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Something About Mckinley Park

 

I just moved to La Salle, Illinois almost 2 years ago. My cousin used to drive me past this park, during the day, and I always felt a little "weird" about it. I didn't know anything about the place until recently.

My cousin and I were playing ghost hunters and she sent me a link about McKinley Park, in Peru. I read the story, and so many more that I didn't remember the details when we drove past it one evening. (I thought it was something about a baby crying late at night) I had a strange feeling. A feeling of fear. I started to cry, and had shivers go up my spine. I told my cousin that there was something about the baseball field. I couldn't figure out, why a baby? It had to be someone older than an infant. A few minutes later, I arrived home, and searched the Internet again.

I found the story, regarding this park, and it said it used to be a school. A boy died in the basement; they tore down the school, and made it into a baseball diamond.

I drove past this park again, two nights ago, and I started crying, felt the worst fear I've ever felt, and immediately stopped my car. I told my cousin I couldn't go down the street. I reversed my car, and sped, as legally fast as I could, and got out of that area quickly!

I've never "seen" a ghost, or anything. I felt it's presence, and it didn't feel too good. I'm hoping this is all in my head so to speak, because I'm really scared to even think about going past there at night.

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The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, snowflake, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

snowflake (5 stories) (61 posts)
 
15 years ago (2009-11-13)
Update: I've done some research regarding the school, and yes. It was established that a school was to be built on the same exact spot the baseball field is. I'm not done with my research...
snowflake (5 stories) (61 posts)
 
15 years ago (2009-09-17)
vita,no the McKinley Park I'm referring to is located in Peru,Il. I was aware of the one you're talking about after I posted my story... Hbbyholly, yes LaSalle and Peru are really close together.
hobbyholly (11 stories) (572 posts)
 
15 years ago (2009-06-03)
vita180:

The park is located in Peru, IL according to the city's site:

Http://www.peru.il.us/index.php/Parks_and_Recreation/Parks_and_Recreation.html

McKinley Park
1701 Walnut Street
Peru,IL 61354

If I remember correctly from my days living out in Geneseo, the two towns La Salle and Peru are close to each other.
vita810 (1 stories) (3 posts)
 
15 years ago (2009-06-03)
I'm sorry but where is the park in LaSalle? I live in Chicago and there's a park named Mckinley also so I am wondering if it is the same one in your story
snowflake (5 stories) (61 posts)
 
15 years ago (2009-05-25)
Update. A Paranormal team came out last weekend, and the one told me his devices didn't show up anything, and he's waiting to hear from his partner. So far there are just some orbs at the park. They want to come back out, but at a later date. My cousin, her son, my son, and I went out there at midnight, and didn't see any flickering lights or hear any boy crying. Maybe we'll go again, just to double check...
snowflake (5 stories) (61 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-04-04)
Whitebuffalo, I understand what you're saying, I just don't understand why I felt the way I did upon visiting the park. I didn't read anything on it when I first saw the park, almost 2 years ago. I did read about it recently, about it being haunted, and I wanted to go see for myslef. I guess you can say I didn't believe the story when I first read it. Noone told me it was haunted, other than the website. I haven't been there late at night to determine if the lights flickering has any truth to it or not. I would like to, but afraid to be called to police attention,lol. (late at night, someone at the park etc) Yes, almost every site I come across says the same thing. One night, my family and I were coming home from dinner, and I decided to drive past this park (it was raining really hard, about 6-7pm, and I wasn't scared, I guess because I had family with me) Well, when I passed the park, I can swear I heard "help me, help me, I'm drowning". I wanted to save this little boy, but how can I save someone from drowning in dirt? Anyways... Recently my husband came across this site that said supposely a little boy drowned at the park. I told him, the sites never mentioned that he was "little", I said that, because that's what I felt. Well, I looked at what my husband found, and sure enough. It said a little boy drowned at that location. Now I'm totally confused. But it doesn't matter, because I know what I heard, and I know what I felt. I just wish my hubby, and I can find this site so I can show my cousin. (I told her about it, and regret not emailing her the link when I saw it) If I find it, I'll post it here for you to see. I could've sworn it was haunted destinations, but upon looking, it wasn't there...
Darren, thank you for your comment 😁 I believe every town/city has a "cry baby bridge",lol. It's just hard to decifer which one is the TRUE cry baby bridge,lol.
Darren (1 stories) (17 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-29)
It seems that there are more ghost stories about crybaby bridges than there are Taco bells. Stories of such places are what's sometimes referred to as backroads legends.

One theory about haunted baby crying sites is the "dumping of kittens" theory. However I tend to believe this story tenfold more than I believe the taco bell stories. My cat hates taco bell...mrs.finicky!
whitebuffalo (guest)
+1
16 years ago (2009-03-29)
According to http://www.communitywalk.com/illinoismysterysites, "At night the lamps may flicker as a boys crying is heard. Local legend says a school once stood here and a small boy was killed in the basement. He now haunts the playground."
Http://www.communitywalk.com/map/list/83116?order=0 states virtually the exact same words.
Along with the link that you provided, ALL of these links say just about the same thing. The "catch phrase" though, is "local legend". Meaning a story passed down from generation to generation (or class to class) and more than probably adding momentum as a haunted tale as some words have been added or deleted to make the story a bit more interesting.
In all of the documented haunted information sites for Illinois, the McKinley park is absent. In about one third of the story sites, there is a person who states almost carbon copy experiences to the first quote here.
To ME, a legend is much like folklore. Not substantiated in any fact, and therefore inadmissible in the court of law.
Which brings us to why you might feel an emotion in a place that seemingly has no reason TO be emotional.
I really could not tell you why you might have the same experience as so many others who had visited that park, maybe subconsciously you recalled the tale and it "stayed with you" for repeated visits.
I could find absolutely no verification that a school ever stood in that location. I only went back approximately a hundred years though.
Guess this may be just another one of those "Unknowns".
Thank you.
snowflake (5 stories) (61 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-19)
Vox, you may be right,lol. I've been trying to search this park, and even went to the library, and nothing! The library has info on the other parks in the area, but not this one. Supposely, there's a paranormal investigator that's interested in this story, and is going to set up a date, and time to come take a look. I'm kind of hoping it's all in my head, because it was scary, but then again, I hope not! Because people will think I'm crazy,lol. As for the story, I read the whole page, everything in the link, and didn't recall the story about the park until after my scare. I thought it was something about a baby crying... When I arrived at the park, I didn't sense a baby, so I couldn't understand why the story was a baby crying. When I got home, I looked it up, and that's when I thought I was right. It wasn't a baby crying, it was a boy, and a school. I'll let this investigator check it out, and see what he says. I told him about my expierence, and also stated it might be in my head, but he wants to check it out anyways...
VoxMortuus (1 stories) (93 posts)
+1
16 years ago (2009-03-17)
Thanks for the URL, snowflake. However, here is what I got from the site that talks about a "school" at one time on what is now the ballpark:

----------

Andy wrote, "I live in Peru and this is an old story that I've heard since I was a kid. Right on the line of where Peru meets Lasalle is LP high school. Well, up the road north of the stadium (the woods connect it) is Mckinley park. It's the town hotspot for sledding and has a Softball diamond. Well, two of my friends lived across the street from the park right next to each other (the one kids house was haunted). The one friends dad told us a story of how there used to be a school on the grounds before the park. I guess a little boy was killed in the basement of the school. The school was torn down and they built the park. Every night at midnight, the street lights flicker and you can hear a little boy crying and screaming."

-----------------------

So, it was one guy's story, with no verification of any kind. I dug into all sorts of records for the history of Peru Ill., and couldn't find any relating to a school that once stood on McKinley Park grounds. I'm just saying that sometimes stories get the momentum of fact and people just accept them as truth, when they may well not be.
kittythatsme (4 stories) (28 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-16)
I would say it is a good chance just knowing something happened there makes you emotional. But then again, you never know.

I hope you can overcome it and drive down that street without the sadness.
Keep us updated. Have a great day...
snowflake (5 stories) (61 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-15)
Question. Has anyone heard of a guy named Bill Kohler? He's suppose to be a paranormal investigator? Is he well known? Thank you...
snowflake (5 stories) (61 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-15)
Pumkin, I thought that's what I read. I have a link of haunted places in the state of Illinois. I've read so many that I was confused as to how this story went. I thought it was a crying baby. But when I got to this park, I didn't feel a baby. I felt a person older than infancy. I felt it was a boy, about 7-8 years old. When I got home, I looked it up again, and sure enough I was somewhat right. It was a boy, age unknown though...
pumkin5198 (guest)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-15)
I think your story is really scary. I think it was smart of you to get out of there when you did. I also think you should try to figure out why you felt like a baby crying. But be careful when you investigate so that you don't bring an evil spirit into your life.

Good Luck
snowflake (5 stories) (61 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-15)
Erickson, I think you're right,lol. But when I went before reading this link, I felt wierd about the park. Like there was something that happened or whatever, that I didn't know about until now. I read the story a year and a half after my last visit. I don't really have any business being in that area to be honest. I don't live there, and I don't accompany my cousin in that area anymore. I wasn't sad when I cried. I was actually feeling fear. I was terrified of something when I went there. (after I read the story, which I read wrong) My question is this. Why would I not remember how the story went, go to the park, freak out, and say there's something wrong with the baseball field, come to find out I was right. There was something "wrong" with it, and when I went there last night, I was fine? I did have a "talk" with the ghost on Friday afternoon. Maybe that's what solved my fears, that's why I was fine last night. My husband said it could be all in my head, but I swear, I felt terrified prior to last night's visit! Any comments to this message, please?
Tonith (1136 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-15)
Power of suggestion? Possibly. I think the experiment you want to conduct would be a good way of finding out if it's a psychic impression or suggestion. They say we all have psychic power and it can be developed. I just think some are naturals while I would think most of us would have to work on it. Good luck and let us know how your experiment works out.
Erickson (10 posts)
+1
16 years ago (2009-03-15)
You said you used to go by the park before and feel "weird". Not until you read the story from that link that was sent to you did you start crying when you went passed. This sounds more like power of mind more than anything. Maybe the feeling you felt was paranormal and maybe you did feel this ghost or whatever it is. You said you cried, which sounds more like sadness than fear. Which would mean that maybe it's not evil, maybe it's just a scared lost child's soul that is sad and that is what you felt. I still go with the afformentioned explanation of mind. The story you read allowed you to put some sort of explanation to the feeling you felt before, making it much more intense than it should normally have been.
Verleus (3 stories) (26 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-15)
ya,but I doubt if a small kid's spirit cn ever be evil... Or it could be a demon which tried to lure you by taking the form of a kid-demons are said to do that... You were brave to go there again
Anyways.take care,
Verleus
snowflake (5 stories) (61 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-14)
Ok, I went. Eyes were closed, and I brought my Jesus picture with me. I was fine. I went again, with eyes open, Jesus picture was with someone else in another car, and again, I was fine. So it's either all in my head, or the Jesus picture was still "with me", or it's because I had a "talk" with whatever it was that scared me on Friday, that eased my fear... Any comments would be appreciated. Thank you.
snowflake (5 stories) (61 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-14)
Update: I'm suppose to go there tonight. But with my eyes closed. My cousin's doing the driving, but she's not going to go the same route we usually take. If she does, then how will I know it's this is real or not?,lol. So... Wish me luck... Oh, and I'll have it all on video too.
snowflake (5 stories) (61 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-14)
Verleus, I'm not sure either. I want to think it's evil, because I was really freaked out. I freaked out everyone in my car! But then again, maybe it was trying to "tell" me something, like I should help him or something, and therefore I think it's evil...
Verleus (3 stories) (26 posts)
-1
16 years ago (2009-03-14)
looks like therez a spirit in that park, but one couldn't be sure if its good or evil... No problrm if you don't visit that place at night
snowflake (5 stories) (61 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-14)
Voxmortuus, here's the link

Http://www.ghosttraveller.com/Illinois_lasalle_peru.htm

This is a list of haunted places. Scroll down until you find McKinley Park.
VoxMortuus (1 stories) (93 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-14)
I couldn't find a thing on the history of McKinley Park, let alone an old school on the modern ballpark grounds. Can you give us the link (s) you found for that information? Thanks.
snowflake (5 stories) (61 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-14)
Oh, Katiechan. I didn't mean to freak you out or anything. I'm not trying to freak anyone out, or stop them from going to this park. This is my expierence with the park. My cousin didn't feel "wierd" or anything. I think I'm the only one so far. I have yet to hear of anyone else getting the creeps about it...
snowflake (5 stories) (61 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-14)
Honestly, I have no business being there, regardless of time of day. But since I had this scare, I'm really curious now, why am I so scared? What is it about this park? I can go there during the day, but I'm cautious about it. I'm not as freaked out as I am at night. When I'm ready, I was going to go there, during the day of course, and leave a tennis ball in the field, and see if it's still there the next day. But that might be silly,lol. I think I know how to see if it's "all in my head". My cousin agreed to drive me there, when I'm ready, with my eyes closed. And she's going to drive a different route to get there.
raingrl01 (5 stories) (151 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-13)
That is very creepy. Feeling a spirit is scary. I feel them frequently and I am always on pins and needles. You never know when you will feel that way. If you felt scared then it's probably good that you got out of there. Maybe you and a few friends could go out there in the day time and place a digital recorder somewhere and leave it over night. A digital recorder will turn on ONLY when there is something to be recorded. Then you can go back the next day and get it. I would do that. Good luck and let us know if you decide to do that. 😊
KatieChan (3 stories) (63 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-13)
Wow...That's a sad story. I'm never going to go to that park for sure! I'm glad you got out of that park! 😕
hobbyholly (11 stories) (572 posts)
 
16 years ago (2009-03-13)
I've read a lot about Peru/La Salle. I lived in Moline IL for some time.

ANWAY: I know a little about the myths and stories surrounding McKinley Park. Its chilling. Hopefully one day you'll be able to drive in the area without feeling so awful.
Togetic (1 stories) (12 posts)
-1
16 years ago (2009-03-13)
Wow that very scary. So you never went into the baseball feild 😕 I wouldn't go in there

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