Why did hundreds of people line up, in the winter of 1980, bumper to bumper in rural Illinois, to catch a glimpse of a scantily clad phantom along Kennedy Hill Road? Did you know that a ghost of a homicidal mother still haunts the road near her former home? What is the real history behind Independence Grove and Devil’s Gate? When these questions and more are answered, you will never look at the history of Illinois the same way. This painstakingly researched book leaves no ghost unturned.
This book is the culmination of years of research, and it is accessable both to casual fans of the paranormal and anyone interested in Illinois history and folklore (or, what I like to call “folk history”). It’s fun, informative, and greatly entertaining. Even though I wrote the book, I became engrossed in it as soon as I got the preview copy in my hands. It’s not every day an author can say that!
The book is divided up into four sections:
Archer Avenue
Haunted Colleges and Universities
Rivers and Roads
The Abandoned
I promise you, you have never seen most of this information before! If you think you’ve read everything there is to know about Airtight Bridge from my previous writing, you are mistaken. Paranormal Illinois is the first and only book to contain the complete story, featuring interviews and first hand accounts by people who were involved with the case. This book also contains a detailed history of the abandoned schoolhouse along Shoe Factory Road, as well as camp St. Francis and “the Gate.”
Paranormal Illinois is available at several fine retailers, as well as a local bookstore near you. If you don’t find it there, ask them to order it! The book is also available online at the following websites:
Special thanks to Willy Adkins for inviting me to come and speak at the IGH Open House in DeKalb on Sunday. It turned out great, despite the poor weather. It was nice to finally meet Dale Kaczmarek, whose work has been indispensible.
Dale Kaczmarek and I
Kathi Kresol of the Haunted Rockford tour, Chad Griffiths of "PRI", and I
Willy Adkins of "IGH" and Afterlife Paranormal, and I
Diane Ladley of "Haunted Naperville" and I
And, as a bonus, Ursula Bielski, Scott Markus, and I at Ursula and Scott’s book signing at Horrorbles in Berwyn. On an unrelated note, my book Haunting the Prairie is now available at Horrorbles.
What is totalitarianism in fact? How does totalitarianism assert itself throughout the world? What ideologies support its growth?
A number of criticisms of this piece rest on misunderstandings of the definitions of the words I used. It’s not that the words are complex-the problem is that many of these words were once used specifically and are now used generally. I use their specific and historical definitions in order to be as precise as possible. So when I say “Unlike the three political parties of North Korea , political parties in the United States are not united in a common front” I mean something very specific. I do not mean that the Democrats and Republicans never cooperate, share common interests, shut out third parties, or aren’t often greased from the same source. A “front” refers to a political coalition or movement to achieve a particular end. That is its own type of animal. Wikipedia has some historical examples.
The question of totalitarianism is a serious one, and one about which we need to be more educated here in the United States. It would be a shame if we fell into totalitarianism without actually ever knowing what it was. That was the purpose of the question with which I opened the piece: If the United States came under the control of a totalitarian regime, would we recognize it?
The answer to that question for the average American is, of course, no. Many Americans might even cheer its onset, not understanding what it was. There are elements in the totalitarian system that appeal to everyone. The problem arrises when those elements are combined, and once they are combined, there is very little the common man can do to throw off its yolk. That was the tragedy of the Russian Revolution. They thought they were ending a tyranny, but what they brought about was 100 times worse than the monarchy ever was.
In our political struggle, whatever side you are on, we need to be very careful that we don’t let political rivalries destroy the precious little freedom we have left. Scoring points against your opponents should never come at the expense of our liberties-something that has happened all too frequently in American history. We so frighteningly close. It’s time to start backing away from the brink…
If you enjoy my writing, you should order One Voice, a collection of my earlier columns and editorials. You can order it from Amazon.com or from the website Raiseyourvoice.us.
Topics include Consumerism and its harm to our society, The importance of individual liberty, The importance of individual responsibility to family and community, Victim-mentality and why it is harmful to the individual, How to solve drug abuse without throwing everyone in prison, How we can apply ancient wisdom to modern life, And much more!
On Tuesday, February 9, 2010, at 9 PM Eastern US time, Tom will interview Mike Kleen from Black Oak Media. Tom and Mike will discuss the ideas contained within his insightful book One Voice and other issues vital to “Middle America.”
How to listen and/or download the show for free is listed at the bottom of this page.
Topics for discussion will include:
Postmodern deconstruction of Western Culture and how it de-beautifies a people’s art, architecture, towns, homes and their very lives. Mike discusses ways to add verve and vibrancy back to America’s local communities.
The unique Midwestern brand of legends and folklore, the messages among them and their effects on the local culture.
How self-reliance can be a repelling force to the continuing encroachment of the federal government into the lives of ordinary people.
The persistent threat of totalitarianism. How it creeps into a population’s mindset and takes over its organic institutions.
Self-sufficiency as a way out of America’s current economic-cultural malaise or what Mike describes as “Modern Feudalism.”
Listening and download instructions:
It will air on the Voice of Reason Broadcast Network. To tune in to the live feed for this and all VoR programming, click here to use Windows Media Player or here for Winamp. For iTunes: open iTunes, press Ctrl+U on your keyboard, copy/paste http://208.110.82.50/vor_high.pls into the Open Audio Stream dialog box, then click OK (you will now be able to listen to VoR live on iTunes any time by clicking on ‘Voice of Reason Broadcast Network’ in your music list). If you cannot catch it as it airs on Tuesday, the interview will be archived in mp3 format for download on Tom’s page at the VoR site soon after the show ends (archived shows are listed on the right side of page).
Own a signed and numbered limited edition copy of Haunting the Prairie before its official release! Only 20 copies available – $12.95 each
Sold Out!
“If you are reading this, you are part of a small but dedicated group of people who relish in the exploration of the unknown… I honestly hope that you visit the places listed in this book, and always remember, the point is to have fun, get scared, and learn something along the way…” – From the Introduction.
For over a decade, Michael Kleen, author of the Legends and Lore of Illinois and the forthcoming book Paranormal Illinois, has been researching and traveling to mystery spots all over the Prairie State. Now, he has created the most organized and comprehensive guide to haunted and legendary places ever written about Illinois. Haunting the Prairie is that guide.
Haunting the Prairie contains 130 mystery sites and 60 individual illustrations, plus the only bibliographic time line of paranormal and folklore research in Illinois over the past century. In Haunting the Prairie, Michael Kleen not only examines the sites, but also the hobbyists and professionals who have devoted their lives to exploring the strange and unusual in our great state. But that’s not all, this book also contains an extended and exclusive interview with paranormal investigator Larry Wilson about his documentary Strange Williamsburg Hill.
Divided among eight distinct regions and listed by county, each location features a description, directions, and sources drawn from a diverse variety of books and articles where the reader can find out more information.
Haunting the Prairie challenges you to get off the couch and start exploring our wonderful State of Illinois. You might be surprised at what you discover!
Title: Haunting the Prairie: A Tourist’s Guide to the Weird and Wild Places of Illinois
Author: Michael Kleen
Format: 9 x 6 x 0.5
ISBN: 978-0979040146
Publisher: Black Oak Press, Illinois
Number of Pages: 154
Publication Date: January 1, 2010
As we blindly sail farther into the twenty first century, we are just beginning to witness the unraveling of our economic foundations. Like the fabled HMS Titanic, the U.S. economy was thought to be invincible. And like the Titanic, our economy has drifted into dangerous waters and has mired itself on an iceberg. As long as nothing too large battered its hull—as long as American consumers continued to consume—it promised to sail amid luxurious comfort and extravagance. As the passengers laughed and played, none suspected that danger lurked just beneath the surface. Even as the mighty ship slowly sank, many were convinced that the end was not at hand, and its precious few lifeboats were launched half empty. Like the Titanic’s unfortunate passengers, we too may be left floating in icy waters.
It was, of course, our fault for taking the ride.
Along with our bloated, centralized and bureaucratic social regime, we inherited from the Progressive Era an economy in which the greased up hands of the local, state, and Federal governments have replaced Adam Smith’s invisible hand. Rather than alleviating the excesses of business, unwarranted government meddling has created a new kind of monopoly capitalism administered by a class of cheerful robots who work for a handful of executives who simply sit in boardrooms and collect checks without any loyalty to our country, their employees, or even their own companies.
These behemoths are not spread out over the entire nation, rather, their headquarters are concentrated in one or two major cities, doing violence to a nation hungry for jobs, not to mention freedom of speech and expression. When the majority of publishing companies, cable television stations, and record labels are centered in one city, such as New York, and owned by the same three parent companies, it would be naïve to believe that freedom of expression is not threatened…
During the Great Depression, a man who believed he was God came very close to achieving a measure of racial harmony in America. How did he do it? Through conspicuous consumption and the belief that salvation can come through sharing a feast. His success, although also attributable to charisma, was primarily the result of his skillful use of American traditions, traditions that appealed to a broad range of people regardless of race, class, or gender. He took familiar conceptions of religion, the work ethic, and the centrality of food and compiled them to form an attractive social doctrine familiar enough to the mainstream to attract millions of followers throughout his life, despite his eccentric pronouncements of divinity.
As you read about Father Divine on this Thanksgiving Holiday, think about how blessed we have been with the bounty bestowed on this county, and how the simple act of sharing food got us through one of the darkest periods in our history.
In the first part of this essay, we defined totalitarianism as the state-orchestrated dissolution of the private sphere, initiated by an ideologically-driven political organization with the goal of exercising total control over the population of a country. In the words of the father of Italian fascism, Giovanni Gentile, the totalitarian state seeks “total representation of the nation and total guidance of national goals.” While this control is most obvious and pronounced under a dictatorship, it is not entirely absent in democratic republics. A legislature may vote in favor of a totalitarian state just as easily as a dictator may impose one.
If the United States came under the control of a totalitarian regime, would we recognize it? This question is of utmost importance today, when many of us harbor fears that some time in the near future ideas such as freedom, liberty, and privacy will be alien to our society. But as we witness the regular passage of legislation designed to restrict and regulate, and the tendency of the Federal government to increase rather than decrease its power (with a handful of exceptions), we are struck by the uninterrupted routine of life in the USA. As the central government brings more and more of private society under its control, we continue to watch cable TV, shop at supermarkets overflowing with products, and eat at our favorite restaurants. Could it be that we have already passed that dreaded threshold and missed it?
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"The power for real change comes not from others, but from within. We can make the Midwest prosperous by working hard and remembering our roots as a free and industrious people." - Michael Kleen
Dear Mike, I am related by marriage to the woman found dismembered at the Airtight Bridge in Coles County, illinois in 1980. If there is anything i can do for you. Please contact me. I will help out as much as i can. I was surprised to find that you have touched on this matter greatly.
Eileen Steenburg
Friday, 6/27/08, 7:19 AM
Hi, It was a pleasure to meet you at Ashmore Estates in May. My sister and I will be going again July 12th.
Erin
Tuesday, 10/23/07, 7:17 AM
I went to EIU as well and did my student teaching in Kansas. I drove by the Ashmore Estates everyday and each time it freaked me out. It took me awhile to work up the courage to drive up to it, but I could never get out of the car... :/ I think it's awesome that you decided to put the stories down on paper. By the way, I think I remember seeing you around campus. Weird... Can wait to read the book!
Patti Murphy
Monday, 9/24/07, 10:28 AM
I teach 7th grade reading. We are concluding a unit on mysteries with research into unsolved mysteries and then some on supernatural mysteries. I had contacted Scott Kelley at Ashmore Estates about getting in touch with you to see if you might be willing to come speak with our students about the legends and lore of Coles County. If you are interested or would like more information, would you either email me or call XXX-XXXX? Thanks so much.
Karen Bergeron
Tuesday, 7/24/07, 11:40 PM
I was 16 and lived about a half mile from Knoch Cemetery in the oldest standing home in Morgan Township in 1980 when the Airtight Bridge murder happened. Three months later, a severed head was found in a yard in Murfreesboro TN. I've always wondered how this story turned out, as I left the area in 1982. I found you after returning from a trip to IL where I visited Knoch cemetery, as I spent many a summer afternoon there as a teenager. Your stories intrigue me and foster a new appreciation for growing up in that area. I'm wondering if you have pursued this story any further? I'd like to know the name of the victim. Hope to hear from you, I'm a writer of sorts as well. Congratulations on your appearances and gatherings, keep up the good work.
Lori Misner
Sunday, 6/3/07, 9:06 PM
Just happened across your site. I was looking for information on the body found at Airtight Bridge. I was a little girl when it happened and it always got my curiosity. And it scared me alot. Just looking to get more info cause I don't remember alot about it.
Michael Kleen
Saturday, 12/16/06, 3:05 AM
Hi Michael, seems there are a few more people who own the name :-) I'm glad to see that you are like me a member of a culture acting against mainstream and you are a subtle writing author. Sorry but my works are written in german ;-) Your photographs are also fantastic... their fog-like surreality let me think again about H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe and the mighty feeling of the old topos of vanitas. I am a historician of the middle ages (studied in Münster, Germany). If you have time and interest feel free to email to me. Greetings from Germany.
Kyla Nance
Tuesday, 10/31/06, 2:16 PM
Hey mike, just checking things out...haven't done to much site exploring just yet, but i saw the sign in and wanted to say hey. I sent an email, check it out. See ya round. Kyla
David
Tuesday, 10/24/06, 1:58 PM
Very interesting site. After visiting the "haunted house" at Ashmore Estates this year, it makes me wish I had visited it before it was revamped into a "fun house" type arena. If you have any additional info on it's history or any of it's patients, please contact me. I'm just really interested in it all. Thanks.
Nancy (Andrews) Swinford
Wednesday, 10/11/06, 7:04 AM
The Coles County Farm (Ashmore Estates)was my home when I was growing up in the late 40's and early 50's. My father and mother ran it for the county. I have many memories of it when it was a much needed home for people who were without family or just simply needed a home to live in. This was before all the fancy nursing homes that we have today. It was a properous farm and produced much of the food that was needed to feed the inmates as they were called back then. I am rambleing to much. So have fun with the haunted house.
Corey Taylor
Saturday, 6/3/06, 10:46 AM
Michael... I love your site, particularly regarding your discourses on voting and bullying, but I'm very interested in Ashmore Estates and would like to discuss it (and I expect much more) with you. Please get in touch with me!
Scott Kelley
Thursday, 5/25/06, 5:34 PM
Michael, I love your Volume 4. Can you contact me. I have plans for Ashmore Estates that may interest you. Scott Kelley-The Spookmeister-The Haunting of Elsinore.
Jenna Smith
Monday, 10/10/05, 11:31 PM
i enjoyed the reading, mike... very interesting...you have a lot of talent...bye
Brian
Friday, 7/15/05, 6:52 PM
If Mike were a woman, I would definitely bear his children.
Why did hundreds of people line up, in the winter of 1980, bumper to bumper in rural Illinois, to catch a glimpse of a scantily clad phantom along Kennedy Hill Road? Did you know that a ghost of a homicidal mother still haunts the road near her former home? What is the real history behind Independence Grove and Devil’s Gate? When these questions and more are answered, you will never look at the history of Illinois the same way. This painstakingly researched book leaves no ghost unturned.
Posted by makleen 
If you enjoy my writing, you should order One Voice, a collection of my earlier columns and editorials. You can order it from 
A classic from the 
“Feasting at God’s Table: Father Divine, Conspicuous Consumption, & Racial Harmony.”
If the United States came under the control of a totalitarian regime, would we recognize it? This question is of utmost importance today, when many of us harbor fears that some time in the near future ideas such as freedom, liberty, and privacy will be alien to our society. But as we witness the regular passage of legislation designed to restrict and regulate, and the tendency of the Federal government to increase rather than decrease its power (with a handful of exceptions), we are struck by the uninterrupted routine of life in the USA. As the central government brings more and more of private society under its control, we continue to watch cable TV, shop at supermarkets overflowing with products, and eat at our favorite restaurants. Could it be that we have already passed that dreaded threshold and missed it?
