Nestled in the interior of southern Illinois lies Dug Hill Road, a stretch of land once part of a rugged “cut” through the hills near Jonesboro. This old road, now located five miles west of Jonesboro on State Highway 126, was a crucial route for settlers in the 1800s. Though it has since lost its rustic charm, in the 1860s, Dug Hill Road was known for being a dark and dangerous path. With treacherous terrain and a reputation for danger, it’s no wonder that this road is home to some of the most chilling ghost stories in southern Illinois.
Legend of Marshall Welch: Restless Spirit
One of the most well-known tales tied to Dug Hill Road is the story of Marshall Welch, a Union marshal during the Civil War. In April of 1865, Welch arrested three Union deserters. He treated them harshly before handing them over to the authorities in Jonesboro. However, when word reached the area that the war had ended, the deserters were released. Angry and seeking revenge, the three men lay in wait for Welch on Dug Hill Road one night as he returned home. They ambushed and killed him, leaving his body lying in the middle of the road.
The locals quickly found Welch’s body, but justice was never served, as the three men responsible for his death escaped without punishment. Soon after, people began to report sightings of Welch’s ghost. Witnesses claimed to see him walking along the road, his clothing bloodstained, pleading for help. Others saw his body lying in the center of the road, only to have it vanish before their eyes.
One particularly eerie account came from a wagon driver who saw a man lying face down in the road. When the driver stopped to help, his hands passed right through the figure, touching only dirt. In a panic, he hurried back to his wagon and continued down the road. As he passed the spot where the body had been, he felt his wagon bump over something, but when he looked back, the body had disappeared.
Spectral Wagon: Flying Phantom
Another spine-chilling legend connected to Dug Hill Road is that of a ghostly wagon. One December night, Bill Smith, a local farmer, was traveling through the cut when he had to stop to adjust the harness on one of his horses. As he worked, he heard the unmistakable sound of wagon wheels crunching in the snow, approaching him at a frightening speed.
Panicked, Smith realized that the road was too narrow for both wagons to pass safely. He shouted into the darkness, hoping to warn the other driver, but the noise grew louder, and no one responded. Just as the two wagons were about to collide, Smith witnessed an incredible sight: the other wagon, along with the man driving it, rose into the air. The horses’ hooves pounded through the sky, and the wheels spun as if still on solid ground. The ghostly wagon soared above Smith’s head and disappeared over the next hill, the sound of its wheels slowly fading into the night.
Southern Illinois Boogeyman
Perhaps the most bizarre of all the Dug Hill Road legends is the story of the “booger,” a monster that terrorized the area many years ago. Unlike typical ghost stories, the booger was considered by many locals to be a real creature. Frank Corzine, a resident of Egypt, Illinois, had a frightening encounter with this strange figure.
One night, Corzine was riding his horse through Dug Hill to fetch a doctor for his ill wife. As he rode, he saw a dark figure standing at the edge of the woods. The creature was at least eight feet tall, wearing a white shirt, dark pants, and a long scarf draped over its shoulders. As Corzine approached, the figure quickly moved from a distance to stand right beside him. Horrified, Corzine urged his horse to run, but the creature kept pace with him, even as his horse galloped faster.
Eventually, Corzine escaped the cut and reached the doctor’s home. Pale and shaken, Corzine described the creature to the doctor, who was startled to realize that it matched a figure he had seen just a few nights earlier. The doctor was so frightened by the encounter that he refused to return with Corzine until daylight. Only after gathering a group of eight armed neighbors did the doctor agree to return through the cut, but the strange figure did not appear again that night. No one has reported seeing the booger since.
Haunting Legacy of Dug Hill Road
Dug Hill Road’s chilling stories have passed through generations, cementing its status as one of southern Illinois’ most haunted places. The stories of Marshall Welch, the spectral wagon, and the mysterious booger have become an integral part of the local folklore, passed down in hushed tones around campfires and late-night gatherings.
For those brave enough to venture down Dug Hill Road, the hauntings are a reminder of the area’s dark past and the strange happenings that continue to captivate imaginations today. While the road may no longer be as treacherous as it once was, the ghosts of Dug Hill still lurk in the shadows, waiting for the next passerby to share their eerie tales.
