2011

Ghost Children of Iron Hill - Charles City, Iowa

Legend has it that around 1920 on a stretch of track near Charles City, Iowa, a train loaded with passengers was steaming along and there was an accident.  Some of the train cars still being made of wood in those days, as the use of the safer steel cars was just beginning to grow, caught fire and quickly spread through the train.  Many of the passengers became trapped, could not escape the blaze and perished.  A large number of the deaths were centered around a passenger car loaded with orphan children.  Some say they still linger in the woods near Charles City today.

Some rail cars during the early 20th century were still being made of wood which spelled disaster for many victims of railway fires such as the one near Charles City, Iowa in 1920

There is hill at the location of the old 1920 train disaster known as Iron Hill near what is known as the old White farm.  Hikers and other visitors to the site have reported hearing the cries of children in the area.  Some even claim they can get a whiff of the faint smell of burnt wood and smoke.  


An actual photo of Iron Hill where the 1920 rail disaster claimed the lives of many orphan children near Charles City, Iowa

There have been a rare few eye witnesses however, who have claimed to have actually seen the ghostly image of a little girl in a white dress merrily wandering through the woods of Iron Hill.

On one occasion, a visitor interested in the site was investigating the area searching for any evidence of the carnage that had taken place there long ago, looking for some answers when they discovered the remains of a burnt baby doll half buried near the tracks.  Perhaps this is the link that keeps this restless soul halfway bewteen this world and the next.


Charles City, Iowa today

8 comments:

  1. That is sooooo cool! I'm a 15 year old girl that is in love with anything paranormal, and I have been there. I love it!

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    1. Ive been there and had crazy things happen. I saw the girl. She said my friens name. I need to go back thare sometime.

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  2. I live in Charles city if you ever want to come back let me know we could set up a night visit

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    1. My team and me are going there tomorrow night and if like join us hit me up on facebook. My name is Jade Rathje.

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    2. A couple friends and I went there last night but couldn't find the entrance. Didn't feel like walking past what seemed to be a junk yard because my friend is terrified of being attack by a dog that's probably not as mean as he thinks. But we turned around. Is there any other way besides these train tracks? We used Google to find the place but there was no bike trails. And who would we have too contact so there wouldn't be a worry about being arrested?

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  3. I live in Charles city I've played in those hills all my life always have felt something there. Better to go at night.
    Even better Riverside Cemetery but be prepared!

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  4. Its not haunted. This was a rumor started on internet and there never was a trainwreck there and an orphan train has never went through Charles City. The railroad you are probably thinking about is the charles city western. The Charles City Western has had only one major wreck in its whole existence and it they never ran an orphan train since the line only ran from marble rock charles city and colwell. Having one interchange with the rock island in marble rock and one illinois central interchange in charles city. The ccw only had one reck and it was in marble rock and resulted in one injury where an engineer lost his arm. It was severed off when his locomotive went on a siding and went into a wooden refer car where splinter from the car went into the cab. The cause was a switch not being flipped. The man was ruched to local store where the stub of his arm was stuffed in a bag of flour to help stop bleeding. And with this never happening. ask local historical society if you don't believe me and they will search floyd county records and they will say same thing. This never happened and its a rumor.

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  5. Dang, I bet you are fun at parties AnonymousNovember 11, 2014

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