Strange and Dreadful Things

Built in the mid-1800's, the Renwick Mansion is probably the best example of Italianate architecture in the Quad Cities. In short, it's a really cool-looking house. But over the years, many people have claimed to have strange experiences there: footsteps, moving objects, and even apparitions. But is it true? Is the Renwick Mansion really haunted?

When John and Ida Harris didn’t answer their door in 1895, the visitor knew something was wrong. Cautiously they opened the door. The nightmare they saw inside would stay with them the rest of their lives. Come hear a tragic tale of the American West that your grandma didn’t want you to hear.

A few days before Christmas 1939, Stephen Melkey was struck by a car near South Bend, Indiana, and thrown nearly 40 feet through the air before landing. When the police arrived, they found that someone had tied his hands behind his back and taped his eyes and mouth shut. Had someone meant for him to be struck by a car on the highway, or had they left him to die in the freezing temperatures?

Quarters One is the second largest government-owned private residence next to the White House. Over the past 150 years, it has hosted politicians, soldiers, and celebrities in its gilded rooms. Some say that some of them have never left. Do they still walk the halls of Quarters One? Or is it something else?

On a summer day in 2001, Donna Stabile knocked on the front door of Leticia Aguilar. She babysat Leticia's five children nearly every night but hadn't seen them for a few day. Donna had started to get worried, so she went to the house. On a whim, she opened the front door and stepped inside. Donna immediately knew something wasn't right. What she didn't know was that she had just stumbled upon one of the most brutal crimes in Iowa history.

When its population peaked at around one-hundred people, Moonville could barely have been called a town. Regardless of its size, Moonville grew a reputation for being hard to get to and having an unusual amount of train accidents happen there. However, it is said that not everyone who lost their lives on that stretch of tracks rest easy.

In this remastered version of an earlier episode: In 1958, a legendary flood struck western Iowa that would claim many, and would forever change the lives of all those who survived.

The Lake Hope Furnace has stood for over one-hundred years, a remnant of the former thriving iron industry in southern Ohio. But its more than a historical monument. The furnace is the home of one of Ohio's most famous urban legends: The Night Watchman of Lake Hope Furnace.

In 1937, Howard Long had a good life - a good wife, his own business, and a stable income during the Great Depression. All of that came to sudden halt when he was arrested and thrown in a jail cell with three other men. Right away he wanted to know why he was there. When he was told, he couldn't hardly speak. Several young girls had accused him doing the unthinkable.

In this remastered edition of an earlier podcast: In 1907, henry Warren walked into a local newspaper and placed an ad for a wife. He became a sensation, and was dubbed 'Loving Henry.' But under his charming good looks he was harboring a dark secret that would take decades to reveal itself.

Strawberry Point is known for being home to the world's largest strawberry. But what many people don't know is that it's also home to the Franklin Hotel, a 150-year-old hotel and event venue that has the spirit of a 1920's prostitute still wandering the halls.

In February 1883, dozens of men and boys descended into the depths of the Illinois prairie to mine coal. By noon, the pump man saw water rising in the mine tunnels. Little did he know that something was horribly wrong. In a matter of minutes, a third of the men in the mine that day would meet a terrible end in what would become one of the worst coal mining accidents in Illinois history.

Mabel Moore had just gone to St. Louis with her new husband, Arthur. After just a few days and one bad argument, he left her stranded there. Abandoned in a strange city, Mabel turned to the unthinkable. When police investigated later, what seemed like a straightforward story became unbelievably bizarre.

Carol Eberle was getting married, and she was overjoyed. But no one else really was. Something had happened just a few weeks before that had soured several people toward Carol in their small North Dakota town. She didn't care one bit what they thought, but sometimes karma has a way of catching up with people.

Swift Runner and his family journeyed into the Canadian wilderness in 1878 for the winter. Only Swift Runner emerged the following spring. He said that his entire family starved to death, but there was something off about his story. When police investigated, one of the most infamous tales of murder and cannibalism in Canadian history was revealed.