By Troy Taylor of Weird Illinois
Graceland Cemetery in Illinois was started in 1860 by real estate developer Thomas B. Bryan and it was located far away from the city proper along North Clark Street. Over the years, a number of different architects have worked to preserve the natural setting of its 120 acres. Two of the men largely responsible for the beauty of the place were architect William Le Baron Jenney and another architect named Ossian Cole Simonds, who became so fascinated with the site that he ended up turning his entire business to landscape design. In addition to the natural setting, the cemetery boasts a number of wonderful monuments and buildings, including the cemetery chapel, which holds city's oldest crematorium, built in 1893.
Graceland is home to several supernatural stories. One of these legends however, remains puzzling to both cemetery buffs and ghost hunters alike. It involves the strange story of the ghost who has been seen in the vicinity of the underground vault belonging to a man named Ludwig Wolff. The tomb has been excavated from the side of a mildly sloping hill at the south end of the cemetery and, according to local legend, it is supposedly guarded by the apparition of a green-eyed dog that howls at the moon. There are those who believe this creature is some form of supernatural entity, while others dismiss it as nothing more than a story created from the name of the man buried in the crypt.
There are two very different stories connected to "haunted" grave monuments in Graceland. While one of them has widely become accepted as a folk legend, the other one finds a surprisingly receptive, and believing, audience.
The first tale concerns the statue that was placed over the resting place of a man named Dexter Graves. He was a hotel owner and businessman who brought an early group of settlers to the Chicago area in 1831. He passed away and was buried but his body was moved to Graceland in 1909. At that time, a statue that was created by the famed sculptor Lorado Taft was placed on his grave. Taft christened the statue "Eternal Silence" but the brooding and menacing figure has become more commonly known as the "Statue of Death."
The figure was once black in color but over the years, the black has mostly worn away, exposing the green, weathered metal beneath. Only one portion of it remains darkened and that is the face, which is hidden in the deepest folds of the figure's robe. It gives the impression that the ominous face is hidden in shadow and the look of the image has given birth to several legends. It is said that anyone who looks into the face of the statue will get a glimpse of his or her own death to come.
Without a doubt, the most famous sculpture (and most enduring ghost) of Graceland is that of Inez Clarke. In 1880, this little girl died at the tender age of only six. Tradition has it that she was killed during a lightning storm while on a family picnic. Her parents, stunned by the tragic loss, commissioned a life-size statue of the girl to be placed on her grave. It was completed a year later, and like many Chicago area grave sculptures, was placed in a glass box to protect it from the elements. The image remains in nearly perfect condition today. Even in death, Inez still manages to charm cemetery visitors, who discover the little girl perched on a small stool. The likeness was cast so that Inez is seen wearing her favorite dress and carrying a tiny parasol. The perfectly formed face was created with just the hint of a smile. It is not uncommon to come to the cemetery and find gifts of flowers and toys at the foot of her grave. The site has become one of the most popular places in the cemetery, for graveyard buffs and curiosity seekers alike.
According to local legend, this site is haunted. Not only are there stories of strange sounds heard n
earby, but some claim the statue of Inez actually moves under its own power. It is said that Inez will sometimes vanish from inside of the glass box. This is said to often take place during violent thunderstorms and that she will roam the cemetery grounds, frightened by the storms.
Recent accounts say that occasional visitors to Graceland will spot a child who sometimes disappears in the vicinity of her monument.
There is a statue at Graceland Cemetery of a little girl named Inez Clarke. There is a glass box on her grave to protect the statue from the weather. It's not hard to find because people leave flowers and toys for her there all the time. There's a story that says that sometimes the statue disappears from the box and walked around the cemetery. I don't know if this is true or not, but supposedly it happened one night and was seen by a Pinkerton guard who was on duty at the cemetery. He was making his rounds and came by the box and found it empty. He had heard all of the stories and this scared him so bad that he quit. They say that other guards have seen it over the years too.
– Christy C.
