Spooky Rockford Two

The sequel to ""Spooky Rockford,"" this book dishes out more spooky stories in the Rockford, Illinois area. It includes non-fiction from Sheri Darnell, Diane Hill, Gary Hill and John Kleindienst along with one fiction story from Mike Korn. Two black and white photo galleries (Tinker Swiss Cottage and Rockford cemeteries) are also included. The stories included are: A Spirited New Year's Eve by Gary Hill Tinker Swiss Cottage: One of Rockford's (Haunted) Treasures by Diane Hill Robert Hall Tinker: A Brief Biography by Gary Hill Rockford's Elusive Ghost by Sheri Darnell Rockford's Scandinavian Cemetery: Is It Haunted? by Gary Hill Bachelor's Grove: An Addendum by Gary Hill Hope & Anchor English Pub: Are the Spirits Being Poured the Only Ones There? by Gary Hill The Coronado Theater: A Legendary Haunted Location by Gary Hill A Personal Experience by John Kleindienst Lucerne's Fondue and Spirits: Yes, The Name Has Two Meanings by Gary Hill Necropolis by Mike Korn

This book, as the title suggests, focuses on tales meant to be at least a little scary and all set in the greater Rockford, Illinois area (stretching as far afield as the Southern Chicago area). It includes non-fiction, fictionalized non-fiction and fiction stories. Including contributions from Heath D. Alberts, Ernie Fuhr, Diane Hill, Gary Hill and Kathi Kresol, this collection also includes lots of photos.

Follow local historian and “Ghost Lady” Kathi Kresol as she researches the spirits, curses, and curiosities from the Forest City’s shadowy past. Just beneath the glossy surface of Rockford’s rich heritage lies a dark history of tragedy, a troubled and turbulent past leaving scars that still resonate today. Geraldine Bourbon’s final struggle echoes throughout the farmhouse where her estranged husband pursued her with a pistol from room to room before gently laying her corpse on the bed. The sobs of society darling Carrie Spafford still keep vigil over the family plot of the cemetery where she sowed the heartbreak of her twilight years. From the vengeance of Chief Big Thunder to the Witch of McGregor Road, author Kathi Kresol shares the legends and lore of Rockford’s haunted history. Includes photos! “There are reasons why Kathi Kresol believes Rockford is so haunted. The tour guide said there are good ‘conductors’ for the supernatural in the city’s downtown area. These factors include being near a body of water, having limestone in the area and the area having a Native American influence.” —Beloit Daily News

Just beneath the glossy surface of Rockford's rich heritage lies a dark history of tragedy. The city's troubled and turbulent past left scars that still resonate today. Geraldine Bourbon's final struggle still echoes through the farmhouse where her estranged husband pursued her with a pistol from room to room beofre gently laying her corpse on the bed. The sobs of society darling Carrie Spafford still keep vigil over the family plot of the cemetery where she sowed the heartbreak of her twilight years. From the vengeance of Chief Big Thunder to the Witch of McGregor Road, author Kathi Kresol shaes the legends and lore of Rockford's haunted history.--back cover

Ghost stories from the City of Gardens have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery! Welcome to the spooky streets of Rockford, Illinois! Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. Did you know the Burpee Museum is haunted by the ghosts of years past? Or that if you take a cruise down Blood Point Road, you may be chased by haunted hounds and a pickup truck determined to run you off the road? Have you heard the of the witch who kidnapped children as an act of vengeance? Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Rockford forever, and have you sleeping with the lights on!

Haint Blue: The Rockford Haunting, Part Two explores the incredible true story of the Voodoo Preacher, Willie Maxwell, a minister accused of murdering his family for insurance money in the 1970s, and chronicles the chaos that envelopes the authors' lives after they uncover a link between the Maxwell case and the Rockford house the Scott family lived in during a terrifying haunting in 2012.

Rockford rightly prizes its prosperous heritage, earned by manufacturing concerns like the Rockford Watch Factory and the Manny Reaper Company. But the town once named Midway also harbors a history of crime and calamity. Gunfire broke out in the streets when networks of Prohibition informants slid sideways. In 1893, John Hart forced his own sisters to drink poison. Three years later, James French shot down his wife in the street. Over the years, a courthouse collapsed, a factory exploded and trains collided. Join local historian Kathi Kresol as she explores the mayhem milling about in Rockford's past.

The haunted and haunting stories of this book come from a variety of people and places, persons who reside in sleepy, practical neighborhoods scattered all throughout the Rock River Valley and over most of north-central Illinois.