Haunted Carlinville

HAUNTED CARLINVILLE

HISTORY AND HAUNTINGS THAT SHAPED MACOUPIN COUNTY

BY KAYLAN SCHARDAN

Nestled among the corn fields and rural landscapes of Illinois’ Macoupin County there are forgotten stories, unsolved mysteries, and haunted tales that lurk in the countryside. In the early days of the region, settlers struggled to survive, facing devastating disease and death. Their tragedies would eventually give way to the triumph of thriving communities, including the county seat of Carlinville. The town grew to take its place in Illinois history, playing host to Abraham Lincoln and serving as a stop for America’s “Mother Road,” Route 66. It would also become notorious as the home of the infamous “Million Dollar Courthouse,” which created a scandal that rocked not only the county but made national news. The region gained further infamy during Prohibition when Macoupin County became a hotbed for bootleg liquor, vice, and organized crime. The violence of the days of labor strikes, murders, and terror left many secrets behind in the form of local legends and ghostly tales. Now, it’s time for those secrets to be revealed!

Join Macoupin County native Kaylan Schardan as she reveals the dark and haunted history of Carlinville and Macoupin County. Readers will thrill to the sensational stories of murder, scandal, and the unexplained and discover the true stores of some of the most haunted buildings in Central Illinois. Every town has a story to tell – and the spirits that linger in Carlinville are finally ready to speak!