Haunted Michigan: Soop Cemetery and Denton Road in Belleville

 

Soop Cemetery in Belleville, MI - Photo from the University of Michigan Archives

Located in Wayne County, Belleville is a small community with a population of around 4,000 people. Many of its residents commute to nearby Detroit for work. James Belle was the first settler to arrive in the area, which would later become a small town. If you haven't heard of this town, buckle up because I'm taking a look at the haunted Denton Road and Soop Cemetery on that road.

Soop Cemetery

Abraham Soop was a Belleville local who donated a plot of land in 1832 for a new cemetery, which the town named after him. Though it later became known as Pleasantview Cemetery – which some claimed was to separate it from his wife – it is once again Soop Cemetery today. The ghost of the cemetery is Elizabeth Soop, his wife. Legend says she was a witch who often practiced her dark rituals late at night on the cemetery grounds. Upon her death, locals erected a headstone with two hands pointing down to show her dark side. In response, Elizabeth began haunting the land.

Both videos and photos taken inside Soop Cemetery show pale orbs floating through the air and a fine mist, neither of which anyone saw when taking the images. Others reported seeing large black birds that never strayed far from Elizabeth's headstone. Supposedly some of her descendants still live around Belleville and continue to claim she was a witch.

It's worth noting the cemetery has two headstones with her name on it. Neither shows upside-down hands. One of the stones does show a set of praying hands. I guess if you looked at it the wrong way, it might look like upside-down hands?

There are also claims of a murder victim who haunts the cemetery. Jane Mixer was just twenty-three when she was murdered, her body left behind by her killer. Some claim to see a young woman standing near the headstone where the man left her. However, this real event happened at a different cemetery and not here.

While I haven't found much about the haunted Soop Cemetery, you'll find it at 49250 Old Denton Road.

Old Denton Road

You don't need to travel far to find another haunted spot in Denton. Old Denton Road, which runs beside the cemetery, is home to a ghostly visitor. Imagine driving as the sun sets and seeing a man walking on the side of the road. Just as you wonder if you should stop and see if needs help, he disappears right in front of your eyes. That's an experience many have when driving down Old Denton Road.

There's also the sound of a baby crying heard coming from the woods. I've heard a story of a young woman forced to give birth in secret in the woods who later saw her child die. Others claim she killed her child in the woods near the cemetery, unable to care for him. Another legend says she killed her child when the baby's father refused to accept paternity.

Denton Road - Photo from Only in Your State

Denton Road

I have yet to hear whether this story refers to Denton Road or Old Denton Road, so I created a separate section for it. Legend says you need to drive far down the road at midnight until you come across a large hill where an older road passes through. If you stay quiet enough, you should see a glowing light move by.

Denton Road Bridge

Also haunted is the Denton Road Bridge. During an October examination, workers discovered the bridge was no longer structurally sound or safe. While it went through a renovation in the 1940s, some of the wood dated back to the 1920s. Almost as soon as word reached the public about the bridge's closure, locals began talking about its haunted past.

The Denton Road Bridge is haunted by both a woman and her baby. She often appears on the bridge with her hair and clothing dripping wet. Others claim to see a ghostly woman bathed in blue near the bridge. Another story says she appears with her child clasped tightly in her arms. I've also found reports of people hearing a baby cry and seeing orbs on the bridge.

There are almost as many stories about where the ghost comes from as there are witness reports. A popular version claims the woman had an abusive husband who grew mad when the baby wouldn't stop crying. He chased them out of the house with an ax, causing her to run to the bridge. When he got close and she realized he would never stop, she threw herself and their baby over the side to the water below.

Another version is similar to the ghostly baby near Denton Road. A woman found herself pregnant by a man who claimed the child wasn't his. He told his friends she was a liar and slept with other men. Though she thought he would eventually tell the truth, her former lover never did. After giving birth, she threw herself off the bridge, feeling as though she and her child had no other choice.

The next time you find yourself in Belleville, Michigan, check out some of the hauntings around Denton Road.