Welcome To Illinois: The Weirdness Of Williamsburg Hill.

All around our small insignificant planet there are to be found certain locations that many claim are imbued with certain mystical properties as well as paranormal phenomenon. A few examples include Glastonbury Tor in Great Britain. So many stories of the Tor (Which means Hill in Gaelic) and it’s lone sentinel, Glastonbury Abbey have been told over the centuries it has become almost immpossible to seperate fact from fiction. The Tor is said to be the burial site of the remains of the greatest of all Kings, Arthur who is said to said to ride forth on Christmas Eve to protect his beloved country. One other tale tells that Joseph of Arimethea established the first christian church in England and hid the Holy Grail somewhere in the church or buried it on the Tor. The Tor is also supposedly the doorway that leads to, Annwn, or the kingdom of the Fairie realm.

From France we are told that the water to be found at the grotto of the Sanctuary of Our Lady Of Lourdes has miraculous healing powers that are reported to heal everything from cataracts to cancer by just drinking the mystical water. Millions of pilgrims knock back a glass a year just to be made whole of whatever ails them. Sedona, Arizona is another place that is said to have properties that not only heal mind, body and soul but it is also considered a doorway into another realm of conciousness. Of course such locations and the reports that are told about them are highly subjective and have a tendency to be a little New Agey, but millions swear that some kind of positive influence is at work and has made a positive change in their lives.

These locations are amazing and do appear to have some kind of positive energy flowing through them would you believe that such a place exists in Illinois? The problem with our next and final entry in the state of Illinois is that this location does not appear to be blessed with the positive energy said to be at the above mentioned locations, Instead Williamsburg Hill in south central Illinois is said to be a beacon of all sorts of weirdness and negativity, sort of like the Sith tree on planet Dagobah in Empire Strikes Back.

Rising 810 feet above the the small ghost towns of Towerhill and Shelbyville, Williamsburg Hill is quite possibly the spookiest place in Illinois. So many reports of hauntings, strange creatures and UFOs have been reported here over the years it is difficult to pin down why Williamsburg Hill has such a bad reputation and such a bad attitude. Perhaps the trouble started sometime in 1839, when the town of Tower Hill was founded by Doctor Thomas Williams. When Doctor Williams first rolled into the area he was warned by the local Native American tribes that the hill and the surrounding area was a place of great evil and a home for all manner of evil spirits. Although the natives were afraid to step foot near the hill, Doctor Williams pretty much did what every other white devil of the day did, he ignored the warnings of the local tribes and established his town.

For a little over forty years, Tower Hill became a bustling metroplis of over two thousand people and enjoyed incredible prosperity thanks in part that the town was smack dab in the path of the busy stagecoach line that brought the rich, famous and sometimes infamous to the town. However like many other things the party was over in 1881 for the small town when the stagecoach line was retired and the new railroad completely bypassed the town. Virtually overnight the town of Tower Hill became a ghost town when many citizens felt they needed to be closer to the railroad and moved east to Vandalia. As of 1900 all that remained of the town were a few folks eeking out an existense, a Methodist church and a few shops that were quickly failing. The high times were over with a vengence for Tower Hill.

However as time rolled by folks who were seeking a more quiet genteel life began to move back to the shadow of Williamsburg Hill and this is perhaps when all the weirdness began. Many of the stories of terrifying apparitions are associated with the small overgrown cemetary that sits on the highest summit. Ridge Cemetary is home to the eternal remains of many of the early settlers of Tower Lakes and would have been completely forgotten if it were not for the vandalism that has been committed against the cemetary over the years and much darker rumors of occult rituals being practiced in the cemetary. Many folks have claimed to hear bizarre chanting coming from the hill and the sounds of humans and animals in distress.

Over the years citizens of Tower Hill have reported seeing strange and frightening apparitions on the Hill and near the cemetary. The apparition of an old man that is said to be mad has been frightening those brave enough to step foot upon the slope of Williamsburg Hill. The apparition comes screaming out of the woods and dissappears as before he can assault the witness. One citizen claims that she witnessed a ghostly funeral procession in the vicinity of Ridge Cemetary. The witness, who was a little girl at the time, said she watched as a group of black garbed figures materialized out of the fog following behind a black casket, she could hear weeping and sobs coming from the ghostly procession and watched as the party vanished into thin air before her eyes.

Others brave enough to explore the Hill and Ridge Cemetary have reported seeing large dark shadows and apparitions that attempt to entice people to committ suicide within the gates of Ridge Cemetary. One witness reported a strange occurence one day when her daughter caimed that the people who lived in the ground wanted her to come live with them. Needless to say such a terrifying experience caused the woman never to come near the cemetary ever again.

Other witnesses have reported seeing a tall, hairy, bipedal creature haunting the mists and forest of Williamsburg hill. Teenagers have claimed that as they were walking along the path they would catch fleeting glimpses of the Sasquatch like creature following along side them darting from tree to tree. Apparently the Hill may also be home to it’s very own dragon but of course this story is highly suspect and is probably not a true phenomenon associated with the hill.

Many citizens of the surrounding area have reported seeing strange bright lights hovering over or near the Hill leading many to believe that the hill is actually home to an alien base located deep with in the hill. One witness claimed to have seen a large red ball descend out of the sky and land on top of the Hill. The witness then reported watching as the large red ball took off from the Hill and flew over his car causing the car to stall.

When you read the stories and eyewitness accounts of the bevvy of bizarre phenomenon associated with Williamsburg Hill one can not help but wonder what has caused this seemingly innocent hill to have such a crappy disposition. Perhaps the Native tribes that warned Doctor Williams was right, maybe this place is cursed. Native American tribes lived very close to the earth and were well aware of places to avoid because they were believed to be an abode of really really bad things and Williamsburg Hill appears to be such a place.

One theory in the field of paranormal research is that certain areas are vortex or doorways to other dimensions from which spirits, demons and strange creatures from the ether region are able to gain access to our world. Many researchers believe that Williamsburg Hill is one such vortex and beings from other dimensions are able to pop in anytime they want either to say, hey what up dawg or scare the living shit out of people. One other theory we must consider about Williamsburg Hill is that all the phenomenon associated with the hill is pure crapola and the Hill is a victim of the ever popular Urban Legend. With this theory I must respectfully disagree, the phenomenon of Williamsburg Hill have been reported by very sane credible witnesses who have absolutely nothing to gain by reporting their experience infact, the folks who live around Williamsburg Hill would rather you not come around and stir up trouble, spiritual or otherwise.

I really hope that if you live in some other state and wish to experience the weirdness that is Illinois I truly hope that you will pay our little state a visit. However if you live in the Prairie state I suggest you get in your car and take a rode trip into the strange and unusual because there are more than just cows and cornfields in the state you call home. I really hope you enjoyed this peek into the weirdness of Illinois because I had fun writing it.

Rick E. Hale
t_seeker@hotmail.com