Some suburbanites in the Chicago region believe there are unexplainable and spooky things happening:

Spirits are high in Naperville from apparitions including deceased janitor “Yellow Boots” who supposedly lives in North Central College’s Pfeiffer Hall and lovers Charles Hillegas and Jessie Robateene who are said to roam the historic area…

A heartbroken Hillegas horrified the town by digging up Robateene’s grave at Naperville Cemetery in hopes of reviving her with a potion. Franz said he learned about the romance from the deceased couple themselves. With help from a specialized recorder, “they were very talkative and told us the whole story,” he said…

Shoe Factory Road

The scenic route in Hoffman Estates once housed the historical Charles Lindbergh Schoolhouse, purported to be haunted although that could be pegged to teenagers who rendezvoused there. Also adding to the road’s mystique is an unsolved triple murder at a farmhouse where Earl Teets, his wife Elizabeth, and their son Gary were found shot to death in 1979…

Both the Woodstock Opera House and the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan are known for supposed paranormal drama. In Woodstock, it’s “Elvira,” a performer who leapt from the opera’s tower when she didn’t get a part and now is said to sit in the audience. Meanwhile, the Genesee celebrates its spookiness, which includes disembodied barking, with an annual “Ghost Wauk.”

Just like horror films set in the suburbs, these stories go against the grain of what suburbia often appears to be: a place where families and households achieve success. If there are ghosts and memories of crime, the idyll of happy suburban single-family home life is broken.

Could such stories help suburbanites recognize the good things in their communities? Supernatural happenings could be destabilizing but they may also serve residents in that they could be reminded that these things typically do not happen.

How might an enterprising suburb or organization capitalize on these supernatural sightings throughout the entire year? October is an obvious time to link these together. However, is there enough interest in the Chicago area to pursue this all year round?

Finally, I wonder how the number of stories told in the Chicago suburbs compares to other suburban areas in the United States. Are there certain metropolitan regions that have more supernatural happenings?