The Ridge Historical Society
Happy Halloween
By Carol Flynn
Halloween originated in Ireland and came to the U.S. with the Irish immigrants in the 1800s.
They believed that at this time of year, the veil between the spirit world and the physical world was the thinnest and human and non-human spirits could more easily cross over. They were fine with visits from their deceased loved ones; in fact, they even set places at the dinner table for them.
But the non-human spirits, the demons and the fairies, were another matter.
The traditions of wearing costumes and placing lit-from-within turnips in windows to drive away the evil spirits, and leaving out treats to keep the fairies from playing tricks, were customs that the Irish brought with them to the U.S.
Since that time, U.S. residents of all backgrounds have embraced the day with its traditions and turned it into a day of celebration. In Chicago, “autumn” is synonymous with “Halloween time.”
Creating “haunted houses” started to become popular in the U.S. in the 1930s. In more recent years, decorating houses for Halloween has become a huge part of the holiday. According to the National Retail Federation, it’s estimated that in 2023, people in the U.S. spent $3.9 billion on home decorations.
The Ridge area has many finely decorated houses for today, and one in Blue Island is proving to be popular, both because of the decorations and because of the house itself.
The Charles S. Young House at 12905 Greenwood Avenue, has a collection of skeletons at the front entrance and on the front lawn that has been added to each year, displayed in various poses – climbing out of a coffin, etc. Lit at night, it has the desired dramatic and spooky, yet fun, effect.
The house itself, of Italian Gothic Revival style with large, dramatic proportions, was built in 1886 for Young, part of a prominent family of real estate investors. The architect is not known.
Charles Young was the first president of the Blue Island Library Association, and his wife Jennie Alexander Young was a charter member of the Blue Island Woman’s Club.
The next tenant rented the house and ran a residential hotel for railroad employees there. The house was then purchased and lived in for many years by a member of the well-known Blue Island business family. The third owner was a Holocaust survivor who was known for helping people in need, including housing recovering substance abuse patients in the house.
Upon that owner’s death, the house became vacant and was on and off the market for years. It became derelict, overgrown with evergreen trees and other vegetation. Of course, it developed the reputation for being haunted.
When the current owners purchased the house in 2019, the realtor asked them if they realized they were buying a haunted house. They responded, enthusiastically, “Oh, yeah!”
They have spent the last five years lovingly restoring the house to its former glory, and they do admit that they have had a few unusual experiences in the house.
They took those as welcoming signs, and believe that any presence there is positive, not menacing.