Friday, October 25, 2013

Ghosts of Wilderness Park - Lincoln, Nebraska

There are two stories that revolve around a stretch of woods west of Lincoln, Nebraska known as Wilderness Park.  One regarding rail disaster in the late 1800s and the other regarding what people claimed to be a child murdering witch.

Wilderness Park in Lincoln, Nebraska is thought to have many spirits that haunt it's woods and trails.
Wilderness Park in Lincoln, Nebraska is thought to have many spirits that haunt it's woods and trails.

Ghosts of the Rock Island Train Disaster


In 1894, a train headed northward was crossing the trestle over Salt Creek.  Something went terribly wrong and the locomotive along with a few cars tumbled off of the 40 ft long bridge to the ground below.  A fire broke out and in the end, eleven people lost their lives.  The real tragedy is that it was no accident.  The bridge was sabotaged.  The saboteur was found and convicted, but that did not change the fact that people died.  Some say they still roam the area near Salt Creek in what is now Wilderness Park.



In the late 1800s a train derailment at the bridge that crosses Salt Creek near Lincoln, Nebraska left almost a dozen dead.  Many claim those lost souls still roam Wilderness Park to this day.
In the late 1800s a train derailment at the bridge that crosses Salt Creek near Lincoln, Nebraska left almost a dozen dead.  Many claim those lost souls still roam Wilderness Park to this day.

Some who hike through Wilderness Park at dusk, report strange whispering noises coming from the trees.  Others who have lost track of the hour and get caught by the setting sun in darkness, say they have heard the sound of heavy footsteps behind them in the area of the rail bridge.  However, when they turn and look, nobody is around.  Many feel that these noises are the spirits of those killed in the Rock Island rail disaster, perhaps seeking justice because the man who killed them only served 10 years of his sentence before being released on parole. A marker along the Jamaica North Trail marks the spot where the disaster occurred and these souls lost their lives.

Location: 40°44'38"N 96°42'45"W

The Witch of the Woods


In the early 1900s there was a short period where about half a dozen or so local children went missing in the Lincoln area.  Many believed they ran away, but some believed that they disappeared in Wilderness Park.  It wasn't until one boy went missing and his sister claimed to see him with a woman who lived in a secluded shack in the woods in what is now Wilderness Park.  Locals called this woman "Witch of the Woods".  Police searched the wooded areas and eventually the bodies of the children where found.


When you are walking the trails of Wilderness Park and you run out of daylight, beware the "Witch of the Woods".
When you are walking the trails of Wilderness Park and you run out of daylight, beware the "Witch of the Woods".

Local police questioned the woman who lived in the shack and she only complained because the children always ran all over her property.  There was no hard evidence against her, so the authorities did not make an arrest.  However, once locals heard what the woman had said, they took matters into their own hands.

The "Witch of the Woods" was found one day, hanging by the neck from a tree with a chain.  Many say when you walk the dark woods of Wilderness Park, you can hear the moans of the "Witch of the Woods" and occasional the rattling of chains.  Some say they have actually found buried chains that have led to the tree where the woman was hanged.  Be careful what you find at the end though, because they say the "Witch of the Woods" was buried there with the chains still on her. Somewhere in the woods a shrine exists that memorializes the children that lost their lives there so long ago.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilderness_Park




19 comments:

  1. The only noises coming from Wilderness Park are from the transients.

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  2. I just returned from there with 3 other people as we went exploring through the woods with 1 flashlight to find the abandoned shed. We made it half way there then heard a voice up ahead and turned around.

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  3. I went there with 3 friends, and it was very dark. I had this feeling to turn around and just run, and that's what I did. As I started running I heard somebody running behind me, and running behind me very close. As I looked behind me real quick there was nobody there, and my friends stayed behind. It was the scariest thing ever.

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  4. I grew up in Lincoln and have walked through wilderness at night. You're just a pussy.

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  5. I grew up in Lincoln. Walked through there at night. You're just a pussy. Go to ball cemetery in Springfield. Experienced cold spot in the far corner by the broken tombstone in summer and kept breaking twigs it wasn't coyote Because they don't break twigs when they walk let alone do it constantly. Stuff happens there. Be aware of salt rounds being shot at you as well,

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    1. I was just at wilderness park last night with a few friends and by the old shed also known as the ware house a few of the guys that were with me and my best friend went to look behind the shed. Me and my friend heard footsteps coming towards us on the opposite side of where the guys were when we looked to see we saw nothing. It stopped. Then we heard it again but only the footsteps were faster and you could tell that the thing was running when all of a sudden it got in front of me it was all black and it was huge. I stopped then ran rigt through it and got back to our car. During this thing chasing us. We could hear her laughing. I know it was a her because it sounded like a female

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    2. What trail do i need to be on to get to the womans old shack or shed?

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  6. First of all, the wreck did not occur at the point where the tracks cross the creek. It happened farther east where a 300 foot trestle crossed the northbound railroad tracks, one set of which still exists and the the other being the current Jamaica North Trail. There is a historical marker at the location now. The existing trestle shown in the photos is not the original trestle, but a much shorter segment of the rebuilt trestle. It is possible that portions of the wreck were buried under the man-made hill at the east end of the current trestle, but this is pure speculation based loosely on knowledge of what the RR did with wrecks that were deemed unsalvagable for various reasons.

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  7. I walk the trail and all I hear is my wifes big mouth

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  8. We walked the trails through the woods about midnight last night. There was an uncomfortable vibe and sadness that everyone felt. We will be going back when we have more time.

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  9. I went there last night and to be honest I didn't hear anything out of the ordinary. I was scared going into the woods because I heard all the rumors of hells gate, but nothing happened.

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  11. Interesting. I've been trying to find factual information (newspaper clippings and what-not) I can not find anything about missing children except blogs and second-hand stories. The reference listed here uses Wikipedia and there is no mention on that site about the children or a witch killing lynch mob. I'm calling BS. Tragic that the fella that caused the wreck only served 10 years. That's justice for ya!

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    1. They guy that was paroled was let go because of lack of evidence and doubts of his involvement by the governor at the time. Still an unsolved crime.

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  12. I was there a couple hours ago and my friends were playing a Ouija board. When we asked for a name she replied "Bonnie". When we asked how she died she said she was hung. Does anybody know if Bonnie was the witches name or if we were speaking to somebody else?

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