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| Entrance to Jackson Park in Atchison, Kansas |
Unfortunately for Molly, a band of local racists took things a bit too far one dark evening in trying to get their message across that they did not want her dating white men. The next day, Molly was found hanging by her neck from a tree in a wooded hollow. She was lynched. Today the woods are known as Jackson park and the hollow where the girl was found is known as Molly's Hollow.
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| This is not Molly, but the lynching of women as not uncommon for a period after the Civil War |
Visitors to the park today claim that the spirit of Molly still lingers in the hollow. It is said that on certain nights around midnight, you can hear the screams of a girl coming from what they believe is Molly's Hollow. They believe that this is the disembodied sounds of Molly as she pleaded for her life long ago in that stretch of woods.
There are others who claimed to have actually seen what they believe is a full bodied apparition of a girl hanging from a tree in the area where Molly died. Others claim to have felt and eerie prescense and unseen hands touching, pulling, or grabbing them as they made their way through the hollow.
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| A view of Jackson Park, Atchison, Kansas |
Some versions of the story state that Molly was not an African American and was hanged by her boyfriend after he became angry with her for not going all the way with him. No matter what version you choose to believe really happened, many who have visited the park claim that the haunting is real!
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| A view of the Missouri River from Jackson Park, Kansas |
Jackson Park is the largest in the city of Atchinson, Kansas and is situated just off the banks of the Missouri River. It contains hiking and biking trails, some of which take you through Molly's Hollow. If you visit at the right time, you just may catch the sound of Molly's chilling screams or even see her!
