With Halloween quickly approaching, there is no better time to share spooky stories. These intriguing and chilling tales have been told for centuries. Passed down by generations, mysterious myths continue to haunt places and people. To most, encounters with ghosts, ghouls, and other spirits seem to happen only in movies. However, Downers Grove’s rich history contains its own local legends and experiences with paranormal activity.
From rumors of a ghost at Emmett’s Ale House to a murdered employee who roams around the Tivoli, Downers Grove has many frightening tales. Arguably the most well known surrounds the Downers Grove Museum, located on Maple Avenue, and more commonly known as The Blodgett House.
The house was finished in 1846, 14 years after Pierce Downer founded the town in 1832. It was used as a blacksmith shop and a stopping point for the underground railroad, however, the house is much more complicated than history reveals it to be.
Originally owned by Israel Blodgett, the house has endured a series of unfortunate events. It is rumored that five deaths have occurred on the property. The most mysterious death was the alleged “suicide” of Ann McGowan. She died at the home in the 1950s while visiting family. Many theories about her death have emerged due to information from neighbors at the time, newspaper articles, and her death certificate.
Curator of the Downers Grove museum, Nina Fuscaldo, began investigating Anne’s death a couple years ago. While researching, she discovered all evidence and records of the case had been lost, from local to state archives. The death certificate is the only factual piece of evidence surrounding her death. The certificate was found in a donated box, dropped off at the museum in the 1970s. On the certificate, it was claimed that McGowan had an autopsy scheduled. However, when Fuscaldo contacted the coroner’s office, there was no autopsy report or copy of the death certificate. Fuscaldo claims the spirit of Anne still lives in the house.
“Sometimes, it’s hearing a female voice either upstairs or downstairs when no one else is here. Sometimes she messes with the lights, some people claim to have been pushed and then there are the general cold spots often in my office where the possible murder occurred,” Fuscaldo said.
With speculation of ghosts haunting the home, The Ghost Research Society (GRS), a paranormal investigation group, decided to visit Oct. 8, 2021. Founded in the 1970s, the group focuses on technology to prove the presence of ghosts. GRS conducted a public investigation and brought Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP), a sound recording device, to try and catch ghosts speaking. GRS was successful at recording conversations throughout the home. In one instance, GRS asked the supposed ghost of a Blodgett relative “How many spirits are in the home?” to which the ghost responded, “Seven”.
These peculiar events further beg the question, is Anne McGowan and her family truly haunting the historic home?
In addition to The Blodgett House, one of DGN’s own students has had a first-hand experience with ghosts. After moving into their new home, senior Annie Pleune and her family began to believe their house was haunted. 2021 DGN graduate Caroline Pleune remembers the most memorable encounter.
“It was a normal afternoon, I was working on homework when all of a sudden there was a crazy high pitch whistle coming from the back of the house. After a while, the noise began to move to the front of the house. When the sound got to the front door it opened all the way, slammed shut and then locked. My dog started barking like crazy, so I scooped him up and we went outside onto the porch because we were freaked out,” Caroline Pleune said.
After the interactions continued, their mother, Heather Pleune, decided to do some research. She discovered a picture of their house was at the time, framed, on the wall and listed as historically “haunted” in the Downers Grove Museum.
Soonafter, she decided to have her home saged. Saging is the practice of burning a sacred plant to ward off evil spirits. After the initial saging, things got better, but did not completely stop. Heather Pleune decided to sage the house twice more before the family agreed most of the interactions stopped. However every now and then the Pleune family still claims to hear doors open, and floor boards creak late at night when nobody is awake.
While receiving validation that these local legends are true is quite a challenge, it’s up to the listener to decide what they believe, that’s what makes storytelling so special. So next time you are walking through downtown late at night, or are tucked safely into bed after a horror movie, remember ghosts and ghouls might be closer than you think.
