The Ball Cemetery in Springfield is interesting because in many ways it predates the town itself. The gravestone with the earliest date of death you can find is from 1869, whereas the town of Springfield was only named and mapped in 1873 by Army Captain J.D. Spearman, who had bought much of the land in preparation for the coming railway and the wealth it would bring. Because the lands at the time were populated by spread out farms, Ball Cemetery began its existence as a small family graveyard. The utility of the site allowed it to grow to more of a general purpose cemetery, and it has ended up as the final resting place for a few famous dead, including Rattlesnake Pete, who was a compatriot of Buffalo Bill. Although it is by no means surprising that a cemetery may end up haunted, the significance of the haunting of Ball Cemetery is that it seems to be quite a bit more malevolent than a lot of other haunted locations.
Less threatening paranormal phenomena include the appearance of markings on visitors’ property and unknown entities showing up in photographs taken at the site. A step up from that is the ghost of a woman, whose voice can be heard some nights, seeming to come from nearby, but just out of sight. This phantom has the habit of grabbing people’s clothing before disappearing, leaving only a ghostly laugh in her wake. But the most malevolent spirit by far is that of a tall man. Seemingly fueled by anger, he has been known to carry out attacks on unlucky visitors who have been brave enough to pass the gates. Even those who don’t face him head on have reported leaving Ball Cemetery with bruises on their limbs that were not present before.
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