Haunted Hoosier Tales: Folklore from Indiana’s Spookiest Places

Get the guide to Indiana ghosts that’s two books in one: part armchair reader and part ghost hunting guide!

Mansions where sad deaths occurred and where spirits walk, murderers and kidnappers whose foul crimes seem to be punished from beyond the grave--countless ghost stories have been passed on for generations, joined by modern folktales that raise the hair on the head and stir the imagination. Wanda Lou Willis, one of Indiana’s most popular folklorists, has carefully researched and collected 78 frightening tales that will provoke and amuse even the most skeptical reader.

Enjoy these stories from the safety of home, or become a ghost hunter. Utilize maps and driving directions for the haunted locations that are open to the public. Journey to Hazelcot, the deserted dream mansion in Whitley County; to the tomb of riverboat captain Francis McHarry along the Ohio River, where ships pay homage to avoid the ghost’s curse; and to the bridges near Avon, where who-knows-what will occur on Halloween.

Whether you’re a horror fan, a history buff, or a traveler looking to explore Indiana like never before, Haunted Hoosier Tales is for you. Share it with friends around a campfire, or try the stories alone at home--if you dare.

Inside you’ll find:

• 78 ghostly tales from haunted locations


• Stories arranged by county


• Maps and directions to the featured sites


• Historical information about 42 counties

Wanda Lou Willis is a folklore historian who specializes in Hoosier folktales and historic research. She is the author of Haunted Hoosier Tales and More Haunted Hoosier Tales.

She is a former features writer for the Indianapolis Star’s ＂Seniority Counts＂ section and contributor to the SouthernIN on-line magazine and the Suite 101 - Folklore site. Currently, she writes for Country Roads: Southeastern Indiana’s Lifestyle Magazine. Wanda has also made numerous appearances on Fox 59’s Early Morning show, has been on numerous local and international radio shows, and was a guest hostess on the South Florida radio show Magick Mind.

For many years, she taught folklore at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and is a popular presenter at schools, universities, libraries, clubs, and historical societies. She has added acting to her list of accomplishments, appearing in Central State: Asylum for the Insane (2006) and Ghost Stories: Walking with the Dead (2007).

A fifth generation Hoosier, Wanda lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. For several years, she shared her life with Joy, her beloved Belgian Shepherd, until her untimely passing in 2007 due to tainted dog food. Though her Joy is gone, she has Hope, a beautiful, loving, foxy Foxhound.