Bizarre History

Ghost Story From Chippewa: October 15th, 1908

Chad Lewis |

Paranormal investigator Chad Lewis
Paranormal investigator Chad Lewis

Ghost Story From Chippewa  

Writer Sent Out Sensational to the Metropolitan Press
Eau Claire Leader | October 15, 1908

Some penny-a-liner sent out the following story from Chippewa Falls regarding an apparition that is supposed to be lurking in the town of Washington: Chippewa Falls. Farmers of the town of Washington who have passed at night what is known as Lowes Creek hill, are confident it is haunted. Frequently they have seen a specter hovering above the creek, near the hill, and repeatedly pursued by it. At Times, the apparition plays jokes on the farmers by purloining some of their personal property as they pass. Usually these articles are found the next day in some out-of-the-way place. The last persons who had an experience with the “ghost” are Joseph Browning, Olwin Peloquin and Max Fredick.

Chad’s Take: Will the spirits of Lowes Creek ever be at rest?   

The above story is a follow up to an article titled Strange Happenings on Lowes Creek Hill that appeared in Eau Claire Leader on October 11, 1908, which I wrote about in this column last year. Inside the article I had included an email from a woman living in the Lowes Creek Hill area who was experiencing odd events. On the way to work, the witness stated that she had seen a mysterious woman roaming the side of the road. Little did this woman know, that she was not alone in her belief that strange things were brewing at Lowes Creek Hill.

I recently dug back into my archives and discovered another email from a woman who also lived out in the Lowes Creek area from 1972-1990. This woman told me that she was experiencing some paranormal activity near the home in the country where she had lived. Her family’s home was a very old farm house, and she was curious to know if the events she was witnessing were connected to the same spirit that was featured in the 100 year-old newspaper article. She wrote:

“I heard at one time that a farmer might have committed suicide there in the barn. But one night, my step mom and dad saw the light on in the upper part of the barn. They went to check it out and tried the light switch they thought would turn it off but it just wouldn’t turn off. When they shone the flashlight up near the light bulb, they saw that the electrical cord running to it was cut. It had no electricity running to it, but the light was still shining. We say that the old ghost farmer must have been up doing chores.”

During this time of year, with Halloween fast approaching, I get overrun with requests from people looking to find a haunted place in which they can visit to possibly have their own paranormal experience. Most are seeking a truly creepy place where they can scare themselves. I usually like to recommend places where numerous people have experienced unexplained events over a period of many years. Well known Chippewa Valley hauntings like Caryville, Elk Lake Dam, and Lakeview Cemetery will be extremely crowded with curious Halloween sightseers. If you want to break away from the masses and visit a place with over 100 years of activity, I suggest you venture out to Lowes Creek where you might just become the next on a growing list of people who believe that they are not alone while at Lowes Creek.

Keep an eye out…