As all the students and townspeople know, Halloween is a special time of year to be in Whitewater. Nicknamed “The Second Salem” Whitewater has a prominent and mysterious history with the paranormal.

It all began with the construction of the Morris Pratt Institute of Spiritualism in Whitewater in 1889. Spiritualism focused on the idea that people could contact the spirits of the dead in order to fully understand the afterlife, and was a belief made popular during the nineteenth to early twentieth century.

It was rumored that in the institute, there was a “white room” where séances were held, and many classes were taught about mysticism and the supernatural. Although most of these are only rumored to have occurred at the Morris Pratt Institute, it is the basis that helped create the mysterious lore for which the legends of Whitewater are founded.

The Witches of Whitewater

There are many stories of the “Witches of Whitewater”. Some say the opening of the Morris Pratt Institute is what first brought the witches here. Others say they were here previous to the institute. Regardless, the stories surrounding the Witches of Whitewater are plentiful and spooky at that. The Tower in the middle of Starin Park is rumored to be the haunting ground for the witches in the dead of night. It is also said that many of the prestigious houses in Whitewater contain tunnels underneath them.  These tunnels were used by the witches to travel back and forth between houses to secretly meet and perform rituals. Supposedly, the Anderson Library has hidden items in their special collections including, the witches spell book.  This book is rumored to make anyone who reads from it go crazy.

The Witch’s Triangle

Three cemeteries are to be found in the city of Whitewater. If you were to take a map and trace a line between each cemetery it would form a perfect triangle. This triangle, known as the “Witch’s Triangle”, has formed a hub of supernatural energy for which Whitewater is the epicenter of. It is said that all of the buildings, specifically along its borders, are extremely haunted. Since the cemeteries are the foundation of the triangle, the grounds of each cemetery are eerie and exceptionally creepy. If people are found to be wandering the cemeteries at night, strange noises and occurrences are said to have happened. People say that when lost students are found wondering there, the spirits awaken to fend off those who dare trespass.

The Creature of Whitewater Lake

In 1923, a fisherman claimed that his boat had been tipped over on Whitewater Lake. The man claims he felt tentacles drag him down into the lake’s murky depths as he swam to retrieve his boat. Decades later on one summer night, three friends went walking along the beach at Whitewater Lake after renting a summer house for the weekend. After a short time, they discovered there was a party of figures cloaked in black, chanting and dancing on the edge of the beach. The group later reported that evening that they had seen some type of creature begin to rise out of the water. It came forth onto the sand towards the group of people cloaked in black. The friends quickly returning home, went to bed and vowed to return the next morning. The next day on the beach, all that was left was a burn pile and what looked like small animal bones. It also has been rumored that swimmers had left the lake the next day with bruises and bite marks from an unknown source.

Although there are many legends to be told about Whitewater, it is important to remember that many of them are just that, stories. Fables passed down generation from generation to keep Whitewater’s mysterious history with the paranormal alive. But, just remember to be careful when out and about this Halloween, you never know what could be out there with you. Happy Halloween!