The Sand Hill Cemetery has the unfortunate reputation of being haunted. The location near Caryville, Wisconsin, isolated on a dirt road leading to the edge of a rural bluff, is scary. But is it haunted? Some say yes.
We were picnicking on the bucolic Chippewa River State Trail in 2017 when an older man appeared with a camera. After discussing the historic value of the site where we ate lunch, he regaled us with ghost stories surrounding the nearby Sand Hill Cemetery. He warned us that a demon named Blackie resided there, growling at all comers. The man said that on a recent visit to the graveyard, he witnessed a circle of dark figures wearing black swirling cloaks surrounding the grave of Baby, and performing an unnerving ritual. Some say they’ve seen children roaming the grounds, conversing with visitors. However, the children might not be alive. Gulp. So, what did we do after hearing these mysterious tales?
We finished eating and biking, then headed straight for the cemetery!
The abandoned cemetery sits on a ridge, and the isolation is off-putting. After hearing about the haunted tales from our new friend, my pulse raced as we approached the site in our vehicle. Luckily, it was during the day because some say the headlights of a ghostly vehicle will trail you at night and then mysteriously vanish. I wondered if we, too, would experience an assault on our car, as others have claimed. After parking, I shakily exited the car with my camera. Meanwhile, my husband refused to take photos with his phone.
I walked to the edge of the tombstones and just stood there, absorbing the country air. I wondered if I’d feel negative energy or undead whispers. I only felt a gentle breeze stir over the ridge line. The only sound was a rustle of pine branches. Still, I didn’t like it when my husband abandoned me to wait in the car. Even so, I felt compelled to finish my illicit photo safari.
Exiting the site, we noticed blood-red tags on this sign. I don’t know what the red tag signifies, but I assume it is a warning we didn’t heed—gulp.
When we got home, I asked my husband why he wouldn’t take any photos and why he abandoned me to wait in the car.
He said he didn’t want any spirits attaching to him like an invasive tick. I’ve always wondered, did we come home alone?
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Shivers running down my spine. I hope any spirits that came home with you have found their way back to Sand Hill by now. That place is seriously scary — a setting for your next book?
The tagging on the signs look like gang activity. No worries of the supernatural there. You didn’t feel any ghosts? Pity. Perhaps like me you’re ghost repellent. I’ve been in some very haunted places, but I’ve never seen a ghost. Too bad.
Wow a spine tingling post!
I find myself getting increasingly irritated by graffiti, especially after a visit to Lyon in France… where it seems that nothing is sacred or historic or valued enough to avoid the vandalism. Sad.
I’d have loved to visit that cemetery. I find them soothing and a way of connecting to the past.
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Spine-tingling and well-told!
I’m guessing the red paint if just brighter and more visible, or all they had on them at the time. The interesting thing is BABY is a new tombstone. I had thought it was a historic site. I love that your husband didn’t want to push it. I was told I could go into the cave by the guide in New Caledonia but he wouldn’t because of the black magic. I declined and he laughed at me (for being superstitious). I said the black magic stories probably started after some kid drowned in there or got lost in there and died….a lot of supersitions are to create fear for safety reasons…or they’re real and who wants to go asking for that kind of trouble!
Dear Sharon, I don’t think it’s an unfortunate reputation when a place is said to be haunted. It’s more like advertising. Many people are attracted to haunted places like Rose Hall Great House in Jamaica or the Finca Sanatorio Durán in Costa Rica etc. and so there are guided tours and money is made with a place that would probably attract less interest without ghost stories… The place doesn’t look haunted to me, but rather very lonely – so few gravestones, in large distances, most of them old, only the one for “Baby” (whose baby?) seems modern… In any case, your Sandhill Cemetery photos show an interesting mood, black and white suits it very well!
All the best and have a nice weekend, Traude
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Gaensehaut indeed.
This kind of thing intrigues the heck out of me. I’ve seen some possibly strange things in cemeteries over the years pursuing geocaches in them. I did a search and there are no caches in your cemetery but there a several in other isolated cemeteries nearby.
I was doing some research and found this blog post
https://thechorusofthecrows.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-spooky-sand-hill-cemetery.html