Ridgeway Ghost

Last updated

The Ridgeway Ghost is a ghost of Wisconsin folklore.

Contents

Legend

According to legend, the Ridgeway Ghost is not only a ghost, but a “phantom that could change its appearance at will.” [1] Anecdotes include people claiming to have seen the ghost of a man with a whip, walking with them or chasing them, [2] domestic animals such as dogs, sheep or other farm animals, and various human forms, “including a headless horseman,” and a young or old woman. [3]

Regional folklore holds that the Ridgeway Ghost is a combination of two brothers who had the misfortune to be murdered as a result of a bar brawl sometime in the early 1840s [1] and was sighted anywhere from the village of Blue Mounds to the town of Dodgeville in Iowa County, Wisconsin a 25-mile stretch of old mining road, since the 1840s. [4] Sightings of the “Ridgeway Ghost” supposedly escalate in cycles about every 40 years, starting in the 1850s and occurring more frequently again in the 1890s, the 1930s and the 1970s. [5] According to the tale, Dr. Cutler of Dodgeville was the first to announce seeing the Ridgeway phantom, claiming that it appeared on the pole of his wagon as he was riding home one night past the house of the deceased. A man named John Lewis claimed that some “supernatural agency” was the cause of his ailments is said to have died as a result of seeing the Ridgeway Ghost, as are other unnamed individuals. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghost</span> Supernatural being originating in folklore

In folklore, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or non-human animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes to realistic, lifelike forms. The deliberate attempt to contact the spirit of a deceased person is known as necromancy, or in spiritism as a séance. Other terms associated with it are apparition, haunt, haint, phantom, poltergeist, shade, specter, spirit, spook, wraith, demon, and ghoul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dodgeville, Wisconsin</span> City in Wisconsin, United States

Dodgeville is a city in and the county seat of Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,984 at the 2020 census, making it the county's most populous city. Dodgeville is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Ridgeway is a town in Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 563 at the 2020 census. The Village of Ridgeway is located within the town. The unincorporated community of Hyde is also located in the town.

Jane Farwell was a Wisconsin-born American folk dance and recreation leader. She specialized in Scandinavian dancing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln's ghost</span> Ghost of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln

The ghost of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln, also known as the White House Ghost, is said to have haunted the White House since Lincoln's assassination in 1865. Lincoln's ghost has also been said to haunt many of his former residences in Springfield, Illinois, including his former law office.

James Sibley Watson Jr. was an American medical doctor, philanthropist, publisher, editor, photographer, and early experimenter in motion pictures.

Summerwind, formerly known as Lamont Mansion, is a ruined mansion on the shores of West Bay Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. Located on private land, its ruins are closed to the public. A number of urban legends and ghost stories in popular culture have contributed to its reputation as a haunted house.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black dog (folklore)</span> Mythical creature of British folklore

The black dog is a supernatural, spectral, or demonic hellhound originating from English folklore that has also been seen throughout Europe and the Americas. It is usually unnaturally large with glowing red or yellow eyes, is often connected with the Devil, and is sometimes an omen of death. It is sometimes associated with electrical storms, and also with crossroads, barrows, places of execution and ancient pathways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghost train</span> Folklore trope

In ghostlore, a ghost train is a phantom vehicle in the form of a locomotive or train. The ghost train differs from other traditional forms of haunting in that rather than being a static location where ghosts are claimed to be present, "the apparition is the entire train".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herbert G. Squiers</span> American diplomat and soldier

Herbert Goldsmith Squiers was an American diplomat and soldier, who served as the U.S. minister to Cuba (1902–1905), and Panama (1906–1909) and a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dodgeville School District</span>

The Dodgeville School District is headquartered in the city of Dodgeville, Wisconsin. It serves students from Dodgeville and Ridgeway. It consists of three schools - one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school. The elementary school covers pre-K through 5th grade. The middle school serves grades 6 through 8, and the high school 9 through 12. A second elementary school, Ridgeway Elementary School, was previously located in Ridgeway but closed at the end of the 2020 school year after being consolidated with Dodgeville Elementary School.

Tales of ghosts from the American Civil War have been popularly shared since its end. Among the locales that have become known for Civil War ghost stories are the Sharpsburg battlefield near Sharpsburg, Maryland; the Chickamauga battlefield in Georgia; Harper's Ferry, West Virginia; Buras, Louisiana; and Warren, Arkansas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theodore W. Goldin</span> US Army Medal of Honor recipient

Theodore W. Goldin served in the United States Army during the American Indian Wars. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

In Appalachian folklore, a "Woman in Black" is a supernatural figure appearing in various regions throughout the southern and western United States in the early to mid 1900s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghostlore</span> Genre of folklore concerning ghosts

Ghostlore is an intricate web of traditional beliefs and folklore surrounding ghosts and hauntings. Ghostlore has ingrained itself in the cultural fabric of societies worldwide. Defined by narratives often featuring apparitions of the deceased, ghostlore stands as a universal phenomenon, with roots extending deeply into human history.

References

  1. 1 2 Norman, Michael and Beth Scott. Haunted Wisconsin. Trail Books, Black Earth, Wisconsin, 2001. p. 206-207.
  2. ↑ Brown, Charles E. “The Ridgeway Ghost: Stories of this famous phantom of the Old Military Road.” Wisconsin Folklore Society. Accessed October 31, 2010. p.3-4.
  3. ↑ Norman, Michael and Beth Scott. Haunted Wisconsin. Trail Books, Black Earth, Wisconsin, 2001. p. 206-208.
  4. ↑ "[cover]". content.wisconsinhistory.org. Archived from the original on 2022-07-28. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  5. ↑ Boyer, Dennis. Restless Spirits, Prairie Oak Press, 1997. p. 46-47.
  6. ↑ Curtis, W.A. “Some Wisconsin Ghosts” The New York Times. December 2, 1902. Accessed November 4, 2010. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1902/12/07/117984825.pdf Archived 2024-05-18 at the Wayback Machine
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.