TRANSCRIPT 🔗
Krystle: This is your first thing. And fares and no housekeeping items. Today's episode will be the last of our spooky series and then we will return back to our usual and typical programming and there's nothing else I just wanted to say thank you for supporting me and please like and subscribe and I just love Halloween you all just do not understand I'm excited about these new earrings I got they are Pennywise earrings and I meant to shout out the local woman that I purchased them from and I am so sorry if I am well I could not locate your cards so if you are listening because I know we exchange my podcast information please tag yourself somewhere so I can give you credit because they're really cute and they're really sturdy and they're very well crafted. So let's get into today's episode. We will be discussing the haunted sites in St. Louis, and St. Louis has a rich history of ghost stories, haunted mansions, and urban legends tied to its 19th century roots, brewery dynasties, and dark folklore. So our first place will be the Lemph Mansion. And if you are from the St. Louis area area, you already know this is a a staple. it is located at 30. De Manow Place in St. Louis, and it was once the home to the wealthy Lemp Brewing family. It is a 33-room Victorian mansion and has been tied to multiple family tragedies and suicides across three generations. Visitors and staff report floating objects, shadowy figures, ghostly footsteps, and orbs captured in photographs throughout the attic, basement, and stairway. The house now operates as a restaurant, dinner theater, and bed and breakfast. So there's a rumored limp curse, and it's just rooted in the timeline of these immense periods of wealth followed by extreme grief and sudden deaths. And the first victim of the limp curse was Frederick Limp, and he Was born November 20th, 1873, and died December 12th, 1901. And William J. Lemps, according to historians, this was his favorite son and the heir apparent to the brewery, and he died unexpectedly at 28 from heart failure, devastating the family. And as the favorite son, He was being groomed to eventually take over the family's massive empire. And his sudden death and at the age of 28 marked the beginning of the tragic downfall of the Lymp dynasty. Now his father, William J. Limp Sr., born February 21st, 1836. He died February 13th, 1904, and was a prominent German American beer baron who built the William J. Limp Brewery Company into an industrial giant. He established St. Louis' first major beer dynasty and transformed his local his father's local brewery, known as Western Brewery. and his father's name was Johann Adam Limp, and he turned it into a global Powerhouse, introducing advanced automation and pioneering nationwide coast-to-coast distribution. Despite building one of the greatest manufacturing fortunes of the 19th century, consumed by grief over Frederick and the death of his close friend Frederick Paps, Paps fear, if it's that rings the bell, William Sr. shot himself in a bedroom that served as his office. Now, the next victim to the quote-unquote limp curse was Elsa Limp Wright. She was born February 8th, 1883, and she died March 20th, 1920. She is William Sr.'s daughter and obviously a wealthy heiress, and she shot herself at her home during a period of marital distress. She was known to be headstrong and she's a free thinker. She was known to be active in the suffrage mission. And in nineteen ten she actively joined the movement and she founded the first suffragette society of St. Louis and she worked diligently to help women secure the right to vote. As far as other fascinations and interests, Elsa was deeply fascinated by spiritualism during its peak, and she hosted numerous seances inside the Lip Mansion and developed a close friend or friendship with Pearl Curran, the famous St. Louis woman who claimed to channel a historic spirit named Patience Worth. She's very adventurous too. She loved fast cars and she purchased three of the earliest race cars available alongside with her brothers. And she even braved a grueling voyage across the Bering Sea. Now, her marriage was very tumultuous. She was married to Thomas H. Wright, and they were married in 1910, and he was the president of the Moore Jones Brass and Metal Company, and he was at the time considered to be the most eligible. bachelor or she was considered apologies Elsa was considered the most eligible bachelorette in St. Louis and she reportedly paid for her own wedding and she wore an opulent custom worth original gown. But they separated in 1918 and she filed for divorce in February of 1919, citing coldness, neglect, and severe damage to her physical and mental health. So the separation lasted a little over a year before the couple suddenly reconciled and remarried in New York City on March 8th, 1920. They returned to their St. Louis home at 13 Hortense Place to find it overflowing with congratulatory flowers, then family and friends. But just 12 days after her remarriage on the morning of March 20th, 1920, the 37-year-old Elsa was found dead in her bed from a single through and through gunshot wound to the heart. While the coroner, they officially ruled her death suicide due to extreme depression and acute ingestion. The ruling had been shrouded in controversy and suspicion for over a century. And skeptics, historians, and true crime researchers. Point that several glaring red flags. So the first one, of course, always the financial motive. shortly before her death, as Elsa changed her will to leave her entire multi-million dollar estate to Thomas and just some investigative anomalies. There was a suspicious lack of blood at the scene and inconsistencies in police reporting and a delayed call to the authorities. An immediate and highly irregular in-room embalming of her body before a complete forensic exam exam could take place. Now, the next victim of the curse, William J. Limp Jr., he was born August 13, 1867, and he
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died December 29, 1922. And he served as the president of the William J. Limp Bruin Company. and he took the reins after his father's death in 1904, and his life was defined by immense wealth. high societal scandals, very sensational scandals, and then the collapse of his family's brewery upon the weight of prohibition and a fatal ending that mirr mirrored his father's suicide inside the infamous Lemp Brewery. When his father died by suicide in nineteen four, and Billy is what else I'll call him, he took over as the president of what was then one of the largest empires, but he lacked his father's drive and he allowed the facility to slowly he just wasn't trying to build the the company up. He wasn't he was comfortable with the status quo. He wasn't trying to make more money and he wasn't really trying to compete with rivals like Anheuser Busch. And when prohibition began choking the alcohol inju industry, Billy was just either it's no like firm evidence, but he was either unable or unwilling to pivot the business into alternative products. So he permanently closed the brewery gates on May third, nineteen nineteen and then he sold famous fall staff logo and the trademark two for the family for a very modest sum and then in june of 1922 a massive tin city block brewery complex that was once valued at seven million was auctioned off to an international shoe company for a fraction of the assets for the value of five hundred and eighty eight thousand dollars And then beyond the business, Billy was just a magnet for gossip due to his just hot mess of a personal life. And in 1899 he married Lillian Handian and she was a wealthy railroad supply heiress and she was known as the lavender lady for her absolute obsession with the color. And their dramatic mudslinging 1909 divorce became a national tabloid story. just due to the allegations of his reckless philandering. And seeking escape from the public eye, Limp purchased nearly 200 acres along the Merrimack River's Bluff, and he constructed a massive secluded country home named Allswell, A-L-S-W-E-L, completed by 1914. He moved there full-time with his second wife, Ellen Kohler. Retreating heavily from public life as his wealth and his temperament began to grow increasingly erratic. And on December 29th, 1922, deeply depressed by the financial destruction of his family's legacy and the final auction of the brewery, the 55-year-old Billy walked into his first-floor office at the Limp Mansion. He drew a 38-caliber revolver and shot himself in the heart just one floor away from where his father. Had committed suicide 18 years earlier, and he is buried alongside his family in the Grand Lemp Mausoleum at Belfonte sorry at the Bellefontaine Cemetery. Now Charles Lemp, 1949, on May 10th, he became the third prominent Limper. to die by suicide in the Limp Mansion. And at seventy seven years old, Charles Limp, he just he's the only one residing in the thirty three room mansion in the morning of his death. he shot his dog and then he took his own life in his bedroom using a thirty eight caliber, Army cult revival and he a revolver and he left behind a brief suicide note that's dated May 9th, 1949, and it says, In case I'm found, blame it on no one. Now, paranormal investigators and mansion tour guides estimate there are at least nine distinct spirits tied to the building. The most well-known hauntings include the monkey face boy. So visitors they report seeing a ghost of a young boy with a facial deformity in the attic. And legends say that he was an illegitimate hidden limp child who died in the mansion, and guests often leave toys for him. And then The lavender lady, the spirit of Lillian Lamp. William Junior's ex wife is said to haunt the lavender suite, her former bedroom, and a guest report a lingering scent of lavender or sudden temperature drops in the rooms. And then William Senior and William Jr. There's apparitions of both men. They've been seen in the former office space where they took their lives, unaccompanied by just really unsettling sounds, footsteps. Steps on the stairways, and then there's poltergeist activity reported, supposedly, too. So staff and overnight guests regularly document locked doors opening on their own flying objects, moving furniture, keys sliding across the bar, and a piano that plays by itself. Others describe feeling a physical pressure, such as a sensation of kicking or weights resting on their feet in the bed. Now I've never been. I'm very interested, but if you do, just know that there's reported ghost activity and you might not be eating dinner alone or you might have Extra guest with you, but definitely check out the limp brewery. It is a major St. Louis staple. Now, this is one I'm not familiar with, and this is new to me when I was doing my research. So our next place is Zombie Road in Wildwood, Missouri, and it's just a notorious local nickname for a historic path, and it's nestled in the woods of Wildwood, and it's roughly 30 miles west of St. Louis, and officially known today as Rock Hollow Trail. And is heavily intersecting with the A1 Foster Memorial Trail. It stretches about two to three miles through dense oak forests down to the banks of the Merrimack River. And it is widely considered to be one of the most haunted locations in the United States. And if you're planning to visit or want to dive into the lore, these are the things you will need to know. So long before it became an urban legend, the path served as a variety of practical real-world purposes as far as Native American footpaths. So the trail sits on top of or near major historic Native American roots and earthworks near the Merrimack River Valley. The Lawler Ford Road, so constructed in 1860. The gravel path was originally engineered to give travelers and industrial workers access to the river and nearby railroad tracks. And then the Kirk, the quarry era. In 1868, the Glencoe Marble Company used the trail and an adjacent small railroad to
transport harvested limestone and gravel, and heavy trucks used the road until the operation. Officially shut down in the 1970s. So the haunted lore and stories. the nickname Zombie Road emerged in the 1950s when the isolated gravel road became a popular spooky lover's lane and hangout spot for local teenagers looking to test their bravery. And over decades, several chilling layers of folklore have accumulate accumulated. So the zombie killer There's an urban legend that tells of a pale, gaunt patient named Zombie who allegedly escaped from a nearby mental asylum in the mid-20th century and took refuge in the woods attacking passerbys. Historical researchers have since verified that no such asylum ever existed in the area, but it is, you know, those rumors that just take flight of their own. And the ghost children, paranormal enthusiasts and filmmakers have claimed to capture evidence of an eerie shadow nest or ghost children playing in the woods, often linked to rumors of a forgotten historic orphanage or children's cemetery nearby. And Della Hamilton McCullough is another supposed occupant. One of the few fully documented tragedies on the trail occurred in 1876 when Della Hamilton McCullough, the widow of a local judge, was struck and killed by a train along the tracks. Paranormal believers claim her spirit still wanders the area clad in a white dress. Shadow people. Hikers and investigators frequently report a heavy sense of dread, rapid drop-offs in temperature, and distant human-shaped shadow entities that silently watch people from the tree lines before melting away. Now, as far as the modern day like realities and the regulations, if you want If you want to experience the path today, you will find it beautifully scenic, paved 10-foot wide, multi-use greenway, rather than a crumbling dirt path. It is an exceptional spot for daytime biking or hiking, but you must respect the strict path or strict park boundaries. Now this one is one of my favorite St. Louis historical sites just because I love The Exorcist. And our next story is The Exorcist House, the story of origin of where the original is supposed to be the brainchild of why we had the movie The Exorcist. So the location, it is located at 843-5 Roanoke Drive, Belnor. And it is a private home, and it is famous for the real-life inspiration of the 1949 demonic possession of a young boy who allegedly used a Ouija board. While it is a private residence today, the location remains one of the most infamous supernatural landmarks in American horror history. So the true story and the haunting, the case involved a 13 or 14-year-old boy, and he went by the pseudonym Ronald Doe or Robbie Mana Manahem, later identified to be Ronald Hunkler. Disturbances reportedly began in Cottage City, Maryland. after the boy used a Ouija board to try to contact a deceased aunt. And then on a flight to St. Louis, a medical and psychiatric test yielded normal test results and initial Protestant spiritual interventions failed. When the word Lewis was scratched itself deeply into the boy's skin, his family interpreted as a sign to travel to St. Louis, where he had relatives. And after initial Lutheran and medical interventions failed, the family they ended up moving and staying long term. And they decided to use the help of the Catholic Jesuit priest associated with the University of St. Louis, Missouri. And witnesses described violence incidents as th at the row note drive home and elsewhere, including scratching sounds on the walls, furniture moving on its own, a shaking bed, unnatural voices, red what words like hell, Lewis, and scratch into the voice skin on multiple occasions. And a Jesuit father's William Bowder. Walter Halloran and Raymond Bishop performed formal exorcisms across multiple locations, and the final most intense phase took place in the psychiatric win wing of the Alexian Brothers Hospital in South St. Louis. And eventually the rituals concluded on April 18th, 1949. After which the boy reportedly returned to a normal life, and he eventually works as worked at NASA. He now Never showed any signs of possession again. And he actually patented heat-resistant technology used on a pot on the Apollo mission shuttle, and he passed away in 2020 at the age of 85 without ever publicly speaking about his childhood ordeal. Now, skeptics and modern researchers have debated the validity of the possession, pointing to potential explanations like a severe mental illness, hysteria, or a clever teenage trickery, and the Alexian. Brothers psychiatrically was later demolished in 1978. Now, the real life case is again it directly inspired William Peter Blatley's 1971 novel and the 1973 horror film The Exorcist. And the house is like I said, it's not somewhere you can go to tour or anything. It is private, it is not open to the public. But Obviously, I'm sure they get plenty of driver-by people or people that are just curious. It's normal. And our next story is the Bissell Mansion, and it was built in the early 1800s by Captain Bissell, the historic home later is operated as a restaurant. And during the past renovations. Workers reported wine glasses mysteriously disappearing and breaking after hours. Contractors and visitors have frequently reported seeing a tall man dressed in all black watching from an upper floor window where no one should be. And the mansion was originally built in 1823, and it is considered to be one of the most haunted locations in St. Louis. And it's located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. And it is one of the oldest brick homes in the city. And has a storied past, which includes serving as an antebellum plantation, a Civil War era landmark, and a long-running murder mystery dinner theater. Its intense paranormal reputation even earned its feature on HGTV's scariest houses in America. Now, the reported spirits that are occupy occupying the mansion, of course, Captain Lewis Bissle, the original builder and veteran
of the War of 1812. witnesses frequently report seeing his apparition dressed in period military attire, and he's just patrolling the grounds and standing in the parking lot, staring up at the house as if he's still guarding his domain. The lady in white. And she's believed to be one of Bissell's wives, Mary or Mary Jane. And she is commonly spotted on the second floor or gliding down the original wooden staircase wearing a white gown. And she is notorious for playing harmless pranks. The tall man in black. So during recent renovations by the current owners, Kyle Wheeler and the Leia Jane, a new figure emerged. And multiple people have reported that. I find that fascinating. And it's a tall phantom figure dressed entirely in black and appearing in a specific upstairs window. The window has since been designated as a hot spot for activity. And an enslaved and fan or enslaved spirits and phantom children. So due to the property's pre-Civil War history, investigators also attribute some of the activity to spirits of enslaved people who worked the plantation, as well as phantom children heard playing or crying in empty rooms. Incidents. So when the mansion operated as a restaurant and dinner theater from the 1970s until its closure in 2023, employees were too routinely reported wine glasses would vanish from tables and bars, only to be found shattered on the floor after closing hours. And then poltergeist activities, silverware has been seen flying off tables, door slamming shut on their own, and heavy objects have mysteriously blocked doors. only to vanish moments later. And then the the sounds, I think that would freak me out the most. the current owner, Kyle Wheeler, noted hearing distance footsteps crossing the floorboards directly above him when the upper level is completely empty. And other owners or the owners reported that a motion detector alarm in the basement would trigger every night after they bought the property. Though they set up security cameras to catch the culprit, the footage shows absolutely nothing. And the alarm would abruptly stop the moment the owners physically entered the room. That is chilling. And then we have the Chase Park Plaza hotel. and guests and staff historically and have historically encountered her s sorry, apologies. I got all turned around there. So the most famous entities here, apologies, let's get back to it. The bride. The hotel's most tragic legend involves a beautiful red-haired bride who allegedly fell to her death from a high floor window or terrace on her wedding night in the 1930s. While some stories describe her In a white dress. Others call her the Lady in Red due to a vibrant dress. And her spirit is frequently seen on the third floor where she reportedly landed or where her room was located, staring out the window, pacing outside room three six, and suddenly appearing in a guest mirror. Chase Ullman, the Dapper Gentleman. So the spirit of the hotel's namesake and the original developer is said to remain tightly bound to his creation. Spotting him is easy but fleeting. He wanders the ground the grand lobby pillars and corridors late at night wearing a tuxedo and a top hat. Witnesses describe him as a silent, benevolent presence who simply roams to common areas after the daytime crowd thins out. And then there's a lady on the reportedly a lady on the elevator. So guests riding the elevator in the original Chase Tower often report a young stunning woman dressed in 1920s fat flapper attire. The figure appears completely solid and three-dimensional, sometimes smiling at fellow passengers. However, as the elevator goes up, the temperament drops drastically and she vanishes into thin air before the doors even reopen. The ballroom dancers, so staff members setting up for events in the historic ballrooms have reported looking up to see fleeting couples in vintage formal wear, dancing to music that no one else can hear. And that is it for all of our spooky sites in St. Louis. But if you are interested, please go check these places out. And I'd like to give credit to Go City Tours Limp Mansion website, The Darkness Haunted House, St. Louis, YouTube and St. Louis magazine. And again, this will be our last spooky episode for the spooky season. Thank you again so much for your time, and I will see you Thursday. Bye.