To North Dakota - Iowa to South Dakota

Axe Murder Home in Villisca, Ia

We got a late start getting out of Clarinda, Iowa on Sunday.  Didn't leave the hotel until almost 10am, which is unusual for us.  So feeling a little pressure to put some miles on we wasted no time getting out of there and on up Highway 71, where it wasn't long before we ran into Villisca, a town with a macabre story to tell.  It was at the home of Josiah Moore on the morning of June 10, 1912, that the town awoke to find eight of its residents brutally murdered by an axe. It immediately changed this peaceful community into one of suspicion, with residents locking their doors, carrying weapons, and generally distrusting many.  Newspaper reporters, private detectives and law enforcement agencies from neighboring counties all converged on the town collecting hundreds of interviews and and facts. Though there were several suspects, the murders were never solved.

The walls of this old home today continue to protect the identity of the vicious murderer who bludgeoned to death the entire family of Josiah Moore and two overnight guests. Open for tours today, the old house is said to be the site of a number of paranormal activities. A number of reports have been given that visitors hear the sounds of children voices and laughter when there are none present, objects seemingly move of their own accord, mysterious banging sounds are heard throughout the house. Paranormal investigators are known to have come away with mysterious  audio, video and photographic evidence.  We didn't have time for the tour, but looks like it could draw quite a few, especially this close to Halloween.  

Coffee Pot Water Tower
In Stanton, Ia

On up 71 we make a turn West on Highway 34 toward Stanton, a town with rich Swedish Heritage that bills itself as "The little white city".  A neatly kept community of about 700 residents, Stanton is home to a Swedish Heritage and Cultural center, and what is said to be the largest coffee pot in the world (it's a water tower in the shape of a coffee pot). They also have another water tower in the shape of a coffee cup on a saucer. This is only fitting since one of it's residents was the actress Virginia Christine, or Mrs. Olsen on the classic Folgers Coffee commercials.  It felt a little odd driving into a cemetery to get a good picture of the water tower, but worth it for our quirky Iowa page soon to come. 

Fort Omaha, Ne

After stopping for breakfast in Red Oak just down 34, we boogied on over to I-29, crossing into Omaha, Nebraska.  Of course, there's lots to see and do in Omaha, but we were on a mission to move north, but with some interest on Forts, we stopped at Fort Omaha, which started as a supply barracks in 1868 and is now also home to Metropolitan Community College. There are still some facilities for Military Reserves on the perimeter of the old Fort that are used to this day for troop deployment.  An interesting history, the Fort was also the location of America's first military balloon flight school in 1916. However it's best known for it's role in the 1879 landmark trial of Native American Ponca Chief Standing Bear, which resulted in Standing Bear being the first Native American to be recognized by the US Government as a "person" under the law. 

Recreated Buildings at
Fort Atkinson, Ne

North from Fort Omaha, we head up Highway 75, which becomes the Lewis and Clark Scenic Byway just south of Blair.  Before reaching Blair we run into the town of Fort Calhoun, where a quick right turn toward the river takes us to Fort Atkinson State Historical Park.  From 1820 to 1827, this was the most westerly military post, the first established west of the Missouri River.  This is the site where Lewis and Clark first held council with Native Americans, but after being abandoned in 1827, the original Fort was burned down and all remnants later found were taken away by settlers who were glad to find the bricks for building their homes.  Today, this recreated Fort in the Fort Atkinson State Park provides visitors with a glimpse of what life was like there when it was the first important town in the state of Nebraska. 

Decatur, Ne

Once we are back on 75 we keep our northward trek up to Decatur Nebraska, which seems to be the closest point to the river we have been since Omaha.  Here we find evidence of the recent flooding of the Missouri River and ponder on the risks people take building so close to such a mighty torrent.  Living on the Osage River back in Missouri, we can understand the draw, but the evidence of flooding here would keep us from building anything within a mile, depending on land elevation of course.

Lewis & Clark Scenic Byway, Ne

Just outside of Decatur we enter the Omaha Indian Reservation, immediately followed by the Winnebago Reservation.  While the landscape along this scenic byway is pretty, we aren't finding a lot of shots of the river and decide to push harder north in an attempt to at least get into South Dakota before stopping for the night.  So on to Sioux City we went, catching I-29 to Highway 50, through Vermillion and into Yankton. We're right on the river here and plan to spend some time in this historic town this Monday morning before heading northward.

As far as my quest for cheddar bay biscuits from Red Lobster, it's still ongoing. We were still full from breakfast when we hit Omaha, and it was too early to eat in Sioux City. Oh well, we did find a nice Mom and Pop hotel in Yankton and the history of the area is enough to keep my mind occupied ... that and the possibility of staying in Bismark, North Dakota at some point keeps my hopes of buttery garlic goodness alive.    

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Eureka Springs Arkansas to Howe Texas

Coming out of Eureka Springs we found ourselves north on 62, a windy mountain road that had a special fall feel to it. Fog rising over rivers added to a mystique that lingered over sleepy homes dotting the valley below us. We got off to an early start, partly due to the lack of internet at the hotel the night before, but mainly because we had 300+ miles to cover, and a lot of stops along the way.

First on the agenda was Pea Ridge National Military Park. Touted as the battle that saved Missouri for the Union, this is one of the most intact Civil War battlefields today, and is the only battle in which Native American troops participated. 1000 Cherokees fought for the Confederate army and routed two companies of Union cavalry before being forced into the woods by cannon fire.

Pea Ridge Park also has a very visible portion of the Trail of Tears, also known as Telegraph Road, which thousands of Cherokee and other American Indians traveled in the winter of 1838-39 after being forced to move from their homelands. It also served as the Butterfield Overland Stage Route from 1857-61, and during this key battle in March of 1862, both Federals and Confederates would use it as well.

The auto tour is great, and includes a fantastic view from a hill of the entire battle field. You can almost imagine being there as interpretive signs show positions of various troops and tell the story of how Pea Ridge was the last push of the Confederates to take Missouri, and with their failure how many of the troops, both Union and Confederate, moved on east of the Mississippi to fight in other campaigns.

From Pea Ridge, we continued on highway 62, now heading southwest skirting Fayetteville, Arkansas to Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. This smaller Civil War battlefield site is also an auto tour, but unlike Wilson's Creek and Pea Ridge, this one lacked a bit. In fact, part of the auto tour took you out of the park, back on 62 and then into a residential area. It's still a great place for history though and I'm glad we had the chance to see it.

We stayed on highway 62, winding our way to Oklahoma and Tahlequah, the Cherokee Nation Capitol. Just outside of Tahlequah is the W.W. Keeler complex, the seat of the tribal government, and we made brief stops at the Cherokee Heritage Center, The Murrell Home built in 1844, and a fairly new Cherokee Warriors Memorial, dedicated in 2005 to those who have fought in the United States Military.

Still on 62, just outside of Muskogee, we reach Fort Gibson, one of the most important posts on the "permanent Indian frontier." Established in 1824, this Fort was a key transportation point and testing hub for the newly activated Ranger units and Dragoon Regiments. It played roles in the Civil War, Mexican-American and Indian Wars, and was long gone by the time it was reconstructed in 1936 under the WPA. Be sure to tour the stockade and other reconstructed outlying buildings, it's worth the stop.

By this time we were running out of daylight. Shorter days mean less sightseeing, so we boogied on down highway 69 from Muskogee to Howe Texas, just south of Sherman, where we would bunk with family for a couple of nights in "Fort Bertoldo" (Thanks Jimmy and Deb!) Be sure to watch the "What's New" page for expanded articles on our adventures. Next blog we travel the Texas Forts Trail from Howe to Abilene.

From Dave's Perspective - The Stanley Hotel Ghost Tour

For the record, although very skeptical of many accounts, I am a believer in the spirit world. Whether it be residual or just outright hauntings, I believe that there are things in this world we just don't understand yet. That's why taking the tour at the Stanley Hotel, reportedly one of the most haunted places in the U.S., was an exhilarating experience.

It helps that Kathy and I both are history buffs. The Stanley is celebrating 100 years after opening in 1909, and for reasons I will attempt to explain later in this blog, it seems to hold on to it's visitors past like a scrap book. The tour starts in the basement tour office with a bit of history on how the Stanley Hotel came to be. While in the office, look for the computer screen that presents a slide show of various pictures from staff and guests that have caught strange images on film. From orbs to full on apparitions these pics are very intriguing, although you have to wonder if some where involved in photo shop..maybe seeing is believing.

From the basement, the tour guide takes you to the lobby for a bit more history, including an exhibit of the Stanley Steamer Car and tales of Earl of Dunraven, said to be involved in the largest U.S land steal. Land that would eventually be sold to F.O. Stanley and his wife for the hotel. You'll also see the Pinion and Music Rooms, both with reported spirits, including that of Mrs. Stanley who is said to play the piano once in a while, as long as no one is in the room. Guess she's shy.

The tour then proceeds upstairs to the second floor with plenty of story's of ghostly encounters, including that of the Chamber Maid who is said to haunt room 217. This room used to be the Presidential Suite and has housed many famous guests, including actor Jim Carey, whom according to the tour guide, left the room after only 3 hours but never explained why.

From there it's upstairs to the 4th floor where back in the day many children played. The guide had plenty of experiences of his own to share about this floor of the hotel, and even treats the guests to tips on how they may experience the spirits for themselves. At least 2 of those touring with us experienced something that could have been a child trying to touch their hand.

After the 4th floor it's down to the basement tunnels, where the tour guide gives an explanation as to why the Stanley could be so haunted. F.O. Stanley didn't want to cut out all the Rock on the mountain, and instead built over it. This is primarily Granite and Quartz, and the guides explanation is that Granite captures sound and energy, and quartz releases them. Those two elements, coupled with a power source upstream from the hotel are why some believe residual hauntings, or place memories, have been reported throughout the hotel in almost every room.

Out of the entire tour, I found the story of how Stephen King came to write The Shining the best. Apparently he was writing a story about a haunted amusement park where the roller coasters would fly off their tracks and eat you, receiving some harsh criticism from friends. He wanted to take some time to think it through, so he and his wife Tabitha took a trip up through Estes Park, into Rocky Mountain National Park. Trailridge road (highway 34) was closed due to weather so they turned around and Stephen decided, since they had time on their hands, that they would check out the Stanley. Long story short, he reportedly experienced several things during his stay, many of which are incorporated into his classic novel. It's a fascinating tale, and if you have never read The Shining, I highly recommend you do before visiting the Hotel. If you're just not into reading, watch the mini series produced by Stephen King from the late 1990's, as it will give you a much closer feel of the novel than the Stanley Kubrick film with Jack Nicholson. Kubrick took too many liberties with the book and the location, not even filming at the Stanley.

For me personally, I found the tour to be very informative and well presented..and yes, I did "feel" something in several areas. Call it a different energy if you want, but I've only had these feelings in places I believe to be haunted. Is it my mind at work? Having been to so many places, haunted and not, I don't think so. I've walked away from many a place telling Kathy that the stories of Ghosts are bunk, but not the Stanley Hotel.

If you want to take the tour, call ahead and make an appointment. I suggest at least a week ahead of time, depending on the time of the year. As of this writing, tickets are $15. You do not have to stay at the Stanley to take the tour, but I recommend getting the full experience. If you have the dough, and they have the availability, try to stay in room 217 or 418 :) Otherwise any room will do. We stayed in the Manor House, an adjacent building to the main hotel, but it's just as historic and has just as many stories.

Legends of America  has more on Estes Park haunts here, and enjoy the many spookie stories already offered with our Ghostly Legends pages!