Halloween’s spooky atmosphere causes many people to wonder about the supernatural history of Oswego and the surrounding area. October is a perfect time to dive into the haunted legends surrounding the town. But are there ghosts lurking in our midst? OH library director Andrew Mundsinger and OH senior Payton Mercil believe so.
Mundsinger, who grew up in the area and attended OH as a student, shared an intense story when he was a teenager and explored an abandoned mental asylum.
“And then we went down to the basement, and that’s when [[…]] all the hairs on the back your neck and your arms just got and it was just, it was like a dense feeling on you that you something it was not just a regular basement, [[…]] and that’s a feeling I’d never felt before, like just, like something was just like, on you,” Mundsinger said.
Mudsinger shared that his spooky experience in the abandoned mental asylum had him believing something supernatural was definitely with him there. Additionally, Mundsinger shared another spooky experience on the intersection of Orchard Road and Mill Road with his close friend seeing an old man who was walking around late at night which Mundsinger recalls looking like his great-great-grandfather.
“I see this old man every once in a while outside, and I’m like, Who is that in my backyard? And so I showed him one time a picture of my great, great grandfather. And he’s like, kind of looks like the dude and pictures. Who knows, right?” said Mundsinger.
Such unexplainable, and seemingly supernatural, events beg the question if there are actually ghosts out there. Many people have differing opinions, but Mudsinger’s ghost-like encounters strongly suggest there could be something out there.
“I definitely believe that there are things that we can’t explain [but] whether or not you’re trapped here or something like that, I do believe that there’s something,” Mundsinger said.
Of course, cemeteries are always seen as potentially haunted due to their obvious nature. Local legends and visitors reporting a sensation of being watched or feeling tense leads many people to believe something supernatural is present at the Oswego Township Cemetery.
“Definitely think that there are people who have investigated the downtown cemetery on Main Street and have taken pictures and come up with photos that are unusual,” said Mundsinger.
Another scary location Mundsinger mentioned was the curve on Plainfield Road, which has been prone to many car accidents. Many believe these accidents leave behind the spirits of people who were tragically lost.
“Probably the biggest ghost story or site that is in Oswego is Plainfield Road and Cherry Road where it comes in there’s a big curve right there,” said Mundsinger. “That’s the big ghost story where right there, people died in a car crash, and then they, like, wrote in their blood: ‘Help me!’”
OH senior Payton Mercil also shared a spooky experience of his own. Mercil was at a hotel by Riverside Pizza and was left very unsettled.
“All of a sudden like the temperature dropped instantly and [my dad and I] looked at each other and felt a strong pushing sensation like something was holding us,” Mercil said. “I hid under the covers until morning.”
Mercil believes something paranormal occurred and it was an intense experience that left him confident in the afterlife. “I wouldn’t know just by like looking at it [[…]] if you have certain tools to speak with spirits and then I feel like I believe it that way,” Mercil said.
According to some, a location just needs history to be haunted, while others say it requires much more than that. While the tragic passing of people is the leading prediction of paranormal experiences, it is ultimately left for each person to decide for themselves what would convince them.
“I would need to hear something or see something, right? I don’t know if, like, I’m walking in the woods and […] a branch falls, I don’t know if I could say, oh, that was something, right?” Mundsinger commented.
Oswego’s rich history and spooky legends make it prime for those curious about the supernatural world, especially during the month of Oct. Many experiences leave people with a new sense of the paranormal world, whether it be concerning abandoned mental asylums or ghost sightings on supposedly haunted roads.
While opinions differ on what is truly out there, in the end, it’s up to you to decide if they are coincidences, hoaxes, or truly something beyond our world.
I am a senior at OHS and a 1st year staff reporter for 42Fifty. I am involved in extracurricular band as Drums in Jazz 1 and pep band. To Contact me email 42Fifty@gmail.com with my name in the subject.
