A couple that proclaim themselves as experts about paranormal activity recently traveled Route 66 to film a documentary about haunted locations along or near the Mother Road.
Patrick Burns and fiancee Marley Gibson began in November their journey in a recreational vehicle for a film titled “Spirits of 66.” The couple maintains a website at Haunted Highways. Their Facebook account is here, and here’s their Twitter account.
“I plan to pitch the concept (of the film) to various networks, but if they don’t bite, it will be available streaming online and as a DVD release,” Burns said in an e-mail.
Burns said they didn’t strictly stay on the Route 66 corridor searching for haunted sites, but remained within the towns the Mother Road traverses. Here are a few of the spots they investigated:
- “We investigated the alley in Chicago were notorious gangster John Dillinger was gunned down by the FBI.”
- “Resurrection Cemetery in the Chicago Suburbs – home of Resurrection Mary – the famous hitchhiking ghost.”
- “Abraham Lincoln’s home in Springfield, Illinois.”
- “Lemp Mansion in St Louis.”
- “Joplin Spook light, near Joplin, Missouri.”
Burns even recorded his own version of Bobby Troup’s “Route 66” for the film project. Appropriately, it sounds a bit spooky:
Great music. I hope they get the film made. I’ll buy the first ticket. Just finished my book on Route 66 in the 1930s. Looking for a publisher, but waiting for the Amazon contest results. Could I link this site to my web?
A gas station just west of Kellyville on the west side of the highway is reputed to be haunted by a woman who died crossing the highway there.
I’m certain that there are many more reputed hauntings along 66.