Haunted in Normal: Illinois Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's School

 

ISOH - Photo Courtesy of Illinois Digital Archives

I have a special connection to Illinois that goes beyond my love of Roseanne and The Connors. My boyfriend actually lived in Illinois for long enough that I tend to hear the same stories over and over again. But, it's always helpful when I hear about a city I never heard of before like Normal and its haunted Soldiers' and Sailors' home.

Though some assume that the Civil War had little impact on the North, the battles in the South often reared their ugly heads. As more and more men enlisted and headed to the battlefields, the North found itself dealing with poor children orphaned by the war. In Illinois, this led to the construction of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home.

The Illinois State Government called for the formation of a new home for local Civil War orphans. Several prominent men and women in both Normal and nearby Bloomington raised money to build the new home. Once the state chose Normal, the government quickly set about housing the children in small buildings until construction was complete.

Known as the Illinois' Soldiers' Orphans' Home (ISOH), it opened in 1869. Virginia C. Ohr became the first superintendent, but the way she treated the children under her care left a sour taste in the mouths of many. It didn't take long before a board of trustees took over the home's operations, overseeing the needs of the 180 children who lived there.

Two decades later, the rules of the home changed as many children became orphans following the Spanish-American War. The home also admitted children who had a parent fighting in any war. In 1907, the rules changed yet again, allowing the admission of children who had no one to care for them – as long as the facility had space for them. By the 1920s, children of all ages who needed help were admitted.

The Illinois' Soldiers' Orphans' Home got a new name in 1931 when it became the Illinois' Soldier's and Sailors' Home. This came not long after the Department of Public Works took over the facility. The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) took responsibility for the home's operations in the 1960s, but it wasn't long before the home closed. Due to the high costs and little need for such a building, the state closed ISOH in 1979.

It's hard to imagine today how important the home once was. Not only did the facility have a steam plant to produce the steam needed to power the buildings, but it had a school, kitchen, and even laundry. Later additions included a hospital as well as a chapel. Around the turn of the century, the board approved cottages. Called the Girls' Row and the Boys' Row, these cottages helped children feel like they had real homes. One of the last major changes came in the 20s when the state began giving the children clothing instead of requiring uniforms.

Though some of the buildings still stand, some are abandoned and others were repurposed. None of the changes stopped locals from whispering about the site's haunted history. Some of those whispers concern a portion of the land once used as a cemetery. In the 1940s, the cemetery was dug up and the bodies were sent to new burial sites in Bloomington.

Remember when I mentioned Virginia Ohr above? Legend says she treated her wards in appalling ways, ruling them with an iron fist. She wasn't above using her words and even her hands when things went wrong. Some even claim that the woman's actions led to the deaths of many of the children buried in the former on-site cemetery, which eventually led to the board stepping in and removing her.

Others believe the resident ghosts are those of the poor children sent to live there against their will. In the early days, many men shipping off from war who didn't have anyone to care for their children deposited them at ISOH. Despite claiming they would return and bring them home, some of those fathers lost their lives in battle, leaving the children sad and lonely. That might explain why so many visitors claim to feel heavily depressive feelings while walking through the property. A few even claimed they felt the same emotions when simply driving by the buildings at night.

And then there are the strange orbs still floating through the air. Visible to the naked eye, they also appear in photos taken around ISOH. According to some, these orbs are the ghosts of the children who lived and died there.

Since I'm not as familiar with Normal, Illinois as others are, I'd love to hear any stories you might have about the Illinois Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's School. Let me know what you think in the comments.