038 The Old Chicago City Cemetery and Haunted Lincoln Park

Couch Tomb at Lincoln Park
https://seeksghosts.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-ghosts-at-lincoln-park-zoo.html

Is the site of the Old Chicago City Cemetery Haunted?

Is the site of the old Chicago city cemetery haunted? In Ghostly’s thirty-eighth episode, Pat and Rebecca are joined by Bob After Dark and paranormal historian Jack Blu to tell the story of the old Chicago City Cemetery and haunted Lincoln Park. When Chicago decided to relocate the city cemetery in the mid-1800’s, they didn’t move all the bodies. Today, those bodies are still there under Lincoln Park with a lot of ghostly reports all over the park, including the Lincoln Park Zoo. Are they true?

Questions Explored in this Episode

What was the old Chicago City Cemetery? Where was it? Why was it moved? Why weren’t all the bodies moved? What is Couch’s tomb, and what do we know about it? Where are their ghost sightings? Who are the ghosts people claim to see? What paranormal activity happens around the park, especially at the Lincoln Park Zoo? What happened at the Ulysses S. Grant statue? What was the suicide bridge? Is Lincoln Park haunted?

Listener Mail and Questions

Listener mail from a special listener tells of spooky happenings close to home. Have a story or question of your own (or someone you know)? Send your story or question to info@ghostlypodcast.com and we might read it on the podcast. You can also email us individually at pat@ghostlypodcast.com or rebecca@ghostlypodcast.com. You could be on a future episode of Ghostly!

Photo from Listener Mail Photo Credit: Patrick Harrington

Ghost Story of Lincoln Park

Listen to Rebecca tell a story based on the sightings of a woman in white at a ladies in Lincoln Park Zoo.

History of the Old Chicago City Cemetery

Listen to Pat give the fascinating history of the old Chicago City Cemetery. It was a popular place until a doctor realized that having bodies so close to the lake might not be good for the water supply. Chicagoans also decided they’d rather have a park than a cemetery by the beautiful lakeside. Unfortunately, several factors, the most of important of which was the Great Chicago Fire, made it difficult to relocate the bodies. Couch’s Tomb is the only visible grave left at the park, and no one knows what or who is inside, and no one seems to have the keys to get inside.   

Time for the Debate on Lincoln Park Haunting

Restless spirits haunt the park. Or that’s what many visitors and workers at the Lincoln Park Zoo have claimed over the years. Paranormal activities continue at the zoo and around the park as well. Listen to the debate and you decide!

Vote on the Episode

Using the poll on our Facebook page, listeners can vote on whether the site of the Old Chicago City Cemetery is still haunted.  Just search for Ghostly Podcast on Facebook and be sure to Like us so you don’t miss anything.

Poll Results

Find out what listeners said for the William Henry Harrison episode. Does he haunt the White House, or is it just people hearing things? Still need to listen to our previous episode? Check it out here.

Done Listening to the Episode?

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We want to hear from you! We want your ghost stories or even your non-stories if you later realized you saw nothing paranormal. And send us your suggestions for stories to cover in the future. Email us both at info@ghostlypodcast.com or individually at pat@ghostlypodcast.com or rebecca@ghostlypodcast.com  Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at GhostlyPodcast

Sources for this Week’s Episode

Chicago Now: http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-quirk/2012/10/guess-what-there-are-thousands-of-bodies-under-lincoln-park/
Chicago Reader: https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/a-conservatory-a-zoo-and-12000-corpses/Content?oid=1109775
Great Chicago Fire.org: https://www.greatchicagofire.org/landmarks/city-cemetery-now-southern-end-of-lincoln-park/
WBEZ: https://www.wbez.org/shows/dynamic-range/the-secret-history-of-lincoln-parks-cemetery/cc177b5a-9b46-4637-b46e-6b2babb54e28
Karla Sullivan: https://karlasullivandotcom.wordpress.com/2018/10/11/lincoln-park-ghosts/
JMPressley: http://www.jmpressley.net/articles/history/lincolnpark.html
Seeks Ghosts: https://seeksghosts.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-ghosts-at-lincoln-park-zoo.html

Music for this episode performed by Michael Rivers
Intro: “III. Allegro moderato from Gargoyles” by Lowell Liebermann
Outro: “Dream Images (Love-Death Music)” by George Crumb
Bumper: “Ghost Waltz” by Lowell Liebermann

Special Thanks to Bob Anderson from Bob After Dark, Jack Blu, Chuck Load of Comics, The Chumpcast, ReedPop, and C2E2 for making this episode possible.