Students tour historic Irvington... Ghost tour, that is.

By Kristen Pugh

On October 24, students from Marian University got in the Halloween spirit and ventured through Indiana’s most haunted community, Irvington, on a ghost tour.
Alan Hunter, a columnist for the Eastside Voice, led the students through Irvington, educating everyone on the spirits that haunt the neighborhood and sharing famous ghost stories that shape its culture.

Irvington, named after Washington Irving who wrote the famous ghost story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” holds quite an exquisite history that haunts its citizens.

Spirits such as Bona Thompson (a student who once studied at Butler College), George W. Julian (a politician who served in Congress who really doesn’t want drinking, drugs, or cursing nearby his house), and even Abraham Lincoln’s train (which carried his corpse to Springfield, Illinois after his assassination) remain on the grounds where they once lived and make frequent appearances.



Hunter discussed and showed a few houses which contain disturbing facts and stories for those living in Irvington. Students learned about D.C. Stephenson, who was Indiana’s leader of the KKK, and the madness that occurred in his mansion.

Stephenson was charged for second-degree murder of Madge Oberholtzer, who lived down the street, which led to the deconstruction of the Klan in Indiana.

Hunter also told students of the haunted cottage where H.H. Holmes once stayed and the murder of a boy traveling along with him. The stories remain famous; however, people rarely go near these locations due to fear, especially when the sun has gone down.

Travis Ybarra, a student who took the tour, liked learning about the paranormal in Irvington and plans to return to take pictures and recordings of the various haunted locations.

“I really enjoyed the tour guide; I felt he was well-spoken and likeable,” said Ybarra. “I’m really interested in the paranormal and what happens after life, so the experience was really cool. I enjoyed the H.H. Holmes story and found it to be most fascinating.”

Learn more about the spirits that lurk through Irvington and its history. Irvington Ghost Tours will offer their last tours of the year tonight at 7 and 9:30 and tomorrow night at 7 and 9:30.

Irvington will also be hosting their annual Halloween Festival tomorrow, which will include a costume parade, a five mile run, performances, and readings.