St. Patrick Church and Cemetery

St. Patrick Church and cemetery is located in Kickapoo, Illinois. Built in 1837 this small, stone church was the first established Catholic church, and is the oldest in the state. The cemetery next to the church is the burial site for the Irish Catholic immigrants who resided in Peoria County. Back then, it was customary for the women of the town to prepare the body for burial. They would wash, dress and lay out the body on a candle lit table in preparation for the wagon transfer to St. Patrick's Church. After the mourners bid their farewells, the body was taken to to its final resting place in the cemetery. Following the burial, mourners would gather and feast on the grounds to celebrate their Irish Catholic faith.

Stories of supernatural activity have been reported here over the years. Passerby's say they have seen figures (dressed in 19th century clothing) picnicking in the cemetery and the spectre of an old man wandering the grounds holding a lantern up to the headstones at night. Legend says that a murder took place nearby, and it is the lost soul of the man, who was killed, searching for his wife.

Other notable Illinois haunts: Haunted Places in Illinois