by Hannah Stombaugh
The moon was settling in its reigning position, shining down through the willows and birches, casting eerie shadows upon the weathered ground. It was only 5:12 pm CST, but it was starkly dark, the only illumination was a single moonbeam and my iPhone 6s, guiding me towards the pavilion. My heart was beating faster and faster with every step. I gripped on my bundle of sage tighter and tighter. Still, my thoughts raced; “What did I get myself into?”
Eventually, I was faced with the glaring reflection of “POSEY CHAPEL.” As soon as I turned on my camera, a giant crack of breaking twigs murmured from the nearby shrubs. Someone, or something, had joined us.
I have always been intrigued by local folklore, especially with paranormal ties. One of my favorite graveyards is the infamous Posey Chapel, 1000 N in Laporte County. Naturally, Posey is viewed as a site for paranormal activity, because of what it is used for, burying the deceased. Though it should be respected, Posey Chapel is subject to late-night teenage visitors wanting to get a scare. They huddle in their 1997 Chevy Impalas, taking turns reciting ghost stories, adrenaline fueling up in their angsty bodies. Some come back to proudly report their journey; some vow to never speak of it again.
Upon researching intensively online, I was able to collect a stable foundation of historical data. According to The USGenWeb Project, a subcompany under ancestry.com, settlers prospering in lumber arrived in the area in the early 1830’s. Posey Chapel was later founded and built in 1841 for people of the Methodist faith. Posey Chapel is one of the oldest landmarks in Galena township, its oldest headstone dated from 1838, among more recent burials. The Chapel fared well as a no-nonsense, quaint church until tragedy struck. On January 26th, 1972, arsonists burned the chapel to the ground. Luckily, they were apprehended. In remembrance, the pavilion was built where the chapel once stood.
What compelled me more to visit, however, were the multiple rumors and tales that have been floating around. Supposedly, according to several websites and locals, a priest hung himself on a giant oak tree close to the entrance. That alone brings me chills, but there are many other reports about children laughing, red eyes in the woods, a woman singing, and a cheerful guitar riff playing, even though nobody is there. After listening to several EVP’s* conducted on a vacant radio channel by Dale Kaczmarek, a part time ghost investigator, I was thoroughly convinced to investigate myself.
Around 5:00 pm CST I arrived at my good friend Holleigh Hunsley’s house. I knew I was in for a wild time when she handed me my own bundle of sage to burn to supposedly keep bad entities away. I typed in the address to Posey and started to reverse out of her driveway. I recall her saying something about singing kumbaya if we died that night due to demons or raccoons, whatever got us first. I did not like that.
After we were settled into the single gravel parking space of Posey, I regretted my decision completely. It was dusk, and the wind was picking up quite fast. It seemed like the weather was warning us. But we were already here, what did we have to lose?
After walking in, we reported nothing out of the ordinary. We did examine the particular tree where the priest supposedly died, which looked like it was straight about of a Tim Burton movie. I took some photos, hoping for maybe some orbs*, or even a ghost sighting.
Holleigh and I walked around the tombstones, listening for any laughter, guitar strings, or creepy soprano melodies. To our surprise, it was mostly silent. Other than the occasional tree snapping, there wasn’t really anything to be scared of, or even worth documenting. Even when we made our way to the pavilion, nothing seemed to jump out at us as paranormal or strange.
After disappointing results, we sat down in the middle of the pavilion, with only the lit sage as our light. We were hoping for any sound, or appearances, or even stark changes in temperature, as that signifies a supposed entity approaching us.
Holleigh and I sat together, and just took in the silence. After three minutes with no luck of anything noticeable, we decided to close our journey by saying the Lord’s prayer for the buried who had no visitors on Thanksgiving, or even in the past year. I snapped a few photos, hoping for anything, and we safely entered my car.
Overall, there wasn’t anything exciting about Posey Chapel. Though the history is rich, and can be seen as tragic, the hype wasn’t met when visited. My opinion is that these sightings are probably fabricated stories made up by locals for entertainment, and to answer questions that cannot be outwardly explained, such as the motive for the arson. If I were to do anything different, I would of brought a flashlight to better illuminate my camera’s videotaping, and a radio to conduct my own EVPs.
I have included my own photos taken on my Fujifilm Digital Camera for further insight and inspection. Though not the best quality, I would feel wrong not to include them as they show no signs of apparent figures, distortion, or orbs, supporting my opinion on Posey Chapel’s lack of paranormal activity.
*EVP - “sounds found on electronic recordings that are interpreted as spirit voices that have been either unintentionally recorded or intentionally requested and recorded” -Wikipedia
*Orbs - “they are the curious translucent or solid circles (usually white) that appear unexpectedly in your photos; associated with spirits, though is controversial if they are related to that” -Beliefnet
LINKS TO FURTHER INVESTIGATION:
http://www.ghostresearch.org/Investigations/posey.html
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inlaport/Worship/PoseyHistory2.html