If you are looking for some spooky adventure this Halloween season, Northern Indiana’s Kosciusko County offers the ultimate hot spot for paranormal activity.
“In the 17 years I’ve been doing this I have investigated some of the most haunted locations in the United States. That being said, some of the most active locations I have ever seen have been right here in our own community.” Greg Steffe testified.
Greg Steffe, the Director of the Kosciusko County Historical Society, has been a part of the Old Jail Museum team for a little over three years, previously led the Spirits of Warsaw Ghost Tours in downtown Warsaw, and has a wealth of experience dealing with paranormal activity, including a formal education at Indiana Purdue University.
Read on to hear some eerie ghost hunter stories, and plan a trip to visit these allegedly haunted locations in Kosciusko County.
OLD KOSCIUSKO COUNTY JAIL
“One day one of our volunteers was standing right there at that sink washing a coffee pot. He felt wet fingers on his face and thought that one of the ladies back in the library was playing a joke on him, so he spun around with a big grin on his face just in time to see the wispy, shadowy figure of a woman disappear around the corner.” Steffe recounted.
The volunteer then ran into the director’s office shaking like a leaf. After they calmed him down and heard his story, he wiped his hand across his face, and he had four wet streaks across his face just like four wet fingers. This is one of a plethora of paranormal sightings at the Old Kosciusko County Jail.
The jail was built in 1870 and was made from Indiana limestone. At that time, the sheriff was required to reside in the jail, meaning there is a very distinct jail section and resident section of the building. Sheriff Andrews was the last sheriff to live at the jail, and he was there until 1974.
The building continued to serve as county jail until 1982, when the new one was built. It is now the home of the Kosciusko County Historical Society, and is open for both self-guided tours and regular tours.
In its long history, the jail has had at least 8 violent deaths associated with it, along with many ghost sightings and reports of paranormal activity. Steffe had many stories of paranormal activity to share.
One of the most tragic stories involved the murder-suicide of Annie Chaplain and Gwen Smith. Annie Chaplain was a 21-year-old young woman who was well known and liked in the community. She attempted to cash a forged check for $300 from her father.
Her father, Mr. Chaplain, had her arrested and refused to bail her out. After spending three days in jail, she confessed that her co-conspirator was a 30-year-old man named Gwen Smith. Gwen Smith was also arrested and held in jail; however, he was able to raise the money to bail himself out. But, before he left the jail, he swore his revenge on Annie Chaplain for ratting him out.
Unfortunately, he kept his word, and snuck up on her as she was exiting the out house behind the jail one day. He shot her twice then shot himself. Both of their spirits have been known to haunt the building to this day, and their voices have been heard echoing through the jail.
The very frequently seen spirit of one of the former sheriffs, scratch marks appearing suddenly on volunteers and visitors, flashlights which will turn on and off on their own in direct response to yes or no questions, and disembodied voices have also been reported in the building.
Visit this location to learn more about the fascinating history of the building, while keeping your eyes peeled for mysterious figures or items that seem to move all on their own.
BARBEE HOTEL
Take a step back in time when you walk into this old gangster hideout. The hotel was originally built in 1897 and first called Hotel Ormond.
Al Capone was known for showing up with his gang and renting out the entire third floor of the hotel, kicking everyone else out, and staying for weeks at a time.
Al Capone always stayed in room 301, and local legend has it you can still see cigar smoke coming from under the door in room 301.
Steffe was doing a speaking engagement and came in to set up early at the Barbee Hotel. Since he was there early, he figured he would slip upstairs since he had never seen the hotel portion of the building.
“As soon as I topped the stairs, I was immediately overpowered by the overwhelming smell of cigar smoke. Well, one of the stories they tell is, Capone was infamously fond of his cigars, and this phenomenon has been encountered many times in that building. This was so strong I could follow it down the hallway.” Steffe said.
He tried to come up with a logical explanation for the phenomenon, thinking it was smoke coming up from the sports bar in the building. However, he ran into one of the waitresses who laughed and said that it was a great theory, except smoking hadn’t been allowed anywhere in the building for years. She and the other staff apparently encountered the smell of cigar smoke frequently as well.
Several staff members have reported seeing an old man sitting alone at one of the restaurant booths. However, when someone is sent to serve the man, he is gone, and no one remembers noticing anyone leave. There have also been reports of employees seeing a man looking out from a third story window at night, even when no guests are staying at the hotel.
The Barbee hotel has been investigated by several ghost hunters and was featured on a 2014 episode of Dead Files on the Travel Channel. It was also investigated by MIGHT Paranormal in 2014.
If you are looking for a haunted place to stay or just grab a bite to eat, the Barbee Hotel & Restaurant is rich in history and steeped in mystery.
DEVIL’S BACKBONE
This 1-mile-long strip of State Road 25 in-between country road 400 West and 200 South just southwest of Warsaw, got its nickname, Devil’s Backbone, due to the large number of accidents that have occurred on this small stretch of heavily wooded, curving road. In 2019, it was reported that there were over 45 accidents in a period of 3 years on Devil’s Backbone.
It is also the birthplace of many local legends. Reports claim a horse drawn carriage crashed killing several children who can still be heard screaming today. Other reports claim to see an old woman walking the roadway who vanishes a few moments later. There are also reports of horse and buggies and even semis buried in the swamp area in the woods off the road, which have never been uncovered.
Regardless of the truth of these reports, it is best to use some extra caution when driving this winding bit of road.
THE NORTH WEBSTER COMMUNITY CENTER
The North Webster Elementary School, now the North Webster Community Center, is rumored to be haunted by a young former and student and also a former teacher.
Rumors claim that the young boy, wearing a blue sweater and khakis has been seen wandering the gym, turning off lights, and browsing books in the library.
The teacher is believed to haunt the second floor, where the clicking of her heals can be heard when no one in the building is walking. Lights often seem to turn on and off of their own accord, and doors and windows open and shut on their own.
WARSAW COMMUNITY PUBLIC LIBRARY
In 1916, a tunnel was unearthed beneath the Warsaw Community Public Library, where leg irons and shackles were discovered. This tunnel was believed to possibly be associated with the Underground Railroad. Ghosts have been reported to lurk in the lower levels of the library, specifically, a playful boy named George.
Stop in and look for a great summer read, while also keeping an eye out for any mischievous ghosts among the shelves.
With a mix of rich history, fascinating local legends, and mysterious ghost sightings, Kosciusko County is the ideal place for your next spooktacular adventure. Try exploring some of these haunted locations to get your adrenaline fix this Halloween.