ghosthuntersIL
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1#
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(Date Posted:06/25/2006 8:38 PM)
I can't agree more. The property, if anything, seemed very serene - I can see why it would have made a great location for a camp... ticks included! But, it is just beautiful there - and we caught no paranormal activity while there... which doesn't mean a thing really, so we can always take a trip back. I'm just more inclined to think it is local legend at this point until something can tell me otherwise for sure. Not even the history lends it to have a haunting really. So... urban legend abounding if you ask me.
Thanks for posting that Ann.
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ladybegood1
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2#
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(Date Posted:06/24/2006 1:38 AM)
Happy to oblige!
The Gate
Britton I Budd (1871-1965) -Born in San Francisco, the second of 4 children. After the recession of 1877 the family relocated to Chicago. As an adult Mr. Budd was the right hand man of Samuel Insull who owned nearly every Chicago electric railroad during this period. Budd was a key figure in the "L" and Chicago's rapid transit.
In September 1925, Budd filed an application with the secretary of state, Springfield, to establish a corporation to be known as the "Katherine Kreigh Budd Memorial Home for Children, in memory of his young late wife. This former 200 acres of Woodland area was to be home to approximately 100 children under the supervision of the Sisters of St Mary of the Western Province of the Protestant Episcopal Church. The proposal included several buildings: the headquarters of the school, the dormitory for the sisters, a chapel and housing for the children. Cram and Ferguson of Boston were the architects.
This property became known as Doddridge farm . ( the name may have come from a well known hymn writer from the 1700's who was an orphan himself)
(after Budd remarried he converted to Catholicism?this property seemed to change its alliance at the same time)
From 1940-1944 the property, in addition to the children's home, housed the women of The Grail (a catholic women's group) for their summer camp. - in 1944 the group moved their 16 members to a farm in Loveland, OH, now called Grailville.
In the Late 1940's the property was purchased by Bishop J Sheil for the Catholic Youth Organization for use as a summer day camp.
From this point until at least 1963 (the last date documented by newspaper clippings.) the Saint Francis Boys Camp was in operation at the property.
The property though smaller now at aproximately 130 acres, now has some 20 buildings of which 5 are living quarters, also a chapel, dining hall, infirmary, assembly hall, craft shop, and main office building as well as a large fenced swimming pool 30 by 75 feet long boasting graduated depths.
Some interesting bits:
In 1959 a prayer book was written by one of the camp priests, Myron Lowisz called "Nearer to Jesus: Prayerbook for The Boys of Camp St Francis, Libertyville, Illinois"
Through the history?this property both as Doddridge farm and St Francis Boy's Camp, was home to many scouting events for the local organizations.
The property is now part of Independence forest preserve. The forest preserve purchased neighboring gravel pit property in 1978 and in 2000 opened the area as parkland.
The legend reportedly began or has been known in the area since the 1940's or 1950's?my suspicions are that this began as "spooky" story told by the boys of St Francis Boys camp to put a little scare into their stay and I found nothing in the local newspapers at that time that to indicate any sort of tragedy happened at this location---However, I could find no reports of why the property changed hands in the late 40's, perhaps something happened to prompt that. Believe what you will. Me, I cannot believe the property is haunted.
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"There is not death, only a change of worlds" Chief Seattle
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Mandy1178
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3#
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(Date Posted:06/23/2006 6:42 AM)
Ann did find some amazing stuff. I've read about the Gate in two books, but still learned more from what Ann said!
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ghosthuntersIL
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4#
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(Date Posted:06/22/2006 7:40 PM)
Ann, I think you should post your research findings. I think it is pretty important for the integrity of the location as well as the legends that have sprung up surrounding the gate itself.
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plokoon333
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5#
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(Date Posted:06/22/2006 1:49 AM)
Reply to : cbreck
I thought I had lost the directions...but just found them! I'm gonna post what I've got here..for achiveal sakes.I just did some searching for you in the bookVoices From The Chicago Graves, as now I neededto know also how we got there (I was not driving)..Ok - here goes:Take Rt. 137 - an exit is made onto River Rd.The left side is bordered by Independence GroveForest Perserve.After a journy of about 2 miles down the roadBRAmy and I walked it from the Forest Perserve parking lot),it makes a sharp 90-degree right turn. Directly ahead sitsa horse ranch, to the left of that, set back furture fromthe road, sits the menacing 'Gate'..Carol B.
The author of Voices from the Chicago Grave is my friend Scott Markus, if you have any questions I can get in touch with him.
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RedRedRedApple
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6#
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Registered:01/29/2006
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(Date Posted:04/04/2006 1:57 AM)
I made a visit to "The Gate" over the weekend...yep it is still standing! As BlueAlien mentioned, it's incorporated into a sandy horse trail. If you're facing the gate, an equestrian place is to the right, and nothing but forest preserve to the left. The horse path winds around through the trees and eventually connects to a more typical walking/bike path (concrete...asphalt...i dunno what the heck it is) that leads to the main building and one of the parking lots in the forest preserve.
If you go, be prepared to walk 1.5 to 2 miles to get there. There is a shoulder and little entrance in front of The Gate, but it's a no parking zone. I tried being rebellious and flipped on my hazards and just got out of the car to take pics, but in an area like Libertyville I'm sure cops patrol regularly so I didn't want to stray too far. After a few minutes I decided to go back and park so I could really walk around, focus, and take everything in. Besides, the mail lady pulled up and started giving me the evil eye because I was blocking her mailboxes. Whoopsy!
I'm glad I walked back to spend more time there...interesting place. Nothing showed up on my pictures, though. Hmmph.
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Be kind to me, or treat me mean. I"ll make the most of it I"m an extraordinary machine.
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Mandy1178
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7#
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(Date Posted:04/03/2006 8:52 AM)
So is there an actual gate still standing there?
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Bluealiengirl
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8#
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(Date Posted:04/02/2006 9:31 PM)
I went there on a lunch hour. It is pretty cool. It has been incorporated into a horse trail. Next door about 50 feet away is Day Break Farms the address is 31668 N River Road, Libertyville IL 60048 that way if someone needs to Map Quest they can. The gate is on a very sharp curve and set back a bit off the road.
I took about 15 pictures when there so if anything shows up I will let you all know.
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Chris B.
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cbreck
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9#
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Registered:02/28/2006
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(Date Posted:03/15/2006 8:52 PM)
I thought I had lost the directions...but just found them! I'm gonna post what I've got here..for achiveal sakes.
I just did some searching for you in the book
Voices From The Chicago Graves, as now I needed
to know also how we got there (I was not driving)..
Ok - here goes:
Take Rt. 137 - an exit is made onto River Rd.
The left side is bordered by Independence Grove
Forest Perserve.
After a journy of about 2 miles down the road
Amy and I walked it from the Forest Perserve parking lot),
it makes a sharp 90-degree right turn. Directly ahead sits
a horse ranch, to the left of that, set back furture from
the road, sits the menacing 'Gate'..
Carol B.
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Bluealiengirl
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10#
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(Date Posted:03/15/2006 4:25 AM)
Yes as soon as I get my hands on those directions I am off for a lunch hour adventure with one of my new coworkers to take pictures and check it out!
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Chris B.
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cbreck
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11#
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(Date Posted:03/12/2006 8:15 PM)
I do have directions...courtesy of Ed "Sunray" Shanahan. I will print out a few copies and bring them to the next meeting.
Carol B.
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ghosthuntersIL
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12#
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(Date Posted:03/12/2006 5:05 PM)
Actually, I think Carol you said you had directions at a meeting, didn't you? Let us know. We'll have to plan a trip out.
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ghosthuntersIL
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13#
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(Date Posted:03/12/2006 5:04 PM)
Reply to : Bluealiengirl
Ok now someone tell me where this gate is????? I now work in Libertyville and have passed a very interesting site on route 60 and wonder if this may be the location. It is a gate to what looks like an old farmstead. There is an abandoned building and barn that are falling down. In front of the chained off no tresspassing sign is a tree with about a dozen crosses in front of it and a wooden angel tacked to a tree. I cannot get out and check it out when passing as I am on my way to and from work and dressed in heels etc. Maybe one weekend soon I can make a special trip to stop and check it out. Someone want to go with and see what this memorial is all about?Chris
I don't think that's it, but that one would be fun to check out too. This is located off of River Road, and is supposedly a secluded woody area. Probably along the lines of a Rainbow road... narrow and windy and wooded. I haven't been there so I can't say, but this is what the ever wonderful internet tells me. We will have to check out this other spot when we're out there though. Maybe get an address in passing if you can see one, and we can see if there's any history on the place out there.
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Bluealiengirl
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14#
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(Date Posted:03/12/2006 3:01 AM)
If you find out actual directions or where it is Mandy let me know. If this is possibly it maybe we can head out on a Sat or Sun morning before traffic gets bad to check it out. Even if this isn't THE gate something bad must have happened here for that kind of home made memorial to be there.
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Chris B.
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Mandy1178
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15#
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(Date Posted:03/11/2006 8:59 AM)
I'm definitely interested in checking it out . . . but I thought I had heard that the actual gate or whatever doesn't exist anymore. Hmmm I'm not sure about that. I know there are directions here on the net somewhere . . I will have to look.
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Bluealiengirl
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16#
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(Date Posted:03/11/2006 5:26 AM)
Ok now someone tell me where this gate is????? I now work in Libertyville and have passed a very interesting site on route 60 and wonder if this may be the location. It is a gate to what looks like an old farmstead. There is an abandoned building and barn that are falling down. In front of the chained off no tresspassing sign is a tree with about a dozen crosses in front of it and a wooden angel tacked to a tree. I cannot get out and check it out when passing as I am on my way to and from work and dressed in heels etc. Maybe one weekend soon I can make a special trip to stop and check it out. Someone want to go with and see what this memorial is all about?
Chris
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Chris B.
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ghosthuntersIL
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17#
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(Date Posted:02/12/2006 7:11 PM)
Yeah, I think we can make a Libertyville day and go see it one of these days. Local legends... always fun checking into! Anyone else know of other Libertyville area haunts?
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Mandy1178
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18#
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(Date Posted:02/10/2006 8:36 AM)
It is said that there is also a very heavy, sad feeling there. Over a year ago now I was in a crappy ghostchat that will remain nameless and talked to a guy who went there. For some reason, he brought his young daughter with him. He was pulling his daughter along in a wagon and she fell asleep. When she woke up he decided they should leave and she started asking him why they had to leave the other little girl there. Of course, I never knew this person myself so who knows if any of this is true or not. It's just what he told me. It's always worth checking out anyway!
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HiTechKoolAid
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19#
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Registered:01/27/2006
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(Date Posted:02/09/2006 8:19 PM)
Sounds pretty cool, except for the children being killed. Kind of reminds me of Clint Howard in "The Ice Cream Man" when he uses the severed police officers heads as puppets.
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ghosthuntersIL
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20#
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(Date Posted:02/09/2006 8:16 PM)
They "say" that there used to be an orphanage Kathrine Dodridge Kreigh Budd Memorial Home for Children on the grounds beyond the gate. So the story goes, a janitor or some such nonsense - decided to murder a bunch of kids one night and decapitated their little noggins and stuck them on the spikes of this gate. People make claims to seeing glowing heads on the spikes at times.... ok. But there are also many reports of children "hitchhikers" along portions of River Road near the gate and children *poof* disappear. Crying and screaming is often heard.
That I know of, there are no actual reports of this having taken place, but much heresy around the story. Stuff of local legend perhaps? It's still something to check out!! I'm not sure that anyone has really gotten any evidence there either, just more stories. The psychics dig the place and come up with all sorts of stories that I don't know I buy into 100% - but we can make our own decisions!
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HiTechKoolAid
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21#
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Registered:01/27/2006
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(Date Posted:02/09/2006 8:00 PM)
Never heard of the Libertyville Gate, but I've seen the movie "The Gate". A very good movie that everyone should watch if they get the chance. Back on topic now. What is the story behind this Gate?
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Debbie Rochon is simply AMAZING!
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