Ridgeway Ghost facts for kids

The Ridgeway Ghost is a famous ghost story from Wisconsin, a state in the United States. For many years, people in the area have shared tales about this mysterious phantom. It's known for being able to change its shape and appear in many different forms.

What is the Ridgeway Ghost?

According to old stories, the Ridgeway Ghost is more than just a regular ghost. People believed it was a "phantom that could change its appearance whenever it wanted." This means it could look like many different things.

What Did People See?

People who claimed to see the Ridgeway Ghost reported many strange sights:

• Sometimes, it appeared as a man holding a whip. This figure would either walk alongside people or even chase them.
• Other times, it looked like common farm animals. These included dogs, sheep, or other animals found on a farm.
• The ghost also took on different human shapes. Some people reported seeing a "headless horseman." Others described it as a young woman or an old woman.

Where Did the Legend Begin?

Local stories say the Ridgeway Ghost is actually the spirits of two brothers. They were unluckily murdered during a fight in a bar around the early 1840s. Since then, the ghost has supposedly been seen along an old mining road. This road stretches about 25 miles between the villages of Blue Mounds and Dodgeville in Iowa County, Wisconsin.

When Were Sightings Reported?

Tales suggest that sightings of the Ridgeway Ghost became more frequent in cycles. These cycles happened about every 40 years.

• The first increase in sightings was reported in the 1850s.
• More sightings occurred again in the 1890s.
• Then, another wave of reports came in the 1930s.
• The most recent cycle mentioned was in the 1970s.

Famous Encounters

One of the first people to report seeing the Ridgeway phantom was Dr. Cutler from Dodgeville. He claimed it appeared on the pole of his wagon one night. This happened as he was riding home past the house where the murdered brothers had lived.

Another person, John Lewis, also claimed to have seen the ghost. He believed that some "supernatural agency" caused him to become very ill after his encounter. Other unnamed people were also said to have experienced bad luck or illness after seeing the Ridgeway Ghost.