History Meets Mystery
Published on
By James Kerr, Chief Officer of Content and Digital Media
Every community has stories preserved in history books and museums. Then there are the stories shared in hushed voices, passed from one generation to another and repeated whenever the nights grow longer.
This month, four central Illinois legends come to the screen in Haunted Heartland, an all-new WTVP original documentary executive produced by Caleb Ramsey and premiering on broadcast Thursday, October 29, at 8 p.m. but streaming now at wtvp.tv/haunted and on the free PBS app.
The journey moves from Bloomington to Bartonville, then through Peoria and East Peoria, visiting familiar places connected to stories of the mysterious and unexplained. The program considers how those legends took shape, how they have changed through retelling and why they continue to capture the imagination.
Guiding viewers on the journey is Brian “Fox” Ellis, an internationally acclaimed storyteller, author and historian based in the Peoria area. Known to WTVP audiences as the host of The Sinking of the Columbia, Ellis brings a natural connection to both the history and the art of storytelling at the heart of Haunted Heartland.
The first stop is Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, where generations of students have carried campus ghost stories forward. Among the best known is the Lady in Red associated with Kemp Hall, a mysterious figure reportedly glimpsed near mirrors and in the halls of the historic residence. Whether viewed as a haunting or simply a campus tradition, the story continues to be shared.
At the former Peoria State Hospital in Bartonville, the program revisits Bookbinder, better known in local accounts as “Old Book.” A patient who worked with the hospital’s burial crew, he was remembered for mourning those who died there. The strange events said to have occurred at his own burial have kept the legend alive for generations.
The program then enters the winding paths of Springdale Cemetery in Peoria. There, a secluded Cole family burial plot is often called Cole Circle or the Witch’s Circle. Its circular arrangement and isolated setting have inspired rumors and unexplained accounts, giving the family gravesite a lasting place in local lore.
The final stop takes viewers to the woods around Cole Hollow Road in East Peoria, where reports of a strange creature once drew searchers and stirred speculation. The Cole Hollow Monster became a local sensation and a legend that remains part of Tazewell County lore.
Haunted Heartland does not set out to determine whether the supernatural exists. Its focus is the stories themselves and the ways they have become attached to places many central Illinois residents know well.
“WTVP is here to share the many kinds of stories found across central Illinois,” said Jenn Gordon, WTVP president and CEO. “Some illuminate our history, some introduce us to our neighbors and some simply invite us to be curious. Haunted Heartland gives viewers a new way to experience familiar places while preserving stories local residents have continued to share over time.”
Whether you are a believer, a skeptic or simply a curious neighbor, turn down the lights and join WTVP as history meets mystery.
Haunted Heartland premieres Thursday, October 29, at 8 p.m. on WTVP. Watch it now at wtvp.tv/haunted or on the free PBS app.
